Monday, 3-02-2026: Since we were in the area after my imaging appointment on Day St in Mo Val we figured we'd pick up a few items here. It wasn't crowded when we arrived. They maintain superb cleanliness and organization. It's one of the nicest commissaries around. We hope it stays open. The Base Exchange closed unfortunately. We bought more coffee and bottled water since you can't beat the price. We also picked up my favorite apples-Rockit. Checkout was easy with no waiting in line. Cheyenne was our warm, friendly, and efficient cashier. There two sweet lady baggers, who did a great job of organizing our items. They gave me permission to photograph them. One of my favorite commissaries. read more

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The prices are so much cheaper. I am a widow and when my husband died 6 months ago, I am living on my social security. Going to the commissary helps a lot read more

It's probably been at least 5 years since I last stepped into this commy. I'm not sure when the whole surcharge business started showing up on the receipt, but I know it's been a while now. That and the drive here were enough to keep me away for a while. You need an I.D. to get in here, and per their website, you can bring a guest. The guest policy is always hit or miss, or at least it was in Hawaii when I lived there. This March ARB Commissary does have some good deals, but when you factor in the surcharge and tipping the bagger, to me, it just makes sense to shop locally. My surcharge today was just over $4. I used the self check-out lane here today for the first time. I didn't see a maximum amount of items, but I didn't have a lot anyway. Things have definitely changed. I saw patrons loading their cars with unbagged groceries. I think they have completely eliminated paper and plastic bags and encourage bringing in your own reusable ones. I usually have a stash in my cars so they're at the ready. The store is clean and laid out pretty similar to other commissaries. Shopping here takes me back to my childhood when my mom and dad would take me with them, and sometimes, my sisters. Oh, the nostalgia of shopping when prices were cheap and there was no surcharge! I'll always have those memories and will still shop here from time to time, but I now prefer to shop "outside." read more

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Place is so expensive, nothing like the commissary's by bases. They have no tax but most items are marked up. On top of that they charge 44 cents per bag and refuse to give any other option. We told them don't put any big items in bags and they 100% took advantage of every opportunity for a bag as possible putting 2 items in bags. Total for 11 bags should've been 4$ and change then why is there a sur charge of 13$ and some change????? Every time we go to this place we have to look at the receipt because we feel like we get scammed. Local grocery stores for us our total is 200$ or less and we spend 300$. Stay away better going to regular grocery stores. No wonder this place is always dead read more

March ARB Commissary - "Small items in bags only" this store takes advantage of local veterans/active duty PERIOD - Grocery Near Me - March Air Reserve Base, California

I love the commissary! I don't know why I kept going to other local grocery stores. I love the fresh food, the household goods, the cleanliness, the wide aisles, and the parking!!! During the holidays, the craziness in other stores is not going on in the commissary. You can get in and get out in a reasonable fast time! Not super crowded but there are days it can be just a little crowded but you still get thru shopping fast! read more

9/7/25 It's never really that busy when I shop, everything is easy to find. Prices on meat or much better than anywhere else. Just an overall better shopping experience. read more

Great selection of products and tax-free for Active Duty and Veterans. Today's produce selection lacks a variety of vegetables and fruits; it would be beneficial to have an extensive selection. Please update your produce section. Remember to bring reusable bags. read more

Safe clean atmosphere to be in at all times fully stocked shelves with great employees to service your needs.

Not your average grocery store. It has everything you need from Barbecue to household cleaning items. Inside is always clean and well maintained. Easy to find and efficient self check out was available. Service is nice and they have amazing sales too on most occasions. read more

So we were in the area, and needed to grab some things and it has been a hot minute since we have came back and finally we were able to today. I love the commissary and their array of products, their prices are on some very good and some higher then grocery stores, but overall a good shopping experience, the parking lot is really accommodating also. Was very glad we got to come today, hoping we will be back again. The customer service was SPOT ON also, and the charm and decor of the place is great. So 1 to 10 I give the commissary a 9 out of 10. Until next time Stay HUNGRYYYYY And FYI never go shopping on an empty stomach either. LOL read more

Great customer service!!!! Extremely clean and well stocked. The fresh food choices were perfect. Important part of the veteran community in SoCal!!! read more

Clean store, helpful Staff, quality food. The prices are not always the lowest but they are close. I would recommend Veteran's to shop there. It is easy access read more

Great selection of products and tax free if you're Active duty or a Veteran. Bring your own bags though!

I haven't been in a long time but I like it though it's far from where I live. I was in the neighborhood so I stopped by. No complaints.

I'm impressed with the selection and cleanliness in this commissary. The price are good as well. The store is well-stocked and meat section are always plentiful. One big downside is you must check the expiration dates on everything. Its just not well rotated which is a big problem. read more

If you want the best deals on groceries and you're a veteran or military personnel this commissary is the best place for you. The staff is always nice and helpful, the store is always clean and I can usually find what I want and much more. read more

People are pretty nice that work there. Make sure you tip the baggers. A lot of them are old timers and former service members.

Very clean & orderly structure store! All the personnel were polite & professional people. The prices of the meats are unbeatable!! Love everything about this place read more

I only go here if I have to because sometimes the employees are dense. Sometimes the front desk person, that checks IDs, won't be at the desk or they are just so oblivious to your presence that you can walk past them. Someone mentioned that most of the employees are older people and that is pretty accurate. I don't know if they have an age bias or are just overall rude, but it seems like any time I have to interact with an employee here they either ignore me or are rude. You think going through the self checkout lane will be quick and painless (also you don't have to remember to take money out for the beg- er- baggers), but sometimes it isn't. If the terminal has an error, then you might be stuck waiting for the employee for the self checkout lane. They could be off having a casual conversation with another employee or just being blind to their surroundings. But yeah, if you can manage dealing with the employees then you are golden. read more

Excellent small commissary...elderly shoppers hold up the line and service. Highly recommend shopping here!! read more

March ARB Commissary - Registers - Grocery Near Me - March Air Reserve Base, California

5% surcharge on top of my total bill? Hmmmmmm??? That used to be money collected to pay cashiers, and workers. I guess they're entitled to some compensation. I wish they were a little friendlier. Many just scan your groceries and never take the time to greet you, thank you, smile, or even look at you. It's a crying shame that we definitely write their paychecks and help keep this location open, yet the customer service is poor. I will add that the amount of gluten free products has made this a desirable place to shop. I purchased 2 chuck roasts last week Sunday, and it was tough and stringy. I'll have to leave the meat to Stater Bros. From now on. The rotisserie chicken is standard across the globe it seems. I taste the same dry roasted chicken at the Guam and Hawaii and Camp Pendleton Commissaries. They need to find an alternative to this chicken for $6.99 Costco chicken for $4.99 for instance, beats our commissary hands down! I still believe that this place offers the military and their families a value for their money. I would give it 5 stars just my way of supporting the commissary system. 3/18/18 I wanted to take advantage of the sales promotions at the exchange, on Miramar's Marine Corps Air Station yesterday. We drove 55 miles to get there. Although I didn't need to go to the commissary, I did. It seems like everything has gone up. Just another testament to the reason we don't shop here at all. The 5% in addition to our purchase on the whole bill, doesn't add up. If the commissary truly sells groceries at cost, why is it sometimes more expensive than walmart, winco, or sometimes even the dollar stores? I found frozen Tilapia for $1.49 which is usually $3.99. That was the only deal worthy of mentioning. MCAS gets 5 stars from me but they really need to buy better. I cannot imagine an E-3 to E-6 trying to make ends meet on these prices. read more

we come here often, our checker rowena was very rude with poor customer service skills.

I'm always very impressed with the commissary's cleanliness and selection. This location delivered on those things. Everything is so easy to shop and the shelves are always nicely organized and prices are clear. The produce selection is absolutely gorgeous! Everything is so fresh and looks like the best of the best. I'm able to find all of the items I need for cooking including specialty food items, which I appreciate. They definitely have one of the best meat departments and always have an array of items. The prices are good as well. I always do my meat shopping here and freeze it. I love that there are self checkout stations and I can be in and out with a breeze. I've always had friendly staff assist me when needed and never experience any bad service here. Most importantly, my shopping experience is always peaceful. I know that seems pretty simple and maybe strange but when you come from Winco to this, it's a win! Lol! read more

Please check IDs at the door, this needs to happen for security reasons! Always out of salads, and you better check the expiration dates on everything! Just please do better! read more

Great place for active, veterans and retired military to save some money getting groceries

I think some of the bad reviews are from people who just want to be served hand and foot, probably not even in the military, just a military spouse looking to complain. Every time I go to the commissary it is decent to a good experience, the store is huge, has everything I need and the staff is friendly. There is not a lot of younger people to work here so if you do need help or need immediate check out then coming here is not a good idea but it is very reliable and when I have asked questions of the staff they always go out of their way to find my needs. Really great value! Pay no taxes (a given)! Great staff! Very Clean store! read more

Some cashiers and even store managers here are so unfriendly and rude at times. It's even ridiculous to get harass to see your Military ID more than necessary. You first walk in and get stop (that's right, not greeted) to see your Military ID; making customers feel unwelcome at this point. As you shop around, you'll see employees pretending they're working, talking amongst each other and gossiping, & give you the dirtiest look for interrupting their conversation when you need help locating an item. When checking out, cashiers like to make their own store policy when you stock up on sale items with coupons. Lucky, I had their store policy at hand to make my point valid. It gets worst when cashiers make remarks with personal care items being purchased and crack jokes to their co-workers right in front of their customers, RUDE. Of all the commissaries I've shopped at, this location has got to be THE WORST one of them all. It's not because of the store itself, but their way of managing their employees. You will come across employees who hate their job and don't care about giving quality customer service. I wouldn't be surprised if this commissary shuts down. It's their employees making this place an unfriendly, unhappy, & unpleasant environment. read more

I always loved the commissary it makes me feel like a little fat kid in a candy store. They try to make it very convenient for the shopper by providing all sorts products A through Z available to you for purchase. The shelves are stocked neatly stacked and presentable it is a OCDs paradise. The cashiers are friendly and happy and the baggers are always jolly and make the experience a bit better. read more

The management here sucks ran into a guy named James Adams was unseless and full of crappy attitude when it came to managing he is not one who can help at all not knowledgeable at all you guys really need to consider who you hire the store was Good and the employe helpful but not the manager. read more

I've been shopping here ever since I moved from Chula Vista and I always have a pleasant experience. The workers are always polite and honestly $150 goes a long way for a family of 4 compared to other grocery stores here in SoCal. This is only a 15 minute drive away from home and usually other shoppers keep to themselves too, will be returning every couple weeks until I move. read more

I have shopped here several times for the low prices and convenience. I find the selection suits my needs and the customer service is good.

Considering the alternative of having to drive into San Diego county.. this commissary is a blessing. I noticed that there are older reviews by younger patrons complaining about multiple ID checks. It is their job. Multiple checks at a off base location is not unusual. Do you want those who have not served to take a benefit that you have earned? I have no problem showing my ID at all. Glad to do it. Every commissary ( I think 8) I've ever been to asks to see your ID. This commissary is not the largest one I've been to... or the smallest. It serves our needs and saves us money. I am thankful there is a commissary in our area to take advantage of. read more

First off let me start off by saying you have to show your ID three times when coming to this commissary. Once when you come in which you normally do, second time you scan it as your ringing up your items third time you get harassed by a worker to see your ID. There's really no need to show your ID that much. It makes no sense and it's just annoying.. As I was shopping I picked up some bread and as I was inspecting it it had mold and bugs all inside it. GROSS!! So i suggest if you are shopping here you inspect all food items you pick up. I really hate coming here workers are rude shoppers block aisles not to mention they open up at 9am but they don't open any registers till 10am so I had to wait 30mins just to check out. I'm very unhappy with this commissary. If I didn't live so far from other bases I wouldn't even bother to shop here EVER! Other then that it's a decent size but I've been in bigger commissaries.. On the upside they have done some renovations and have done some upgrading which was highly needed and some aisles you have digital price tags. read more

I only shop here because I'm trying to save money. Here's the thing about shopping here, YOU MUST CHECK THE EXPIRATION DATE ON EVERYTHING! I made a trip into the store today and was purchasing prepackaged lunch meat. I was trying to get items with later expiration dates instead of next week dates. While I was searching for dates I not only discovered items on the shelf with expiration dates back to Jan. I also discovered items from March and May. This is now June 7th. I notified store personnel immediately! I pulled all the expired items of the specific item I was looking for. I think I found around 8 items that dated back to January. After notified store personnel, I continued my shopping. I made my way over to the dairy case specifically yogurt and discovered the same expiration date problem. I found at least 10 yogurts of my specific brand "Noosa" that were all expired. This time I pulled what I could find expired and left them in a huge stack inside the case so they were easily spotted. I then notified the cashier that there were more expired in the case and that someone needs to handle it. After all I was not going to do their job for them again. I had to hunt down the person the last time. Not doing it again. read more

This is by far the best commissary I have been to. People who are complaining about this place have never been to one at an active base. I used to dread the long lines overcrowding and rude people at the last place we were stationed. This commissary is never that busy. I rarely even wait in line. Products are well stocked and service is friendly. They do check ID at the door and when you are checking out. This is the same at any commissary you go to and to be expected. Only thing I don't buy here is my produce. Its generally cheaper at superior or Cardenas and seems to spoils faster from the commissary. read more

A great benefit to being in the US Armed Forces, most items are priced below Stater Bros and quality is high, International section is my favorite! I love Irish Kerrygold cheddar and the best selection so far is here! German, Japanese and other unique foodstuff items can be found here as well. If you are able to access the Commissary I strongly recommend you go there and save $! Energy drinks are far cheaper than most places, and it is very reasonable! read more

I love this place and visit multiple times each week. Deli is full of wonderful, knowledgeable, and friendly people.

The March ARB Commissary is actually a large and well stocked store for not being on an active base. You won't get the latest or newest item at times, but you will find everything you need to stock your home. We are a retired Navy family, and are greatful that we have this military store so close by. There's an area where you can find foods and household items in huge containers like Costco. In fact, I let my Costco membership expire, and haven't needed it since moving here. Also The deli/bakery is pretty decent, and there's a small section to purchase fresh flowers and plants (near produce). I hope this place never closes as it saves us $$$ every month. read more

You just can't beat the commissary. This one is larger than some I've seen at much larger bases. Hey they now have a Redbox too.

This is the closest commissary for my family to shop at. It has mostly what we need at a decent price, plus coupons!