Editors' Picks: 11 of our Favorite Specialty Grocery Stores in the U.S.!

Grocery shopping is usually considered a chore. But there's no reason why going to the store has to be boring. In fact, going shopping can be a real adventure, at least at these unique and quirky American grocery stores. Visiting these stores can add "fun" to any shopping list!

1. Stew Leonard's Dairy Stores, various Connecticut and New York locations

The New York Times once called Stew Leonard's "The Disney Land of Grocery Stores" and the original Norwalk, CT location was featured on Ripley's Believe It or Not for being the world's largest Dairy Store, which means all of the milk is bottled in the store. You can watch cartons of fresh milk being filled along with animatronic shows and a petting zoo.

2. Mitsuwa Marketplace, locations in California, Illinois, and New Jersey

If you enjoy Japanese food you will love Mitsuwa. Each location not only offers a wide selection of imported and freshly made authentic Japanese cuisine and ingredients, but the chance to have an authentic Japanese shopping experience. Be sure to take advantage of the fresh Sushi!

3. Wegemans Markets, various locations across the North East.

Having started out near the Great Lakes region in New York, Wegemens has since become a beloved quirky store known far and wide for its low prices, fresh food, and unique atmosphere that has even inspired a musical about love found in the aisles.

4. Eataly in New York City, New York

All the sights and smells of a bustling Italian market can be found at Eatly, a popular place to shop for all the components of a real Italian meal. Not much of a cook? That's okay, the location is owned in part by Mario Batali and plenty of gourmet prepared meals can be had in the store itself.

5. Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington

This iconic market location isn't a single store but a huge selection of vendors in an indoor space located right on the Elliot Bay. Fresh fish, the original Starbuck's location (which only sold beans at the start) and the preferred shopping grounds of Seattle's best chefs are all under this iconic roof.

6. Jungle Jim's International Market, two locations in Ohio.

A carnival atmosphere defines Jungle Jim's, a pair of one-stop shopping centers in Ohio with loads of neon, animatronics and fun displays featuring things like life size fire trucks. Jungle Jim's also has a wide selection of fun stuff for adults too, including full state liquor stores and an excellent selection of cigars.

7. Piggly Wiggly in Memphis ,Tennessee

This oddly named chain can be found all across the Midwest and Southeast, but its original location Memphis is an important destination for anybody interested in the history of the supermarket. It was there, in 1917 that founder Clarence Saunders fist introduced the "self-serving store" format we're all familiar with today. A complete replica of the original store can be found across town at Saunder's old residence, now the Pink Palace Museum.

8. Woodman's #1 in Janesville, Wisconsin

This massive store is the largest in the United States, with over 250,000 square feet of deals on an incredibly wide selection of foods, including plenty of the quality dairy products that Wisconsin is known for. Woodman's also features a gas station and oil change service, so you can buy all the groceries your car can carry!

9. Heinen's Fine Foods in Cleveland, Ohio

Located in the middle of downtown Ohio is perhaps the world's most beautiful grocery store. The upscale Heinen's chain has repurposed the neoclassical architecture of the former Ameritrust to create a truly unique shopping experience. Shoppers peruse items beneath the stained glass rotunda and are treated to gorgeous paintings when they look up from the display cases.

10. Fresh Moves in Chicago, Illinois

You've got to be in the know to catch this experimental grocery store. Fresh Moves only offers fresh produce, but it sells those fruits and veggies out of a converted city bus. The idea behind this experimental store is to both meet the needs of people in food deserts who don't have access to fresh produce, and show that other grocers could sustain a business here. There is a strong social mission at work here, which means that the shopping experience is just part of what makes it awesome.

11. The Mardi Gras Zone in New Orleans, Louisiana

Before Hurricane Katrina, the Mardi Gras Zone primarily sold beads and Mardi Gras memorabilia like costumes and puppets. In the wake of the storm though, owner Benny Naghi found himself the owner of one of the few businesses in the French Quarter still open. The Iranian immigrant responded by bringing in food grown on his own farm outside the city, and installing a stormproof wood fired pizza oven. The Zone remains eclectic though; you can still find beads for sale as well as washing machines and a whole range of household appliances alongside the farm fresh eggs and produce.