I used to think Gelson's was on par with Bristol Farms. Guess not. They didn't have the French Leroux Chicory powder (coffee substitute), nor did they have the roasted dandelion root coffee substitute. I was not impressed with the grocery items. The hot foods you can order are really standard American diet (SAD) foods. Definitely not gluten-free, and since I'm on AIP, they didn't have anything I can eat at all. Guess Gelson doesn't carry what I need. read more

It's expensive but I love the selection and the quality plus their hot ready to eat food and deli sections are the best out there. My only complaint is they don't have a store in the San Diego area. read more

Come her for the bakery. It's a great place to get a cake for a birthday or any occasion. It's much better than a cake that you would get at ralphs and trust me, whomever you celeberate with will notice. read more

Hands down the best thanksgiving ever. I have been cooking thanksgiving dinner for more than 30 years.....but this year new girl in town and everything in storage....so in comes Gelson's. Not only was the meal perfection....packaging...instructions....and quality was the best I have ever had. I have been lucky enough to go to many of the finest cross the county. Gelson's you are hands down the best!!! read more

This is a neat store. No deep discounts here, but they carry items other places do not carry, so I will be back. Love it. Hope it stays!

Great selection of items considering it's not a major grocery chain. I can kind my Saki, my cheeses and everything else I have to go to speciality shops to pick up and it's moderately priced. I was disappointed that their bakery wasn't super fresh . I picked up some pastries and they were good but I expected more for the price. I also love their specialty produce but still do a majority of my shopping at Henry's when it comes to produce. If you're looking for something you can't find at Ralph's or Von's more then likely you'll find it here. read more

Pricier than your standard market. However, for the price, I think I'd prefer Whole Foods for produce and beverages (beer, wine, etc). They DO have, however, USDA PRIME rib eye and filet here. I've rarely seen that elsewhere. read more

This Gelsons has me hooked on salad bar and soup for lunch, which isnt a bad thing. Keeps me away from burgers and tacos. Their soup is the best ever... I really want to try and make some at home. read more

This review is for the deli section. At the Deli section you can get an excellent sandwich with the fresh ingredients. I've tried deli sections at other markets and believe me, this place makes one of the best sandwiches ever! I get a sandwich combo (sandwich with two sides you can choose from all the various displayed sides). My usual order is half and half Boar's head Black Forest ham and chicken breast on Wheat, with Dijon mustard, Muenster cheese, and all the fresh toppings such as lettuce, tomato, onions, alfalfa sprouts, etc. It is hands down one of the best sandwiches. If I were to make a sandwich at home, this is exactly how I would like to make it. In addition, you can choose your own meat and cheese, among many different types of meat and cheese. Once you order the sandwich you can also choose two sides to go with it. The sides are usually chosen among ones under $9.99 and they are delicious. They are freshly made and includes all types of salads/dishes that I would have never tried it elsewhere. Some of the sides are prepared under the name Jessica's sides, who is apparently a nutritionist working for Gelson's. That means not only are they tasty, they are also prepared in a healthy way. I've never ran into a place that makes a tasty deli sandwich as good as Gelson's deli. They simply use the best and freshest ingredients and are made right in front of your face! No pre-made, refrigerated sandwich here but good old plain sandwich made right away using excellent ingredients. If you've never tried it, try it. You won't regret it. Sandwich with 2 sides combo comes out to just under $11. read more

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Most reviews emphasize that Gelsons is expensive yet I find that when I shop for Ralph's for similar quality of products it ends up being also the same cost. I would rather spend a little more to shop at Gelsons. Try their fresh Poke, it's delicious and so healthy :) read more

Very upscale & friendly staff. You will find everything you need for the upscale person. Thank you Gelsons

Man, this place is awesome. You have to check out their bakery. It is quite pricey, though. Very clean and organized and well lit.

Always so clean, Produce fresh,well stocked & such a presentation. Meat,Seafood so clean & very top notch quality. Customer service is bar none. Gelson's is the best shopping experience you will ever have read more

I have shopped at Gelson in Irvine for 20 years. I have stopped because of their manager Kevin. He has a personality of a wet mop and should not be in a business of customer service. He needs to get rid of his unhappy mean face and work on an assembly line. read more

I am writing a review only about their holiday meal I purchased for Thanksgiving. Horrible! Never again will I purchase this frozen mess. Let's begin with the turkey. It said "20 pounds". Actually, it was a 16 pound turkey with 4 pounds of unnecessary juice. When we cooked it, we didn't realize it was boiling in its own juice, rather than roasting inside the tight bag. The whole turkey fell apart and looked shredded. I was so embarrassed! The vegetable medley was oily and frozen...Not fresh vegetables! Looked like the one you buy In a plastic bag in the frozen food section. The potatoes were rubbery, as mentioned by guests. The cornbread stuffing was so mushy and the gravy had a scorched taste. We had to use paper towels to soak up all the grease before we served it. The only decent part of the meal was the cranberries. Luckily, I had the right mind to purchase 4 pounds of traditional and cherry pistachio stuffing from Bristol Farms. That was the saving grace of this disastrous meal. Never again! Gelson's catering meals are horrendous. I was trying to save money by not going to Bristol Farms, but it isn't worth it. So disappointing for an upscale market. read more

best seafood in the neighborhood on weekly specials. Cleanest-tasting shrimp. Every piece of fish is nice at this location so I think they must keep it colder and handle it better. at Costco, I always have to throw some fish away since the pieces hidden underneath in a package are a mess. Makes me feel cheated. Gelsons cheeses way overpriced except for ricotta. Go to Bristol Farms for cheese & deli. read more

Came here for some healthy options and I'm totally satisfied. Everything was fresh and the price was spot on.

Please go to the deli and order a sandwich. This is one the best grocery deli sandwiches I've ever had. Fork out the extra 2 dollars and get the side dishes. Everything I've tasted at this place has been excellent. The deli servers are also freakin' great. Favorite sandwich - Oven gold turkey, cranberry mayo, all the toppings. Excellent sandwich. read more

This is a wonderful market, it can get expensive but it's based on the quality of the items being sold. I drop by here a few times for some fresh chili, beef stew and a few other items to order for lunch more than I do my shopping here. This place would be much better if it didn't cost so much.for certain items, or have a flat rate for some items that get charged by the weight. read more

Their deli and catering menu is pretty awesome. Highly recommend the crunchy kale salad and prime rib.

I love going to this market, it transforms me to another world. Premade food counter is the best, top quality food. Great pasta salads, seafood, side dishes, omg endless! Sales are great deals otherwise a bit more pricey. Great service, easy safe parking, in a very nice shopping plaza. This is my weekly store. read more

Love this store! Best deli sections and salad bar in the OC! Everyone is so friendly and people that work in produce so willing to answer questions and give samples. Just the best place to shop! read more

Prices are a bit high, although the cleanliness and great staff help make up for it. Love the deli. Most of the items stocked are the same as all grocery stores, although prices are steeper. Starting to notice more discounts though. Bakery is high prices and the baked goods aren't all that great. Reason I return often: live close and don't want to deal with crowds. read more

Gelson's has been my family's go to market since the 80's. I grew up going to the Encino store, so I was happy there was a Gelson's when I moved to Irvine. I have seen customer service slowly decline over the years, so I appreciate excellent customer service. Therefore I wanted to acknowledge Vincent Scambray who works in the Meat Department at the Irvine store. He is extremely amiable as well as professional! I specifically drive to Gelson's to buy meat and chicken (even though there's a Whole Foods closer to me) because Vincent goes out of his way to provide excellent customer service. read more

Ya know, Gelson's only like good for the meats and the sandwiches. Their grains and other food too expensive not saying I am cheap. The meats there are perfect, the breads and dairy taste a little sour, old or crusty! read more

ATROCIOUS!!! I will make a long story short. Basically, my wife and I love shrimp cocktail. Usually, I make the trip to Newport Beach Bristol Farms because its always high quality. Anyway, it was late and I thought I would try gelsons in irvine (Near Jeffrey/Alton). I went for the Jumbo shrimp for $20/LB . Anyway, I took the shrimp home and opened it up. First, the smell was horrible. Second, not only did not de-vein it, but half of it was frozen. And, by frozen, I mean it had freezer burn from probably being out way too long and then refrozen. When I was walking around the meat section I also noticed that some of the meat looked dated, but I though they just missed it, clearly I was wrong. I understand that times are tough, but we work hard for a living, and to think that an "elite" grocery chain is selling tainted food intentionally is a disgrace. 2 THUMBS DOWN! read more

It's pricey, and not as gourmet as Bristol Farms, but The fruits and vegs are the best in Irvine, always. Yes, better than Whole Foods. The deli products are very good. The meats and fish are excellent quality. You can pretty much find any ingredient for any recipe. And the staff are the nicest people around. I am a regular shopper here and highly recommend it when quality and flavor are important. read more

I love this place, they have best selection of food anywhere and their customer service is fantastic. You pay for what you get and great food isn't cheap. read more

Gelson's is a market for people that have money can't say they don't have good food everything so expensive there if you want to buy a lemon it cost you $2 for one lemon just go to Northgate 1 pound of lemon for a dollar and that's like 20 lemon read more

For the budget conscious moms out there, this is not the cheapest store. But their produce section is amazing. Nice deli, and superb flower arrangements. I go to this one and also to the one in Newport Beach where my mother in law lives. Worth it. read more

The people in the store are very helpful. I appreciate the Service Deli for my catering order. I want to thank Rajah for the assisting me with explaining to me the proper heating procedure . He explained the proper way and did it with a big smile. Thank you for your great customer service. read more

Great, clean & bright store with super friendly staff. Yesterday I came in with some car trouble and Ellory & Jim at customer service desk did not hesitate to help me out right away. They gave me a jump and I was on my way! Thankful for good people who are willing to lend a hand in a pinch. read more

Love shopping here....my favorite department is the bread aisle it always has everything I need.

Goodness, the more markets I visit, the older I must be getting. I spotted Gelson's since my move to Irvine and always pondered what made them different amongst the other markets nearby. The exterior was highly inviting that I finally decided to tour the market to which in my surprise, couldn't be any more perfect. I visited the market during an excellent fitness sale (fitness bread & almond milk 2/4) so I was instantly hooked! Either side of the entrance is the bakery or the salad bar; both far superb. I was impressed by their lovely selection of imported European cold cuts and a wide arrange of sweets display. As a sweets lover, I couldn't help but notice how cute the baked breads' section had it's own little part of the store. They carried familiar brand items that were easy to find, but my favourite was finding International and local goods that could only be found at speciality stores. Gelson's impressed me along with their very friendly staff, and I plan to make more trips here and remain a permanent customer. read more

The manager Dean brought over a balloon for my daughter, and she was thrilled. Great family store with friendly customer service.

This review is mainly about the customer service, not so much about the food/sandwiches. I was so applauded at the worst service that I have received at a deli, especially knowing that this is a SPECIALITY GROCER MARKET. Let's be honest, we all know that we spend that extra couple of dollars knowing the sandwich meat and sides are better than say Subway, so you would think that the service would be great, especial when customers appreciate good food. NO, I had a grumpy lady behind the counter basically schooled me that I have to give her the whole order up front because she does not work that way and totally gave me attitude when I was trying to re-confirm SHE got my order correct. Which I will add was WRONG! This would be the second time I have had an issue with this market, first was the wait time.......do not attempt to come here for lunch because you won't have enough time to eat it. Over all, I am never going to go back to this store and that is exactly what I expressed to the manager! Disappointed with the service. I would prefer to go to Promelis in Newport Beach for sandwiches and MUCH BETTER SERVICE because when it come down to it, that goes hand in hand. read more

Stopped by a Gelson's for a quick snack and to watch an inning of the WS. Happily Paid my $24 for some shrimp and cocktail sauce and then was told no one knew how to change the channel from CNN to the WS. Embarrassing for them and frustrating for me. Mgr never even came over, has the cashier yell it to me across the store. Low brow service which is rare for them. I have lived across the street for 20 years. May be time for a break from Gelsons. read more

I only come here for their perfect ladyfingers and mascarpone cheese for my homemade tiramisu. And occasionally for the fruits. Most of their items are a bit pricier ,but less than Bristol Farm and Whole Food. I have purchased nitrite free turkey sandwich meat from the deli, I think about $12/lb. It was not too fresh, probably not a popular item. The floral dept. has pretty nice but expensive bouquets, not worth it IMO. Maybe their staff's worried about their job security lately, they have not been as friendly as before. read more

Carrot Cake Update: My coworkers loved it but I thought it was just decent. Cake is super moist as usual. I bought it Thurs and we had a small piece left over Monday. It was still moist from what my coworker said. Cream cheese frosting, and coconut sprinkles. I thought it needed more carrots and cinnamon. Also, I like the cake w/nuts but this one had none! Stil give it five stars for convenience, quality and price! read more

We love Gelsons! The staff is remarkable and very helpful. We would like to mention Ellory in the spirits department. He goes above and beyond to make us happy. The floral department is unparalleled and also nice and helpful. Always a great experience! read more