How nice it is to come here and feel validated about my extreme dislike for this Safeway. I moved to San Rafael two years ago and, after mourning the fact that there wasn't an Albertson's anywhere near, started going to the Terra Linda Safeway as it was the closest to my house. These days, I have to psych myself up just to go. For one, I refuse to go any later than 9am. The store gets so crowded and everyone in there - customers and staff - are so rude. Customers block isles and then act so irritated when I politely say "Excuse me," so I can get by. And if I need help finding something...forget it. Trying to find a competent employee to help - trying to find an employee at all - is more of a hassle than just going somewhere else to get what I am looking for. I was talking to a friend about this yesterday and she said the exact same things everyone else here has said. And don't get me started on their pharmacy. Two years ago, I thought, what a good idea! I have a regular prescription and having a pharmacy in my grocery store that did auto-refill sounded like a dream. The pharmacists are nice enough when you are at the window, but on the phone they are awful. They once sent back one my prescriptions because I didn't come pick it up within their two-week window; what really happened was when I got a new prescription, instead of putting it on the same refill cycle, they reset it to some random day and I never even knew it was there! I had to wait an hour for them to refill it - and it's pre-packaged! Yes, the downtown Safeway is far worse; I won't deny that I went there once and swore I'd never, ever go there again (and I haven't). And the beyond-rude checkers at Mollie Stones actually makes me appreciate the employees here. There are worse places, no doubt. I've started looking around for somewhere else to go, but the thought of trusting the pharmacists to transfer my prescription properly scares me to death, and I'm getting a new one in January anyways. Plus, I do love the Pet Food Express next door...I'll be here until the end of the year, and then (hopefully) I'm out. read more

If there is a Hell it's surely either any Walmart or the Terra Linda Safeway. In a nutshell it's over crowded and understaffed. Most of the checkers have bad attitudes and you should just plan on bagging your own groceries since they don't employ baggers. The Deli staff is really good tho and should be commended for the job they do. Honestly, I hate having this place so close to home. read more

The staff had no regard for social distancing whatsoever. They didn't even try. 1 cashier was yawning really big without even covering his mouth. 2 other cashiers were talking to each other sandwich'ing me in between. We were all about 1 foot apart from each other. Safeway - train your staff and enforce protocol about Covid 19. It's called an OSHA violation. read more

Horrible! Always a wait, never anyone to help out in the store! The past 5 visits the So called "Express" lane closed! I have asked the manager the policy... it is to be open during peak hours of 9 to 5pm. Not! Really 5 times in a row and it was closed. That store is a joke! A very bad one! Whole Foods or United is the way to go! read more

Too small. Not enough selection. Smells like fish like an Asian grocery store. This place is way too crowded and understaffed. read more

I have shopped at Safeways for the last 20 years, mostly in Sacramento area. I have been a good customer and have been very loyal. I moved to San Rafael about 4 years ago and this Safeway is the closest to me. I cannot tell you how much this is the most disorganized, mis-managed and sad Safeway! Most of the staff is friendly enough (except one of the butcher), but there is NEVER enough staff, the lines are insane and for the last 4 years I have begged and pleaded to get the butcher's the ability to cut meat for beef jerky. This is obviously something that takes an act of Congress and still hasn't happened. Go to to Novato Safeway... they are always staffed, friendly, efficient and pleased to help their customers. read more

This Safeway is the worst!! Did I say the worst?? Yes...dirty, crowded- rude, indifferent and ignorant checkers...and the lines are atrocious. Never going back to this store!! If you work there...FIX IT!! read more

Apparently they hate autistic individuals at the self checkout. I have trouble with the machines and the person working them responded by saying "I don't want to see him here again." Discrimination in its finest. I am essentially being told I either use the register where the line makes me liable to a meltdown or I get banned from the store. The woman running the self checkout was Hispanic and I isn't get her name. Management please have autism sensitivity training or something. And RESPOND TO THIS REVIEW. I'm incensed that I can no longer exercise my rights as a consumer to choose how to pay. read more

This store is awful. I couldn't find a shopping basket so I asked an employee. He told me that so many people were stealing them they don't have them anymore. Are you kidding? I usually go in for 4 or 5 things, so I don't want to push a cart. And it's a pain to carry half a dozen grocery items in your arms. I'll never go back again. read more

I come here often for breakfast burritos and occasional baked goods. You can't beat getting a breakfast burrito made your way for just $1.99 plus tax. Bo, in the deli, is very conscientious and takes pride in his work. He's also really nice. Other people like Casandra have been so nice and helpful too. I'm not necessarily a fan of Safeway deli and bakery goods, as specialty stores/shops seem to offer better alternatives, but the price and the service make up for what's lacking in flavor. The donut shop down the street makes better old fashioned glaze donuts, but Safeway does sell this really good twisted berry pastry (with the huge sugar chunks on top) that is a good price for the quality. Also, there's a man (African American/Dominican looking?, sorry, I don't know his name) who often works in the 5-items-or-less line, and he's such a trooper and good worker. He gets bombarded with demanding customers and he always is on with his A-game. It was like 9am on a weekday, and I was in his line. There was an eccentric senior lady who was particular about something, still asking questions although she had already checked out, which was giving me a headache. And then, the lady in front of me was returning $7.99 worth of bags of oranges. And then, someone else in line was asking him a question. It was annoyance and chaos all in one, and he was so sharp and courteous. I just had to compliment him because I was annoyed just being around everyone! Also, this a nice little area just to the right of the store, where you can sit in the sun and eat your sandwich or what have you. Just beware, if there's no line at the deli, you're ok. However, even if there's just 1 person in front of you, you could be waiting for a little bit depending upon how big or involved that person's order is. Really, there should be a form to fill out that we leave there, so we can write/circle items for our burrito and sandwich orders. And then we can walk away and shop, then come back and pick-up our finished sandwich. BTW, breakfast burritos are served until 11am. read more

Good vegetable selection in neat order. Close to home in shopping center Northgate One with easy parking. Can't complain.

Located in Northgate 1. Great produce section. I would liken it to Molly Stones or the Mill Valley Safeway at Strawberry. Came here on a Sunday afternoon and had a really pleasant experience, as per the usual. Milled around the produce section, picked up some fantastic looking (and later, tasting) blackberries and raspberries. Wandered through the aisles to get items for the house after a stressful morning and was relieved that my shopping experience was so easy. Plenty of cashiers. A great Starbucks with its own seating area inside the Safeway. read more

I stopped by to pick up something for dinner. I've shopped here many times in the past so was ready for a long wait in line. Much to my surprise there were more check stands open than I've seen in the past. If this continues I may up my rating. If it goes back to the way it has been in the past, few check stands open, my rating may drop. For now a solid 3 is fair. read more

Very poor quality in their produce and meat departments. Most of the time I have to throw away the fruit as they sell everything rock hard, it never ripens, just rots. I wish they had a choice of better quality meats and more organic selections. I don't mind paying more for better quality and being able to taste and eat the food I purchase. read more

i have always loved this safeway and still do but i'm complaining about a worker at the safeway starbucks ( mayte) she's is so rude to me and others as well. if i could give 0 stars i would. people who i've overheard and also spoken to have complained about the woman for months and nothing is being done. i waited in line for 7 minutes ( i was the only person in line ) she looked at me 3 times never once took my order and was just standing there on her phone. i asked another worker if they could help me order my drink since that woman refused like always. then myte said to me "what's ur problem with me" i asked if she remembered months ago calling me a complicated bitch because i ordered 4 drinks that she had to put effort to make. she then got mad and called me stupid and started saying i take her tips. why would i take any money from anyone especially when i work my ass off and make my own money? no manager has done a single thing about this woman even when their own employees complain about her. i even told safeway i could replace her spot at starbucks and do better than her because i was raised with manners and respect for myself and others. read more

Terra Linda Safeway is convenient for me and I am used to a good shopping experience there. The staff has been courteous and helpful, although I can understand that they are pressed by the volume of work required at peak times by their staffing pattern. The deli is not up to the service levels of the rest of the store. It must be a subcontracted operation because the staff just don't 'fit' with the rest of the employees. I like the online specials and the handy NextCycle CRV bottle return right outside. Overall, I think this store is an asset to the Northgate II family. read more

I have been to this Safeway location several times. It is not run very well. I can't figure out if it's the manager not staffing enough people, or the headquarters not giving the location enough payroll money...not sure how Safeway does it. In any case, nearly every time I have been there, the store is disorganized, they are out of items, the organic food has gone bad yet remains on display, long, sometimes very long wait times to check out, employees complain, etc. Almost like stepping into a bad Ross Dress for Less or something. Too bad, because the store has a great location. read more

Went to buy packs of water. Store only had limited stock, which were on sale. Went to checkout and the cashier couldn't figure out the correct price. She asked for help from a manager (Michael b.), who couldn't figure it out either. After 10 minutes of them not listening, I left. I called and asked fir the store manager, Michael b answered the phone and refused to let me talk to the store manager. After asking for the store manager three times, he hung up on me. I went online and found the corporate HQ telephone number and spoke to the regional manager. Looking at the other 124 BAD reviews of this store it is obvious that this store should be shut down or all managers fired and several employees as well. read more

I had a sandwich from the deli for lunch the other day felt kind of off after eating woke up at 5am with food poisoning ended up in the ER. Stay away far away from this place. read more

What can I say. One of the worst Safeway. Untrained and rude staff... with some exceptions... but that one guy with the tattoos GOT TO GO. He was a jerk to me on several occasions... read more

I went to Safeway bakery and ordered my fathers birthday cake. I asked when is the earliest I can pick up the next day, and was told at 9am. I was given the carbon copy receipt of my order. The next day at 9am I went to pick up my ordered cake: no one had the order. They even asked me who took the order. I gave them my copy of my order. Well, I was lucky enough that a cake was made for me in five minutes. He must have already had the cake baked, and just put on the frosting and fruit. A disaster was luckily avoided. It was really stressful. Safeway needs to get reliable employees. Such a negative experience. read more

Still convenient & the savings here are really great. Definitely get a Safeway card and add some coupons to the app; it really does save you a lot of money. read more

I love all Safeways. Cheap food and they're everywhere. lol. This store in particular has a pretty large parking lot (though some parts of it are strange to navigate through). I also like that it's close to Fed-Ex, some restaurants, and the freeway. I get a lot done in just one trip to this shopping center. read more

I had a great experience at Safeway today. Marilyn at self check out was very kind and patient with me and tried to help me figure out what happened with my machine. It was really nice to have great customer service. Every time I come into this Safeway I have a great experience with everyone. Everyone is very kind. read more

If you like to spend most of your shopping experience waiting in line then this is the place to be!

Worst Safeway I have ever been to, hands down! Service is SOOOOO slow! Dare you come here, expect to wait forever to get out!

This is the closest grocery store to my new house. Unfortunately, I've had more satisfactory experiences at the DMV.

I do my best not to patronize Safeway anymore. They epitomize what is wrong with corporate America. Their house brand apple juice is from China. One time I got the chicken strips (for my kid) from the hot counter, and they were raw (literally, not kidding at all) in the center. They said sorry, but that's it. The customer service is atrocious. You'll be lucky to ever get a "sorry" even when something is very wrong. And if you need a price adjustment or they rang something up wrong, be prepared to wait 5-10 minutes for "customer service" help. I highly recommend United in central San Rafael. read more

This store is awful... 1) Always out of at least one item I need each trip...sad thing is its basic things like rice or a bag of salad mix..I'm certainly not expecting an Andronico's but they certainly need to check their stock! Oh, and leaving unopened boxes for us in the aisle doesn't cut it. 2) Lines are horrendous! Given the lack of alternate grocery stores in the area, this location is always packed. Lines weaving down the aisles..even at 11pm! Sack up and staff more checkers. 3) I love self checkout...but please make it 15 items or less! I hate standing behind some soccer mom buying groceries for her gaggle of kids painfully watching her scan each item at the speed of molasses, only to wonder how she is going to separate it in her cart with other 100 items in there. If you have a lot of stuff, let the pros do it..I beg you! That's half the reasons the lines are so long! 4) Customer service - I have encountered two wonderful employees, one very helpful woman in floral who went out of her way to help me find some flowers (even scouring the back). I also found a nice gentleman who went in the back of the produce area to find some produce they were out of (see item #1) and brought out to me. I once also met a very friendly butcher who hand cut me some meat. They were fantastic which is why I gave an extra star. Too bad that was overshadowed by the checker who snapped her gum and chatted away with 30 people waiting in line about her stomach issues or the baggers...wait, I usually bag by own groceries! That's right, I usually end up bagging my own groceries while their baggers STAND AROUND AND WATCH!! You kidding me?? The sad thing is, there really isn't much a choice when it comes to stores...and Safeway knows it. Lets see what happens when Marinwood Market opens...maybe that will show them a thing or two! read more

The worst Safeway in Marin county. Shelves are never stocked properly, there are never enough checkers which huge lines of angry customers waiting to check out. The deli takes forever to be served and your lucky if the employee behind the counter can run the cash register. Most of the time they can't. It can take upwards of 20 mins just to get a sandwich and then they can't ring you up, you need to get in line behind 15 people at the check out lanes. This store seriously needs a new Manager that can manage. We go out of our way to use any other Safeway driving up to 10 miles away. I live 4 miles from this store and will go to any other Safeway in the county first. read more

I know people that work there and they are very nice hard working people. The management treats them like crap and constantly cuts their hours and moves them around. there have been many managers in the last few months and the newest one is bringing over all her friends from benecia and giving them all the hours while cutting the hours of the long time workers there. There is a big big big union investigation and many people are leaving. Although my friends work there I will go out of my way to shop elsewhere....how could they treat their employees so badly? How would you feel if they only gave you 18 hours to work in a week and your starting time is anytime between 12 midnight and 5 am? Minus stars, not even a zero. By trading there you support their terrible employment policies. People need to speak out about the poor treatment of honest hard-working people! read more

Wow, I guess I'm not alone in my dislike of this store. Remodel didn't help traffic flow in or out of the store. Please- why aren't you faster to open additional lanes? After work, don't be surprised to find chaos, long lines in jam packed aisles. read more

I'd give Safeway zero stars if that were an option. It's simply the worst grocery store out there yet it gets the most customers for some inexplicable reason. The lines are always long because they're too cheap to hire baggers. Their produce is priced higher than most of the independent grocers in the area and the quality is no better which makes no sense because they have all the buying power. Once in a while I go here and am always reminded of how much Safeway sucks as a company. read more

I Really love this place but I got a Redbox here and I tried to play it on my Xbox and PS4 but it didn't work. It had to many scratches and chew marks on it.I was hoping to have a relaxing night with my gf but it didn't work bummer read more

I'm specifically commenting about the pharmacy, though the store is always clean and nicely stocked, and the employee's are usually friendly and efficient. The pharmacy, though, is absolutely wonderful. They've never made a mistake, and they are always quick (or will tell me when there is a problem and they need time to special order something). Greg is especially great, and makes sure that all my meds won't interact negatively and that I know how to use everything safely. Other places might have gimicks and deals, but I wouldn't trade the Terra Linda Safeway and Greg's care and personal attention for anything. I feel like I'm in good hands. read more

Called Corporate, talked to a great mother who understood what had happened. Am still awaiting call from Regional Manager 1 week later

First off, they close their Deli pretty early. If you wanted to get dinner there then you probably will have to catch an early dinner. The staff was seemed uninterested when I was asking them for help. There was literally a bunch of stuff on the floor. I ended up just grabbing a salad and clam chowder and left. I'm from San Jose visiting family and I was kinda unimpressed by this Safeway. read more

In recent years this Safeway has declined significantly. Service is horrible if you're lucky enough to find someone to help you. They are most often understaffed, and the lines (regardless of time of day) generally extend into the aisles. It's well worth the drive into downtown San Rafael or Ignacio just to avoid the hassle, and usually faster too. I won't be shopping at this one anymore even though it's the closest store to my house. Absolutely awful. read more

The lines in this store are horrendous. There have been many times that I have left my cart when I get to the front and there are literally lines down the food isles 15 carts deep. The restroom has much to be desired. The only reason that I occasionally shop there is for big trips because their prices are better than the competitors. I must say that the pharmacy staff are very friendly and efficient. read more

Seriously, what is going on here? This place is constantly understaffed - no checkers, no one at the fish dept, no staff around to answer questions. The checkers that are "working" spend far too much time talking to each other instead of actually checking out customers, thus compounding the problem. Also, why are the checkstands so cramped? They are way too close to the aisles so there is no where for people to stand when checking out. Instead, people have to block the walkway that runs along the front of the store creating a chaotic feeling. read more