Smart & Final

Update:
I cameback since I was a block away and needed something really quickly. I was assisted by a different cashier (she had a grill in her mouth). She didn’t want to be bothered either so I will keep the rating as is.
I needed to pick up something for my husband today and decided to run it to Smart & Final. I found exactly what I needed rather quickly and went to the register. All I can say is, «Wow.» I was assisted by the rudest person at the register. I felt like I was bothering her. I tried to stay in my happy mood and thanked her as I left. I asked my daughter if she felt that the lady was rude and she agreed that she was.
Latisha if you don’t like assisting customers perhaps you should get another job away from people. Thanks for running me away from this location. I have no plans of returning.

UPDATE: Latisha the as extremely rude, aggressive, short and bothered. We won’t be back.
I hadn’t started my shopping with Smart and Final until last year when I loved downtown. The first time I came here it was out of convenience and really every time after, it was for the sole purpose of closer to home shopping & being able to avoid the nightmare at Safeway.
For the most part this store has what you need, being that I know this store is made for those buying larger quantities, it would still be nice to be able to find smaller quantities of the basics. I definitely do not need a tub of sour cream but a small container would do just fine.
With as busy as this location is you would assume that they would update the stores a little bit. A new floor would be great, if not a new floor then at least filling the large cracks to make it look somewhat decent. Maybe getting rid of the yellowish hues, due to age/​wear and tear. Or even bringing people on at their peak hours (Last night was a nightmare).
All in all I know I will be back regardless of my «love-​hate» relationship. Because its convenience outweighs the cons.

Good store, but ghetto customers. Sometimes you have to stand in line for so long just because of how ghetto the customers are. A+ customer service. Has enough parking space too.

For the most part, I like this convenient location. I can get in and out. People that shop here are as in hurry as I am so I rarely come across folks who take up the isle and hang out, contemplate what to steal, or take heck of a long time adding up their purchases… whatever it is that folks do inside the grocery… maybe take mental naps.
The line keeps moving and they usually call someone else to open another register should a line start forming.
I just don’t always feel safe here. I don’t like going to my car and being badgered for some change or to wash my windows.

I have to shop here for store items frequently. It didn’t come to mind until recently, that I could do something more for this place by posting a review about it! Friendly and attentive staff, and great products! Thank you!

Awesome prices, but always under staffed. And, that makes for grumpy employees that don’t much like being there either. I pretty much dread going there. My bad, I suppose, for continuing to give them my business. We vote with our feet and our $, after all. But, I wish they’d get the customer service there in check. It would make the experience there so much more pleasant.

I remembered Smart & Final was the place to shop for candy bars back when I was a kid. Some of their stuff is even cheaper than Costco. I shop wherever is more convenient for me. This store is very clean and organized.

After coming here for the first time, I noticed a few pricing that were cheaper than grocery stores I usually go to. which tempted me to grab and stock up on the shortening sold here. but I figured I don’t need to make frosting anytime soon so I held off. Eggs I thought were cheap but after doing some minor calculations, it wasn’t the cheapest I’ve found after all. Everything seems clustered to me. I had a hard time finding what I need but luckily all the workers seem fairly kind as they didn’t hesitate to stop to answer my questions. What I loved most about this store is their size variation. They have both large case and then your average smaller case available here depending on how much you are looking to buy. It’s easy to go from cooking for the family to something larger like a party with the additional discount on bulk buy.
Lucky for me, one worker was free and decided to open another register just as I felt like I would have to stand and wait with the other shoppers at checkout.
With the location on Broadway, it’s an easy spot for me to take right off the freeway when going home from work. Works for me if I am on my way home and need to get groceries along the way.

Smart & Final isn’t my main stop for groceries– because obviously it’s not a full supermarket and doesn’t have everything I need– but it does have the basics when you’re in a pinch. It’s super close to my new place, and it’s easy to get in and out quickly– so it’s my new «the recipe calls for that thing I just ran out of» store. Plus it’s right off the freeway on my direct route home after work, so it’s also my «need a jug of milk, a bag of salad, and a couple bottles of red» stop. (…and yes, I’ve bought those exact items a few times now. I lead a fascinating life. LOL)

This place has the worst management ever.
I tried to shop here, but they don’t even have shopping carts. So I am limited to hobbling around the store with a basket in hand.
I won’t be shopping here anymore, I emailed the corporation and was given a call by the manager.
He basically told me carts are on order, sorry, be patient, but come back and shop again!
Costco it is then!!!

I don’t consider myself a «big box store» shopper at all. The thought of a 56ct pack of toothpaste or 100 rool pack of bathroom tissue frightens me lol. Smart an final falls somewhere between conventional supermarkets and the big boys like costco and Sam’s club. The store is always clean and the Broadway location typically attracts families and restaurateurs. Upon entry I am always greeted by a smiling face (take that Wal-​Mart) I find the staff to be extremely friendly and knowledgeable. They feature an expansive liquor selection at competitive prices. I appreciate smart and final for offering both household and commercial goods. The square footage is about a quarter (if not less) the size of stores like costco which makes it easier to pinpoint my needs (and eliminate frivolous purchases). There are only 3 locations in Sacramento that I know of, I highly suggest checking them out.

With a limited selection of large goods items, this place is excellent for those with a larger family and is almost a one-​stop shop for groceries, but you will still have to go elsewhere to get everything. I’m not complaining about that I’m just stating their niche. Big stuff at small prices not a big selection. It is wonderful! Rating this place well is like giving four stars to a Taco Bell. This store is kinda like that.
I don’t come here very often but I am never disappointed when I leave. I know what I’m looking for when I come here so I generally find everything on my list and this is my go to spot for getting ready for a party or BBQ.

Our vivacious CM, Alex L., though he won’t admit it, loves Smart and Final. I was having one of those days where I was being a massive troll reading every review of every Smart And Final in the Sacramento area and, what do you know, Alex L has been to them all. I found that very entertaining. Thus, I felt it was time for me to check out Smart and Final. Alex knows what’s up.
Of course, I needed to bring my daughter with me. Zoey starts crying and exclaiming that she does not want to go in because, she said, the store was «such a big mess.» I think she was mostly tired and perhaps she was having some sugar withdrawals. I told her that it was the end of the day and that things can get messy when it is windy outside and that the store was crowded. Then I asked her if she wanted me to ask some homeless man on Broadway to babysit her while I finish my business at the store.
Completely ignoring my sarcasm, she replies, because she replies to everything now, «the Co-​op is not messy.»
And I countered, «Zoey, don’t be a big snob.» She replied again. «I like to be a snob!» Fail. So I quickly retort, «Well, the Co-​op isn’t very busy!» Since she didn’t understand what that word meant — busy — I pulled one over on her, she caved, and I got her to go in the store. Mama-​2, Zoey-​0 (no points for being a snob.) You know what? Being a parent is hard.
The store had a lot of fruits and stuff that we like such as coconuts for 1.19, mangoes, bananas and spinach all on the serious cheap. I immediately understood why Alex was a fan, even though he won’t admit it. They also had those little perfect-​sized bottles of water for the kids (that you never want to buy, because they are too expensive), cheap enough to buy. The laundry detergent was not cheap, but the dishwashing detergent was hella cheap. Like, under 4 dollars cheap.
They have those little dixie cups too, which are great for measuring out crap and for storing paint in. Unexpected big score for less than four dollars. I love that. They’re also great for sauces. Actually, I think that’s what they’re meant for.
Toward the check out Zoey whined that she wanted M&Ms and threw them in the cart like a brat out of hell. At that point I had enough of her tyranny and told her to put them right back and she did so, without crying. So I bought them on the sly while she did some awesome people-​watching, and I saved them for when she decided to do something nice for somebody else without expecting anything in return. That’s how I make her act right.
After waiting in line for what seemed like an eternity, I noticed a lot of people were actually trying to steal things with their cart. Now that was pretty entertaining. The lady in front of me got caught, clearly, and totally tried to sidestep what she was obviously doing. That’s pretty trifling to try to steal crap with your kids in your cart. A lot of people be acting pretty shady up in here. At least steal something healthy with your kids in the cart.
The trashiness didn’t end there. As I unloaded Zoey and buckled her into her car seat, a seemingly VERY able-​bodied homeless woman came up to me and asked me for, of all things, a handful of spinach from a container that I had not opened yet. How does this happen? I kind of looked at her like, confused. Where was she going to put the spinach once I gave her a handful of it?
So, I suggested that she have a banana. Then she asked me how she was supposed to feed her two boys with one banana. So, I offered her two. Reluctantly she accepted the two bananas and left us alone after a short address about her love for spinach and Jesus. She’s the pop-​eye of the Jesus-​loving crackheads. That’s cool! After several visits to the store after this incident I find that these interactions with the homeless people are part of the experience. Just be prepared for that in case that kind of thing upsets you, or if you are on a tight schedule. After working at the downtown plaza for over three years, I can deal with homeless drama and the pop-​eye antics. IDRGAF about crazy bitches if I can save twenty bucks.

I’ve never had a bad experience at any Smart and Final when I shop here. The service is always great. This Smart and Final is conveniently near both the 99 and 50 freeway.
I really like coming here for the meat when it’s on sale. It’s always a very good deal. I recently discovered their El Pastor… omg…it was sooo good and at a pretty good price ($ 2.49 per pounds for marinated meat).
This is also a great place to purchase party items (cups/​plates/​etc) or bulk candy.

Minding my own business, doing my regular shopping at Smart and Final. A lovely woman in front of me at the checkout says, «he won’t let me do this without letting you know — I’m buying your groceries. Someone did it for me, so I’m going to buy yours.» Wow… hugs ensued. Nice things happen at Smart & Final. Just sayin’.
And the checker was speechless! ;=)

I like how Smart & FinalS comes up first when you search this store on your Unilocal machine. Yeah, with an S. Like you have to study for it. You don’t. You’ll pass.
Okay, so I come here sometimes for a big $ 3.99 bag of conventionally farmed broccoli, a 30 pack of eggs, and a few other things. Big sizes of hot sauces ike Chalula and sriracha are pretty cheap. If you are hosting a party and need plastic cups, napkins, and conventionally farmed broccoli this might be your place. Booze isn’t particularly cheap, but other things are. It’s worth checking out if you live in the area and aren’t obsessed with ambiance. Bums WILL ask you for money in the parking lot. I don’t have any. I do have conventionally farmed broccoli though. Peace.

Smart & Final is great because you can get in and out very quickly and there’s no membership fees. I mostly like to shop here for freezer items and pantry staples. It’s also a great place to shop for a big BBQ or party.

I don’t feel glamorous cruising the narrow aisles of Smart & Final, but the low prices — especially compared to other grocery stores in the immediate area — repeatedly lure me in and will keep me as a customer.
They have a decent 12-​pack beer selection, especially for party purposes, and stock my favorite seasonal beer (Ruthless Rye — yummmmm) at some of the best prices I’ve found anywhere.
The ability to buy a gallon of pickled cactus is just a bonus. ;-)

This is one of my go to places for prepping for parties and gatherings we seem to have a lot of at times. They are also awesome for buying in bulk snack items for the gidgets as well as decent pricing on many of the staples we use a lot in our house.
The staff for the most part are friendly and the store clean. Unlike a couple of retailers I have tried out in the past couple of years, I do not have to use an inhaler while going through the produce aisles or avoid them all together due to my mold allergy.

This isn’t the optimal shopping experience, and yet I continue to shop here. Despite the drab interior, the dismissive employees and the nightmare of a parking lot, I come back time and again for one thing: the prices.
Most recently, I needed a sea of supplies for the mammoth block party I’m hosting with Unilocal.They had what I needed and they had it cheap and in bulk, staying true to their motto as the «smaller, faster warehouse store.» I couldn’t find everything I needed so I raided the other locations on Watt and 47^th streets as well. Neither of those locations left me with any different impression about the chain.