Smart & Final

I thought this smart and final was ok, it doesn’t really have great deals on anything. I can’t really see myself doing any major shopping here do to the limited choices they provide. I will be sticking with going to pavilions and Costco for my shopping.

if you like waiting for checkout (notice I did not say a long line), if you like meat that smells really gross (or was that just most of the blue hairs that shop here), no variety, no SAVINGS, then please, shop here! I want my old Ralphs back, NOW! even cruddy old Ralphs was 10X better than this, the checkout girl told me so! oh, and no stamps. die a quick death please!

Great store. Well stock, organized and clean. Staff is friendly and always offering their assistance. I’m a busy momma of 4 and always on a go go go. I’m grateful that I can walk in to do my shopping and walk out in no time. Cashiers don’t hold me back at all. Thank you!!!

I came here for to get some meat and when I got home I opened up the package and it was completely spoiled. So I went back and asked for the manager and he was rude and insensitive saying to me «what do you want?» I couldn’t believe someone would be so disrespectful to me. The cashier also commented to me «we still love you» after I left frustrated. These people are very rude. I will never go back to a place that make me feel that way.

The staff here is AWESOME. Very friendly and ontop of things, always mqking sure their customers have a great shopping experince!

Wow what can u say this place is awesome they have such a variety of gluten free stuff and organic section that are pretty affordable. It is very clean and tidy. Workers kept asking me it I needed any help very friendly and kind. Checkers were very friendly and enjoyed my time shopping here definitely found my new spot to shop! By the way they had awesome smelling chickens I had one it was very good definitely recommend it for a fast simply dinner.

I’ve been to many smart and final markets and they’ve all been excellent and this one was no different. My first time walking in there just stepped inside for some fruit and ended up buying everything from poultry, to paper plates, dairy, bulk, you name it. Everything was neat and nicely organized. The fruit was fresh, didn’t expect anything less even the flowers seemed hand picked fresh from today! The customer service was excellent I asked a bunch of questions about their dairy to one of its employees and he seemed very friendly and indeed very helpful. The checkout was fast and friendly. Definitely coming here again!

Great store; a one stop shop. Organic, household, bulk foods and warehouse sizes. Well cleaned and organized store. Friendly staff.

This place is like a morgue. Cold and dead inside. Not sure when MV turned into a hotspot for catering needs, but I miss having a variety of items I could actually eat at home, which have now been replaced with 500 paper plates, giant vats of oil and a manager at the register harping about cutting hours. There’s never anyone inside. I give it a year before its dead– which is what it feels like already.

I stopped in this store Friday night to grab just a few items. It was my first time in the store since it has become Smart and Final.
I guess I started things off on the wrong foot by entering through the Exit. But, the door opened, so I went in anyway.
It had been raining not long before I stopped here. There was a boyscout trying to sell me a coupon book right inside the exit door. I was trying to grab a basket, and he was blocking them… then he kept reaching down to help me, but didnt. It was the weirdest thing. His mom was standing right behind him, completely consumed by her cell phone… so she was no help at all.
So, the store is clean, and it is basically like a smaller version of a typical grocery store.
I found the few items I needed, however almost got ran over by an employee coming out of the back with a huge flat of bottled water. Went right in front of me and just stopped short. Looked at me like I was out of order, and went back into the back area to talk to someone. I made my way around the water, and carried on.
Got to the checkout and there was one lane open. This wouldnt have really been an issue, but the cashier was talking to two other employees there, and a young boy — maybe 6 or 7 about an item he purchased but never made it out of the store. I dont know the exact story, but you would have thought it was a million dollar item. And in all fairness, to that little boy I bet it felt like it was! His mom said he saved up his money, had gone to the CVS coinstar and came in to buy it. So I get it. BUT… the other two employees could have handled this. The cashier didnt need to be the third employee involved. It took a good 5 minutes for her to check out the guy in front of me who had two items. TWO.
When it was my turn:
Cashier: Hi, how are you?
Me: Im good, how are you?
Cashier turns her back to me and goes back to solving the missing item for the little boy with the other two employees.
Cashier: Hi, how are you?
Me: Im still good, thanks.
Cashier rings one of my items, and goes back to her other conversation.
Cashier: Hi, how are you?
I ignored her this time, and I was getting seriously pissed off.
I finally made it out of the store, and I dont know what happened to the kids toy, but for the sake of everyone trying to buy groceries, I hope its been solved.
I’ll skip this store in the future.
Im only giving this 3 stars because the store was clean and neatly organized, not for a single thing else.

Not a fan of the store layout or that I have to manuever around poles and people to get down the aisle. I also would like a better, more tastier selection of fruit.

On a positive note, this store is a lot cleaner than the old Ralphs they replaced. If you visit you might want to wear your winter wear… my fingers were numb cold and red by the time I hit the checkout line however another customer commented out loud asking and they said they are working on fixing that. I’m headed back only to return my moldy green sour cream that I bought today. I had a few items on my list and most of the items they don’t even carry. Not much Organic meats to choose from and the Organic apples were so old you could squeeze it like a sponge. If you need baby powder or body care products they don’t carry it and if you do see what your looking for your lucky. Smart & Final, I see a need for this area to have a full grocery store where you can get all your needs in one place. I understand the size of this store is smaller than your Lake Forest Store but because I can’t get everything I need in one stop I will continue to go elsewhere.

This Smart & Final in Mission Viejo is a great improvement from the previous Ralphs grocery, although the transition from product change and an entirely new customer base has been rocky… The store itself was given a nice renovation, they now have warehouse-​style products and prices, and the smell is gone:
This location is small for a Smart & Final warehouse, hence the «extra!» which means they are emphasizing an expanded selection of organic foods and warehouse bulk products that are sold in smaller packages.
But make no mistake, this location didn’t turn into a Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s. Nor is it a Costco or Food 4 Less, and it’s certainly not Haggen or a 99 Cents Only store… It’s a place where you can now purchase a whole lot of a certain product for a reasonable price plus a little extra, like waitstaff order pads and 1000 carnival tickets; Smart & Final extra! has that stuff.
Found exactly what I was looking for when I walked in: 500 paper plates and cups, apples, water, and frozen chicken wings. And the extra!

I have been a regular customer at Ralph’s (the store it was before smart and final took over). I even worked there for 2 years as a courtesy clerk. I was having high hopes for the stores grand opening. Unfortunately my hopes fell flat. While they are very well stocked and have a nice layout, the checkout stands are a nightmare. Just standing there in the line after 15 minutes is enough to drive anyone crazy. A snail could move faster than they did. Then again it’s understandable because they just recently opened up, but that doesn’t mean they should have lackluster service. They should be prepared for the oncoming crowds of people. I went there tonight to pick up a few general groceries, and when one of the clerks pulled me over to her checkstand, she didn’t greet me nor smile at me in a friendly way. It made me feel like I was a burden to be at her check stand. At the end of the transaction, she didn’t even thank me or wish me a good evening! Just a sour attitude and facial expression to match it. Talk about crappy training. I will definitely be limiting my trips to this store.

This store is not that great. The selection is pretty limited I prefer the one on El Toro

This store just opened and is not ready to serve the community. It’s a Wednesday evening before 6 pm and they are out of stock of so many items. Maybe they should try the «Grand Opening» again when they have inventory. Headed to the location on El Toro.