REALLY BAD NEGATIVE ENERGY AT THIS STORE. Be cautious who's bagging your stuff and checking out your groceries. I don't want to put anyone in particular on blast, but there are 4 specific men who work here who are incredibly rude. One man in particular who seems to hate everyone but needs to make sure you KNOW IT! Your grocery bagging will be aggressively taken into account with this anger. If you say "Hello" you're met with silence or anger. I don't even say anything and I'm still met with angry energy! It's to the point I try to do self-checkout or delivery because I can't handle the passive-aggressive stuff anymore. I could get into more of my theories as to why I think this is happening but nobody will stop it so that's why I'm warning people on here. The ladies are very kind. They work hard and are tired but have always been professional. I try to make sure that, if I can have one of them help me at the register, I do so. Parking: If you have an SUV and the lot is full, just leave, honestly please your car won't fit into the spots because people don't know how to properly park. I saw an elderly lady crash into another lady's car. They were in a full-blown argument. People will just back out into your car while pulling out and are not even paying attention. There is very limited parking spots because people park and then go to the beach or into the permitted residential area because there's no parking there. The illegal parking isn't enforced. There's also people living out of their cars. Prices: This place is expensive. Check your receipt before you leave. Lines and customers: Sometimes the line is long and sometimes it's not. Customers are mostly very understanding and they work together to speed it up. Inside the store the customers are polite. Outside the store it's way different. I had one man mocking me and harassing me because I wouldn't do what he wanted. I was pushing a heavy shopping cart and he was stopped, wanting me to cross in front of his car for no reason. When I signalled and told him to just keep driving, he started mocking me. Very odd. At night it's like the walking dead zombies. They do have a security guard but be careful in the parking lot. There is a man who wears all black and is unhoused/homeless outside. He hides between cars and will come out of nowhere like a shadow. There's nothing anyone can do about it, so be armed if he comes at you. I had to go running to my car and lock myself in with my groceries still in the shopping cart until he wandered away. This is around 9ish when they come out. I've been going here a decade. Never seen it this bad. I hope they open more self-checkout stations and tell some of these cashiers to seek mental health help. It's a stressful job, but take it up with management or the company don't take it out on the customer. read more

Smaller than most Pavilions, this is an in-city store. It is compact with narrow aisles. The associates I encountered were friendly and helpful. Prices were in line with other Pavilions in the general area. There's a private parking lot. read more

Pavilions - Exterior -- Store Front - Grocery Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Jaime the store director went above and beyond to help us while we visited the store today! Very friendly and organized. We saw a holiday item was noted in stock but couldn't locate it in the store. It was in the box in storage and he made sure to retrieve it for us even though it was quite the hassle. read more

Maybe grocery stores don't get enough attention, but I have to give this pavilions a shout out for their excellent customer service! Easy to navigate store, looked clean and organized, but really at the end of the day, but establishes one grocery store from another is the service you receive? read more

I only shop here for two items that my regular grocery shop does not carry. I have never experienced such poor customer service especially from some of the cashiers. The Albertsons Companies' HR department should do a better job on screening future employees on customer service. There is one cashier in particular, Kandy, that needs to be taught how to approach customers without having an attitude. read more

Whenever I go there whether it's in the morning evening or afternoon, the dairy aisle where the yogurts and cheese are and right across from that is frozen desserts and ice cream there are tons of crates and two people that work there are restocking. The aisles are small and I have a bad back and it happens every time and where I have to actually tell them that I need to shop in a certain area there and if they can give me a couple of minutes. Sometimes they have an attitude. Sometimes they're better. Excuse me? I came here to shop and there's four different crates there. Why can't they do this in the early morning and evening instead of during lunch hour? And of course like I mentioned no matter when I go there they're doing it. And sometimes the two people that are supposed to be unloading the merchandise are just standing there talking to each other. So that takes up more room with two bodies standing there where it's literally where I can't maneuver or move and then the other customers are trying to maneuver and move through this maze as well. It makes me not want to shop there because it's a lot of stress just to be able to maneuver and squeeze around these crates and then the to employees that are supposed to unpack those or just standing there and talking. If any of the managers get this could you please do something about this? Otherwise you'll lose a customer. And probably other customers as well. It's like being in a traffic jam in the dairy and frozen section. read more

we shop here multiple times a week, but every time we cross paths with luis it feels like we accidentally walked into the DMV. zero customer service, zero context, and a whole lot of attitude. today was the cherry on top. he asked for ID for a single beer (fine, no problem) but instead of just explaining that he needed the DOB typed in, he barked "I NEED TO KNOW WHO'S PAYING" like we were on trial. it threw both of us off completely. then he proceeded to slam our groceries down the belt like they owed him money, and when he handed me the receipt, he literally crumpled it and tossed it my way. look, we get it. not everyone loves their job. but if you hate people this much, maybe grocery retail isn't your calling. the DMV is always hiring. read more

I only buy sale items here. It's close to where I live. But if it's not on sale you are getting reamed. 4 muffins, $9.99. At Ralph's 4 muffins is $5. Their bakery section prices are out of control. You can label it whatever you want. It's just flour and sugar, maybe an egg. The rest of the store is the same way. The coffee pods are $8.99. Ralphs $3.99. If you want a bag of salad they'll take 20 cents off of it. Just laughable. Anyway, this place is way over priced. I'll stick with Ralphs at Olympic and Cloverfield. Don't mind the drive when my grocery bill is half the price of shopping here. read more

Weirdly hostile floral department. I was told I could purchase rose petals over the phone that they did not want to fulfill in person. The employees treated me as if I was the problem. I simply showed up after I was told I could purchase rose petals at their store. Seems like they were taking their frustration out on me, which was inappropriate. Super tense environment while they had someone complete the order. So ya, you can get rose petals here, they just don't want to do their job? Not sure what's going on there. Three stars because the person they made do it was very kind. Sorry he has to work with such hostile co workers! read more

a great market; very nice location and parking; good service and a large selection of items; nice fresh air;

Ana B went above and beyond. The floral department was on lunch and so she saved the day and assisted me in wrapping my bouquet of flowers in beautiful paper with such care! I felt like I was in very good hands and would never go to another florist again if I knew she was working there! read more

Hardworking staff. Respect that. Always helpful. The are professional and follow protocols and procedures. The selection is good, they have some great price reductions and carry unique sourdough bread, a variety of good vegetables and while I do not drink, they do have a large extremely competitive price point alcohol selection. I had to buy a bottle of red wine for a dinner invite and the guy was so helpful and knowledgeable. Always super helpful at self checkout...parking lot is a bit of a challenge sometimes, so I'm fortunate to be able to walk to it. Lost of locals walk here and I like to see that. Good for everyone. Thank you Pavillions for doing good work day in and day out. read more

I just walked in the store to get Cesar dog food , some ice cream , baguette and jam , when I was walking towards the dog food isle , this guy I had never seen before stopped me said he is the director of the store and said you can't shop here with your small dog. Then he went on speaker and said anyone with a dog get out of store. There were other people walking in store with dogs , I was the only one he approached and kicked out of store. I placed the basket I was going to pay for back in store right where he stopped me and walked out without getting any of the items in the basket or in my mind. This is discrimination. And bad for business we live north of Montana close to this store and used to come here daily for our grocery shipping coffee everything. I have spent thousands at this store just in the past few weeks. We won't be stepping back inside this pavilion. We are going to only shop at whole foods. Which is better quality anyways. read more

Pavilions - Grocery Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Need to vent! Drove over to this store for one thing, and one thing only. A wedge of a specific brand of brie . . . which they had in a 3 pound wheel. The cheese guy is right there and tells me he's going to cut it into wedges in a half an hour. I mention I came to the store for this specific cheese. No go. He doesn't care. That's just bad customer service. You've got the cheese, you've got the knife, you've got the customer. What's the problem. Oh . . . you don't feel like doing it now -- you want to wait and do it in 30 minutes. So I didn't buy the other things I normally get at Trader Joe's. I just left the store. And BTW, the parking lots sucks!! It's jus too too crowded. read more

I'll just add to the other low reviews here with my experience... Generally the produce and deli area is fine it's convenient and I like to get basic things -- I don't typically do my full grocery shop here. Today I dropped by after the gym to grab a couple of items, and when I came out my car, along with about 10 others, was completely blocked in by a delivery truck that was running (engine on) with no one inside of it. There was not enough space to exit. There was no way for me to go the opposite way. They were cars on all directions. I was completely blocked in. When I went inside to tell someone about it, they were responsive, but as I continued to explain to them that I was on a break and needed to go soon they seem to shrug their shoulders as if it's part of the risk when you come here. When I was taking pictures to document the experience for this review, the truck driver came out and saw what I was doing and started mocking me saying "take all the pictures you want it's not gonna change anything" and I thought to myself well it might change a few peoples opinions about whether or not they'll come here based on this experience... ?!? So to that guy here is my meaningless post and you get your very own pic on this review! read more

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Asked Hector, the liquor manager, for some help picking out a bottle of bourbon for my birthday. He helped me get a great bottle and was super helpful. Made my day! read more

I've shopped at this Pavilion's for over 5 years & would've given 5 stars as everyone has been friendly & I've enjoyed being a customer...until they hired the new manager, Esmeralda Morales. This woman is AWFUL & does not have any customer service skills & doesn't know how to treat people. She is NASTY & RUDE, and actually just MEAN. I've worked across the street for over 5 years & in late 2019, early 2020 I was a victim of a sexual predator who lives nearby, I brought the police report to the then manager Mark (who was very kind & friendly) & explained my situation & asked if I could park in the parking lot, as to not have to pass the house of the offender, and he allowed me to park there. I've parked there for over 5 years. This week on Tuesday I parked as I normally have, went grocery shopping on my lunch break (spent $90) and was bringing my groceries out to my car & my car was gone! I went back in & shockingly & worriedly asked if they towed my car, the manager was called & Esmeralda showed up...I tried explaining the agreement I had with Mark & she started shaking her head "No", stated she's been there a year & never seen me (I had been out of the office the past 2 weeks & it was my 1st day back). She kept saying she's been enforcing & towing cars for a month. I asked her "what are you shaking your head for?" She stated "I'm not having this discussion". I then learned she also towed my colleagues car & when she went to speak with the manager (Esmeralda) she came back & told me "Omg she was SO rude. I told her I can't afford to have my car towed & she said 'I don't care'." My coworker & I were both appalled at how rude she was & how she has no compassion or empathy. We are both good customers too! Then we took an Uber to the tow company & it was $470 each. The worst part is there was a warning on the cars (see photo). Had I got the warning I would have went to talk to her. But this was so unnecessary & it was as if Esmeralda enjoys putting people into awful situations & financial hardships. She doesn't know how to treat people, much less her customers. You would think a manager has better things to do than go out & mark cars & spend pavilions time & money to hurt their customers. Don't shop here until they find a new manager who knows how to treat people with respect. It's clear she was raised in the hood & doesn't deserve to be managing a store with affluent customers. read more

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Well stocked, even under non pandemic conditions. I found what I needed quickly. Friendly staff and great shopping experience. All employees are wearing masks. The location is convenient. Free parking right in front of the store. read more

This is long overdue. I've been meaning to write this review since the beginning of our covid lockdown, but between that, looking after the family, and the recent protests, I've had my mind and hands full. I've been coming to this Pavilions since 2017, when I moved into the neighborhood. It has been my go-to for regular household goods and groceries, and I've never had much of an issue. However, it was during the pandemic lockdown that this establishment really stepped up. Amid the crazy toilet paper shortage, the team here was careful to ration and look after the elderly, as well as families with little children, that simply have a hard time getting in line while handling toddlers. The staff was absolutely amazing. Everyone from the front cashiers, to the managers, to the aisle staff and produce departments were so helpful, that I could only imagine that his was what it was like in the "good old days" of family-friendly groceries. I felt secure, safe, and I sincerely appreciate the discipline, the assistance, and tireless work ethic of the staff that helped us get through all of it. Love you guys!! read more

I've been coming here several times a week for the past 3+ years as I live close by. I've never had any issues. It's a grocery store and I get what I need. The parking can be packed sometimes, and every now and then they're out of stock on something. They are also a little more expensive than Von's. However, it's a convenient place for me to shop or grab dinner or get a late night snack. read more

4 stars for the red wine selections. I've found a few good French wines here. Not quite a wine shop but the variety surpasses any other grocery store in the Santa Monica area. The prices are about 30% lower than the wine shop around the corner. Any other drinks are extremely limited. If my memory serves me right, they don't sell cases of water or gallons. The groceries are just marked up VONS/Safeway. You can use your member card here if you have one. The deli has a nice variety of cheeses and salami meats. They also make a decent in house Turkey breast that is sliced to order. Just make sure it's not too dry. It's really hit or miss, but when it's good -it's good. The bakery is less than sub par. I never buy meat/fish at these larger grocery chains, but the smell is never pleasant walking by. The store is clean to match the area and the parking lot area seems to be well patrolled. The grocers have always been friendly. read more

I come to this store every day, but I feel particularly bad after going there these two days. The cashier is particularly rude and looks at me with particularly disgusting eyes. read more

A visit to this grocery store is like a walk back in history to the 1970's. Because that is the last time this place was updated--maybe constructed (except the veggie and fruit area). I swear it has the same fixtures from 40+ years ago. It's amazing that a grocery store in the most affluent area of the United States is so unimpressive. Maybe they keep it this way to shoot 70's movies here? It looks modern from the outside, but inside? It's from the lost world... I could not believe what I was seeing. And prices? Some of the highest you will pay. I just grabbed a couple of bananas and left. It's not on my regular shopping circuit. But someone should definitely consider rehabilitating this place stat! They do have a large free open parking lot and bike parking in front. read more

Update review with a photo of the cake. It was delicious and simple. Thanks to Baker read more

Pavilions - Seasonal berries with custard. Added fresh flowers. Yay tasty and beautiful. Thanks pavilions - Grocery Near Me - Santa Monica, California

This review is for the bakery. Please hire a new baker that can make decent pies. I eat a lot of pumpkin pie and your pies consistently look awful compared to every other market bakery in the city read more

Pavilions - Pumpkin pie ? - Grocery Near Me - Santa Monica, California

This review is specifically for Candy, who is the most dedicated, kind, helpful employee. I have had two amazing experiences with Candy and she is truly remarkable the way she strives for excellence in everything she does, she took the initiative to help me when no one else would have. She goes over and beyond and Pavilions is lucky to have her. read more

This review is for I believe her name is Andrea. She is a cashier at this location. Very sweet, very helpful went above and beyond. Its hard to find good customer service so i believe she deserves all the praise. It makes up for the prices lol read more

I love the fact that the store is like stepping back in time to how a grocery store used to be. It is also visually a really pretty, colorful store and appropriate for being this close to the beach! Personally I'm so tired of the oversized sterile grocery stores that are always cold and have me hiking a million miles to get anything! This one is so easy to get in and out of and they have an adequate selection there. The employees are way over-the-top friendly every time. This is my go to store when I'm working so time is of the essence, just picking stuff up and I can get in and out and it's easy. At the bakery, I actually got a doughnut there that was not cooked properly. Their selection is amazing and the display beautifully set up. I think it was a one off. I judge it by my overall experiences and having gone there many times over many years. All in all, a superior experience. read more

They are remodeling and I'm sure the workers are sick of it. Usually when I go in there the workers are very friendly and efficient. Friday the deli was super slow and the cashier in the express lane barely said two words to me read more

Griffin is THE WORST EMPLOYEE WITH A HUGE CHIP ON HIS SHOULDERS HE MAY WORK HARD BUT HIS ATTITUDE BRINGS THEIR ENTIRE COOLER DEPARTMENT and store experience to a 1 star and INTO THE DUMP. Not only did he not help me with a simple question but he stormed off when I confronted his behavior I am a floored that they have gotten many complaints about him and no one has coached or retrained him on customer service read more

Hector Ceja was so nice! He helped me find exactly what I needed when everyone was busy. Thanks Hector!

This place drives me nuts, likely because when I go there is severely understaffed. It's very clean and not a humongous store, both of which I see as positives. It's always very well stocked, has a dedicated parking lot, yadda yadda It's not easy to leave though. At least not before 8am. They are notoriously understaffed in the morning and it's madness. How a Pavilions in such an affluent neighborhood doesn't have a single self checkout is beyond me. I've also had a few less than terrific encounters with the general manager who will take on the role of a checker and alleviate the morning rush read more

A store attendant came up to me and my dog asked all the illegal questions about my service dog. At first she said that the store only allowed service dogs. I replied that my dog is a service dog. She proceeded to ask me if I have verification ID with me. I said no. She then said next time I can take a picture with my phone and provide proof that way. She proceeded to say that my dog is sniffing food on the ground and that's not what a service dog would do. I asked: are you implying I am lying? She had no words. Pavilions - either you provided absolutely no training for your employees to enforce this policy or you hired some power hungry individuals to bully on your neighbors in this community. read more

Lol- I enjoyed reading the negative reviews. Who writes negative reviews on a grocery store? Anyways, my favorite grocery store I've ever been to and I've been to a lot of grocery stores in my life. Clean, always stocked, helpful employees. Great covid protocols. read more

For the experience, the product selection and the pricing, this grocery store doesn't quite fit in with its neighboring retail establishments on Montana Avenue. This store hasn't innovated or changed the layout in years, so it feels a bit dated and out of touch with customer needs. Here's the truth of it: 95% of the time, I will drive 40 minutes round-trip to Trader Joe's on Pico instead of the simple 2 minute drive to Pavilions. I'll start by saying that some of the staff members are absolutely wonderful and work hard to create a pleasant grocery shopping experience. Robert always offers to help bring my groceries to the car and we had a nice conversation! I had an unpleasant experience last week with a gentleman who was working in the produce section who was ranting that Christmas was a corporate holiday intending to reap mass financial rewards for big companies. He was ranting to himself and spouting negatively aloud about the world coming to an end. It was weird. Does he know he works for a big company? I do like that this Pavilions location is engaged with local community efforts, such as fundraisinf for the Napa and Sonoma wildfires in the fall, as well as the recent Thomas and Skirball wildfires. The cashiers usually will thank me for the donation, but not always. It would be great to know how much they raised at the end of the fundraising campaigns! Parking is super easy here, which is rare in the area. It's a disappointing grocery store experience, so I recommend going to Trader Joe's. Things to note: - There is a tiny gluten free section - It's impossible to reach any of the seasonal decorations or items stored above the freezer aisles - The products don't quite feel or taste fresh - Tiny selection of nuts - Their handmade deli sandwiches are pretty good read more

Wow where do I start. First I feel bad doing this, and let me say I have come across quite a few employees of this location since they come in to my place of work, and they are very sweet and I have no issues with them whatsoever. I guess there are a few bad eggs in every aspect of life, and some people just shouldn't work in a customer service driven environment It's very simple - you are an ass hole? Don't work anywhere where you come face to face with other people. Long story short this Pavilions somehow hasn't had bags for many many days. I don't know how that's possible and who fucked up and forgot to order them, but the point is - no bags. So you either bring your own (which I never do) or purchase their bags which are around $2. Ok fine, I did just that a few weeks ago. Had to purchase three of their reusable bags (which I'll never reuse, so what a waste of money - shame on me because perhaps I should get with it) just to carry my groceries to my car. So I come in today - letting my branch manager know I have a client coming in 5 minutes - but I will surely be back within that time. Wrong I was. As I proceeded to pay for my items (and I had quite a bit of stuff) the cashier grumpy girl proceeded to stuff all of my items into one paper bag. ONE bag that was already SPLITTING at the seams. I looked at her like she is psychotic and asked her (very politely might I add) to double it bag it. She looked at me like I asked her for the world on a silver platter....and told me no. WTF?!!!??? No? Are you kidding me? I might as well just carry all my shit in my hands than to come outside with a paper bag that's already ripping - and end up with $100 worth of groceries all over the damn ground. Oh grumpy cashier girl, I get it, life sucks, you are possibly on your period, you maybe got into it with your manager, you can give a shit less about my groceries but why the hell can't I have an extra bag WHEN I AM PAYING FOR IT!!!! Heck charge me a fucken $1, forget the $0.10, just give me a damn paper bag. Her reasoning? We are low on bags and I need to save it for other customers.....Ok....so some idiot forgot to order bags again, and I a paying customer need to suffer why? The whole process of practically begging for an extra bag took a pretty long time and of course I was late for my appointment with my client... As I was furiously walking out behind a sweet gentleman who was helping me with my case of water to my car she yelled back for me (as I was already out the door). I came back thinking I forgot something. Nope. The grumpy girl told me to move the cart....WTF. You work here. Move the cart by your own damn self. Customer service - not her forte. Will I still come here? Yes. Like I said, most people who work here are actually very sweet - I will just be sure to get enough groceries to fit into 1 bag because lord forbid I run into Miss. Grumpy-puss again since she is a bag hog. read more

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**YES, the WORST PAVILIONS ON THE PLANET** When I initially read the Yelp reviews here, I was like, "No way can a grocery store on MONTANA street be THAAAAT bad." FML, it sure was. After 3 months of living practically next door to this convenient grocery store, I have never experienced such awful customer service. Experienced several horrible cashier incidents here, but this one took the cake: ***** OCCURRED 4/22/2012: The supervisor rung up my groceries. Dropped a bag of the tomatoes. Didn't bother to ask whether or not I would like a replacement. Instead, he proceeded to act like NOTHING HAPPENED. ME: Excuse me, the tomatoes are bruised. You dropped them. I need a replacement. HIM: Well, I'll wait here so you can get new ones. I don't want to ring up the wrong ones. WTF. Seriously, dude?! You dropped the tomatoes and I have to run and get new tomatoes? FAIL. ***** In addition to crappy customer service, the food selections (especially the meats) are LIMITED. And yes, it was always a DEPRESSING shopping experience: poor lighting, employees chatting amongst each other, narrow aisles, bad parking lot, etc. Again, convenience was my SOLE REASON shopping here. The current ratings stand. NOT RECOMMEND. read more

This is my local market, I live 200 yards away and go EVERY day; mainly because it's close and I walk from my place. Like others have said, it's not the best market: it's small, the meat and seafood counters are usually disappointing, the deli area is kinda sketchy/messy and the staff is pretty much apathetic - I feel like I am bothering them to ask for anything. I have had luck with the produce department which is about 25% the size of the entire store. I am a discerning produce shopper and don't always buy here but I give it a shot for fresh ingredients daily. I also use this as my go-to market for those "shit I forgot that" items; mainly because it's close. Since I don't drive there I don't deal wtih the parking lot much, but the spaces seem small and ill-laid out. The never ending stream of trucks to this store makes the parking entrance on 9th street challenging, not to mention the noise of big rigs at almost all hours (almost used to that). All in all I'd like to see an upgrade in the services and the staff (attitude) and while there is a Starbucks counter in there, I've only gotten drip coffee on occasion... I brew my own at home anyhoo. read more

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Conveniently located store with reasonable prices! I've always been a sucker for flowers so I was sad to see their low stock. I'm not surprised though since the store does seem to have limited space. The aisles are surprising narrow so be prepared for a tight squeeze for on coming shopping traffic! If you need a quick pick me up, they also have a Starbucks right inside the store! read more

Pavilions - They have a Starbucks too! - Grocery Near Me - Santa Monica, California

This Pavilions is not up to par for tony Montana Avenue. This is a smaller Pavilions. Not at all what I was expecting for this nice area. The parking lot, though it looks spacious, is a nightmare. It was so congested. The aisles inside the market are small. They were out of bags in the produce department in the middle of the day. They were out of some of the products I wanted as well. They did not have a good selection of produce in the produce department. For example, I wanted celery root which they have at other Pavilions but they didn't have it here. The produce didn't look too fresh either. There were other items I wanted that they don't even carry that were popular in the other Pavilions I've shopped in. Lines were long (but hey, that can happen at any market so that's not so bad). And, the 1/2 off sale prices were ringing up at regular price (this is a problem I've had at other Pavilions as well, the way they do their sales is confusing, they have to scan the product AND the sale price code, so check your receipt at all the stores). On the positive side: The manager was nice and she gave me some rain check for the products that were out of stock so I could get them at any Pavilions for the same price. They have a Starbucks. The location is convenient as it is near a bunch of shops and restaurants. read more