Smart and Final is 1000% the slowest store in the world! They rarely have more than two checkout lanes open, and the checkers average from mildly incompetent & slightly friendly to grossly uninterested, lazy and rude. There's not much else here. I was at the store the other day to get three items. My actual checkout took only three minutes. Up until that point I waited in line for 17 minutes and 37 seconds (that was the time since I started my timer... Actual weight was longer than this!). Ridiculous! There was only one other checker in the store and they had a line of about 14 people. My Line had 13 people (including me). The checker, Joseph, was going as slow as he possibly could, looking completely uninterested in his job or in being efficient. After a few minutes of patiently waiting, I started to show that I was getting frustrated with the very apparent, purposefully slow checkout process. Joseph made eye contact with me and then slowed down even more. It was insane. When I finally got my turn, he snidely remarked "sorry for the weight" with a little smirk on his face, as if he was happy to have slowed down the whole flow as slow as possible. I really could not give this location or any of the smart finals for that matter a good review. It's almost as if management train their employees to be as slow and uninterested in their work as possible. Granted, I have never seen a manager look like they cared about their job either at a Smart and final. It's really a weird store. Much prefer Costco, but smart and final is just outside my front door so sometimes I have to go there when I need something in bulk quickly. If you're planning to come to a Smart and final, plan your patience and expect what should be a five minute trip to turn into 35 minutes. read more

I purchased a tri-tip for $8.99 a pound today to make for dinner. Immediately upon opening the package all I could smell was rotting flesh. I looked on the label for an expiration date and there wasn't one, but I noticed there were two labels stacked on top of each other. So I slowly peeled the top label off and it shows that it had been discounted at some point to $6.99 a pound. I was very confused why they would up the price of already discounted meat (I have never, nor would ever purchase discounted meat). I called and spoke to the manager on duty, Alberto. He said he didn't work in the meat department so he didn't know what was going on. I told him I felt like the meat department was trying to pull a fast one and he said "you can believe whatever you want. I'll give you your money back and that's that. There's nothing more to discuss." And then he promptly hung up on me. A sincere apology for my inconvenience would've been most appropriate. He didn't even have a shred of confusion or embarrassment. He's a horrible assistant manager, and the meat department is clearly shady. read more

Smart & Final Extra! - Higher priced sticker on rotten meat placed over an already discounted price. - Grocery Near Me - Thousand Oaks, California

Good grocery store in Newbury Park. Prices are pretty competitive as well. After hours they don't have so many bakery, other services but have plenty of premade products available. They have a good selection and the fruits and vegetables are kept very fresh. read more

They don't handle their cold and frozen foods properly. The ice cream almost always has clearly melted (sometimes completely!) and been re-frozen, which is inexcusable. Many of the sliced lunchmeats have significantly bloated or sucked-in packaging, which are clear signs of major bacterial activity. The meat section shows similar, but not to the same degree. The drop-ceiling has a bunch of water damage/missing panels, and many of the freezers have broken or falling-off lights. The aisles are narrow and stacked with columns of product, so two carts trying to pass will often have significant difficulty avoiding knocking things over. The good. The front staff are on the ball and friendly, often opening a new register quickly. A+. Out-of-stock items are rare, and the selection is decent. Prices tend to be better than competitors. The fresh section is usually solid. But yeah, still annoying to get home and open your ice cream only to find it all on one side of the carton and hard as a rock because someone left it out on the loading dock long enough for the whole thing to literally go liquid. Then have the stones to shove it in the freezer and sell it. And this isn't a one-time thing. read more

Smart & Final is like a smaller Costco. They have a nice selection of produce and a store stocked with most anything that you need. I recommend giving them a try! read more

I shop at this store often and have avoided doing a review. I've been shopping frequently at this store since opening day, which was back in April 2016. The store had previously been located a short distance away for many years. Basically, it is not the cleanest store around. It's not like the Moorpark store for sure! Some employees are genuinely kind (Lisa), but many are not. Many are quite rude and unprofessional. They do not greet you, do not make eye contact, and do not thank you. They may be overwhelmed and exhausted, but it's free to smile and be polite. There are at least THREE very creepy employees whom I avoid at all costs. I can name names, but will not. By and large, their prices are not that great. I go there mostly for items I can't get in 'regular' grocery stores. The lines can get long, but someone will always summon backup. The produce gives me the willies. I'd have to sell a kidney to afford a bag of frozen vegetables. The frozen meats and seafood are also very costly. There is frequently an odor of unknown cause that can be overwhelming. Ok, enough said. It's not the worst but it's far from the best. read more

Be careful shopping here their produce is rotten. I have photos of the vegetables that are expired with green mold, and the employees are completely disregarding the standards, cross contaminating. I tried emailing them to address the issue, but there's no clear contact information. read more

After reading the response to my review and to others, especially Roberto C's from 2 months ago, it is obvious that you are using pat responses to reply to the number of stars given and not really reading the review. Doesn't say much to the integrity of store management. read more

Fairly decent selection, but with an overworked, understaffed, unhappy crew. Prices are no bargain despite "Warehouse" presentation. We go to S&F for items only that we can't find at Home Depot, or grocery items in bulk that are impractical elsewhere. Strange lapses in inventory persist (Pretty sure that Morton still makes iodized salt, for instance). When check-out traffic backs up, there is no one to call to open additional registers. There's an incredible, and not positive contrast between S&F staff happiness and that at our neighborhood Trader Joe's. Even at the area Albertson's, staff retention is far, far better and there's enough staff around to handle occasional pulses in traffic. read more

The store is fairly well stocked. The meat department is okay sometimes they are out of certain items. The great thing about this store is that there is never a crazy crowd or line. Hope it doesn't go out of business. The other smart and finals I have been to are much more busy and better stocked as well in Oxnard and Ventura. read more

Nowadays, there are so many different ways to do the most basic household chore; Grocery Shopping. From doing the deed yourself, asking a friend or neighbor to grab you a few items while they are there for themselves, using instacart, doing curbside-pick, ordering online for home delivery or using one of the many direct to consumer subscription services, the options are endless. Who knows, maybe one day all groceries will be delivered by Amazon Drones. Although all of the options above other than actually going to the store yourself might be easier, less time consuming and less work on your part, they are not always the most efficient and often times can be more trouble than they are worth. I can personally attest that many times using instacart or curbside pick up, items have been forgotten, swapped out for brands I didn't want, receiving broken eggs and let's not forget about getting produce that looks like it was handpicked by someone wearing a blindfold. For the reasons above, I have decided that if you want the grocery shopping done right, you've gotta do it yourself! --------------------------------------------------- Now, let me tell you why I love Smart & Final. Sure, I too have one of the big box warehouse memberships and don't get me wrong, I love doing my shopping there too, but I don't always want to stand in the crazy checkout lines and be around tons of people on the busy weekends just to buy my items in bulk. At Smart & Final, you can get all your basic grocery needs (fresh produce, dairy, meats and regular grocery needs) as well as buying various items in bulk and guess what, you don't need a membership card to enter. With some of the freshest produce around compared to the surrounding local grocery chains, you won't have to worry about bringing home fruit that on its way out to the dumpster. This location is upholding the health and safety regulations due to the pandemic and is doing its part to keep its employees and customers safe. Thank you Smart & Final Extra Newbury Park! So why not pick the SMART way to shop "&" let it be the FINAL way you ever shop again! read more

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Can vouch for the bad, lazy, and unfriendly staff. Particularly "Mel" (I think that's what her name is). Stopped by to buy snacks for the office I was visiting. When I went to check out NO greeting, NO announcing how much my total was (she just stood there), and NO customer service skills whatsoever. Will be taking my business to the other local stores as they are much friendlier. read more

Really great prices.  I actually feel SMART to shop here.  In the old days, S&F was mainly where businesses shopped -- large size goods / commercial grade and packaging.  Today, they still have LARGE, but also more normal size for the average consumer.  Most importantly, you don't need a membership / resale # to shop here any longer. You won't find a butcher here, but they do have freshly packaged meat (as well as frozen).  Lots of fresh produce, frozen and refrigerated goods, canned goods, paper goods, and a ton of bottled and packaged items.  They even have BOOZE: fine liquors, wine, and beer -- lots of it, actually! Tips: ==== * Bring your own COLD storage bags for the gallons of ice cream you will buy (oh yes you will).  The lines may be long, and your ice cream will be soup by the time you get thru and home. Location specific: Thousand Oaks, CA (Newbury Park border!) ================================================== * Relatively new location (3 years?) * They have great hours (for us, not for them): 6am-10pm * Free parking is aplenty. read more

If you post signs with a price then argues it's not the price then I'm out! Plenty of other places to shop!

Extremely bad service. They don't care about anything. They make faces and hardly want to work. They had wrong prices posted and then she came back pulling tag from no where throwing at me. When I complaint to the manger he just did not bother to even listen to me. No wonder they have one star in Yelp. read more

Clean and well maintained and the employees are helpful. Lisa is outstanding and goes out of her way to help the customers. Good prices and so much closer and less crowded than Costco! read more

smart and final never fails to disappoint me. I needed one lemon and did not want to drive much so I decided to force myself to go in. I decided that we should sue the advertising manager at smart and final for false advertising. "real saving without a card"? What saving??? You should say: real cheating, real stealing without a card . Look at photos especially the carrots ( the carrots were from a previous visit to same smart and final I had to return them read more

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Smart and Final has a large variety of name brand items. I've had some issues with bad produce, so I avoid buying it there. I've never had an issue with the quality of anything else. There is usually only 1 checkout open at a time. Expect to wait a long time in line no matter when you go. There is no self-checkout. They have switched which doors you enter and exit from. You cant exit from the bakery doors anymore. It's very annoying. read more

Terrible, unfriendly & lazy staff. The produce is low quality (stale) especially the avocados!!! I wish it was still the old VONS read more

They always have things no one else carries, friendly staff, clean and organized shelves, reasonable prices... what more could I want?

BEWARE!!! I WAS OVERCHARGED $21.99!! I had just left Costco and realized I forgot to get garbage bags and they no longer carry Diet Pepsi. My father had mentioned that he also needed large black garbage bags so I decided that rather than turn around, I'd go to Smart & Final because they carry larger quantities too. Going here was against my better judgement because S & F stores just never seem clean to me thus it's not a pleasant experience. Anyways, I ran in to get the 2 boxes of bags and 3 12-packs of Diet Pepsi and lucky for me there was no one else in line so I slid right up to the register. I sat the boxes on the belt and while walking to the end of the register, I looked away from the clerk gesturing toward my cart while asking if he had a scanner gun for the Pepsi which he affirmed he did. Since he had already rung up the boxes he immediately walked around and scanned the Pepsi. I mindlessly paid and exited the store thinking that it was crazy that I had just spent another $80 bucks, but let it go (unfortunately). A couple days later I was going through my receipts for reimbursement from my father and noticed Smart & Final had actually charged me for 3 (Three) boxes of bags. WTF? I immediately dropped everything and ran back over to the store very frustrated that I hadn't paid more attention to 1) the clerk while scanning the items AND 2) the total balance. Usually, I have a general idea of how much the total will be. However, since I'd been shopping all day I just wanted to be done & get home. While driving to the store I was thinking about other people this might have happened to without them knowing it & the number of times this might have happened to me? If I had not purchased any for my dad, I would never have known. This further got me thinking about why the clerk didn't just scan the boxes individually. I mean there were only 2 of them. It would take just as much time to punch in a quantity (if not longer) then to just run them over the scanner. Certainly, running items over the scanner would've prevented this so called "human error." It's funny that these errors always seem to work against me. When I approached the registers I was immediately greeted by a clerk who politely asked me if I needed help. I told her yes, and that I would like to speak to the manager. She got on the mic and called for him. She told me he would be right with me but before that happened a young man approached and asked how he could help me. I told him I was VERY upset because I had been overcharged $22, and had quite a lot of things to do with my day; correcting his store's error wasn't one of them! (Would I have done this for $5, even $10? - probably not). I told him to check the cameras. Without question, he immediately said he would refund me cash on the spot. I told him that I wanted assurance that the clerk who did this was going to be addressed so they would pay more attention in the future and not carelessly do it to another customer. "He needs to pay more attention!" Since I was just handed cash and my receipt back (without taking my information), it didn't appear there would be any follow up by the store's management. Furthermore, not taking my information raised my suspicion as to whether this was in fact a mistake. After all, 1) a clerk could overcharge a customer, 2) return the item later, 3) pocket the cash for themselves. The inventory would not be affected because it would go out and then just come back in. Free money! I have never been to a store that just hands out cash without taking your information and usually even your ID for their records. Not feeling comfortable with just getting my cash back, I insisted on speaking with the manager. The manager cordially walked up to me asking how my day was going (you know the answer to that). I conveyed the story to him and said "how could this happen?" As soon as he opened his mouth making all kinds of excuses it was quite evident how and why it happened. This manager said it was "simple human error." I asked him if it would be "simple human error" if I put the boxes in my cart and walked out the door without paying by "mistake." Flustered, I just turned and briskly walked out the store not realizing he was hot on my heals. As I was reaching the parking lot I could hear him saying "ma'am ma'am, do you want me to take your name so I can follow-up?" I said, "no"! He said, "let me finish talking to you, this just happens"..... blah blah blah. I told him, " I don't want to hear it!" What about poor training, not paying attention, carelessness, lack of concern, I could go on and on. Unfortunately, I feel the excuse the manager made on behalf of the employee could be given for almost anything. Cumulatively mistakes are negligence. Just saying. NEVER GOING BACK! read more

The positives about this store are the regular staff members. They are extraordinarily friendly. They always greet me, offer to assist in any way they can and exercise great customer service. I can't speak for management, but the cashiers are great. In addition, they seem to have an excellent variety of both consumer items and bulk things for businesses. This is great since I buy here for both my place of work as well as home. Their produce and dairy sections are clean and well kept. The deli section is well-stocked and it's relatively easy to find what you need. On the downside, the prices are higher than Ralph's and Vons. They don't have coupons or club savings so you're consistently paying 10-20% more for your groceries. Another minor annoyance is that the store actually has two doors, but they keep the one on the South end switched to one-way so you can't enter there. This forces you to walk farther just to enter. Just saying... read more

Smart and final extra in Newbury park Ca have some UPS and some downs. The staff are very friendly and willing to help you have the best shopping experiences. The things that hinders them are the time constraints of the day and the lack of communication between warehouses and store when it comes to ordering purchases to refill the store. There is very little back stock, if it is not on the shelves or on top of them the store more than likely does not carry it. First come first served this store caters to a majority of restaurants and stores in the Ventura and la county areas. So if you are not here as soon as the products are up in the am it is unlikely to find them when shopping at night. This store does not collect your data and that is why their are no cards for discounts. There are deals if buying in bulk and that is imperative that you look over the ad before beginning your shopping adventure. Good luck everyone and have fun shopping. read more

Tried the delivery service. Order was supposed to be delivered within 2 hours but it took almost 6. When it was finally delivered we found out that they didn't even have half of the stuff we ordered! read more

They have expired items on their shelves. Called and spoke to a female manager, which I can't remember her name. Was told to take expired item back to either exchange or get money back. The manager, which wasn't the female I had previously spoken to, was rude and made uncalled comments. I was planning to exchange the item. But with his attitude and horrible customer service, I decided to take my money back. read more

Absolute slowest time - every single time I'm here, despite having three lanes open now I'm still unable to spend less than 10 minutes in the checkout.... for my four items. read more

I'd really like to know who the hiring manager if there is one is because your current staff is slow as molasses!!! Folks that have been checking for a long time now are still doing the same slow technique and doesn't anybody coach them? The floors have got 100% better with lots of less clutter and spotless floors. What happened? I've also noticed when a clerk calls for back-up no one shows or they are slow as hell to get up there. Peeps want to shop in the aisles but when we get up front we want out as quickly as possible. Is your DM only interested in what's brought in in daily sales seems like it to me at the expense of the customer. I'll shop elsewhere!!! :) read more

This Smart & Final gives me a Safeway/Vons vibe.. which I'm not really fond of. Except it's actually a bit worse. The prices on some products are actually higher, than an actual Vons or Safeway!! The quality is not as good either. It's like shopping at a store that has Whole Foods prices with the quality of a Trader Joe's. read more

Better Produce today I don't know what happened maybe because the sale is over but I have to say the strawberries look pretty darn amazing read more

Smart & Final Extra! - Grocery Near Me - Thousand Oaks, California

I shop here frequently and staff is always nice. Good prices here and plenty of things to shop for.

As a customer who frequented the old location on Hillcrest Drive I can say that this new location is a giant improvement. I can find everything I need quickly and efficiently. This location still carries the bulk items that I need which I was very happy with. The produce section is much larger now and I can find every fruit or veggie I need there. The hand-made sushi is wonderful and their grab-and-go cooked chickens always help for a last minute meal. Everyone working there is very friendly and helpful. Very impressed! read more

Worst customer service ever. I asked the manager Art a question and he was very rude. He lied and he said he couldn't help me because they were closed. And told me to come back tomorrow. The initial woman I encountered was flustered because I asked her a question she couldn't answer. That's when she stormed off in the midst of my question to get Art who was just the rudest. I'm very disappointed as I come here often. I'm a business owner and will most likely never come here again. Costco is more expensive but at least the customer service doesn't stink. read more

Smart & Final Extra! - Art the rude manager - Grocery Near Me - Thousand Oaks, California

Great service and good clean place. The vegetables Dpt. is well kept, fresh meat and prices are competitive.

Overall, I have learned to enjoy shopping at this store more than I thought I would. I can find things I can't find elsewhere, and love the fact they discount fruit, veggies, and bread/bakery products for quicker sale. read more

Today I went to my neighborhood S&F in Newbury Park. I went to returned unopened items that were purchased about two weeks ago. I was on a planning committee for a community non profit organization. We organized a festival for our community. We over purchased items and I wanted to return the items for store credit; they where in perfect unopened condition. I was planing on writing the non profit a check from my personal account, so the organization would not be out any money and left with in used items. The items were purchased in the Simi Valley store from another member of our community planing committee. I had photo copies of the receipts. I went to the cashier and explained my situation, he said he would have to call his manager; sure no problem. The young assistant manager Michelle came out and I explained my situation. She looked at the receipts and said she could do the return because the purchase was not from this store. I said that does not sound right, it's all S&F. She then repeated herself and said its store policy, at this point she was rolling her eyes and acting like a teenaged Child. I asked to speak with the Store Manager she informed me she was the manager; her name tag said assistant manager. I pointed out her title, she then Said the manager had already left for the day. I asked her to show me the return store policy, that stated she could return items from another S&F store. She then told me she needs the original receipt not a copy. I asked her to show me that store policy and she could not. The return policy was posted at the cash register and neither of these "policies" where in print. I asked her to please read the policy, again as a teenager child she said she did not need to; I read the policy to her. She still would not return the items. I ask her to write down the Store Managers name and phone number to the store and again with teenaged child like attitude she wrote the name and number down. I then asked to borrow a pen to write down her name and she ripped the paper out of my hand and wrote down her name. I saw no reason why I was treated with such disrespect from someone who is to young to handle her title. I went to my car and called the corporate office and they had no clue about these "policies" the corporate office had to call her in the store to advise her to accept the return. When I went back into the store, Michelle did not have the common decency to process the refund. Instead she sent over another employee,Lisa, who gave me the same type of attitude. There was NO REASON why I was treated in this manor. This store is not neighbor friendly nor is it community friendly. Child like behavior should not be promoted to an assistant manager status. She was acting like a teenage child. I would stay away from this store until proper management can be placed. read more

I'm writing this review based on my shopping experience on April 25, 2017. I want to take an opportunity to thank Ram, who showed me fantastic service and a lot of kindness today during checkout. I had to run out to get my wallet from the car, realized it was in my work bag at my office, used a check, then the check for whatever reason wouldn't be accepted by the machine, and ended up having to come back and get my items. I was so really embarrassed and the woman behind me in line was understandably peeved. Some people would be annoyed, but Ram was so kind, positive, and patient. He kept saying it happens to everyone, and he called a new checker to take care of the customers behind me. Thanks Ram. Your great customer service and positive attitude is so appreciated. read more

I am a regular. This shop has a huge selection of produce and a good selection of meats. It is a great source for most every product. The prices are good to great. I am thrilled to see the upgrades at the new location. I have been a regular Sprouts and Trader Joe's shopper. Been seen there a lot less lately. Still gotta go to Costco for their incredible meat fish and coffee though. read more

I've tried shopping here several times but will only go for party supply stuff now! Their fruit and veggies go bad fast and their organic selection isn't very big! Plus the shopping center is dirty and needs updating! read more

Never enough checkout lanes going. Prepare to wait longer than you'd like for service.

Terrible experience today at this Smart & Final location. I usually always shop at another location but decided to try this newbury store out. Not much selection, although the store was pretty well maintained. Sadly the workers weren't too friendly, in particular the cashier who attended me was very snobbish and rude. Instead of being helpful he was complaining about a certain purchase I was making. I can now see why this store has very low ratings. I will not be returning and will go back to my original store. read more