Phoenicia: A Tantalizing World Market

A world of wonder awaits customers at Phoenicia Specialty Foods. The market caters to a variety of ethnicities and religions with food, drinks, cookware, and other surprising goodies. Come for lunch or dinner at the restaurant, and then hop next door to enjoy the market. Anyone wanting to experience an ethnic market experience should take a trip down to the Phoenician in Houston.

The Phoenician draws customers in from the moment they walk into the door of the market. Scents of heady Mediterranean spices and foods fill the market and start visitors off on their culinary journey. The Phoenician sits in a large, warehouse-styled space with departments set up to cater to different customers’ needs as well as aisles of goods to peruse. Making fresh goods for customers daily is a big draw to many Houston transplants wanting a piece of their cultural heritage. While the main focus is Mediterranean and Middle Eastern goods, the market brings in food and produce from many other countries, outside those areas, as well.
The produce section at the Phoenician is small but diverse. Offering a plethora of familiar and not-so-familiar fruits, the market brings produce from local sources as well as importing some ingredients from outside of the country. Customers can get fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, or be more adventurous and try fresh chickpeas or dates. Along the same walkway lies the meat and seafood department. The meat department is Halal friendly and caters to the Muslim community in Houston. While offering a wide selection of fresh meat and seafood, the meat department at the Phoenician also offers different types of seasoned meats featured in the Phoenician restaurant.

Immediately following the meat and produce departments is the bakery and confections department. This bakery is a wonderland for anyone who enjoys sweets. There is a whole case of savory Middle Eastern pastries filled with different meats and vegetables. Another case holds Middle Eastern sweets such as the classic baklava, which comes in many flavors and with a variety of toppings. Try a baklava roll or experience some of the Middle Eastern pastries not so commonly consumed. The Phoenician follows the ‘world market’ theme by also offering a wide variety of handmade European pastries. These pastries are usually bright, colorful, and extremely sweet.

Another aspect of the market is the pre-made foods and the deli. These pre-made foods include a variety of salads, skewers of seasoned meats, and, of course, the classic rotisserie chicken. The Phoenician also offers many different types of cheeses, ranging from mozzarella to halloumi. The deli offers Halal meats as well as a selection of salamis and a few other charcuterie delights. Move into the aisles, and you can find whole blocks of meats and cheeses available for sale. The Phoenician caters to restaurants as well as individuals, offering goods in large portions or in smaller portions for the individual.

Aisles upon aisles of goods really bring out the warehouse feel of the market. Product is stacked up as high as the ceiling and towers over customers as they shop. Goods include pasta, canned goods, spices, cookware, and a whole selection of fresh coffee and teas. The Phoenician also offers a selection of hookahs and hookah accessories to those who wish to experience the flavored tobacco smoked through intricately designed water pipes, often found in the Middle East.
After perusing the market, take a trip next door and try out the Pheonician’s restaurant Arpi’s Deli. The restaurant features many products and goods from the market. The restaurant offers a selection of seasoned and cooked meats that can be eaten plain or wrapped up in pita bread with veggies to become a shawarma. The restaurant also offers a large Mediterranean buffet with a wide selection of salads, appetizers, and snacks to add to your meal. Have some fresh coffee and homemade dessert, a selection of confections from the market, after the meal as well. If you are on the go and want a meal while shopping, sit down and order from the food court right in the market.

The Phoenician offers an experience for customers that is unique and exciting. From the first moment a customer steps into the market, they are assaulted with smells and sights that transport them from Texas to the exotic places that lie across the ocean. Come shop for any ethnic food needs or indulge in a bite to eat at the restaurant. Any visit to Phoenician Specialty Foods will be a new experience.

Phoenician Specialty Foods, 12141 Westheimer Road, Houston, Texas, USA, +1 281 558 8225

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.