$5 nuggets or furikake chex mix? Here’s what you’ll find at Sacramento corner stores

If you’re in the heart of Sacramento, you can likely satisfy your fix for ice cream, beer, wine and candy, or get a last-minute cleaning supply within a mile or two.

Unique-to-Sacramento, mom-and-pop convenience stores are scattered across the city, offering food and everyday essentials with a touch of community.

A Bee reporter reached out and visited several of the many convenience stores sprawled across Sacramento’s downtown, midtown and nearby neighborhoods. Families behind three of the stores visited agreed to speak to The Bee, sharing their history and what makes their stores unique.

And of course — we couldn’t not write about the corner store made famous by Sacramento-native Greta Gerwig’s 2017 film “Lady Bird.”

Meet the families that run some of the convenient neighborhood fixtures in Sacramento and the various specialty items you can only find there.

Pacific Market

2500 P St, Sacramento

Open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., daily

While traveling down P Street, it’s hard to miss the bright yellow and blue building that makes up Pacific Market. Behind its door is an array of goods, ranging from sunscreen, Nyquil and Swiffer Wet Mop Cloths to frozen dinners, candy, assorted beef jerky — and craft beers.

Craft beers are one of the items unique to the store, owner Preet Singh said. The market has been selling local beers for the last three to four years, sourcing their selection from Sacramento, throughout California and even the East Coast, and carefully choosing them based on factors, such as flavor profile, rarity and customer preference.

The market features beers of the month — hazy, lager, pilsners, sours, milkshakes.

“Whatever beer you try now, you won’t see it through the next 11 months,” he said. “It’s going to be different each month.”

Pacific Market has been around since the 1930s, Singh said. His family took over the store the last 17 years.

Unlike general convenience stores seen at gas stations, Singh said, Pacific Market is a neighborhood shop.

“Anything you need,” he said, ”we basically will go out of our way and make it happen for our customers.”

At the front of the cash register is a yellow notepad, tucked between packages of dried mango slices and a credit card reader. Labeled, “What Can Pacific Market Get For You?” customers can scribble down items they want to see stocked on the shelves.

“It will be literally on the shelf in about two to three days tops,” Singh said, “depending on the item.”

Boss Market

3060 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Sacramento

Open 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., daily

At first glance, Boss Market appears like your typical corner store. From the left of the door, you’ll find supplies for your car and refrigerated drinks and towards the cash register, you can grab candies, jerky or ask the cashier for a pack of smokes.

But at the side, behind a covert wall is a where Boss Market’s magic happens — where burgers, hot dogs, chili cheese fries are served right off the grill. Think New York’s bodegas but in Sacramento.

Owner Jiwan Kumarverme previously ran a food truck before setting up Boss Market in the Oak Park neighborhood in 2011, said Monika Verma, Kumarverme’s wife. The store’s charm is its cheap prices, according to Yelp reviews.

You can get a double cheeseburger for $4 or add bacon to it for 50 cents. There are chili cheese fries for $4.50 and nine-piece chicken nuggets for $5. If you’re in the mood for sweets, grab a caramel shake for $4, a banana split for $5 or a chocolate sundae for $3.

The most popular item, Verma said, is the Players Plate, where for $15 you can get a two-piece jumbo fish, four-piece hot wings, four-piece shrimp, fries and soda.

Sam’s Market

1330 O St, Sacramento

Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekdays; 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday; closed Sunday

When you enter Sam’s Market on O Street, you might catch Kenton Fong, Sam’s grandson, behind the register. Or you’ll see Arvella Fong, Kenton’s mother and Sam’s oldest daughter, and her son Dennis, standing in front of Polaroid pictures of their store’s lottery winners.

Sam’s Market has been running for more than 80 years in Sacramento and has been on the corner of 14th and O Street since 1957. Family-owned, Sam’s Market has been passed down through three generations and 15 relatives, with Kenton currently manning the store.

In the mornings, Kenton said, people are stopping by for iced coffee and energy drinks, and in the evening, alcoholic drinks are the go-to. The store was formerly a butcher shop, but with business slowing down, neighborhood changes and state workers coming in, Sam’s Market turned the meat area into a fresh sandwich stand.

You have your choice of bologna and cheese, ham and cheese, roast beef, tuna, turkey, deviled eggs on white, wheat and rye bread or a french roll for under $10. A hot pastrami on a roll is the most popular sandwich, said Doreen Wong, Kenton’s niece.

And only at Sam’s Market, you’ll find authentic Hawaiian-style snacks — macadamia, mochi crunch, ube macademia and matcha macadamia nut cookies — all made in a home kitchen from Kino Kitchen. You can also find Japanese snacks, such as furikake chex mix and okoshi, a puffed rice cake.

Since it’s been in business for a long time, you might also catch long-time regulars from back in the 50s.

American Market and Deli

2331 N St, Sacramento

7 a.m. to 11 p.m., Monday to Thursday and Sunday; 7 a.m. to 12 a.m., Friday and Saturday

For fans of the 2017 coming-of-age film Lady Bird, American Market and Deli is Sacramento’s unofficial landmark.

The corner store was featured in the movie and is the place where actress Saoirse Ronan, playing Lady Bird, goes to buy cigarettes, a lottery ticket and a Playgirl magazine after turning 18. In this scene, store co-owner Gurpreet Singh makes his on-screen debut.

In midtown, the store is still graced with the iconic blue and purple peacock mural by artists Shaun Turner, Daniel Osterhoff and Miguel Bounce Perez — as seen in the movie.

This story was originally published October 22, 2022 at 5:30 AM.