Excel Food Mart No. 2 in Oklahoma City: International Staples and Bulk Produce in Midtown

Excel Food Mart No. 2 is an independent grocery focused on international products, with particular depth in Asian, Latin American, and African ingredients alongside conventional American groceries. Located in the Midtown area, it functions as both a neighborhood market for daily shopping and a destination store for specialty items unavailable at chain supermarkets.

What Excel Food Mart No. 2 actually is

Excel Food Mart No. 2 operates as a mid-sized independent grocer mixing mainstream and international stock. The store carries fresh produce, frozen goods, packaged staples, and prepared or partially prepared foods. Unlike larger chains, it stocks a high proportion of items imported directly or sourced through ethnic distribution networks, making it a practical stop for home cooks working with Asian cuisines, Latin American recipes, or West African ingredients. The store layout mirrors a traditional neighborhood market: produce at the front, packaged goods in center aisles, and frozen and refrigerated sections toward the back.

Product range and pricing

Excel Food Mart No. 2 prices most items competitively against chain stores for standard goods like canned vegetables, rice, and oil. Where it diverges is in specialty imports: frozen plantains, fresh taro root, specialty rice varieties, and Asian sauces typically cost 15 to 40 percent less than at natural food stores or specialty retailers, though prices fluctuate with supply. Fresh produce is seasonal and rotates based on what arrives; tropical fruits, leafy greens common in West African cooking, and Asian vegetables appear and disappear throughout the year. The store does not publish a price list online, so confirming specific items or current costs requires a phone call or in-person visit.

How it compares to other Oklahoma City groceries

Chain supermarkets like Walmart Supercenter or Crest Foods offer lower overall grocery prices and wider conventional selection, but carry minimal international stock unless in neighborhoods with dense immigrant populations. Whole Foods stocks some specialty items at premium prices (often double Excel's cost for imported goods). Local co-ops focus on local and organic products rather than international staples. Excel Food Mart No. 2 sits between: cheaper than specialty or premium retailers but narrower in some conventional categories than chains, with the tradeoff of depth in global ingredients.

Choose Excel for specific recipes requiring ingredients difficult to source elsewhere; choose a chain for weekly staple shopping if you do not need specialty items.

Who it suits and who it does not suit

Excel Food Mart No. 2 serves home cooks preparing African, Asian, or Latin American food regularly; people shopping for ingredients their neighborhood chain does not stock; and price-conscious shoppers buying imported goods. It does not suit those seeking organic certification, extensive prepared-food sections, or one-stop shopping for a full week of American-diet groceries. The store's inventory is curated around immigrant communities and international cooking, not convenience shopping.

What a first visit involves

First-time visitors should expect a smaller footprint than a supermarket (roughly 5,000 to 7,000 square feet) and a checkout process that moves at neighborhood-store pace. Product labels are often in multiple languages or entirely in source languages, requiring either familiarity with products or willingness to ask staff for guidance. The store does not maintain a website listing inventory, so calling ahead about availability of specific items saves trips.

Hours, parking, and logistics

Excel Food Mart No. 2 operates in Midtown Oklahoma City. Specific current hours should be confirmed by phone, as they may shift seasonally or by day. The store has street or lot parking typical of neighborhood groceries; peak shopping times are early morning and late afternoon. Payment methods include cash and card.

Excel Food Mart No. 2 fills a practical gap for Oklahoma City cooks who cannot source global ingredients at chains and cannot afford specialty-store markups.