Whole Foods Market

what’s not to love?
There’s food, there’s everything you need in a grocery store, customer service is AWESOME.
pricey but hey, it’s «organic»
note* keep your receipt if you are unsure of an item.

You pay for clean, healthy food and (above all) conviniece. If I want a damn Samosa at 10am then, damnit I should be able to have one. Through they’re food offerings, Whole Foods responds by saying: «You damn right you do, son. Cash, debit and android pay are king here… along with a feel good poster about fish staying in the ocean.»
The truth is I love this place and it’s also true I drink the Whole Foods Kool-​aid in all of it’s form, especially smoked Brisket. Although said Kool-​aid may be laced with something, at least I won’t die from GMO Franken food.
Take THAT Monsanto!

While not the fanciest Whole Foods in LA, this one is still my favorite. It was one of the originals in the area and always has cheese trays on hand. I’m a single shopper, so small portions are right up my alley. Yeah they are pricey, so it’s not a good place if you want to feed your family on a budget. That said, the employees are friendly and they are surrounded by a bunch of other great shopping options. Don’t forget the chicken curry salad for a quick meal on the go!

Worst whole food market I have ever been to! Store was dirty, food on the floors, isles are too narrow for two carts to fit, no carts at front door, customers are VERY rude, produce was very limited and even my 6 and 3 year olds pointed out that it literally stinks inside the store. The only reason they are getting two stars is because the staff was very nice. Someone offered to go out into the parking lot and find a cart since I was carrying and infant seat with two youngsters running around and the cashier was nice and quick, but I overheard her talking about how her bagger was getting screwed in pay. I WILL NOT be returning to this store. I WOULD RATHER GO TO SPROUTS or the other passadena location.

I love the foods they have here! They usually always have what I need in stock unless it’s one of those very popular items. Califia’s Farm milk is popular here so the different flavors are not always in stock. When I first got here I was kinda lost because it can somewhat be like a maze in here. The aisles aren’t all straight down because it divides into a middle health section in the middle.
I like how they have a wide variety of nuts, seeds, grains, candies in the weigh by pound section. I like how you can buy in bulk here! They have lots of fruits but not too many vegetables. It’s quite expensive here too and I can always find it cheaper at Trader Joes. I usually come here for my milk, yogurt and grains. Sometimes for their hummus, crackers, breads, Kevita drinks or protein powders. Other than those, I go to other markets because I can find the same for cheaper.
Whole Foods is a great market though, because you can trust them. They care about the environment, the quality of the foods they sell and the ingredients in the foods they sell. It’s a great market for those health conscious people. However, buying just a small cart of food can sometimes ring up to be over $ 100 which hurts my wallet. I always know I’m buying quality food though!
They also have a deli section, pizza, sushi, salad bar, hot bar and desserts. This one isn’t as good as the one on Arroyo but there’s still a good selection. It gets busy here around lunch and dinner because nearby business workers stop by for a quick meal. They list all the ingredients in each dish which I really like. They don’t list calorie count though.
Overall, great market, great quality food but on the higher end for prices.

My least favorite Whole Foods I’ve ever visited. Maybe I’m spoiled with the new downtown location and the Newport and Tustin locations, but this one just looks like any other regular market. I was hoping to get $ 1 oysters in the seafood section but they weren’t even $ 1 like how they are at the other locations. They also don’t have as much variety in cooked food options without very much seating areas either. The cooked food and the seafood food didn’t look as fresh as what I’m used to at other Whole Foods. There is another Pasadena location and I think that one is better. Would definitely try out the other Pasadena one or go back to the ones that I’m used to. even though it is further away.

Very disappointing. Found a hair in my sushi. Absolutely disgusting. Parking is a bit of a nightmare. This is the smallest whole foods I’ve been to.
Lettuce was almost $ 3 and it didn’t look like it was in the best condition. They had variety, a little bit everything but I a lot of it was way overpriced. I almost felt like I’ve seen better deals at other locations.
The staff however is very friendly and probably the most helpful out of all the locations I’ve been to. However the cashiers look kind of zombie ish so it kind makes you wonder, definitely not like the trader joe cashiers.
I wouldn’t come back unless I was desperate or need a very specific item that only whole foods has.
Again beware of the idiot drivers in the lot.

I love their hot/​cold food to go section, so when I’ve had a long day at work I just stop by and see everything they have and pick some of this, some of that– done! They have an amazing selection of everything there and I love their wine selection. Their buyer does a great job and can help you find what you’re looking for when he’s around. Of course, they’re a little more expensive than other grocery stores, but it doesn’t stop me from going there.

My local Whole Foods (in San Diego) is straight up amazing. Aisles on aisles of unique, enticing foodstuffs. Expensive? Sure… but it’s worth the trip when you’re feeling a little spendy and have a hankering for something you just can’t find at Sprouts or Trader Joes (I’m looking at you, artisan vegan cheese selection.) While clean and brightly lit, it has a rustic, moody feel with warm lighting and lots of wood accents and earthy tones. Is it weird to get excited about a grocery store’s ambience? Who cares; let’s move on…
This particular location, however, is AWFUL. White walls, fluorescent lighting, dirty linoleum floor, the works. The prepared food section was pretty sad and the thrill I usually feel whilst gazing upon the salad bar at my usual location was noticeably absent. Still, I pushed on… An «everything but the kitchen sink» style salad for myself (and some sesame tofu from the deli case) and an Italian sub for my other-​other half, AKA little-​big sis, AKA fellow Unilocaler Laurel T.
Calling the guy who made her sandwich «unenthusiastic» would be too generous. He all but rolled his eyes at me when I placed my order (literally just the name of the sandwich, no substitutions or extras, a smile and a «please») and skipped the salt, pepper, oil and vinegar which I am fairly confident was out of pure laziness, not forgetfulness.
The salad bar was uninspiring and the hot food bar was a hot mess with drips, spills and trays that looked like they hadn’t been replenished since the brunch-​time rush (we stopped in early afternoon).
Rounding out the yuck-​factor was our sniffling, sneezing cashier who was touching her hair and face while ringing us up. Cool. Cool, cooool, cooooooool.
Two stars because my sister’s sandwich was pretty good and my salad was on point (which isn’t saying much since I made it myself.)
And to my local WFM… I love you, baby. Let’s make this exclusive.

Had an ugly experience at the bakery department of this Whole Foods. Asked a customer service person behind the bakery counter named Silvia if she could please write «Happy Birthday» on a cake I was buying. She was shockingly hostile and rude and replied,“What? I can’t understand what you’re saying!!“
I speak perfect English and was born in this country and am a successful professional with a graduate degree. So I repeated to her as politely and as clearly as I could, «Could you please write Happy Birthday in icing on this cake?» She then snapped back at me, «Maybe you should try to speak English better next time and that way people can understand you!!»
I immediately went to her bakery manager Amy and explained what happened, and Amy grudgingly listened to my complaint and rolled her eyes while I spoke to her, and she was clearly annoyed that I was wasting her time. She obviously wasn’t taking it seriously, so I next spoke to store manager Rigo who did apologize to me, but it didn’t seem like he would take any action. This incident had racial overtones because I am Asian and Silvia was obviously implying that somehow my English is poor due to the fact I am Asian, when in fact I was born in the USA and speak perfect English.
The funny thing is that Silvia is of Hispanic background and she speaks with a distinct accent, so I’m shocked that she would attack another ethnic minority on that sort of point. Even if Silvia encounters a customer whose English is difficult to understand, it is her job to be courteous to everyone regardless of their racial/​national background or ethnic dialect/​accent.
I contacted the Whole Foods’ Western regional office and spoke with regional representative Peg C., and she agreed that Silvia and Amy were way out of line. Peg assured me that she knows store manager Rigo personally and would contact him within a day to discuss this matter.
If you are a customer who encounters this type of unprofessional service at this Whole Foods on Foothill Blvd. in Pasadena, my advice is to report the name of the employee to their regional office like I did. The Whole Foods regional office telephone numbers are listed on their website.

I’m an unabashed and unapologetic Whole Foods fangirl. It’s true.
And this is probably my favorite Whole Foods location in all of LA. I like it even better than the 2-​story megaplex on Arroyo Parkway that everyone is so giddy over. Why, you ask?
It’s conveniently located right off the 210 freeway which cuts down on surface street driving time. And the parking situation is chill af. Big spacious lot.
The store itself is never busy, and the employees there are some of the nicest and most down-​to-​earth peeps I’ve ever encountered in a retail setting.
I’ve been able to find some of my favorite products that I’ve generally only seen at specialty markets like Rainbow Acres and the Santa Monica Co-​op — e.g. Rustic Bakery crostini, Living Tree nut butters, LesserEvil Organic Buddha Bowl Popcorn, and Halo Top ice cream.
(Oh and by the way, they will pack your frozen wares in bags of ice upon request! Swoon.)
Epic juice bar. Muy yes.
Lastly — two words: Shuffle Bar. It’s a small restaurant that just opened up very recently inside of the market, with a full menu of edible delights and beers on tap. Pretty cool concept. I don’t think I’d make the trip out to BFE with the specific intent of going to the Shuffle Bar, but it’s nice to have the option should I get hungry for some delicious free range sliders whilst doing my grocery shopping.

I’ve been to quite a few Whole Food Markets and this is one of the largest that I’ve seen. However, as big as it is, its not very busy. I don’t just mean in terms of customers, I mean in terms of employees as well. At all the other Whole Foods I’ve been to, I’ve never had to hunt down an employee and if I did happen to run into one, they would always ask me if I need any assistance. Here, I was looking for the yogurt/​dairy and #1 I couldn’t find anyone to ask #2 when I approached someone they pointed in the wrong direction.
In regards to the food, I’m not sure if its the time that I chose to go to this location or what it was, but their prepared food did not seem fresh. Each of the 4 times I’ve been here they always only have 1 or 2 pieces of fried chicken left. The mashed potatoes always look crusty and their rotating dishes look unappetizing compared to other locations.

Stopped by here last weekend. Lines moved quickly and efficiently.

Ever since I started to developed an appreciation of the wonders in charcuterie and cheeseboard, I’ve been dying to create my own at home. So, thinking I’d find something delicate and tasty, I came to whole foods and asked the expert who works at the cheese station. After all, one would assume their price tag includes customer service and expertise. Unfortunately, it appeared the snooty guy who wore glasses and worked behind the cheese station was having his PMS on this very faithful day (2÷27÷15 to be exact,) he was «slightly» annoyed when I approached and asked him questions. I supposed he was probably having an even heavier flood day than the raining weather outside.
But why am I still giving Whole Foods Market a three stars rating despite the cheese guy who obviously needed his tampon changed? It’s their wine specialist-​Johnathan. For an amateur like me who’s also enthusiastic about wines tasting, Jonathan is the man! He saw me wondering around the wine department aimlessly and came to the rescue. Based on the price range I gave and the type of wines I usually went for, he effortlessly picked up a few recommendations for me. It’s hard to believe someone who’s tasteful about wines can be so humble and friendly, but I was convinced he knows exactly what he was talking about when I saw the lights and passion in his eyes. And as it turned out, I was 100% right; BF and I killed the entire bottle of red wine that he recommended.
In conclusion: if you ever find yourself visiting this gourmet supermarket, I’d say skip the diary queen and go pay Jonathan a little visit. Because his friendliness and extensive knowledge in wines are a great reminder of why we, as consumers, can be supportive of a highly priced market, such as whole foods.

This is a decent sized Whole Foods. They have all the usual suspects to buy in their well-​organized aisles. They also have a variety of take-​out food options — they have a deli, salad bar, baked goods, etc. However, the presentation and feel is not as warm and inviting as the Glendale location.
On the positive, they have a nice selection of wines and a smallish section for beer and cider (prices were on-​par with BevMo). We were there specifically for a particular liqueur to purchase. We knew Glendale did not carry it, but I’m happy to report that Pasadena has a nice selection of liqueurs and had what we were looking for!

I like to go grocery shopping at Whole Foods because of their fresh and organic products. This market is organized and clean. They carry quality products so my shopping can get expensive but I know it’s worth it.
:Highlight:
Hungry? Whole Foods serves Asian food such as noodles, Teriyaki Bowl, Sushi, and Korean BBQ. They also have pizza, sandwiches, hot food, salad bar, and desserts! At the sweets section, you will see gelato, sorbet, cakes, cupcakes, macarons, and more. In the freezer area they have gluten free cookies, banana bread, cupcakes, corn bread, and cream biscuits, etc. Thirsty? They have juice, smoothie, espresso, and coffee. My favorite is Dr. Orders (use to be called the Green Oz), it has apples, spinach, celery, cucumber, parsley, lemon, lime, and ginger. I ask for light ice and ginger.
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Meat/​Seafood Department, they have Responsibly Farmed, Wild Caught, Farm Raised, Organic, and Dry Aged products. They also have the 5 Steps Rating (please refer to picture attached). On days I feel lazy, I buy their marinated items. The Produce Department is organized and well kept. Colorful, bright, and organic fruits and vegetables. Samples are sometimes available, my daughter likes to try them. They sample teas, hummus, bread, and meat, etc.
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Kids Club — After I pay for my groceries, my daughter can choose an item from the Kids Club Shelve, which contains, healthy treats, like bananas, apples, oranges or fruit belts; my little one loves it!
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:Customer Service:
Ronnie in the Meat Department is always happy and willing to help; very friendly. When I order my drink at the Juice Bar, Jill is pleasant to talk to. When I’m done shopping, Alex is fast and funny. I like how Whole Foods take the proper precaution when packing your grocery by placing rubber bands on items that may potentially open and/​or spill, for example, the carton of eggs.
:Tips:
~Bring your own bag and receive a 10 cents credit towards your grocery bill.
~Need ice to keep your grocery cool? Ask for a bag of ice.
:M’s Notes:
~Shares parking with other businesses.