Windmill Farms Market

Living next to this store for a few years has been a bit of a journey. I’ve noticed some great improvements, like the amazing Tortilla Bar, which I really appreciate! However, there are still a few areas where we could make things even better. Here are a few thoughts: First off, the Tortilla Bar is fantastic! I was a bit surprised to see that they’re now using a mix of hydrogenated seed oils (like Vegetable and Soybean) along with beef fat. I wonder if adding these extra ingredients was just to save money? It’s a bit puzzling, especially since the store often promotes healthy foods. It seems like many people might not be keen on consuming seed oils, especially since they’re sometimes linked to various cancers. 🤷🏻‍♂️ Also, the produce often looks a bit overripe. The bell peppers aren’t as crisp as they could be, and the avocado’s are often too soft and brown inside. I’ve had to throw out a lot of them, which is a shame. The new produce stands seem to be designed for produce that’s always going bad while it’s still in the store. I’ve even bought fresh Brussels sprouts and asparagus with mold on them, and the metal tray they were sitting on was also moldy. I’ve also had to exchange whole bags of completely green potatoes several times before finally getting a refund. Many of the items are quite expensive, especially when compared to other health food markets like sprouts. My money goes further there, and they’re only about 8 minutes away. I’ve noticed some items are a bit cheaper, like Hero bread, which is $8 at Windmill but $13 at Sprouts. I really enjoy the monthly sales in the nutritional supplements section, so I usually take advantage of those deals. It would be great if you did similar deals on food, as it would really help you stand out from the competition. One of your employees mentioned that it’s because you’re smaller, you have to mark up your prices. With Windmill being owned by the same people who own Frazier Farms (and Frazier Farms is absolutely packed from open to close) I don’t see how prices could still be that high when you have a demand of people willing to shop and buy products so buying in bulk shouldn’t be an issue especially since you have numerous store owned under your umbrella. It seems like most of your food items are almost double the price of what competitors charge, so either that’s not quite right, or it is. I’m not usually one to complain, but with the current state of the economy and how expensive San Diego is, it would be great if our neighborhood market could offer some deals on food or at least keep prices more reasonable. (Mission Gorge Farmers Market is owned by a smaller group and prices are far more reasonable) It feels like your prices have been increasing over the past three years, and I’m hoping there’s a chance for improvement. This unfortunately makes you seem a little greedy. I really enjoy shopping here, especially with the wonderful staff, especially in the Nutrition section. If the prices and produce were better, I’d definitely shop more often. Instead, I’ve been going to Sprouts and only visiting once a month now, which is a shame since it’s right in my backyard.

Plenty of parking, great, friendly staff. Lots of healthy food and supplements! Cute, quaint store. Great atmosphere! Fresh, home made flour tortillas. To go type meals & salads. Meatloaf is prepared and fresh. Just pop it in the oven!

Love this market. Great meat counter and fresh organic vegatbles. Aand now they sel fresh homemade tortillas there. I'll never buy tortillas anywhere else now!

A really delightful neighborhood market with a good selection of local products I haven't seen in the bigger stores! Really nice hidden gem.

Truly my favorite grocery store in all of San Diego It was my favorite memory when I attended Marvin Elementary almost 3 decades ago. Love how everything is top quality, personal service, clean, lots of parking space and love the front side right corner as a holistic health approach. I love that they carry Claraville Milk.

Never heard of this store never been to it until they got their flour Tortilla machine up and running. From poncho villas best tortillas ever they taste like mom's. The store is very clean, people are friendly helpful all in all AWESOME store.

Always a great selection of just about anything you'd need. Wide selection of organics, bulk, breads and a great deli! Amazing selection of beers, frozen vegan foods as well as vegan cheeze, spreads, butters and drinks. This is a great source for vegans and vegetarians as well as every other foods! One of our favorite "go to" stores or organics and vegan foods!

I really like this grocery store. They have a lot of very unique pasta salads and prepared foods that are very good. Nice vegetable and fruit section, as well as nuts, seeds, whole bean coffees, pastas and a lot of variety of items that aren't carried anywhere else. The only negative is that it is fairly expensive...

INDEPENDENT NEIGHBORHOOD MARKET (5 Stars) Word on the street, the owner of Windmll Farms is the brother of the owner of Pancho Villa and Pancho Villa was known for their fresh flour. Since he passed the brother has taken over the fresh flour tortillas operation and brought it to Windmill Farms to keep family traditions going. This was the first reason to come to Windmill Farms. FYI, operations are to be up sometime May 2025. But my second reason to come will be because it reminds me of a smaller and more affordable "Sprouts". Lots of local and independent and healthy brands. They even have repacked food friendly to the budget - after all this market is across the freeway from SDSU so it is friendly to college students budget. And for those TikTok'ers out there searching for Organic Strauss Milk trend to try the thick creamy milk top to try with a spoon, they sell that milk in a glass container here! By the way, probs the best milk I've ever tasted. The top was interesting. Adding this place to stores for groceries!

This was kinda a cool store to come to. Not because they had anything special or cool but because it was super clean, some spacious, well lit, great layout, and just a super calm space. The aisles are to the right of the store after you enter, produce is right in the middle, cashiers are there as soon as you enter, deli and meats are to the left. Came in mid morning on a Tuesday. Not a ton of foot traffic which helped with the experience of not feeling rushed since it was my first time here. This version as it's currently constructed is only about 20 years old even tho the history of it dates back to the 1940s. What I like most about this place is just how fresh it is. I didn't see one fruit or vegetable that looks like it was about to expire or looked bad or wasn't crispy and ready to eat right there and then. What I dislike the most is the price. You'll eat good food but the price is pretty steep. Parking is a cinch!

Their "Guacamole Salsa" contains zero avocados... lame. By definition, guacamole must contain avocado. That's literally the core ingredient, and without it, it's not guacamole. Interesting considering their recent Pancho Villa incorporation.

This is one of our neighborhood produce and health food grocery stores and most recently I've noticed the change up in the cookies they sell in addition to the new fresh corn and flour tortilla setup in the store. I am a serious fan of the chocolate chip pecan cookies they sell and of the freshly made flour tortillas . $3.99 for a bag of about 8-10. Yum!!!

My new favorite little grocery store. I especially love their tortillas and ready made deli items. Their sushi is great. It's like a sprouts, but better!

I was in Del Cerro area this morning and since tomorrow I have a medical procedure for which I cannot eat anything solid, decided to stop by and see if they had chicken soup. A young lady saw me lost wandering the aisles and asked if I needed help. She was super nice and helpful and finally she accompanied me to the area where they have various broths. She explained the difference of each and I brought a bunch of various brands. I found this market very nice, clean, beautiful painted mural. All great.

Super clean, friendly service all throughout, and fresh products. You definitely pay a decent price for everything but it's all quality and it's a fun experience to shop in the store. I especially love the murals on the wall.

My review is mostly on the flour tortillas. So Pancho Villa closed and the fresh tortilla moved here! Same great taste!! $4.99 for fresh and hot tortillas! The store is great as well. A bit overpriced for me but the house made pies are at a great price.

And now they have their store-made killer flour tortillas!!!! YUM!!!! YUM!!! YUM!!! Run, don't walk, to Windmill Farms!!!

Selection is excellent, me and my family had a sandwich which we both loved. As for the store itself it smells fresh and everything looks fresh. I highly recommend, me and my family will be returning:) Not one thing was missing from our grocery list!! also for the littles they have a basket of free fruit for them to enjoy! Service was amazing as well :)

Their website advertises sandwiches starting at $5 even though no such sandwich appears to exist at their deli. We ordered an $8 herbivore sandwich from the deli. They did not add avocado even though it was one of the only two listed ingredients: avocado plus vegetables - LOL. Also, the deli was incredibly stingy with the vegetables that we did request to be added. Let me tell you, this bite sized $8 sandwich wouldn't have been enough to feed a 5 year old. For example, we requested cucumber, and they added two very thin slices of a cucumber. As for the market itself, it has an okay selection of items, some overpriced compared to similar grocers, but a few decent sales. All of that said, we have no appetite to come back here after being conned by the deli.

The guy at the deli was just staring at us while we were trying to figure out what we wanted from the sandwich options list, I felt awkward and asked for a pen so I can help myself better pick my choices, he refused to hand me a pen and said he would wait while holding the pen to the paper ? Then he proceeded to yell out WHOS ACTUALLY READY? it was quite embarrassing. So we left. It's usually better than this so I am genuinely surprised,

I have been shopping at Windmill Farms weekly for 21 years and have traditionally done most of my grocery shopping there. Yesterday, I bought some of their almond bearclaws and that evening while eating one, I bit into a machine bolt that was embedded in the icing. I took them back to Windmill this morning and while the manager was apologetic and said she would throw away that tub of icing, she did little more than offer me a refund for my trouble. I told her that I thought this was serious and I was lucky I didn't break a tooth or worse, swallow it and she said "would a $25 gift card make you happy?" Not sure exactly what I expected, but a little more empathy and desire to make things right would have been nice without needing to press the issue. Disappointed in Windmill Farms and I will likely shop elsewhere, especially for baked goods. ..............................

LEAVING THIS MOSTLY FOR MANAGEMENT: Been coming to this store for over 30 years.. Boneys/Windmill Farms. 7/16/2025 at 1:17 pm. Kathy the cashier's is great! The "Russian" accent lady "Bagging" is absolutely rude rude rude. Not a person to be around customers. Observe her and you will see the same very quickly.

I've been shopping here for 20+ years. The deli sandwiches like the Italian and the Lindsey are staples. The in House made sausages are great specifically the apple sausage. I grab chuck roast and pork butt weekly and their beer selection is wonderful.

There's something about the coziness of this store that I love. It's great for picking up last-minute grocery items if you're in the area, or if you need vitamins/supplements/healthy stuff in general. In my experience, the prices are a bit higher than chain grocery stores, so doing your everyday shopping here has the potential to add up. That aside, there are some other things about Windmill Farms I love (besides the coziness): - Lots of parking! - Usually not crowded, very chill - Great selection of to-go dinner/lunch/breakfast items that you heat up and eat up - Deli counter with made-to-order sandwiches!

My local grocery store. It's amazing and always looking to improve. They have a great selection of organic products, freshly made pre-prepared lunches, tortillas from the pancho vialla market. The best place for groceries in Del Cerro.

I walked into Windmill farms anxiously awaiting the arrival of the 'Pancho Villa tortillas'. I made the unfortunate mistake of asking one of the cashiers about them. Wow!!!! She was AWFUL! Her arms were crossed, she was leaning against the register, (there were no customers in sight) she had no eye contact, she disgustingly shook her head and said NO. Well, she doesn't have to worry about me, I won't be back. I rarely shopped there before but was planning on making it a regular stop. I shopped at Pancho Villas for the tortillas but picked up other items for the convenience. I very rarely run into someone as rude as that cashier at Windmill farms and it will be awhile until I forget it.

This place has the best deli counter ever! I love that they have so many topping choices (esp the olives and sprouts) compared to other grocery store delis. The breads are always very fresh, I like the molasses one. The sandwiches are HUGE and reasonably priced. It's nice they also offer a half sandwich option as well. They have a stamp card program where you can buy 7 and get the 8th free. Wish that sprouts' deli was like this one!

Food was ready for pick up on time and was delicious! Really, YELP, you won't accept my review because it was too short?, That is ridicules! (How do you like my extra words?)

This lil gem is a neighborhood favorite of mine for years! Living in the allied garden, mission valley and college area, this was one of my go to grocery stores, still is! Literally one of three stores that I go to for all my food items. This store is out a little out of the way, but I make a day out of it running errands on the weekend. What keeps me coming back? The Bacon!!! Yes, the bacon. There's something that I just love about it. It's the most delicious bacon in my opinion! There are so many other wonderful things I keep coming back for too... the chicken salad, the black pepper & herb steak (all in the deli section!) They have an amazing deli counter to make sandwiches which is super busy at lunch time! The have a great selection at the counter to just grab anything you can think of already prepped and ready to cook when you get home. A huge selection of fresh veggies. Your unique finds and the biggest selection of snacks! Everything from your healthy nuts, to gummies of every single kind, and yogurt covered pretzels. So yummy! I love supporting our local small business. The staff is always super friendly and they even have a self check counter now!

Ordered several sandwiches here. Took a long time to make three sandwiches. Ordered one state on focaccia and it was half the size as the same on another bread and it was served on ciabatta.

I love Windmill Farms because they carry all of my favorite things that you can't get at Walmart/Vons type stores ... the best bread and granola in town (Bread & Cie), best meat/cheese (Boar's Head), best milk/cream/yogurt brands (Organic Valley, Brown Cow, and more), and best meats (like air-chilled chicken). I will make an extra trip for my favorites, and it's really nice to have one store that literally has it all. They also have lots of good deals on produce if you check the specials. Plus, an awesome bulk department, great cheese selection, and lots of other good stuff. The staff are great, especially whenever I've had a special request. So grateful they're in town!!!

I used to come here for their sandwiches when I was a student at SDSU. You spend $5-$7 for their huge sandwiches with fresh ingredients and always filling! Just this past week, I was in the area with a college friend who was visiting town and I took her here. Needless to say, we had a very fulfilling lunch and some left for later in the day!

I went to Windmill farms last night after hiking Cowels. Grabbed some groceries got home. Ate. Woke up at 7AM with severe cramps and diarrhea. Looked in the morning at my groceries to discover yellow mold growing in my potato salad. Purchased on 7.22 Sell by date 7.26 When I called the store, the manager laughed. "We didn't purposefully sell you expired food, I don't know what you want me to do ha" Offered me a $2.31 refund if I could drive out there. Then laughed again. I have submitted a complaint to the SD County Environmental Health & Quality board. I am following up with the BBB as well. I had been a Windmill Farms customer for over 7 years. And continued driving back to shop there even after I left Del Cerro and moved to Mission Hills. Manager asked "what do you want me to do?" I responded "how about a little empathy for this situation and not laughing at me." To which she responded by laughing again.

Favorite place to grab a sandwich. Their deli is top tier. Also one of the better places to grocery shop. Best produce and meat selections!

I absolutely love this store!!! Everyone who works here is top notch. EXCEPT for the rude manager who seems to spend all of his time talking to the 20 something female employees in the nutrition department. Every time I walk in and stand there waiting for assistance, I am ignored by both the girl and the manager who don't seem to be doing anything that would inhibit them from helping a customer. I have had to ask for help from employees from another department who are always wonderful. Idk why that man still works there.

I used to love this place but it has gone down hill. Doesn't have enough of an organic selection. Produce freshness has been really poor and bulk items per lb were loaded with moth larvae!!! Ugh!! I threw out almost half of everything I bought!

Wine and cheese was on the menu for our fun filled night of trashy reality television and Trader Joe's was my wife's top pick to grab the goods. I, for one, have a love/hate with TJ's and thankfully for Windmill Farms, the line at Trader Joe's gave me every reason to call an audible! After battling the Trader Joe's parking garage a wide open parking lot at Windmill Farms was a sight for very sore eyes. Even better was walking into a peaceful and well-stocked store at 6:30 PM on a Monday - definitely different than the devil... errrr, Trader Joe's. We sorted through the cheese section and while it's not massive it did have some good picks. We love a good crystally cheddar and we found a really good one for about $6.00 that we'll definitely buy again. Supporting local should always be top of mind and I apologize that it took a long ass line to have me make that decision last night. I'll certainly be back... often!

Love the fresh salads and lettuce like how you get it at the Farmers Market. Really enjoy the fresh soups and side entrees as well. Thank you Windmill Farms for being grocery gem in east region.

I like Windmill Farms okay. It's close by home and has enough to get by. I wish it were a little more like the Cardiff Seaside Market with higher end fresh ingredients and prepared food. One thing I've always gone back for were there Mary's Donuts! They are always a great treat, especially the blueberry cake... yum. Now WMF sells (gasp) individual Duncan Donuts and that's just wrong. Selling out beloved local company for terrible national chain stinks. Bring back Mary's so I don't have to drive to Santee!!

I love windmill_farms they been in business for over 30 years and is your local market, they have an amazing deli and sandwhich program, check them out you can build your own, or get the Lindsay sandwhich is one of my favorites, I also love the pastas and salads they have too, the staff is friendly and everything is sooo delicious

I have lived close to here for 8 years now, and I will give an honest review. What I love: 1. their sandwiches and chips. We use their free sandwich punchcard and have always loved the freshly made sandwich options. 2. It's small and convenient and quick to get stuff, compared to a larger chain store. 3. Tons of parking, never have had issues with that. 4. Was able to find specialty spices there I could not find at other stores. What I don't love: 1. Prices are high, fresh cut deli meat for example seems significantly higher than other places. 2. Produce is not always the best, similar to Sprouts in that it's a little hit or miss. 3. We went there to find vaseline late at night for one of our kids, and we could not find any product compareable to that in the naturopathic product area. 4. I got food poisoning once from the chicken salad in the deli counter...I think it was a one-off but has made me hesitant to use their ready made food. We still go when we need a few things or want sandwiches and lunch items, but I prefer other stores for most of my grocery needs.

Good sandwiches for a good price, fresh ingredients & healthy products. Good place for lunch !!

They still got pretty good sangwhiches. But they still got pretty wack prices too. Pretty decent beer selection as well.

BEST place for sandwiches! TL;DR (+) Super delicious (+) Really cheap (-) Inside a grocery store (-) Sandwiches take a while to be made Ever since I've been introduced to their sandwiches, I can't stop thinking about them! The sourdough bread is really big and my go to while the focaccia is delicious yet is really small. They're only $5 but taste way better than sandwiches from other places. One downside is that during busy hours, the sandwiches can take a really long time to be made. It took them over 20 minutes to make 2 paninis. This place is definitely underrated especially since it's inside a grocery store but will definitely not disappoint.

I went there looking for certain supplements because they usually have good sales prices. I didn't see any special deals, nor could I find what I wanted. There were two people involved in quite a long chat on the counter. I don't know if they were both employees or not but I felt that it would have been rude to interrupt them to ask for help. I went to buy some organic strawberries, but they did not look very fresh. I found better ones at Trader Joe's for less.

Their deli sandwiches are perfection. So many choices for bread, toppings, meat, cheese, hot or cold, etc. They will make it exactly how your heart desires. The employees who take the individualized sandwich orders are very kind and patient too. It can get busy around lunchtime so be prepared to wait a few more minutes if you go during the lunch rush.

Decent selection of quality products. Fresh bread and meat counter delivers good choices at a competitive price. Their dry goods section is a bit cumbersome to navigate and their bag-your-own bins offer a reasonable number of options. With a better organized spice section, and employees willing to be a bit more warm and friendly, Windmill Farms could easily earn themselves another star. Old Buck enjoys the whole wheat fig bars and selection of roasted coffee beans. The little Misses says the fruits and veggies are usually fresh, especially the organic leafy greens.

Windmill Farms is a staple for any SDSU student. From the friendly staff to the wide selection at the deli, Windmill is yet to come up short for any of my needs. My favorite part about Windmill is its extensive deli selection. For the past four years my roommates and I have ordered soups, sandwiches, salads, and pastas from the deli. The workers are always fast and if you go there often you can earn a free sandwich with their stamp cards. While the deli is great, it would be a disservice to not talk about their amazing fruit selection. At most chain grocers like Vons and Ralphs the organic section is full of lumpy and bruised fruit. Windmill Farms never disappoints when it comes to both organic and non-organic fruits. The same quality can be applied to their vegetable and meat sections too. I highly recommend Windmill Farms if you are a San Diego native or tourist looking for a quick bite.

I got a Lindsey today and it came with no turkey. Like literally not a single piece I opened up the whole sandwich to check. Fucking scam

I've been coming here since the early 80s and have always been impressed by the variety and quality of groceries. Yes, they might be a little bit more expensive than the other larger chain markets but quality sometimes have to come first. The customer service at the registers and on the floor has always been wonderful although I must honestly say I don't share the same opinion for the deli section; primarily the sandwich shop. I can always count on an awesome selection of fresh cut meats and fish for dinner. The salad bar is definitely a winner, I just love the pre-made wedge salads! Windmill farms is a great place to stop for lunch so give it a try if you haven't already done so, you won't be disappointed.

This is my closest option to organic type foods. In the same league as Sprouts, Whole Foods for the most part. I really don't have any stores like this without driving 3-4 miles from home. As long as I shop the deals, it is hard to beat elsewhere. If you pay full price, it's hard to take it. So you should shop the specials to avoid that sticker shock. The produce is really fresh and there are organic and non-organic choices on many. They have a very good meat counter and I remember pre-Yelp days I had sandwiches from the deli and they were really good. I still see many peeps ordering these so I need to revisit this for sure. It won't be long. Of course they have those self-serve bins for many nuts, trail mixes, rice, etc. I noticed though they have some spices like this also! That way you can just get a little to check it out. The beer selection is grand for a smaller store and not severely overpriced. Located in same parking lot as K&B wine cellars, Goodwill, El Toro Del Cerro taco shop so I usually make 2 stops while here.

I can't even give their vitamin department more than a star, because the man who 'works' in it is so self-important, he couldn't bother to ask me from his chair if I needed anything. He spent the entire time I was there talking to a woman from his seated chair, not about products or health. Not a, Hi! Let me know if you need anything.' HE IS THE REASON I RARELY SHOP AT THIS MARKET. I left a bad yelp review about this guy several years ago, and nothing has changed. He is the antithesis of customer service, the non-example. I wonder now, is he the owner?

Amazing selection of vegan products! They have lots of desserts, breads, dips, and cheeses that are obscure and/or locally produced

Super cute grocery store with Sprout's vibes that make great deli sandwiches, baked goods, bulk items, and more. Highly recommend if you're an SDSU student and looking to eat/grocery shop somewhere other than Trader Joes.

The best organic and responsibly sourced produce in San Diego, this comprehensive market offers all varieties of food for your perfect farm-to-table spread. We moved out of the area but still make the trek back for the meats and the guacamole- you have to try this stuff!

I'm super glad I found this gem. Windmill farms is like a Trader Joe's. They've got lots of organic products and food. There were lots of products I hadn't seen before that were USDA grade organic. It turns out they but a lot of newer upcoming products from local vendors. Even portions of their produce are local. We stopped on our way here to get water and snacks for hiking and went back again for more!

Small little local farmers market type grocery store in the heart of del cerro. Love that they have a Celsius fridge with cold drinks for $2.29 a piece which is cheaper than that of sprouts $2.49. Great for work outs and only 10 calories with no sugars. Grape, coke and orange are my favorite flavors. Of course they have a whole variety of meats, deli, viatamins and grocery items similar to that of Trader Joe's or sprouts. They also have a variety of flowers and small plants which I love. Their product is unmatched. Bought a sweet pineapple for $2.50 that was absolutely delicious!