5 stars for the great food selection and the amazing employees- from those around the store to the cashier but specifically, Joe. Joe was so kind and offered to help bring my super full basket to my car and to load it up. Once Joe finished, I wanted to give him a small tip to thank him for taking the initiative and doing such an amazing job, but he simply smiled, politely declined and replied "I'm just doing my job." OMG every store needs more Joes!!! This is my new go to spot. Thanks :) read more

Lately, there is so much expired food on the shelves. Cheese, potato salad, and packaged lunch meat to name a few that I found after coming home or my kids telling me the potato salad tastes like vinegar and finding the label indicating a best by date was almost a week before I bought it. My kids now demand that I shop at Ralph's as they are tired of eating bad food and getting sick. This used to be a good supermarket. I don't know what happened. New manager asleep at the wheel? read more

I always find something to like about this store, and today is no different. Sushi Fridays, where selected rolls are marked down to $6, is a super deal for lunch or dinner, and the quality is right there with restaurants. Today, there was a new option - Triangle Bap. I've never had this before but have seen it on TV. It's a banana leaf filled with rice, fish (tuna or salmon), and kimchi. Wow! Their regular California Roll is also very good. I can't wait to see what else they will offer! read more

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I really like this neighborhood mart. They recently renovated & took out the bakery, so that's a bit of a disappointment. But they always have a great selection of meat & produce. The self checkout is always a bit finicky & touchy, at best, but the clerks are always super nice & helpful, and get it squared away. Price wise it's hit or miss, some things are cheaper, some things are more than other places, but costs are just high across the board. Overall a clean & nice grocery. read more

I wanted to provide a compliment for an employee named Logan I did not get a chance to complete the survey on time w/in 7 days but wanted to mention what a great, hard working and kind employee he is for this company. He assisted me with some issues at the self check-out but he went above and beyond when one of the products had a very challenging bar code to read (it was some pecans and he helped me on 4/22/2025 @ 218pm tran 0074 It is rare to see someone w/such great customer service and work ethic and it reflects so positively on the company I hope he gets recognized for being a great employee & person read more

Stop selling ROTTEN fruit! Every. single. time. I buy fruit from there it is always rotten. The sides on the packaging may look like it's ok.. but when you get home and open it, there's mold on the bottom and the middle and areas where you can't see until you open it when you get home. read more

I shop at this store regularly. The store is nice, especially since the remodel. However, taking away stars for the delivery service. I took advantage of the "free delivery" today. Big mistake. HUGE! First off, order was supposed to be delivered between 3 and 5 pm. Shopping started at 3:22 pm, still not completed by 6 pm. The shopper did not respond to texts. I said no substitutions and wrote in instructions to text me if any substitutions needed to be made, but changes were made without consulting me. Store manager was unable to assist by phone. Was able to cancel the order for a refund before it was delivered through the email help line. Will never do this again. read more

Ok folks, this store BY FAR... is the worst Smart and Final ever to exist! Let's start with Jarod and Lizette!!! Zero customer service skills, mean, unhelpful, treated me like I was a criminal. Both of them, need to learn how to be professional, and hear the customer... rather than get in my face and suggest, I was stealing. I bought a chicken that was undercooked, the night before and just wanted a replacement. Both of them gave me attitude AND proceeded to follow me out the door when I exchanged it. I was told I could. I will NEVER, EVER give that store a dime, I will post as many bad reviews as possible through social media and can only HOPE , Jarod and Liz pull their heads out their a**es! No one needs a bully running a store! Robert should be ashamed of himself, hiring inadequate, incompetent people! This store should be demolished! read more

I needed help locating an item. I went to a man named Luis, and he proceeded to say oh, SHE can help you while pointing to an employee who had a mohawk (nicely combed back), knowing full well that it he was a man. The employee, of course, was visibly insulted but stayed professional. The employee named Joe was polite and helpful. He smiled the whole time. I hope this Luis guy is not a manager. He is rude, and the way he belittled that man was horrible. Hire better people, Smart and Final! Thank you for your help Joe. read more

I'm about to call the health department on this nasty store. Moldy apple butter, milk that goes bad before it's date, vodka that freezes (Jager and gin next to it were liquid), once I even got half & half and it came out in HUGE CHUNKS. Not only did it ruin my coffee (BAD bad move), it ruined my morning. It was WAY before the expiration date, too. I don't know if they leave stuff sitting for hours but it makes me wonder if they leave meat in the put back cart for long periods of time (like Food 4 Less and WalMart). I may just only get dry goods from them from now on, if anything. I'm not getting half & half from them ever again, that's for sure. Shop at your own risk. Edit: To the people (hilariously enough, an actual Karen) crying about wearing masks, shut up and quit being a big crybaby. There are no medical reason for not wearing a mask. There are no medical conditions that prevent one from wearing a mask. My boyfriend and I are both asthmatic, I have PTSD from being suffocated and I have shortness of breath that has been happening for years for unknown reasons. The staff nor the store should get a bad review for some Karen whining and crying about wearing a mask. It's pathetic and ridiculous and you look like idiots. Grow up. read more

Smart & Final Extra! - Grocery Near Me - La Mesa, California

Update 03/30/2020 I have to give the store it's honest credit during this COVID-19 epidemic. Within the past few weeks they have really evolved as far as their social distancing. Security is at the door and even some of the clerks limiting the amount of people inside. They rearrange their cash register lines where it's one single line and there's markers on the ground where we can be at least 6 feet apart. There's someone directing us to the next available cashier- even though I think they should just get a flag and wave it to let us know when they're ready. I also get why they did it because other places people are stealing and in the event people make a mad dash for the door they blocked off the other exit (that's near the liquor- worst place to put a possible exit anyways).They finally put up signs limiting certain items that can be bought enabling the rest of the customers to go in the store and find what they need. No toilet tissue or paper towels, usually, but most of your essential items they have. I have to say that this virus made the store better than it was before as far as their practices and procedures in my opinion. Thank you so much to this establishment for being open, flexible with their hours and serving the people despite this epidemic. They put themselves at risk every single day and for that one has to be grateful. Initial review: On 01/05/2019, lady drove up in her Camry. Without paying, she took two cases of water from the outside display, then drove away. I am informed one of the employees that I happened to just see that and took a quick photo as this person was parked near the handicap area directly in front of a camera. The employee stated that they are fully aware that people steal from the outside displays. Yet, it was expressed that higher management does not let them place the displays inside the store. There's ample room as soon as you walk in to have a couple cases of water or various items directly in front of the store to make it less difficult for someone to steal it. The kind of stuff baffles me because the company that you keep and attract will keep coming back if you keep making things easily and readily assessable to them. If I have to pay for my cases of water then they should too. I would never have the nerves to walk up and take something of that nature but I understand we're not talking about me. As a paying customer, it makes me upset that this type of behavior with management knowledge is still happening and they're not taking any correct of actions or listing to their own employees. Maybe this is why the prices continue to fluctuate because of people stealing has a negative impact on the consumer who is paying for their items. I like shopping here as it's convenient but again the prices can be hit or miss. One day they're high the next day they're low. Overall the staff are pretty friendly, helpful, but the produce could sure use some help. At times the fruit or veggies are old and need to be rotated out. As far as liquor section can't go wrong in that area when there's a sale- there is a sale. My hope for this new year is for management to start taking more corrective actions and to consider some feedback from your own employees. For crying out loud they're there most of the time they know what's going on. But I have to say one time I saw a man walking out with a complete grocery cart and the staff immediately stopped him. The homelessness in this area has grown considerably with in the past two years. With that comes stealing. If you're put it out there so stuff gets stolen then don't increase the prices for the rest of us. By doing so you're putting your customer read more

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Spent tons of time trying to order online to pick up through several stores! They do not offer this service through the website as falsely promoted! read more

I am bummed about lowering the stars on my neighborhood Smart & Final with a little Extra, but I have been somewhat disappointed with them regarding there sales. They offer weekly sales which is very cool, but I can not count how many times I come in to purchase a sale item but only to learn that they had already run out of that item. It's very frustrating you know. Sometimes they know when they plan on getting more in and sometimes they have no idea. My point is, if you know you are planning on having a sale on a particular item, stock up on the item or make sure extra are order so it can actually be a sale and one can make a purchase. Do not disappoint.. read more

Smart & Final Extra! - They are always out of stuff. - Grocery Near Me - La Mesa, California

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I've started to come to this Smart & Final for business supplies as a "fast" get it done thing. Been here 5x this week and so far I've not met anyone friendly. Today I checked out with a guy named Allen who didn't even speak he scanned my items and just stood there looking at me waiting for me to pay and I was waiting for him to tell me what I owed. I asked so what's my total and he said it's here on the screen. I will be calling the district manager to put in verbal complaint. This was not a pleasant experience. read more

Grocery trip was great until we encountered Starlen after a self check out machine was malfunctioning. She had her lined closed and as she opened for another customer in front of us she asked us why we had left the self check out and proceeded to ask us if we knew how the machine worked as if we haven't used it countless times before. After she berated the self check out employee for letting us leave. He had already helped us but the machine was not working. She also claimed she needed to clean while no cashier checkout was opened and poorly bagged our groceries. She seemed really upset to do her job. read more

This location is probably one of my favorite Smart & Final stores. They have so many different items to choose from exotic fruit, variety of marinades that you don't find in other grocery stores. The only thing is that they never carry the containers I need but overall food selection is great!! read more

Smart & Final Extra! - Front - Grocery Near Me - La Mesa, California

Picture this it's 9:59 pm. The doors were closed but they opened. I had my dog with me and hoped I could slip into buy 1 bag of dog food. I was greeted politely by staff leaving for the night. I asked, "Can I just buy dog food, I' sorry." A nice lady said,"okay do you want me to hold your dog for you?" I was so thankful to hear that - that I handed my leash over and ran in. I was able to get my dog food and not have to leave the dog in the car! Thank you to "Claudia" & the closing crew! read more

I'm leaving a one star because today I bought a cake for $14.99 and when I got home it was dry and it did not taste good. What a waste of money. read more

Smart & Final Extra! - I paid $14.99 for a dry cake. What a waste of money. - Grocery Near Me - La Mesa, California

Welcome to the neighborhood. As a local for a few decades, I've seen this store front change hands a few times, but it looks like Smart & Final is here to stay. Food selection has been appropriate and adequate for the local demand. Prices are reasonable. There are only 2 things that are slightly aggravating to me: 1. there is now a dedicated entrance door and exit door, so beware where you park 2. The aisles seem a bit too tight. The last time I tried to shop in the store there were pallets and baskets of fresh product to be placed, sometimes without anyone in attendance, making it very challenging to get through the aisles and to products that I wanted to buy. Overall it's great to have a store there again. read more

Smart & Final Extra! - Grocery Near Me - La Mesa, California

Just came home from a trip to Smart and Final. The staff let a woman shop and check out with her items while wearing a mask below her nose and, at times, below her chin. I reported this to management. The Assistant Manager confronted her and told her she would not be able to check out with her items, but then allowed her to. They lost a loyal customer tonight. I am a senior citizen with hypertension. I cannot risk shopping in a store like this. read more

The meat in their meat department is fresh and the main reason we shop here. It far surpasses Albertsons and the other local grocery stores.

I shopped at this store for the first time yesterday. I wasn't sure what to expect but I was pleased with the selections available as with the incredible staff. Almost every isle had a very helpful, pleasant and kind employee. All willing to help, or just asked how my day was going. I encountered a young man named Ben, and it was his first day. I met Carolina in the meat department and I finally met Simon, the store manager. I thanked him for his staff and he was so appreciative. I will go back to shop there. The prices were reasonable too! read more

The store on Avocado and Mercado is freezing. I was in there today and the employees are walking around in winter coats. I was so cold I couldn't stay in there very long. The temperature outside was in the high 50s and it was colder inside the store. read more

we don't always get the best service from Smart & Final employees but this evening we had a cashier, at register 1, her name was Kalayah? I think. Sorry if that's wrong. But my husband and I were pleased w her customer service & her going out of her way to converse w us was very nice. even guessed our dinner for tonight, spaghetti:) ! friendly, quick service isn't something we don't get very often these days. she got us out of there very quickly and was more than friendly. thank you for your great service, we need more workers like you. The ONLY reason I'm giving a 5 star review today is because of her. You can see I've previously rated the store a 1 star due to horrible service. Thank you KALAYAH again for great service. read more

This is the closest grocery to me but it remains my last choice unless I'm in a serious hurry. The main reason: it smells bad when you walk in the entrance. Is it sewage? Is it rotting produce? I'm not sure. It's been going on for at least a month. I can't be the only person who notices this... read more

I want to take this time to personally thank ERNISTO (SPELLING) from the Camino Canada (store 930) in El Cajon Ca. on 10/28/19 at 5:00 pm my wife and myself were In your store I was walking slowly (Purple Heart veteran Viet-Nam War)When I passed him he quickly turned and shook my hand and went out of his way to assist me getting food in the frozen food section. Good case in point is when I open the door to get a dinner he opened it larger and said "I would be proud to get it for you because you gave me a great nation. I almost cried. Please reward him or make him the employee of the month I have never met a young man so kind. we talk and his Father was in USMC. I told him to say to his dad "welcome home" but this man is the reason why you will always see me coming back to Smart and Final in closing THANK YOU and thank you Ernisto ------------------ Submitted from: https://www.smartandfinal.com/contact-us read more

Their bakery is the worst the cakes are good but don't ever count on anyone being there to help you write anything on the cakes or give you any guidance just save yourself the time and go to Costco read more

I come to this Smart & Final location at least twice a week to pick things up for the business I work for. Every time I've shopped here I've seen one of the employees go above and beyond his job. Whether it's not just giving directions, but walking me to the item I can't find to opening up a check out stand so that I can be checked out in a timely manner. It can't be perfect timing every time, he must always work this way because I've caught things way more than once. I had one incident where my cashier was extremely rude to me she was clearly unhappy she was working there or having a bad day either way he lightened up the situation and apologized for her. I let it go for his sake that day. Had he not been there to take over for her I would've definitely escalated the situation to a manager. Aside from being a team player he genuinely takes care of customers like me. I've seen him go out of his way to ask people if they're finding everything ok. It's hard enough to find an employee in the store let alone have them come to you. Today as I was walking to my car I noticed an elderly man and his wife having trouble getting out of their car. Not only did Ernest back the motorized wheelchair cart close enough to the car, but assisted the man in actually getting into the chair. I managed to get close enough to see his name tag so that I could actually write this review. Ernest you are the reason for this 5 star yelp review. You deserve a raise and a promotion. read more

Expect employees to show up at your workplace and cause you troubles just because you complained about something! I comlplained to the manager Shawanna about a problem I had and left the store! 10 minutes later she showed up at my workplace and started harassing me. She started yelling at me and telling me not to go her store again because I complained to her in from of her store manager. She also called my manager later and was lying that I was yelling and rude. When I tried to talk to other managers they were saying they are not responsible where she goes. What a professional experience this is!! Smart & final will let their employees track the customers and harass them! And they will absolutely do NOTHING! read more

At last A new store has come along My lonely days are over And life is like a song Oh yeah yeah At last..... I really love these new Smart and Final Extras..so glad that there is one that is close by. The strip mall seemed so desolate without a grocery in it after the Haggen demise, despite of the other retailers in the surrounding area. My first experience was at the one in Spring Valley. I loved it, should have reviewed..but heck, it's never to late, right? I went there this past Wednesday..I believe it was the day after their first day opening. I could barely find a parking spot. The place was packed. I almost decided not to go in there..but my curiosity got the best of me..thankful for my curiosity this time. Despite of the crowd, I navigated through the store easily. It was a nice and courteous crowd. No one blocking aisles and such. The store has a decent selection of items and they have better prices than their predecessors, Vons and Haggen. Naturally, store was very clean and well organized and stocked. The few people that I interacted with were friendly. I like that this store has a great bulk section. They have a nice variety of candy, nuts and such. They have a bakery section. Not the greatest of items, but doable. Meats were well displayed, reasonably priced. Aisles were clearly labeled, I had NO problems finding what I was looking for which was terrific. Here is what really impressed me..despite of the extremely long line, I got checked out faster than that of the "usual" grocery line. There were two employees manning the line. The organization was fantastic. I got out of there in no time. I checked out and had bought a decent amount of items and paid less than $40. My pockets were smiling. Also, my mom used to always praise their rotisserie chickens. I'll definitely try one for dinner soon. Keep up the good work Smart and Final Extra..and you'll be the store of choice in Rancho San Diego. I did have to run to Ralphs after I left here, for my husband's diet squirt, and their parking lot was a ghost town around 5:30pm which is totally unusual. read more

They need more cashiers out on the floor, sometimes you have to wait 15 mins. Just to check out. The people are very nice. It is very clean. Just checking out is slow. read more

Love this place it is new! Also it is a little small compared to others, but they do manage to have quite a few things that I like and not such a heavy volume of people read more

Smart & Final Extra! - I picked up one of these at smart and final This is the best cinnamon babka I loved it heated at 30 seconds with butter yummy - Grocery Near Me - La Mesa, California

My only chief complaint about this place is that their fruits and vegetables are usually in poor condition. Compared to most stores I find at this one the fruits and veggies are almost always 70-90% not worthy of purchase. I come here primarily for the bacon end cuts. read more

Sure the place is better than haggens. But I'm annoyed that items aren't categorized well. It's hard to find some items in the aisles. Most annoying is their sales are marked poorly. There was a sale that required you purchase $25 before the deal took effect. But it didn't say it anywhere. They only told me at the register This place is really only nice and price effective if you are buying in bulk. But I'd rather go to costco read more

Talk about excellent customer service cashier Libra and Daisy were amazing with us today great professional Smiles friendly and etiquettes you go girl keep up the good work thank you will be returning to Smart & Final soon. read more

Smart & Final Extra! - Thank God for Smart & Final - Grocery Near Me - La Mesa, California

Is a Cashier that is amazing! Her name is Edith like me! I love her,,,, she is always smiling, talking and helping customers She almost know every single person by name, I feel special prices are great, always clean and fresh Recommend it! happy to have Smart and Final in our neighborhood!!! read more

We love shopping here. Recently they have a new day time manager, who is less than professional with the employees in front of patrons. Shame on her for her rude disposition!! My husband walked up to the register and before he could place an item on the belt she slammed down the register closed sign without looking at up at him and stormed off to assist a newly trained cashier, where she displayed her rude behavior further. And yes, she knew he was there! read more

this is the worst place of all! i came here with my service dog and they did you can't be here and then the worker pointed the scan gun at me and the dog so my dog started barking and all of the workers are very rude! i swear i am never coming here again!!! read more

The only reason I continue to come here is that fact it's really close and decent prices and usually not too crowded. But lately thry have went downhill in customer service. ALOT. Be prepared to hunt down a cart in the parking lot first off, but when you check out just as another customer stated rude no hello, no anything instead its like you are bothering them because they have to do their job. The last guy Hasani just sat and watched as the guy in front of me had to bag all.of his own groceries (which ok fine) but you have people waiting you could at least help! He never acknowledged me only to say "what kind of peppers are these"...never scanned the cart. So when the Manger some short girl came over when he took a break i said do I need the cart scanned? She said "he didn't scan it" i said no. She says "oh well thats on him" and turns around..rude for no reason..there are a few very nice employees, put those people in front! Customer service does not come first here. Several occasions like this read more

My original post would have received one star, however, the morning manager (Simon) and a cashier (I believe her name was Trisha) made up for the incident. My sons decided they wanted donuts for breakfast, which they happily retrieved from the donut case, one of my kids was absolutely starving so he proceeded to take a bite out of the donut, at which an unnamed female employee proceeded to scream at him that he needed to pay first before consuming the donut. She proceeded to follow my child, and even got physical, pulling him around to find me, and demanded to speak with his parent, meanwhile I was in the bread aisle when she angrily approached and continued to berate us all about how he took a bite out of his donut before we purchased it. In steps the morning manager, Simon, who spoke with said employee, apologized for her actions, and then comped the donuts for us. He more than made up for his employee's actions. It was the manner in which that employee approached me and my children that upset me the most and brought my kids to near tears. She could have been a lot more calm and friendly about the entire thing. I sincerely hope we don't encounter her again. Additionally, she should be written up or fired for touching my child. Parents, beware of this woman if you venture into the store early mornings. I believe she works near the bakery section. Thank goodness there were friendly people like Simon and Trisha to help out. read more