Melrose Arco

For a location that requires customer service (I believe her is Darlene or Marlene) she has no idea what she’s doing… came in to purchase gas i encounter this lady that wanted nothing to do with being courteous… if i was her manager I would honestly fire her with no need off coaching cause at this point she doesn’t need this job with that type of attitude… it’s called CUSTOMER SERVICE…

It’s always busy here! In the mornings between 7am and 9am. In the evening time between 4pm and 6pm.
Gas was $ 2.71 when I went. I also bought a car wash. Cheap options for car washes too. Cheapest option at $ 6 and then the works which included a wax job and other utility soaps used for a cleaner look, for $ 9. Good deal!
They also have a fruit stand to the side in their location. 25 avocados for $ 5! Including other types of sweet fruits and healthy greens.

Came in here to get gas and fill my radiator due to it having a crack in it. Before getting gas I asked the attendant if the water pump was working since two other local arcos one was broken and the other had the air and water removed entirely and I had enough money to fill my tank and take advantage of the legally rewired free water with fuel purchase. They told me it was, I filed my tank and moved to the water machine, went inside to request it be turned on and they told me it was broken. When I asked why they didn’t tell me that when I asked the attendant responded with «well what do you want me to do about it? «after the horrible service here and at other arcos I will not be using their company at all, and fill be filing a complaint with the state regarding the unavailability of legally required water for those purchasing gasoline

Frequent often and generally seem not stocked very well. The sodas are usually several empty bins and they’re hot food never seem to have any. Just today I grabbed a fountain drink instead because they were out of everything else and turned out the syrup was out on it as well. I realized that when I left the store.

I go here on occasion, but several ARCOs are cheaper,
and the card readers here often do not seem to work,

I don’t really know about the workers or anything like that, HOWEVER, I do know they have great gas prices and it’s quality gas. I haven’t had a problem coming here.

I’ve been here four times in the last six months and they seem to be problematic with credit card use at the pump. If you go inside it seems to work better. Unsatisfactory, they need to get that fixed!

great am pm. they have it all, fountain drinks, good selection of beer. jerky and snacks. hot food, coffee, cheap gas, nice clean restrooms super nice cashiers, i would have given 5 stars if it wasnt for the bad management not keeping on things that need fixed, this is a busy station that can afford it.

Card readers outside hardly ever work. I know they cant afford to fix them because they are barely making ends meet. Seriously?

I will not be returning to this gas station! All of the payment machines by the pumps are broken. They won’t take cash or debit card. I had to go inside to pay for my gas and when I told the clerk that the machines don’t work and have been broken for a long time she just shrugged her shoulders. Then I asked if they were going to have them fixed and she shrugs her shoulders again and a man that works there chimes in with «NO». I asked «So you aren’t going to have them fixed?» and again he said «NO». WTF? I said «Well that’s nice, I guess I won’t be getting gas here anymore!». What kind of customer service is that? What a rude bunch of people that work there. I would much rather go to the Arco on N. Santa Fe where the employees are polite. Employees at this AM/​PM needs some serious customer service training.

What can you say, it’s a cheap gas station. Good location, decent car wash and even get chocolate chip cookies there!

I go to this ARCO all the time because it’s on my way to work, close to my house, and usually has some of the cheapest gas out there. This station has issues, though. More than once or twice I have gone to get gas and there was none, or the pumps weren’t working, or something. They don’t put a sign out, you just drive up like a nincompoop and fiddle around with the pump until another customer comes out of the store telling everyone that they don’t have gas. Really? I’ve also gone on a Friday night, more than once, when I went to get change from my purchase, they locked the doors and said they were doing a drawer count and wouldn’t let anyone in the store to get change or buy gas. Really? It’s a very funky place, but I still go there because it’s so convenient and cheap.

I patronized this station several times for gas and a carwash, altho it is somewhat out of my way. GasBuddy showed their gas prices to be lower than many stations in my 92 057 area. It’s always jammed up, but it is large and on a corner if I plan my route to get in one driveway and out the other.
The first carwash I got collapsed my passenger side mirror (Honda Accord, not a truck or oversize vehicle.) No big deal, it just «snapped back» into place, but that doesn’t happen that often.
On Saturday on my way to work I stopped in for gas and a carwash, paying for both with cash inside. Got my gas, and noticed there was a big line for the carwash, so I did not get in the carwash line, I left.
My ticket with the code said «good for (BLANK) days». Today, Monday, I returned to the station while on an errand in the Vista area to get my carwash. I lined up with about three other cars, and soon there were several more behind me. It is a hot day today, so it was not a good time sitting in the hot car for about 15 minutes.
When I got up to the keypad thing, I input my code. I could not hear its response due to the noise from the carwash in use. When the car in front of me drove out, no green light came on for me. So I input my code again, and it said invalid code.
There is a taped up paper sign to pay inside, and a sign saying the «assistant» button does not work. Impressive! Quarters are accepted, but I didn’t have four dollars in quarters. So I drove thru the carwash, without a wash, parked and went inside.
The two clerks working the counter made some excuses, but were polite and tried to help me out. They asked me to speak with the manager «Juan Sanchez». He was totally rude and told me the code had been used on Saturday. I said the machine must have malfunctioned and he said no way. I told him I input it like three times today, but he said no, that wasn’t it. He was totally insulting and acted as if I was some lowlife trying to cheat ARCO out of a carwash. I’m a 64 year old woman, and my filthy car was parked right outside the window. I couldn’t believe we were getting into this fight over a $ 4 carwash and I couldn’t believe his «screw you» attitude. The man had no management skills at all.
The customer service here was less than zero, it was insulting. I told him he was going to lose me as a customer, and he didn’t care. He said I couldn’t get a refund, a carwash nor did he give me even a weak apology for my two trips there, or my waiting around the second time, nor for the whole mixup. He was totally adamant that I was the problem, that I (or someone) had used the code on Saturday.
There are other places for cheap gas, and certainly better car washes — this place sucks.

Cheap gas and one of my favorite cheap coffee stops. The staff is also very friendly, especially Vero.

Cheapest gas around these neck of the woods! Car wash and decent cup of coffee!

I never thought I’d write a review on a gas station. Today though, was the last straw. The pumps just weren’t working, and about 7 different customers all looked at each other, and we asked «Is your pump working? Mine isn’t either.»
We all walked in and a woman said she’d come out and fix it. She couldn’t, as we stood there waiting and waiting.
I also got a 32 ounce Diet Pepsi. It tasted weird. It’s now the 15^th time I’ve gotten a Diet Pepsi there (I workout nearby and often stop in), and the Diet Pepsi never tastes right. I always tell them. Once the guy told me he hears that a lot. Uh, really? Then how about your boss do something about it!!!
The woman said to us «Yeah, sometimes when it’s really hot out, our pumps don’t work.»
Good to know. Perhaps I’ll just skip this location for gas, sodas, or snacks any time in the future.
The kicker was, when I went in for my money to be returned, I was told to take the pump out of my car first. Went back out, did that. Then, huge line of others doing that. Now, it had been about 17 minutes of waiting total. I said «How about a free car wash for my trouble.»
I was told «No. I can’t do that. But you can have a refill on your soda.»
Hahahha…hey, thanks for that!
They should learn how to run a business and keep the customer happy. I live around the corner. It’s going to be a shame to not utilize the convenience of going back here.

This ARCO is cheap, easy to get in and out of and always gets packed. They are usually on the cheap side, but remember that they charge you an ATM fee if you don’t use cash.
They have more pumps than your average gas station too. They even have a guy selling avocado’s on most Sunday’s

What’s weird is when gas is cheap AM/PM’s Arco’s and other ATM fee charging gas stations tend to be about par for the course in terms of gas prices, but as the prices go up they become really popular and there is usually a significant line after work for gas. With another Arco less than 2 miles away this 1 is much easier to get to and in/​out of. It’s very popular due to location and it’s connected to a Sprinter station, plus they have a car wash connected in the back.
That’s about where the good times end. Mediocre selection of snacks, drinks, bad food, and etcetera. Kinda shady clientele hanging around, probably not real bangers, but bummish hoody people. Don’t go here too late, but the recently changed their $.45 ATM fee to $.35 so if your in a bind roll through, but other than that move on through, the nearest non shady station is Oceanside/​College about 2 miles to the West.

I recently found out that the City of Oceanside has a city-​wide last call at MIDNIGHT instead of 2am. WHAT?! I typically get off work past midnight and like to have a cold beer or two before knocking out. Life sucks!
But luckily the dude at the Ralph’s Market off Old Grove told me that when he gets off work at 1, he goes to this AM/​PM on his way home because they’re allowed to sell til 2am. SCORE! It’s literally down the road from me. All’s well that ends well with a 24oz tallboy of BudLight. Thanks Melrose Arco!

Fairly close to my parents, so if I’m ever in need — here’s the closest emergency gas stop…
Bigger Arco then most with a lot more pumps available. Not a traffic hazard either. You can enter either side vs getting into arguments over one-​ways…
I used to come here a lot when I lived in the area as it did have a touchless car wash. I actually used to get free mochas and car washes when a «friend» used to work there. Good times…