Ocean Beach People's Food Co-op

Ocean Beach People’s Food Co-op is one of those special places that truly represents the heart and soul of the community. From the moment you walk in, it’s clear this is more than just a vegan deli and grocery store—it’s a community-owned space built on shared values, respect, and care for people and the planet. That local ownership and collective spirit make the entire experience feel genuine, welcoming, and deeply rooted in Ocean Beach. The vegan deli is absolutely wonderful and consistently impressive. One of the best parts is that there’s always something new to try. The menu is ever changing, which keeps things exciting and gives you a reason to come back often. Whether it’s a new daily special, a seasonal dish, or a creative twist on a familiar favorite, there’s always variety. The food is fresh, flavorful, and thoughtfully prepared, showing just how good plant-based food can be. Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, or simply curious, the deli makes it easy to enjoy and explore new flavors. The store itself is just as great. It’s stocked with high-quality vegan, organic, and sustainably sourced products, including unique items you won’t always find at larger grocery stores. Shopping here feels good because you know your money is supporting ethical practices and a business that truly gives back to the community. What really sets Ocean Beach People’s Food Co-op apart is the people. The staff are friendly, knowledgeable, and genuinely kind, and the overall atmosphere is relaxed and inclusive. The vibes are positive, warm, and community-focused, making it a place you actually want to spend time in—not just shop and leave. Ocean Beach People’s Food Co-op is more than a deli or grocery store. It’s a community hub with great people, amazing vegan food, an ever-changing menu, and even better vibes.

I love People’s Food Co-op. It’s great for eating healthy and even changing your diet, like I did. It’s a 100% vegan, organic market. Downstairs, they have fresh produce of all kinds, fresh-made peanut butter, bread, and bins full of nuts, trail mix, cacao chips, ginger, and even some candy, the selection is extensive. Upstairs, they have a salad bar, hot freshly made food, and desserts like fresh cookies, muffins, and pre-made salads, all sold by weight. You don’t have to join the co-op, but I always renew every year. This place is top-notch and consistently has the same great items, with a few seasonal treasures when available. Upstairs, the freshly made food menu changes a bit, and they offer breakfast items until around 11 a.m.

Third generation in my family to shop here. Love shopping here for fresh vegetables and fruits- they use the best organic and local selection in my opinion outside of the farmer’s market. Their bulk section, bulk herbs, refillable water, and refillable soap station is also a big bonus to shopping here and prioritizing eco friendly (low to zero waste) by using less packaging. Every time I come here I run into someone I know and it’s a true community hub. If you are new to San Diego, this is a great place to meet people and grab some grocheries and a bite to eat in the deli.

My favorite grocery store in SD! The fruit and veggies are always super fresh. I love that it is not that big but they have almost everything I eat, the bulk section is great! The best almond butter ever and my husband really likes their peanut butter. The vegan deli upstairs is super good too and when they have scones I always get a few :) They also have a big section of personal care products, supplements, etc. This place has happy vibes. The staff is so helpful and friendly, I always leave with a smile!

A great place to shop for wholesome , Organic Vegan/Vegetarian friendly food and produce. Staff is always helpful and upstairs there is a salad bar as well as hot food ready to be served. Love their vegan hot breakfasts.

Only $15 to be a member, but anyone can shop there. Their deli is great and love their ‘best’ banana bread when it’s available. The only co-op in San Diego shockingly and maybe only vegetarian one in the country. Deli counter today was delicious! Everything looked good it was hard to choose for lunch. The curry chickpeas, facon spinach salad and guac are so good! Mock chicken salad dip is amazing! And pretty much all cookies and bars, scones

Awesome cute little store with so many healthy choices! Prices of Fruits and vegetables are similar to those of Sprouts. Bulk products are a bit more expensive but I think it’s because they are organic. Definitely a good market if you live or are near the area. I am a little further out so not sure if I will be back that often.

I’ve been shopping here for years, and OB People’s still surprises me. They carry all the local organic goods I can’t find elsewhere, and their vegan deli is actually better than many dedicated vegan spots. The only downside: on busy weekend mornings the checkout line gets long, but honestly I’ll wait for the quality.

Super! Organic produce, great selection of coffee beans, breads, vegan dairy/meats, vitamins, and they have an all-vegan cafe upstairs! Friendly folks. They accept my co-op membership from NY!

The grocery store itself is a 5. The upstairs deli used to be a 5 and went downhill to a 1 about 2 years ago. We used to shop at this co-op a lot because we loved the deli. This was the best little plant-based deli. It used to be amazing. Even non plant-based people enjoyed it. Nearly every time we went there would be a good amount of customers waiting - everyone would take a number and wait their turn. Now...you can walk in and pretty much count there's no customers or line and be helped right away because the selection has dwindled so much and what they do offer isn't that great and not much variation. On top of that - the prices were raised and they close earlier...I'd gladly pay the higher price for the same quality of food as before though. So many times we'd come several times a day to the deli and several days in a row because of the daily changing menu and pretty much everything they offered was so flavorful and delicious. I still think about the mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy they had. It was so good. Now the hot bar has about 5 different things when there used to be more variety to choose from. And now you can pretty much count on some sort of bread/gluten item to always be the main hot bar meal. Such as some sort of sandwich, hoagie, pizza etc. with grain sides or basic sides. Seems like they're just choosing to make what's easiest and cheapest. The prepared salad bar used to have 7+ different choices and now there's 2-3. Every item used to be labelled with full ingredient list and now sometimes there's no label at all lol. It would've been great if they kept the yummy food and good number of options and made the prepared salads and hot bar self serve like whole foods as well as add made to order juices and/or smoothies. Then the employees wouldn't have to waste time scooping and weighing customers hot bar food and prepared salads but now that the customer base has dwindled I guess it doesn't matter. Super saddened and disappointed by the deli. I hope they start using the good recipes again and improve the deli making it the same or better than before.

This review is mostly for the deli. COVID times had me stay closer to home for groceries and that carried over until this year when I thought how I'd like to rejoin Peoples. But oh Jesus what have they done to the deli? The food has been bland / bad and pickings are slim. Even the atmosphere is dreary. This used to be the best part about the coop. I don't know if there's new kitchen management or Peoples has fallen on hard times and they're skimping at the deli but I won't be going back or starting up my membership again with the current quality.

I've never seen kanzi, Arkanas black and winesap apples under one roof. Awesome cashier. I didn't get into the kombucha stockpile but I did pick up a Gopal's Power Wrap nori wrapped vegan jerky stick, jalapeno & cheese version.

It was a cooperative with a decent selection of items to choose from. I did not see any one able to serve any food upstairs and coffee was empty. Maybe next time.

This place is the best. I have been a member for over 10 years and it is well worth it. I love the fresh specialty produce and the super helpful staff. When you don't have time to cook and want a healthy meal the deli has all the vegan options - best salad bar! And they have the best water dispenser for RO and Alkaline H2O. I will keep coming back forever! Thanks Peoples

Love the quality, variety and prices of their products. The fact that you can become a member is a bonus.

Fun place to visit & get food before heading to the beach. The prices here can get a bit out of hand sometimes I will admit even with a members discount.

If you love vegan food, this is a must visit in Ocean Beach! The deli serves lunch and dinner options that are made on site with the freshest seasonal ingredients! Gourmet options and hot bar with make your own salad bar! Mornings you can get a robust fair trade cup of coffee with a fresh baked mouth watering pastry item to go with! The service is excellent and employees are friendly and always helpful. The deli is upstairs and the market on the first floor. Plenty of free parking in the lot or on the street. The sandwiches are delicious as are the house made soups. If you are vegan then this is THE BEST choice for you! You can become a member too for monthly special opportunities and discounts!

I was in Ocean Beach for a tennis tournament and wanted some healthy food and snacks. They had both. The upstairs deli makes delicious, healthy food. They have salads and entrees already made, or you can order what you want from the kitchen. I had a tempeh bacon sandwich, and it was delicious! I bought some delicious lavender rosemary yogurt for breakfast and Himalayan popcorn and dark chocolate for snacking. Most importantly, the staff were wonderful! My checkout person took the time to look up other vegan food places for me on his phone. Overall great experience and I highly recommend this place.

Nice market to shop in if you are looking to buy produce from local farms. The quality of the produce seems fresh and the prices are fair.

Always a good experience, can be more pricy than other markets but the taste is worth it if you can afford it. The workers are all kind too :)

This grocery store is an absolute must when visiting San Diego. Anytime I'm in town, I have to take a quick trip to get some of the unique and specialty items that I've never seen anywhere else. As a vegan, it's very exciting to shop in a grocery store with so many options and not be confronted with animal body parts everywhere. My favorite things to get here are some of the local brand products including: San Diego Tempeh, Babe kombucha, entrees from Peace Pies, and The Tofu Shop. I also love the housemade salads, entrées, pastries, etc. from the hot and cold bar and bakery on the second floor. I've never seen the same items in the hot and cold bar but my favorite things I've tried were the enchilada casserole and an amazing mushroom stroganoff. I only wish they had another one of these locations in Orange County!

Definitely a five star spot in my opinion! This little corner store makes a big town feel small, a very humble and down to earth store that is loaded with all the goods. Even though it's organic there are tons of ways to save money and buy good quality food here by shopping what's in season and signing up for free to be a "member" so that you can get discount prices! On the second floor there's a fresh deli and food bar that you can chill and eat food at. The food is super fresh and always looks delicious! I appreciate the people here as they are very helpful and warm to talk to. You can't go wrong at this spot!! For the meat lovers - you won't find meat here so plan to shop elsewhere when looking for meat and seafood!

Such a welcoming and friendly community market! The store is clean and has many natural products. There is also a deli upstairs that looks great, which I will be going back to try very soon! Highly recommend shopping here & supporting the local community :)

People's is great. The food is amazing quality and everyone there is so friendly. Every time I've been there has been a sample station around and every time I buy the sample... always soooo good. The only thing is it's so expensive, one time I went in for cheese and got a small bag of shredded cheese for like $7. I do continue to support though because i like to support organic and local! No dogs inside though (service dogs excluded)

Things have not changed at Peoples! I am happy to report that you can still experience a relaxed, nutritious, colorful, oxygenated, organic, meditative mealy this mystical masterpiece. I love to try the daily vegan preparations. You do not have to feel guilty due to calories, excessive sugar and too much meat in your diet. I'm so pleased to be able to continue my love of this unique organic food market and restaurant. You can get purified water too.

A model other businesses & patrons should follow. Coop! For the People! Organic & healthy products! (Free parking)! A gem in the neighborhood

One of my fav places to get produce in Ocean Beach. I also love their prepared food options especially because I'm vegan and it's hard to find good, healthy, tasty vegan food. The upstairs deli is a must.

Organic goodness; feel good food. Enjoy deli upstairs w/ salad varieties and hot food. Delicious entrees cooked with care. Have had Coop membership for years and recommend (:

Love this spot for produce and other groceries I can't find anywhere else. They always have fresh options and it's well organized!

If you're not taking advantage of the upstairs "deli" items for soup, salad and vegetarian entries PLUS delicious baked goods, you're missing out! The deli within the store is great for a quick, healthy meal and there are always a variety of cookies and other yummy baked goods to choose from for a not-as-bad-for-you sweet tooth fix. If you haven't tried this option in the neighborhood, you really should give it a try - especially if you're vegetarian-oriented in your eating.

I come by here everyday for my early morning snacks. This is where I get all my healthy foods at a great deal. Whole foods charges way too much in order to eat healthy so we've decided to make the Trek out to OB Beach people's food market. The store is great, it has so much to choose from. All the vegetables are so fresh. They also have a delicious vegan hot food selections, I'll come here to get my food for the week. It's a good way for me to meal prep. People that work here are pretty nice, they always welcome you with a smile and say hi or thank you. I sometimes have trouble finding stuff and they're always there to help. The cost here is a little pricey but it's worth it for the quality and the fact that you are helping everyone there. It is one of my favorite grocery stores in San Diego. There is also a good deli next door that serves awesome sandwiches.

My favorite grocery store in San Diego!! So many fresh and organic produces. The deli offers two different soup, salad bar, salad by weights, hot food items, baked goods, and made to order sandwiches. They are all vegan!! You will be amazed by the selections of produces, many bulk bin items from beans, dehydrated mushrooms, rices, and more. Stop by and check out this co-op!!

A member since the 1980s. I love this store. The people are great. HOWEVER: (I write this review- 100% for constructive criticism) The prepared food is REALLY BAD!!!! PLEASE FIRE THE CHEF!!!!! I don't want to insult anyone, but there are excellent, simple, vegan and vegetarian recipes that could be made cost effectively, so I just can't understand why the prepared food at People's is so horribly bad. Also, I bought an apple there yesterday that was $4. With my membership discount! Yes. I'll repeat that. I bought a $4 apple. I don't buy "supply chain" excuses anymore. That same apple at WholeFoods was $1.98. There is no excuse for some of the ridiculous prices at People's these days-- apart from the obvious one. During the pandemic, supply chain was a big issue. People's also bought the building next door and it stayed empty for over 2 years. So now People's is gouging customers and members, and it's very disheartening. It also doesn't seem like a very good place to work because everytime I go in there, 4-5 times a week, there are cashiers I've never seen before, and I never see them again. People's, please listen up: Get your shit together. Your members and the community deserve that.

How am I the Duke? I am not even a member of OBPOFM. Maybe it's because I like visiting when they have special vegan luncheons. They're quite a bargain, and they either benefit charities or this co-op directly. Win-win! I'm overdue for a visit to the deli. You certainly get a better deal here for vegan victuals than you would anywhere else in OB, including the farmers market. Maybe for the next time that I go to California Wild Ales? I wonder how the vegan cakes are? You can special order them. I may have to do that for my wife's birthday. I guess I like everything about OBPOFM but the groceries. I can find better quality and better prices elsewhere. I'm sure that this place is a godsend for those who never leave OB (and you know who you are). Power to the people.

I came on 1/7/2022 with a friend to order food at the deli on the second floor of the market around 1 pm. It was busy with a line, but organized with a ticket system to grab a number so that the staff could call folks in the order of arrival to fulfill orders. We got the 2 soups of the day: lentil-based, and a tomato-based country vegetable; items from the hot section: breakfast potatoes, black-eyed-pea masala, mixed veggies (green and purple cabbage and mushrooms); item from the bakery section: zucchini bread; and the cold salad section: soomi salad. The selections were all vegetarian and absolutely flavorful, fresh, well-seasoned, and delicious! Each selection had a unique flavor that showcased the high quality for the ingredients. We ate outside at a table with an umbrella and there was ample seating on the ground / parking lot level, with adequate physical spacing between tables. After lunch, we went to the market for grocery shopping. I was impressed by the variety of organic applies and fresh mushrooms (oyster, shiitake, crimini, portabello, white button). The produce was healthy, vibrant-green, fresh, and fully stocked; aisles and floor clean and tidy. The bulk foods section had reasonable prices per pound for organic nuts, dried fruits, grains, beans, and flours. I had heard about the wellness section and how carefully things are selected there, and recently discovered an allergy to inactive ingredients in vitamins that I bought for cheap at a big-box store. So I found and bought some vitamins that had really nothing in them except for the vitamins I wanted. Hope they work out. The deli and the market are awesome and I will be back! It is very unique to see a market that does not sell meat and this is a plus for me. (I understand that there are sustainable ways to source meat.) I am inspired because it pushes my comfort zone to reflect the challenges towards sustainability and balance that I am seeking, and it is great to see a store do this, so thank you!!

come here almost everyday, staff is super friendly and they have a lot of options when it comes to organic, plant base, and gluten free

I was a passionate and dedicated customer of this store since 1975, becoming a member in 1985 at first opportunity - nearly 50 years of patronage. For me, the heart and spirit of this cooperative has changed to the extent that my passion and dedication are exhausted. I see food dogma, judgment, and extremism replacing inclusivity and tolerance of all variations of vegetarianism and/or healthy eating. I will not recommend, renew a 38 year membership, nor shop at this once beloved natural foods store again.

I always stop in for my morning wheatgrass and juice fix whenever I'm in town. They have very creative juice combos and good vegan options.

Just went into the market and left without buying anything - $8 for a head of cauliflower, $6 for Annie's salad dressing - enough said. Everything here is marked up ostensibly higher than any other natural, local option. Fuck this market for making locally sourced organic produce completely unaffordable. I was a member for two years and I am on food stamps - no way can I shop here anymore. If this market really was a people's market they would have affordable options. It's clear they just care about rich people staying healthy.

Love the variety of all organic food. Total lifesaver for my parrot food too!! Very clean and awesome variety

Okay, so it is a bit disorganized and a little dusty. But the produce is top notch. They sell products from local organic farmers. I know I am getting high quality when I shop here. It is reasonably priced, and the employees are knowledgeable. They ha e a vegetarian restaurant on the second floor. They have a couple of dishes I like. But I shop here for the fruits and vegetables. Scrub the stuff when you get home. There are no pesticides used on the produce.

Best bulk selection in the area. Able to buy local honey, tea, spices and plenty of other items in their bulk section. Their produce is always exceptional in quality and taste. The deli has phenomenal vegan choices.

Great organic market! I will definitely go back to this location. I wish there were more locations in San Diego.

I've shopped here at least once a week for ten years. Organic produce is as good as what you get at the local farmers markets but less expensive. I'm not vegetarian but I enjoy many of the different salads offered at their upstairs deli. Great selection of bulk dry foods (rice, beans, dried fruit, pasta, cereal, nuts, etc.), herbs, spices and teas. They also have bulk olive oil, local honey and fresh peanut and almond butter. Service is way above average and most everyone working there is helpful and friendly. This place is a gem and I'm so glad I went into to the store 10 years ago to check it out. It's so worth the $15 yearly membership fee. You get it back at least three fold with all the sales and money you save by shopping there.

This was the closest grocery store to where we were staying so we went here to stock up on basic supplies like water, snacks, quick prepared foods, etc. The store is easy to navigate through and since most of the supplies are organic prices are a bit higher but they had some good brands here for sale. Downstairs is the produce and boxed/canned/bagged goods and upstairs is their freshly prepared foods section complete with salad bar and bakery. There's a small seating area too if you want to dine in. I've had a few of their salads and their baked goods. I really enjoyed their sweets! The cookies were fantastic, and I can see why their chocolate chip is a blue ribbon winner! As for their salads, we did come towards the end of the night so the salads were nearing the peak of their lifespan so they weren't too great freshness wise. I had some of the salad of the day and a strawberry celebration salad. The salad of the day was some sort of "Mexican inspired" concoction which I didn't care for too much. There seems to be some de facto rule with places that don't know how to make real Southwestern food where if they just add a ton of cumin to everything it somehow makes it "Mexican." In addition to the cumin spiced seasoning, there were black beans, corn, soggy tortilla strips, and the actual romaine lettuce was a bit wilted and soggy as well. BUT, as mentioned, to be fair I came here towards the end of the day. The strawberry salad was a lot better. It had spinach, whole pecans, red onion slivers, sliced sweet strawberries in a lovely balsamic vinaigrette. The times I've been here to shop for items all the check out staff have been very friendly and kind.

The store itself is great and prices are reasonable, but many of the employees are not what you would expect. Some don't seem to be knowledgeable (or even curious) about the most basic store policies. Others are super unfriendly. I support co-ops generally and have had much better experiences at other food co-ops in California and beyond. I hope things improve here.

I am so happy to be a part of this bubble! Very on point following CDC guidelines during Covid-19 pandy, friendly and attentive staff, fair/reasonable prices if you know what you're looking for and follow their newsletters, great variety of brands and specialties to support local produce and independent distributors. Buying groceries and products, especially when cheap, at big corporate brands in general comes at an opportunity cost of our freedoms. Yep, freedom has a price tag. Spread the goodwill and live well! I vibe and jive here :) Many of the low score reviews here are about the staff because these reviewers feel so entitled (Note: How about you go to Whole Foods, you illogical pricks?), don't understand how co-op and memberships work, and are unfortunately too deskilled to take care of themselves with their pro-labor views. I'm sorry that your life sucks. No offense, just saying. kthxbaizzzzzz P.S. Also "Karen," pick up your phone. Reality has been trying to call you.

Beautiful grocery store, such a great selection of products. If you like Trader Joes or Whole Foods, this will be your shop. My reason for the lower rating is that the cashier was extremely rude. I was holding the hand basket while checking out as I had no idea where I should put it (visiting from Atlanta, first time I ever been here) and as I was just holding it empty, the cashier guy said to me "What, you want me to take it???" in a very condescending way. Everyone else in the store seemed very friendly. Dude was probably just having a bad day. [Review #565] (45th Review of 2018)

I love this store and the people who work here. I hate that every time I go in there are at least several people not wearing masks even though there is an omicron surge and it's a statewide law. Today a guy with his mask under his nose stood by me as I checked out which took a long time because there was something wrong with the cash register. He was just wearing it under his nose endangering us all and giving me a big smile. A 50 something couple walking around the whole time without them and no one said a word. I get that no one likes enforcing this but with all the scofflaws walking around this store I no longer feel safe shopping here right now

Suprisingly unfriendly service. We were scoffed at for not having a membership. Also, a real lack of diversity. Mainly uppity, white customers that appeared financially well off. Very disappointing. The polar opposite of what we were expecting. Do better. Respect other cultures.

Great local market that offers fairly-priced local produce, and holds a high standard for sourcing packaged foods and bulk items. I love that I can trust that anything I purchase there makes it to the shelf with locality, ethics and fair trade as a high priorities. They sell a few items that are difficult to find in big chain stores, like raw dairy products, elderberries, specialty spices, and awesome in-store blended bulk teas. My only complaint is that the vegan deli is inconsistent. I'm allergic to gluten and soy, and sometimes nearly everything has one or both of those common allergens. Other times everything is fantastic and I buy enough for a few days lunches. Also lately the legume dishes have been chronically undercooked; I'm not fond of crunchy beans and my tummy isn't either. Fortunately they're offering samples again, so I can try before I buy.

Best organic produce in SD! So fresh and great selection! Love all the vegan goodies too :)

I love OB People's Organic Food Co-op! They have a great selection of produce from many local sources, all organic and reasonably priced. Their selection in the entire store leaves nothing lacking for me and my wife. They also are happy to order products that you think are missing with requests. The deli upstairs makes delicious hot and cold vegan food. I love the variety of meals they make and there is enough turnover that the food is always fresh! You can tell that owners love to eat from the deli! Their bakery items are super delicious also, like the cinnamon rolls, Go Take a Hike cookies and other desserts like the lemon bars. I am so glad that People's is in San Diego. Keep up the good work! Suggestion - Please start letting more people inside at one time, people already kept their distance before all this. The line outside prevents me (and likely others?) from shopping here as often as I would like. To avoid your line when it's long, I end up driving to Jimbo's instead and spend my money there.

Woohoo !!! Veghead heaven !!! 100% vegetarian, non-gmo, and locally organic !!! Now that alone is a healthnut's dream come true !!! What else hasn't been said about this place ??? - Private parking lot, but a little cramped. Parking is a hit or miss. - Very open market and plenty of items to browse through. - Great selection of fresh organic produce. - Cool deli/buffet upstairs ! Lots of vegan options ! Yum ! - Offers wheat grass shots ! $1/ounce - Nice, open, and plenty of seating - Casual and quick place to grab a bite to eat - Chocolate chip cookies were kind of dry and stale (maybe sitting in the case for too long). - Oatmeal cookies were decent - Customer service was just okay. Nothing special. - Upstairs buffet: Pay for food first then order. Interesting concept and confusing at the same time for noobs like me. - This place can get busy !! Great lunch spot ! We need more businesses like this throughout San Diego. Heck ..please have one close to home in the North County area. Pretty please with a cherry on top ! :) Overall, it was worth the drive ! I need to go back !!!

A store with a parking lot in OB?! Such a relief to not have to struggle to park. It's not huge but it helps. The store is bigger than I thought. Produce looked good; not cheap but not as overpriced as I anticipated. They have a grocery section as well plus a deli upstairs. Definitely recommend for anyone who likes natural/vegetarian food options.

I love the Coop! I'm so glad they have a terrific new bulk water dispenser. Fresh Pure Waters is a highly respected brand nationally. They have a huge water treatment center in the back of the store! They sell Alkaline, RO and Deionized water!

People's is like a home to me! I love their produce it is always very fresh and high quality. They always play really happy music inside which puts me in a good mood. Their employees are always calm and very friendly :) They have multiple seating areas which is great to hang out and eat after getting food from the cafe upstairs which has an AMAZING breakfast ( I love the greens and potatoes). And my fav lunch cafe items are the almond kale salad and the loco broccoli. Thank you People's.

Best place for vegan groceries. Great produce. Great food upstairs. Awesome dried goods selections. Even all the soaps and bath stuff. People who work there are all super awesome too. Keep on killin it! Cheers