Smart & Final

What they did to me at this store WAS NOT SMART and might NOT be Final.
Smart and Final is a no membership smaller big box kind of store.
I like Smart and Final Stores for a few unique items I can’t get anywhere else like the grout cleaner that’s a miracle in bottle. My grout isn’t sealed and this stuff makes it look brand new in an instant. I love it. I also like their vegetable base. I use it when I cook greens with thin sliced onions and people do tell me I make the most delicious greens they ever tasted. There are several other items I also like. I make special trips to Smart and Final once in a while since they closed the location that was convenient to me.
This store isn’t so close to me and I stopped here after another Smart and Final was out of one food item that was on my list.
I spotted the item I wanted above the shelf. We got it and took it to the register. It didn’t ring up so the cashier called someone. That person left for a minute or two and came back and said that nobody put the price of my item in the system and I was not able to purchase this edible item. They rather have food sit on the self and get old than sell it to me.
They don’t live up to their name.
Not SMART and maybe not Final.

I looked up S&F in Wikipedia: they claim they have been in business since 1871. Wiki tells me that no, they only bought a grocery chain that had been is business since then. They’ve also bought a lot of other small chains, one of which was called Smart & Final (named for the owners) and, for some odd reason, they decided they would use that bizarre name.
Anyway, finally went to this one yesterday and it didn’t work out well. Store looks ok from the outside (though a little shabby) but the inside makes it clear that the building is from the 50s or 60s. Run-​down, crappy looking.
They had advertised Tecate beer, 30 packs for $ 16.99, two limit. I got there and they only had one 30 pack. I asked a kid who worked there if there were any more, he said no but that they should have some in a day or two. I walked around the rest of their «warehouse» for awhile, wasn’t impressed with their prices or anything else. I started thinking that the only reason that they call their business a warehouse is so that they can buy crappy old buildings and convince people it’s ok because they’re a «warehouse»! I don’t know, though, just my opinion.
Stood in line trying to check-​out, only one checker. I finally asked her if she could call another checker, manager showed-​up about then and started checking. Though I noticed that he was at a closed checkstand after a minute, doing something there for about five minutes. So, his arrival didn’t help the problem. I had stayed in the same line so, finally, got up there, got checked-​out.
About a block away I thought to glance at my receipt. I saw that the checker had charged me full buck for the beer. Turned around, went back to the store. Couple minutes to find the manager, he said, «The reason for that is you have to buy TWO of them to get the price.» I had forgotten that part. I told him, «But there was only one available.» He said, «There were other beers available, you could have bought one of them.» I told him, «I don’t drink Bud.»
So I went back to the car, got the Tecate, went back into the store, stood in line again, got my refund, thanked the manager «for wasting a half hour of my life.» and left, never to return. I decided that they are NOT Smart but they ARE Final since that’s the final time I will ever darken their door.

Just realized the frozen cobbler I bought had a «Best by» date of August 2014. I know it’s not technically an expiration date (and I’m eating it anyway), but I suggest you look at at the sell by, just in case.

Normally my family has had very good luck at Smart and Final. However this time after purchasing a 17.5 lbs of Tri-​tips I got home and started getting them ready for the next days grilling and literally trimmed of over 5 lbs of fat. This is totally unacceptable. Not sure what to think, I understand there is going to be a fat cap but 5lbs is very excessive. See photo’s.

In a neighborhood where there isn’t much around beside a small complex with a few restaurants but mostly fast food. Their price are awesome, clean store and friendly staff who are always happy to help you with anything. Got anything you need here but I is more toward business items and wholesale products. Come here often and will recommend.

Very clean store and friendly service. This is a smaller warehouse type of store that you can shop at with no membership card requirement. I go here when I need to buy in bulk for my classroom goodies, staff in-​services, school parties, and for my teacher appreciation treaties. I do not have the need to go very often. However, when I can’t get a friend who has another «warehouse» membership card to shop for me, I drop by here. They have limited items of course but it is great when I need fifty 100,000 bars. lol