Gelson's Pacific Beach

I am submitting this review to formally document an incident of unequal customer service I experienced during my recent visit to this store. Upon entering, I was courteously greeted by an older gentleman at the front, which provided a positive start to my visit. However, when I reached the checkout line, the experience shifted. I observed that the cashier, Darlene, greeted and acknowledged the two white couples ahead of me in a friendly and attentive manner. When it was my turn, I received no greeting or acknowledgment at all. The contrast in treatment was evident and left me feeling disregarded. The only employee who provided consistent and respectful service was the bagger. They acknowledged me, and I even felt compelled to say, “Thank you for acknowledging me,” because their courtesy stood out in comparison to the interaction at the register. While I appreciate the professionalism of the bagger, the disparity in service I experienced at the checkout was disappointing. All customers deserve to be treated with the same respect and courtesy, regardless of race or appearance. I respectfully urge management to review this matter and ensure that all staff members adhere to fair and inclusive service standards.

I was very disappointed with how my daughter was treated during her visit. The cashier, Danielle, did not acknowledge her at all—no greeting, no eye contact, no basic customer service—while treating other customers normally. The difference was noticeable, and it left her feeling as though my daughter was being judged based on her race. Whether intentional or not, the interaction felt like racial profiling, and it made my daughter extremely uncomfortable. No customer should ever feel ignored or unwelcome because of how they look. I hope management takes this seriously and provides proper training to prevent this from happening again.

This is the only supermarket that I know whenever it gets busy they always have extra cashiers available to make sure the rush crowd gets done quickly. I have been going to Gelson’s for 40 years and I have to tell you I never had one bad experience. The staff is very friendly and management is always polite when you need something.

Convenient supermarket in the heart of PB. Decent selection of hot and cold food items to go. A variety of your standard fare of supermarket items of a more premium quality. Just enough parking but more than likely you'll have to find street parking nearby too.

A wonderful grocery store. Well kept and maintained. Clean and organized with a wide selection of goods and products on the shelf. Friendly staff and very helpful with the directory of their products. Affordable within means. Their mini cafe has some delicious pastries. Recommended for those within the neighborhood.

I really like this store. The store was well stocked. Customer Service by Lisette, Jeffrey and Gabriel was beyond exceptional. I do recommend this location to others

this place is great i dont get any of the complaints about customer service they give best service of any grocery store or at least as good. their stuff is on pricier side but its not the same stuff they really have great quality stuff… for example go get pesto from this place and get pesto from just about any other grocery store and eat it… sure theirs will be few dollars more but also 100x better… so if quality matters then this place is great!!

Excellent quality product and employees.

Such a great, cute grocery store! They have a great meat section with high quality beefs. The staff are great and helpful. This grocery store is a 10 out of 10. Go here for all your grocery needs

I'm slowly warming up to this location. What I love most about here is that the fruits and vegetables never look a day old. They are always super fresh. Hit or miss with it being ripe and sweet but never spoiled or looking like it's past its prime. Another thing I love about here is the deli and hot bar section. The options are always so enticing and the prep work it takes ... I tip my hat to them. The place is airy and never a ton of foot traffic which makes shopping during the day a breeze. The thing I dislike most about it are the cashiers. I've never seen them be relatively happy about anything. I almost dread going because I know it's just gonna be side eyed and pouts. It's not all of them. But I tend to get the same 3-4 cashiers.

Are the employees here okay? I've been a couple times now and everyone except one of the guys behind the deli counter seems grumpy/rude and after asking how one of the cashiers days were she responded with "well I have to be here all day!" The fruit selection is unique and their food/salad bar is amazing but prices are a little steep. I was most shocked at the service.

Flourist wasn't available when I arrived but I still managed to grab a beautiful bouquet of yellow roses, wrapped with a tie. Service was excellent and quick. The place was clean and organized. Their fresh food looks appealing but I wasn't there for the food. I'll be back again. Thanks Larry for the help!

I don't know why I kept on shopping here. One of the managers, gray haired and a mustache, is so rude to some customers. It's always rude to me. I am a well mannered old lady and I just don't get his rudeness.

Everything you need in PB for groceries, alcohol, lotions etc... Very convenient location in PB

Location, location, location!!! Upstairs outside with a perfect view of the beautiful ocean! A cool sea breeze.....Excellent gin & tonics.....& nachos. I have to say I think the drinks were better than the nachos. They were just your usual bar nachos. ‍ but sitting outside with that view having a cocktail laughing with the people out there, including my sister really was a great time. The waiters were great & very attentive. It's definitely a place I would go back to again and again.

We bought packed Joolies dates and they were rotten. The store needs to do better quality check and keep rotten expired stock off their shelves. They need to check their stock! No one has time to stand there for 2 hours trying to read expiry dates, one would expect if something is on the store shelf then it would not be rotten!!! The manager offered to refund the cost but it wasn't about the $30. These rotten dates were distributed to a class of second graders and how embarrassing is this that we gave them rotten dates. Not to mention the health hazard!!!

I rarely write a negative review but I felt compelled to do so as my mother is a loyal customer. She is 92 years old and insisted that I get our Thanksgiving Turkey at Gelson's like we do every year. I stopped by Gelson's 1 week before to order the Turkey. I was told I had to come back as there was no one to take my order. When I returned I had a pleasant experience at the meat department. They are always so nice there! Today I returned to pick up my organic free range turkey for $104 (11lbs) every previous year we were provided with a sturdy reusable shopping bag. This time I was asked at the cashier's, after waiting in line for a long time, if I wanted to purchase a bag. I asked why they weren't providing bags. The cashier said "wait I have a recycled bag that someone donated!?! The bag had a hole in it and it leaked blood from the turkey all over my car. I also would appreciate a Happy Thanksgiving greeting. I understand that everyone is stressed and overwhelmed but a smile would go a long way.

5 Stars for Gelson's!!!! One of my favorite things to do is stop by Gelson's after the gym and get some Grass-Fed Kefir and a Grapefruit. Everybody that works at the store is always so friendly and patient in answering any questions I may have. It's really nice having such a great grocery store located so close to the beach.

Good and fresh bread selection. Fresh and clean salad bar. Tasty Hawaiian tuna fish mixed. It is clean. Well stocked market located in area with customer convenience in mind.

This Gelson's location is pretty small. There is a parking lot and usually parking available. There is a bakery, a deli and a butcher. I was able to easily find employees who were very generous with their time to support my quest for specialty items for my charcuterie board. I got a lot of fancy cheese!

This is a great grocery store. I don't live in the neighborhood, but came here specifically for the Impossibe food products. This was the closest location that had them. There was a lot of prepared meals and a poke bar. The poke was good although it wasn't high quality tuna. They also had a large assortment of cheese and different types of fresh pasta. The store is small which I really liked, well organized, and not crowded. Service was excellent and a couple of the customers knew the employees by name and were having friendly conversations. The employees were polite and welcoming.

Very surprised at the customer service and the unfriendly checkers here. When you are a high end grocery store, you should at least hire pleasant checkers. Even the individuals bagging your groceries treat the patrons rudely.

They say this place is expensive, I finally realized it. However, they have a select few unique items that always bring me back. Staff is super friendly. Good tasty yummy pie options. Store is rarely bz bz

Gelson's offers so many different products that other grocery stores don't carry. The quality of their product is great as well. This location has lots of parking, they keep the aisles very clean, and all the shelves are stocked. I love trying new products here! From shakes/smoothies to French pastries, there's surely something new for you to try. Their ready-made lunches look filling and healthy, and they have a great salad bar. This Gelson's carries cookware/bakeware. They also have a decent selection of houseplants and flower arrangements. Apple/Google Pay is accepted here.

Amazing selection of gourmet food. Produce, meats and fish market is the the best! Thank you Gelsons for providing such an amazing store in Pacific Beach area. Prices may be a bit more but WORTH IT! I am thankful for all the great service (cashiers are fast, friendly and efficient) and amazing selection of gourmet food near my home.

I have never been to a Gelsons before. I'm a Whole Foods junkie. I went here the other day and tried their poke. Boy oh boy was it good but I got food poisoning from it the next day.

For a store that is considered to be more of a "high quality" specialty establishment, I was shocked to see the low quality of some recent purchases. The pie sized wedge of Brie in the charcuterie tray I bought was dry, hard and smelled rotten like blue cheese. Within a few days the cheddar cheese had started to grow white and green mold. I ended up throwing the entire $40 tray away. I got Waldorf salad that had apple pieces that were not crisp, but limp, like noodles. I will never buy any prepared food from this place again. Do better, before someone becomes very ill from one of those cheese trays. Be more selective in choosing "fresh" produce and cheese for your prepared deli food before someone gets ill.

I ordered groceries for pick up from their website. While I was on my way to the store, I received a text saying that my order was picked up. When I called instacart they told me to continue to the store because my order was actually still there. When I arrived at the store they told me that they had given my groceries to someone else. When I asked what could be done the Gelsons employee told me to call instacart for a refund and shop for my groceries myself because they couldn't do anything on their end. I had to call instacart to get a refund and then shop for my groceries right before bedtime with my child. Not fun.

This grocery store is amazing. The prepared food was super good I got a sandwich and salad combo plate. It was a lot of food for pretty good price. Very quality and lots of options.

I love the make your own poke station! It was $14 for a small bowl but the salmon was really fresh and had a lot of flavor!

I love Gelson's and have been shopping at different locations for years and years, too many to count! This one is small and close by so I'm happy it's here!! I bought some tuna salad and a bottle of Kim Crawford on sale for $14.99!!

On my visit to San Diego, I yelped nearby groceries and this was the only on near me. I live in NorCal but I have NEVER seen prices like Gelson's. At checkout I'd felt like I'd been robbed. It is unconscionable that people anywhere are charging this much for food. Yes, I know people pay for it, as did I. I paid for the convenience of going somewhere close to where I was staying, but I won't make that mistake again. I see other reviews going on about Gelson's specialty food and their fresh food and frankly the food in the deli case didn't look very fresh to me. I chose the only thing that looked fresh, which was the kale mango salad, and in fairness it was delicious. So stars for that, at least.

Very clean store.. lots of employees and a great selection of produce.. We also enjoy their bakery!!

Shredded BBQ brisket!! Soooo good. They have this ready to go for easy to grab for dinner. This meat is so juicy and flavorful. I get this all the time at Gelsons. I highly recommend this dish.

Gelsons is well set up for the holidays with baked goods, flowers and decor. Very impressive and warm environment.

My wife and I love Gelson's -- kinda upscale, not too crowded, good selection of grocery store essentials PLUS high-quality extras that aren't the norm in a regular grocery store. WAY better than Vons or Ralphs or any of the other big guys unless you need something that Gelson's doesn't carry. We recently moved back to La Jolla after almost 5 years in the country, and this is our new go-to for groceries. No reason to go anywhere else (except Valley Market on La Jolla Blvd for poke!). p.s. We like that Gelson's is SUPER diligent on COVID-19 protocols -- sanitized carts and baskets when you walk in, barriers at checkout, etc. etc. THANK YOU

Sorry...I felt so uncomfortable shopping in this store for the first time....there were some employees that were friendly to me, but some act like they didn't even want to assist me with items I needed in the store or had a staring problem, like what are you doing here...? I wasnt even asked, would you like a bag to carry my items, out of the store? I do, know that CA charges for bags. I am born and raised here...I was being nice shopping for some1else, on this day and/or could been a mystery shopper. But...sorry...No, thanks...Never again...

This is a relatively small Gelson's with a private parking lot accessible from Turquoise. I find the aisles cramped and selections smaller than in other larger Gelson's. Store associates are friendly and helpful.

Gelson's has been a great market for my husband and I to go to when we need the essentials. We often get $5 or $10 off coupons in the mail and newspaper (if you spend a certain amount). I just recently learned that if you forget a coupon, you can always come back and have it applied to your receipt after the transaction. It is a smaller market, so you're not going to see a huge selection on all products, but it has everything that you need. Pricing is a bit higher than Vons, but I'd prefer to pay the higher prices so I don't have to go there. The staff is very friendly and helpful. They are currently offering special hours for seniors to shop. I'm not in that age group to speak to how busy (or not) it is during that time, but I appreciate that they are offering an environment for those to be comfortable shopping right now.

Just before Thanksgiving while we were poking around in Pacific Beach, I spotted this Gelson's & wanted to check it out. It was a first going to Gelson's & I believe this is the only one in the SoCal San Diego area. From them, we ordered a Thanksgiving Dinner for Two, which worked out fine for us. We were still in the throes of unpacking & cooking a meal without having found pots & pans wasn't doable yet. We ordered the Dinner, then picked it up the day of Thanksgiving. The customer service here is not great. In fact, a few were not very nice at all. Most are short with you and are not interested in helping you in any way. Plus, I overheard two employees talking about a customer in a bad way, then laughing about it, which was not cool. There should be better training in place so these things aren't overheard by first-time customers. It leaves a bad taste in the mouth of potential long-term customers. I found the selection of items limited, as the store itself is rather small. Prices are above the average price point, but I didn't see anything outstanding in quality that warranted these prices. Most likely won't shop at this location again. 89/100

Update: I realize I was probably just upset because I didn't have chicken. I will say that Gelsons has some interesting offerings and I do enjoy their deli obviously. I will probably always just make sure to have them put fried chicken in the back after I call in the future. Original review: I called at 6:01pm to ask if they had fried chicken. The deli manager said they had ample chicken. When my husband shows up 22 minutes later they mysteriously have zero chicken. And they did not manage to calm him down. Very very disappointing. I don't know if Dennis lied to me? Or was lied to by the deli? Unclear. But now I have no dinner and a house full of hungry people.

I took a star away because this grocery, deli, bakery, butcher shop, and fish market is priced for consumers that can afford to live in Bird Rock, La Jolla, or the expensive parts of PB and Mission Beach. It is not for your coupon clipping average family grocery shopper. If price is no object then it is a 5-star corner grocery, with ample parking and a quality butcher shop, fish shop and excellent deli. Their pesto noodles and spinach salad is the best. The Deli offers warm meals to go for lunch or dinner. They have a good wine selection but they can't compete with Ralph's wine pricing. They have a good selection of ice creams ( some high-end brands not found in other stores). I go there for their fresh poke. The best I've found so far and fairly priced for the quality. They also have a terrific freshly baked daily sourdough loaf of bread which is hard to beat.

This review is specifically for the deli and bakery department where they make some terrific sandwiches among other things. To top it off, the staff at this department are quite knowledgeable regarding their product and offer it all up with a friendly smile. When I saw that they offered quality peppered turkey as a deli meat I was in. It ordered a sandwich with all the fixing, except mayo, and added slice avocado for no additional cost on whole multi grain bread. The huge sandwich was only $8.99 and for an extra $2 you can get to healthy portioned sides as I did. I went for the homemade potato salad and the arugula and tomato pasta salad. The sandwich was beyond delicious and filling. It could of easily fed two people. The sandwich was handsomely filled with the peppered turkey, and let me tell you, that was some might tasty leaned carved turkey. The turkey went very well with the deli mustard, avocado, fresh tomatoes and lettuce, and the Provolone cheese I choose. I added thin sliced onions which were just right and the multi grain bread was moist and tasty. Both sides were terrific. I was a huge fan of their homemade potato salad. It offered a light-ness about it that I found appealing yet it was packed with a lot of great flavors. Seasoning was just right and so was its texture: creamy in spot with portions of tender potatoes. I loved the addition od the celery and green onions, both for their added flavors and texture. The arugula and tomato salad was very good indeed. It reminded me of that perfect pasta salad to enjoy on a warm summer day. The pasta was of the thinner variety and was well prepared and offered a bit of a chew. The arugula was fresh and slightly peppery and the tomatoes added a bit of sweetness and acidity to the salad. The salad also came with a small amount sunflower seeds that added a gentle crunchy, as the did the tender kernels of quinoa mixed in. As for the sprinkling of salty Parmesan cheese, I say don't hold back! All the ingredients were well balance, and I hope they keep making this one. For reals, it was a fantastic lunch and next on my list is that heavenly looking roast beef!

Love this grocery store and love working here. No place else I rather be. Started here the first day they opened.

Gelson's is a great market. I grew up shopping at the Gelson's in Corona del Mar and was thrilled when they opened this store in La Jolla. Their meats, seafood and produce are flawless, terribly expensive mind you sometimes, but absolutely top notch. I am also a huge fan of their baked goods and service deli. I don't get up there as often as I'd like, but if I find myself in La Jolla I try to get there. We will also probably use their Thanksgiving Dinner and Christmas Dinner again this year too.

Always love going to Gelson's. Clean, great selection and friendly staff. I'm a big fan of their granola and brioche buns. Believe me, once you try their granola there's no going back to standard grocery store brands. I'm addicted.

Good service and great selection. They have fresh local produce and dairy such as 72 hr laid eggs & high quality butters & milk. Highly recommend and will be back!

Love the salad bar and coffee/espresso pastry bar. Employees are friendly and helpful. Managers always help you find what you need. Their made-to-order sandwiches are so tasty . Lots of parking. They take expired coupons... Sometime they have wine tastings. They also have food tastings in the front of the store.

I love Gelson's Market.~ It reminds me of Whole Foods, Sprouts, and Jimbo's wrapped into one. This is located in the are of North PB/Bird Rock. I had previously been to the Gelson's in La Costa/Carlsbad and that one is being renovated, this one is pretty sweet. I like their section for getting coffee. When I've came by I've gotten their *large iced americano* or their *cold brew coffee*. They carry Peet's coffee too which is awesome and they carry appetizing treats and sweets like biscotti etc. They have a great kombucha selection and so much more. Overall, a great grocery store for those in the area with sweet service. =)

Lovely store with a horribly designed parking lot! What a nightmare trying to get in and out of here! If you can get through the anxiety of the parking lot you will find a great little market in this busy corner lot of Bird Rock. During a birthday family reunion the cooks in the kitchen needed some additional items so I volunteered to venture out to Gelson's to pick them up. After going in the second driveway, I realized that wasn't going to work to park from that angle and went back around to the first driveway. Once inside the store, I was able to find everything I needed as well as a beautiful pumpkin plant that delighted the whole family when I brought it back. Customer service at Gelson's was top notch and checkout was quick and painless. It is a little pricier than the average grocery store, but they have good quality products.

Well, it's a grocery store, so you probably won't have the time of your life here. However 99% of the staff are warm, friendly, and charismatic people. They are part of the unsung heroes of COVID, who've been working indoors the past 2 years to serve us. Show some appreciation if you can :)

I absolutely love Gelson's. They have the freshest tasting food I've ever had from a grocery store. The staff is always pleasant and the soups are delicious! I was so surprised when I ordered a turkey sandwhich today to find out that they don't charge extra for avocado. This makes me so happy & I'll forever be a loyal customer.

My daughter lives in Bird Rock, and this is really the closest store around, unless you want to hit a bunch of lights and traffic to go to Vons or Trader Joes's in PB. I don't really think you should compare this store to Trader Joe's as it is more like Von's. If you compare it to Von's, it really isn't all that much more expensive, and it provides a level of service and convenience you just don't get at big chain stores. It is a neighborhood market that carries a nice selection and superb deli and produce section. It has a wonderful staff the times I have been there. Gelson's does have some sale items that can be less than other stores. You can get a bargain now and then.

Gelsons is a great grocery store with lots of extras that your average grocery store doesn't offer. High quality and great selections in all departments!

This review if mostly for the bakery section. They recently contracted with Little Cakes Kitchen to provide a lot of their pies and pastries. Won't buy anything from their bakery again as the Little Cakes products are horrible. Corporate of Gelson's probably did this to save money but they are now providing customers with bad tasting bakery goods. Notified store manager to this effect. Now have to do more shopping at Bristol Farms Market and also Whole Foods. Gelson's was at one time an upscale market but I guess things have changed and they now aren't very concerned about the quality of their food items.

Too expensive. Also, rude employees. The manager -- the manager! -- was rude yesterday. His name, I believe, is Tony. I got sushi from over by the dessert section. The sticker said 10% off because the sushi looked a little old. When I got to the checkout, Tony said, "I don't know where this sticker came from, but I'm not going to argue." His tone was aggressive and made me feel like a thief. He was implying that I had placed a sticker on the sushi. Yeah, 10% off $11.00 is not much at all. And as if I just have a sticker on me as I walk in. Very rude reception. Not going back -- like ever. Life is too short to be treated this way as you're shopping. Adios.

I am here to review the bathroom since I saw no bathroom reviews. Happy to say that it was a clean bathroom and there is a baby chair in the big stall if you need to set your baby down somewhere!!