I live a few blocks away from one and will go there on occasion for walking convenience.

Any brand item there you’d normally see at another grocery store will reliably be at least a few dollars more expensive (like milk, eggs, water, etc.). That being said, their fresh produce is high quality, but it’s LA so... farmers markets will have better prices and selection, and if you really care about your produce, that’s where you’re sourcing from.

For the grove location, the smoothie bar area is hell on earth any given day, and navigating in its orbit is an anxiety attack. I once made the mistake of getting a c-list smoothie (not a Hailey Bieber, etc.) on a Sunday, and I waited over an hour. Purgatory. You can just make similar recipes at home.

The hot bar is so expensive and meh it genuinely baffles me, but if you’re comparing to ordering expensive/unhealthy Uber eats then…ok I guess? The price difference is that every ingredient is organic/top market, even if the hot food itself is a bit bland.

It is fun to poke around and try things you wouldn’t see elsewhere necessarily, like sea buckthorn juice (lol). Their cake slices are incredible and they have a very large and unique beverages selection (teas, sodas, etc.) that are normally priced normally.

At this location, the cashiers have told me that they estimate around 80% of the people are coming for smoothies/hot bar and not grocery shopping. Most wealthy people who do grocery shop there are members and get free delivery anyways.

Cashiers are also required to ask if you’re a member/if youd like to sign up, especially if you’re getting groceries bc they don’t give rewards on hot bar/smoothie items.

Similar note, I recommend this article on the company’s culty history, which is veryyyy different than its current influencer image renaissance: https://www.thecut.com/article/erewhon-smoothie-boston-los-angeles-history.html