Indu Convenient Store

Located at 4925 West Market Street in Greensboro’s FantaCity International Shopping Center, Indu Convenient Store is an Indian grocery (with a halal butcher on-site) that also sells baked goods and hot meals. It is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

Tucked into the Market-facing side of FantaCity, Indu offers a treasure trove of spices, rices, frozen meals, and more. Like Carniceria El Mercadito down the street, it also offers a small food counter and limited seating that belie the quality of the offerings.

For our first visit, my wife and I split two vegetarian thalis with naan and samosas. The thalis allowed us to sample two kinds of lentils, paneer, aloo, and more. While most had a thinner-than-average consistency, the flavors were on-point. An accompanying spicy relish (those are peppers, not green beans!) let us crank up the heat to our heart’s content.

Service proved to be patient and accommodating as we tried to work our way through the surprisingly varied menu. This isn’t sit-down entrée fare, but there were plenty of snacks, drinks, sides, breads, and parathas to choose from. The pricing, for the quantity offered, is unbeatable. Two thalis, two samosas and naan fed two hungry adults and yielded leftovers for under $20, and one person can eat well here for under $10.

If you want quick, cheap, flavorful eats, can do without meat, and don’t mind taking your food to go (seating, as mentioned, is very limited, and there isn’t much ambiance to speak of), Indu is definitely worth a visit. That holds doubly true if you want to cook Indian dishes using authentic ingredients.