I was an Aldi's fan until I experienced the rude, air-headed checkers in the Chantilly, VA store. The one checkstand open on a Saturday morning had a checker who was so busy that she didn't notice that a long line was beginning to form. When another employee brought that to her attention, she used finger language to point to another checkstand that would be opening. When I did get into the new line, the new checker started on a different checkstand than the one pointed out. Naturally, everyone behind me flooded to the new line and I was last in line again. Need to get checkers who don't operate in a fog. read more

Excellent prices, but the cashier was a mess. She overcharged for a product by charging twice for the same item, then gave an attitude when she had to call the supervisor to fix her own mistake. I recommend that they hire more experienced / mature / polite cashiers. It makes me compelled to spend more money elsewhere (like Giant) for better service. read more

Although it is a little bit out of the way for me I am definitely an advocate of Aldi and their business model. The nearest grocery store to me is Safeway. I end up paying a small fortune for a few items I get out of convenience when I do not want to make the 20+ minute drive to this location and regret it every time. Aldi has cut my monthly grocery bill by at least half. The price of milk alone is worth the trip. The downsides of Aldi for those new to the store are that you need to bring a quarter to unlock a cart, you have to buy bags if you don't bring any, they don't always have what you want in stock, and there is a long wait in line. None of these are really an issue if you consider the savings and take steps to make sure you are prepared. I always have my designated Aldi quarter in the car for the deposit. The plus side to their system is that the parking lot is not littered with carts and the Aldi gets to save quite a bit in labor by not having to tend to them. I also have my large IKEA bag for my groceries but you can also use the empty boxes to hold your purchases. Most of the items I want are generally there, the exception has been chocolate milk which has been out of stock a number of times. This is disappointing as a 1/2 gallon at Aldi is around 87 cents compared to Safeway where it is usually 3-4 times more. The long wait times do not bother me anymore as they move very quickly. Actually the lines and limited number of open registers are on par with the Safeway near me but do not move nearly as fast. Aldi does not have the greatest selection of fruits and vegetables but the nearby Lotte plaza does and I just plan this in as part of my trip. I think a lot of people shop at both based on my experience of seeing the same people in both stores. read more

LOVE Aldi. I can very easily save half of my grocery bill compared to Harris Teeter (and that includes shopping the sales) so I make the 30-40 minute round trip to the Chantilly Aldi once a week. A primer & Econ 101 lesson for the uninitiated: -Aldi's low prices are because they have low overhead and mostly generic brands. This means... -Bring a quarter to get a cart from the corral. You get your quarter back when you put your cart back (and they don't have to pay someone to collect the carts). -Bring your own grocery bags (another way they keep costs low). If you forget, you can buy paper, plastic, or reusable bags. Or you can snag an empty box, but you may have to do some creative rearranging or hunt for one. -Speaking of bags, you'll be doing your own bagging (because then Aldi doesn't have to pay someone to do it) after the cashier puts your stuff back in your cart. There's a long counter after the checkout for this purpose. -Another review said they take credit cards now, but I haven't tested that. So bring your debit card or cash (not taking credit cards saves them a 3-5% credit card fee). -The cashiers value speed over gingerly placing your items back in the cart (because there's only 1-2 cashiers working at any time so they move FAST), so put your heavy stuff on the conveyor belt first, and finish with your eggs and veggies that bruise easily, so those will end up on top. -Be prepared that there aren't going to be 5 types of ketchup, a deli/seafood counter, salad bar, cheese samples, etc. Fear not, though; the Whole Foods is not that far away. -The interior looks like a combo of the 1970s and what I'd imagine a grocery store in a communist country would look like. Lots of stacked boxes and metal racks. If you can't get over that, see the above sentence about Whole Foods. On to the goods! Things we like better than their more expensive counterparts: -Their wavy potato chips taste different than Ruffles, but are far superior, in our opinion. First aisle. -The dark chocolate salted caramels are amaaaaazing, and half the price of the ones at Tar-jay. -I can't find anything like their veggie ranch dip anywhere else. So good with veggies or chips. In the fridge case, to the right of the lettuce. Things we can't tell the difference: -Eggs -Milk -Hamburger & hot dog buns -Mustard -Ground turkey -Chicken breasts -Taco shells -Blocks of cheddar cheese -Cream cheese -Ice cream bars (vanilla ice cream w/ hard chocolate, vanilla w/ chocolate & heath bar, cones with vanilla/chocolate ice cream and nuts) -Romaine hearts (they're labelled Dole) -Watermelon -Peppers -Zucchini -Cucumbers -Smoked salmon (I was surprised too!) -Spray SPF Sunscreen (a total steal at $3.99!) Things we can tell the difference but have gotten over: -Club crackers are slightly saltier -The "fancy" cheese doesn't taste as good, but at $3.50 vs $9 at Harris Teeter, we don't care. -The precut little salami is slightly more greasy than the equivalent, but hooray for already sliced in a resealable package. $3.50 vs $11 at the Teet. Just no -The coffee is straight up terrible. Have some self-respect and just don't. read more

The store is clean, organic produce isn't super expensive and the generic protein bars are priced right.

First, I'm an Aldi Fan. Every time I see an Aldi I get excited because I know exactly what I'm going to expect. This location is generally what I'm used to seeing with a few different things noticeable. For example, I notice that their potato breads and other bakery items aren't raided as they are in other stores and, they have more desserts than in other areas. The one thing that I noticed was that their cashier's were non existent. The lines were insanely long and it's always worse when you have one or two items yet you have to wait for more cashiers and they finally come once you're ready and paying the cahsier. Other than that, this was fine. read more

The positives: The prices here are incredibly low. They have their own store brand, and I think the prices are about 30% off the typical supermarket prices of similar items. (You can't compare exactly since everything is the Aldi store brand). The gallon of skim milk was probably the cheapest I've seen in several years (I think it was $2). They had bags of hot dog rolls on sale for $0.25. No kidding-- 25 cents for a bag of 6 or 8 hot dog rolls! If you need to stock up on some basics, this would be a good place. But I couldn't shop here regularly due to the following negatives: 1. Super annoying locked shopping carts. Bring a quarter with you! You'll need it to unlock a shopping cart. They are all chained together and to release one, you stick a quarter in the lock. You get it back because it pops out when you return the cart, but this was just too annoying to me. 2. They don't take credit cards so bring cash. I understand this keeps prices lower but it's still annoying. 3. Small store and limited selection. (For example, I couldn't find low fat cheese, only regular). 4. Produce looked seriously past its prime. I didn't want to try it. read more

This store has such a great system. They keep costs down by offering very few brand name items, though the items they offer are most often made in the same factories as the brand name stuff. You also have to put a quarter in to get a cart, and you get it back when you return your cart. You bag your own items (and bring your own bags, or buy their bags). They also only take cash or debit. All the food is good quality. My friend loves their buttermilk pancake mix and I have gotten excellent salad dressings and frozen items there. They have great prices on fresh things too, such as meats, dairy, and produce. I will definitely be back to Aldi often! read more

Very organized- Love the products and the price is great. But the onions and potatoes are never fresh .

I love Aldi but this location SUCKS! It was my first day visiting this location (I go to the Manassas Aldi). It was 9am and the doors were no open. I thought 'Ok, I don't expect stores to open on the dot'. 20 minutes later and no one opened the door. WTF!? Right in front of me was the store hours and it specifically said that they open 9am on saturdays. There was no sign that said they would be closed for the day. No way in heck was I waiting any longer since I had to go to work (Yeah I work on saturdays :( I hate basing a review on the hours of a store but if they can't open on time then this store is not worth visiting. read more

Not much of a selection and I get the feeling that I'm shopping in a tiny Costco. All items are still in their boxes. There is only one path to walk through when you go through the entrance. Both times I've gone, there was only one cashier and a huge line. They do not offer plastic bags either so be sure to bring your own resuable grocery bag. read more

I go here mostly for the German and other European products. They have a good chocolate and cheese selection, and great weekly deals. Also, their skincare line "lacura" is wonderful- it actually ranks higher than most skin care products tested by the German "Stiftung Warentest," which is the equivalent to Consumer Reports. What most people do not realize, is that products like detergent and cat litter are often the same as the big brand names, only with an off-brand logo on them. I don't mind depositing a quarter or bringing my own bags- I am used to it from Germany and wish more store would do the same thing here! Enough with the flimsy plastic bags. Also, other Aldi locations sell beer and wine- I hope this one will eventually, too. read more

Come to Aldi where you enter and walk pasts mountains of ceiling high junk food..Yep, mostly junk food here and some possibly questionable quality produce. Grab a cheapo chocolate orange almond bar while your here- its good stuff! You may find me at the register clearing out my wallet and counting out a bunch of coins though--Who doesnt take major credit cards or checks in this day and age?! read more

This Aldi was renovated in the last month or two. It's much nicer looking, and easier to get around. The produce selection is good. I typically buy bananas, avocados, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, grapes, apples, and carrots. Of course, since it's Aldi, all of these are amazingly inexpensive. My only gripe is that there are no fresh bunches of kale, only the boxed/bagged stuff. Their generic brands are typically identical to the name brands. I've noticed they carry regional name brands, too. Aldi is the only place I know that always lists the unit price, e.g. dollars per pound, for every product. Often in other stores the brands will use different metrics, or have none at all, so it's not obvious immediately which is the cheapest option. I've never had this problem at Aldi, and it makes shopping much faster. I recommend that you take a look at the weekly ad when you come in. Sometimes things will sell out fast, though. Many times the good produce is well picked over and the cheap meat is cleared out by Sunday evening. read more

I love the Aldi concept & was stoked to be in the hood to visit the first Aldi I'd ever been in back in the day. But it was sorts of weird when I walked in. They're "renovating," they said. I don't like it. I don't like it one bit. I couldn't find the kids shampoo I loved. Seriously guys, it's better than Johnson's & the Loreal kind. Then the cheese selection was pathetic. Come onnnnnn. This was like they're THING. the European thing. Again, let me make a comparison. It was similar to Trader Joe's cheese selection but like a third of the price. Also the quality was fabulous. I got legit French & German cheese here all the time. To add insult to injury I found "new items" in the pantry section - nabisco-like crackers & Keebler-like cookies. Not cool. These guys were supposed to be on my side. I need veggies, fruits, healthy options, not more of the stuff packing the aisles everywhere else. Anyway, I'm a forgiving person & we go way back with Aldi so I'm not going to freak out. But Seriously, I'm watching you Aldi. I'll be back & this review will be updated. read more

Horrible customer service the cashier lady today at around 4:30 pm got frustrated with the customer in front of me cause his card was not swiping right she asked to see his card and no reason why he seemed like he didn't want to give it to him cause she said swipe it until it goes the guy seemed confused as to why he had to swipe his card a million times.. When it was my turn the guy had left some chocolate there and she scanned it I told her it wasn't mine and she said " ughhhhhh!!" And I was like well you should've known cause there's a pole between us and she kept scanning after scanning one item she asked me to swipe and never told me why..idk about you but I always wait until everything is scanned .. She was rude and inpatient ..not the customers fault their cashier machines don't work . Smh not coming back read more

This definitely is a different shopping experience... you can't take full advantage of the experience without a simple quarter. They charge for the basket. As a first time shopper, I was not aware of this so my experience was limited by the amount I could carry (or balance) with my own two hands and arms. With a hoody-style sweater, I was able to get one or two extra items. That being said, the prices were extremely reasonable although produce was comparable to the larger grocery stores. The shelving schemes were simple and quite easy to locate what I wanted to find. The staff was interactive which was nice. All in all, if you bring a quarter, it will be a good shopping opportunity. read more

I don't like there the stuff's attitude.kind like they are not satisfied with their pay.i went to Aldi today.and one stuff was putting chicken to the refrigerator.and I was standing behind the cart.two boxes fell down and hit my foot，its hurtful.the employee just look at me without say sorry.because he thought my back touched the cart.but I was not even close the cart.another customer he saw everything and picked up boxes.the employee said thank u sir.and also gave me bad face.i didn't say anything and when I go get the chicken he was stareing at me！i was like wtf！i just wanna say，if you dont like your supermarket job please leave，otherwise be nice to your customer read more

Came to check this place out with my 8month old child.... was not able to gain access to the carts because it's 2017 and no one carries quarters!!! They lost my business, no plans to go back. read more

I like this place with that being said you have to know the store -- many times there are just one line and unfortunately the customer with a large basket often doesnt have the good sense to let the person go who only has one item especially when you arrive at the line at nearly they same time. It does not smell bad in here and the selections can be limited. It is not my one and only store but I do see many people make it there big shop event. I go here for specific things at a GREAT price and quality. It is a love/hate relationship especially with the whole line thing. read more

Ugh. It's like shopping for groceries at the dollar store. I get that it's a discount grocery store, but I was really unimpressed. Cheap stuff, I guess. I took it a bag since I heard you have to do that. I also knew not to hassle with paying for a cart, which I HATE the idea of doing. They're prices weren't cheap enough to justify that. I had to leave my few items with the cashier since I didn't know until I was standing in line that it was cash or debit. I won't go back. read more

As many have said Aldi is a unique shopping experience. I am a Wegmans/Trader Joe's kind of girl but I appreciate value for my money and Aldi definitely has some items worth making the trip for. Yes, you need a quarter for a cart and need to bring your own bags unless you want to purchase them there. Items that make it worth the trip some of their wines, cheeses and prosciutto, breakfast items -french toast sticks, thick sliced bacon. Frozen sea food items- shrimp, salmon, scallops. Some of their chocolates are very good. Personally, I don't feel the produce stays fresh long after purchase and typically won't purchase it. I enjoy the shopping experience for what it is. read more

Bad store, bad cashiers, bad customer service.... Good prices.....

Great prices. Good stuff. However it's small and you can not get all your grocery shopping done in one place if u shop for a week or two. This spring they had wonderful flowers too! :) read more

I had never been to an Aldi before but since I was in the neighborhood I decided to check it out. The concept is apparent immediately: no name brand foods at super discounted prices. I had my baby with me and since I only had a short list I decided to push her in her stroller and put items to purchase in the basket at the bottom. I didn't know that you have to "rent" shopping carts until I just read other's reviews. I'm glad I didn't have to juggle an infant and a diaper bag while trying to dig out a quarter for a cart. I shopped quickly finding meats and vegetables of surprisingly good quality. As I made my way to the cash register, my darling daughter decided she was hungry. While standing near the register and feeding her, a customer asked an employee if they had any more bags of rolls since he only found one. The employee walked halfway through the store and yelled (I mean YELLED) at the manager and asked if they had any more of the rolls. The manager YELLED back across the store to the employee and told her where they were. Then, instead of walking with the customer or showing him exactly where the rolls were, she YELLED again in the direction of the customer and told him where to find them. After baby was done eating, I turned to face the register only to find them all empty and not an employee in sight. The loud-mouthed manager had even disappeared. I waited for four minutes, while several other customers got in line behind me. A woman even asked me if I knew where the cashier was thinking maybe she had gone looking for something for me. The cashier finally makes her grand entrance from God knows where (employee break room? rest room? closet?) and while approaching the registers yells out in my direction "Three!". I assumed correctly she meant for me to go to register three for checkout. I began putting my items on the conveyor belt when the customer behind me immediately put her items up. The other customer hadn't seen that I had several other items under the stroller and apologized. No big deal, the cashier just stopped the conveyor belt so I could finish. As I'm loading my goods onto the belt, I realized the cashier was just staring at me and not ringing up my groceries. So I asked her, "Do you need me for something?" Her reply: "I'm waiting for you to hurry up and finish." Well, alrighty then. I ignored her and put the rest of the groceries on the belt. When it was time to pay, I swiped my debit card and it came up declined. She announced that my card was declined loud enough for the entire line of now six people to hear. I told her that was impossible. She said, "No, your card is declined." At that point, though red-faced and embarrassed, I gave her the benefit of the doubt thinking maybe there actually was something wrong with my card. I told her I would pay with my American Express instead. "We don't take credit cards", she loudly and rudely replied. So I told her I was going to try my debit again because I know the funds are there. She reminded me and all the other customers again that my card was declined. I decided to try the debit card and sure enough it went through. Her response? Not an apologetic one, that's for sure. "I don't know what happened", was all she said. I told her that she needs to learn to not embarass her customers, especially when she was in the wrong. Would you believe she actually yelled at me (they do a lot of yelling in that store!) and told me it wasn't HER fault the card was declined?! It wasn't declined, nimwit! You have a faulty machine! I have been trained by the best of the best in the hospitality industry, and I understand not every company values its customers or provides service that I deem of good quality. However, I have never seen such poor customer service anywhere and this store surely takes the cake for world's worst employees. Not surprisingly, I will never return. read more

Very well run! I'm a huge Aldi fan. I first started shopping at Aldi when I lived in Germany in 2009. In Germany, Aldi is one of the main supermarkets (other German supermarkets are based on the same model). Yes, it is different than the American model, but if you are looking for quality food at an amazing price, Aldi is your place. I'll point out the main differences (with the common explanations) below so you won't be surprised at the differences to American supermarkets. Regarding this store, I go early in the morning, very clean, professional service, and great seasonal selections, great wine selection as well ( a few beer options). If you haven't shopped at Aldi, be prepared for the following (all very common in Germany). 1. You deposit a quarter in the shopping cart, when you return it, you get the quarter back. This saves you money (carts are stolen less and they are automatically returned). 2. No credit cards. Credit cards are very expensive to process. 3. Limited name brands (apart from a few sodas, few name brands) 4. 1,600 items (many supermarkets have around 30,000 items). Aldi is 6 isles wide. They do have a great seasonal selection though. 5. Bag your own groceries (for obvious reasons). Bring your own bags or you will have to buy bags. If you don't have bags, you can buy them there and reuse them. They are good quality bags. 6. Fit and Active is the Aldi "light brand. Nature something... can't remember exactly is the organic brand. Essentially, Aldi sells 95% of the food people normally eat. There are no rewards points, no people bagging your groceries, no people running after carts, no transfers of money from the supermarket to the credit card company, no massive stocking of specialty items If you google price comparisons, you'll see that most people save 40-50% compared to other supermarkets. If you like wine, you are in for a treat as well. Great wine selection. You'll see other reviews below as well, they sell German chocolate and Italian pasta... at great prices. Specialty cheese selection is also decent. read more

Excellent Aldi store! Spacious, always well-stocked. Save a ton of money compared to any other grocery store (I feel guilty when I shop other places). Note for those complaining about quarters, the cashier is always happy to make change. Also, you should be using reusable bags! read more

Happy to have Aldi nearby, finally! After living in Germany for 3 years & becoming accustomed to no-frills, schlep-your-own, environmentally friendly grocery shopping, I have switched to Aldi for all of my stock items and am saving a small fortune. No name brands here, but the store brand is top quality with, as others have noted, pasta from Italy and chocolate from Germany. Is this Wegman's? Of course not! Rather, it is a concept in economics & the environment -- ie, minimalization! However, unlike Wegman's, I am paying $0.99 for eggs and $1.99 for skim milk!!! I am also very happy to bring my own bags and use a quarter (pfand) in my grocery cart that actually forces people return their carts (as opposed to being lazy & leaving them in the lot to scratch someone's car!) YAY FOR ALDI!!!! read more

If you're a parent with a small child, don't waste your time going here. First off, the staff is extremely rude and condescending. Also, when checking out they make you, switch carts- switch your child, who is (currently) content in the cart, to another cart. While you do so, they wait and will not ring up other customers. If you're a parent, you know with young children how hard it can be to shop, peacefully. Having to disturb them, take them out of a cart and put them in another cart- or switch all your purchased items into another cart, is not worth the trouble. The prices are ok. 90% of the items aren't name brand, they are their own brand, or brands I have never heard of, so they better be cheap to begin with. I will be doing my shopping elsewhere. read more

So it seems as though the majority of negative reviews are based on the lack of "customer service". It's rather appalling that so many people struggle to shop for basic groceries. The aisles remain largely unchanged, with the occasional switch (seasonal items in the second aisle, differing deals in the refrigerators at the end of certain aisles, etc). We've been shopping at this location for almost a year and have continuously found everything we need. Clearly certain stores are better for specific items (Safeway for seafood Walmart for peanut butter), but we get the vast majority of weekly groceries here...saving us at least $30. If you decide to shy away from here because you're afraid to shop without someone holding your hand, then stay home and do us all a favor. If you want to save money and get the majority of your groceries for a discount, venture here and give it a shot. It won't take long to learn the layout. It's well worth it. read more

The pacific wild caught salmon which is priced low, we think is some ware from Alaska but is from China in small print as almost all the fish in the store are, so we do not know if it is actually wild caught or farm raised someware in China. So bottom line do not go by tag / title go by small print to know where it is sourced from. read more

Aldi sucks, be care for it! The cashier whose name Eunice robbed my money when I paid the cash for some veggies. On Aug. 17, 2015, I took a bag of baby carrots and a bag of mini-cucumber to the checkout counter, no other customer is in front of me or behind me. I passed a 20 dollars bill to cashier -- Eunice to pay these items(baby carrots-$0.69 dollar, mini-cucumber-$1.99. Plus tax total is $2.75), she returned $2.25 with receipt to me and said " you gave me five dollars". Ridiculous! She robbed my money. After that, I reported it to her manager and customer service. It seems Aldi do not care about it. Be care for this cashier -- Eunice when you shop in the Aldi in Chantilly Virginia store. read more

They tend to run out of product on selected items especially on weekends. They don't tend to stock enough produce such as carrots and onions. I have noticed that they run out of some varieties of milk and bread from time to time. It is also possible that some items that have been carried by them could suddenly be discontinued. As a result of rising prices of some products, Aldi may stop carrying some items. Be prepared to shop at competitors if products you are expecting (and have purchased previously) are not stocked (or are no longer in stock). read more

I've been to a couple different Aldi stores over the years but am not a regular Aldi shopper, as there are no locations real near my current home. However, with the grocery bills constantly climbing, I've been looking for ways to cut costs and thought it might be worth the 20 +-minute drive to this location (the most convenient to my house) to save a few bucks. It was not. Don't get me wrong - this place was not totally awful or anything like that. Reasonably clean, not too crowded at 3 on a weekday afternoon. If you are looking for cheap packaged/processed food, this is probably a decent option. And, believe me, I loaded up on some of that! Also picked up some items from the dairy section (does not appear to be rBgh-free if that is important to you. In terms of quality: yogurt - okay; cheese - not great; butter - $2.50/lb., so not any cheaper than Giant's on sale) and the rad "home goods"-type stuff - this was the best part of the trip for me. So random, yet all so unexpectedly necessary! I would not count on any produce from this place - what I saw looked like the manager had dumpster-dived at Shopper's, then let the goods sit in his car trunk for a few days before dumping them on the Aldi stands; meat .... maybe, I'm no expert. I didn't find enough (or save enough) on actual, meal-ingredient foods here to justify frequent trips, but what really clinched my decision not to go back was the check-out experience. Sure they had only two lanes open, and sure everybody waited a few minutes for their turn. Nothing out of the norm, especially compared to the Vienna Giant or any Safeway anywhere. But the emphasis for the employees here is to chuck things through their scanners as quickly as possible and drop or toss them into a spare cart at the back of the aisle. I was there with my preschooler in my cart, my toddler in the cart seat, and my baby in a carrier on my front. I loaded things onto the belt as fast as I could (didn't get any flak about that, unlike one of the other reviewers here), making sure to put the awesomely large reusable shopping bag and two fantastic foldable canvas baskets (a true highlight) I was purchasing front and center, figuring the lady might put them into the catch-cart and place my checked items into those containers, as most reasonable people would. No, instead she dropped them in there and then started throwing everything else on top of them. I'm not asking for someone to go out of their way for me, but come on - would it have taken that much more time to toss the things into these huge bags that are sitting right there, rather than shuffling it all into the cart around them? The checker must've thought so, because that's what she did, saying something about TPTB making her go quick or whatnot and leaving me to try to work around her as she pushed things into the catch-cart and I tried to corral everything into a bag. Was it a horrible ordeal? No, of course not, but it was pretty awkward and gave me the game-show sweats - pressure's on, bag those fruit snacks! Now this bread! Now this three-pound bottle of juice ... ooo, I'm sorry, it hit your finger. You got jammed! If you don't have kids or can get here without them, it would probably be no big deal. But for me, the $20-$30 I maybe saved was more than offset by the commute there and back and the lack of some of the big-name grocery store conveniences to which I've grown accustomed ... you know, like the sullen clerk who apathetically lets all your items collect at the back of the aisle while you bag them in your own sweet time rather than working against you in that endeavor by bombarding you with canned goods as you try to stack your yogurt tube boxes on top of your frozen French toast stick box to conserve the cold. read more