I usually go to Smart & Final to buy milk. I like the people who work there--they are very quick and efficient. The vegetables look fresh, although I don't buy them very often. I like to buy bananas because they are inexpensive. The store is clean, but sometimes there is a slight unpleasant smell (maybe coming from the restroom). There is plenty of parking space, and it's easy to find a spot. read more

I come here often and never had issues with any employees here. The only issue I had here is the lack of cashiers. I think they have more than 5 registers and there's always ONE available, but that's on poor management from the owners of this store. Today was the same issue, I was waiting in line and this old white employee told the lady in front of me to come over to her register, I assume the lady didn't heard her so I made my way over there but the employee gave me a nasty look and asked the lady in line "are you sure?" I'm not sure what the lady said but she walked over to the register and I asked the worker if she is only opening the register for the lady and the worker ignored me and walked away from me. I was right she only opened the register for that lady. I don't understand why or how was this lady in front of me special. The only thing I can think of is that she only wanted to open the register for a white women instead of someome that isn't white. Very rude old white lady. read more

It is a shame to give a low rating for a place where every other cashier has been friendly, kind, and helpful. But this one, who, when asked a question responded, "I'm just a cashier and I want to keep it that way," or something like that, did not care to even ask for someone else's help, let alone do anything herself to get an answer to our very simple question. We were helped by another employee, who so represented the good will of the establishment. ... not sure... Just don''t want to ever get in line or get this woman on the phone again. read more

I love that this Smart and Final grocery store is close and convenient. They have great hours. The Customer Service is very good. They offer a perfect blend of the right foods that the Neighbourhood wants and needs. I have seen the store improve in terms of cleanliness and organization over the years. They usually have affordable prices. One thing I really like is that they offer some oversized/bulk products. read more

I'm new to the area and Angelica was very helpful, bagging my groceries and helping me with my digital coupons. She has a great smile and great customer service to match! I will make this my permanent grocery store if she's there to service me! read more

This story is hit or miss I've found expired canned food goods on the shelves that haven't been rotated out. Make sure you look at the dates. When the lines are long they never seem to open more. It is really the only grocery store by my house so I use ir But definitely prefer Ralph's read more

Never tried this store out before. We came to this location because Google said they were the only grocery store in the area that was selling the El Monterey Red Chili Burritos. Google was right! We found them. As for the store itself, it's a little startling to see a security guard at the entrance when you come in. That being said, prices aren't too bad and they are quite stocked with lots of options. I do wish they had a self-checkout area, but I can understand why they don't. read more

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I am back in Jan 2025. I visit this area every other year. Still giving them five stars because I had no issue with returning bad ice cream with no look of judgment. I like this store too because it is close by, good prices and a friendly staff 98% of the time. read more

The cashier charged me higher price than the price tag. Price tag was $0.99. He charged me $1.49 per LB. I ask him to give me the extra money back. He refused. What the hell. Pay attention consumers. This store always try to charge you more. read more

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I've been meaning to share my thoughts for some time now. First, I'd like to acknowledge that the cashiers are consistently kind and helpful, even when faced with long lines and clear signs of poor management. Their efforts are much appreciated. Now, regarding the produce section, please don't advertise items that you aren't willing to sell. A couple of weeks ago, I tried to buy a case of corn, which is supposed to contain 48 ears. It's advertised in the produce section that you can get a case of 48 corn. When I asked if I could purchase two, the produce employee told me he could only sell me one because he needed to keep the rest until Friday when he would receive more. It seems counterintuitive to prioritize potential buyers over someone ready to make a purchase now. Consequently, I ended up buying them individually at a higher price because I needed them right away. Fast forward to today, I returned on Friday when I was told the shipment would arrive and informed a worker that I'd like to purchase two boxes. She went to check and came back saying they didn't have any. I then asked if I could buy the singles at the case price since it's 50% cheaper, but after consulting the produce manager, I was told no and advised to call another store. It's frustrating that the employee had to relay this information instead of the manager addressing it directly. Thankfully, I called a nearby store, and they had cases available and were happy to sell them to me. This store needs serious improvements in customer service, from upper management down to how they operate if they want to retain customers. We are in a time where consumers dictate where their money goes, and it won't be spent where customers feel unappreciated. read more

I don't do full shopping trips here, but I stop in regularly for Enjoy brand beef jerky, as this is the only store in the area that has it (other grocers have the brand, but the cut is not as thin). I have witnessed, a homeless encampment in an adjacent parking lot, security outside yelling at people, and I have been accused once of stealing by a security guy inside. I wasn't even offended, given all the stuff I've already seen. Now I actually look for him, to say hi and joke around. I kinda feel bad for these folks, to be so scarred by theft and shady people that they look at lil ol' me and feel so inclined to follow and question me. They are super friendly! Everyone greets me, from the sales-floor clerks to the cashiers! I'm huge on customer service and that makes trips here all the more tolerable. Will I return? Sure, when I run out of beef jerky. However, 50% of the time it is out of stock, which prompts me to buy like, 6 at a time when I do see it. Pros: - great store for picnic items - friendly enough - prices are decent - Cons: - meh area - a lot of lower quality brands - in-stock not great read more

Smart & Final Extra! - If you're from LA, you'll know this brand. I did A/P at the plant and was amazed at the quality of products, and their SOPs. - Grocery Near Me - Vista, California

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Good place for quick pickup of dairy products and select fruits. Not much variety in vegetables, not a real big issue for me as I go elsewhere for that. Meats on sale weekly, good deals. It's nice to know that I can still have steak for dinner once in a while. Bacon prices were OK too. Parking is not a problem, plenty of spaces. It can get a little sketchy because some people don't put carts back in the proper areas. Be careful when pulling into a space. read more

I Stopped in here for a bottled water while I was on my morning walk.....This Smart & Final is old & Compact.....but very clean. I didn't walk the whole store because I didn't need anything, but produce looked nice.... They're doing the social distancing thing when checking out....One at a time called up to each register everyone else must wait in line.... All staff is in masks and they're cleaning constantly... looked like there was plenty of parking,.... Watch out sometimes there are homeless people at the entrance and exit of this store.... read more

Smart & Final Extra! - the outside of a fast food restaurant - Grocery Near Me - Vista, California

Was there today early like 11:40 cashier was amazing super customer service had everything I was looking for just great

Never again Smart & Final, never again... Went in yesterday because it was convenient to where I was heading...found the few things I needed and headed to check out...they now have the registers blocked off to form one line for all...there were at least six to eight people in line with one register open and, even though she could see the long line, another person at a second, closed register, counting money...I noped it out of there never, EVER to return! ***true score -5 stars read more

Wow I love this Smart & Final! They have a variety of cereals and my favorite dipping/grilling sauce it's spicy/tangy I use it on everything:) checking out is never a wait and the people working are always super friendly. And they open nice and early. read more

The employees are nice but it was the costumer service person called C.J he was rude and very very mean to thus family yelling at them for no reason. read more

This store needs more cashiers on duty. The wait to pay for your items is the absolute worse. Don't come into this store if you're in a hurry. read more

I love this Smart & Final and it's close to my house. I know just which aisle to 'buy' what I need each week & it's never too crowded. Checkers are great people as is Ben the Mrg. I recomment this one along with their Carlsbad location also for good prices, easy to find items, & nice employees. Shelley Malone read more

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

The service at this location is always good my cashiers are usually fast and friendly! I love to come here because they also have things in bulk and tons of choices. I generally go to Walmart but that store is always a madhouse so happy to have found this location. This place is great if you have a party or something like a dinner party they have a lot of party packs and catering trays. I like the fact that you can also get restaurant cookware. Every time I've come here I get great service and I love the fact that they are fast at processing wic. Every time I go to any other location like Alberson's or at the Walmart off of Marron they are terrible they make you feel awkward. Also even the manager that came was really nice. read more

I don't know why corporate let's this place stay open in the condition it remains in. I swear the last I walked inside it smelled like a dead body was spoiled for weeks and it wasn't the first time I had walked inside there it smelled foul. Another why is they have like 6 lines but ONLY have one ever opened? Don't be me thinking about a ice cream to find out there's already 20 people in line and cashier is brand new. I've been going here since it's opened cause they have the biggest selection of Ben and Jerry's and they have LOVELY sourdough bread but beyond that. I can't make this store my main stop. read more

How I wish I could half star things. This Smart and Final is more 3.5 than 4 stars. Mostly due to line wait times. Only 2 registers open and each has a 4 person deep line...at least. The vegetable department has a good selection, I've never gone looking for something and not been able to find it. They have a good cheese selection and even carry some hard to find cheeses that are imported. They have a security guard and that always throws me off because I've never been to another Smart & Final that had that. It's not in an upscale neighborhood so maybe that's why. The staff have been friendly and most of them speak Spanish and will great you in either language. Lol I don't feel like there frozen food section is as large as the one in oceanside or Carlsbad, and the lighting is weird in this one. It feels a little dingier than the other two. Maybe it's older, I'm not sure. But if you're just looking for a quick stop to grab last minute stuff it's fine. read more

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

Clean store, not much of a variety when it comes to fruits and veggies. They seem unorganized when it comes to the oven ready rotisserie chicken through. They don't have a set schedule on when that product is available in the afternoons which causes lines and people blocking paths because they are waiting around for it. If this is a high demand food item, why not be more organized about the schedule and distribution? The staff is friendly, but the cashiers look stressed out and they often change employees read more

Honestly the worst lines of any grocery store. The only thing extra here is all the time you have to spend in this freaking store. read more

Smart & Final Extra! - Horrible lines - Grocery Near Me - Vista, California

Decided to stop in after dropping my kids off to school and just because I was wondering what the deal was with Smart and Final "extra!" It was a fine experience, really the customer service was great.. such nice employees willing to help. The lady ahead of me was paying for her groceries at least 3 different ways to cover the cost (check, cash/coins/card, food stamps) and the cashier was real patient and helpful. I picked up a few things that we typically get 1x or 2x a week at the Albertsons closer to home so I could compare the pricing later. (Hit or miss, no huge difference.) Maybe the "extra!" part is in reference to the produce, which was present, but not really fresh from what I could tell. I'll keep going to whole foods/sprouts etc for the stuff I want fresh, but my experience here was a good one, I don't think I'll have any reservations about stopping here again to grab a thing or two. read more

I used to shop at this store all the time, I am a senior! ****On Tuesdays and Thursdays, please note that 6am - 8am is reserved for shoppers 60 years and older, expectant mothers, those with disabilities, and first responders in the medical field. They do not honor senior hours, do not provide a safe time for them and do not care!! THERE IS NO SIGN POSTED THAT IT IS SENIOR TIME!! This is for the store on Vista Way, Vista. So sad when we are currently the worst state in the whole country, smart and final acts like it's over! read more

employee named Josh blew me off and said he had no time when i asked him to check the back store for a weekly special product, I ask for store mgr. number and he told me to get out before he dragged me out. never coming back read more

I've be going to this store since they opened, never once have i ever experienced this with any other another cashier, they all been polite and considerate but, If you want to get your food tossed and veggies bruised go to Chris. Im very upset, i went to my local grocery store late last night about 30 minutes before closing time for some items. I went to the register, i clearly said i wanted a bag, while i was getting my atm ready i see Chris(( tossing )) my food to the other end of the register, i look at him and Chris said "i forgot you wanted a bag, i'm so tired" that's NO reason to toss anyone's food. I also heard the rotisserie chicken advertisement for half off and yes of course Chris charged me full price, i was to upset to notice at the moment. read more

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

I have to give smart and final a great review, yesterday i went in to smart and final and i wasn't expecting to get much of good customer service because its such a small store and there arent a lot of cashiers. However i have been going to walmart for the past 6 years for wic and i know what im doing and some of the cashiers are always saying you cant get this, you cant get that etc. I have my book i know what i can get and what i cant get. The point of my review was smart and final treated me like an important customer. No they didnt have everything i needed, but they made it bearable for me to get my stuff with my kids and get out and move on with my day. There are some things they could improve on however which is keep up their stock on baby formula lol. But thats ok ill take the great customer service i got compared to walmart any day. read more

Close to home and always have what I want. Good deals on water too! Their roasted chicken is also very very good. Everyone is always so helpful and they have classic rock playing! read more

Five Stars for customer service! I"m an Executive Director of an Assisted Living in Vista. Yesterday, I made a quick trip to Smart & Final to pick up a couple of menu items. Unfortunately, they were out of the two items. Crystal greeted me with a cheery approach and asked if I had found everything I needed. When I told her no, she immediately turned off her register light and went to look for the items herself. This type of customer service is EXACTLY what all people in customer service should be doing! Thank you! read more

Stopped in for a quick minute to grab something for a BBQ. The staff is real friendly here, I literally had a full on conversation with the girl at the check stand. The store is pretty clean and organized. Everything was fully stocked and they had a lot of people working so it was easy to get some assistance. Prices aren't too bad here either. They have weekly sales here so be sure to grab the ad as you walk in. read more

My neighborhood smart and final. I can't think of a single thing that this store lacks. Reliable in product despite shortage of material. The staff is very friendly and nice and they know how to communicate effectively with customers. The store is kept in pristine condition, clean and professional. I appreciate the effort the staff puts into this store. read more

Just opened today 5/15/2014. Super clean store with nice staff. Our neighborhood needed a grocery store like this. read more

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This store is convenient because it's right next to a freeway exit and that's my favorite part about it. I will stop there quickly for ease and convenience if I have 1-2 things that I need to pick up but it's not my go grocery store. The shopping center is always full of sketch people which is funny to me. How do they all get the memo that they should hang out there? Ha Anyway your car is safe and all I'm just making an observation about the population. I've never encountered either good or bad customer service so no thoughts on that. It seems like they don't have enough checkstands open when I go to pay though. That's it, but what else is there when you're writing a review on a grocery store? read more

Ewww... just stay away from here. Dirty carts, dirty floors, produce is horrible and that's as far as I got by the time I realized how horrible this place is. read more

The whole building smells like dirty cat litter!!!!! What's going on? I have given this Smart and Final several chances hoping it was going to get cleared up and was just a fluke. Nope the place literally stinks like cat litter. Such a bummer too because it's so close to my house and I wish I could use this as one of my primary places to shop. Unfortunately I can't and now have only gone there in an extreme pinch. For instance yesterday needed to grab a couple quick groceries "in a pinch" but didn't feel like making the trek to Wal mart or Stater Bros. Guess what? IT REAKED LIKE DIRTY CAT LITTER!!!! Won't be going back EVER again. Can't stomach it and I feel terrible for the employees that have to sit there all day and smell that. Not to mention it's a huge turn off when you are wanting to buy fresh produce. read more

Thank you so much to Daniel for holding a case of the planet oat oat milk for me this morning. Search wonderful customer service I really appreciate it you and Chris made my morning. read more

Plenty of parking, great deals, and you're able to buy in bulk! Can't ask for better, right? Especially alcohol, I forgot Henny here is pretty cheap. Although I do feel the meat here is a bit on the expensive side, I would still buy everything else but meat here. read more

This location is particularly favorable due to its proximity to where I live -can't really factor that into a general review for the masses though. As for selection, compared to any competing grocery store, it could do better. It's smaller in overall size; I consider it the convenient store of food and drink without the convenience store prices (looking at you CVS and Walgreens!) It makes for a decent run for a box of cereal, plastic silverware, beer, baby diapers, or a pack of chicken breast that you may need in a pinch, but beyond that you need to find yourself another store. Cashiers are down to earth and friendly, even when they're crazy busy! Must add: in all the times I've been here, they don't get too painstakingly busy with lines miles long (looking at you Walmart and Target!) -remember, however, their storewide selection is relatively slim...yielding fewer groceries purchases and quicker transactions. Not bad for a corner-most grocery store at a traffic-heavy intersection. read more