Gelson's Del Mar

Leaving them five stars because I don't want to punish the store or the other employees for the incompetence of one of them. I came in at around 9:15 p.m. tonight and waited in line while the only cashier on duty was having a prolonged and casual chat with another employee. This went on for several minutes while I stood there waiting to check out expecting this to be a quick trip to grab three items and go. Neither of them looked at me or even acknowledged my presence, and continue chatting as if there wasn't a customer standing there waiting to check out. I have never spoken to either of them and nothing was said during this encounter. After it seemed that this was not going to end anytime soon, I just put my items on the pull out stand and gesture to the cashier that I was leaving. Before I even made it to the door, I saw them both walking with my items to put them back on the shelf, both of them were laughing and it seemed like there was almost something intentional about what they did. It was an off-putting experience, and while I love this store and I want it to survive, I'll be going to Whole Foods for the foreseeable future. I hope management reviews the security footage and does something so this doesn't happen to other customers. Problems like these are easily avoidable if corrected early.

GREAT PLACE ! Gee it's been about 3 years since we shopped here. My wife and I were heading home to San Clemente after taking care of business in La Jolla. I needed some fresh squeezed orange juice and a couple of illy cold brew coffees. I zipped in and found what I wanted super fast. Lovely clean store and very friendly service at the checkout. IT'S ALL GOOD !

I appreciated the wonderful service I received when I called in to check on the availability of olive oil infused with chilis. I was given information on multiple options. When I went into the store, I went for the bulk olive oil that one pours in the bottle size of their choice. Subsequently, I could not find creme fraiche and the bag person assisted me by taking me to the product. The cashier was pleasant. It was a perfect experience.

My first visit to the store, and also my last. I noticed very friendly staff as soon as I walked in. Great environment. I thought it'd be a great shopping experience. However when I came home, open the package of the pricy heritage pork chop (2x price of regular pork), it was rancid. The smell was horrible. At the store, I did notice a slight discoloration of the meat (it turned slightly brown) but I trusted that the store should have very high quality control of their products. It was a big mistake. The discoloration was indeed a sign of spoilage and I was deeply disappointed. I threw the entire package away. I will never shop here again.

GOOD STORE ! Now that we are living in La Jolla this store will be our go to again for fresh squeezed orange juice, illy cold brew, Treasure Cave Gorgonzola Cheese and a few other hard to find items we love !

Shout out to an amazing manager at Gelsons in Del Mar. I called the store to order a gift basket full of goodies for my granddaughter who just came home from surgery Mimo the manager didn’t have a gift basket designer until much later in the week. He fulfilled my request of a gift basket in 24 hours. He made the most beautiful basket and delivered it himself to my family What a great and special experience. What a kind and caring professional man Very very pleased. Thank you

Great selection of healthy foods and cheeses. Nice women work here. Wish the store had salmon poke or salmon avocado rolls!

I guess in an area with predominantly rich, elderly, white people and not a whole lot of culture: it gets pretty boring around this strip mall on Villa de La Valle. You felt bothered by me sitting outside of a business across the street in your area so you had to call the mall cop and complain. Essentially I had to leave and could not wait outside while my husband was getting a haircut. Lost a little bit of faith in humanity today. Thankfully my children didn’t witness this sad display of crotchety racism.

A good spot to grab quality flowers for any occasion. This store is easy to get in and out of and is very organized. Their staff are super friendly and welcoming. They go the extra mile to make sure customers are satisfied. A relaxed vibe and tons of fresh food is available here. I'll be back soon. Thanks Gelson's for providing the area with high quality items at reasonable prices.

The food here is amazing. They have whole chickens to go. They have a deli and a bakery. The service is great too. Michelle was our checker as we left and she is Amazing. We will be back too, Del Mar

I went to Gelson's to grab something quick during my lunch break. I was ok with paying $9 for a burrito that allegedly had chicken as the first ingredient and allegedly 43 g of protein. But there was not even a sliver of chicken. Ridiculous.

Terrible customer service. The seafood section's guy has a disgusting attitude There's Whole Foods next door. Wish you trained your employees properly

This store needs business, it is huge with so much to offer but in competition for attention with Whole Foods across the street. WF has become, very busy, crowded, a shoplifter's paradise with a busy parking lot, the online giant owns not only the delivery service and its supplier, yet the shelves at Whole Foods is messy or it's depleted and I like the quiet, tidy and calm ambiance at Gelson's grocery market. The retail space has beautiful flower fabric tea towels and real wine glasses for purchase as WF doesn't have any. And the charming affordable cheese boards with dried fruit, fig jam, 3 types of cheeses and crackers included to go, is a yes for a repeat visit. If this store were to close, make this space into a 24 hour gym or a Northgate Market like the one in Costa Mesa, a Mecca of Mexican culture and food.

The food areas were beautiful. A lot of good choices . There were salad bars and soups to pick from . - all were very tasty and fresh . I got some organic pears and good teas. Also I got some chocolate cookies. Go there and buy some special things you and your family can enjoy. Show them the world of beautiful food from around the world. Service was good and friendly.

Bought a pkg of corn 2 days ago, got home , opened the pkg, found molds at the end , took it back to return the next day, oh boy , what an attitude that manager had, I asked if he needs my card, he said NO, asked him again if it going back to my bank card, he then shouted ( you take the paper to the cashier. , she will give you credit). He could have explain instead of shouting, he acted like I am troubling him .,,,, and that cashier was not nice or friendly either , terrible customer service !!!!

I cannot say enough about this store and in particular, Mimo Massayle. Recently I had a situation where I was not happy with a product and he happily gave me my money back even though it took me a week to address it. He even went so far as to roast and deliver green chili when an order got mixed up. Amazing customer service! I highly recommend shopping at this Gelson's. You will enjoy the shopping experience.

Actually Gelsons is not a small family business. Here's the Wikipedia entry that only covers up to 2017 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gelson%27s_Markets

Kudos to Kim. She is a Rock Star!! Her "customer service is second to none". The quality of her skills is consistently outstanding, exceeding my expectations every time. I had an urgent request and she put in the extra effort for me. When I encounter an employee with fantastic customer skills, I inform the company. This particular Gelson's is just wonderful. It is extraordinarily well-stocked with an incredible selection of items. It has a very parking lot.

Great store...clean, plant of inventory and quality...wonderful service! Special recognition to Jill in Seafood/Butcher

Crispy.  Lightly seasoned batter and chicken skin blended together so well they were as one.  Texture was amazingly delicate.  When I fry chicken I have a hard time getting the batter to stick.  Some places have batter that is too thick and you get blobs of batter.  Gelson's fried chicken batter is among my favorites.  Minimally seasoned with salt and pepper flavor was on the light side but I enjoyed it.  I showed up at 11am and the chicken was hot and juicy right out of the fryer.  On sale for $7.99 for 8 pieces this isn't a bad deal but the normal price is $9.99.  I'm on their email list so I can visit when they have a good sale.   I have been trying out supermarket fried chicken.  Ralphs I wouldn't get again.  Vons I would get when on sale.   Stater Bros I would get if I was nearby.  Gelson's is my favorite so far. Gelson's has a good drink selection too.  I like to pair a Birch Beer with my fried chicken.  The drink is sweet with that distinctive root beer like flavor.

I love shopping Gelsons. I didn't know they had built this location; I was happy to find it. Now I can do my shopping when I am out here in the area. This is a nice big location. They even have an area to sit and eat some goodies. Everything is clean and in order. I love all the different areas of the store. Cashiers are friendly and helpful. I will be back here to this location again. Fruit and Vegetables are fresh and love the cheese section too! Lots of parking and don't forget to download the Gelsons app for specials.

They can't get the Pachs bulk salt pricing correct. Maria, the rudest cashier, tried to overcharge me. I showed her the pricing on the table where the salt was She was clueless about the PLU and refused to look in the pricing manual at the register to see what the real PLU code was. She got some other # and tried to ring up about $10 more. Maybe for her pocketbook. I will go to Carlsbad, where they manage by the book and believe in charging customers the correct amount.

Rating ++++ food and service. We've been going there for and are not just pleased with the experience of the experience, we feel deprived when we have to shop anywhere else.

Such a clean, organized and well laid out Grocery store. Had everything I needed and more!

I would say 2.5 stars at this point if I could. A lot of the deli items are sky high priced and aren't necessarily organic and are often lacking flavor and any ingredients that would make them stand out. Pizza has gotten worse. Poke bar and salad bar often not fresh either. For $10 you can get a slice of pizza and small salad that are just ok, no not exactly a great deal. I would say Jimbo's and Lazy Acres have better deli stuff that are organic for the same price if not less and honestly better overall. This store is also lacking a self checkout but none of the other stores I mentioned have one either to be fair. Staff members are friendlier here than Carlsbad so I'll give them that.

The woman at the checkout was condescending and rude. It's the Friday after Thanksgiving--sorry if you have to work, but so did I today. Don't take it out on your customers. But not to worry, my family and I surely will not return to your location. Based on how empty your store always is, it's clear that you don't have much practice in customer care.

I just moved here from Portland and was amazed my the cleanliness and beauty of the store .. so many new ( too me ) amazing local products .. it's worth the price to be in an environment that's clean .. visually appealing .. great product and produce ( which is my jam )

Nice selection of goods, but overpriced. The prepared item are good, but they can be hit or miss sometimes. The selection seems a little better at the Del Mar location. When they have items on sale, they can be cheaper than at a "normal" grocery store, e.g. Ralphs. Friendly and efficient staff. Nothing is never an issue when help is required. One of the few grocery stores where you don't have to load your items onto a conveyor belt. They'll pull items directly out of the shopping cart. Due to the horse shows in Del Mar there are a lot of horse snacks and other assorted horse items lurking on the shelves. A big issue is that all of the hot food items seem to get pulled before 5:00pm. If you are going there after work you'll be out of luck.

Stopped into Gelson's Del Mar for my favorite deli sandwich and picked up some muffins from their bakery. So disappointed when I got home I specifically asked for EZ Mayo EZ Mustard I got a sloppy soaked sandwich on hard stiff Croissant roll. Just look for your self in the photo. The muffins are another disappointment drenched in hard stiff thick layer of sugar! Have you ever had a cran/orange muffin with dry thick sugar frosting!? Awful! Terrible gross! Does not measure up to the Gelson Fine Grocery reputation! Take a look at blended chicken enchiladas!! Yes blended substance inside enchilada. This is the worst deli and bakery will never return.

It has some things that no one else carries but it is NOT price competitive. I go only for items not found at Ralph's or Sprouts

I went to the meat counter and asked for a ribeye w a large cap since all the ones out on display were had virtually no cap. The lady said she'd check w the meat cutters in the back - and came back and said they could do it. Put the meat in the bag, went home, and there was still a tiny cap. At $35/lb I expect real service.

I've visited this Gelson's once in the past . They took over the prior Albertsons and Haggens. They're located in same plaza at McDonald's and Wells Fargo bank . Today was empty just as the previous visit . They also have a pharmacy which I didn't notice until today . Meat and seafood department to the back right of store . Pricey items even compared to Whole Foods right across the street . Poke bar is expensive at $16.99/lb and not a lot of options . They also have a per lb salad bar and hot deli section . It's discounted $6.99/lb on Tuesdays . They have a small sushi section too . I didn't realize there's a Peet's coffee inside ! I was going to visit the Coffee Bean a few doors down . There's also a Starbucks by Whole Foods . So it's nice to know there's another coffee shop to choose from in this corner . Iced coffee tasted quite good and I paid right at the deli . Only one type of milk available at condiment section . Decent samples available in departments. I liked the cake samples . They didn't have many single cookies available to purchase and didn't offer to sample any that were bulk packaged (even Vons does that ). Oh well. Maybe I'll buy bulk next time for a party to try out . Staff was ok . Not out of the way friendly or warm and fuzzy . Maybe it's because it's so quiet and sterile here. I'm not really sure . Hope they do well as it's a convenient location but just not sure what makes them stand out to Whole Foods or a standard supermarket close by . Lots of parking in front so that's another positive .

I' ve been shopping at this location since this locale opened and have enjoyed the food quality and service. I was checking out the other day and the cashier begin a political discussion regarding her high regard for Donald Trump. I wont go back to this store. When Im shopping for food I dont want to hear a political discussion.

I love the amazing food choices--the store is beautiful inside. The cheeses, the wines, the deli and the hot food bar...I wish I lived closer--I would only shop there

I have never been to Gelson's prior to yesterday. It wasn't on my radar, not in my hood, heard it was expensive, etc. But someone who came to my Friendsgiving soiree brought a pecan pie from Gelson's and....oh boy. I didn't even think I liked pecan pie. So that brings me to yesterday when I was craving something yummy for dessert and wanted to get my hubby a nice carrot cake. He's real picky about his carrot cake so I thought that Gelson's probably makes a tasty one if their pie was any indicator of the quality of their desserts. When I walked in I loved this store immediately. I've heard it's a pricy place and it sure looked like it. Nice organized displays and I found my way over to the bakery right away. I found a single serving of carrot cake that I knew my hub would like but trying to figure out what I wanted was difficult. There is just so many yummy looking goodies in their bakery. I was drooling over everything. I settled on two treats for myself (shhhhh don't tell Todd). One a crème brule cheesecake and another caramel white cake. I had the caramel cake yesterday and OOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH MMMMMYYY GGGGOOODDD. It was delicious. I was licking the container it came in. My husband said his carrot cake was possibly the best he's ever had. I can't wait to sneakily try that crème brule tonight (no way am I sharing). I also grabbed a Thai peanut noodle dish from the deli for my lunch today and it was really yummy. They had some hot food selection s like tri trip that you could pick up too. Gelson's you definitely will have me back at your store soon for cake and to try more of your deli options.

We ordered the Thanksgiving dinner for two. FABULOUS. The rolls were amazing. Cranberry sauce had too much ginger but my husband loved it. I'll order again. It's a can't miss.

EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE ! Good service always impresses me....someone going the extra yard blows me away ! I zipped down here around midday today...just 5 minutes from our place to pick up a few items. I grabbed a couple of Treasure Cave Crumbled Gorgonzola and a Haagen-Dazs Coffee Almond Crunch Ice Cream Bar pack. I then headed to the flower section to buy some beautiful flowers for my wife...her birthday this month. I could not see any Conca d'Or Lilies so I was gonna walk but I decided to ask the dude behind the counter. I haven't seen any Conca d'Or Lilies here for a while I said. The guy behind the counter named Dale replied they have had lots of stuff coming and going daily. Dale asked if I really wanted some Conca d'Or Lilies and I responded my wife's birthday was coming up soon and she loves these lilies. Dale said if I could wait 5 minutes he would check out the back. WHOO HOO...Dale returned with a sealed cardboard long box and opened it up in front of me. How many would you like ?...just the one bunch will do I replied. How's that for exceptional service !

Picked up my turkey dinner for eight on Thanksgiving day. The bundle (one bag, one sealed box) was ready to go, long before the pick up time of 12:45. Overall, a good experience with my family at the table during difficult covid times. Two suggestions.... They need to tell all customers that even though the turkey is pre-cooked, it needs to go in the oven for TWO HOURS before you serve it!!! This little factoid would have been helpful during the ordering process! That missing element pushed our meal time back by two hours:( Second suggestion...need massive improvement on the mashed potatoes. We followed directions and heated them up and the potatoes were watery, flat, grainy, soupy! Gelson's can do better! I want thick, fluffy mashed potatoes and got some pathetic porridge instead. Other side dishes, dinner rolls, and cranberry sauce were good.

I'm really glad that Gelson's markets have made it to San Diego! I've been shopping at them for years, when I was in LA or OC on trips, and have missed out on the product selection. They really excel at the hard-to-find & gourmet items. Products local to the area, like Sweetaly desserts from Carlsbad. They also have a great selection of Bundaberg sodas, where most people only have the Ginger Beers. They will also special order products for you, like a different flavor of something they carry. The hot food and the premade food case are very good. I have had many lunches from the case while on vacation. It's pricey, but upscale is. Regular items will be a little more expensive than at the regular markets. This market does have good deals sometimes on the gourmet items.

You got to be kidding to sell this small bag of cherries for 22$. We didn't notice the price (it is 9.99$ per lb). If we had noticed it at the checkout, we wouldn't have bought this. We only noticed after we came home as we were in a rush to get out of the shop during this covid situation.

Overall I was impressed. It's like they took a bit of every other chain in San Diego ( Whole Foods, Sprouts, Major Market, and Jimbos), put it all in a Vitamix and made a grocery store smoothie. Walking into this brightly lit superstore I noticed that it still had one similarity to Haggens. It was pretty empty around the lunch rush. While perusing the aisles I'd say the bulk of the shoppers consisted of well dressed AARP folks, a few women, and plenty of staff. Everything was well stocked and if I had more time I probably would have pickup up a few more items/brands that I've never seen before. The Service Deli was probably the best part of the store with all of the variety. Sandwiches - Ordering is a bit of a fiasco from their counter, still a work in process apparently. Tip, anyone in the service deli can take your order. Officially all deli workers can make the sandwich but usually your ticket gets dumped on the sandwich board. I'll chalk up the confusion / issues with this being a new store. The Sandwich itself was on par with Sprouts, a few bucks more.They did have options to add in sides from the Deli Case which was cool but the total was $10 to have that "Lunch Special". Positives - Lots of cool, never seen before items. Alcohol laced Popsicles? - Nice selection of beverages. All Bundaberg flavors! - Plenty of parking. - The Coffee Bean is located inside. Negatives - Hard Alcohol selection is weak especially for a store this size. Ralph's is far superior. - On the pricey side. That was Haggens demise. 3.5 stars - Need to work on their sandwich process..

Another new Grocery store in our neighborhood! funny how that's what we talk about when we get older! i was excited about Whole Foods...and not sure this will top that excitement... Trader Joes topped my enthusiasm about Whole Foods... i was done with the albertson's here... the replacement (haagen) was a flop... i have high hopes for Gelson's ....seem to have tons of fresh food and selection and not ridiculously priced. Let's see how they maintain their new fresh image. fingers crossed

Prices are (for me) not conducive to complete grocery shopping although it is certainly in the right neighborhood. Can't really hold a candle to Whole Foods, just not enough depth or diversity of products. Particularly if you're vegan. I get a weekly 20% off coupon in the mail and usually stop in to buy some organic produce. The shelf presentation is really impressive and the store really shines. Will be interesting to see how this store fares with Whole Foods across the street.

Gelson's is my "go to" place for Maine lobsters when they have them on sale. Order ahead so you don't have to wait in the store for them. Generally, Gelson's is rather pricey, but the quality is excellent. Parking is plentiful. Location is minutes east of the I-5.

Today for Valentine's I bought a vase with a white teddy bear, when paying for it the cashier insisted the teddy bear was extra and was missing its price tag....after letting me know of her suspicions and being proven wrong..,she did not even have the decency to apologize! I am not a thief and do not enjoy being treated as such...and when proven not guilty...not being treated better sucks....I hope Gelsons and this cashier get treated the same way!!!!

I waited 8 minutes to purchase fried chicken at the butcher counter. I felt at first they didn't see me. But they were about 30 feet from me. So they continued to wait on others who came up to the counter even though all 3 of these people looked at me several times. I guess 30 feet is to far to walk. I shop gelsons because it is convenient but definitely not priced like Vons, Ralph's etc. They are much higher priced. I guess their employees are to tired to walk 30 feet. Now I'm to tired 8f poor service to go back. Goodbye gelsons.

I would have given it two stars but upped it to three because I love their ahi poke and their seafood salad. Pricey it is but once in a while I can splurge for myself. Their prices are much too high for me but they had one day a week when the hot foods next to the soups were lowered from $8.99 a pound to $6.99 a pound. I went in once a week and bought hot food and then I picked up other items like the ahi poke. They discontinued the markdown day so I rarely go there now. The store compared to any other supermarket in the area is empty. One would think they would figure it out but they will go out of business one day and maybe a Trader Joe's will come fill the spot and be filled with customers.

Grab yourself a Eternal Water. Naturally Alkaline Water. Grab a cold one. In 1.0L and 600ml. Great spot do do your shopping. Always in stock

Beautiful grocery store in the middle of Del Mar! If Sprouts and Whole Foods had a love child, it would be Gelson's. The store is clean and open and has a lot of options for health foods but it isn't as hipster and expensive like Whole Foods (although it is a pricier than Sprouts). There's plenty of parking up front and the staff is friendly. I'd definitely come back for more stuff! Thanks Karen N. for introducing us to Gelson's and the Sweetaly pudding that Gelson's carries!

This is the place to go for honest, caring, and genuine good service. Erica is outstanding! Twice CVS has filled my daughter's prescriptions with medications which were only similar to the correct script. (CVS is contracted with certain drug companies and switched scripts without alerting us). Erica went the extra step, many steps... to correct the script from CVS. This took much of her time and attention out of her already busy day. And yes, I am reporting CVS.

I am so grateful for the pharmacy here. They are friendly, very knowledgeable, and fast. Plus...even if you have to wait a few minutes, there is a bakery with fresh coffee from Peet's, a deli, and even a bar for those who want to imbibe. TV in the seating area!

I don't know WHY this is getting bad reviews It has tons of parking, and is a huge store. And they have everything. I was happy coming here I always find everything here. And the foods are always good.

Updating my review after my return, Scott the store manager assured me that the bakery items come from a outside vendor and he notified them of my complaint. Scott recompensed me for my return and apologized. He made it right and then some. Excellent customer service great store that stands behind there upscale reputation. Thanks again

I shop at all the grocery and specialty stores in the North County and La Jolla areas and this is BY FAR the BEST store to shop in. Troy, the manager, is incredibly helpful. He remembers his customers and always asks me if he can help me find anything. I've witnessed him being incredibly patient with some very rude customers. I am always so happy to walk into this store because he runs it so well and the employees are always so nice and helpful. It is rarely crowded and has the best customer service. Sure, it is expensive, but if you're shopping at an upscale market in Del Mar/Rancho Santa Fe what do you expect? It isn't Walmart country people! If you're looking for the most pleasant place to shop in San Diego I highly recommend Gelsons. My favorite things are the amazing cupcakes and the fruit is the freshest in the area. Troy and Torri and so nice and help me out every time I need anything. Highly recommended for anyone who wants the highest quality products and service.

New Gelson's in Del Mar. Service was very friendly, the store super clean and well stocked. Prices are really high though, too expensive for a full weeks of groceries and not shopping their specials. Also very empty in the store which was nice, but I bet due to the pricing. Very nice bakery selection, as well as produce all very fresh. Nice change to get to try some products other grocery stores don't carry, nice addition to the area.

The manager is racist to black peoples and Spanish. He only gives attention to people who are from Middle East. I am white but I was very disappointed when I saw him calling a black man the N word and he told Mexican family to go back to their country even though they were born here and they were speaking perfect English with no accent. If I was his buss I would fire him immediately. He has a bald head and he is wearing T-shirt, and jeans. He also yells at his work when they are behind the store.

It was great to see a new grocery store that focuses on quality. Although a little pricey, but worth every penny. I tried the Turkey Carver sandwich, and a slice of prime rib, melt in your mouth quality. I couldn't find a 24 pack of Gelson's 20 oz spring water, and when I asked an employee for the water, she went to the back of the store, and come out with the water. I was impressed. It's a pricey place, but worth every penny. The standards and quality are high, but you do get what you pay for in service and selection. It's not for everyone. I'll make few more trips here until they until the Pacific Beach location opens.