**Best Grocery Store: H-E-B**
The tortillas are part of the story, but it’s more than just those smuggle-on-a-plane-worthy delicacies (y’all saw that kid’s viral TikTok) that makes H-E-B amazing. What makes H-E-B the best grocery store in Houston, Texas is that “Texas” part. The San Antonio-based grocer celebrates its 120th year this November and it has become a juggernaut in the global supermarket industry by knowing its here-at-home customers, not just you hip urban sophisticates, but all the folks in all the small towns that dot H-E-B’s Texas landscape, too.
When one thinks about those stores in the rural far-offs, it’s easy to see them as different in some way. What H-E-B does beautifully is tie us together as Texans (and humans) by the least intrusive means. No big speeches, no political campaigns, just grocery items which reflect upon and celebrate who we are. For instance, a “burnt ends” scented candle would likely gather dust and eventually be hauled to a landfill in places like Ohio or Arkansas. In Austin, Luling, Driftwood, Dallas and yes, Houston, we know Texas barbecue so we understand this product, we get it, it’s something to relish because it’s so _us_. There are lots of other items just like that, created by Texans and sold by H-E-B, which subtly remind us of our similarities and why we should treasure them. As far as we’re concerned, that’s the kind of shopping experience which deserves to go viral.
Multiple locations
[heb.com](https://www.heb.com/)
This article appears in [Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2025](https://www.houstonpress.com/?post_type=newspack_collection&p=390334).