Valley Farm Market

Everyone knows the meat is amazing here. But I recently went there to grab their chips and a couple different dips. The elite dip and their salsas are really good. Anyway, I grab the chips and dips and I get a message from the wife. "See if they have heirloom tomatoes and grab a Blanco tequila for drinks tonight"So two amazing things happened. They had heirlooms which are hard to find right now. And I discovered they have an amazing tequila selection! They blow Bevmo out of the water. I only needed a cheap blanco for mixed drinks but they had three different choices of Arette including Gran Classe(amazing) and a few options of La Gritona and other really nice tequilas. They had Lalo too which is popular right now but for people new to tequila.If you're into good tequila and you don't want to drive all the way to the great shop in Old Town you need to check these guys out!

A bit too big for their britches. Prices are high. Meat department employees are not experts. They pre package their filet mignon instead of slicing to order/size. I asked for a 8oz filets and the employee asked the "butcher" if two filets were 8 ounces each. The butcher said yeah and they weighed in at 6 ounces each. Thats 4 ounces off from a "butcher".I also asked one of the employees where they get their ahi from.... He said the ocean. Funny joke douche bag. The older lady isn't working the front end as much anymore. The younger folks working the registers are much friendlier. The food orders from the bbq joint in the parking lot comes from the butcher shop area inside. Service at the little bbq shack is slow and poor at best. Customer service is lacking.Why do I keep coming back to VFM? It's close to home....

Bring back the good coffee, and more selections. Not sure what happened but it's not the same. From a former loyal customer.

Located in the parking lot of Valley Farm Market is The Shack which serves breakfast, lunch, and a variety of drinks.  I was here for the bbq.  I ordered a rack of ribs with fries.  Fries were crispy and seasoned.  Flavor was good.  Ribs were tender and juicy.  They were cooked just enough where the ribs were not bloody.  I liked the light smoky flavor and I loved the dry rub which had a bit of sweetness from the brown sugar.Last time I visited Valley Farm Market they had their bbq in shrink wrapped trays in a warmer.  Now the bbq is fresher and juicier.  I like the shady seating area they added.  Staff was very nice and answered my questions about the bbq. https://www.hungryones.com/2022/04/valley-farm-market/Inside the market is an excellent soda selection.  I picked a root beer.

We love Valley Farm! They have the best meat/seafood counter and prepared food. Some of my favorites at the poke (duh) and chicken salad with their fresh tortilla chips. The carne asada and huli huli chicken is also great. I mean there is so much to list. I love when they have the Carlsbad strawberries- so good. They have local vendors, which is also something I love. You can browse and always find something good. Pro tip: they have specials on Tuesdays and Wednesday and funny videos on IG to announce them. Anyways, VF is a staple in our home. Try them out!

The Shack is back at the Valley Farm Market in Spring Valley. Woot woot!We came here the morning of 1.15.24 for some to go breakfast to enjoy back at home. The menu is nicely laid out with great descriptions and extensive offerings. We ordered the Chilaquiles and the Elote Toast. The Chilaquiles comes with green sauce, tortilla chips, queso fresco, pickled onion, sour cream and choice of eggs (scrambled for us). The Elote Toast has fresh mashed avocado, Valley Farm Market elote dip, micro cilantro, cotija cheese and lime. The Chilaquiles plate was exactly what I was looking for. It had the right amount of crunch to sauce ratio on the chips, the cheese was fresh and crumbly, flavorful sauce, fresh bright orange scrambled egg and the pop of color with the pickled onion and cilantro. The Elote Toast had so much flavor! One of those dishes that keeps you looking and analyzing it intently after each bite because you cant believe how much flavor is in it.The woman at the counter helping us was friendly, informative and patient. She ends up being the person to prepare our food as well. I wish I got her name.There are plenty of clean tables under a pergola for dining at the location. If were eating on the run, it's a comfy spot for a bite.(for The Shack- a bit of feedback for the packaging on the Chilaquiles, is a piece of foil or parchment in the clamshell so that chips/sauce don't sog through the container. But not a deal breaker). So glad we choose this for today, it just set the tone for the day. We are looking forward to your other offerings and BBQ as I am an avid meat smoker myself. Check out their menu either .com or in QR code in my review photos. Thank you Shack!

I like going to Valley Farm for unique goods and their abundance of healthy and locally made snacks/meals. I've stopped by here when I needed a quick meal for work or items that pertained to my diet. I haven't tried it, but they are offering poke and other specialty meats in the back of the market. I do have to take a star off as I bought a pack of breakfast bars that were due to expire back in November and some spicy salt and vingar chips that lacked any seasoning (not the market's fault though), otherwise, I still would prefer to go to Valley Farm market over other grocery stores.

This review is strictly for "The Shack" located in the parking lot of Valley Farm Market. I'm a long time Spring Valley resident and grew up going to Valley Farm with my dad. They always have great products and I love their butcher/meat counter. It's truly the best in San Diego hands down. However, this review is for The Shack Kitchen and coffee. Let's back up a little......Valley Farm opened a restaurant in Mt Laguna called The Outpost. I'm not exaggerating when I tell you on Sat and Sunday up there, they have the best BBQ in Southern California. Amazing Ribs, pull pork, burgers etc....well worth the drive.So, NEEDLESS to say I was ECSTATIC to see The Shack had a very similar menu as the Outpost, if not the same. So, today (01/7/24) I stopped by for lunch and ordered a full rack of ribs and two sides. (Green chili Mac and cheese and potato salad) I also ordered a Cali burrito with no creama and no pico. Lastly I ordered a Birria bowl....that definitely was not Birria.I'll apologize in advance, because I only took a picture of the ribs and not the other two items. So here comes the review....DO NOT EAT AT THE SHACK. Either go to Mt. Laguna and eat at The Outpost, or venture into La Mesa or Rancho and eat somewhere else. As bad as I really hate to say it, the ribs I got today from The Shack were tough, chewy, had zero dry rub on them, zero smoke ring and were under cooked. (See photo comparison below) The green chili Mac and cheese was cold, rubbery, and bland. The potato salad looked and tasted like Reser's Red Skinned Potato Salad, that they just transferred over to a plastic container and passed it off as their own. To add insult to injury, the California burrito had everything in it that I didn't ask for. Minimal amount of meat and was all potatoes. The Birria bowl should have been called the pot roast bowl because that's pretty much what it was.It was just frustrating and disappointing all the way around from The Shack. I'll continue to shop at Valley Farm, and I'll absolutely still eat at the Outpost. But $73.00 at The Shack was an absolute waste of money.

3 stars for at least having "Stock and a Great Meat and Seafood Selection"! Expect to pay an insane amount per LB.Absolutely crazy the prices they charge at the meat counter (hence knocking off 2 stars). Unfortunately, I do not ever see myself going back. I purchased a porkbutt that came out to $67, 14lb Brisket for $150, and 2lbs Maui Short Ribs. My jaw dropped when I put the packaged meat in my shopping cart. I should have gave it back and waited for Costco to restock, but I didn't and decided to bite the bullet since I was desperate.

Grown up and down. BBQ was a pet store of smells and creatures. No direction... Always great BBQ and it got better with more direction.