Gelson’s Market

Gelson’s in Newport is such a nice Store. I love the wine tastings they have once in awhile as well. Thanks Gelson’s

Really nice salad and soup bar. The selection is not as large as whole foods market but the food is yummy. It is a big hit with my kids and there’s is a coffee shop in the store too for deserts.

I have loved Gelson’s for the past 20 years, in particular for their meat selection. Lately, it seems like the meat that they advertise as «prime» on «sale» is really choice. Just an observation and huge disappointment.

I normally do not review grocery stores unless they are unusually awesome or downright terrible (whats up Haagen?) Anyways– I — like everyone– need at least 3 stores to get everything I need… BUT this gelson’s does pretty well. Everyone that works here is SUPER nice. Way nicer than WF or BF (which I also frequent.) So they win in customer service. I also went in on Thanksgiving EVE and they were VERY efficient. They have a great floral selection (WF is the worst) and their food bar is the best. They also send me $ 5 off coupons which I usually forget– but hey, I’ll take it. Good Job Gelson’s– you are winning.

3PM on a Monday afternoon at Gelson’s…2 employees with their black work aprons chit-​chatting. Me: «Where are your spices?» Male employee: «What do you mean by spices?».obviously annoyed to be interrupted. ME:…bewildered…“Well like pepper and cinnamon!” Male: «Well, I don’t know!»…Thankfully a more mature employee comes along and directs me to the spice section… while the Male:“Thank God he takes you, I would have gotten lost!”
From the deli staff to this obviously misplaced male to even the checkout clerk the customer service level is beyond acceptable.

Today I decided to stop by this store to get a bouquet of flowers for a birthday gift for a co-​worker. I heard they have a large of assortment of flowers to choose from. They were right… The flowers were beautiful! They were pricey… but worth it! The florist even took the time to wrap them up for me… It’s all about PRESENTATION! The lady at work loved them! Good job Gelsons!

How can one resist their consistent great quality of food. I certainly have not for the last few years:-) Friendly service. Genuine people. That’s my Gelsons.

To the DELI STAFF I give an A+.
The women behind the counter who helped us were very friendly, offered us a free sample and treated us like any other customer in the store.
To the majority of the CLIENTELE who shops here I give an F-​.
Given the economy, many of us middle-​class peeps are struggling to find work once we’re laid off from our various office jobs. I hate to break it to you but in a larger market like this there are 250‑1000 people applying to each and every office job posted. As a result, sometimes we have to accept jobs that aren’t in our skill set and we wouldn’t normally consider.
My current temp job is nearby doing some serious physical labor. So as you can imagine when I came in here for a sandwich from the deli my co-​worker and I received some «delicious looks» from many of the locals due to our appearance. Yes, several of the head-​to-​toe examinations were more intrusive than a colonoscopy. They were locked on target like a scud missile to its projected target. So don’t think I’m exaggerating as if many would deem these mere cursory glances.
As it were, I’m college educated, well-​spoken and an intelligent guy. However, the judging and examining eyes we received were not appreciated. Apparently the phrase «sometimes it is honorable to earn» is lost on many of these «Richie Rich» upper crust locals.
Normally I get to the FOOD review portion first but after our experience I had to clear the air on the other topic. They have lots of SANDWICH filler options including meat, bread, cheese, sauces, spreads, greens etc. And you can add 2 sides (many to choose from) for an extra $ 2.00. It isn’t a cheap sandie and given my current financial situation I will likely only be here if I forget my lunch. However, it is a very delicious sandie and the service is spectacular.

I am only reviewing the bakery. Other than the bakery cakes, I don’t shop at Gelson’s because I do not comprehend why I would spend 20−50% more, on average, than if I shopped at Wal Mart (easily a 50% price difference), TJs or even other local supermarkets (10−25% price difference, guessing). I suppose people shop here for various reasons other than price: customer service, cleanliness, convenience. But for me, price is priority.
So on to my review of the bakery:
This is the only local Gelson’s that does not import it’s cakes from an outside bakery. They actually bake the cakes here. And the cakes are superior to the other locations of Gelson’s cakes and FAR superior to any other supermarket bakeries like Ralph’s, Albertson’s (I would never waste my money on a typical supermarket cake.) I am a cake fanatic, and have tried most everywhere
Gelson’s Bakery (again, this location only) is a true bakery.

Gelsons has their own label bacon, they brought this is in a removed my favorite.
This bacon is terrible, its priced 2 for 1, and thats a terrble offer. This bacon is awful.

The Best turkey enchiladas enchiladas with green sauce in the service deli !!!
Good customer service, no matter how hectic is the place and lots of samples

This Gelson is a midpoint between Whole Paycheck & Ralphs. There are items on sale that are very reasonable. It doesn’t have totally snottiness but it will take most of your money from your wallet. However, the fresh meats/​seafood here is impeccable.
But what the best thing here is the left side of the store. The ready made food. There is an abundance of it and it all looks and tastes super fresh. There are also salads and sandwiches that are quite reasonable. On your way out, look on the other side of the fridge and you’ll find a wall of Craft Beer goodness.
Parking is a plenty in the parking lot here.

This is a great Gelson’s location!
Rght around the corner from Fashion Island, tons of easy parking.
Super nice staff, excellent selection, older but very clean and well kept store.
Prices are a bit high, but if you shop seasonally and what is on sale I think prices are fair.
You can find brands other stores don’t carry and their fresh items are always good as well.
Love switching it up and coming here for groceries every so often.

I’m sad that I have to give Gelson’s one star. I’d give zero if that were possible. I haven’t been to this store in over a year as I had moved away. I’m back and couldn’t wait to get my Gelson’s fix. This store has always been great with a deli that I really, really like. Last week I went in to grab stuff from the deli for my dinner. There were three dogs in the deli dept. Gross. These entitled people who shop there are really starting to take things to an entirely new level. I mentioned it to the checker who told me that dogs were not allowed in the store and that I should speak to the Service Director. I spoke to the Asst. Service Director (which I think is just a glorified name for manager) Anyway, he informed me that service dogs are most definitely allowed in the store. That, I have no problem with. I am also familiar with service dogs and the role they play. People are discouraged from interacting with service dogs, service dogs are highly trained, service dogs wear a vest stating that they are a service dog. None of the dogs I saw came anywhere near that. One was wearing a dress and sitting in the grocery cart (disgusting), one was being toted in a Louis Vuitton purse and the other was just being carried by its owner. All kinds of people fawning over how cute these dogs are, etc. I get it. I’m a dog owner. I love to take my dog with me to appropriate places. The grocery store is not one of them. A total violation of the Health Code and completely disgusting (especially when around food). How would you like to find out that the cart you are using and putting, say, produce in, just had a dog sitting right where your beautiful fruit that you are paying a premium price for is sitting? The asst. manager apparently isn’t familiar with what a service dog actually does and is obviously too scared to confront these stupid cows. It’s as easy as the click of a mouse to buy a fake service dog certificate on the internet. People are doing it and abusing it. I will never shop at this unsanitary store again. Oh, and I will also be calling the Health Dept.

Ok, so yeah! I have been to add many Gelsons that i can go to. This one, thus far… takes the cake. Bentleys, bmws, Mercedes’, range rovers, audis, mazerottis, and any other high end vehicle that YOU can’t afford, is in this parking lot. Oh and you better believe the owners of them are in this store, and they are so upper crust… they make the regular crust look burnt! Ha. I mean goodness! Talk about catering to the community! Pristine everything! The best of the best in service! And understand, Gelsons anywhere they place them are nice. But they even elevate this one higher because of neighborhood «moolaa». Lol crazy. I loved it though! Absolutely loved it! Beautiful, expensive and i can see why! !!

Swung by Gelson’s today to grab a bite before picking up a birthday card at the (awesome) stationary store next door. This is a review of the deli and the people I met along the way.
I was super impressed with my sandwiches and two sides. They had healthy options (tuscan kale salad with roasted squash and chunks of salty cheese and a solid mixed fruit) to go along with my boars head turkey sandwich, and it was all fresh and delicious. Check-​plus for the food.
And then the service. Everyone was so kind/​caring, it almost felt like a schtick at first. Like, «its a grocery store, they can’t be this committed to good service.» (no offense to grocery stores). Then as I continued to interact with people — the guy taking my order (and making recommendations like a champ), the checkout and bagging gals (sweet as can be), and the manager as I was walking out (strong eye contact and gave a welcome «thanks for coming» wave) — I recognized that this is what they do, day in and day out. They pay attention, they engage, and they radiate positivity.
If you care about quality food and superior service, you’ll appreciate this Gelsons Deli counter. That’s the best I can say about a foodery. Thanks to everyone who helped me today.

Gelson’s Market in Newport Beach is great for a deli style lunch, and that is about it.
I make it a point to grab a sandwich from Gelson’s Market at least once a month as their deli is stocked to the teeth with fresh Boar’s Head meats and cheeses, a wonderful assortment of side salads/​dishes and a plethora of piping hot lunch options. The prices are extremely reasonable for this locale, you can get a sandwich and two sides for less than $ 10.00 and it is usually enough to feed the average appetite twice. Not in the mood for being food preggers and the associated coma? They will half the sandwich size and still offer you two sides for the nominal price of $ 6.99. You can’t beat that.
Now if you are going to actually grocery shop here, you are in for a bad time. This area of Newport Beach seems to be the epicenter of OC’s hurricane of self importance. The locals are pretentious jerks and you can tell it wears down the employees. I have witnessed unspeakable acts of douchebaggery both in these aisles and also in the parking lot. I really can’t fault the employees as their job to help these people… well… it sucks. Take my free advice and stick to the Deli and Express Lane check out.
So to recap:
Gelson’s Market.
Deli good! As a grocer, BAD.

If you want overpriced everything with no discounts, then this is the store for you. Although it looks like your neighborhood albertsons, it’s not… it’s a «organic» and «healthy» store. Not only that, their average quality meat is double what you’d pay for anywhere else. A usda choice NY steak will run you a minimum of $ 16.50. A filet will run anywhere from $ 25 — 30+.
The only saving grace for this store is the staff. They are always nice and helpful.

Great sushi made fresh at the counter! And the best mangoes (sold in the summer) I have ever had!!!
The produce guys are always super helpful. They taught me how to choose different fruits and veggies. ~ They have to go through extensive training, learning what temperature to store produce, how to tell if it’s ripe, how to say the name in different languages, etc.
The yummy produce is always what keeps me coming back.