Escondido's Smart & Final Extra! Is a great place for groceries, produce, supplies and party items at reasonable prices. Service is always available and friendly and knowledgeable. The store is well stocked with an ample selection of items that you need. I love the meat department's large vacuum packed cuts of meat like the pork and the beef. Look for special discounts in the clearance section by the restrooms or marked on the package. The checkout lanes are named after well known streets and avenues in Escondido. Large parking lot. Definitely a return visit call!!! read more

See all

I bought this 2-3 months ago for seasoning some skirt flap steaks for fajitas and burritos/tacos. I took it out of cabinet to season some game hens for Xmas for my family visiting from out of state. Then I saw only a 1/3 of what's shown now. Today it's the 25th. I found out last night. One night and triple in numbers. I also saw white eggs on the edge that looks like it's gonna hatch soon as well. Basically, a couple of months ago I probably ate eggs with it without knowing..... My first time seeing bugs able to survive and living off spicy paprikas.... Merry Xmas to me from Smart & Finals read more

Food: lots to choose from, regular to organic. The produce is great, food options are like a regular store but with a discount. I like that they have bulk items but choice for smaller-sized items. Service: good. A little longer lines because of less staff, but normally pretty fast. Ambiance: Clean and organized, love that! read more

Smart & Final Extra! - Front of store, next to dollar store & movie theater - Grocery Near Me - Escondido, California

Bridget is so stinkin sweet she made the grocery trip 100 times better! She was so caring and humorous I hope to get her as a cashier the next time around aswell :) oh and the foods yummy read more

They always have the best sushi! It's always fresh and very flavorful and refreshing! When I'm craving sushi I always drive to Escondido just to get their sushi! read more

Smart & Final Extra! - Grocery Near Me - Escondido, California

Their choice of produce is always great. And the bulk items are a closer trip than costco or winco's when I'm in a hurry.

Store clean and employees are helpful. They didn't have what I was looking for or needed.

They now have upscale sushi made right on the premises! Shocker! The sushi was so yummy and the presentation was equivalent to any high end sushi restaurant! Highly recommend! We originally came for party supplies and a few groceries. read more

Ok, they've remodeled the store yet again, taking over the vacant restaurant space next door. The store layout is now flipped, with the entrance further left, and produce now on your left as you come in. They have expanded the selection in quite a few categories, especially produce. Much more selection of exotic items, like you'd see in a fancy Vons like the Solana Beach location. Fresh turmeric, you don't see that everywhere. But expect to pay a little more for everything, unless it's a weekly special. I also noticed more selection in the canned/bottled/boxed groceries. They have the convex pop-out shelves every so often, to denote fancy/organic/gluten free items. Amy's, Stone, Red Mill, etc. Once again, expect to pay more. They still have a lot of the restaurant sizes in items. But several of the items I used to purchase are no longer being carried, obviously to make room for the new product selection. Not helpful, are we going to start having to shop at an actual restaurant supply place? And make a list! My pre-Thanksgiving trip for supplies ended up with me forgetting to buy the most important item, Better than Bouillon, to make the gravy. At least they still carry that in the larger size, which costs the same as the small one at another market. With so many things to look at now, you lose track of a few things. read more

See all

Great food at affordable prices friendly employees I have been going to Smart & Final since I was a kid this was the first location I went to highly recommend read more

All the produce was kept nicely stocked and clean. I enjoyed being able to easily find exactly what I needed for a nice meal. The employees were extremely helpful and friendly. I was stopped at least twice to be asked if i needed help finding anything. read more

This is a fairly large Smart & Final that is well-stocked. We shopped here a few times during the COVID restrictions when we had to be up in Escondido, and social distancing and masking requirements were being observed. Excellent parking. read more

Grand reopening! This Smart & Final has now added "Extra" to its name. So what is the Extra all about? This place was pretty packed for a grand opening even thought they didn't have buskers, free hot dogs, or the megadeals you'll see at some grand openings. The Extras.. ( Hybrid Bulk AND Small sizes) - The new fruit / veggies section was great. Clean, fresh, value priced. Let's hope they keep this attention to detail and quality going. - They have really increased the canned goods selection. - Extra also focused on smaller packaging... No more having to by 64 oz of nacho cheese, you can buy a 12oz can now... - More baby items All in all, the prices on bulk items match up to Costco. No hassle here though, and no membership ( they've also removed the discount cards). read more

Over the past years, I have spent at least $300 a month at this store. Last week, I purchased some ground beef there and when I opened it it smelled bad. I had already thrown away the receipt (who saves food receipts?), so I took a picture of the label on it to take to the store. Turns out I should have taken the smelly meat back, because the manager would not give me credit for the $7.55 the label photo showed. He said he had no way to do it without the package or the receipt. I told him I shopped there often and he did not care, just turned his back and walked away. What the H____ kind of customer service is this??? There are many grocery stores in Escondido, I guess this one does not need my $4,000 a year! read more

Had a disappointing experience with the staff. After I was approached about wearing a mask for which I responded that I had a condition that made it unsafe for me to wear one, I was then told in not so many words that I didn't care about anyone else. In an attempt to purchase my products, the same associate followed me to the front and told another associate, a large older man, about my not wearing a mask. I was then told that they wouldn't allow me to checkout without a mask, even though they have the check stand completely covered with plexiglass. Needless to say, I will never shop here agin and hope that no one else who has a medical condition will be so rudely treated! Apparently they care not for those with disabilities!! read more

Clean organized store. They have a good selection of tiems for a medium size store. Many items are in bulk size and the prices are pretty good. One downside is they do not have a lot of check out counters. read more

See all

Great pricing like Costco with some of their items in bulk. Some items are discounted with discount tags but you have to make sure you read the fine print but you do get a good pricing with their special tag discounts and bulk items. Cashier and customer service is a little bit lacking. Lines are usually long even during the day and they only have one or two cashiers open. That's basically what I observed. Even when the managers see that the lines are getting longer, they don't call for another cashier to open up. Overall, this place is pretty competitive, price-wise but you might stay in line for awhile. read more

I normally love Smart & Final Extra. They need to get friendlier cashiers. Went in right now 9/6 @9 pm. Cashier Jessica was the literal worst. No personality. No greeting. Didn't ask if I wanted a bag. Just scanned the item and stated the total. The next customer said hi, how are you and she just glared at him. I'm sorry that you have to work a Friday night Jessica but your job IS customer service, so if you can't handle that go work at a call center. read more

The staff was incredibly helpful friendly and very courteous. Cashiers are good people on the floor were outstanding helping me with finding items and I think them can you for hire him! read more

I've been coming here for a couple years because the prices were comparable to Costco without the horrible parking and crowds. The inventory has always been 15-20% below competitors Vons, Albertsons, and Ralphs. It was worth the 2-3 extra miles drive time. Tonight I was unpleasantly surprised. In the last few months S&F restructured their store and bought space next door to expand their floor space. At first the prices remained 15-20% below the competition. Tonight the pricing was remarkably higher. I drove an extra 4-6 miles for what? Smart & Final Extra! They aren't very Smart making me pay Extra and that's Final! They've given me no reason to choose them over Vons who is close by in my neighborhood. I guess if I want savings, I'll go to Winco Foods in San Marcos. read more

Terrible customer service! The store should not have online service because when an issue occures they do not want to get involved and just relay the responsibility in somebody else. The people on the customer service, basically only make you waist your time and get frustrated. They should hire more efficient people. read more

It's a decent store that I used to get my groceries at. Very well priced, and lots of different selections. I love that the fruit always seems to be on sale- that is important to me! My household gets groceries here often, and it always seems to be busy with people trying to take advantage of all the great deals! It is a smaller grocery store, but you can still find everything you need. read more

I don't know why we don't shop here more often. It's like Costco without the membership. They have plenty of things in bulk & great deals. Just sucks they don't have a lot more locations throughout San Diego. Fortunate enough they have one here in Escondido. read more

I gave it 1 star because I like the pricing strategy. If I can give it zero star, I would! It's because of my experience here. Cashier: John. (that's what was written on my receipt). Snatched the 5 dollar bill off my hand, and I was a bit stumped, thinking, "Was he in a hurry?" "Did I do something wrong?". I'm only buying eggs. Then, gave me my change back, 3 1-dollar bills. 2 packs of 99 cents eggs, 1.98, change is equal to 3 dollars. I went looking for one of those automatic change-dropping-slide thing, didn't exist. Mr. John there simply omitted my 2 cents. I didn't want to talk to him because he seems pissed, and I don't want any aftermath knowing the demographic location I'm in. I felt threatened and it's not worth complaining to the manager for those darn 2 cents. 2 cents are nothing, but the other way around when you are 2 cents or even 1 cent short, sometimes you don't get to buy anything. I'm going to be smart and final about this. What's final? My visit, that is. read more

Today I was verbally abused by a clerk named Michele. I was in line behind an elderly couple and waited too long. By the time they got to the register, I was really getting tired. And then they struck up a conversation and she stood there and chatted with them and adjusted her headband. Fuming, I went up and reminded her that she was there to work. In my experience, you can be friendly and still move people along. Michele was disrespectful of my time and did not understand her position. She apparently thought I was there to serve her and not the other way around. When I told her this, she talked back to me and I exploded. I used the f word and went ballistic. She finally found her match. My attitude and my mouth are bigger than hers. We had heated words and I again apprised her of her position. I was not there to please her, she was getting paid to wait on me. She replied with, "I'm not your black..." and then she made a face. I was highly offended by this comment. The man I loved most in the world was black and died in 1998. His death traumatized me. To suggest that I would treat a person of color badly was an insult. I treat people who give me bad customer service badly. She knew she had crossed the line when I accused her of making a racial remark. She called the manager and told him I yelled at her because she adjusted her headband. He shrugged and walked away, never addressing the problem. He was a black man and I suppose she was trying to cover her rear end. The customer is always right is not a motto in their store. With eleven million people out of work, I have to wonder why in the world Smart & Final, Inc. would employ this person who cannot control her temper, is inconsiderate, and rude to customers. read more

It nice to run here real fast instead of fighting Costco traffic.

This store is only getting a three because two of the checkers here have such a positive vibe despite being swamped with tons of customers and no managers seem to be in site. Where is management here!?! Hopefully they can be replaced with managers with better work ethics ready to jump in and help their swamped cashiers read more

This is a good little store tucked away in a Escondido center shopping mall. They have very generic selection and carry one of my favorite dressings that cannot be found in normal grocery stores. The prices are cheap and awesome and the hours are unbeatable. I love their hours and the checkout process was super quick and simple. I found what I was looking for and was in and out in under 2 minutes, which is fantastic and what I look for in a store. read more

Love the remodel. Definitely brought a higher end feel to the store, and adding some higher end product, especially to produce and meats. They still carry a lot of the bulk items, which is good. I now would compare the store to a combination of Sprouts, Costco, and restaurant depot. Now it is a one stop shop for me. read more

So we stopped to get The Modelo 24 pack of bottles for the 4th of July and they are out...this is the first day of the ad so that seems kind of silly. My husband asks the clerk if they have any in back and he says they have been out of the 24 bottle box for weeks now...so you have an ad that draws people in with good beer prices for the 4th and of course we picked up a few other things which is the point of the ad right? Cashier asks my husband if we found everything okay and he tells her well not really and she tells him that they often run out things on the first day of the ad...lol...good to know:) I won't bother looking at the ad or coming in cause they probably won't have it anyway. I will go ahead and fight the Costco traffic knowing they never run out of what they carry:) read more

Terrible customer service and line awareness. Nine people in line and one register is the norm here. Be patient.

Costco without the membership? Maybe... a full store version of the "bulk buy" aisle at your neighborhood grocery store? Kinda. Smart n Final fills a unique void between the big bog membership stores and your bargain grocery store. I remember when you could only find Smart N Final stores in non descript industrial areas. Not hey are everywhere. And for good reason. Yes, they majority of what they stock are the "value, or bulk buy" type items...but they are also not getting into a great selection of fresh produce and specialty items like cheeses. This is a great particular store because I always find what I need quickly, the store is clean and well organized...and they have a great selection of cheeses and meats, even bulk meats fro BBQ and food service... sometimes an entire tenderloin is what you need people! I have not had a bad experience with the staff and many here seem to have, but I can say that they always seem to be short staffed and that can lead to frustrations on both ends. read more

I always find what I'm looking for here at a good price! It's kind of in between Costco and wal mart, big sizes, great place for last minute items that you may need in a bigger size! You can buy the good stuff by the gallon or the case here! Gotta love it read more

Great store if you want to save money! They had everything I needed and I got great customer service from Brenna, Isaac, and Ashleigh! Brenna helped me out with where the items were from the top of her head! As soon as I went to the aisle I met Isaac and I felt more as a friend rather than a customer which was nice! And Ashleigh checked me out at the cashier and she provides great customer service! I hope the manager sees this! read more

For Sub Prime. I still have my card from YEARS ago. And I was also a Gemco shopper. Gads, I'm gettin ' old.

I love this store. I can always find what I want - although they do not carry some things that regular grocery stores do, their prices and their service is great. I can always find someone to help me get heavier items in my cart and help me out to my car. Very friendly, very clean store. Rarely are they out of what I am looking for. Well stocked store. Decent fruit and vegetable selection - this is not Sprouts and that is ok. Love being able to just get in and out on my way home from work too and good case prices without having to go to COSTCO and fight the very rude crowds. read more

I LOVE THIS PLACE, i feel it has better prices compared to other stores and what i like is you can buy in bulk and get some discounts, or you can buy in individual quantities. i go in the mornings, i feel is the best times, the people are fast friendly and the cashier is ALWAYS in a great mood. i will definetly be making this my number one stop and shop.... read more

The other day i walked in during the morning on a Friday, and i had only came there for a couple of vegetables, some i had never even touched before. This dish my mother used to make needed very fresh stuff varying from lettuces to squashes. A very nice man who seemed to be very focused on his job was in the section at the time, his name was Devon. I asked him if he could help me with my list of items, adding that i only wanted everything on there fresh as possible. He smiled at me and assured me he would do his best to find everything he could from his back room. He emerged from the back not long after with a cart of everything i asked for. He seemed very observant of the fact that this was important to me, and i thanked him graciously. This store has some of the nicest employees i have ever met in a retail setting. I can definitely say with confidence that i would come back here every time! read more