Now we have a 6-pack. New Lowes Foods adds another grocer to Forest Drive

Lowes Foods opens its latest location, the first in Richland County, on Wednesday at 4711 Forest Drive in Forest Acres.

The North Carolina-based grocer has operated two locations in Lexington County — 5222 Sunset Blvd. and 2440 Augusta Highway — since 2017.

The addition of Lowes Foods brings the number of grocery stores to six along a 2.4-mile strip of Forest Drive from Beltline Boulevard to I-77.

If you’re a typical grocery shopper, you don’t usually buy all of your groceries from one place. Each store has something unique about it, whether it’s the store hours, weekly sales offers or the atmosphere.

Here’s our breakdown of the Forest Drive groceries:

Kroger: 3402 Forest Drive, open 6 a.m.-1 a.m. every day. Features bakery and deli, pharmacy, self-checkout lanes and ATM machine. It also features some of the lower prices on fresh vegetables. TIP: Check the bin behind the citrus counter for $1 bundles of fruit and veggies.

Trader Joe’s: 4516 Forest Drive, open 9 a.m.-9 p.m. every day. Corner tasting station, fresh-cut flowers and potted herbs, great deals on beer and wine, cheese, premade fresh salads and snacks and overall cool vibe. Yes, the parking lot can be nuts, but it can be worth it for the inexpensive frozen foods, perfect for lunch at work or quick dinners (we’re addicted to any of the Indian food choices and the Tex-Mex chili rellenos — filling for less than $4). TIP: Taste before you buy (ask a Trader Joe’s employee)!

Lowes Foods: 4711 Forest Drive, open 7 a.m.-10 p.m. daily. An emphasis on locally-sourced ingredients and products — there are some Columbia-area products in the aisles. In-house wood smoker in the meat department. Fresh hot-from-the-oven breads available from 4-7 p.m. Fresh-squeezed juices and infused waters. Sushi counter. Floral department. Cheese counter staffed with knowledgeable cheesemongers. Wine and extensive local craft beer selections, a coffee and tea bar, and sandwiches and salad bar. Sit and sip or nosh at indoor and outdoor dining spaces. Premade meals or purchase chef Vivian Howard’s portioned ingredients to prepare at home. Or if you like to cook but don’t like the prep work, there’s an in-store food prep area where you can hand over a basket of fruit or vegetables with recipe instructions and Lowes’ staff will cut and package ingredients to your specifications while you finish shopping. Shop online for easy pickup.

Publix: 4840 Forest Drive, Trenholm Plaza, open 7 a.m.-10 p.m. daily. Features pharmacy, bakery, deli, cooking/sampling station and fine customer service. The deli produces some of the best fresh-baked breads and cakes, as well as sandwiches (premade in the case or custom made at the deli counter). Sushi is made in-house and can be found at the end of the seafood counter at the rear of the store. Instacart grocery delivery service is available. TIP: Order sandwiches ahead for a great lunchtime/picnic/dinner option.

Fresh Market: 4840 Forest Drive, Trenholm Plaza, open 8 a.m.-9 p.m. every day. This is where you might find that odd spice or ingredient for recipes, bulk bins of snacks, nuts and sweets, a coffee bar (with samples available), fresh-cut flowers, cheeses and a dessert case. The meat and seafood counters can get busy (take a number and wait), but those thick-cut steaks are worth it. ALWAYS WANTED TO TRY: Buy a portion of a cow and have it butchered. TIP: Take advantage of the buy a pound of chicken wings at the deli and get a pizza for free deal.

Walmart Superstore: 5420 Forest Drive, open 6 a.m.-11 p.m. every day. It’s Walmart. It has just about everything, including preorder for pickup on grocery items.

This story was originally published July 17, 2018 at 5:24 PM.