anyone past infancy knows that in our modern world, everything (and everyone, the more jaded and…read morecynical among us will insist) has a price. and as we all know, prices never go down. but there are certain things actually given out at no cost. like water at a public fountain. or, getting down to the dozen as they say, compressed air for your tires. (there's other free stuff surely. but at the moment i can't think of what they might be and... well, i really think you'd be better to prepare the list yourself, and if you would please send me that list) i'm bothered by this compressed air thing. perhaps after this you will be, too. remember a time when the service station guy came out to your car, tipped his cap, how-do ma'am, fill 'er up? ok ok maybe that's not exactly how it went, i did say longago right? anyway, however little or much "service" really happened, there were essentials available to you to assure your car was road worthy, insofar as water in radiators and air in tires. the air was supplied from a compressor inside which was on most of the time during the day. service work was done using this same compressed air to power various tools, repair motors, transmissions and other gizmos. so it cost the station very little indeed to pipe some of it outside for customer use. all well and good, except that today most "service stations" simply sell gas, oil and lottery tickets. the mechanic who could fix anything on wheels has retired. without him there's no repair work being done, and most stations don't need compressed air. i go through this now because it so happened that until recently a rear tire on my car had a slow leak. reassuring to me that not all technology is suspect, I knew this immediately, not by the car's operation but by an idiot light on the console. because i always delay solving a problem hoping "maybe it will go away", i kept looking at that light for a few weeks. finally i consulted the user manual and began to think about fixing the problem for a few more weeks. one day after buying at least $50 worth of gas at this kwik station i decided it was time to address my tire issue. that's when i learned the sad truth. compressed air for your tires has a price today: as with lunch, it's no longer free. i learned this as i picked up the air hose. in the good old days, hoses for air and radiator water were hung up out of the way (pictured). today this as well as most other service stations around here provide air from a compressor housed in a sturdy metal box. the box also includes a slot to insert coins, or the more convenient use of your credit card. the going rate today seems to be about $2.50 for which the pump runs for a few minutes. i was annoyed but, like most of us, having been beaten down by the system i meekly inserted the coins to pay for the air. air is supplied from the compressor to the tire through a regulator, gauge and finally a short rubber hose designed to fit the tire valve. but when i tried to put air in the tire, i noticed that this short hose was broken so my $2.50 air simply went back into the atmosphere instead of into the tire. after a few minutes of fiddling around i quit trying to fix the device, which was fine because my time expired and the compressor went silent. this surely was reason enough for reimbursement except that the clerk inside informed me that the air system was supplied by another company, air-serv by name. he could do nothing to fix the problem. so there was no air, no money back, and it was nobody's fault but mine. (this last, being the story of my life, is something i know only too well) but the story doesn't end there. government wheels may turn slowly, but in the end we're all the better for it, surely. California's Business and Professions Code Section 13651 mandates that as of january 1, 2000 service stations provide free air, water, and a pressure gauge to customers who purchase fuel. furthermore, service stations must display a clearly visible sign stating that California law requires them to provide free air and water to customers who purchase fuel. finally this: if a gas station charges for air or water after a fuel purchase, or if the equipment is unavailable or inoperable, you can file a complaint with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). i filed such a complaint with the state on this station because: i bought gas and then paid for air as well because i failed to read the sign informing me otherwise. (ok ok i hear you talking, it's my fault: i never read these f'n signs anyway.) but having paid for air i didn't receive it because the machine was inoperable. and the attendant was neither helpful regarding a refund nor able to fix the problem with the machine. so i'm waiting to hear from sacramento any day now, resolving the problem. but i won't wait forever: not one day later than after my first ride from San Francisco to LA on the california bullet train.

I was charged $170 on my card and I was told that the $70.35 would revert back to being the charge…read moreand I would get the remainder back. He told me that I was always charged a minimum of $170 as that's what they do for all credit card sales so far I have not had my hundred dollar refund and cannot get hold of them and will have to go and see them. What a crock of you know what. I would avoid this gas station at all costs as they are liars in my opinion.

Easy, convenient, and always friendly. I sometimes grab gas in Mill Valley near the highway for…read moreslightly cheaper prices, but depending on the time of day (and if I'm in a rush), the lines can get pretty long. The service at this gas station is top-notch. I had my car smogged here for the first time, and they made the whole process a breeze. I dropped it off, grabbed a quick bite at the Town Center, and picked it up within an hour. Nikhil, who is often at the counter, is incredibly friendly and a genuinely wonderful person. I always enjoy stopping by for a quick fill-up or in between bike rides, and it's great to exchange a quick hello. Definitely worth the few extra couple cents!

Slowest gas pump ever. 10'minutes for fifteen gallons. Time is money. Ugh. I am writing more to…read morefill up characters.

My 2013 Prius needed a smog check before I could renew the registration I needed a smog check. I…read morewaited till the last few days and got desperate. My buddy matt suggested I go see peter at smog center marin and I'm glad I did. The smog check was fast and easy, and for a few bucks more they provided the registration sticker which I put on in the parking lot. Smog center marin, your one stop shop for smog and dmv regi

Quick and easy stop! The team worked fast and efficiently. I was done in about 10 minutes.read more

I visited this station at 7:45 pm Sunday night 1/23. I walked up to the window to ask the male…read moreattendant for help to turn on the air pressure pump for my tires. He saw me, picked up his cell phone to answer a personal phone call, and then turned his back on me. When I asked for help again, he looked at me, waved me away, and turned his back again while continuing to talk loudly on his cell phone. Management should know the people who work here are dismissive of customers. I will never return to this station again. I drive one street over to the Shell station and the ladies there were more than welcoming and helped me right away.

I stopped in to buy a drink and use the window washing scrubber on Thursday morning. We just drove…read moreour Tesla through the mountains and the windshield was full of bugs. When I started cleaning before I went in to purchase a drink, the manager sent an employee out to tell me that I couldn't use their services because I wasn't buying anything. We'll I'm certainly never going to come here again. I don't need your station for your overpriced gas, so I won't ever return and buy anything from your obviously EV racist establishment.

Prices are consistently 50 cents lower than neighboring stations, and competitive to Costco (since…read morewe don't have a Costco gas station in Marin... Yet!). Despite the sometimes lengthy lines, It's fast and easy to get in and out thanks to the large number of pumps all with long hoses. Convenient location right off the freeway. I have not figured out how to enter my phone number for Earnify discount yet, but hope I will eventually for even more savings!

One of the cheaper gas in Marin, pay in cash is bit cheaper. Timing is key when getting gas or…read moreyou'll be waiting, there are about 18 pumps, sometimes it goes fast. There is not much to ask for when getting gas.

I paid $60 for a deep clean and was told my car would receive a thorough, detailed service. When my…read morecar was returned, it honestly looked no different than the $40 wash--items hadn't been moved and areas that should have been cleaned during a deep clean were clearly missed. I had to remind them of the level of quality I was expecting for that price. I do speak Spanish and explained this to them, and after that they did take the car back and clean it more thoroughly. I was more content with the result after that second pass, and I appreciate that they were willing to fix it. That said, the pricing already starts on the higher side, and I've been to other car wash places where you don't have to ask or remind them to do the level of work you paid for. Overall, the experience was okay in the end, but it shouldn't require a follow-up to get the service that was promised.

An absolute rip off when it comes to Auto detailing. First, I give MYSELF 1 star for buying their…read morehigh pressure sales pitch, but at the time w/o more info and as everything is expensive in the Bay area i trusted i was getting a fair deal. Nope, they charged me $680 for my Toyota SUV. I since learned that that is a total ripoff price, and hence I am giving them 1 star. I hope you read this and do not use them for detailing.

They sell moldy pastries. Went to return the food and they…read moregave me another moldy one. I do not trust any of the food in here.

Surprisingly nice little mini-mart. Extremely friendly staff. Very clean. And even reasonably clean…read morebathrooms. Picked up four bottles of water for a hike nearby. Glad I didn't have to buy gas here.

I like coming to this gas station location downtown Larkspur. It's always busy because they have…read morethe cheapest gas in Marin. As long as you pay cash. They do take cards but the gas is then .10 cents more per gallon. The gas is a few Pennie's cheaper than the gas station at the freeway in Strawberry. They don't have long confusing lines like the other cheap gas locations. The staff is friendly and the inside business area is clean. There are big signs indicating "no backpacks" so shoplifting must be an issue. This location even has a service area to fix your car. It's a quick in and out!

ALWAYS lowest-priced gasoline in the area, to be sure. However, this review is based on an…read moreincident that happened when I purchased a small milk from the convenience store part. The man rang me up and told me it was $4. I told him that seemed outrageous, so I did not want it, and went to put the milk back. The cashier said, "Oh, no no...wait." Then re-rang the sale and said, "$2.50." I was late for work and wasn't really sure how to respond, it was obviously him trying to pocket $. I paid and left without comment. The owner really needs to get better help. It's shameful that you can't even buy milk from a convenience store these days without having to watch out for some kind of scam.