Ok, it is more expensive than Whole Foods. On the other hand, I feel like Whole Foods produce can be bad sometimes (with an orange or banana, etc); I have yet to have a bad experience with the produce at Balduccis. Meats. The seafood section is great. The canned foods (octopus, sardines, etc) are nice - I like the variety! One negative product -- I've picked up some form of raw chicken and both times I felt let down by the quality. I enjoy the dairy products and the my friends have been happy with the cakes I bring from Balducci's. read more

Love this place! It's up the street from my parent's house and I usually end up spending more $$$ than I want to but it's so worth it!

Love this place. It is so clean - you know they bleach the shopping carts a lot - my Labrador and I walk by this place in the morning and there is a guy who rinses them off - the only reason I mention is because I suspect that quality of detail says a lot about how they run the back of the house too... the meat section is super expensive but great... Awesome to go meals... read more

I have always been pleased with the products and ambiance of the store. That is until a few days ago, when I bought their featured cheese, cubed and in a container. The pull date was sometime in February. But when I opened the container, about half of the cubes were moldy. My reason for my low rating is not so much that I bought moldy cheese but rather that I notified the store (email) and had no response. What if I had set that cheese out for everyone to grab and kids got sick? Being a unique store, and they are, is no excuse for bad customer relations. A simple apology would have been called for. UPDATE: After a second note to the store, both the headquarters and the local store apologized and offered a refund (neither accepted nor necessary, my point was just to make sure they were aware) and I admire them for stepping in, albeit a little late I thought, to make it all right. So I change my previous rating to go back to being a fan. They did the right thing, and so now will I. read more

The customer service is not the best and staff is not very helpful. I took my children there in between activities to grab some ready made food. We ordered a couple of sandwiches and pizza which took half an hour to get. The staff was short and unfriendly. After we ate I asked the Janitor where I could throw away the pizza box since it was large and she said first said I do not know then She then said fold it in half which I told her I could not do since there was food in the box, so she snatched it from me and proceeded to do so. The food and quality of groceries was spoilt by the bad attitude of the 3-4 staff members we encountered. read more

Great selection of produce - very fresh! Seafood is always really fresh but incredibly expensive compared to whole foods. Like another reviewer, I was treated rather poorly by the fishmonger simply for asking for 1/3 pound of arctic char. I had already bought 2 pounds of salmon and then asked for 1/3 pound char and he exclaimed "a third pound!?". I said "yes, a third pound please" then he scowled and went to go cut the fish. You would expect better service for the prices they charge. read more

I have been coming here since I moved to McLean about seven years ago. Aside from the prices which one would expect to be much higher than a regular grocery store, this place is known for its prepared meals. They always have roasted chicken - the best (herb) I have ever had. At my house it lasts a couple of days. But they also have a wide variety of prepared vegetables, meat , and even fish. This is not a place to buy your paper towels, unless you absolutely need them, but their variety of foods is . All in all, a true gourmet which serves the best foods in the area aside from Whole Foods. BTW, their steaks are great. I always get mine here as they are always tender and very fresh Don't let the prices scare you. You get what you pay for here. read more

You're in McLean so expect to pay McLean prices. Parking is never an issue. Been in once for lunch with a client and once to grab a quick snack after work. Food is a little overpriced. The buffet section is set price per pound and I'm paying almost double at what I pay at Whole Foods buffet. Nice selection and variety; food was average. Now for the snack section, prices are $2-4 more than what you pay at Trader Joes or even Whole Foods. Also, I'm assuming you have to be a "member" to get the prices stated on the signs because I was charged slightly higher for my trail mix. read more

As per my usual routine, went in for some prepared foods and came out with so much more. I'm a big fan of Balducci's, though how could you not be, it's basically 90% delicious things, (of which 60% are some form of cookie.) As a downside, I always end up spending so much more than I might have otherwise spent, had I gone to a non-gourmet market. What I really like most about Balducci's is that they have great customer service. Whenever I have a special request or can't find something (which is often, I'm afraid) they are always very gracious in helping me out. read more

I shopped here, got home which is 45 min away, 2 items worth $14 were not in my bag while they had charged my card, called store, the manager was no help, he said u should comeback with receipt to the store, really ? It was your mistake, you should have checked it with cashier and just refund my money to my credit card. No customer service read more

Every time I come back from Balducci's, I swear I will not go there anymore. Too bad, the food is not to die for, but it is good, and it changes from the Giant store nearby. My problem is the attitude of the employees. I am not judging on one or a few experiences, but on probably more than 60 visits. They are useles, arrogant, and mean. Why are they so difficult to deal with, why do you feel they do you a favor every time they give you some of their precious time, why are the Giant's employees a hundred times more friendly and competent? Despite a letter I sent years ago to Bladucci's to complain, I have received no answer. It tells a lot about their mentality: take the money from the rich morons of McLean, but let's show them how much we hate them. I left France,my country of origin, because of that attitude. Are they operating in Virginia, too? Or maybe the employees and their management have been trained in USSR. read more

Do not order from here for Thanksgiving. I ordered a fresh bird and I got one that was frozen solid. They had no reason for this and not even a good substitute.. read more

I come into this store to get a sandwich and walk out with a something extra. I can walk in and get a full dinner for my family anytime. The people are very helpful when needing to find something or an opinion about a product in the store. read more

Must haves: the hot broiled chicken (very reasonably priced) and the flourless chocolate cake. We are going here today to purchase superb quality for my birthday celebration. If I could I would eat from here all the time. read more

Kudos to Alonzo Jordan the store manager and Abdoul the Chef who were so accommodating and helpful. They couldn't have been nicer - will continue to shop at this store. read more

The workers behind the deli counter were very rude. The rest of the store is nice but I will not be returning.

I am writing about the catering services, which I have now used twice, both times really excellent experiences. The food is very well prepared and the instructions for heating and serving are clear and easy to follow. The associate who helped me with the menu was courteous and knowledgeable, and particularly kind when I was picking up and she helped me check out and load everything into the car. read more

This is both a review and a question for yelpers... I've been going to Balducci's for years. They used to have one a few miles from my house in Reston, but have closed that location. I still drive all the way to McLean to shop there when I want to put together a good meal. It's worth the drive. One of the main reasons I go here is when we cook fajitas. Here is a little secret, get the hanger steak and ask them (call ahead) to marinade it in their Chipotle-Lime marinade. I sometimes add a bit of lime juice too. Throw them on the grill, sauté up some onions/peppers and you'll be in Fajita heaven. Ok, here is the question... has anyone tried either their Eberly Organic or Plainville Farms Turkey? I'm having the family over for Turkey day and wanted to impress with something other than the usual Butterball. But at $3.99 lb (Eberly Organic) / $2.99 lb (Plainville Farm) I'm not sure if it's worth it. Any opinions? read more

I try to get to Balducci's at least once a week, they are my go to for so many food items. In the deli department the cooked in-house roast beef is the best, cooked to the perfect degree of doneness. The French ham, while VERY pricey, is the best ham I've ever eaten. I love a good Rueben and the one made at Balducci's is primo! I order it not sliced in half and not cooked, choosing to grill it at home instead since the beauty of a Rueben is the bite of the toasted bread, the warm melted cheese, and the buttery texture of a good corned beef all in one! While the produce section is not large it is great quality all around. Have bought a lot of peaches this year, early on from another store they were hard and on the small side. Basically they turned bad before they ripened enough to be used. Bought half the number at Balducci's, which were already ripe and much larger. Lesson learned! The meat department always has my favorite hanger steaks and their store smoked kielbasa is a favorite. The ground beef, while pricey, truly does taste better along with being grass fed, hormone free, etc. The prepared food section has so many favorites! Topping the list is the Thai Steak Salad! They also do a Cowboy Steak Salad that is very good. The Sesame Chicken Tenders are next on the list, they re-heat easily and each is a generous helping. Mashed potatoes, as good as Mom made (she agrees). There are always several pasta salads to choose from. Balducci's also has a good selections of wines. Balduccis is a top of the line gourmet store and a must for the gourmet cook. read more

I enjoy this store quite frequently for a local grocery store in McLean. The selection of seafood is outstanding, the beer, wine, and prepared foods make things very worthwhile when you're in a rush. read more

Every prepared meal I have gotten at this location has been poor. The grilled chickens are super greasy. I mean dripping in grease. The turkey is over cooked. Groceries are okay for limited selection and the cheese counter is adequate. Food staff have no clue about ingredients and act annoyed if you ask questions. I guess they don't like us pesky people with questions who keep them employed! This location is not as good as others. Too bad as it's convenient. I will go elsewhere. Tired of throwing food in the garbage. read more

On the spectrum of better grocery stores, Balducci's is more bourgeois than bohemian. To be sure the pretension of their dedicated caviar refrigerator and the general feel of this "food lover's market" will better appeal to their McLean clientele than to the sometimes more crunchy Whole Food or Trader Joe's crowd. It will better suit the gourmet than the morally conscientious foodie. Like most stores in this genre, Balducci's has a full bakery and food service. Just from appearances their buffet is far better than the ones you often find at Whole Foods. Also, their sandwiches are wonderfully imaginative and better than you will find anywhere else in McLean. The ingredients are top-notch in quality and freshness, and they don't have that concern for health that so often ruins taste. It's miserably slow though, so I look forward to seeing an actually workable business model here. But I suppose the true gourmand will know how to wait for quality food. read more

Been going there off and on for about ten years. I forget its former name. It used to be better. Staff, and I assume management, stopped caring. Not a smile in the building. Meats are good. Hot buffet is really bad, dried out, sloppy and unattended. Prices are nuts. read more

Why oh why do I come here???? The store is always a mess, staff never acknowledges you, the place is disorganized and messy. The Prepared foods come in prepackaged (lasagna, their chicken salad, tuna salad, ANY prepared food against the wall) and then repackaged. The seafood smell will knock you out of your shoes! This stuff is not fresh. The strawberries in produce was being picked through and the moldy pieces pulled out and closed back up - doubt we are getting the exact weight in produce. The chef created items are from brands that I have seen used else where. Their soup is not house made - it is the same brand I use to buy at a GFS store. The bakery products - very few are made in the bakery- majority of the items come in frozen. Balducci's is totally misleading. You think homie's there to help, instead he's standing there texting on the cell phone. I approached a great lady in Catering, Rene (?) she attempted to assist me with my questions and was unable to get anyone to answer her page from specific departments to come back to catering and assist me. I am not trying to be slanderous, but what store of this magnitude doesn't sell what they claim. I'm so knocked back by this trip I had to Yelp. This couldn't be more ridiculous. read more

I work across the street from this Balducci's. I can say that everyone in the office has been sick at least once off of the ready made food. Unless it's made absolutely fresh that morning, and you eat it for lunch, I would not recommend it. Everything is very over priced. I would say Wegman's is ten times better in quality and price. read more

This store is fantastic! All of the employees I have spoken with have been very well informed about their products. The products are more costly, but I feel good that I'm spending money for excellent quality! read more

Call it 2 1/2 stars. I appreciate the selection of fresh produce and specialty items at Balducci's, but the prices - yikes! Balducci's makes Whole Foods feel like a bargain. The price tag is not my only issue with Balducci's. A few years ago, I made the mistake of ordering several items for our Thanksgiving table. The dishes were tasty enough, but the long ingredient lists, which included preservatives and artificial flavors, appalled me. I never make a special trip to go to this store, but I do stop in occasionally if I'm already in the neighborhood. read more

Balducci's has a good thing going in McLean but their prices are simply too high on many, many items. Also, I have often bought meat there at a high price which turned out not to be very fresh, and I am tired of that AND the less-than-interested and sometimes attitudinal manner of one of its butchers (though not the older French gentleman). Kudos to the cheese, bakery, and florist departments for customer service and to the lady who makes the very reliable fresh fruit trays. Still, there are plenty of other places to shop. Balducci's needs to make more of an effort to ensure quality all around, not just in several departments. read more

The worst customer service at the Balduccis in Mclean. You go to Balduccis expecting a higher level of service because the quality of food is better and prices are much higher than your ordinary places such as Giant or Safeway. I was there this past Sunday. There were about 4 people behind the cold cuts counter and only two of us in line. It took them about 30 minutes to finish our order and very rude. No upbeat attitude - really just a bad attitude. Then I asked one of the ladies for a chicken and goat cheese sandwich - she looked at me and then turned around to make it. She didn't even acknowledge that she would actually make the sandwich and looked annoyed that I even asked for the sandwich in the first place. When she finished the sandwich and I took it outside to eat, she had overheated it - it was boiling hot and the whole sandwich was crumbling. The only nice, customer friendly person in the store that day was the young gentleman at the cash register. This is very disappointing because you go to Balduccis expecting a certain level of service. With the type of attitude some of those employees have, I would never shop there again. read more