There’s no shortage of grocery stores that are unique to the West Coast, from local-produce-focused Zupan’s Markets in Portland to Gelson’s, the So-Cal chain known for its top-notch deli. But when Chowhound ranked 12 of them, we found that one rises to the top — and perhaps surprisingly, it’s not the TikTok-famous Erewhon (pictured above), although it did come in second place.
No, the best West Coast supermarket is California’s Bristol Farms. It has just 13 stores, mostly in the Los Angeles area, and branching out as far as Santa Barbara and Palm Desert. A couple of reasons justify this: Its meat and fish are notably fresh and flavorful, and its ready-to-eat food might even beat Whole Foods. That prepared food section also offers a pretty darn wide range, spanning from Thai beef salad to tamales, garlic-herb roast chicken, kimchi fried rice, and crab cakes, to name just a few items. Arguably one of the highlights is Bristol Farms’ chocolate chunk and walnut cookie, which is served warm and has drawn rave reviews from customers who say they’d visit for it alone.
There is one downside: Bristol Farms’ prices can be high. For example, a tamale alone is nearly $10, and prepared salads like a Chicken Caesar or Cobb go past the $13 mark. (The famed cookie is a more modest $4.) That said, it’s firmly a case of getting what you pay for in terms of quality, and it doesn’t hit extremes like Erewhon’s infamous $22 smoothie.
What do others think of Bristol Farms?
Californian shoppers seem to think pretty warmly of Bristol Farms. Aside from the famed cookie, it gets praise for its wide-ranging deli counter and cheese selections. Its prepared food also earns props — the poke seems to draw particular praise. However, it’s not without shortcomings in the ready-to-eat department, with minor complaints like its crispy chicken not being the crispiest. (Bear in mind that most supermarkets’ prepared food isn’t made to order, so this kind of issue could just be a case of getting there at the right or wrong time.)
When Angelenos are asked about their favorite grocery stores, Bristol Farms gets named fairly often (as do stores like the Whole Foods-esque Gelson’s and Kroger-owned Ralphs). This sometimes comes with a caveat that Bristol Farms is the place they shop for special occasions or when they’re looking to splash.
For the record, Bristol Farms also owns another smaller chain of grocery stores called Lazy Acres, with six stores spread from Santa Barbara to San Diego. Lazy Acres isn’t identical — it predominantly sticks to organic food, while Bristol Farms doesn’t make the same claim. However, there’s some overlap between the chains’ prepared foods, and its customers generally give warm reviews, making it a decent alternate store in a pinch.
