There are a few independent stores that deserve recognition here: Northside: Tom Fridays Market; East Side: Squirrel Hill Market; Bloomfield: Line Verde Green Market; West Hills: Sil’s; South Hills: Ruthfred Market.

Then you have Kuhn’s (not a Bodega, but independent); and then smaller places like Mayfly Market (Arch St), Dylmato’s (Hazelwood), Heisler’s McMurray (though the family owns several Foodlands around town), Community Grocery, IGA including Ferri’s, and then there are numerous ethnic grocers like Pitaland, Labriola’s, Little Tokyo, Panda, Lotus, New Young’s Oriental, Salem’s, Patel Brothers, Kiev Market and Nataliya’s European Grocery.

There are numerous other Middle Eastern and Asian grocers, and other neighborhood stores scattered about underserved neighborhoods like The Hill District, Lincoln Larimer, Wilkinsburg, McKees Rocks and more, but many just have snack type foods which are grab and go for those buying cigarettes and playing the lottery.

GE has sadly done a good job shutting down local grocers from both a geographic and inventory perspective, but they’ve also prevented welcome competition like Wegmans and Kroger from moving in.

Luckily, places like the Squirrel Hill Market (from imported butters, local cheeses, to local and regional PA brands including Middleswarth and PSU ice cream), Tom Fridays (last full service butcher/corner grocery in the city), and Linea Verde (only rue green grocer in town) have sufficiently different products (in addition to staples) than GE, Foodland, Shop n Save, et al, and worthwhile seeking out if you want that Bodega-like experience.