QFC

Ok, so let me start by saying I’m not the world’s best or most patient shopper. I want to get what I *need* to get, pay, and get out the door as quickly and as painlessly as possible. QFC meets the first requirement. I can generally find whatever it is I need, as long as it’s not out of the normal, and pretty quickly. It’s the second part where things fail.
Every time I’m there their checkout lines are woefully understaffed in favor of the self-​checkout machines. Now there are a lot of places where kiosks work. If I’m just trying to check-​in for a flight and need my boarding pass — perfect. Here, where I’m having to look up the code of the shitake mushrooms, it’s inconvenient at best. Add to that the issues with the machine detecting if items are where they’re supposed to be, and having to wait for someone if I have a bottle of wine in my cart (trust me, I’ve doubled 21…), it’s an absolute hassle. I’d be willing to pay a little extra for a pleasant checkout experience.

This sounds odd to review a QFC, but this is in regard to their deli department in particular. Here it is: Hire more employees for the deli department. The ones who do work there are obviously miserable because they have no support and are understaffed. The ones who do work there are nice and make delicious custom sandwiches and wraps, but I feel bad for them because there is usually only one person trying to help 3 – 5 people at once for the whole department. This is a review for the management of the store, not the employees. Thanks to those who work there and do what you do despite obvious challenges you guys face.

I come here nearly every day, though I don’t always check in. I love the convenience of this store but I find that sometimes their selection is a little lacking and their morning service is poor– especially at the Starbucks located inside. I came in for coffee a few mornings ago at it was closed (usually they are open at 5:30 and I came at about 7:30−45). I like to use the self checkout, which is a nice feature because most of the time the checkers are not at their stations that early. That being said however, the manager who is there is the morning is exceptionally pleasant and always very helpful and has gone out of his way to help me on more than one occasion. This place is clean and while it is sometimes pricey, they often run sales so you can find some deals.

This place is gross and unorganized. The people that work at the Starbucks provide horrible customer service. They are chatty and slow at taking orders. The eating area is never kept clean, there is always food scraps (crumbs) left on the tables from other people. The only thing I like about this qfc is their boar head sandwiches. Also, THEIR PACKAGED FOOD SUCKS. it’s dry and has no flavor.

This QFC is large and clean. I was impressed with the wide aisles, quality meat and seafood including live lobster, and how there was a good variety of brands.
The prices are the same as the other chains in the area — still too much but average for West Seattle. I’ll keep driving to Winco in Kent & Using Costco for my major grocery shopping.
There’s a large liquor section at the front of the store under lock & key. There’s a pharmacy here, but I didn’t go by it.
What I wasn’t impressed with was the fact that on a busy night, only two checkout lanes were open and moving slowly at that. I ended up using one of the 4 self-​checkout machines. The machine didn’t give me the opportunity to enter my QFC card before paying, so I gave up trying to figure it out as I had already spent 20 minutes waiting to checkout. The employee watching the self-​checkout lanes came over to help when I didn’t ask for it and she made the long wait longer due to her interferring. I said I was fine, but she didn’t listen so I had to tell her I was fine 3 more times before she left me alone. I also found the black feathers in her hair, leather and eye patch a bit much for a grocery store uniform.
The parking garage is free but poorly designed with a small entance, dark interior on a sunny day, and awkward, small parking spaces.

BAKERY: I had no idea my grocery store could create such the masterpiece as it did. I left a logo and color scheme for reference, and would have been happy with standard piping and writing. I was blown away by what they did with it! Shelly, the decorator, is clearly as great of a listener as she is an artist. And, yes, the cake was totally delicious too.
PHARMACY: Excellent service. Friendly and professional. Love the convenient hours, text notices when Rx is complete, and the fact that they know me by name. The rest of the store can thank the pharmacy for all the shopping I do while picking up prescriptions for someone in my family (including our dog). In this time of mergers and acquisitions, the QFC Pharmacy always brings a little «Mayberry» into my day.

Great location on the Alaska junction. Street parking is pretty limited and their parking garage is pretty poorly designed.
Thumbs up for a great pharmacy team, mega deals and manager’s specials (5 – 6 top pot donuts for $ 1.75!).
The Simple truth brand is a nice alternative to cheaper organic products. Download the QFC app for additional savings.

–the parking garage– the worst ever! When it is wet your car constantly slides and over corrects. It is made of slick wet concrete. Gigantic concrete posts, placed horribly. I’ve never seen a parking garage this poorly constructed. It is basically a slip and slide for your car.

This store has been sliding downhill since it opened to great promise several years ago. Rare you can find the meat/​fish counter stocked before noon or someone to wait on you after 6pm. The refrigerated cases (packaged meat) may or may not be stocked — flip a coin. The self checkout may cause you to pull you hair out the way it constantly will say «attendant notified to assist you» and then you have to hunt down an attendant. Stocking does not seem a high priority. Just becoming a frustrating shopping experience. Emails to corporate office go unanswered displaying a complete lack of interest in customer relations.

Great location with a huge selection of everything. Top Pot doughnuts are always really fresh here (or they have a great shelf life). The hot and cold bars do leave a bit to be desired, but I think that’s a Seattle problem and not a QFC one. Produce is good and well-​priced but I have had some rotten items and for some reason they’re out of bulk spinach about half the time I go.

I love this QFC! I shop there every week. They by far have the best produce department of any grocery store I have been to in years. I buy a lot of produce and I have not been disappointed in any of the fruits or vegetables I have selected. Their produce is nicely displayed and always very well stocked. They also have a very large selection of organic produce. This QFC also has a great selection of specialty cheeses in their deli. The cashiers and courtesy clerks are always friendly.

Tonight I was given pretty horrible service, guy literally threw my groceries onto the conveyer and I ended up bagging my own food. This is sad as they used to have great service in the evenings.
I really hope that this doesn’t happen again — I will continue to update either way.
I still love the store and day staff. :)

Yes, this is the same QFC that will post a yellow sticker below a box of Wheat Thins and claim that $ 4.25 is the New! Low! PRICE! (plus other prices which induce similar eye rolls). but what you might not know about QFC? They have the BEST cookies around.
Sometimes I need to decide whether to go to QFC or Safeway, and if I’m in the mood for a great cookie, it’s off to QFC I go.
My faves:
–Apple Cinnamon ($ 5.49, or $ 2.99 on sale)
–Lemon Crisp (”)
–Cranberry Orange (”)
–Snickerdoodles (usually 2/​$ 7)
Yum yum. Soft, moist, delicious. QFC has the cookie recipe down.
(I also enjoy the deli’s Tortellini w/​Broccoli, but wish the broccoli pieces weren’t so damn big. It’s like «hey would you like a little tortellini with your huge green vegetables?»)

Please let me echo another satisfied customer:
«The pharmacy is great. This is the best service I have received from a retail pharmacy.»
Alex. Mike. The entire staff is outstanding. The pharmacy provides the best service I have received from a retail pharmacy.

We got sliced meat and cheese from the deli section, then the next day 3 of us in our house were suddenly VERY ill with food poisoning. The meat (turkey) was the only thing we all had in common to eat.
I talked to a friend who used to work there and he said their lack of hygenie is «scary», that people who handle meat show up to work and get on with butchering, never having washed their hands. I believe it.
A search of King County Public Health inspection records turns up numerous violations, including «improper cold holding temperatures» and inadequate handwashing, as well as poultry being stored too close to other foods. Most of the violations are from the past 2 years.
See for yourself;

BEWARE THE DELI SANDWICHES!!!
I just shrieked at the bakery manager because the person in the deli who was making my sandwich didn’t realize she isn’t supposed to handle the trash can and the microwave handle and then disappear into the back storage room looking for more lettuce while wearing the sanitary gloves she put on to make my sandwich and not bothering to change them before making my lunch!!!

I like the underground parking garage, but don’t like the speedbumps right in the middle of the ramps down and up to get in and out. Whose idea was that?
I got a deli made sandwich and a drink — Yay they still have Jones Soda! — and while my sandwich was super delicious, it seems like the employees making them were poor choices for the department.
The guy who made my sandwich, although a nice fellow, was SO slow! I rarely complain about slow service as I am very patient and am sympathetic to stressed employees during busy shopping hours, but this was not the case as it was close to 8 and slowing down. To get a ‘do it yourself sandwich’ there is a little card to fill out which has options for bread types, sauce options, and meat and topping choices so it was rather simple to just read what was going on the sandwich. Even with the card my bf and I ended up waiting around 20 minutes for two sandwiches to be made… and we were first in line.
Three stars instead of two because the sandwich was DEEEELISH regardless of the long wait. I assume not every QFC deli will be this difficult, but I will only get a sandwich from this location if I have a lot of time on my hands.

This QFC is terrific! Generous bakery samples. Free parking garage. Bulk section (a little small, but the fact that they even have one is fantastic). The produce quality is pretty solid and people here are pretty nice. Love it.
And the location is great!

I love this QFC! They have a parking garage, are in a good location, and the customer service is always very helpful and cheerful.
Their product selection is a bit odd though. They have a really good beer selection (my beer expert friend was even impressed!), an awesome gelato bar, and a very large cheese and bakery section. In other areas though (general grocery stuff), they seem to be lacking. Its not something to keep me from going there because this is still my go-​to grocery store, but its just annoying to occasionally have to run to Safeway because their rice selection is not even a shelf big… its weird.

Big props to QFC for keeping us cool, hydrated and entertained for free at the West Seattle Street Fair.
They had free ice cold water bottles, cookies, donuts, and then water guns you fill with ice water and shoot unsuspecting passerbys. The staff that were working the booth were really friendly and just plain fun to be around.