I don't really shop here too often but tonight I needed red jello for my brain mold so lookout Safeway here I come. They had plenty of jello to choose from. I got red jello and evaporated milk to make it look more like grey matter. Tip of the day: when you check out if you don't have a club card just tell them your phone number is (area code) 123-4567. In my experience someone has registered this number just about everywhere. The check-out people always laugh like it's amazing you got this phone number and they call you by some strange name when they say good bye. And you get the "special" club price! It seems to work everyplace that has special member cards. read more

Terrible policies and bs management. NO customer service. I rented Rug Doctor steam cleaning machine at Tara Hill safeway. The machine is BROKEN. Thats another issue... so i went to solano ave safeway bc it was still open. Manager Randy at 1am right now Aug 5, said that he cant exchange it. He had no clue how to run it either. He just bsed me. Didnt even offer to bring the product back to my car. Bs gallore You bet i wint be renting this from Safeway Tara Hill Safeway did NOT tell me i have to return it or exchange it during customer service hours. I m asking for refubd and some more. This is terrible business. Ih Randy told me that each Safeway is oerated separately and thats why he couldnt exchange my broken machine. That sounds like bs. read more

LOVE that it's 30 paces from my house. HATE that there are so few healthy/organic/vegan brands it may as well be located in my hometown of 600 people in upstate NY! (i am not kidding when I say that there is no soy/rice ice cream. none. it's like the 1990s all over again!) UPDATE: May 2009 They do NOT have soy yoghurt (or any non-dairy kind) nor ice cream. The manager hadn't heard of it and asked "what's it for?"...okay, people...I'm takin you down to a one star for that one. read more

old small safeway. not much microbrews, no cheap allergan generics either. buy: "arrogant bastard" (4.49) -strong, aggressive brew with a bite, really stout. notes: -found cashier with no one in line, just, in an out -other cashiers had 3+ read more

I think this Safeway is actually in Albany, because it's OPEN 24 HOURS A DAY, PEOPLE. All day, every day. You can play the Safeway Game at 3AM if you so desire (and if you're in high school, you might!). I bought a half gallon of milk at midnight last night. I think I was the only sober person in the store. read more

The checker at the Safeway on Solano must have rolled around in a dead skunk while on break. Sure, that's his story and he's sticking with it. Dude has got balls though - going to work smelling like he smoked a stinky joint and not even caring that he reeked. I could smell him the second I got in his line. (And yes, it was him, I sniffed everyone around me.) :D That Safeway has gone to hell since the new owners. I think they have about 3 of the old checkers left. They would be the ones that aren't glazed over, make eye contact and actually ring yourself up while NOT having conversations with other employees about their hair or plans for Friday night - try to get in one of their lines. read more

Amazingly efficient customer disservice. Like I don't even care if customer service people are real nice or not, as long as they can give a coherent civil answer to a civil question. Yeah, nice that they're open 24/7 for emergencies, but the lines are so long that it has to be a real emergency to shop there. read more

I used to work and live near this Safeway so I have been there many many times. Normally Safeway wouldn't qualify for a review but there are a few people on the late night staff I am just tired of. Just because I am in there late at night doesn't mean I am a drunk idiot. It means i work late and need to shop late and I don't need any of the checkers better than thou attitude. I am tired and want to buy my stuff and get out without your comments or sneers. Only plus is that it is open 24 hours and there day crew is better, okay 2 pluses. Now I live by a better Safeway and many other grocery stores. Yeah! read more

Let's have 2 cashiers with nearly 15 people in line and not open another register. This is so frustrating and its happens EVERY SINGLE TIME. The employees are generally helpful and pleasant but they need to figure out that whole register solution. This location has no bakery, very small, but offers more organic items than the other locations. But honestly, I don't like going here because of the line issue. read more

Expensive and never ever ever enough cashiers to keep up with the lines! Lines frequently crossing the open passage and continuing into the center of the store near the freezers. I have sympathy with the staff who all seem badly overworked. The only good thing about this place is the central location. read more

This Safeway in Downtown Albany along Solano Avenue is pretty small. Aisles aren't really that wide in my opinion and the space of the departments is really limited. Right now, this is one of the few Safeway locations that do not have self-checkout kiosks. The store is convenient if you're walking around town and need something quick to drink or eat. Otherwise, not too much to write home about, as the cliche goes..... read more

For the pharmacy: DO NOT USE THIS PHARMACY. I had to ask them TWICE to stop calling my boyfriend for my prescriptions. They can't give good price quotes, and I've had way better service at almost every other pharmacy I've ever been to. The phone lines are sometimes down. I asked for two gauges of needles, 1 mL syringes, and my medication, but it took about 1.5 weeks to actually get it due to how horrible this pharmacy was. The pharmacy techs seem inexperienced and incompetent. There seems to be a serious communication problem at this place. I don't know how much of it has to do with the computer system and how much of it has to do with the people, but I know I will switch pharmacies...once their phone lines are back up. For the grocery store: Lines are horribly long at the cash registers. Selection isn't the worst, but not the best either. The only exceptional quality about this grocery store is that the staff members are kind. read more

So very few things are open late in Berkeley but this place is. When one of my friends used to live in Kensington, we used to hang out at the "Pub" down the way, this was the place to keep the boozing going after everything else in the area started closing down. Admittedly, it's pretty damn old and it's also kind of sketchy late nights. I guess that's the price you pay the "hot nightlife" here. read more

I work a late shift and I like to come by Safeway some nights to get groceries before I go home. I usually stop in Oakland but tonight I stopped at the one on Salano Ave. in Albany. Because I'm a driver I will stop by the restroom before I do my shopping. The restrooms in this Safeway location are the most disgusting I have ever seen! There was feces and urine in the toilet seats in both restrooms, urine on all of the floors. Paper towels all over the floors, wet with God knows what. I was so disgusted I left and drove all the way back to Oakland. Now I'm sure they have staff working there with the responsibility to check those restrooms and they either weren't there or failed to do their job and it's someone else's job to make sure they do their job, Right?Unbelievable! read more

I've got to admit I am not a fan of this Safeway, but given it location and the fact that it doesn't have crazies (like the Berkeley store), it's where I do most of my shopping. The store would be greatly improved if they: 1. Had enough staff so that the person ringing up the groceries didn't have to also bag the groceries. 2. Checked the dates on their dairy products (twice now I've bought yogurt or smoothies that expired a MONTH before, these should NOT be on the shelves). Now I check the date on everything I buy. 3. Paid better attention to when they ring up your groceries. I've been over charged several times, so I go back in to get a refund and both times the checker said something like, "Oh I thought I may have accidentally rang you up for two of those." 4. Was renovated like most other Safeway's around. read more

The deli counter is not customer-friendly. The 2 times I tried to buy food, the workers ignored me forever then grudgingly provided minimal service. My last attempt to buy something was just plain weird. On a Saturday afternoon, the 2 people behind the counter appeared to be slicing meat on a mechanical slicer and didn't say anything to me despite my long wait and polite request for service. The female worker finished slicing, then puttered around for several minutes, never acknowledging me. Then she walked into a corridor and appeared to clock out. She returned to her work-station, talked to her male co-worker, said nothing to me and left the premises. Finally, the male worker came to the counter. I tried to buy the last of the Kale-Mango salad, about 1 1/2 cups. I told the guy I'd like to buy all the remaining salad, which would probably fit into the small plastic container. He put about two-thirds of the salad into the container leaving about an inch of emptiness at the top. I asked him to pat down the salad with his serving spoon and add the last half-cup of salad. He replied, no because the container would break. The salad seemed way too lightweight to break the container. I explained that I've packed the container in the past. I also pointed out that nobody would buy that last bit of salad. He still insisted that the container would break, so I couldn't buy the last half-cup of salad. Because the guy had an unfriendly tone of voice, I gave up and left the store. read more

Open 24 hours a day and so convenient. The cashiers work so hard given how busy and understaffed the store is all day and all night.

This Safeway needs a remodel. The staff is, for the most part, really nice and willing to help. I love this Safeway because they are open 24/7. The have a small potato chip section and no bakery of their own. But Yay! I am a fan. Oh yeah... they have a great basaltic vinegar selection. read more

This Safeway definitely need to remodeled urgent .Besides I cannot find anything I want . Very small ,disorganized and no much options to buy thongs. Sorry but no reason to give more the two stars ! read more

Some pretty confounding incompetence from the deli staff. Went online to look at the deli order form, selected my items, and called to place my order. They immediately told me they didnt have my first item. When asked what salads they did have, they kept asking what I wanted and when I told them the other items, they said they didn't have them. When asked what kind of salads and sandwiches they DID have, there was a lot of hemming and hawing and answers were not very clear. When asked again what salads they had, they said "veggies and hummus" and when I clarified "no, salad", they said "like coleslaw?" followed by laughter on the phone and in the background. Really guys? Bravo, for your maturity. Manager should really try to hire more capable individuals. The Berkeley location handled my order with no problems or confusion whatsoever. read more

Majorly understaffed and very poor service. Very disappointing shopping experience. Definitely considering abandoning this store for Lucky or TJ read more

Hmm...I thought I had forgotten what a Safeway was like. It's refreshing to walk into the store, get to exactly where I need to be, find the stuff I'm looking for, and get my ass out of the store. The parking lot kinda sucks monkey nuts, but I guess I can't have everything. The deli kinda lacks some standard stuff...sliced salami? Sliced jack cheese? Nope...they rarely have this stuff. read more

24/7!!! Staff generally knows when items are located, unimpressed by the counter service though, if not appalled.

Yeah I know 'slaveway'. Well, I like my club card and the bountiful savings it provides. Hey - when you gotta feed a family, you gotta make that dolla stretch. Buy one get one free, 10 for $10 - give me more. Nowadays they've got a better selection (more organic foods, more brand variety) so you don't have to eat processed crap. And the Solano location has great produce (though its no Monterey Market). I'm not totally insane - I do not buy meat here. Gotta trek to Andronicos for that. read more

This Safeway is pretty friendly during the day. I usually come around 12 pm on Mondays. The people are nice and so are the workers. I usually sit and wait for an Uber after I am done shopping and everyone is nice and respectful. read more

Meh - stick to the cleaning supplies and dog food. I've tried the produce here a few times and it is pretty mediocre.

I go to this Safeway hella. It's nice, and most of the staff is kind. This store has pretty much everything one would need, except those specialty foods that only health food stores carry, I guess. The prices are pretty cheap I suppose... Get a safeway card, it's worth it. read more

For some reason, one of the cashiers, Maria, is always super rude to me. Around Thanksgiving, I was buying a discount ham to help feed the hungry, and she gave me all kinds of grief, because the ham wasn't supposed to be marked down (supposedly). Anyway, the price tag was what it was, so she "allowed" me just this one to get the discount price. Whatever. I recently went back, and got this same woman. I put my items on the shelf area in front of the conveyer belt, waiting for it to clear before I put it on the belt (because COVID). I'm looking at the candies, etc. when she starts just tapping on the belt and yelling "Hey!" at me. The person in front of me want even cleared yet. She ends up not saying anything to me through the transaction, except to give me my receipt. "Here you go." I don't know how I ended up on this woman's shit list, but I'm going to just avoid this store if I can help it. read more

This grocery store is poorly organized. Every time I go, I end up wandering around looking for half the items on my shopping list, since I can't make sense of the aisles. I always notice several other customers getting confused, too. The number of staff is very limited, so lines at busy times (like Sunday night) build up quickly. Half the time I get fed up looking for half my items, drop my basket and go to the Safeway on Shattuck, which is a much better experience. read more

I'm so sick of these crappy Safeways! Seriously, why does the East Bay have such run-down, understocked, weirdo filled stores? I just went to a Safeway in Santa Clara last night and it was amazing, which makes returning to this crappy location even more frustrating. I honestly don't get how such a terrible supermarket could exist right in the middle of lovely Solano. Compared to newer Safeways this place is tiny and understocked. 90% the employees are more interested in chatting with each other than doing their jobs, which slows down the whole check out process. You're lucky if you get a lifeless "hello" at the tail end of check out. Also, they're painfully understaffed, meaning everyone is always crammed into 1-2 check out lines. Seriously, what a mediocre place. I hope this Safeway gets a makeover eventually. read more

Terrible the young persons that they have working here at night (all sad to say ) need to be retrained in customer service. I wanted to give them more chances to get it right and each time I've come back there was always something short of how you should expect to be treated. I will take my money to either the Safeway on Shattuck or Emeryville . read more

The employees are so sad, poor customer service with bad attitudes. Produce is lame. At least it's open 24hours. read more

Really inconsistent. I come here often, between 1-3x a week because the location is convenient. The parking lot has plenty of spaces. Most of the time, the fruit is okay. The vegetables are hit or miss. The employees stocking the shelves are friendly and helpful. Usually there is 1 maybe 2 checkout lines, regardless of how many people are in the store. I've just walked out instead of waiting to stand in a long line a few times. There is no self. checkout like the Shattuck branch. There are a handful of good cashiers - friendly, efficient and seem to know how to handle missing prices, etc. but too many that don't know or care what they are doing. Some of the employees offer to help bag but these past few times, the same few young women stand at the end of the counter, chatting or looking bored instead of offering to help anyone bag. They check their phones, nails and stand there watching people bag their own groceries. The prices aren't any cheaper than other places so I'm going to start making an effort to go somewhere else. I'm tired of wasting my time here and the bad service at Safeways. read more

This is on my neighborhood walk along Solano Street. And, hey, it's got a bathroom open 24-hours per day. Not bad. In the past couple of years the salad fixings have gotten better, so I can buy what I need here for that as well as for primal basics like tooth paste, shampoo and so on. Everyone is friendly, especially after you've been shopping here for a few years. They even wonder where I've been if I haven't come by for awhile. read more

As safeways go, this one is nice. The customers well-behaved, the store clean and organized, the staff helpful. I was in and out in 15 minutes which is my favorite part about shopping at safeway. read more

The day crew is good but who hired the night staff? Last time I was there it was around midnight and the young lady who bagged my groceries kept picking at her head. She would deal with one of my items put them in a bag and then go back to picking what's on her scalp. I came back a few weeks later and there was a young man and at the checkout stand playing with his zits while helping customers. I do like the bakery though. read more

Wish this place had better management. On a Friday evening, extremely long lines and only two checkers working. Yes, serving since 1929 but not providing QUALITY service. Terrible prices for produce too. Do not recommend. read more

If you get customer service or a courtesy clerk, do not get Maria. Management let rude people like her keep her job and treats the staff with no customer experience. She will talk back, plus it makes this store look bad when it should be like any other Safeway. read more

I feel so sorry for the people that are forced to work at this dilapidated location. It's old, dirty, small and ill stocked. They never have enough checkers which puts the ones here under enormous pressure. This is why too nice of an area to have this crappy of a store. 30 minutes in line.. No joking. It's the closet to me so that's why I come here. Oh yeah and all the computers are done so cash only...wtf!? read more

No matter what time of day I stop in at this store (and I've stopped in at random times in the day and evening), there are never enough cashiers and the lines can wrap around aisles as if we are all waiting in line for sought-after concert tickets or anything else you can think of that people are willing (or crazy enough) to stand in line for up to 15-30 minutes to get. I'd probably stop going here but the other closest grocery stores are down San Pablo in El Cerrito or closes after 7pm. Safeway managers: Get more help or hire employees that aren't hiding in the back avoiding work! read more