Whole Foods Market - La Jolla

This Whole Foods seems a little dated from the exterior and it is smaller than most but packs an adequate amount of craft beer at good prices. There is a growler and bar area serving food. Typical WFM service.

Excellente sélection un peu bric à brac autant pour les bières de base que certaines raretés ou spécialités. Le bar Torrey Pints, à l’entrée, vaut également le détour.

Right off of I5 and not too far from the Rock Bottom. As far as Whole Foods go, this isn’t the biggest or most extravagant location, but it’s pretty typical once you’re inside in terms of the layout and the products.

Beer selection is average for a Southern California, and particularly San Diego store. As one would expect, all the big players such as Alesmith, Stone, Ballast Point, Firestone, Green Flash...they also have some of the more regionally recognized breweries like New English, Coronado, Rough Draft, Julian Cider, what have you.

The one thing that does set this place apart is that there is a bar inside. This seems to be a bit of a trend with some of the SoCal Whole Paychecks (I know of at least two or three others that have this set up). Kind of cool, though I don’t know why you would want to come to a grocery store to drink beer unless you’re waiting for your wife/husband/boyfriend/girlfriend/mom/whoever or maybe it’s near where you work.

Visited December 8, 2013.

This is a convenient stop right off of I-5. The selection isn’t bad but it’s kind of middle of the road for a Whole Foods. They have a large selection but a lot of it is 6 packs which makes it look larger than it is. I saw some neat stuff that I hadn’t seen before like 6-packs of Rodenbach. I also saw the new Rodenbach Vintage (2011 is the current one).

The point I should have started with is the fact that there is a bar right up front. I’m not sure if it’s actually part of the Whole Foods or if it’s separate. On the inside it’s called Torrey Pints and on the outside is a sign that says Mrs Gooch’s Bar. It’s an (comically) unfortunate name. The selection is pretty solid though, featuring mostly southern California beers. I didn’t check the prices at the bar as I wasn’t interested in a pint but it could be a nice place to hang out and have a beer before or after spending $300 on groceries. That comment aside the beer prices on the shelves aren’t terrible.

First time I visited a Whole Foods store. What a great concept having a bar in the grocery store. And what a bar, great selection of craft beers available, staff seems to bknow their beers and service was fast and friendly.

great food great selection

I don’t understand all the negative ratings. Yes, the parking lot is crowded. Every strip mall parking lot is crowded in Southern California. And yes, be prepared to spend 20% more on your grocery food bill. But the beer selection is okay. I was there just this past week and there were tons of AleSmith, Bruery Trade Winds, and Old Rasputin 12th Anniversary, among others. And the cheese stand is right there for nice pairings. And I know I can save about $2 on each bottle rather than if I headed to a particular beer store in the area. I live only three minutes away from this place, so while I won’t come here solely to expand my beer cellar, I will buy a few bottles that I haven’t already tried while shopping for dinner. Overall: Crowded, but for the distance, it’s worth it, for me at least. Return: Yes. #45 on 02032010, DG.

This place is 5 steps down from the hillcrest wholefoods when it comes to beer selection. In fact, as I shop at the hillcrest wholefoods almost daily, i dont even like to come into this store because everything is backwards and out of place...even more crowded...the beer selection never has anything interesting and who the hell even knows who the buy guy is here...i dont. Good thing the hillcrest wholefoods is a 3 min drive from my house and the la jolla one is no where near me.

Parking is toough but beats the drive to Bevmo if your staying nearby, 3-4 Alesmith, Ballast Point, Coronado, Port and 6-7 Lost Abbey, mostly six packs but some good finds

This is one of the most horribly overpriced and unpleasant to navigate supermarkets I’ve ever been in. The parking lot must have been designed either by an idiot, or a sadistic genius wanting to inflict pain on shoppers. The store is always crowded. The prices are through the roof. Beer selection? Good, but not great, and certainly not good enough to bring me in the door given all the negatives about this supermarket.