Spencer’s Fresh Markets

This is our local store. If you are looking for camping staples, the prices are commensurate for a popular tourist town. But their selections are good and there are great deals on their adult beverage selections! But the staff is the thing that makes this five star. They go out of their way to be friendly and professional.

Older store but clean. Vegetables were fresh and tasty. Large tomatoes were ripe and more inexpensive than expected. Large parking lot easily RV accessible.

When I don’t feel like fighting the crowds, I go to Spenser’s instead of Albertsons. I have bought from the deli section often and have never had a problem — they have the expiration date listed. Their home made enchiladas and tamales are delicious. But I have found dairy items like eggs & milk that were due to expire that day or the next, so I check carefully. My main problem is that the shelves are often not restocked. Tonight I could not find one regular sized can of tomato sauce — which should be a staple — so had to buy four smaller cans. The beer and wine sections had been pretty picked over with big gaps on the shelves. However, this was a holiday weekend, so maybe they gave some staff off or had a lot of tourists come through. The staff is friendly and helpful, and there’s almost never a line.

There’s nothing «awesome» about this market. It has been a stop off for me over the past few years to pick up supplies but this will be the last time. The wine and liquor selection is boring, and forget the service Deli. Nobody working there and the have a shitty selection. Blah. The only Interesting thing here is the bathroom. You have to walk to store’s back storage area next to the blast freezers and use the staff restroom.
— Spencer’s is the new Haggens.
— They do sell some Kombucha /​Vinegar drinks.

So far no problem with any deli items, everything seems fresh… it’s a older store so it does seem dingy somewhat but still clean from everything we have seen. we just started shopping here last 2 months… based on the other reviews I will be watching carefully fir the freshness of the deli items and produce before making my purchase. as far as customer service, saying thank you and greeting you when you come in… well I’m there to shop not bond or become best friends with any clerk as long as they do their job well. for me get me out if there… in a Timely fashion I really don’t need all that phony rehearsed thank you and cone again they teach them. it’s not genuine half the time folks and you know it… just do you job well and not be rude and everyone is happy… my opinion…

choice meats. fast service. local beer. good deals.

Awesome market! I’d prefer to shop here when we visit Morro Bay than any other store.

Great selection of local, hard to find items! Some of the items; liquor, beer, sodas and wine are only available at specialty stores. A bit pricier than a big market, but selection is better! Love it, I go there all the time when I’m here. Fish, salsa, produce and meats are great too.

Spencer’s is what it is — a local supermarket. You can’t expect these guys to offer the same quality and prices as big corporations, but they make up for it in small town charm. They offer coffee every morning, and there is a super sweet lady that always says good morning to you when you pour yourself a cup.
I love Spencer’s because it’s close to my house and I enjoy the convenience, but I don’t think I’d come here often if I didn’t live within walking distance.

I shop here at least once a week. I am committed to buying local, and I like that Spencer’s is local and carries local food. I shop here because of that and overlook that it’s not fancy, super clean or stocked with excellent choices. That being said, it wouldn’t cost the owners anything to train their staff not only in customer service, but in just everyday politeness. Today I came in, shopped and was again astounded by a lack of greeting by the cashier for the customer in front of me. The cashier also didn’t thank the guy after he paid. Same for me. Then, after I completed my joyless transaction, I realized I forgot one thing and asked if I could leave my small bag of groceries on the counter to run and get it. There was no one behind me. The cashier said in a totally annoyed voice, «Well, I guess so. «I asked him if it was an inconvenience and he said, «I guess not.» I left and returned quickly back to his line, which had no one in it, and he rung me up with a snarky attitude. Again, no thanks were offered. It’s not a big deal, really, but it just always seems like Spencer’s is trying to make me shop at Albertson’s.

We love Spencer’s. We always know we can count on Spencer’s to have what we need in a pinch. So happy to have all that they provide when we need it. Great variety, great pricing, great people! The best thing about this market is that they are local and promote local… they buy local and support our local economy and we want to support that, lots of organic options where they can!

Like many other reviewers I too support our local businesses and have shopped at Spencers many times. Their rotisserie chicken is excellent both moist and flavorful. However I have to take issue at the diligence they apply to checking the expiration dates on their goods, especially the dairy section. For the second time now I have made a quick stop at Spencer’s to pick up milk or other dairy goods only to find when I get home that they were past their expiration date. I just opened what should have been a delicious Brow Cow raspberry yogurt, I took a big bite and almost gagged. When I checked the expiration date it was 7 days past, I am just hoping I don’t get sick.
Do yourself a favor and go the extra mile to Cookie Crock, their prices are fair and their fruit and vegetable prices are excellent.
I won’t be returning this yogurt to the store, in fact I won’t be returning to Spencer’s period!

Wow, I’m pretty surprised at the positive comments about Spencer’s produce. For a grocery who advertises «Fresh Markets,» I beg to differ. I’ve lived in Morro Bay, 3 minutes from Spencer’s for 6 and a half years. Sometimes when we’re cooking and realize we’re out of something, or if we’re just short on time, we’ll go straight over to Spencer’s. Also, depending on what’s on our list, Spencer’s is great. However, if the majority of what is on my list is produce, Spencer’s is a risk, and not really worth it. I can’t count how many times we have found moldy, literally rotting produce. I once went in for basil. My only selection was two packages of mostly black, slimy basil, with a couple of sprigs that were usable. I asked the produce guy for fresh basil and he said this was all they had. I told him I wasn’t paying full price for two packs of basil to get barely enough for my recipe. He offered to give me 10% off. I refused. He then told me he’d sell me two packs for the price of one. Reluctantly, I paid it because I was in the midst of cooking and in a rush. We’ve seen moldy onions (really? How old must those be?!), rotting cucumbers, shriveled up bell peppers, squishy sweet potatoes, brown, dried out lemon grass, rotten pineapples, moldy berries, slimy packaged spinach… You get the message. I hope John Spencer takes this review to heart after this review. We’ve written to him previously and he said he’d look into it, but nothing has changed.
We are also wine enthusiasts. We don’t ask for the best, but seriously, as others have mentioned, we live in wine country and are surrounded by fabulous, reasonably priced wines. To their credit, they have improved over two years ago. But hire someone who knows wine and what they are stocking. The person in charge of the wine department either doesn’t have a clue about wine, or they are given strict instructions about what not to order. Even the local Rite Aid has a better selection. (Seriously.)
On the other hand, I will also give praise where it is due. If I were only reviewing based on the remainder of the grocery store, I’d give it another star. The staff I’ve encountered have been really friendly most of the time. The store carries some things I can’t find at Albertsons, including a fairly good selection of lamb (most of the time), Mary’s organic poultry, great organic bacon, and a few other items we love. I prefer a cleaner grocery store, but I also realize this is a very *old* store, weathered by the ocean air. Which brings me to another subject… THE VIEW! How many grocery stores have Spencer’s view?! Wow.
So John, I’d say you have potential with the Morro Bay Spencers. Now let’s see if you’re willing to take that potential and kick it up a few notches to cater to your local regulars who have hung in there for you over the years. I guarantee you would increase your profit if you did.

I should start this by saying that I love Spencers and wish I wasn’t writing this review. However, after becoming sick from their store packaged sausage, I thought I’d post a warning.
I have noticed that this store is filthy. I mean FILTHY. Their frying oil reeks all the way out to where customers order at the deli. Their glass cases at the deli are so dirty they are opaque in places. The stainless back splash behind the grill and fryer looks like it’s never been cleaned. Back at the meat section, their store packaged chicken often looks an off shade… kind of yellowy.
Now, I knew all this, but Spencers is walking distance from my house, and I just sort of got used to it. Occasionally I’d get a chicken strip that smelled bad, but I never got sick. We purchased their store packaged sausage often for breakfast and soups.
Well, it finally happened, and both my husband and I got sick after eating their sausage. I know it was the Spencers sausage that made us ill because we both had the sausage with breakfast, didn’t have anything else that morning that could have caused food poisoning, and we both skipped lunch later that day. By evening we were extremely ill.
I suspect that the filthy conditions at the front of the store do indeed carry to the back where I can’t see, and I rolled the dice once too often. We will never purchase sausage (or their other store packaged raw meat) again from Spencers.
That said, I gave them an extra star for their good selection of organic products and produce.
A note on customer service: As others have mentioned, there are a couple of extremely grumpy women behind the deli counter. I haven’t had problems with them, but my husband comes home with war stories! Nearly everyone else there is very nice or at least not mean.
To sum up, stick with the produce and commercially packaged items. Eat their prepared food and raw meats at your own risk.

Gotta support these little home town shops. I did not encounter any of the major negatives the others had listed… I was glad to be able to buy groceries and other stuff at «local» price. I bought a bunch of fruits and drinks and pricing is considerably better than mini marts at gas stations. I suppose if you had to compare to the big chains like Albertsons then Spencer’s might lose. But over all I give them two thumbs up and would go again.
Everything was neat and tiny and the floors was clean. The only thing I didn’t like was the sandwich shop lady was cleaning up and I asked if she could make me a sandwich she was like i’m finishing up. LIke Violet T. said she obviously didn’t wanna be there and it was just a job for her and she didn’t want to be helpful. Kind of disappointed for such kind of service at a smaller local joint like this but this is more of an individual problem not the store overall.
So, for drinks, chips and other regular supply you’ll do fine here. The fruits I bought were all great too. But if it is fish and meat I guess you gotta be careful?! I’m pretty satisfied so I’ll give them ⁴⁄₅.

I had been to the Spencer’s in San Luis and vowed I’d never return due to significantly higher prices, unclean conditions in the deli area and sketchy-​looking products in the meat department. I recently visited the Morro Bay location, hoping that things would be different, but sadly, this was not the case.
While the produce area was beautifully maintained and full of good selections, this is where the positive review ends. Like another visitor mentioned, I encountered a rude older woman behind the deli counter who acted as though she would rather be anywhere else in the world besides Spencer’s market. We did not make a purchase simply because she looked so sour and put-​off by us.
The meat department was tiny and pitiful. After taking a whiff of the store brand packaged chicken and finding it strange-​smelling, I reluctantly purchased a package of Foster Farms chicken praying that it would be fit to consume (it seemed to be rather off-​color). We lived through that dinner, but I’d rather not feel so fearful about the products I’m serving my family.
And finally at the checkout, I was disappointed by how much higher the prices were than when I shop at Albertson’s or Vons. I will not be returning to Spencer’s market unless it’s a dinner emergency and I can make do with something from the freezer section.

Spencer’s has it’s ups and downs, so here’s the basic bullet point list:
Pros:
*Really nice and helpful older gentleman who works produce
*Nice selection of quality cheeses and meats in the deli — try the horseradish cheddar!
*Nice women who work in the deli (NOTE: the younger/​middle aged ladies)
*Good chicken fingers and some decent cold salads (way better than chain markets)
*Good produce specials and alcohol pricing
*Nice selection of local products like Brian’s Sourdough
*Never busy
Cons:
*Not the best selection, but that goes with the amount of space they have
*Rude senior ladies working in the deli– walking away mid ordering and grumbling even when I’m exceptionally patient and friendly. Sorry for inconveniencing you…
*Sometimes the meat just doesn’t look good, maybe it should be pulled earlier
*Some items are overpriced
*Weird age segregation– teenagers all at the checking/​bagging area and mature folks all working the floors and back… I’m hoping this is because of career advancements over time?
Overall, I don’t do my major shopping here but I will drop in for a few things here or there, like deli items and produce specials.

Nothing spectacular about this place. It’s a grocery store. It’s clean enough, has plenty of stuff, and the prices are decent. I was passing through the area and didn’t know what else was around, but spotted Spencer’s as I was driving up the highway. It had all the supplies I needed to replenish for my camping trip up the coast so I can’t complain. I’d come back if in the area.

Spencer’s is always 5 stars for using local growers and have great produce deals. The always stock Brian’s Sourdough and this is a plus. The Weekly Specials get my attentions too! Clean, Nice, Local based, — Gotta Love it!

I shopped here in the recommendation of the other reviewers, and man was I dissappointed. I even doublechecked Unilocal to make sure I was in the right store.
About the only good thing I can say about this place is that it was clean. Otherwise it’s your typical discount grocery store with expensive beer. Nothing local, nothing top shelf, nothing unique. Might as well have gone to Albertsons.