Absolutely terrible experience. You will walk in young and leave old. Shopping might take 20 mins but checkout will take over an hour. There were staff members just chit chatting, and whole registers closed. Meanwhile there's a line that took at least 45 minutes to get through. Customers were abandoning their carts, leaving without buying anything. Who manages this place? Anyone? read more

I try my hardest NOT to go to this grocery store whenever possible. Unfortunately, the convenience of it being the closest to me often overweighs walking the mile hike to Harris Teeter (even though it's a hundred times better) It seems like no matter what time you go, the lines are very long and slow-moving. The self-checkout express line goes all the way down one of the aisles! So there's no such thing as a quick in and out trip at this store. (unless you take a 5-finger discount, which can be tempting when you see those lines!) The employees have been mediocre at best... some are nice, but I've met several very rude ones who have ruined my impression of them as a whole. (Yelling at me for briefly setting an item down on the tasting table so I could actually hold the sample?) Oh, and one time I saw an employee re-stocking, who had her 4 year old daughter helping her while she was working! And by helping I mean sitting in the aisle putting boxes up while singing a little song to herself which was kind of cute, but come on, what store doesn't notice they actually have a 4 year old doing the work for their employees?! All in all this Giant generally has most of the things you are looking for (no gourmet/rare produce items though) and has good deals. If it wasn't so convenient it definitely wouldn't get as much business. Reccommendations: go to Panam for fresh produce, and Harris Teeter for everything else if you have time to get there. read more

First - never go to the pharmacy. They are inept and have a ton of attitude and you will wait and wait and wait while they help one lost and confused soul after another while you wait to pick up a simple prescription. Stick to Target or CVS. The grocery store itself is OK. It's got pretty much everything, but the lines are always too long. The prices are not that great either. The produce is lacking, often literally - I have been trying to buy cilantro here for the longest time and finally they had some in stock. The reason it's always so crowded is that it's the only real grocery in the area. Target has a grocery, but it's always overrun there as well. So, since it is a real, decent grocery in the area and close to my house, it gets two stars. read more

I only ever enter this Giant if I need emergency supplies and I am too exhausted to jump in the car and drive to Harris Teeter. It is absolutely awful. Why? #1 - The produce is flavorless and goes bad within a day or two. NEVER eat their seafood. #2 - Don't bother asking for help, because the staff is apathetic at best and downright rude at worst. #3 - Prepare yourself for a nice, long wait. They are always overcrowded and understaffed, so lines can extend halfway down the aisle. I once waited 35 minutes to check out. Also, the final determining factor...it doesn't carry condoms. WTF? read more

I do most of my grocery shopping here mainly because their reward system with Shell gas is better than anything Safeway is offering. I've never experienced any problems and my biggest complaint is the meat department. There is usually a sorry selection of beef, especially steaks. But, if you ask the butchers behind the counters, very nicely, to cut something specific for you they usually oblige. Once they were out of basil and I asked one of the guys stocking the produce and he went to their storeroom and got some for me. The produce is usually well-stocked and I try to buy whatever is in season. There can be a bottleneck at the deli line, but the people working are always very friendly when they take your order. There is plenty of parking, but be prepared to look for a space if it is really cold or raining out. You get 2 hours of free parking with a Giant validation if you want to work out at the gym or get some stuff from Target. I sometimes buy only a single banana or pack of gum just to get the parking validation. The lines can get a bit crazy at peak times, but the store sees a lot of volume. read more

Every crazy person you ever met on Metro seems to shop here...or work here. Go before 9AM to avoid some of the worst scenarios. Use self-checkout. Otherwise, the store itself is great... read more

If what you're looking for is bitter greens--chard, collards, kale, mustard, etc...--then this Giant is your "go-to" store. They bring 'em in by the bushel and they turn over so fast that nothing ever has a chance to get limp. But...if you need any other staples--meat, dairy, bread...whatever--this Giant is a disaster. I have to echo what one of the other reviewers said: The stuff in the meat department looks like scraps you might only feed to your dog, but then maybe not. The bakery is a joke--well unless you like donuts, and no matter what else you might require, from bouillon to bar soap, whether or not they have it in stock is a total gamble. Despite its size, this Giant is not much of a store. read more

Big expansive giant outlet but i was disappointed to find out that one of my favorite fresh bakery items was "discontinued". no more "onion rolls"? shame, shame. bring them back please.... read more

It's big and on the Metro. It's also crowded, struggles to keep stock up, and has painfully slow-moving lines with not enough self-checkout. If you have to shop here because of location, I suppose it'll do, but there is better, more convenient grocery shopping to be had as close as the Harris Teeter a few blocks to the south. read more

Perspective is everything, isn't it? If you hail from NYC and the land of Gristedes or Key Food, you will find this store to be a gem. Huge, clean, tons of produce and swiftly moving lines. I don't ever expect grocery store folks to give me the time of day unless I can't reach something so I honestly didn't notice their demeanor. It's funny, just to drive the comparison home: this store had way more and healthier looking produce than the tiny farmers market I walked through on the way there which is exactly opposite of what I encounter in my 'hood. When in DC, go to the Giant. When in NYC, shop outside. We have some truly terrible grocery options, and a few nice ones with truly terrible lines. read more

I used to live nearby and was pretty happy when this place opened. I've since moved away but had a chance to shop here this afternoon. Let's just do the math briefly: +1 for a decent produce selection +1 for on-site parking that is effectively free +1 for available shopping carts +1 for a broad selection overall, including meats and Latin-American staples +1 for selling beer and wine -1 for time-warp slowness at the cashiers -1 for self-serve checkout only being 15 items or fewer -1 for the snotty, self-important, and physically pushy local customers The last is enough to make me want never to return. I had no fewer than three encounters in an hour that made me want to smack another customer - my usual experience, even at the crappiest Safeway in town, is zero. Congratulations, Columbia Heights, for getting all the worst of gentrification. read more

Every area I live in there's always a ghetto Giant, and in this case it's the Columbia Heights Giant. The only reason why I go there is because it's convenient. But I've learned if it's not pre-packaged DON'T BUY IT! So if you need anything other than chicken stock or wine, I would take the time to go somewhere else. I went there for onions and raw shrimp. Well the onions were ROTTEN! All of them. I understand it might be hard to keep up on produce, but onions?!?! It takes a while for an onion to actually be mushy and rot. I wished I noticed it before I got home, but when I got home the shrimp was practically blended. It was in pieces and falling apart, as if it was frozen and thawed multiple times. read more

Terrible customer service and if you don't believe me try this: Next time you are outside the store, peek through the window and see if you find ANY smiling faces at the registers- my guess is you won't. The cashiers don't smile, barely greet you and rarely thank you for your purchase. My husband and I opt for the self-checkout, which can sometimes take 10 minutes to wait for. Even then, when there is a problem and an associate has to come help you, they are not friendly or personable and just show up with their key, do their job and walk away. We have vowed not to shop there again, despite the fact that it's walking distance from our home. Sad. read more

I shop at this Giant several times of month to pick up things I forgot while at better grocery stores. Last week I visited on two occasions, and my produce was rotten both times. Imagine pulling the husk off an ear if corn and discovering pink and white matter. I tossed it, absorbed the low cost, and thought nothing of it. The following day, i purchased garlic and had to toss that too because it was also rotten inside. Caveat Emptor. read more

The lines seem to be insanely long almost all the time. They recently added some self-checkout which has helped a bit, but the cashiers are painfully slow. The store is also usually packed, especially between 5 and 6pm on weekdays. People at this store also insist on using a full sized carriage for like 3 items. I don't get that. Produce is usually pretty good and there is a wide selection. The store overall tends to be well-stocked. The meat section is completely mislabeled. I'm not sure what it is about grocery stores in DC but nothing ever seems to be labeled correctly. The red meat is under the "Chicken" sign and the chicken is under the "Pork" sign...etc. Things like that annoy me. Overall it's a good choice if you just need a few things and are feeling patient that day, but I would avoid if you need a lot of specialty stuff or if you're in a hurry. read more

I think another reviewer mentioned this Giant was soul crushing. I can't even begin to think of a better way to describe it. I know no one is really excited to go grocery shopping, but once you enter this place, not only will you be completely and utterly unexcited, you will literally feel defeated. No longer will you want to cook that great meal you had planned, because the produce is already rotting in the stands, so you won't be able to find anything fresh worth buying. And trying to get a cart down the most narrow aisles I've ever seen...good luck. Maybe it's the register lines that are literally so long they back up into the aisles. Maybe it's the mass of people that somehow find it acceptable to stand in the middle of an aisle looking for a can of beans for 20 minutes.. I don't know. Lastly, let's talk about the fact that this Giant is in Columbia Heights (hello, land of hipsters and vegetarians, and vegetarian hipsters), and they have THE WORST selection of natural, organic, and vegetarian food I've ever seen. Bottom line - just don't do it. Unless you have to, absolutely HAVE TO, just don't. read more

It's just alright for your typical grocery store. One thing I will say is that their produce section is really huge and the deli area next to it is pretty decent. This is the type of store that is fine when you need your basic items but I wouldn't be running there every weekend or when you want to make a specific meal. The prices are fine and the store is clean but that's about it for positives about this place. The clientele outside the store can be interesting too. Definitely beware of the incredibly long lines! The store is usually busy but the isles are fairly clear to shop but once you are ready for checkout, be prepared to wait. And it's not like they only have 3 cashiers (I'm looking at you Safeway) and zero self-checkout lines (looking at you again Safeway). But this store just has sheer volume of people so that each line is always 5-6 people deep. Don't even think about going here the day before a snowday or Thanksgiving. Parking here is really easy and free which makes shopping so much better but this seems to be the standard for DC grocery stores. read more

The produce here rarely lasts more than 2-3 days, I would recommend shopping someplace else for fruit and veggies. Otherwise it's a pretty basic Giant location. read more

This giant is OK, however I find myself waiting in line more often than not, for longer than I want to or expect from giant. I noticed that the cashiers here bring everything up and then baguette, whereas at other grocery stores, cashiers ring things up and then bag each item as they ring it up.... This is why lines are probably longer than necessary. I have seen and experienced better Giants read more

I just got back from this Giant and although it was busy, there were a lot of cash registers open and almost no line. I wonder if Giant's managers have been reading the reviews here? This is a pretty typical Giant. Like all those I've been to, it has decent produce including reasonably priced fresh kale and other greens, cheap and good store-brand chicken, but a lousy wine section. This one has an extensive selection of Latin American products, including pozole (hominy) corn, several brands of queso fresco, seemingly the entire Goya line, and really cheap Badia brand spices. Oddly, they didn't have poblano peppers. In other words, except for the wine selection, it's way better than the average Harris Teeter. read more

I love the self-serve wing bar with mac and cheese! First time here so maybe the selections vary, but I love Giant honey wings and it is great to be able to get whatever quantity you want. You can also get them prepackaged because the wing bar is only open midday and dinner time. The self serve containers are awful. They don't close tight and probably would not survive a bus ride. They need better quality self serve containers. They don't have tables but there are benches outside so you can eat the hot food before you leave. They have utensils. They also have self-serve soup, which lots of supermarkets have discontinued. Their cheese selection is fantastic, comparable to Whole Foods. For some reason this store does not sell 3 way light bulbs. Lots of other light bulbs but not 3-ways. Also cat food is practically nonexistent. I know there are supply chain issues but the entire cat food section is completely empty. I don't know how cats are surviving. Dog food seems OK. The store has interesting moving walls in electrical and office supplies so there are multiple layers of small things that are not on shelves. It's an interesting space-saving concept. The store is bigger than other supermarkets in the area. read more

I think what I like about this place is that they have a lot of checkout counters, so you don't have to stay in line for a long time so you can pay and leave. The selection is pretty standard like most grocery stores. read more

Look, you're not on yelp to look for a review of this grocery store, because you know what to expect when you go into any chain supermarket; that's how these stores are designed. The effusive purple and yellow of Giant is ubiquitous; it permeates the aisles, the uniforms, and the signs throughout the store. You know where to find jelly, magazines, and the occasional rib-eye (but only if it's on sale). You have your Giant card memorized and can probably find seven different means of egress in the event of a fire. Sure, each individual store is different: longer lines in some places, uninformed staff in another, but if you need groceries, and this joint is within walking distance, you're going here, because the entire neighborhood does. Now, this isn't the best stocked Giant I've ever been to, nor are the deli workers particularly fast about their meat slicing, but I am writing this post specifically to relay a story of customer service done right. I recently moved to Columbia Heights after a four-year stint in Dupont, and had been sleeping on a full-size mattress that was about as comfortable as steel coils covered in gossamer strands of cat hair and spiderwebs. After four months of tossing, turning, and maneuvering myself between two springs, I broke down and bought a mattress at Sleepy's - its proximity to my new residence being a huge factor. I was waiting for a friend to help me carry it to my place (now, before you ask "Why didn't you just get it delivered to your door?" keep in mind that home delivery is $99 and showroom delivery is $29) when I received a text that he would not be able to make it. My best Ultimate Warrior impressions failed when the mattress dropped directly on the top of my head. The four-block walk would be nigh impossible, so, I went to search for a dolly. I went into Giant and explained my situation to the manager. After asking me why I just didn't get it delivered to my house, he called over an employee stocking strawberries in the front of the store and had him fetch a U-Cart (those dollies with the handles that look similar to the ones porters use in high-class hotels like The Radisson). This employee walked with me to Sleepy's, helped me load my mattresses, brought my mattresses to my stoop, and helped me carry them into my place. All the while, I thought back to what the manager had said moments after I explained my peculiar predicament to him, "Well... we're understaffed tonight, but let me see what I can do..." Sure, there will always something to complain about, because this is a grocery store, and customers don't always treat everything with care, but this situation not only made my day, but was a great example of how communal Columbia Heights is, and what good customer service can do for a store's image. read more

I write this review from within the store. While I usually find what I need at this location, the wait time for service is unbelievable. Imagine going to the seafood department and the worker telling you he can't help you until he finishes cutting the fins off some fish. I just wanted to get my crab legs and run; had the sale not been so great I would have left. Then imagine having to wait 20 minutes for someone to unlock the "expensive" champagne (it is New Years Eve after all) after talking to customer service and two workers for help. I even called the store from the wine aisle and (surprise, surprise) no one answered. Really slow check-stands too. All of the lines went down the aisles. No idea why things move at a glacial pace here, so only come if you have a good two hours to waste. read more

Always packed (what can you really do about this in a busy up-and-coming area?) and the workers are RUDE and lazy.

They always have what I need, and they've got a lot of people there who work hard. It's a diverse crowd-- with a lot of people from every walk of life who live in the area. The lines can be a little slow at times, but when people are watching their pennies and have lots of coupons, you have to be patient. Don't go there with attitude. Support stores where local people go. read more

The cashier at night Miss Ellen will always stand around talking about her Daughter and grandkids I wish I had her job

It's seriously like living in the Soviet Union. Items I couldn't find on Sunday at 5PM: bananas, leeks, kale, lentils, thyme. It's impossible to come here to make a recipe because they never have anything. Staff range from absent to aggressively unhelpful. I'm just blown away. read more

I'm getting sick and tired of people bashing this Giant. The produce is actually pretty fresh (they even soak their asparagus in baths of water), fresh deli meats, and an on-site bakery. I might stay away from the seafood but who wouldn't at most non-Whole Foods places? If you don't like the lines, then I say it's your own fault if you go to the store at the first of the month. Everyone knows that food stamps take longer to process. Pick up an effin' Us Weekly and by the time you know it, you'll be checking out. They've gotten much faster since they got baggers so maybe 5-10 minutes of waiting in line. This Giant is MUCH nicer than any of the Safeways in the city, so quit crying and appreciate what you have in your backyard. Huzzah! read more

Staff at this location are always helpful - even though the store is often crowded and busy!

My 75th review for 2013...25 more to go to accomplish the yelp 100 challenge and I have 9 more days to do it! Aaah! Anyways, how do you critique a chain grocery store....yes it's in Columbia Heights, yes it has its awful moments of long lines but you've got to admit this Giant's is pretty impressive with its selections..the fruit/vegetable section is actually kept up pretty well, you can get your cheap processed foods as well as your gluten free natural selections...they got wine and beer, and everything else in between. The self check out is a pain but if you are looking for an interaction with a person, the cashiers are all pretty nice. So yeah it's all beed good experiences. Eh what the heck I'll raise the rating to 4 stars. Not really a fan but Giant's will fulfill your grocery needs when you need it to. read more

Barbara is an idiot. She kept ringing the bell for every other transaction. She needs more training.

This place can be on the expensive side without their discount card. Good selection, as this place is pretty gigantic- reminds me of grocery stores in the 'burbs. Im always a little disappointed with its bread selection, but I'm super picky in that department. Also, this place gets very very busy at certain times of the day, and a few of the cashiers aren't particularly motivated to get you out of there and on with your day. I've also been hit on by a few, which I find not only embarrassing and uncomfortable, but highly unprofessional. Honestly, the only reason I go here is because its close and the prices are within reason. If you know of somewhere better/closer to you, go there! read more

With a cursing cashier, someone near the checkout doing some unnecessary yelling, and service that could've been quicker, it felt more than a little hood in here this afternoon. If there was a security guard on duty, s/he didn't seem to act quickly enough. My previous experiences here haven't been as bad. Also, the lighting seems to be a little low. read more

I live right next to the store, and I hate every time I have to go inside. The construction is new but the inside looks beat down by years of neglect already. No one on staff appears to take any pride in their work, the lines are long, and they always seem to be out of bags at the self checkout. The store is not laid out logically, sunscreen is next food stuff is Misshelved everywhere, they just wheel pallets of food out into the isles and have people pick through it read more

I've been shopping here for a year and a half and hey, I feel like they're getting better! More self-checkout registers, fewer items that I need seem out of stock, shorter lines for customer service, even semi-helpful staff! I'd add that items occasionally scan for a lower price than is listed on the shelf and almost never scan for more. read more

This Giant has excelled at establishing a consistent level of mediocrity!!! If you want to know what the service is like just watch Dave Chappelle's skit called 'Pop Copy'. read more

The pharmacy is one big thing that Giant does right - you don't expect to have the pharmacist remember your name at a grocery-chain pharmacy, but the folks behind the counter at Giant do. Staff is friendly, responsive, and prescriptions get filled quickly. The pharmacists are helpful with getting refills and dealing with other issues. Prices are okay. They have a lot of generic prescriptions for $10. read more

It's unfortunate that this Giant is so close to my house, because I go there all the time. If you HAVE to go to the grocery store on a Saturday or a Sunday, try Giant before 10am, and you'll avoid standing in line for 30 minutes (seriously, the lines go well into each aisle). Otherwise, it's okay. read more

This is probably the nicest Giant in DC: best selection and the biggest, most modern store. That said, the lines here are ridiculous.