This Sacramento market is a ‘true hidden gem.’ Here’s what I ate and drank for $25
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Explore Sacramento on a budget
Bee reporters explore Sacramento through one of your favorite affordable activities every month — all on a $25 budget.
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Past rows of crispy pig ears and imported bath soap, a kitchen in the back of an Asian market in Sacramento is cooking up authentic Lao food you can’t find on Doordash.
South Area Market near the intersection of Stockton Boulevard and Fruitridge Road is unpretentious and personable, from the handwritten menu scribbled on a dry erase board to the minimal decor on the bright yellow cinder-block walls. But don’t let its looks fool you.
The food coming out of this market is some of the best I’ve had in Sacramento.
If you take nothing else from this series — where I try a reader-suggested Sacramento activity once a month on a $25 budget — I hope it’s motivated you to get out of your comfort zone and try new things. Over the last 10 months, I’ve crossed off food and entertainment suggestions from a list of nearly 70 entries but my favorite experiences have come from eateries off the beaten path.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhy we did this story
I started this job — service journalism reporter at The Sacramento Bee — more than two years ago from across the country. Virtually, I began to pick up the feel of Sacramento before my big move. I’ll admit, it’s been a slow process making this city feel like home and a large part of that is me.
In this series, I discover Sacramento through one of your favorite affordable activities every month — all on a $25 budget.
Sacramento Bee reader Larry Lee asked me to put South Area Market on my list of food spots to try after reading about my experience at Tori’s Place in January, a soul food shack in Del Paso Heights.
“It’s a hole in the wall,” the Sacramento native wrote me about the Lao market. “A Chef friend of mine swears by this place. It’s a true hidden gem.”
South Area Market opened in the 90s. It was founded by Laos natives Sisouk and La Soukasene and was taken over by their daughter, Nancy, several years ago.
My time at South Area Market in Sacramento
Location: 5220 Fruitridge Road, Sacramento
The market was completely empty on an early September Wednesday evening.
I made my way to the rear of the store, where prepackaged soups, desserts and boiled eggs sat in refrigerators. After looking over the limited menu, I settled on pad Thai, a Lao sausage and a cup of Thai iced tea for a total of $24.41.
The sausage came from the hot bar, which sits alongside a rotating container of gaeng nor mai — or bamboo stew — with pumpkin and mushrooms. The pad Thai and Thai iced tea are made to order, like most items on the menu.
The market has a large dining area — sandwiched between isles of snacks and its hot food operation — but it hasn’t reopened since the pandemic began. Instead, your order is tied in a large white plastic bag and you’re asked to pay at the front of the store.
I was in and out in about 15 minutes.
How I spent my $25 budget at South Area Market
The smell coming from the takeout bag made me pull over in an empty parking lot a couple of blocks from South Area Market. I had to eat it right then.
The $4 Thai tea is sweeter and thicker than your typical iced tea because of the combination of sugar, milk and spices. If you’re a Thai tea fan, this is a tasty rendition of the classic drink.
The $3 sausage made with pork, green onions and lemongrass was also a hit, but the pad Thai stole the show.
For $12.95, you get a container packed with flavorful noodles, bean sprouts, red chili flakes, crushed peanuts, lime, green onions, chicken, shrimp and tofu. This was some of the cheapest, yet flavorful pad Thai I’ve eaten in Sacramento — and I’ve eaten a lot.
Is South Area Market affordable?
I was able to get a drink, an appetizer and an entree for less than $25.
If you’re on an even stricter budget or you’re trying to get as much bang for your buck, you can still do it at South Area Market. Skip the $4 Thai tea and order a $3 side of steamed rice, a chicken wing or meatballs.
Cheaper entrees include papaya salad ($7), kapiek or chicken noodle soup ($10.50), pho or beef noodle soup ($11.95) and pad see ew ($11.95). The most expensive items on the menu are fried tilapia with peppers and dipping sauce ($15.99) and laab or meat salad ($14.95).
Remember: You have to spend at least $10 to pay with a credit card.
I would have easily driven passed Sacramento’s South Area Market while on the way to a conventional food spot on the city’s grid and that would have been a mistake. Thank you for the suggestion, Larry!
Hours: South Area Market is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Sunday.
This story was originally published September 21, 2023 at 5:00 AM.
