Fresh & Easy

Just missed their closing sale. This location is closed forever! :(will miss shopping here.

I rarely write reviews but I want more people to know about this store. It is the perfect combination of Safeway, trader joes, AND whole foods! I have been a conscious consumer for some time so the fact that they have healthy snacks, healthy drinks, and even non-​toxic detergents and cleaners is amazing. My son is GLUTEN-​FREE and they have lots of GF items. I bought these GF tortilla chips made of corn and black bean. The flavor was somewhat like a Doritos chip. My 6-​year old loved it! They have energy and protein drinks that don’t have all the crap in it. This is the kind of stuff I buy at whole foods. I don’t buy my produce there just because I prefer to buy from local farms. The pre-​made meals are good too. You can pick up fresh snacks, salads, and sandwiches. I hope more people check it out. It’s great for the person that likes mainstream groceries but cares about the ingredients in the food.

Some great savings on a lot of products compared to the other stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s in the area. They continue to bring in organic, free-​range and gluten free products at great prices.
This store isn’t about the Ambience or the Service. I don’t know why Unilocaler’s complain about that. That’s not their model. You want to save, then get use to the business model! Jeez!

I love the food here, but being disabled, and trying to get some help loading my bags back into the cart… is often hard. I can’t seem to find anyone that is willing to help! Usually, the person upfront is too busy chatting with someone else on a different isle.

Probably a decent place to go for last-​minute stuff but wouldn’t make a plan of it like going to Whole Foods; even the Safeway down the road is much better ambience.
The Odwalla smoothie drinks a full $ 1 more here than Safeway.
Found the 3 staff I walked by, could’ve been more friendlier and say hi at least, compared to a Safeway lol.
Located in the big plaza with Sports Basement, great for the staff who work there I suppose after work, needing to grab some produce or something.

It looked to me like prices for organic products here were higher than Whole Foods. I didn’t see any organic cheese.
Apparently automated check-​outs do not equal lower prices.
edit…bumped up to 3 stars… i went in there at 10 last night. they do have an interesting selection of beers. I tried Furo (sort of a poor man’s Corona) that comes in 11.2 ounce bottles (the last .8 ounce is just backwash anyway)
When you buy beer there an employee needs to come to the automated checkout to approve it.
The Wild Oats organic milk was cheaper than at Safeway, but everything else I looked at was more expensive here.
It is one of the cleanest stores I’ve ever seen.

The quiet storm.
You walk into this place once, and you’re like «What the fuck. Depressing layout, there’s no one around, they have all their Amway-​like own products. This place sucks!» and then you turn around and leave, swearing never to come back again.
You inevitably have to come back at some point. At which point there is a struggle internally, because you begin to realize that someone put thought into this, and you can’t shake the sense that there’s something different going on here. You still leave frustrated, because while they offer self-​service checkout, to buy that six pack of beer you have to wait for an attendant to go through multiple sequences just to finish up.
On your next visit, it hits you. «I just bought ceviche. That’s like my favorite shit. This place is pretty cool! Wonder what else they have?»
On your next visit, this place has turned into that kid in school you ignored, or even worse, resented for some unknown reason, only to one day meet them and realize they actually are lovely people, and you are grateful to have a new friend. This time it’s a take-​home meal (btw they call them «solutions» — sorry, but that person should be fired), but it’s dang good and as cheap as any other take-​home options. And their fresh squeezed OJ is awesome. And you begin to love the hum of their refrigeration systems (OK maybe that’s just me). but it smells clean, like ridiculously clean, and this store is unassuming, modest, almost humble, and you realize it’s got a real personality. Which to some is probably the most endearing quality of all.
And then you realize you like it. Not for everything, but for the thing it does well.

I really don’t understand the concept of this store. They’re way too scaled back to be a grocery store or drug store like Safeway or Walgreens. They’re a little bigger than a convenience store but don’t really have the efficiency as a convenience store or even gas station. They only have self checkout which means no cash back or change to be broken or given. Their selection is limited and prices not competitive enough. Good luck.

Perfect place to shop for single ppl and small families. Most items r yummy and fresh. Its affordable and if u get on their mailing list they send great coupons like 25 dollar vouchers. The bonkers blueberry pie is to die for. So good. Its a great lil grocery store i love shopping here :)

After having many friends rave to me about the bargains and quality to be found at ‘The Freasy’, I finally popped in after having dinner nearby to see what the fuss was about. Two common misconceptions from friends who led me here: (1) they are mostly organic, and (2) their prices just can’t be beat.
(1) Like any other grocery store, they have organic sections, including produce and frozen items. The store is also packed with your standard grocery offerings, including all your classic processed favorites. I can only assume they meant Sprouts or Whole Foods, or perhaps I misunderstood. In the plus column, they have a fun selection of non-​American items, sweets in particular, but that is also becoming easier to find as time passes and palates become more open to experimentation.
(2) Prices are similar to every standard grocery store I’ve been to — higher than the dollar store of course, but below Whole Foods which isn’t exactly a revelation or unique feature. Produce wasn’t any cheaper than the Safeway or Trader Joe’s I frequent, nor were their store-​made items like packaged marinated chicken and such. If they are cheaper than a Safeway, it isn’t a dramatic difference.
Since I was left disappointingly non-​mystified by the offerings, I grabbed a $ 4 block of Kerrygold butter (same price as every other store that sells it but not aways easy to find, so neato) and headed for the registers. The final nail in my Freasy coffin came with their registers. Without employees to check you out and all registers being self-​serve style, the store takes on a very post-​apocalyptic feel. The dingy and cold grey floor, intense quiet, and one employee following my BF and I around the store didn’t help with that — our own personal zombie. Any store that inspires a mixed bag of feelings reminiscent of paranoia isn’t one I’m anxious to return to.
So whatevs — I guess the store is fine. Call me elitist if you must, but I prefer an old school grocery experience, complete with proper human interaction, warm colors, and soft music overhead. Nothing stood out here to compel me to stray from my usual stores.

Understand why other locations have closed. Nothing special about Fresh and Easy. Not much fresh produce and some discounted processed and frozen foods. Kind of reminds me of Aldi cheap grocery stores back east.

These guys are great!
To start out with they seem incredibly well priced. To take it even further when I went today I received a $ 15 dollar discount off a $ 100 bill!
The food quality is variable — meaning don’t necessarily pick the cheapest thing on the shelf just because it’s the cheapest. This doesn’t mean they don’t have high quality items (still for cheap) here though. I’ve found you do have to be selective, but if you take that approach you walk out with incredibly good food.
The layout is reasonably well designed. I got into a case of one delayed traffic jam (my pet peeve when grocery shopping) because one of the aisles narrowed down to a single-​lane and of course, someone stopped their cart there and started fishing (he was very polite when I pointed it out so it wasn’t him being a jerk, it was just the way the aisle-​end was configured was not thoughtful enough).
The one thing to note is you have to checkout your own groceries. This kind of annoyed me but that’s just because I’m lazy. One I actually gave it a whirl I found their system incredibly easy to use and untuitive and had no problem checking myself out. I figure it’s probably a core reason as to why I got off so cheap considering the quantity of food that I purchased.
Overall I’d say this was a solid four + –star experience. I’d liked to have seen more options for things I’d really like, but I may have a selective taste. Limited selection for some things really. The traffic jam was a little frustrating, but not overly so. Check out was pretty easy but one of the clerks ran up and interrupted my purchase — the computer system was smart and stopped him from doing so then cleared it’s own error when I tried to interact with it to pay out.
Keep it up!

Love their brand of products but selection is pretty small. I feel like I wouldn’t be able to pick up everything I need at a cheap price compared to Safeway or Trader Joe’s.
To make a long story short I came here with my dad to get some groceries. During the self-​checkout, the 6 ears of corn we bought rang up at $ 0.59 apiece instead of 6 for $ 0.96. We pressed the «Ask for Help» button and the employee who came to help us — an older man with a mustache — was very curt and accusatory. His first sentence to us was «What did you do?» Um… are you kidding? It was all down hill from there as he didn’t explain why the corn rang up wrong but acted like it was our fault the corn didn’t ring up with the sales discount. He also told my dad, «You didn’t have to press the Ask for Help button. You could’ve just hollered.» LOL ok sure.
I understand everyone has their bad days but I’ve worked retail for several years and I never take my bad day out on any of my customers. This was my first time shopping at Fresh & Easy and I was very taken aback with how this salesperson handled solving a simple hiccup in a transaction.

This store is not my most convenient shopping market so it usually only becomes a destination for me if I’m in this plaza doing something else. I don’t mind shopping here when I’m in the plaza though — I enjoy this smaller-​sized store.
I have found bags of salad lettuce for a buck and that’s a pretty good deal. Also tried spinach tortillas that were here on sale once and thoroughly enjoyed them.
Whenever I am in here I’ve noticed that it’s usually pretty empty. Maybe that’s why it’s so easy to keep clean. Everything’s been in stock when I’ve come looking for something in particular. I heard they were closing/​moving but that’s been several months ago now and they’re still here. I’d probably stop in more if I diddn’t have a Trader Joe’s and Safeway both closer to my home.

The food is fresh and easy to cook. The meats and chicken we’ve been buying there recently are already marinated and seasoned. No additional preparation needed. All we had to do was put them on the skillet or throw them in the oven.
Hits:
Chicken Cheese & Bacon Parcels (Boneless skinless chicken breast with a 3-​cheese stuffing wrapped in naturally smoked bacon)
Bacon Wrapped Hot Dogs
Clotted Cream
Memphis Seasoned Chicken Breast
Beef Adobo
Ready to Cook Beef, BBQ, Bacon and Cheese Patties (Burgers)
Ambrito Lambrusco
They have no cashiers there. You ring up your own groceries (self checkout), which is fine. I like the fact that whenever we’ve been there, there has never been a line at the self checkout. So, we’re in and out just like that!
I heard that Trader Joes may be buying the Fresh and Easy stores in California now that Tesco is selling them. I hope Fresh and Easy continues to stay in business, especially the Walnut Creek location. It’s a nice alternative to Safeway.

I’m not a huge fan of Fresh and Easy because when you compare it to other grocery stores that are similar, it always pales in comparison.
This was a nice location. It was well-​stocked and the store was spotless.
The obvious cons:
Where were the employees? I only saw 2 employees in the whole store and granted it’s not a really big store, but only 2 working? One was scanning food and the other one said goodbye to us while we left. Who knows what he was doing.
The Walnut Creek location has more variety and is a lot bigger than other locations. I feel it offers more in terms of their selection, but again, it just pales in comparison to other stores that sell similar items.
This is not a one-​stop shop so be warned and there are no cashiers. This is all do it yourself so if long lines aren’t your thing, oh well. That’s what you’re going to get.

I’ve heard and read lots of things about F&E. In my own experience, here’s what’s it is, and is not.
It is:
— walking distance to my house for staples like bread, organic milk, chips, coffee, anything we might have run out of at the last minute.
— open from 8am to 10pm daily, longer hours than Trader Joes
— reasonable prices on many store brand items and even some specialty items. The quality of the store brand items has never disappointed me.
— impressive amount of gluten-​free and other dietary restricted items like dairy-​free ice cream
— always quick to check out. I’ve never had to wait for a register.
— easy to park, unless you have an aversion to walking. Do you really need to park within spitting distance of the door?
It is not:
— a place I would go to buy meat or vegetables. I have the farmers market twice a week for that, and in a pinch I’d probably go over to Safeway or make the pilgrimage to Whole Foods.
— a substitute for Whole Foods in any shape or form
— a substitute for Trader Joes. It competes with TJs on many items, but they are just different.
— merely a convenience store
— a great place to get beer or wine. They have it, but I find TJs selection much better
Think of F&E as a slightly different Trader Joes, with maybe a smattering of items you’d find at Whole Foods.

In and out in less than 60 seconds? For real. It was like being on game show, except I only walked out with a pack of low sodium sliced turkey, and not a whole shopping cart of loot. But still, it was kind of a rush.
I have stopped in here a few times for those classic 1-​item pick ups… toilet paper, turkey for the cat, nail polish remover. The store is well-​organized, never crowded, and there’s always an open checkout line (they’re all self-​checkout, which is fine when you’ve only got a handful of goods to swipe).
I’ve never done the entire grocery list here, so I can’t vouch for the Fresh part, but Easy? Indeed!

Oh how I love visiting Fresh and Easy when I am back in California. I will go out of my way to shop (as in this case) at Fresh and Easy and always find something to bring home with me to Utah.
If you are a frequent shopper you are aware of the markdown section which is a must to walk by when I visit. Play your cards right and you can eat on the cheap with their packaged fruit mixes and prepared dinner trays. I cannot count the number of times that I have bought up $ 15 – 20 worth of food for $ 5−7… food items that must be removed from the shelf that day, but in actuality its still good for your home fridge for another day or so.
Fresh and Easy does it right… packaging is often in portions of two… your choice as to one meal for two or two meals for one. Freshly made, great tasting, and for the most part, great value.

First of all, it’s great to have a supermarket back in this plaza! Ever since Lucky’s which turned into an Albertson’s closed long ago, and then Rite Aid too, this plaza was just lacking appeal. There wasn’t a reason to come to this plaza regularly.
PROS:
+ Open until 10 PM
+ Plenty of items that are all natural and without preservatives, artificial colors, flavors, and no added transfats. I believe their own Fresh & Easy items (frozen, pantry + ready made) adhere to this policy.
+ Interesting British items like Heinz beans, HP Brown Sauce, + British-​style, thick-​cut back bacon. (Fresh & Easy is a British company).
+ The store is almost exclusively self-​checkout, but there’s usually staff floating around the check out aisles that will assist you with scanning and/​or bagging if you like.
+ LOVE the Fresh & Easy Tart Frozen Yogurt! It comes in Mango too.
+ The BEST thing?! The discount shelves! I love the heavily discounted items in the refrigerated section and in the freezer section. It’s kind of hit or miss though. Sometimes there’s *lots* of ready-​made meals, salads, fruits, veggies, desserts, meats, frozen items, etc, and other times — nothing! These are usually items nearing their expiration date, but sometimes not. I did recently get a really nice seasoned tofu item for only .85 cents, and it doesn’t expire until July.
CONS:
— Too much plastic wrap! Every vegetable/​fruit is individually wrapped. Sure, this is more sanitary and easier for self-​checkout, but I prefer to reduce waste. I understand this is how the UK sells their produce though, but for a store that prides itself on being more «green» and with such quick growth in the Bay Area, you’d think they make some changes to that policy.
— Like Trader Joe’s, this store excels at some things, but lacks everything needed to be a one-​stop shop. For instance, I would still go to another store for fresh seafood.
— Produce is sometimes sub-​par. You have to actually look, poke, and squeeze.
Tip: Try to appreciate this store for what it IS — and not what it isn’t.