Fresh & Easy

Interesting market with good food and decent prices. The Veggies, fruits, and baked goods seemed to be very fresh and I especially liked the wide variety of ready to cook items. But, I have to add that the staff was not very friendly and came across a bit rude. No one smiled and greeted me with a «hello» or even asked if i needed help finding anything. It looked like the few employees working at the time were either standing around looking bored or extremely engrossed in whatever task at hand. I don’t know about you, but I think customer service is key to running any successful business and this one needs a lot of work in that department.

Nice change of pace with fun foods and house brands. Like the ready to cook meat and good items, often perfect for two without the hassle of making from scratch. Nice mix of international items too.
Not my goto store, would shop here more if I was single, younger, or older. But enjoy the occasion shop of ready to go items. Not the family house shop, more a mix of Trader Joes and a well stocked neighborhood market with great selection to get you by until your next big shop.

This is a convenient stop for a few groceries. I always stock up on a few of the daily deals (items on the last sale day are usually 50−70% off), I love their ruby red grapefruit juice, and they have a decent cheese selection. They have a small gluten free section, which is never on sale, but it’s still nice to have options.

SERIOUSLY PEOPLE, HOW LAZY ARE YOU???
Sorry about that, I just can NOT get over the people below (in disgustingly large numbers) that are just SO personally insulted by the self checkout. Sorry it RUINS your day that you have to scan and bag your own stuff, how will you EVER live? And now because you are so traumatized you better go give a bad review. Seems legit.
Anyways, I tried this place out for the first time yesterday. First thing I noticed, the pre made food. They have meals in the back and sandwich/​salads/​parfaits/​fruit bowls in the front. In regards to the front section: Holy crap! The only thing over $ 4.99 were the GIANT salads. And even those were cheap. Of you think that sounds expensive, try buying a decent pre made sandwich anywhere, or a yogurt parfait at Starbucks. We are talking $ 8 – 12 which is insane.
I got myself a pre made ‘dinner’ kind of meal from the back. It was very reasonable and pretty good! It was the tortellini pesto tomato blah blah. Of course it was a small portion but as are all heat and go meals. So I was impressed.
Moving on to take and bake dinners, such as meat. I am cooking handicapped, especially meat. Like I am seriously terrified of cooking meat. I saw some of the packaged stuff that is already prepared (seasoned/​breaded) and walks you through how to cook it. It looks awesome and cheap but I wasn’t brave enough… this time.
As for groceries, they have a RAD selection. Not all of my brands (like mother’s cereal, which is a bummer) but I was very happy to see the single version of organic items that I can usually only but in bulk at Costco, such as the pasta I like that I forgot the name of.
All produce and stuff looks fresh, and everything is VERY VERY reasonably priced.
The dreaded self checkout is the easiest thing in the world. Pay no mind to the lazy reviewers. It is not as traumatic as one might imagine. And I am not left with a longing desire to be rung up by some Cuesta kid. No offense.
Parking lot is weird, but don’t be stupid and blame that on the store. Seriously. common sense people. That parking lot was there long before them. And even if it wasn’t, Fresh & Easy has no say in the street layout and parking lot. SERIOUSLY COME ON. Please?
(Sorry for any typos, wrote this on my phone)

Able to find everything that I need at Fresh and Easy. So glad to have one in SLO. Finally a grocery store that’s reasonable priced. And it’s 24 hours! Not feeling too good today so I had to go to the store to get some stomach meds. As always the store clerks were very helpful in helping find everything that I needed it. Feels like going to a local market in a community. 5 star store in my book.

When they first opened in SLO I was really excited because the chain had gotten pretty large back in Phoenix where I moved here from. It is a great store for one or two people and just for grabbing something quick or on the go. When they first opened I went quite often but since they’ve gotten new owners I am a little disappointed because the prices have gone up and they don’t seem to have as many good deals any more. There are several things I would pick up regularly there strictly because they were cheaper somewhere else but now they cost more.

A creepy store for robots to shop at, almost completely devoid of humanity.
It’s like someone looked at the success of Trader Joe’s with all their pre-​packaged food & house brands and decided to emulate that business model but at every step of the way remove human beings from the equation. So you have robot checkout, everything in their own sealed plastic bags (even the tomatillos, even the scones), and a very Logan’s Run sense of design except with green paint everywhere.
The stuff the sell is generally decent and reasonably priced, but the environment is so unpleasant I don’t care. It makes me appreciate the clerks and other workers at my usual grocery store, even the slow, chatty ones– it may not be as efficient and streamlined as Fresh & Easy, but there’s a sense of community there that I appreciate.

Definitely a great market. I drive all the way there to shop there from Pismo Beach. Affordable prices, great selection of heat n go products, and good assortment of organic and healthy foods. Costco, Trader Joe’s, and Fresh N Easy is all you need in SLO!

I have gone to fresh and easy many times and I’ve never been that impressed, but recently ⁴⁄₅ avocados were completely molded in the center and they were hard at the store. I have purchased rotten cabbage, rotten brussels sprouts, and lettuce with bugs all over it. Overpriced and awful produce.

My absolute favorite market (both in SLO and back home in LA). Always organized and clean! Plenty of organic options and minimal packaging.
A few things can be a little pricey but taking your time to find clearance items, using mobile coupons, taking advantage of promos, and using rewards really helps lower your balance.

I live close to this store so it’s quickly become my go to place. I usually shop at night and it’s very relaxed. I saw the 2 star review and immediately thought to myself that they are afraid of change. Hahaha. The store is very calm and the hours are awesome. When I go in the evening it’s super mellow. You don’t hear all the noises and loud chatter that you would usually get from a bigger store. You check yourself out at the end, the only time you ever need a worker is to check your ID for alcoholic beverages and medicine. It’s small enough to find things quickly. They have just the right amount of things. Not to mention the awesome deals they have. They have a rack that displays foods that are on sale. Not bad at all, I give it 5 stars because it’s so different and awesome… Oh, last thing. They Also have a great selection of organic foods. Almost all of it!

I’m a fan of this chain. The convenience is great. Love all the heat and eat, fruit bowls, and salads to go. This place is a lil’ pricy though. Now as for service, so far so good. I’ve seen bad reviews, hopefully they worked on those issues.

We call is Fresh And Sleazy for short. Why? Yes, the prices and great. Yes, at least they have 1 or maybe 2(big wow) types of grass fed organic beef… (compared to like everywhere else here in this town) but what’s up with the Management? The store is full of super slacker workers that act like its a federal offense to do their jobs. If you shop in the morning … It’s clusters of employees sitting around chatting instead of stocking the store, and when you need something you get the big eye roll and no help. Terrible lack of professionalism, some of their meats and veggies are old and rotten in the cases in the am because, well, those cases would require stocking.
They were recently sold so let’s hope the new owners can get this place to run like a business. One can dream…

Couldn’t be happier about finding this place. The most affordable prepared food you’ll find in any store in SLO. Moved here from Fremont in the Bay Area craaaaving Indian food, and there’s no way in hell I’m going to shell out $$$ at a restaurant every time I need a masala fix. $ 3 jars of curries have been a godsend for quick weeknight dinners.
They have an array of $ 2 wines that are both cheaper and better than the TJ’s Two Buck Chuck I weaned myself off of only recently. Yes, I graduated from college 5 years ago.
They are constantly clearing out items in the clearance section in the first aisle as you walk in. If you can handle rib jabs from old ladies trying to box you out, you may walk away with a great deal.
Don’t let the self-​check freak you out. It’s fast, straightforward and never bugs out like the ones at Vons/​Safeway. You’ll still need an ID to buy booze, but everyone who works there is friendly and prompt with helping you out.
I’ll be back when I need more wine.

Quick and easy. Super convenient.

A really good shop for a single person. Plus super low prices on meat. Can’t find everything you need though.

This is a great little store when you need just a few items and don’t want to navigate the supermarket, and the 7 – 11 won’t do. The store is nicely laid out and has everything from fresh vegetables, bakery items, and a large selection of fresh meat, plus almost everything else you might run short of between shopping trips.
The self checkout was a little confusing the first time, but they have someone to help if you get stuck. I have never had to wait for a station. Its great for the single person or couple. I hope they do well and like having a Neighborhood Market in SLO.

It felt like a mini mart with it’s lights and layout. I am not a fan of the self check, but this one worked ok. I had higher hopes as this is quite close to me house & wanted something for in between shopping trips. I made the mistake of going on the first day also which was insanely crowded. My second trip was much better, those aisles are not suited to crowds. I tried a couple of their house brand yogurts & puddings which were ok, but I will stick to my Trader Joes shopping.
Parking is not bad, but the getting into the parking lot is not great.

A semi-​convenient store for picking up a few things in between visits to Trader Joe’s, my first choice (New Frontiers is my second).
Clean surroundings, pretty fresh-​looking veggies (clearly ID’ed when from Mexico or elsewhere), and a good selection of seeming-​wholesome salsa and other store-​brand popular products.
Go out of my way for this store?
Probably not; the parking lot is SLO-​awkward, allowing only a R turn onto Broad near South St, a less-​than-​favorite perennial traffic boondoggle.
Pros: Actually, the cloying self-​checkout was less annoying than the one at Vons (still a 7 out of 10 on the annoying factor) and the store was NOT yet another warehouse-​style super megapaxx world of large foods, so I was able to get a decent size (salsa, marinara sauce, pasta) at a fair price.
Cons: Automation (self-​checkout) is the only apparent option.
Lack of clearly identified local food products and produce.
Enjoy!

I am torn on a 3 or 4 star rating. The store really helped clean up that corner on Broad. It looks very fresh and appealing «curb appeal.‘
Upon entering the store it is on the smaller side. However, that makes it easy to get from one end to the other if you forget something or have no idea what you are there for.
The prices seem to be somewhat on par to the other local grocers. Some things are a better deal than others, but you just have to know your shopping. Organic and specialty items are in this store. A nice cheese selection and a wonderful selection of to go fresh and ready pastas/​salads for you to take on the go. I noticed on the way out that they have a commercial microwave for you to heat your dish. There wine selection is a little on the light side (no pun intended). They have a imported selection and a small array of Central Coast wines. Nothing was over $ 17 from what I could see. If you want to grab a cheap reasonable bottle on your way out, it would be a good choice. Nothing seemed out of line price wise though.
I purchased some things but was really excited to have my fresh pasta to go that included: Cheese tortellini, fresh basil, mozzarella balls, and cherry tomatoes with a marinara sauce. For $ 4.69 (tax is inclusive) you can’t beat that.
Okay. My real gripe is the checkout process though. They have no cashiers. It is all self checkout. There are about 8 terminals and 2 employees helping bag or help with immediate problems. Plan on doing all the work yourself:) Due to space constraints and only two employees, I could see it getting quite backed up. It just sucks that we are getting to the age were people and being replaced by machines. Sort of how Coast Hills now has «no tellers.» It’s great when it works, but if something gets scanned wrong or something, you have to wait for an employee to fix it. Don’t mess up! I am not sure how other SLO residents will react to this.
BOTTOM LINE: It promotes buying your specialty items or things on the fly here. Bulk and major shopping probably best done at the regualr supermarket.