Rainbow Bridge

Has everything you need in Ojai to eat healthy and feel amazing — nourish your body from the inside out + fuel your vitality with their nutrient dense whole foods that are all organic.

If you don’t mind bad service administered by rude people who are marginally competent at their job then you’ll love this place. Almost everything is way overpriced. All the prepared food I’ve ever had there was delicious. Most everything is organic. Here are a couple reasons why I only gave three stars.
1) I went there at 1:30 PM in the afternoon for a sandwich. only two choices for bread. they had rye or white buns. Rye and white buns are delicious but I feel if you’re running a deli you should have a few more options during lunchtime hours. (I know this because I’ve managed several delis and I’ve never run out of product (.)
2) Most of the workers there do not know how to run your card as a credit card instead of a debit card. I understand they want to charge your card as a debit card that way they don’t have to pay credit card fees but that is not my problem, learn to do your job (.) then they like to tell you it’s your fault because that’s how you want to treat your customers by letting them know they’re the problem, right?
3) I used my debit card to pay because I wanted cash back. I was waiting for the machine to prompt me to select cash back. when that didn’t happen I asked the lady how I get cashback? she said it was too late. Onto the next customer. OK so you’re not gonna give me a hint how I go about getting cashback next time? i have to ask you first? that was nice of you to tell me that. just absolutely not offering up any help or advice whatsoever. How about this? how about we just fire you and replace you with a self-​check-​out register and then I don’t have to deal with any of you mouth breathers!
I can go on and on but the bottom line is this; like most they don’t know how to do their jobs and they don’t even try to figure it out. They’re rude, arrogant, and ignorant just like their self absorbed customers.

I’m disappointed in the customer service in this store. After buying lunch, dinner & several expensive gifts here during a day trip to Ojai (an otherwise perfect day full of kind people!) I was surprised that when I asked for the key to the restroom before they closed they seemed put out, loudly telling another employee that I needed to use it. I said «that’s ok, I won’t bother you» & when I returned to my car I saw that it wasn’t close to closing time at all. I decided to go back in & I promised to be out the door in time. They made a big deal about opening the door as I left & I showed them the time — that I was indeed leaving before closing time. I spent at least $ 90 here today, but that shouldn’t matter — you shouldn’t embarrass or try to shame a customer for being human no matter how much they do or do not spend. Management, maybe you should treat your employees better so they aren’t so grumpy & rude to their customers? One clerk said she skipped her break. Happy workers = happy customers. Might I suggest — go to ANY Trader Joes to see how it’s done. Literally thousands of visits & not one rude exchange ever.

My favorite place to get a healthy alternative lunch, snack or groceries! I eat at the deli all the time I love the Mexican bowl, the Ojai smoothie and Curried turkey! The staff are always bright eyed and always have a welcoming smile on their faces and are so helpful! I recommend to anyone who wants quality food for a decent price!

An old fashioned health food store that I always frequent when I’m in Ojai! There’s everything you need. Also, lots of organic produce and products. They had a very good price on some vitamins that I like. I didn’t try the deli but it always looks popular and the locals look happy. The lady who works in the vitamin and herbal section is expert and has worked there for many years. I appreciate that.

I am a gluten-​free vegan, and totally fell in love with this indie market. The to-​go food features a variety of gluten-​free/​vegan dishes, as well as pastries. Delicious options at juice and smoothie bar as well. Rainbow also carries sooo many gf/​v products made by small companies that I had never seen before (like Japanese tea cakes… there’s something you don’t see everyday). Definitely need to come back alone so I can comb through all of the fun goodies we don’t have in LA. Also note that Rainbow carries Kombucha Dog. Great place to come pick up food before/​after a hike.
Would love to see this market eliminate animal products so I can give it 5 stars :)

Cool place. Good soup for lunch. Good deli. Helpful grocery and herbal advice.

I stopped here while on a trip for work and was delighted by all of their options! That juice and smoothie bar and the deli are amazing! The juice I had was priced right was exactly the boost that I needed to get through my work day!
The cashiers and people working at the deli were so friendly and helpful with any questions I had. My friend has a soup and it smelled delicious. It was a curry carrot something, something. I didn’t have any, but he said it was really yummy.
The store is laid out nicely and is user friendly. I found several interesting and unique products, some by local producers. Support local!!!

Right smack in the center of town, this grocery store is delightful. Great assortment of whatever it is you are seeking. Food counter is great, staff are friendly and helpful. Healthy choices are abundant. Nice selection of wines, too!

Terrible atmosphere– I ate in the café and the staff was extremely rude to me. I heard another employee berating a customer when she asked what wss in her smoothie, and the drink I purchased was mediocre. For purses like these, I would expect the food you at least be good. Next time I’m saving my money and going somewhere friendlier with better food.

I come here for special foods and healthy options. I needed some tea tree oil and couldn’t find it anywhere else, but Rainbow Bridge had several different options for me to choose from. The prices here are high, but you get what you pay for. Staff is polite and professional and the lines aren’t usually long to check out.
In the past I’ve purchased the fresh ginger here, the special dairy products and some nice wind chimes! I appreciate the large selection of healthier snack foods too. Beans & rice chips made only of beans & rice? Fantastic!

Great place to find all the essentials and a little more. A bit pricey although you get your money’s worth with great selection along with a gray deli :) fill up on water, groceries and good food.

We live close enough to Rainbow Bridge to walk there, so out of pure convenience, we shop there pretty often. Having said that and fully taking responsibility for our choices, in certain instances, Rainbow Bridge is quite overpriced, and this is well known around town.
Again, it is convenient for us NOT to have to get into our car and drive to a store to buy stuff, but WHO sets pricing for this place?
During THANKSGIVING, they offered turkey and certain trimmings in the deli section at a price of $ 25 per pound of turkey and gravy. PER POUND. They charged $ 12 per pound of cranberry sauce (cranberries, red wine, pectin, sugar). 12 BUCKS! What the?
Honestly, if you saw what you get for $ 37, you’d feel the same about the pricing in this instance, and no, the food did not come with a gold fork and knife.
The produce isn’t ever the greatest either, many times being old, wilted, or moldy. Deli people are usually cool, and the workers on the floor are usually helpful as they can be. The cashiers are hit or miss, some having sparkling and bubbly personalities who are always friendly, and others who are duller than the shine on the bell in the bell tower above the post office.
They do offer many cool items that you wouldn’t easily find elsewhere, though the newer Westridge Market (old Starr Market) IS picking up steam since their remodel, having added an organic fruits and vegetable section, an organic dairy section, and a deli section as well.
Overall, the store is cool for its varied selection and wide array of different products, and their sister store Rainbow Warehouse is an awesome addition and GREAT for saving money on bulk items.
Yes, «it’s Ojai», but that doesn’t mean you should jack up prices just because.
To reference the previous review, I sure hope pets aren’t being charged overinflated prices on the Rainbow Bridge for their transition to the other dimension.

Anyone who has ever lost a pet knows that the vets tell you they go to the Rainbow Bridge. So, really, how could they call this store the Rainbow Bridge? The locals laugh at this joke, and wholeheartedly agree.
So, in honor of all the cats and dogs I’ve loved, I had to set foot in said store. I had to I found health food. Gongs. New age paraphernalia. Gluten free nirvana. Fresh tumeric, not commonly found. But no kitchen for me to cook during my brief sojourn in Ojai, so I ended up buying some artisan earrings, very reasonably priced. If I lived in Ojai — you never know — I’d probably get to know the people behind the deli counter.

A compact Whole Foods without the pretense.
The front of the store has lots of eastern-​inspired bobbles and accessories, and as well as an assortment of scented candles. And they have some fancy water section that I’ve never investigated, but it looks like serious business.
There’s lots of local, organic produce, and some tasty looking cuts of meat. The deli counter is always bustling, with an enclosed area for seating.
They have a great variety of oils and vinegars, both imported and local (such as the Ojai Olive Oil Company). And a new addition is their flavored salts, including Lavender, Cranberry Lime, Tangerine Ginger, and Lemon Garlic.
¹⁄₃ of the store is dedicated to bath and beauty products, with various oils, scrubs, cosmetics and lotions. If you need some sort of obscure alterna-​natural something or other, chances are they have it.
So yeah, this is a healthy vegan-​friendly hot spot, but for omnivores such as myself, you can still find plenty of sugary salty options.
One hidden treasure in the freezer section is their selection of Coolhaus ice cream sandwiches. They’ve got the favorites, including Brown Butter Bacon and Dirty Mint Chip.
They have some of the fancier sodas too. Expect to find some Hansen’s, but ginger beers and root beers are in stock as well, such as Maine and Virgil’s.
To be honest though, we come for the cookies. A local bakery, Les Bles D’or cranks these out. Flavors vary, but they include cranberry shortbread, oatmeal chocolate chip walnut, and butterscotch chip, among others.
I don’t even know if Ojai has other grocers, but Rainbow Bridge has it covered pretty well.

Great variety, respectable prices and at least one clueless employee.
Yes, go here. No, don’t expect the first person you talk to there to have the answer, or any grasp of what is being asked.
Asked about some produce; the guy really didn’t know and soon enough confessed to not being the Produce Guy. When the Produce Guy came by, he’s ‘really not that much into citrus,’ so we struggled to talk about things.
There’s a big thing about Water there. Get some water that has been through reverse osmosis. The checkout guy couldn’t answer what that involved. A neighboring checkout gal could and did.
They have many options if you’re thinking about pasta, or good olive oils, cold drinks like juices and waters, dried fruit, and some good looking snacks, too.
Not your high-​powered urban grocery store, but you’re in Ojai anyway. It’s a lovely, down-​to-​earth, health-​conscious food store and deli — with a local flavor. Just… don’t ask so many questions, or don’t be surprised if you have to ask more than one person.

I live in Ojai and appreciate having Rainbow Bridge Natural Food in town. The employees are always friendly. I’ve never had a problem returning products if I wasn’t satisfied (keep your receipt) if you’re not a regular.
I enjoy the deli food, especially the new gluten free desserts. And for the most part the deli prices are reasonable and tasty.
On Sundays there is a farmer’s market across the street. There are many wonderful vendors selling their organic goods and pastries.

Though I don’t live in Ojai, one of my friends (and customer), is from there, and is on a much deserved vacation visiting friends. The way he and his service dog were treated today in this store was unacceptable. People need to know where they are shopping, and who they are giving their money to. You can be as pure and organic as God’s green grass, but nobody wants to shop where the owner is an…
Good luck with that kind of customer service. A persons true colors show when they are disrespectful to others, but seriously, a man with a physical disability and his service dog? Wow.

Rainbow Bridge is an awesome store with organic produce, a great selection of supplements, and a deli where they make smoothies and sandwiches fresh to order. Today I went there in search of any kind of raw veggie wrap for dinner. Their wraps usually come in tortillas, but they made an exception for me and wrapped mine in lettuce. It held together and was very delicious!
This store also has some cool hippie jewelry and scarves and things like that. I am always tempted by them when I walk in the door.
There is no Whole Foods in Ojai, but as long as Rainbow Bridge is here, you will never miss it.

I was on the last leg of my mini-​road trip, wandering around Ojai aimlessly, looking for lunch. I was looking for a certain eatery, but it happened to be closed. Giving up, I made my way back to my vehicle. THAT was the moment I came across Rainbow Bridge! My search was over. I knew right away that I was in my element!
You’ve probably been to a Whole Foods Market, right? Well, Rainbow Bridge is a lot like that, but only smaller, and on a more personal scale. Plus, it’s independently owned.
It’s an AWESOME place if you are into wholistic and homeopathic stuff. They have a PLETHORA of good stuff for the inside as well as for the outside of your body: organic and local foods, body products, cleaning supplies, pet supplies (okay, for pets too), and oh, so much more!
What’s really awesome is their deli. Again, local, organic, and sustainable AND delicious! Oh, yes! They have lots to choose from.
I ordered a grilled free-​range chicken burger served with some very leafy greens, grilled onions, yummy cheese, and veganaise on potato bread. Now when I saw the bread, I thought it was going to be dry and tasty. Oh no! I was wrong! This sandwich was just tasty goodness!
Along with the sandwich, I had a side of kale salad. Very fresh, clean, and tasty.
They have a seating area with tables and comfortable wicker chairs. This is where I enjoyed my meal.
As I was enjoying my meal, a man with Richard Simmons hair, standing by the deli, facing the seating area suddenly exclaimed, «No wi-​fi!». Then he walks out to return to his laptop in the seating area outside the store. So, I guess they don’t have free wi-​fi.
Nonetheless, this is a great place with that neighborhoody vibe. The next time I’m in Ojai (soon I hope cuz there’s a few places I wanna check out) I’m DEFINITELY coming back!