This Ace is the cleanest, most aesthetic hardware store I've ever been to. It looks small from the outside, but don't let that fool you... this store has THREE levels. I was so pleasantly surprised by their selection of products, especially since I was looking for random items for my new apartment. The employees were helpful, knowledgeable, and looked like they genuinely loved working there, which was such a joy to see. I've returned to this shop way too often, and my wallet hates me for it. This location relies heavily on paid street parking, though there is a small customer lot behind the shop. A trip to this Ace is very worth the $2 I paid for parking. read more

Hillcrest Ace Hardware - This Ace is GORGEOUS - Hardware Stores Near Me - San Diego, California

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Propane tank exchange took over 15 minutes, employee reported store is severely understaffed . Management needs to address the issue. 9/19/26 - RM read more

I had been at a Mother's Day Brunch not far, at Mr. A's Restanrant, , when I stopped into Ace Hardware, in Hillcrest, after the Mother's Day brunch, to buy a royal blue nine-foot diameter canvas patio umbrella to use at a mosaic table in the rear garden of my house. I had called earlier, and the woman was very helpful on the telephone. When I arrived, she assisted me with my purchase, as did a man, she and even carried the umbrella all the way to my car and put it in the back seat of my car, which was parked in one of the several handicapped parking spaces located just behind Ace Hardware. All in all my experience was totally seemless. read more

Okay so I know this is a hardware store but the building is really cool... and it's bigger than it appears as there's a downstairs section. I'll have to take more photos next time, I was in a hurry on this trip. Every employee that interacted with was super friendly and helpful, and I was able to get what I needed without an issue. Right on University Avenue, this Ace location is in a prime spot which means that parking can be a bit of a challenge, but there is a small lot -- there's a sign. read more

Hillcrest Ace Hardware - Hardware Stores Near Me - San Diego, California

Absolute best Ace IMO, friendly staff always greats with a smile and are eager to help. I will go out of my way to visit for anything I need that they might carry. Dog friendly as well, so he my pup gets a ride. read more

Needed a couple of household items when visiting this area, and Yelped this place - I am glad I did! Was warmly welcomed when I came in, and was quickly brought to the area of the store where my items were. I didn't realize this store is much bigger than it seems! Three floors (basement, too!), so I definitely needed the guidance. Very great place, give them a try if you too are in the area and in need. read more

Recently, I headed out to find some electrical equipment because I had to change out/add a GFCI outlet. I figured I'd go to the big box store (not Home Depot as I'm boycotting) but got diverted to Ace because of flooding. Checked them out and figured I'd do a price check by heading to the other place. Lo and behold, Ace was comparable in price and had a better selection. This wasn't the first time I went to Ace either. They beat the price for a garbage disposal by $50 just a week previous. This location is well stocked and has friendly help. They also have a bbq supply place attached that has some cool stuff. I've even bought my stocking stuffers here in the past. I highly, highly recommend this location. Parking is available in the back for those who are afraid of trying to find a spot. Great option for your hardware needs. read more

The people here are great - always willing to help and non-judgmental when it comes to your abilities. PSA: This ACE is no longer participating in Apple Card 3% Daily Cash - if that's important to you, see a list of participating stores here: https://www.acehardware.com/applecard read more

BEST hardware store in town! Their customer service shines, whenever I go I am greeted and asked what I am looking for. Staff are friendly, knowledgeable, and happy to help. They also have a few parking spots in the alley behind the store! From getting your keys copied, to tools, to garden, cleaning, and home Ace Hillcrest has it all. The shop is neatly organized and clean. This is also randomly a great place to get someone gifts, they even have stuff for children! read more

Staff is always so friendly and helpful. The gentlemen down in tools are always so gracious when I'm in there looking for pieces of things.

"THE COOLEST HARDWARE STORE ON THE PLANET" (5 stars) After all these years, I discovered this is NOT your average hardware store. It is the coolest hardware store. This is on Hillcrest so I should not expect anything less. A lot of funny and cool items blended in the store with the regular hardware home things. Perfect store for fun gift shopping for friends. I found some neat gifts here. They are dog friendly, treat your dog so kindly, gave dog treats, and upstairs they do have a dog section. Do check them out! read more

This is THE BEST hardware store, parking in back, great service from all employees, they go out of their way to make sure you are happy and satisfied when you leave. I had a leader hose for my garden hose winder that needed a new connector, I had it with me to get the right size, the lady who helped me find the right part even fixed it for me! She cut off the bad part, installed the part she said would work, and I went home so happy, I never imagined I'd get such wonderful service! I didn't have to wait a week for my gardener to arrive at my place to do the repair! I just took it home and started irrigating my plants immediately! Plus the cute and funny gift items in this store are irresistible! I wound up buying a bag full of goodies for myself and gifting while I was there! Excellent people, wonderful experience like the good old days of caring customer service. thank you!!!!! read more

This Ace is an absolute treasure. They're so friendly and helpful and it's actually a really beautiful building/store. Special shoutout to Michael. Nobody is thrilled to reach that point in life where you have to rush out and buy a toilet auger but there I was. Michael was so professional and nice and eased my anxiety about the unglamorous task ahead of me. Cheers Ace Hillcrest, I'm glad you exist! read more

I'm really glad Ace Hardware is in Hillcrest. It's incredibly convenient when you need something quickly and don't want to make a big trip out of it. They have a surprisingly good selection for a neighborhood store -- everything from plumbing and electrical supplies to key cutting and even seasonal decorations. The staff is consistently helpful and approachable. If you can't find something, they'll walk you right to it and make sure you get what you need. It's also great to see them involved in the community, especially participating in events like Taste N Tinis. It makes a difference having a locally accessible hardware store that feels connected to the neighborhood. read more

Great staff will help you find what you need, and carry it to your car. The aisles are wide, the store clean, and best of all their prices are competitive! All 3 floors are accessible with an elevator and willde aisles. Staff will get items from the shelves on request. If you know you need something very specific, like a 3/4 brass poppet valve, bring a photo and know it's exact name, or bring in the part. If you have a problem describe what's happening and they'll try their best to decipher what you need! read more

Super helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly. They even have parking in the rear of the building. I would definitely recommend Hillcrest Ace Hardware. read more

Hmmm- just a tip- take detailed photos of what you need (/to fix) before coming in or you are wasting your time. If it's unusual, they won't be able to help much. Organization is a bit odd- the odd number rows are on the east side of the store and the evens are on the west side. Lots of people standing around chit chatting but no-one who was experienced enough to have understood what I was trying to describe. Apparently not all kitchen sink drains have a casing/housing read more

Hillcrest Ace Hardware - Customer service was unable to find this for me. - Hardware Stores Near Me - San Diego, California

Everyone I ran into that worked there was nice and offered to help. They had the light bulbs that I needed. And I ended up buying more stuff than I needed because the vibe of the store was great. Cleaning supplies, trash bags.potting soil and some fun trinkets at the check out. Ps: the caramels at the register are delicious read more

Best customer service that I've had in a while, which made the easiest trip to a hardware store that I've ever had. 1. Walked in was greeted immediately and someone asked if I needed anything in particular, so I told her. 2. Walked down the stairs and she had already ringed someone downstairs who had the light bulb ready for me. 3. The lady at the cashier was also super friendly. Every interaction was very friendly, positive, and helpful. read more

Hillcrest Ace Hardware - Hardware Stores Near Me - San Diego, California

This is my favorite hardware store in San Diego. They are always awesome and super helpful at finding obscure parts or dealing with odd little hardware or home improvement issues. Today, I went to try and find an Allen screw for a door handle set. Stephanie was super helpful and let me know that the existing Allen screw had just gone in a little further and needed to be pulled out. She fixed my problem and I was on my way. They definitely live up to their slogan "Ace Hardware: The Helpful Place". Thanks to Stephanie!! read more

This ACE hardware store is 10/10 for customer service. The second you walk in the door someone asks if you need help. Ive been here many times since moving into the area and they are very consistent. read more

Great store and staff. I use them all the time! Always helpful and customer oriented.

Previously a helpful elderly gentleman had helped me find speciality socket head machine screws. Pulled the screw from Ace Hardware bins and asked for help finding a longer screw of same size. Women there took screw and claimed it wasn't a standard or metric screw. Pointless to argue or ask for additional help at that point. Staff is friendly in the completely useless not actually friendly or helpful way. Basically deliberately unhelpful. read more

Wow, Hunter went above and beyond to accomodate me. Providing me with amazing customer service while keeping me safe. I really appreciate having access to what others have in a way that keeps me safe. Thank you Hunter for making key making services accessible to me so that I can stay safe. read more

Everyone that works here is incredibly nice ! Honestly it's so refreshing , and rare to see that in a store. Everyone here was so helpful. I came in for spray paint and to make copies of my keys. Can't wait to come back for anything else I might need ! read more

Absolutely love this store! Being that we just bought a new home, home improvement stores have been frequent haunts. This Ace looks deceptively small from the outside but actually has 3 levels. There were so many workers that continued to see if we needed help, unlike some big box stores where you have to hunt down assistance. Everything was perfectly organized and the staff was happy to answer the numerous questions we had from paint to fingerprint door locks. They also had kitschy home goods and locally owned grooming supplies. Easy to pick up gifts while you shop. They even had Pokémon cards for Dubs Jr. Dedicated parking lot in the back for customers is a bonus. Definitely loved the calm atmosphere and great customer service. Don't forget to sign up on their app for discounts on your purchases and points :) read more

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The good - individual shopping assistants are selectively excellent. But then there are the weary and worn out who can barely get up the energy to grunt at e customer. Never rude. Just so low energy compared to the staff who go out of their way. Good example - my number one purchase at Hillcrest Hardware over the past 14 years is paint. When I see a female paint specialist, I'm always greeted as if I were the cousin whom they forgot to invite to Thanksgiving but now that I'm here , the spirits are high and warm. Then there is a male paint department employee. I go to get a quart of paint. I have the color all ready. I've gotten the same exact paint three times in the past 14 months. Then the paint guy looks around slowly behind and in his own good time mutters " we don't have the base." I asked "please inform my ignorance - what does that mean ?" " it means we don't have the base for the paint. We will have it in by Monday (this was Thursday. I returned the following Thursday and the same fella says, "well, I guess it didn't come in." We are now in the mood space of Eeyore. I had hired a painter for that day - for the entire day to paint trim on windows and doors. No go. "Maybe it will be in next week..." says the fella. No. I went to Dunn-Edwards staff leaped to their feet upon my entry. I could have been Philomena Cunk. They didn't care - they were so eager to please. Paint ready in 5 minutes. And almost half the cost of Hillcrest hardware. I won't go into another story that's CBS Made for TV miniseries about paint, coupons, and "the customer is trying to have one over on us" attitude. All the cashiers are pure angels. They never fail to have treats for the dogs who visit. A co lovely beautifully stocked store filled with d as amazing Knick knacks. But paint ? Hmmmm. read more

Ace is the place!!! truly everyone on staff here is absolutely wonderful. Jeff always helps me, see him if you ever need advice on a project, he won't steer you wrong! read more

This Ace Hardware location has got to be my favorite. Am I a little bias because it's so close to me? Maybe but I have actually been to many Ace Hardware locations and this one is just top notch. One there is so much to explore here with multiple floors and I am not the most handy person but there is so much to look at and discover even cute kitchen towels with funny quotes on them. The staff here is amazing. Within seconds of me walking in the door clearly having no idea where to find super glue out of the many isles that there are, someone came right up to me to help and took me directly to where I needed to be and even showed me all of the different options to pick from. They are so helpful at this location I know when I go in for something that it'll be a quick and easy trip because the staff here is the best! read more

The customer service and professionalism is over the top! Every person who worked there greeted me and offered to help me. This is a huge personal touch as many businesses forget the importance of being engaged with customers. Well organized and clean store. Great choices of things to check out! read more

Another successful trip to a wonderful local hardware store. I am like many and you know who you are that thinks why would I have to call a plumber, I can do this. And like a comedy of errors it was not what I had imagined. After many YouTube videos and knowing what I thought I needed, Jeff was there to help. Jeff was ver attentive and figured out what I needed. What a great Christmas present, a kitchen sink that we can use. read more

Just want to thank Bryan for really going out of his way to help me today. I was inquiring about an old tar smell from a 1920 recording studio of my family's. He was very honest saying that he has not heard of such a thing but, was very curious and willing to help. We both agreed it wasn't a dehumidifier situation as there's no moisture. He went searching and came up with one called Air Police Air Purifier that is for a wall outlet. We both thought that this was very interesting and will certainly give it a try for $29.99. Thank you Ace Hardware for hiring the most competent and knowledgeable people in the service field. Oh, I did forget to say polite always! Love you! read more

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I have a business nearby and I've been here many times. The customer service is always awesome. They're always so helpful. I'm blessed to have them so close to me. read more

I had an amazing experience here recently, all thanks to Angelina. From the second I walked in she greeted me with a beautiful big smile and was on top of helping me find what I was looking for! She was very knowledgeable of the store and the specific product I needed. It's so hard to find genuine customer service these days and I really appreciate how friendly and patient Angelina was with me. Highly recommend this Ace hardware! read more

The people are helpful. There is a large selection, and it reminds me of the hardware stores that were ubiquitous before the big box stores. For these reasons I would like to take my 8 y/o daughter and 9 y/o son into the store as I shop, so they can experience what it was like for me shopping with my dad when I was a kid. However, when I did take my children into the store a few months back, my daughter who was right next to me at the time, picked up and asked me about a pornographic doll. I haven't brought my children back to the store and I have avoided shopping there myself until last weekend. I did find the pipe fittings I was looking for, but the offensive giant erection toys were still there. In addition to that, right at the cash register there were tiny hands holding up a middle finger. I wouldn't consider myself prudish, but I would like my children to understand that there are certain places and at a certain age they might enjoy some bawdy humor, but at 8 and 9 they are too young to understand where and when it is appropriate. If they are bombarded with this sort of thing at a everywhere even the hardware store, it is undermining these principals. I know it is not my store, and I only have the right to comment on this, and shop or not shop at Ace Hardware. I would never want to force an owner of an establishment to have or not have anything other than what they decided was right to have on their shelves, but I would ask that the proprietors of this store to consider whether it is worth losing even one customer for the sophomoric, obscene, not very clever, gag items they have on their shelves? read more

Had alot of things other ace hardwares and hardware stores don't. I went to get specific laundry powders. However next to ace hardware is an ace hardware bbq, where they sell bbq's for people to bbq. read more

This place is huge!! It looks small from the outside but it's actually two stories and has a huge selection of inventory. I went in looking for flower wire to make flower crowns. Someone immediately asked when I walked in what I was looking for, I explained and they pointed down the stairs and said an aisle number I didn't remember but as I made it down the stairs, another worker was waiting to show me the item I was looking for. Talk about amazing customer service. She also made sure I remembered to buy wire cutters which I had not even thought of so super glad she thought about it. Overall really happy with this shopping trip because it was quick and got the help I needed without having to ask. Prices seemed a bit high but I wasn't disappointed and the crown came out perfectly read more

Best service ever ! Upon them closing I called For a bolt cutter for I couldn't find the key to an outdoor locker ! I called in panic I said I live close by should be there in 5... it was very close to closing hours and they had them ready to go at the cash stand and it was quick & easy! Aside from this silly story I am always greeted by the friendliest person. Always have the best assistance and overall enjoy shopping here ;) read more

Everyone here is absolutely awesome. Walk in the door they're very friendly and point you in the right direction immediately. Fast efficient and very knowledgeable. read more

Such nice staff, so many fun things to buy in a sector of the economy that is generally boring or overwhelming. Everyone was super nice & helpful. Loved my experience. Thank you! Will break stuff around the house just so I have an excuse to return. read more