Pak 'N Save Foods - Emeryville, California

Boo B. D.

First off, that staff here is great. I appreciate them and their service.
That said, this place is trash.
There are never enough registers open, so lines get wild. Self checkout was removed a few months ago. There are no baggers anymore so customers bagging their own groceries slow things down tremendously.
The pharmacy won’t allow any non-prescription items to be checked out at their register so if you’re picking up a script med and an over-the-counter med you have to wait in two lines.
There are two solo bathrooms but only one is ever open and it’s disgusting.
When I shop here I feel like the company doesn’t care about the customers the way they do in more affluent neighborhoods like Rockridge and Alameda.

Turnipboys

How to have a normal Pak 'N Save Shopping Experience:

1. Go at a weird time, like 3 PM on a Wednesday. Sorry to people that work 9 to 5s, this first step will be challenging for you.

2. Prepare your list ahead of time in the app. Realize that none of the aisles in the list correspond to the aisles in real life. Also realize that there's a 50-50 chance that something you'll want is locked up.

3. Pray that there will be more than one cashier open. Even at peak business hours, like weekend afternoons, there are usually only a few Express checkouts and maybe 1 or 2 standard lines. Self checkout has been closed for a long time now.

4. Exit without attracting the attention of the armed guards, random loiterers, and other people trying to make conversation with you. This isn't as big of an issue for me because, again, I go at weird times when there usually isn't anyone hanging out.

I go here for the convenience of the location but it's definitely not the best. Other than all of this it's a standard grocery store. Doesn't have as much selection for vegan foods or specialty stuff but if you have the free membership and use the app you can get some really good deals. The deli people are also extremely nice and helpful.

There is also a section at the back of the store with discounted goods like day old bakery bread & out of season stuff. This is nice and I don't mind getting a nice 50% discount for slightly stale bread.

Cheyne M.

First place where I needed my reciept to scan to let me out the doors! No self checkout but at least 2 Fast Express lanes open for quick grab and go.
Had a bad experience in getting a sandwich made in deli, told Manager Lady on shift, and she said "sorry, I'll have this clerk follow you right now to the deli area and make you one free." Very Happy after that! It made our little family stoked and will continue to give this Pak N' Save Foods our grocery business!
Highly recommend 👌
Management Lady & helpful clerk A+!!!!

asalah

Decent store but no self-checkouts. Also this must have the slowest deli ever. Even if there's no line, making the order takes up to 15 minutes.

Customer: Meal #4 please
Worker: (walks a way)
Another worker: How can I help you?
Customer: Meal #4 please
Worker: What's in that?
(customer reads what's in the menu item)
Worker: okay (goes to change gloves and comes back)
Worker: chicken breast?
Customer: No, meal #4 has tenders
Worker: Do you want mac & cheese?
Customer: No, it comes with potato wedges.
Worker: (walks to the salad section and points to the coleslaw) "do you want coleslaw?"
Customer: Yes that's what the #4 has
Worker: (goes to put the price tag on the box and leaves it on the table, going to do something else)
Customer: Hey may I get my meal please?
Another worker: Okay, it's $9.00

If there's a line, expect to get your order in 30-40 minutes. It's literally faster to go to a restaurant.

Johnny

The good:

Nice selection of meats and produce and other general house/kitchen supplies.

Items are usually in stock and organized in a way that makes it easy to find.

They do have some specials and discounts, especially through the app, where you can scan and clip coupons that will then be applied to your purchase when you enter your phone number during check out.

The bad:

There are long lines for checkout and no option for self checkout.

Everything is overpriced in comparison to other grocery stores with the same products.

I've noticed shaddy people walking around the parking lot panhandling and looking inside car windows.

Destiny C.

as a gear making therian I was able to buy a pet brush for a super low price and had a great time just walking around looking at stuff (like sprite, my fav drink)

Chi N.

I probably won't ever come here to buy meat (since it's closer to my house compared to 51st Safeway) People who worked behind the counter of the meat department here are so rude and treated me like i'm looking for free meat or something. No wonder there are new butchers there every time I go, maybe because customers complain about their unprofessionalism. This is the 2nd time it happened to me.
I came in at 9:30am to buy beef chuck ribs. There were about 7-8 packages of precut chucks but they were cut so big and thick. And I wanted it thinner for Korean bbq. Went to the counter & I asked the guy politely if they could cut it into thinner strips since they just started cutting them. The reason why I asked this is because one of the butchers who worked here before said I can request it if they just started cutting the meat, they can modify & cut to any size. If they already cut all the meat for that day, they won't do it. The butcher today said no since he can't sell it like that and the machine is set on that thickness, he can't change it. Then I asked if I could buy the ones they hadn't cut yet into big chunks or thick ass strips yet, and pointed to that huge pile of uncut ribs on the prep table. The same guy was rude again and response to me in a way that made me feel stupid & my request was so bizarre. So fine, I thanked him and waited 30 mins more for them to display more meat packages so I can have more options. But nothing, I asked someone else for the meat & he said it's coming and waited 20 more minutes. Then I left to go to 51st Safeway and asked them for the same thing which they were happy to help, went to the freezer & gave me a whole vacuum sealed package of ribs so I can cut it myself at home. I bet if I asked them to cut it thinner, they'd be fine with it too.

Alexis W.

Very fond of certain employees & I think they do a reasonable job considering the hood location( Yes, I called Emeryville the hood because I remember when it was like the arm pit of the Bay Area. Before they built over sacred burial grounds to put Bay St. there.)