Santa Monica Shell Food Mart

This used to be my go to gas station. Not anymore after trying to pump gas and NOTHING comes out! That had happened to me twice in the past two months. Either their system sucks or they run out of gas. It doesn’t take that much effort to post a sign but it seems they don’t give a cucumber about customers wasting their time going thru their already slow authorization process. If you have all the time in the world to go pump to pump looking for gas and/​or it sounds like you’ll get some fun out of it, this is your station!

Always a mess there.
People always bothering you and begging for «gas money».
The pumps are always having trouble. Either they are out of service, pump super slow, out of receipt paper, you name it.
I always catch people getting arguments because one person hit the other’s car.
The staff is half asleep and slow at doing anything.
This is honestly the worst managed gas station I have ever been to. No exaggeration.
Go elsewhere is you can. Its worth it.

Always has the cheapest gas in Santa Monica. Plus they have a car wash here:
$ 7 Regular
$ 8 Plus
$ 10 V-​Power
Hours of the car wash: 7am-​10pm
Also you can use your Ralphs rewards here.

I washed my car here for the second time on Friday. The first time the wait was a bit long and as I was driving out of the car wash, when the air vents are supposed to dry your car as you slowing roll out, the air cut off after about 5 seconds. I suspected it was because the car behind me entered the wash right away which must trigger the cycle to start from the beginning. I guess it can’t accommodate 2 cars at once using 2 different stages of the wash. I remember leaving feeling really annoyed.
This Friday I went again on my lunch break, which is the only reason I come here because it’s close to work. There was about 5 or 6 cars in front of me and I decided to time it because of the last wait experience. I pulled up to the line at 12:35pm and it took 30 minutes before I was entering the wash machine! That’s insane. Yes, I realize I came at lunch time but 30 minutes is extremely inefficient for the amount of cars that were waiting, especially considering the minimal wash service being provided. Luckily this time I received the air at the end before rushing back to work. But after I got out of the car I noticed that it wasn’t even clean.
I wish there was a Chevron bubble machine in West LA where, for the same price, they manually rinse and scrub your car before you enter the wash, which is a consecutive set of equipment that you glide through while on rails, as opposed to a clunky all-​in-​one contraption that moves back and forth while your car sits in park as they do here. On top of that I have never waited more than 10 – 15 minutes. And after reading other reviews about scratches it’s definitely not worth the risk to come here.

I have washed my car here several times and I noticed a few small scratches on my trunk. I thought they must have already been there and it certainly couldn’t be from the car wash… WRONG. I went again a few nights ago and there are 2 new scratches and a significantly larger scratch from the wheel spinner that comes down from the top. I will not be going back here ever again.

Waited 30 minutes in line for the car wash for it then not to work. I had to move my car and go inside for assistance from the attendant. I was given a refund but no apology or any compensation for my time.
He accepted no responsibility on shells part but offered that the car ahead of me might have «stolen my wash». The attendants suggestion? Get back in line and wait again! Absolutely no compassion or respect for their customers.

I can’t believe I’m writing a review of a gas station. It’s just that I end up buying gas here fairly often (it’s along my commute) and leave annoyed every time, over the exact same issue, that I need to vent.
Basically, this is the world’s slowest gas station.
It’s always busy, bottlenecked with cars waiting in line for the pumps, maneuvering awkwardly from all directions. Crowds are usually a positive sign; they suggest that a business is popular. The prices here aren’t the best, but they’re competitive, especially if you enter your Ralph’s Rewards to save 20 cents/​gallon. The problem is, it takes longer to fill up here than at any other station, even without the crowds.
I go to the pump and swipe my card. There’s a delay. It prompts for my zip code. I enter it. Several long seconds go by. Would you like a car wash today? No, Wait several more seconds. And if I’m starting out by entering my Ralph’s Rewards, add three more steps with long lag times in between each. It takes so long for the screen to go to the next step that you think your response didn’t register, and you keep hitting Y or N or enter. After 3 – 5 minutes, I’m able to start pumping gas, which often (though not always) dispenses at a glacially slow pace.
I want to make it clear that I’ve never had a bad experience with the staff or any other reason to give this place a negative review. But surely there must be a way they can speed up their system. The fact that it’s always slow leads me to suspect that perhaps it’s by design, to create the lines & give the appearance that this place is in demand.
In any case, I always leave less happy than before I arrived. Thanks for letting me vent.

There is not a lot that is super special about this gas station but they do not add ten more cents a gallon like the mobile 250 yards away and they have a pretty good size lot so my truck fits moe easily when it’s busy here. Also they have a quick car wash for those days that I don’t have 45 minutes to spend at a full service wash. Ok funny moment. As I was writing this the shell attendant came out and looked at the pump and said that the prices were going up today and he wanted to make sure that everyone in the lit right now got the cheaper price. True story lol. That’s why I come here.
Ps

I don’t usually review gas stations and this one is fair in regards to getting gas, but what makes this one exceptional is the drive through car wash. If you’re like most people living in that congested area you don’t have a driveway/​garage where you can manually wash your car. Unless you have a very expensive car you also don’t want to be spending tons of money every month or so to wax/​get it washed.
Solution, this Shell’s drive through wash. Love it because it is conveniently located on Santa Monica Blvd and near the 405N, and for the money, the wash is just as good as a car wash across the street from it at Blue wave car wash.
Pros:
Good price
fast (when not crowded)
convenient
Cons:
Its not really a secret so on weekends and prime times it is pretty crowded.

Pretty low gas prices on comparison to the other gas stations in the area, convenience store available for drinks

If the car wash doesn’t show green lights when empty, call the attendant. The machine seems to malfunction sometimes and just says «backup» indefinitely even when empty. If you try to get the machine the work by moving forward anyway, a man who does not speak very good English will have to come out and unintentionally condescendingly tell you how to use a car wash. He will not understand when you attempt to explain the problem with the machine. Hilarious.

It’s pretty crowded most of the time (difficult to find an empty slot to pull up and get gas) but it has a drive-​tru car wash which is ok. Employees are nice and accomodating most of the time so I have no complain on that. Gas price is average considering the location (most of them are expensive on the westside). Other than that it’s a good location (so close to where I live) and there’s a Blue Wave car wash across the street.

Here’s the thing… I’m on a 12 mile run in the heat and really want to cool off so I decide to stop here and pick up something to drink, preferably a G2 or a Vitamin Water Zero. And voilia! This Shell Food Mart has a huge poster in the window advertising 2 Gatorades for $ 3 and the photo is of one Gatorade and one G2. So I go inside and look around, they don’t have G2… or Vitamin Water Zero. Just the fully loaded ones (Gatorade and Vitamin Water).
Then I remembered… I stopped here a few weeks ago on another run and they didn’t have those drinks then either. So sure I’m hot, sweaty and now irritated that I stopped mid run for this so I decided to say something. The two employees had no idea what I was talking about so I had to keep pointing at the signs (which were everywhere both inside and outside of the store btw) and they just kind of shrugged about it. I told them they should take the posters down since it’s false advertising but I highly doubt they will do so nor start ordering the G2 beverage to actually stand behind what they are advertising. I wound up buying a fully loaded Vitamin Water and succombed to drinking the extra calories because I was just that dehydrated.
In any event, that was my second time trying them out so I will not be going back there. You know the saying — first time, shame on you… second time, shame on me.
No thanks.

Who writes a gas station review??? I mean gas stations are just that. Is there really much more you can say? Well today that answer is YES!
Frankly this gas station is just like any other however; what is putting a bee in my bonnet today is the Ralph’s reward/​automated little atm’s on each gas pump. Everytime I fall for the — let’s scan our Ralph’s Club Card and everytime I regret it. The system just doesn’t know how to accept 2 cards and fails miserably each and every time. This time I tried it on my lunch hour with my CC and it failed and said to see the clerk. Then I tried it with my debit card to be declined. Then I wait and did everything WITHOUT the Ralph’s Club Card and it worked just fine.
So to sum up our story, don’t use your Ralph’s Club Card and it works fine. Don’t fall for the save 20 cents blah blah blah spiel. You will only end up frustrated and wasting part of your precious lunch hour. The End.

Food Mart is average. Small with the basic chips, nuts, drinks. Some fresh fruit and coffee machines. Service was kind of sub par.
My friend tried to get a drink and the young girl didnt give her the change at first and kept talking to the girl behind her in Spanish.
My friend was weirded out by not getting change and asked «Wait, how much was my drink again?»
No response. Just ignored her and continued to speak in Spanish and tap around and handed over the change without a word or eye contact, really.
The Car Wash — Sometimes it gets super packed on the weekends!!! It gets the job done for $ 7. If you want a receipt it doesnt print it out and tells you to go inside –_​– Machine seems a bit older and not very clear instructions as Ive seen at other gas stations that would make it more efficient.

AVOID THIS PLACE, unless you hate your car! My car was very badly scratched at this car wash. The manager Nely Lopez immediately started denying their fault even though the scratches were in the middle of the hood with pattern of the car wash cleaning brushes. Its not worth the risk! There are many other car washes that do their job without costing HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS in damages!

I occasionally visit this gas station when it is late at night because it’s open 24 hours. After midnight, the attendant is always the same person — a male with dark short hair and medium complexion, about 30 years old. Visit after visit, I’m always left with a bad taste in my mouth due to how horrendous his manners are, and the customer service in general. I rarely write Unilocal reviews, but tonight finally put me over the edge.
I walk up to the food mart and the door is locked. He often disappears for extended periods of time in the back room, so I wait for him to show up. Sometimes I’ll knock and knock to no effect. Luckily he appeared fairly quickly this time. I ask him to let me in and he says no in a very short, rude manner. I could barely understand him through the glass, but I think it was because he was cleaning the store. I tell him I will be quick, I just want to pick out some food, and he replies even more frustrated, shaking his head no, with no further explanation.
I have to spend the next few minutes peering in the windows, trying to decide what I want. I finally make some choices, and meet him at the window to ask him to retrieve them. One of my choices was ice cream, so he walks over to the freezer, and starts struggling to remove the top shelf to reach what I asked for. After fiddling with it for about 20 seconds, he gives up and tells me I can’t have it. I look at him bewildered and ask what he means… is the ice cream just going to sit in the freezer forever?! He gets mad and raises his voice, saying I can’t have it right now. This guy was just too lazy to do the work to get it out from under the other products!
At this point I’m so frustrated I almost just walk away; but considering I was starving, I bought the items he managed to retrieve and left without hearing another word. No apologies, no «thank you», nothing.
Sadly this is only one of a number of horrible experiences I have had with this employee. I will never return late at night again. I can’t believe he hasn’t been fired already, there is no possible way I am the only one to ever complain.
Please Shell, if you see this, get rid of this guy. It makes me lose faith in your company’s value of its customers.

2014 Unilocal 365 CHALLENGE — ¹¹⁵⁄₃₆₅
HORRIBLE gas station. I came here for the first time this past Saturday morning, and literally EVERY pump was taken by a car. This idiot guy who pulled into a spot right in front of me realized that his gas tank was on the other side, opposite of the pump, so he was motioning me to back up so he could move. Umm, sorry you’re an idiot who doesn’t remember what side their gas tank on. Also, all of the cars at the pumps were of course facing all different directions so trying to back up/​leave the gas station was impossible when there were a bunch of us sitting there waiting on this TINY little gas station location to get a pump. There wasn’t much room for cars that were waiting for pumps, like me, to just chill at so I was extremely pissed off. The pumps take up almost all of the space so if you happen to drive by this location and see that the pumps are all taken, do not even bother trying to get gas at this place.
I was so frustrated by the number of cars and the awful layout of this gas station that I just backed up and left. I went to the 76 right down the street, which was literally empty, so empty I thought it was permanently closed. Gas was expensive, but it was worth the price for not having to deal with moronic drivers. And tbh this Shell station was probably the same price since both are on Santa Monica Blvd, right by the 405.
I am a Shell lover but this one has got to be one of the worse locations I’ve ever been to.

Convenient! Easy to pull in and get back on the road home. Everything worked and the little store is handy.

Drive through car wash on the west side?! Awesome-​o.
High gas prices, not quite as cool, but did I mention they have a drive-​thru carwash?!