B & M Market has been open at 219 NE 79th street since 1980. According to Nafeeza Ali, it is one of the first and longest running West Indian grocery stores in Miami. In 1990 Nafeeza and her husband Sheir bought the place from her uncle. They've been selling authentic Caribbean products and serving hot takeout orders ever since.
I asked Nafeeza what West Indian means. She said "The people from India and Africa, they been used like slaves by England in the Caribbean. West Indian mean like Indians and Africans in the islands. My great grandfather went to Guyana on a boat from India. He fought inna World War for the Queen of England. That's how my family got to Guyana."
I asked Nafeeza what West Indian means. She said "The people from India and Africa, they been used like slaves by England in the Caribbean. West Indian mean like Indians and Africans in the islands. My great grandfather went to Guyana on a boat from India. He fought inna World War for the Queen of England. That's how my family got to Guyana."
B & M Market has been featured twice in the Miami Herald (though their archives don't seem to make the articles available), once on Michelle Bernstein's television show Check, Please! South Florida (episode #106), and also on Miami.com. Nafeeza asserts that they do steady catering business with rich Upper Eastside doctors, lawyers, and engineers.
"We do Caribbean food like oxtail, stew beef, jerk chicken, curry goat, saltfish and ackee, roti. Roti is flour and baking powder with a filling of potato or split peas, or just bare flour too." The roti is like a West Indian burrito that's wrapped around meat or vegetables. "If you want something not too big or heavy it's just right, bigger than a sandwich, lighter than a meal, but it can be a meal too" says Nafeeza.
"We do Caribbean food like oxtail, stew beef, jerk chicken, curry goat, saltfish and ackee, roti. Roti is flour and baking powder with a filling of potato or split peas, or just bare flour too." The roti is like a West Indian burrito that's wrapped around meat or vegetables. "If you want something not too big or heavy it's just right, bigger than a sandwich, lighter than a meal, but it can be a meal too" says Nafeeza.
"We take pride in our food. No preservatives, no MSG, fresh herbs and spices. We go to the market on NW 12th ave and 20th street."
Pictured above, a longtime customer says "I been comin' here for almost 18, 19 years. Good food, good facility. That's why I keep comin' back. There was a time I used to be here everyday, now it's about 3 times a week, especially on weekends.
Nafeeza runs the kitchen and her husband Sheir the store. B & Market stocks a variety of authentic Caribbean and West Indian products and boasts an impressive exotic beverage selection. According to Sheir they also do well with the natural medicine/remedy type products behind the counter.
Television star Monique (above left) has been to B & M Market a couple of times.
Here are pictures of some more Caribbean finds from B & Market.
