If you've been sleeping on this grocery store or you haven't visited in a minute go check it out! They renovated a few months ago and they did a fantastic job at both making the store more easier to navigate and updating/expanding their selection. You can find everything from Michele's granola, mung beans, 3 crabs fish sauce, oat milk, Korean melon ice cream bars, and latin groceries. They've done a good job at diversifying their products to meet the needs to the yuppy-fied neighborhood and long-time residents. This is where I go for some Asian ingredients (in addition to Hana market) that can't be easily found in DC. In addition to what I mentioned above, they have plenty including dried mushrooms, msg, gojuchang paste, dried pho noodles, Kewpie mayo, and more! You can also find some good deals on produce here. Their green beans are usually really fresh and crunchy. They also carry bean sprouts and it doesn't cost an arm and a leg. They used to carry Thai basil here and there, but I haven't seen it in a while. Their cilantro prices are usually also really reasonable; it was 2 bunches for $1 today! Now what makes this really special is their butcher counter (service during daytime hours, but if you call in advance, they may be able to accommodate up until 6/6:30 potentially) will actually work with you to get you what you need and it won't cost an arm and a leg. I go here to buy pork ribs bc they'll cut them lengthwise for me to cut into riblets for Vietnamese sườn kho or soup and I also order sliced meat here when I have bbqs (typically sliced pork shoulder for Vietnamese grilled pork, but they've sliced up entire pork chop hunks to my specification as well with a few days notice). There's no extra cost for butcher service either! I no longer live near this market, but I still try and go once a month bc I can't get most of this unless I go to the burbs, which is much further lol Highly recommend this local market. read more

Capitol Supermarket - Cheese section. Check out the brie selection and smoked Gouda among others! - Grocery Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Great neighborhood market- has all the essentials and nice to have options that are not Amazon owned.

Small but nice wine selection. Close enough to the Marriott Marquis to easily walk, even while carrying wine and a gallon of water.

First let me say I am a DC NATIVE born and raised. Been here since 93. I have been going to this supermarket for YEARS and have been a huge fan of this market and item selection until today. Today I have went with my family to purchase a few items which were dragonfruit, beer, bananas, trash bags and napkins. We have had a long day and ready to wind down as we proceed to checkout we were approached by the guy in the picture below and he asked us about trash bags that were briefly forgotten at the bottom of the stroller priced for 3.19. He then accused us of stealing and I simply told him that he doesn't know what type of day we had forgot then he asked us "how you forget" and my simple reply was that we have two children that we are trying to keep an eye out for our children while still finalizing our transaction. He there told us to get out of the store although we removed trash bags from the bottom of the stroller and proceeded to still try to pay. He declined and snatched the items back. I told him to check his cameras. I also am very frustrated at this point and began to record because why would we need to steal 3 dollar bags and you are snatching back the items in front of our kids. I will never go here again and will definitely spend my dollar at another location. The video below was after he was very rude, accused us for stealing, and told us to get out. He also still refused us paying for our items and moved them to the other belt (bananas and Heineken) in the background. He tried to remain calm after he knew I was recording but this behavior toward civilized civilians was blasphemy. The lady behind us in line also witnessed this crap and was very angry at them for the way we were treated. Please whoever over sees this location take a look into your staff because I've been going there for years and have NEVER had a reason to steal anything and be treated as a criminal. Also there were about thirty other people in the store but I guess because we are black he felt the need to hover over us and single us out. DO BETTER. As of 12/27/2023 the manager has since reached to resolve issue with reasonable feedback. Pictures/videos of incident are now removed. read more

Great fresh produce and selection of cheese. You can find everything there to get your breakfast and/or lunch. Also, some mexican food. Usually, not crowded. It's not a fancy store, but I like it. read more

The market is clean and well organized and has the items I need and I'm glad it's arrived in the neighborhood.

It's a great local market. Head over there before going to the larger chains. Prices are all comparable!

Local grocery with a large selection of ethnic items. I stop by to pickup spices and other items which may be more expensive elsewhere.

I went to buy some products yesterday because I was in the neighborhood. Only one lady was working one of the only two registers and she didn't care that the line was out the door. When I complained to the manager, a tall Korean man , he did nothing to help. I walked out. Incompetent staff. Disorganized. I don't know how a hole in the wall place like this stays in business in a gentrified up and coming DC neighborhood. read more

Nice and cozy shop. Super convenient. Recommend coming here if you are looking to pick up something quickly

This supermarket is my Asian lifeline for everyday cooking in DC. When I learned how shitty the Chinatown is in DC (ugh, gentrification and displacement) after moving here and being spoiled by asian eateries in NYC, I moped around and complained for a whole week... until I found this gem through an internet search for 'asian ingredients' nearby. This supermarket might be not as fancy as Whole Foods or H Mart, but they have the essentials: rice wine, REAL soy sauce (not that fake caramel colored slop), hoisin sauce, sambal oolek, frozen bao, frozen korean dumplings, sweet potato noodles, scallion, daikon, vermicelli, an assortment of jasmine and basmati rice, kimchi, dried anchovies, fish sauce, shrimp chips, golden curry, spices, etc... If it weren't for this place, I'd be cooking nothing but bland food seasoned with Americanized spices and dying to move back to NYC or SF everyday. THANK YOU, CAPITOL SUPERMARKET! read more

Great selection of ethnic items and foods that you cannot find elsewhere in DC. Prices can't be beat and all the produce is of excellent quality. Highly recommend! read more

Only convenient grocery in the area. Giant is a much better place, just a little bit farther up the street. I would never buy meat from a hole in the wall like this. Other items were stale or over priced. A hummus was $6, which is 2X what you might pay at a regular grocery. The selection was limited. Some items were cheap. For example, cheaper wine and beer than a liquor store! Produce seemed cheap but spoiled extremely fast. Some was already spoiled on the shelf. Reviews were pretty accurate on this place. An easy run if you just need some quick beer or cereal but don't plan on doing your weekly grocery visits here! read more

Capitol Supermarket - Grocery Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This particular block is somewhat sketchy and grocery stores with bars in place of windows are always questionable. As soon as I stepped through the front door, I told my friend, "Oh my God, I'm back in Brooklyn." The shelves are packed with international items and the aisles are small. Ever since the local Giant closed down I've been forking over extra money on groceries from Wholefoods. In a desperate search for a cheaper alternative, my friend found Capitol Supermarket using Google Maps so she asked me to check it out with her. She had a feeling "they would carry great ethnic stuff" and she was right. You'll find all the ingredients here to make Asian and Central American dishes. The prices are comparable to Giant and less than the closest Safeway. Some of the meat is suspicious so choose carefully. The first chicken my friend picked up had an odd gray tint so she put it back. I bought some ground beef and it was still fresh. They also carry a limited selection of organic items such as milk. They also surprisingly have a large selection of cheese. read more

Great neighborhood grocery store. They have good prices, decent produce, and I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a local grocery store. They also have a great wine and beer selection and surprisingly really good cheese selection. They also have a redbox! read more

Things I like about this grocery store are: 1) It's close to where I live. 2) They just installed a Redbox...BOOYAH! 3) It's very close to where I live 4) The customer service is pretty decent 5) Did I mention how close this place is to where I live? 6) They have a pretty good selection of interesting ethnic food 7) From where I live, this place is close. 8) Prices are decent Things I don't like so much are: 1) There's a bar next door and a liquor store nearby. It seems to attract some questionable people sometimes when walking there. 2) It's pretty small and their selection is much less than a Giant or Safeway 3) It's not open very late, so when doing a late-night run, it's either to CVS or Giant. read more

Not much of a produce selection, but a nice asian store nonetheless. They have a decent wine selection, nice beer selection, lots of sauces, noodles, cookware.... Overall a decent market for the people around the area. read more

Walked in, greeted woman at register. No response. Ok lol. Browsed selection of snacks, while being watched. Grabbed a snack, headed to the register. Asked the woman to excuse me for a moment because i misplaced my debit card. I look for not even 2 minutes, find it. In the meantime she took another customer, which i have no problem with. However, she also found the time to while i was still standing there, put my item back on the shelf. I step back into line from the ~end of the register~ (i have not walked away to make her think i didn't want the item) and ask her for the one item i just placed on the belt. She tells me she put it back and I'll have to go get it again. Lol... i just left. I'm ok with not spending my money here read more

I am so happy I finally decided to venture in this neighborhood market. I guess the lack of windows had me a little hesitant. They have pretty decent produce and harder to find ethic ingredients like cotija cheese, poblanos, tomatillos, nopales, reasonably priced limes (6/$1!), mint and cilantro (2/$1!) and even Thai chilies! They also stock some Asian items, but, their packaged items seemed to be a bit more expensive than I've seen elsewhere. Bottom line, I am thrilled to finally have a place in the middle of the city to source these items. And, all at a fraction of the cost of nearby grocers! I'm eager to see what else I discover in future trips here. It's a gem! read more

There are many unanswerable mysteries of the grocery store universe, such as: Why are limes at Safeway 50 cents a piece and 12 for-a-dollar here? What do people need so many plantains for? And, why doesn't every grocery store offer old-school glass coke bottles? Capitol Supermarket lives in an otherwise vacant grocery store landscape, half way between over-priced Whole Foods and the Chinatown/Mt. Vernon Safeway. The isles are filled with the basic necessities as well as a healthy helping of specialty items (mostly Asian and Hispanic). Prices are very reasonable, but produce is often first-come-first serve for freshness and not consistently available. I'm all for supporting local, so I shop here. Period. read more

If you're really desperate for essentials or don't want to cut off your left arm for a tomato at Whole Foods, come to this place as last your resort. But just know when they say ghetto, they mean ghetto. The place is small and cramped. They have stock and packaged raw meat sitting in some of the aisles, I'm guessing because there's not enough room. The building is pretty old, but they try to keep the place clean--an employee was mopping when I went in. However, the heavy fumes of commercial, all-purpose lavender mixed with fishy, expired seafood is nauseating enough to make me consider giving away my firstborn for that tomato at Whole Foods. Having shopped at enough sketchy Asian/ethnic markets, I thought the prices would at least be lower to compensate the sketchiness--I was wrong--they charge retail, if not higher. Also, they didn't have essentials like low-fat cottage cheese and yogurt, though they did have a good selection of fresh Mexican cheeses. The staff is surprisingly friendly, although maybe some a bit too friendly. When I bent over to examine the Mexican cheeses, the mop boy took that to be an invitation to rub his booty against mine. In short, the prices aren't really worth braving the sketchy neighborhood, potentially expired food, noxious fumes, and random booty cozying. read more

I have to thank fellow Yelpers for leading me to this little grocery near my apartment that I'd never known was there. I was trying to make pad thai and couldn't find a few of the ingredients at Safeway, so this was the closest place I'd read about that offered a variety of Asian ingredients. Unfortunately, the sticky rice noodles and shitake mushrooms I sought were no where to be found here and I still had to head to Whole Foods, but this grocery was certainly more well appointed with Asian and Latin American foods than most of the chains in the area. They also carry a lot of unconventional ingredients like tiny dried fish, pork necks, and numerous other animal remnants that I have no idea how to cook with, but make me hopeful of all the culinary experiences I could have should I ever learn to make something that would involve such things. (Yeah, I'm not banking on that happening either...) But definitely don't pass up Capitol Supermarket if you live in the area and don't feel like heading to a major chain. You should be able to get most of the things you'd likely be looking for. read more

I hate doing update reviews because I think they are stupid. But I wanted to tell you that this place has improved A LOT during 2010. Now I come here for more than just the basics. This is a godsend for those weeks when you just don't feel like doing a full blown grocery store trip. Their vegetarian offerings have improved so much. They carry a lot of great hummus, cheese, and veggie burgers. They even have the type of bread I like. This place is now legit in my eyes. read more

who doesn't love their neighborhood ghetto grocery store??? it's seriously my favorite place in my neighborhood right now. I've gone only three times in the last week. My friend made us pulled pork tacos with all the fixings for four people for under 12 bucks there. seriously, amazing hot sauce for 89 cents. 89 cents!!! what?! Sure the ice cream and the wine is a little marked up, but it's really for your own good...AND sometimes, they have sales like a six pack of guinness for 7.99. like NOW. that's cheaper than vitamin water! I don't drink but I used to bartend...and even I was surprised! anyways...much love for our ghetto grocery store that is serving a bajillion different ethnic groups in the shaw neighborhood. We're diverse and so are they. where else in DC will you be able to walk home with a little bit of kimchi in one hand and queso fresco in the other? read more

This is one of those places that every neighborhood should have. I like to call it my Salvadoran bodega, except that its actually run by a Korean family with a keen knowledge of the folks that frequent its grimy surprisingly well stocked walls. Nestled between several varieties of Salvadoran corn tortillas, cojita, crema, and sazon, you will find passable kimchi and at least one or two organic varieties of main stream dairy products for the folks gentrifying the area. The produce section is sparse, but if I want a good $0.50 avocado, cheap cilantro, dozens of limes, bins of peeled garlic on the cheap, or ripe plaintains, this is the place to come. Every once in a while, you'll find a great deal on collard greens and kale. I've never ventured to purchase fruit other than limes, and I'm not sure I would touch the meat case, but if you have a hankering, they do stock some of the harder-to-find oxtail cuts and offal. I also enjoy their small but specialized kitchen section as I snagged a lovely $2 lime squeezer that would have cost me $10 at Bed, Bath, & Beyond. The beer and wine selection is surprisingly not too bad, a few craft beers and a lot of Latin American imports. I've always found the service to be good, the characters colorful, and when I lived in the neighborhood, the Redbox a blessing. Sure, the block isn't as bright and shiny as the P Street Whole Foods, but the prices aren't either. read more

The only place in the immediate area that carries both the latin and asian goods you'd normally need to travel to the suburbs/Mt. Pleasant to get: corn tortillas, pupusas, kimchi, etc. Also cheaper than a national grocery store. Highly recommended. read more

Will you find a ton of fresh, organic produce fresh from the farm? Hellz no, but you WILL find a ridiculously impressive array of foods from every culinary tradition, especially those hailing from Asia and Mexico. I always come here to get dry beans and specialty items like green tea noodles, oyster sauce, and chipotle peppers. They even have injera if I get in the mood for Ethiopian. THE PRICES ARE EXCELLENT. Seriously can't be beat. If you're looking for a specialty of "ethic" item, this is your place. It's the kind of place that will surprise you. There's even a British food section. Come in with an open mind and get something interesting for the week without spending yourself into oblivion a la Whole Foods... read more

I love this market! Been going there for years they have an amazing selection. I adore their deli sandwiches for breakfast and lunch. I get many items I need for recipes here like sauces or even produce, meat, dairy items. It's so convenient usually easy to find street parking and very close to Union Station. This store should have 5 stars. Not sure why other comments say people are rude I've never experienced this. They may not yell welcome when you walk in the door but we are in a city market and they are always polite. read more

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! I usually go to Giants because its right across the street but Capitol Supermarket offers CHEAPER Produce and Meat! They also have a greater variety of "ethnic" products (sauces and mixes). its also walking distance from where I live. As a new DC resident, I thought there were no places like CS but I am thankful my housemate recommended this place to me. Today I bought a variety of vegetables, fresh shrimp (with the head attached), and oyster sauce - all of which I would either have paid more for or not have found at bigger chains. I'll see you later this week Capitol Supermarket! read more

B/c of the bad press here on yelp, I was hesitant to enter this place. Especially because it looks pretty bad on the outside. But my wife and I were extremley pleased. If you're going to get nice scallops or oysters, hit Whole Foods. But this place has more than enough of what I need and I'm constantly cooking. It was a little limited on the veggies though. The nice surprise is that it's owned by Koreans, so there's some Korean staples there which pleasantly suprised my wife. read more

The Good: what you can't find in Whole Foods (which is a lot) can be found here; it was open on Thanksgiving day (which was great because our baster broke and they had one!); they carry Mexican hot sauces that you can't even get at regular grocery stores; they have a Red Box; and a delightful wall of Polaroid pictures of shoplifters. Things to Know: it could use a renovation but you can get over that; sometimes it's hard to find things and get out of there quickly; and sometimes shady characters make your visit a little more difficult (by blocking the aisles because they need to talk to themselves while pushing their cart into the shelves). Overall, I say don't be too proud - go get your mac n cheese, cereal, and other non-Whole Foods approved products here if you live in the neighborhood. read more

In transition, as the owner stated elsewhere, but not overly-priced as most small stores (and the large ones) tend to be. Could definitely be cleaner, less sticky, and the predominantly male clientèle hanging out front might be off-putting for those who are not comfortable in lower economic neighborhoods. But the shoppers are both diverse families with children and single tourist types. As stated by others, it has a good variety of Asian and Latino products but also a small sampling of boxed organic salads and frozen kashi dinners, etc. Their fresh produce seemed good but they're in the process of redoing the entire section so it was hard to tell over all. The "Wild Harvest" greens were $3.49 ($1 less than I found at Shoppers in MD, inside the beltway); a qt. of skim milk was $1.49; 4 oz. of Chevre Goat Cheese was $3.29; bowl of Nong Shim shrimp soup was .89; Mexican mango yogurt $1.40. read more

Great no-frills neighborhood grocery store. I love having this place two blocks away. The pros include: -Amazingly cheap produce. Especially the avocadoes (2/$1), tomatoes, lemons/limes (8/$1), peeled garlic, corn, and kale! Even my mom likes to stop by and stock up when she comes into town. -El Salvadorean and Asian groceries you would never find at a mainstream store. I love the loroco and cheese pupusas, cotija cheese, corn tortillas, and kimchi. -Large selection of inexpensive spices! I never buy spices at Safeway anymore. -I haven't worked up the nerve to try it yet, but they have a pretty decent seafood selection at half the prices of regular grocery stores or fish markets. They also have a lot of frozen seafood at pretty reasonable prices. -They appear to have been expanding their offerings lately to satisfy the tastes of the increasingly gentrified neighborhood - organic frozen food, fancy cheeses, more vegetarian offerings, etc. The cons: -Nonperishable grocery and frozen food prices are kind of inflated. -Sketchy, bloody meat selection -Their produce section is better stocked with veggies than with fruits. -Don't try to pay with a credit card without having an ID on you - they gave me a really hard time once when I dashed in to pick up a few items while prepping for a dinner party with a credit card and no drivers' license. read more

I need eggs since nearby Safeway didn't have any when I drove back home from NY. Luckily, this place had lots of eggs. Unfortunately, a dozen jumbo eggs are $3.49 here. What a rip off! read more

Great local grocery store to stock up at. It might not have every baking ingredient you need but for your daily basics it is well stocked. It also has a GREAT selection of beer. And compared to Whole Foods a few blocks away, its a bit cheaper and you never have to worry about the lines. Selections on many things (bread, lunch meats) are limited but in a pinch it works well. The produce is fine, but as others have said its first come first serve so great one day, not the next. If you are looking for some non-traditional Latin foods or Asian foods this may have it too (Durian anyone?). There is also a redbox if you need it. read more

This doesn't look great from the outside but it's a real gem! I will never buy a $3 tomato at Whole Foods again and their sporadic sales of a pound of avocadoes for 99 cents - yes, that's right - three avocadoes for 99 cents is incredible. I shouldn't even be telling other people about it it's so good. read more

Make Your Own Taco Night was so successful on Monday night that my boyfriend requested we do it again last night. I was so impressed with the freshness and quality of the ground beef at Capitol Supermarket on Monday night that I eagerly returned to pick up more for MYOTN round two. It did not disappoint. The ground beef is actually ground so making ground beef tacos is a cinch. Plus, there are so many ethnic products that make seasoning and fixings easy to find at this place. The avocados, surprisingly, have not been very ripe this week so I couldn't get my guacamole craving satisfied but that's ok. In the evenings, there are usually three cashiers which make check out a breeze unless you're dealing with super slow customers. Bf and I have found ourselves in and out of the checkout area pretty quickly after we have thoroughly perused the aisles. read more

The block is sketchy as hell, and it really, really reeks of fish in here, but other than that it gets the job done in a pinch. We do most of our shopping at the 5th St. Safeway. However, given that we live on 13th St., that's a bit of a hike when we just need an item or two in a pinch. Capitol Supermarket is a lifesaver in that regard. They don't have a huge selection, but they typically have what we need. Also, for whatever reason, this is a great place to buy beer. They have sixers from some pretty good breweries (Troeg's, DFH, SN, etc.) cheaper than anywhere else I have found in the city. read more

Wandered in while visiting all the places in my newly adopted hood and I really was surprised at what's hidden here. First, the neighborhood is not bad, it's not Langley or Potomac and if your used to tree lined streets and endless cupcake shops then it may come off that way but it's pretty safe. This is a Supervalu, not primo stores, but common throughout the Midwest and generally each is a bit different. This would be a well-appointed local store for a small Midwestern city. It's an old store and major facility upgrades are perhaps a bit lacking, but not in any important ways and honestly I'm ok with my grocery not having a glass atrium or pharmacy. There was a nice variety of products here and while it may lack some of the wider selections available in bigger stores I didn't feel any major deficit. Now I didn't check the produce as I tend to enjoy picking that up as and when I need it but overall I really liked this place and it's quite a nice market for the neighborhood, I will be back often. read more

A great alternative to the quite pricey WholeFoods. While you won't get any great produce here like you will at WholeFoods, you can certainly find the basics, at a fraction of the cost. There are more vegetables than fruit, which is a downside for me. The place is always well stocked, if they don't have something you are looking for talk to the manager - he is very friendly and actually ordered something for me that I simply inquired about. I'm not adventurous enough yet to trust the meat here... but it is a good sign that they have fresh fish, and not ONCE has it smelled while I've walked by in the aisle (no odor is the tell-tale sign of fresh/good quality). Also a really nice and interesting variety of South American and Asian ethnic products. There are sometimes interesting local characters that might wander in... but theyre harmless. Just a heads up: the outside looks incredibly sketchy (red painted cement building with no windows, bars on the outside door) BUT venture on in and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. read more