Albertson’s

I go here all the time, but since the remodel, I have been receiving service above and beyond! Everyone takes time to complain, but this time it is time to stop and say thank you.
First incident was a bag of chips that was supposed to be on sale, and I was charged full price :(when I went in and said something about it, the night manager made it right and pulled a bag so she could correct the price.
Then today I was standing in line with only three items, and it’s Sunday morning and some wise woman came and got there weeks worth of groceries before it gets busy. And there I stand behind all these baskets of groceries. I heard the cashier call out «3 is a crowd» (wish staters would take notes!!) then to my surprise 30 seconds later, Dennis the store manager shows up to speed me up and get me out the door! THANK YOU!
Great customer service from the top down!
Keep up the good work.

Out of all the grocery stores in Ridgecrest, (which surprisingly is 3) I prefer to do a majority of my shopping here. I actually didn’t realize this location existed but compared to the other location on Norma, this one beats it out of the water. The lighting in this store is much brighter and bigger in size. Which also hold a lot more items. Compared to the other location, this one seems to have more produce and slightly more organic items. The staff here are fairly nice, but I have noticed the Norma location seems to be a bit more interactive with the customers by asking if we need help finding something.
While growing up in SoCal, my family never shopped at A because it was more expensive compared to the other stores and out of the way, but its definitely worth it during the fall when they have the Cuisinart stamp reward!
Earlier this week, I made a shrimp dish and was looking to get fresh shrimp but to my surprise, some of the shrimp sitting out was previously frozen (as stated) and was so confused… but I guess it’s not going to be the freshest, seeing where were at.
Whenever my hubs and I feel lazy, we’ll get the 8 piece dark meat chicken thighs and legs for 6.99. In my opinion, the chicken here is a hell of a lot better than what KFC has to offer. But with that being said, sometimes the chicken definitely taste a day or two old.
This store has pretty much your basic food needs and has a Starbucks located inside, along with a couple Red Box outside. This store is normally clean and usually has more of the items stocked (depending on when you come).

Ok place. Me and my family were disappointed that we rushed to the store to get Starbucks and it had just closed at 4pm (we arrived at 4:03) and we were told we couldn’t be served. So that kinda sucked. Yeah we were past closing but come on… 3 minutes?
The line was kind of long and took a long time. It seemed like they didn’t have enough registers open. Oh well. I’m only out there once a year.

This store has been out of many of the foods I buy for the past few months now. They have a tendency to order a boat load of the foods that don’t sell well, and order limited quantities of those that do sell well.
For example, they have one column of the low carb flour tortillas, but 3 columns of the low carb wheat tortillas which nobody seems to buy. The flour ones are always sold out. Same thing goes for a few other items like coffee creamer, hummus, cheese, some meats, and breads.
They don’t even sell pita bread for crying out loud.

Needed one thing at the deli. Took 15inutes… just to get help… I am not happy. Guess I should make a reservation like a restaurant. The least they could do is put in chairs.

This is the grocery store I frequent most often in Ridgecrest, mainly because it has the nicest staff and consistently less creepy customers (when compared to Stater Bros and the old Albertson’s).
This location also has the largest and best selection of wine in town, although their sparkling wine/​champagne section is tiny and very bottom shelf, excepting one or two token expensive bottles. They carry a good array of gluten-​free products, and very recently Justin’s Maple Almond butter, which I purchased at $ 15.99 for the jar. It’s about $ 10 at stores in LA, but as we all know, the price point at any store in Ridgecrest is artificially high, basically because you’re a good hour away from any other town, and I guess that justifies a bit of highway robbery.
One big peeve of mine is that their produce is often on the verge of going bad. Whether or not this is due to purchasing the lower-​grade stuff from distributors or just consciously keeping old fruit and veg on the shelves, the high price point can be exasperating. I’ve been able to get local organic produce at Whole Foods in Pasadena for less money than I’m charged here. I usually end up getting bulk loads of fruit and veg on my way back from Pasadena on the weekends, either from Trader Joes or Whole foods (and it will actually stay good longer in my fridge, too).
My husband is a fiend for their white cupcakes. Their baker is very good, and their deli staff are always very helpful, fast and friendly. All in all this is my grocery store of choice due to the pleasant atmosphere and nice employees. The products and pricing I could take or leave.

The GOOD:
Employees are very friendly. I had catering done from here once for a very large event of 300 people on base, and it was a very smooth experience. Produce is good to go usually.
THE YUCK:
Today, returned from a shopping trip with two basic things I needed: fresh shrimp, and fresh chicken thighs. Purchased some other veggies as well.
Background: I’m a marine biologist by trade, and a lifelong fisherman. The shrimp was unfit to be used as bait. Slimy, with an off-​odor, and many bacterial colonies. I will be staying away from Thai farmed shrimp… forever.
So. at least I had chicken. I couldn’t smell it through the packaging, but if I had, I would have gone somewhere else. In a hurry. Cooked a small piece with no seasoning for my cats. They wouldn’t touch it, and I definitely had my answer. They are NOT picky eaters. The scary thing was, the label says sell by Christmas, which is 3 days away…
*****1 trip. Seafood not fit for bait. Poultry not fit for cat food.*****
No foreseeable trips in the future.

This store is very pricey compared to Stater Brothers. I don’t know how they stay in business. I only shop here for things I can’t find at Stater’s. The plus side is that they are never crowded!

This store is great. I generally won’t do my shopping at Albertsons since they’re typically overpriced, but this particular store has a great deli and alcohol selection. The alcohol is priced high unless you buy in qualities of SIX. I’ve never drank SIX of the same thing in my entire life, so this marketing strategy isn’t working for me. Today, I ran through the store, picked up some decently priced items and lunch. Their lunch special is AWESOME. If this was an eatery, I would have given FIVE STARS. For $ 5.49 you get to pick the items you want. A main item and 2 generous sides. I had sliced tri-​tip with waldorf and broccoli salads. Delicious! They also have a nice selection of cakes and single serving birthday cake slices.
Another nice thing about this location is that they have a Starbucks inside.

Under the new management, this Albertsons isn’t what it used to be anymore. Many of the experienced employees have been let go, the focus on short lines and customer service is gone. The employees seem so rushed. Carryout service used to be automatic, now it’s a hassle. Now if I want to see happy employees and not have to wait so long in line, I have to go to Stater Brothers. How times have changed.

Ha! I’ve been badged a duchess of Albertsons. I’m think I’m a little ashamed.
The long story short — I prefer this over the Norma Street location because 1) my groceries are bagged and handled more carefully 2) they have the rotisserie chicken ready to serve (for nights when cooking is NOT an option) and 3) I can pump gas right after.
Their downfall is that they don’t keep a steady supply of my favorite: Emerald Sweet &
Salty Mixed Nuts with glazed walnuts. Call me crazy, but these are excellent as toppings to a salad — AND my brother can knock out the whole can in one sitting. If I could, I would buy these in bulk.
Overall, this place is maintained well, is generally clean and my mom loves their floral section. She cleans them out when they mark down the bunches. At under $ 5 a bunch, that’s not bad at all.

The employees are great, and they always have good decorations and stands and discounts! Great place to come get your groceries :)