This is my neighborhood Vons, affectionately nicknamed "slum Vons" . They're a fantastic local employer, and the staff is always friendly and ready to help. I usually pop in when I need something quick, though I don't shop here regularly because I prefer independent grocers with less processed food and cleaner labels. That said, I'm dropping a well-deserved 5-star review because I think this place gets underrated. Sure, it's a smaller store, but it's packed with everything you need--from fresh sandwiches and an in-store bakery to a solid selection of produce, wine, and meats. I have no clue why Safeway corporate hasn't given it a facelift yet, but honestly, it's perfectly functional. You'll find what you're after here. Plus, the self-checkout option is a total win! Swing by our local Vons--you won't regret it. ;) read more

Marcus in the meats department made my day today. Just got into town from Phoenix, AZ and couldn't have made the trip in for food for the week better. Great recommendations, even better personality. Ended up needing to go back for more, had to stop back and say thank you again. Top shelf customer service and a great guy. Thank you again. read more

There are two public bathrooms, which the employees use so they are aware of the condition. It was necessary for me to go to the bathroom and when I walked in, there was the smell of putrid rotten urine permeating the whole bathroom. There was blood smeared on the mirror and I almost threw up. It was so revolting and I told a man that came out of the back, that works there, and he just said thank you in a very unprofessional voice. read more

Our grandparents live down the street from this Vons and we frequent here to get them groceries on a monthly basis. Aside from how small and cramped the store feels (very difficult to navigate down aisles when others are in the same isle) my family had a terrible experience this morning. My husband was picking up some items for our grandparents with our 3 small children present. (All under the age of 6) as you can imagine, Dad, grocery shopping with three young kids is chaotic and stressful as it is. The store was disbelieved and a mess. Carts of food and things to be stocked present throughout the store. Well, while on the end of an isle there was a cart sitting there with no one near it. My young child's eye box of cereal that is the one that we were looking for and grabbed it from the cart thinking that was an OK thing to do. Obviously an honest mistake from a young child. About five minutes later a man comes barging up to my husband his name is Travis and he works there screams in my husband's face "DONT STEAL!" Reached in the cart between my kids and grabs the box out aggressively. The manager was nice and says that they are doing something about it but this was absolutely ridiculous. Will not be back if Travis is still employed there read more

Lasting impression "have a goodnight" at the self checkout register from an employee! The sushi was trash at night but overall I fuck with Vons heavy! read more

Sushi is awful. All rice no sushi. $7.49 for a rice roll. Very dissatisfied. Would never buy sushi here again.

It's a really small older store...I use this store when I don't feel like driving to Albertsons on Marron rd .... I can usually find what I need....although the selection is small ....we have all experienced some out of stocks lately..... Now the deli's is short on turkey.... Turkey shortage ‍‍‍ weird.... read more

Vons - a display case of turkey products - Grocery Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Great Vons location. Staff was nice in helping where to fine things. It is a smaller store but it still has all your needs. Everything looked fresh and cleans read more

This store never disappoints. It has a local market feel despite being part of a large chain. I drive out of my way to shop here and there are two Von's closer to where I live. I refer to it as 'Happy Von's.' John and Dave went over and beyond on two different occasions for me, and they certainly did not have to. Excellent managers with a personable staff and excellent customer service. There should be a John and Dave in every store. Thank you! read more

Business operating during the pandemic, "thank you" Review #4 the VONs on Tamarack is a smaller, older store. nobody would confuse this shop with one of their Pavilion incarnations. service is spotty in the meat department and the deli's hit or miss. the inventory (like everywhere) already undersized, has thinned during Covid-19. since the 20th of March, i've been exactly twice -- when the homefront ran low on milk and fresh produce (and, of course, gelato). if you can think outside the box and improvise on the fly, you can make it work. it's not just about the health and wellness issues involved​ in social distancing that have changed our perspectives. social responsibility counts too. i was desperate​ for bread flour (Pizzapalooza was nearly an endangered event at our house) and was overjoyed to find two five-pound bags on the shelf one o'dark hundred (i shop early when the store's mostly empty). i only bought one. Vons is taking all reasonable precautions to keep us safe. they've brought in a whole new crew to disinfect surfaces. six-foot spacing's marked on the floor in the checkout lines. shoppers and clerks are separated by a plastic shield at the register. generally speaking, they don't deserve five stars, but anybody out there keeping us fed, etc. these days earns bonus points from me. read more

Vons - Gluten free ?? Wow !!!  Really ??? When did Celestial Seasons STOP putting bread in their teas ???? - Grocery Near Me - Carlsbad, California

This store is a joke. Aisles are narrow and over stuffed. End caps were blocking everywhere. The selection of products was very limited. We will not be making a second shopping trip to this location. If you read more

The staff that work the morning shift are polite patient and helpful. They're a little bit pricey with their chicken, but some of the food is about to expire within a week or two are a little bit cheaper. but my experience in the afternoon or evening is not a grinder one, They try to make every choppers look like the criminals even ones that are buying items. I was followed by the butcher throughout the whole store. Follow me to every aisle. Make me look like I was a thief or something so I just left and didn't buy nothing and now I'm on yup just let you know about the butcher got he got a red beard kinda stocky and looks very angry to be at work. read more

Worst Vons ever. Dirty. Employees are zombies. Small store, poor selection. Go to the El Camino Real location. It's way better and bigger and cleaner. I think the only 5 star reviews here are overly nostalgic people who've been coming here since the 80's. That's the last time they spring cleaned this store lol. read more

Okay maybe it's weird to review a grocery store, but I honestly had such a great experience here! It is a smaller grocery store, but they've packed a lot in! And they had great pre-made options! We picked up a bunch of sandwiches and fruit and doughnuts and everything was delicious and fresh. Plus, the employees were so nice to my kids, which I really appreciated. I will definitely come back here next time I'm in the area. read more

This store needs a MAJOR overhaul. It's as dated as the expired food they continue to sell. Years of shopping here and I'm convinced that nobody is checking on and throwing out old inventory. I bought packaged American cheese yesterday, 4/17/24, opened it this morning and was hit with a pungent smell. Immediately checked the expiration date and it's dated 8/14/23!!! Cheese, nine months past expiration on their shelves is plain negligence and a lawsuit waiting to happen. They're selling food that can get people sick if not worse. Check the expiration dates when buying from here. read more

I find this difficult to post but enough is enough. It is such a disgusting practice at Vons on Tamarack, that I see on a regular basis, but yesterday was the worse. Having to maneuver around two elderly women with dogs, one in her cart, the other at her feet conversing with one another on how cute their dogs are to one another. I find it hard to comprehend that these women have absolutely no consideration for folks with their children unknowingly putting their groceries in carts that have had their animals doing who knows what where their putting their bread or vegetables. I have complained to management and signs are posted but I always get the response that it's hard to enforce! Please tell these women, haven't noticed men but I'm sure they are just as guilty, to stop creating this health violating practice and give consideration to other folks that know better and keep their animals at home! read more

Ceci was very helpful this evening. Couldn't have done it with out her! ~Instacarter's Anonymous.. read more

I need to find a new grocery store despite that this Vons is only about a block from me. They are CONSTANTLY OUT of grocery items. Running out of things is fine, but why on Earth does it take over a month to get the items replaced? Last summer they were out of small paper plates for over a month!! I am on week 3 waiting for them to replenish fate free half and half? They used to say it was because of COVID. They all of a sudden stopped supplying sourdough rye bread? That has been missing for almost 6 months. Granted it was a very popular item that they often ran out of and now no longer carry it? All the other grocery stores (cheap and expensive ones) seem to be able to get deliveries. What's up with this Vons? read more

Larry is the best! If you need help in the liquor aisle Larry is the man! A smile and a helpful attitude, look no further.

I love this store! I am local and this is the grocery store I go to most often. It's smaller than some Vons, but I like that. It makes it easier to get in and out. It has what I need so, it doesn't bother me that it's a little smaller. They have pretty good organics offering for a big grocery store. Lots of the staff have been there for years. I like their floral department. The fresh veg/fruit is good. Really appreciate this place. read more

FYI UPDATE I went in a couple weeks ago to do my lunch thing and they got someone to help (yahoo I thought).But the guy talked your ear off to anyone that would listen and took 20 plus mins to slice one pound cheese and meat. Still plan on 1/2 hr to get service read more

Vons as a market and staff courtesy, I have no problem with. But I can't believe the management allows the current sushi vendor to sell their stuff there. They are absolutely the worst stuff I have tasted in a long time. Just cheap materials all around. Bad and half frozen rice. Skimpy, cheap and tasteless fish. If you want to get sushi at a supermarket, avoid this Vons. The one at the corner of El Camino and Alga is decent. In today's age and sushi crave, I just could not believe it. I am not comparing them to other good sushi restaurants. I know this is supermarket sushi, but still. Don't bother with this place. read more

Yeah I get why people don't like this branch. Always busy as it is a small store, Under staffed so yeah lines for sure, employees are zombies (which in a sense can be entertaining if you like zombies, and just ok really. Today I went in for a bagel at 8:00am and asked the lady in the deli with a name tag on where they were hiding the cream cheese. She proceeded to look at me like I was an idiot (which, If you ask my wife is kind of true) and responded " I have no idea. I don't work here. Maybe on isle 4." That's word-for-word. Couldn't help but laugh. Perhaps she was menstruating? (Sorry ladies). She was right. Isle 4. read more

I hate to give this place 2 stars because I've had GREAT customer service (except at the deli - you know who you are grumpy pants!) here. Trust me - I'm a sucker for good service, but it's not the friendliness of the employees that's the real problem here. LINES, LINES, LINES - If I had a dollar for every time there were lines 6-10 people deep....Is this a staffing issue? People have been complaining about this for years -- shoot, I found a 'check in' status of my own that read " SMALL & CRAMPED - This store is really small, but Vons keeps packing stuff in. If you have to pass someone in the aisle be careful your fingers don't get crushed between the carts. WHAT HAPPENED TO LITTLE CARTS? - There were little carts then they disappeared one day. The aisle width wouldn't be so bad if they didn't make you use full-sized shopping carts. CLEANLINESS, C'MON - The only time this store looks and feels clean is when corporate is coming to visit. Sad. ROTTEN, PRICEY PRODUCE - So many times I have come to this Vons after already making peace with myself that I was sure to overpay. However, leaving rotting fruits and vegetables out for sale with NO other option to choose from is unacceptable. I've had to leave the store multiple occasions to finish shopping. This seems to be improving, so hopefully things continue this way. Long way to go here. NEW PRODUCTS - I really like that their buyer is expanding into healthier and allergen-free options. It would be nice to see that carried out in the frozen section as well, which aside from frozen veggies is currently filled with products high in sodium, fat or simply covered in cheese. Maybe there doesn't need to be 40 (exaggeration) different types of frozen pizza? PROXIMITY - It's nice to have a grocery store right off of I-5 Fwy. Easy to stop in and it's close to home. Below are my check in comments over the past few years. I was going to remove them, but thought the raw data collected might be of service :) ------------------- HISTORY OF MY CHECK IN COMMENTS OVER THE PAST 3 YEARS No more little carts :( Well hello Carlsbad fire dept! ;) Chick-chick-chicken breast on sale! BBQ! Not all wheat bread is considered equal...go for the whole grain! At least 6 or 7 people in each line right now. Not worth it! Juanita is awesome and I always enjoy going through her line! Lines are soooo long! Not 1 organic heirloom tomato that didn't feel like a marshmallow Been waiting 10 min to purchase, good thing I don't have ice cream! 10 patrons...1 checker. :( read more

Worst grocery store EVER! Always out of items, lines are long, and management just doesn't give a shit. I live 1/4 mile from this store and still drive to Sprouts or another Vons for groceries. I only stop in here when I'm desperate and already in the shopping center for dry cleaning at Ban's. Do not shop at this Vons. It's worth the drive elsewhere... I promise. read more

Vons - Never enough checkers, always out of items, and management doesn't give a shit. Utter FAILURE! - Grocery Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Such a small store that even the self checkout takes like 10 minutes of waiting in line. Clearly customer demand calls for a bigger store with isles that aren't narrow. Seriously cannot recommend this location, you're better off going to the one off El Camino which isn't good in terms of the parking lot but is much more roomy inside. read more

Terrible for many many reasons. The lines are consistently LONG. Doesn't matter if you come at 7am or 10pm. The gimmick they use when they say they'll open additional check stands if more than 3 people are in it is a LIE. There are also small selections of everything - there's just not enough space to add more product. One improvement would be to exchange a few of the check stands for self checkouts (which, by the way, are nonexistent at this store). Avoid this store at all costs. The only perk is that there are a handful of nice employees. read more

Vons - Almost 8pm at night and the lines are ridiculous. My fiancé and I will split up; one of us will stand in line upon arrival. - Grocery Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Been here quite a few times, wanted to point out that we've had an amazing check out lady. Gail is always super kind and nice! She's always happy and super sweet. Lobe this Vons always has great stuff and everything we're looking for. Thank you Gail! read more

I went in to Vons to buy eggs. I saw dog, a non service animal in the store and complained to a clerk and asked her to get the manager. After waiting 15 minutes and in line to buy my eggs, the manager finally showed up. Very aggressively, he asked what the problem was? I said, "do you allow non service dogs in here?" He said "no!" He then said, very sarcastically, "what do you want me to do chase them out the door if they left already?" I said yes! He then told me he would not allow me to purchase the eggs I was already in line waiting to buy and that I needed to leave and never shop there again. Hey Vons, is this how you treat a customer that complains to management about a pet, non service dog, in your store? Pretty bad! read more

Considering the other local option, that miserable Smart and Final "Extra," this Vons is a real supermarket, albeit a very small one. They have all the essentials, although without the level of selection of the Vons by 78/El Camino. The employees are consistently friendly and helpful. The biggest problem with this store are the lines for the registers. Come at a peak time and the lines snake well into the adjacent aisles, creating cascading cart gridlock. Sometimes I think it would take less time for me to simply shoplift. I'd be out the door ASAP, and by the time I'd completed a court appearance and some community service, people would still be in line. read more

I have become more and more disappointed in this store. As I discover other grocers in the area I realize how bad this Vons really is. The produce selection is terrible and usually goes bad in a day or two. The isles are too small and no more than 1 cart. And I don't know about you but I don't like playing bumper carts when I'm grocery shopping. The deli is pretty lame. Mostly just fried food and everything thing seems to be over priced. Would not recommend stopping in here for your lunch. The meat department, is also pretty underwhelming and frankly looks old and dingy. This store is in major need of an update. Considering that this store is in such a great location, there's no reason that the products should be so substandard. I hope Vons realizes that changes should be made if they want to keep the locals happy. read more

I bought the Select Phyllo dough from the Vons Tamarack store location and the sheets were splitting and they fell apart when I used it to make baklava. A week ago I bought the same brand of dough from Vons El Camino Real location and it worked great. The dough was a flaky mess to work with and it's unfortunate that the quality of your product has declined. read more

This Von's is the Best! Reminds me of friendly neighborhood Grocery store. Got me through the Line fast, Really enjoy it being small. It needs a re-model but the people have smiles and seem to be there to please you. All and all will shop there again read more

They finally did me in. The lines, the slow checkers, the stockers that don't do their jobs and make sure the product is replenished...Now when I thought the bleeding couldn't get any worse, when asking if they carried a product (as well as an alternate product) only to be told "no, we do NOT carry either of those", I pivoted right only to find on a shelf both things I was looking for. I can take, "hang on, let me go find out if we have that", but a hard "no" is noooot the right answer when you're not sure. I keep telling myself that I'm done with this place, but this time I mean it. read more

I remember when this Vons was a Safeway. Well, actually alot of Vons were a Safeway, but this one has memories and that is one reason I stop by in here just to remember the past. I had some friends that used to work here but now have moved on. Where does the time go? read more

It was very clean and well organized. Everyone was super friendly. Especially Juan he helped me bag my grocies and he smiled. That made my day. I will be coming back !! read more

The location of this vons is great but during a literal pandemic, the understaffing causes huge lines and groups of people and gives none of us any space down tiny isles that people are constantly walking through while we wait. Ridiculous. How about hiring a couple more cashiers? This is the fourth time I've had this issue. read more

Vons - a man walking down the aisle of a grocery store - Grocery Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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I love this Vons! I do have a wild bias as it's walking distance from my house, and it's the only grocery store around for miles, but I don't care. There are some things you should know about this Vons that you should know about before you walk in and get all riled up.. 1. Lines. There will be lines! Again, supermarket close to the beach. Only one around for miles. Be prepared to see some Arizonians all bent out of shape that there's a line to buy hot dogs and Coors Light, guaranteed. 2. It's smaller than other Vons locations. The selection may not be as good, but who cares? It's not worth it to me to drive somewhere else to get exactly what it is I'm looking for, there will be something that's close enough. 3. The Staff. They are all super cool and friendly, but I've seen them get a little frustrated when customers do dumb things. Before you try to take 50 items in the express line with a 15 item limit, or try to buy beer when your ID and / or wallet is in the car, or you want 9000 pieces of fried chicken from the deli made fresh and you claim you've never had to call in the order in advance to the other stores in the past and it's the 4th of July.... Just don't. They open early, close late, have a great deli counter, great beer selection, great butcher, great prices, and friendly staff. read more

Pros: good location Cons: so small, limited inventory, produce sucks, selection in general sucks. EVERY DAY AT ALL TIMES OF THE DAY there is a line of at LEAST 3 people with only 1-2 registers open. Express line is never open. Want to love this place because the location is great for us but this place consistently disappoints. You can count on it disappointing you in some way every time. read more

WORST STORE EVER ! Always long lines..checker are so slow & don't care! go to the smart and final close by! read more

Vons - Grocery Near Me - Carlsbad, California