Pam Mac D’s Gluten-Free Market

All products are gluten replacement items. Two rows of gf cookies are unnecessary. You can save money and find most all if these items at whole foods or Ralph’s. If you are celiac or gluten intolerant you should really just be eating whole foods. If you’re just looking for an occasional treat this store is okay. The staff is friendly and the space is nice. I won’t be going back but I appreciate the thought. If they added fresh fruits and proteins it would be much better.

Did I really just find an entire grocery store of gluten free products?! Amazing! It’s like a combination of 10 different grocery stores I have to shop at. All at one store.

How could I give a store like this anything less than 5 stars? To even ATTEMPT a gluten-​free retail business is a brave and daring undertaking.
Sure, the size is like a 7Eleven and the prices aren’t all low. But that’s like criticizing Plymouth Rock for not having a democratic government.
This store is the beginning of something amazing and exciting — food retail where gluten-​free-​eaters don’t feel like second-​class citizens. It’s an amazing, liberating feeling to walk through a door and know every product that my eye can see won’t be attacked by my body’s immune system. I deserve this freedom in more places. Kudos to Pam Mac D’s for making it happen in their corner of this world!

It’s immaculate and it serves it’s purpose. But a few months back I walked in with my dog — other businesses on the street are dog friendly — allowing you to bring in your dog or have a tie up and water bowl outside — and the first thing I did was ASK if it was ok. I was told yes, so in we walked, and then another clerk told me we had to go. My dog is a non-​shedder and kept bathed and as clean as well, a dog can be, and also a loving and peaceful animal — except when she sees a squirrel.
We left right away. I’m thankful that I’m not vegan, and have not been diagnosed with this new disease. I want to believe there really is a need for all this special expensive food.
When I went in, I was going to look around to tell a yoga teacher I know who was diagnosed and what the heck, try something myself.
I thought a store like this would be more ENLIGHTENED. They should have asked me if my dog was a companion or service animal. I explained to them that companion and service animals are not just for the BLIND, but also provide services such as alerting you to a seizure before you have one, reminding you that you need to take medicine, or reducing your anxiety.

Was looking for a place while waiting for my girlfriend’s flight so we went into this market. Wow, I think they’re probably one of the only exclusively gluten free markets in Southern California. The place is small but complete with everything from gluten free frozen food to chips to cookies to drinks and baking products. They also had samples and the employees seem really friendly.

I was recently diagnosed with a severe Gluten and Dairy intolerance, and I am so glad that I found this place!!! I was Vegan for a year (a few years ago and have been a vegetarian for the past 13 years) — so I’ve gone without dairy before and learned about the other products to take the place of those I once loved… I’ve never gone gluten free before, so I must admit that my head started to spin a little.
I must say that everyone in the store was incredibly helpful, especially Megan… who really took the time to help me find products that were not only gluten-​free but also dairy-​free as well. She was incredibly patient with all of the questions I had and was very well informed.
I will definitely be back to this place!!! :)

It was definitely a thrill to find this place. .. it’s so great to be able to walk into a store and know I don’t have to read labels. This place was also where I learned that good gluten-​free cupcakes do exist. There are a couple down sides. For one, it’s pretty expensive. There are a few items here that Trader Joe’s and Ralph’s also carry for less. .. though a price difference is always to be expected with a small operation. And of course, you can’t find the variety they carry anywhere else.
Pam Mc D’s is definitely service oriented. You will always be greeted with a smile and an offer to help. All their employees are familiar with the food, and they’re eager to offer a detailed recommendation. My only complaint is that sometimes they can be a little intense, and I have to reject multiple offers to help when I seriously just want to browse on my own. But in a city where customer service sometimes seems to be a lost art – and in a store that probably gets a lot of overwhelmed, gluten-​free newbies – I can easily forgive a little over-​exuberance.

Pretty far from home, but definitely a nice change for my dad’s birthday. I was able to purchase a lot of nice pastries & treats he hasn’t had before as they’re not available anywhere nearby. It’s definitely a commute, but if we’re in the Glendale area sometime, it’s worth stopping by to browse or pickup something new.
I recommend the place, but it is expensive. Then again, all gluten-​free products are :)

I recently read a feature about Pam Mac D’s in the Los Angeles Magazine and decided to go check it out. I had been in before but the sparse shelves seemed sad and empty. Since it was featured in the magazine along with two other gluten free stores I figured, maybe it was worth a second look.
Pam MacDonald, the proprietor of this fine establishment, is a sweet lady. I had to include that as the first sentence of my review because it is really true. She is also very knowledgeable about gluten intolerance and what the best products are. Both are reasons why her store has such a devoted following.
Pam MacDonald has had celiac’s disease since ’97 and has had a chance to taste everything in the store. Her and her staff have weeded out products they do not approve of. They weed out both by flavor and by the questionability of product’s claims of being gluten-​free. They call this the «illicit test.» Her assistants, some of whom do not have food allergies, also taste the products to make sure that they genuinely taste good.
This market is a great resource and I hope there will be new locations across Los Angeles!

Living in a large city like LA is a health-​food nut’s dream. There are options for local foods, organic, low carb, etc. Although I do not have a gluten allergy; I am VERY strict with what I put into my digestive system. A RAW diet, low fat, low carb, and low processed foods is my way of life. Alas, Pam Mac D’s Gluten-​Free Market instantly caught my eye as I made a beeline for its entrance.
Before I was even able to browse the merchandise, I was attacked by the store clerks… in a good way. Pam Mac D’s may be gluten free, but they are not free of some of the best customer service I have received in a while. I was instantly welcomed by a smiling store associate who radiated a genuine positive energy. She explained the layout of the store and mentioned that there were free sample stations throughout. This is the type of service which makes you WANT to purchase something. Pam Mac D’s embodies the neighborhood-​market feel.
Speaking of the sample stations, you will be in heaven if you enjoy Trader Joe’s style samples. The samples consisted of various products plus a display by a local seller whom had a representative on duty (who encouraged me to have seconds!). If nothing else, come in for some samples!
Sadly, the actual section in Pam Mac D’s was a bit of a letdown. Yes, it is all gluten-​free so if you are suffering from the allergy or prefer not to consume gluten; then Pam Mac D’s takes the guesswork out of what is and isn’t gluten-​free. However, the foods are all processed, mostly boxed items with an insane amount of carbs and sugar grams. Just because it is gluten-​free doesn’t make it healthy. Plus, the shelves are barely filled: there were only a couple items of each available. It looked like someone straightened the shelves but there was nothing behind the products! Not to mention, there are only about 6 aisles or so, giving Pam Mac D’s plenty of unused real estate. Basically, you won’t be able to shop your entire gluten-​free list here.
Another downfall? Prices. The same products features in Pam Mac D’s are available at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods for much cheaper. I noticed the variance in prices immediately. Perhaps easy access to the gluten-​free foods qualifies the increase in prices.
Back to the positives, however: Pam Mac D’s is open 7 days a week (until 8pm on weekends) and has a 3 day return policy on unopened food. Remember the great customer service? It continued onto checkout, where the cashier actually ran to replace a product of mine with another. I can’t stress enough how great the service was.
Overall, Pam Mac D’s is a great idea, encompasses great service, and is terrific for grabbing a few quick items but won’t satisfy an entire shopping trip. Just make sure to read labels! Those carbs and 22 grams of sugar will get you!

This is a great store for people with celiac disease as it has a ton of gluten substitutes. I don’t have celiac though; as i’m sensitive to soy and a bunch of other stuff. My diet is way more paleo centric (which means I cut things out like canola oil) so the selection was a little bit limited for me.
One thing I like about this place is that if you do have celiac, you don’t have to worry. Some stuff that seems gluten free isn’t, and since this store is 100% gluten free, it takes out any iota of guesswork.
Their prices were good, I got some awesome coconut sugar and flour which i will totally be using for the holidays and the staff was SUPER awesome. One thing I really liked was that they have a «request book» where if you are aware of a product that is gluten free, you can give them information on it and they will try to stock it. that’s pretty cool
But really the staff was awesome. i hope to see the store have more products as time goes by, but i was pretty impressed overall.

Soo I was watching Tia & Tamara’s reality show and she was making a GF cake for her son and went to this market, which before seeing it on their show, I’ve never heard of it.
The staff were really helpful almost a little too much lol. I know their clerk meant well and he was a sweetheart but he walked with me down almost every aisle to talk to me about a food I grabbed or to tip me on things to try. I love suggestions but not throughout my entire shopping experience, but hey at least he was helpful.
The selection wasnt as good as I hoped, I was looking for GF croutons and figured an entire store dedicated to GF products would have it but they didn’t soo ill have to order off of amazon. Many of the items I got were things that I can purchase from Sprouts which is down the street from me here in Long Beach. I would love to support a small business but its too far and not enough selection to drive all the way to Burbank from long beach. I’m giving it 3 stars for their customer service and having a dedicated store to GF ppl. As a side note the clerk said the best day to come is wed. Because that is when they’re fully stocked. I was there Friday so hopefully that is the reason why the selection was scarce.

This place is my new haven. After coming to a standpoint of searching for bigger and better Gluten Free products at my usual favorites like Trader Joe’s & Whole Foods, this place was able to offer more than the ordinary… They have such a bigger variety of breads including ciabbata breads, hamburger buns, sliced bread, and more. The manager is surely knowledgeable of her WFGF (Wheat-​Free Gluten-​Free) products as she has tried almost all of the products she sells in the store. She can give you the detailed insider tip of what’s GOOD and what’s GREAT!
The store is around the corner of Porto’s and parking is easily available with a little additional searching on the streets.

I’m updating my original review because of how valuable I’ve found this market to be over the past year.
It doesn’t have a lot, but what it does have is excellent. And I’ve been introduced to new items through this store because of events that are held to help debut new product lines. Having these options available and a store making an active effort to introduce us to them is really nice. Last weekend, I was introduced to a new line of oats from Gluten-​Free Prairie, and the oats are lovely. I never would have even tried them if Pam MacD’s hadn’t had the owner there to present the oats and what can be done with them.
Also last weekenk, I just needed a bag of gluten-​free vegan chocolate chips. Thanks to this store, I was able to just walk up the street and grab them rather than hop in the car and take the 30 – 60 minute trip to Whole Foods to locate the chips I needed.
Thank you, Pam MacD’s, for doing what you do for celiacs.

I like this place. Service is friendly and helpful. Sometimes overly so… like «the other dude just asked me 2 seconds ago if I’m finding everything OK»! But they mean well. Clearly, they’re working hard to keep their loyal clientele with their customer service and reward-​points system. They have a great selection of stuff, though lots of GF food isn’t on the healthier side for you unless you’re truly gluten sensitive. While I’m not sure which category I fit into… Pam MacD’s makes experimenting fun! My FAVE things here are: Nut Just a Cookie cookies in pistachio (MUST TRY), Rising Hearts millet bread, Almond Glory pancake mix and Hilary’s quinoa sweet potato veggie burgers– yummy yum yum!!! You are going to DIE when you try the pistachio cookies. Especially if you are Middle Eastern and grew up with desserts that have that nutty/​cardamom-​ey flavor profile. LOVE.
Also, the manager whose name I’ve forgotten is full of incredible GF tips… recipes, cafes… she LOVES her job and I love her passion!

If you’re newly gluten-​free, go here before you go to any other grocery store. It’s the best and easiest way to familiarize yourself with gluten-​free products and brands. I walked in crying the day after I found out I was allergic to gluten, because I was so overwhelmed by regular grocery stores and didn’t know what I was allowed to eat. Pam herself gave me a hug and walked me around the store showing me things and explaining my new allergy, and it was the greatest experience. I’m so grateful for this place!
The prices are a good 10 — 20 cents higher than you’d pay at Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, or a regular grocery store, but it’s convenient that everything is in one place, and they carry brands that those other stores don’t have. Seeing gluten-​free donuts, soft breads, and beer all in one place makes me so happy. They’re always offering samples of things, too, and they have a case with baked goods from local gluten-​free bakeries.
I only wish they had a section with fresh produce. Maybe one day.

I’m newly gluten-​free and having a hard time transitioning. I absolutely detest Whole Foods, and I don’t think I’ll go back, despite them having [hard-​to-​find-​among-​everything-​else] gluten-​free foods. All the «specialty» stores carry gluten-​free, but you generally have to search it out and, frankly, I can’t stand wandering around a grocery store like that.
Enter Pam Mac D’s. Yes, it’s very handy for me (about a 5-​minute drive), but I think I would still shop there anyway, if only because I don’t have to think about what I’m doing, other than search for food items I might like. The selection seems wide and varied. I have tried several items (fell in love with Tate’s Chocolate Chip Cookies — literally looked at the package four times to make sure it was really gluten-​free), and came away with some faves.
I found the prices to be comparable, but maybe it’s the type of products I was looking at.
I have two [minor] issues: one is that the staff is hit-​or-​miss. Not everyone is knowledgeable (not one of the workers I’ve met actually practices a gluten-​free diet, but on the plus side, since I am newly gluten-​free, it helps me to know what wheat-​eaters like in terms of the GF foods there — gives me hope that I might like it, too!); however, I had one newer employee keep saying «I’m pretty sure» when I’d ask him questions.
The second issue is also worker-​related — while one of the reviewers liked the idea of a «personal shopper,» I actually would like to be left alone (but with someone around if I had a question). I was talked into trying several items that I knew, deep down, I wouldn’t like, but my «personal shopper» kept insisting (yes, I guess it’s my fault that I caved to the pressure). Again, on the plus side, I’ve also gotten some great items that I might not have tried, had it not been for their insistence.
One request I might have is more of a sampling selection — it is very difficult to spend that kind of money on something I then throw away because I don’t like it. (Of course, that’s the case at a regular grocery store, too, I guess.)
Wow, this review ended up to be a long one — sorry! I guess I just want anyone who is putting their toe into this dramatic change in lifestyle to know they have a place they can go!

I feel the need to edit my review as I don’t think a company deserves a bad review based on one bad encounter with an unprofessional employee (whom I am sure is no longer around).
Service is good — employees seem friendly and helpful. This place really has improved over the last year and I hope it continues to be successful. This seems like a convenient place for anyone who has the need for a gluten-​free diet.

This place is a miracle!
A family member has a gluten sensitivity so we are always on the lookout for gluten free alternatives. We went to Pam Mac D’s today and we could not believe the selection!
I was expecting to see the items that we’ve found at other stores, but we were blown away at how many gluten free products there were! We were joking beforehand that we’d like some gluten free donuts, and Pam had them!
Some of the prices were a bit high, but most are reasonable and several things were on sale! It’s well worth it to find everything in one place, and to not have to check the labels on anything. Plus I like helping out shops that aren’t part of a huge corporation.
We just left and we are already planing our next trip to Pam Mac D’s!

There is a new health food store in town and they have all the gluten-​free food you can imagine. It was opening day that I happen to walk past and decided to take a quick look. The employees greeted me with smiles and were anxious to talk to me. I myself can eat wheat but I know many who are gluten sensitive or have celiac disease that would love to come by and purchase the food there.
If you have a certain product you adore or can’t seem to find they will carry it or try to order it for their store. This coming May of 2011 is Celiac Awareness month and they are taking your suggestions so come by and check the place out.
Is everything here gluten-​free? Yes. See for yourself. No need to ask or look at labels.
There’s fresh butternut squash purée soups, tomato soups and a few more. I picked up a sweet chocolate dream bar as I walked home that was really good. There’s sauces and ice cream and much more… even a place to sit and enjoy what you bought inside!