Did you know Broadway has a new grocery store? In the old Napa building directly behind the 7-11 on 259/42 (W. Lee St./N. Main St.), the dream of shop owner Eva Romero is now reality! El Nopal Grocery and Deli offers Hispanic dry goods, produce, baked items, as well as the bright green food truck, Molcajete Bravo, right outside. By the time of this publication, the food truck will have already held its grand opening at the end of January, so go check it out! Faces will be familiar to anyone who remembers ordering from the Super Tacos truck in 2020 at the old garage lot on Rt. 259 just north of J. Frank Hillyard Middle School – it’s the same family who has worked from morning to late at night in the last five months of 2025 to transform the neglected building into a clean, functional store. Romero’s youngest son recalls the place was very dirty when they acquired the space, “one swipe with the broom caused a dust storm!” He shares that Mom Eva was the motivation for the family to push forward.
Mrs. Romero always wanted a shop; her father ran one in Mexico before he came to the US in 1982. After eight years in NY, Eva moved to VA around 2006, working eighteen years in poultry and for the USDA. She wanted something different and began to search for a location. Although inconspicuously tucked behind other road frontage buildings, this shop was the only place she could find, and she prayed at the door, “God, if you want me to open this business, You are going to have to make the way to bring true my dream.” Through tears, she recalls the overwhelming gratitude when the email came through weeks later, “Your lease is ready to sign.”
The building has plenty of its own stories – certainly our historian columnists or readers know more, but I learned that the side facing 259 was built in the 1890’s; the building used to be a bank, that dynamite was stored in the existing safe, and was also a farm supply store of some sort. Despite being concealed from the main drag, El Nopal grocery is easily accessible from both 259 and 42. Creekside Drive peeks out just north (or to the right of from street view) of the blue garage, Guato’s Auto Repair & Tires, before the sandy brown warehouse building on Main Street and curves down past 7-11 to W. Lee St.
El Nopal means “the prickly pear cactus,” which is a staple in Mexican cuisine. The leaves are regarded for the nutritional value – high in fiber and vitamins, the plant aids in regulation of blood sugar and cholesterol. Nopales can be eaten raw or cooked; the texture when cooked is said to be akin to green beans or okra. Customer and Broadway resident Marimar Diaz explains, “Nopales con chile guajillo, or cactus with sauce made with guajillo chilies, is a traditional Mexican dish.” Diaz also makes carne con nopales, that is, meat with prickly pear cactus. She shares that her mom made it a lot with pork, the sauce being with chile guajillo (that isn’t very spicy) and is a bit soupy with a side of orange Mexican rice. When made with carne asada – flank steak or skirt steak – the sauce would be made with tomatillos and chile de arbol (which is a lot spicer) and served with boiled beans or refried beans instead of rice, because the sauce is thicker. Diaz reminisces, “Growing up, my favorite dish my grandma made was “tortitas de camarón con nopales – dried shrimp patties with cactus in a red sauce served with boiled beans.” Housemade tamales and chicharrones – fried pork skins – are weekly specials on Fridays and Saturdays. Romero was totally surprised at the wild popularity of the chicharrones among locals, but considering the history of home butchering around here, I think it makes perfect sense.
There are plans for a bakery within the new store; the equipment is already set for this addition, and they do have a little case of baked goods at the counter – conchas, which means shells in English, and galletas de grageas, or cookies with sprinkles. “All of my family has worked together very hard,” Romero shares, “I feel discouraged sometimes, but I tell myself I’m going to make it. To other people who have a dream, I would say, ‘Don’t stop! Pray and bring all your wishes to God. Look for opportunities to bring your dream.’”
El Nopal is all the buzz in town. Veronica Montalbano, of Forestville, is enthused about a tienda Latina close to home. She says, “I currently drive to Harrisonburg to find specific brands or foods, so I’m excited to see what they have there!” At the Village Library, Sarah Whetzel of Mathias, who just saw the sign, shares, “It’s wonderful to have international foods without driving the extra mile – how convenient to have them, so stop by and give them a warm welcome to our neighborhood!”
La Tienda El Nopal, Grocery Store and Deli | 145 Creekside Dr., Broadway, VA 22815 | (826) 271-3787 | Mon-Sat. 9 am–7 pm.
