As far as I'm concerned, there are 3 supermarket options between Dupont and Adams Morgan (I'm sure there are more....but these three are the only ones I've tried). They are- the Safeway on 17th St, aptly nicknamed "Soviet Safeway," the Harris Teeter on Kalorama, and this Safeway. The Safeway on 17th is horrible (see my review). They are missing staple items and it's poorly laid out, and the lines are always absurd. I am always a fan of the "teets," but, of course, given that it's a slightly higher priced supermarket option located in the heart of DC, it's a bit expensive. This Safeway is the perfect mix. Not too expensive, great location, and has a good selection of items. On my most recent outing, I stopped by to pick up a pint of ice cream and was in and out in less than 5 minutes. Recap: this Safeway is MUCH better than the one on 17th, has a good selection of items, and isn't too expensive Warning: DON'T ask to use the bathroom in here. It's terrifying. Like actually I very seriously feared for my life and I would rather have an accident than go back into the bowels of this store to use the bathroom. read more

Some previous reviews have indicated that there is only street parking. This is not the case. There is a garage behind and under the building, but you need to turn into the alley next to the store, then turn left in the alley behind the store, and the garage is on the left. There is an elevator and stairs to the store. It is not marked at all and you wouldn't know it was there if you weren't looking for it. The main entrance is opposite of the garage entrance. This is a small store. They don't have room for a pet food aisle, so it lines the front of the store behind the registers. They have a good wine and beer selection. The bakery is mixed in with the produce section. This is very close to adams morgan and 16th street, so centrally located. Biggest safeway in the area, but the parking should be better marked. read more

This is the worst grocery store, worst Safeway, worst place in DC. Not just saying that to be hyperbolic. It is that awful. You will always experience long lines (and it's been 100 times worse since they removed their self-checkout machines). They are usually out of what you need or very close to expiration. The staff is friendly, no doubt, and a lot of the store's problem aren't their fault. But walk the extra 2 blocks to Harris-Teeter. read more

Safeway - Miserable - Grocery Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

This is one of the worst grocery stores I have ever had the displeasure of visiting. Unfortunately, it is half a block from my house so I do occasionally shop there. The produce is frequently rotten, always overpriced, and it is typical for things to be sold out. During "rush hour" (immediately after work, around 6-730), only about 3 registers are open and lines tend to snake down the aisles. It reminds me of pictures I saw of crowded McDonald's in communist countries. The staff is friendly enough but there just aren't enough on during peak hours. The selection of products is poor, the store isn't clean, and my mother has helpfully pointed out that it smells like vomit. You can find some good deals on things that we all use, like wheat thins, garbage bags, etc, using the Safeway Card. But if you want fresh anything I recommend the Harris Teeter down the way. It is more expensive but at least you won't find out when you get home that most of it is rotten and isn't that a better deal in the end if you don't end up throwing it out (or up)? There is a parking lot underneath which I've never used. You have to go down the alley and behind the store to access it. read more

The nickname for this Safeway is Spanish Safeway. Why? It's located in the corazon of Columbia Heights, DC, where Spanish is the first language. So grab your dinero and walk right in! It's not a fancy place, but this Safeway left me pleasantly surprised. They have bread-machine-yeast, in a jar. [Clouds open and angels sing!] That made me very happy. A bit roomier than Soviet; a bit more ghetto than Social; equally scary as Un-Safeway, it's muy bien. Spanish Safeway: I recommend. read more

It's the only grocery in the area in addition to an expensive Harris Teeter that not everyone can afford. This Safeway branch should have a complete management overhaul. From the on-site ghetto Manager who talks like she is in the middle of the Shenandoah to the hostile cashiers - it's pathetic. There is only one cashier / staff - an older guy who is quiet and been working there for a long time. I am not sure why he is not the Manager. Maybe he is TOO nice. One time I heard two staff discussing loudly about beer vs. wine -the guy who likes to drink beer and told the girl that wine is only for girls or something to that effect in the middle of the self-check-out lane. Who the fuck cares what they drink? The staff does not make eye contact to customer, not even smile. The only smiling cashier I encountered is the Asian lady that works early in the morning. It's maddening to come here and it gives me more comfort walk the other route to the organic grocery store or the IGA to get away from these pathetic staff. I DEMAND corporate to do a rigid assessment on this branch. It's sad, and the aesthetic upgrade does not help a damn bit to the store. FOCUS on customer service! If I can give a negative STAR rating, I would! read more

This Safeway is only worth going to if you can walk to it (or are 1-2 Circulator stops away). Else, find a better place. The staff here are completely indifferent and often rude. Of the 6-7 times I've asked a question, I got 5-6 brush offs. The selection is somewhat limited, though it is the city so I won't dock points for this. The shelves are inconsistently stocked. If you need emergency toilet paper or some basic stuff this place is fine. Anything else, invest in yourself and go to Trader Joe's or a better run big box chain. I'm pretty sure I'd recommend the lukewarm grocery section at the Columbia Heights Target over this place. Two stars for the location and the basic fact that I can fix a meal with ingredients I can find here. Also for parking (albeit limited). read more

Should be shut down. Consistently low stock, eye rolling prices on substandard quality perishables, lines are always insane, 50/50 shot at getting a basket/cart. Speaking of, they have a handful of nice, new hand baskets and a plethora of old, lousy ones. The new ones hold more food, and you generally fill the basket, thus the new, better baskets drive profits. Instead of simply replacing all the baskets, they keep the old ones for when they run out of new ones. Which would never be an issue if they just replaced all the DAMN BASKETS. Burn it down. read more

"Eek! Methinks not" sums up my feelings about shopping at Safeway pretty accurately. The only thing this grocery store has going for it is it's convenient location on Columbia road, right by a handful of bus stops. The store is on the smaller side, which is to be expected for city supermarket. However, the aisles always feel crowded. This is probably because there are never enough checkout lanes open, causing the lines to overflow into the aisles. Even during peak shopping hours I don't think I've ever seen cashiers operating all lanes. The store is disorganized. The chips are scattered around the store and in display cases at the end of each aisle, making it nearly impossible for me to find pita chips one evening. The store is consistently out of stock of many items I want to purchase, so I end up buying the more expensive brand. I'd rather pay a slightly higher price up front at Harris Teeter just a few blocks away. read more

I'm never excited to go to this Safeway (or any Safeway) like I am a Whole Foods. It's not a treat. It's just something I have to do. Like squats or crunches. Yeah, the produce is only "meh," but because I get Washington Green Grocers, I never have to buy it unless I need a last-minute onion. My big issue is that they don't regularly carry a few items I like to cook with, e.g.: arborio rice (to make risotto), lamb chops, and ready-made Indian sauces. Those aren't specialty items, right? I have to make a second trip to another store for them. On the other hand, this Safeway surprised me at least once by carrying fresh fennel. Can't complain too much though because I feel like the whole store is on sale at this Safeway every time I come in. I like to be frugal, so I really like scanning that Safeway card and seeing my total drop by $15.00. The staff is friendly and helpful. Folks have definitely checked in the back for products for me before. But yes, I definitely like self-checkout lines on those days when I just don't feel like talking to anyone. read more

Note: the name of this Safeway is the "UNSAFEWAY." (the name of the safeway was officially changed to this after a cashier there was intentionally shot in the face in front of the store by a woman who was in a tiff with the plaintiff over a gentleman). I'm often disappointed with this safeway. The produce section struggles. You can get some produce (limes, broccoli, et al), but other fruit/veg is questionable. Sometimes they're out of gallons of skim milk. Ouch. The chicken breast will most likely be picked over or not even there. Also, I was once hit on by a girl whose boyfriend was standing right there (as you probably already assumed - not hot). However, as a caveat, I have also chatted with some very well-spoken, attractive ladies - so it's not all a bad experience. All and all, this is not truly a supermarket, but rather a BO-DE-GA. A much better supermarket is the Giant in C-Heights. Giant is also owned by the parent company who owns Stop-&-Shop (northeast). They have great deals, fresh food, and a great beer and wine selection. I recommend getting a Giant club card. read more

I love this Safeway. I moved to the area post-redo, so I don't know what it was like beforehand, but now it is FABULOUS. Reasonable prices, stuff on sale all the time, and (for the most part) nice staff. This weekend for example, I was ridiculously stressed and a young man named Oscar helped me with everything I needed (and it was weird requests for a party). Add in the self-service lines, which I love, and the fact that they have a real deli (with really nice staff) and I'm lovin' it. read more

It's improved over the last few years from abysmal to mediocre. They've redecorated, but there's still sometimes old or poor quality food on display, opened containers, a fruit fly or two buzzing around. It's a small place with a mediocre selection, and the people working here seem more concerned with theft prevention than customer service. If you have to get something quick in the neighborhood, it'll do, but I do most of my shopping elsewhere. read more

As far as supermarkets go, my #1 factor is convenience. But, beyond being visible from outside my window, there isn't much to like about this supermarket. That's because the #2 factor in supermarkets is how long the lines are. And if you come shop during any "prime" time (weekday or Saturday evenings), the line for self check-out or any of the 2-3 registers will stretch down the aisles. Very annoying that they can't open up a couple more registers during these times, but nobody seems to know or care. And the #3 factor in supermarkets is variety/stock, and Safeway strikes out here too. I don't shop for anything remotely exotic, but commonly find that the store is out of 1% milk, or burgers, or other simple items, especially on Sundays. The deli/fresh food area is a mess, as the food doesn't look remotely appetizing (the one sandwich I had there was gross), and it's inconsistently manned. Avoid that. The redeeming factors to mention are 1) The beer selection is very good and 2) The workers aren't the most competent, but at least they're friendly. If you're making a simple shopping run, Safeway should suffice. For anything more elaborate, just go to Harris Teeter. read more

I used to dread coming here; long lines, wilted produce, scattered selection (what, did this stuff fall off a truck? it was like the grocery store equivalent of TJ Maxx). They remodeled this fall and it's great. It's clean! Well lit! Somewhat of a better selection! I'm only giving it three stars though because it still has the problems inherent from its previous incarnation. Stock is still hit-or-miss; sometimes they'll have particular items or brands, sometimes they don't (case in point, Morningstar Farms burger crumbles. you may as well flip a coin before you go in to decide if it's in stock or not because there is no rhyme or reason). The lines and crowding is insane, but to be fair they can't help it. The service has always been at the most friendly, at the very least they don't grimace at you like at the Columbia Heights Giant. I go on Sundays before the churches let out because it's the absolute quietest. Try to go anytime after noon on Sundays or after 5:00 during the week and you will regret it! (unless of course you love playing grocery cart bumper cars and dealing with hordes of tired shoppers). read more

Reasons to shop at this safeway: You absolutely cannot spend the extra 3 minutes it takes to get to the Harris Teeter a few blocks down. A lot of people will say the HT is more expensive, but it really isn't. Some things are pricier, some are cheaper. It balances out, and the HT isn't a wreck like this Safeway is. read more

Store to be helpful even when they're struggling with their stock. It's not the fault of the store itself or the manager but look towards corporate Safeway for not stocking this store properly. I read all the reviews and I was disappointed that people are using this as a trash bin to dump their problems on this Safeway but I've always found this safe way to deliver with whatever means it could. Maybe the customers are too Petty in what they're looking for if they want to find a Krogers or a Wegmans than they need to leave town for that. This store does a great job with what it has his first stock and employees and recently the store has been well stocked and very clean so I highly recommend this store for those living in Adams Morgan. read more

No store is a bad as that one... service has always been terrible there but since the pandemic started, they haven't take COVID-19 safety measures seriously. For months, protection over the payment touchpad used to be a soft plastic film that was ragged from being touched by everyone and they admitted to changing it only once a week! Now that protection is better but the staff is still so unfriendly and not professional. Cashiers want to take my ID without gloves to better see the date of birth (with my fingers !?). They can't scan a federal ID but only a State driver licence (!?) Today, for the first time, I was asked to remove my mask to verify that my ID is mine (the beard has grown since! Surprising that they did not ask me to take off my cap or take my fingerprints, my temperature, and empty my pockets!). Store to avoid absolutely! One-star rate is way too much, I would rather rate them 3 skulls as such a negative experience every single time. I only go when I don't have the time to go further in the evening. read more

I live in ADMO, closer to the Safeway than the Harris Teeter...so being lazy, I just go to Safeway. Never again. Not only was I called the N-word by an employee a couple weeks ago-- which I let slide because he is also African American--- tonight all of the club price stickers from last week's sale were still out. Which I can understand if it's early morning-- but it's 7:30p. I would have complained to the manager (older Caucasian male) but he ignored me. And then the self check out machine shorted me on my change! I'm going to HARRIS TEETER FROM NOW ON!!!!! read more

Safeway - It's 7:30p on 4/27. - Grocery Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Last Sunday evening they ran out of bananas. WTF? This is not a normal grocery store, it's more comparable to a market. Even then, I think most markets around the world have a better produce section, or at least shelf fruit that hasn't started growing mold already. read more

Don't hate the Adams Morgan Safeway. Does this Safeway have an official nickname, like the other Safeways (e.g. Soviet Safeway, Social Safeway)? I don't know. I call it the "Sometimes Safeway". Sometimes things go well here. Sometimes the produce is good. Sometimes they have good looking fish in the Seafood Department. Sometimes there are enough checkstands open. Sometimes I get parking downstairs. But there are lots of Always too -- there are always older men here offering to drive you and your groceries home for a small fee. There are always one or more regular employees here that you will come to recognize. It's always difficult to get a cart out of the stack of carts. There's always something spilled on the floor somewhere. Don't hate it. How can you hate the sun, or the rain? They just are. read more

We bought groceries here ONCE and we will never return. We made split pea soup with the peas we bought there - the day we bought the dried peas. We have never had weevils in a dried product before but when we saw them - swimming and doing the backstroke - in our soup - we threw the soup OUT! I think another reviewer was right about them selling outdated, spoiled products. read more

Would have given it one star, but this is the only Safeway in the city that sells beer and wine. And at good prices, to boot. Anyways, other than that, this place blows. Crap produce, crap deli, and always out of essentials like milk and eggs. Especially towards the first of the month when food stamps are renewed....this place can be a nightmare. I was seriously in line for a 1/2 hour once, while a customer kept running back into the store cause they were eligible for more food stamps than they had thought. I felt bad being impatient, cause these people were in a tough spot, but man....... read more

One of those stars is purely for location (I live right next door). The other is because it does appear that they have tried to make it a place where I can shop and not be fearful that a lovely bout of food poisoning awaits (their efforts have been less than successful). The milk is almost always warm, even though it seems to be in a refrigerated case. They are always out of produce. What little produce they have is either browning, way over-ripe, or so cold that it feels frozen. The lines are infinitely long. The store is oddly organized (eggs and cheese are on the opposite side of the store from milk and yogurt). There is usually a cluster of carts directly blocking the path out of the exit door from people attempting to take them outside and the wheels locking up. Unless you are injured and can not walk all the way there (or desperately need some beer/wine and don't have time before the 9 pm booze-sale cutoff), take the extra 10 min to walk to the Harris Teeter at Kalorama and 17th. read more

This is the worst chain grocery store Ive ever visited. From quite literally the moment you walk in - the door sometimes doesn't open. As everyone else says, the lines here are perpetually long. But on top of this, the store's selection is TINY! The Giant down on 14th has a wider selection of EVERYTHING, the options they have at this Safeway are extremely limited. Everything, from their produce to their frozen meals/veggies to their hot sauce. Giant (and every other supermarket chain in America) has more options on the shelves than this place. On top of having few options, the store's shelves are so often empty! The entire store - its like they operate at half of their shelf stock! The worst is their shameless produce department, which refills the shelves of one sold-out good with another good. Good luck looking for that thing they ran out of. Oh, and the produce mostly sucks. Just go to Giant. read more

Safeway - No cheese for you! - Grocery Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

I visited this (my local) Safeway 21 June. The beef and pork sections was DISGUSTING. So much of the "product" was out of date. Much was dated June 18/19/20. THE DATE WAS JUNE 21!!!! From now on, given a choice, I will walk an extra 3 blocks - each way - to go to Harris Teeter where I will find meat selections without expired use dates. I will also find (unlike Safeway) a clean store, staff in the aisles helping customers, friendly cashiers that do not take time to text between customers, stocked freezer cases, and stocked shelves. I will go to Harris Teeter even with their higher prices. Yes, I will pay higher prices than go to this DISGUSTING Safeway. Word of advice - don't bother contacting Safeway corporation, they will never respond. read more

I moved to Adams Morgan 2.5 years ago. This Safeway was AWFUL at the time -- rotting produce, fruit flies, smudged expiration dates on food. I avoided it at all cost possible, and relied on Giant and Harris-Teeter a few blocks over for food. Then, the Safeway was remodeled earlier this year and lo and behold, it was AMAZING -- fresh produce, stocked-up shelves, clean isles... wonderful! The dream was short-lived. Within a couple of months, the Safeway was awful again -- rotting veggies and fruits again stocked the produce shelves, and fruit flies set up camp over the nastiest tomatoes you have ever seen. It is SUCH a disappointment. I know they can do better because they DID for the first two months following the renovation. But I guess the Safeway owners feels that city-dwellers do not deserve quality produce, and will put up with anything. I think not. Giant/Harris-Teeter, here I come! And if you care at all about your produce, do NOT at any cost shop at this Safeway. read more

Man, this Safeway is a dump. It's always crowded, but I think that's mostly because they have a maximum of 2 checkout lanes open at once. They are regularly out of stock of many items. The produce looks pretty gnarly most of the time. Hopefully when they renovate and expand it, there will be better customer service and perhaps self-service checkout lanes. read more

This just might be the worst Safeway in America. Really. Not only are the shelves often bare, but the store seems to constantly be under renovation. Additionally, the staff that work there are generally unhelpful and there are never enough of them working checkout, leading to long lines. Don't expect good vegetable, seafood, meat or cheese selections here either. There is literally nothing good about this supermarket. It's a miracle that it's still in business, given the close proximity of far superior Harris Teeter and Giant Supermarkets. Shop here at your own risk ... read more

They've done a lot of work to this store recently and it shows. The produce section looks great as well as the deli and fish counters. I've never had an issue with stock and their employees are kind and helpful. Prices are also very good and the store is clean. read more

By far this is the worst supermarket in DC. six cash registers but only one or two open at any given moment. Long lines beyond ridiculous. Need to think twice before going in. I'm only bying there for emergencies. Do your self a favor and go to trader Joes or Harris if you live in the neighborhood. read more

UPDATE: I made the mistake of returning to this store again about a month after my review. It was late, I was returning home from the gym and needed to pick up a few items for a salad. This time, I did not notice a security guard following me. But when I got to the checkout counter, a security guard mysteriously appeared, accused me of having stolen "meat", and wanted to search my gym bag. As a lawyer, I recognized the the security guard didn't have the authority to search the bag. I would've challenged the search, but was afraid that such a challenge would have lent weight to the guard's claim. (I was the only black shopper in the store at the time, so I was afraid some of the other patrons might have assumed I was guilty.) I emptied my bag of the gym clothes I was carrying. When the guard saw that I was innocent of her accusation, she left in a huff, with no apology. (The cashier, to his credit, was very apologetic.) In the 3 months or so since this incident, I've been enjoying the 5 block walk to Harris Teeter for my groceries. I'm sure Safeway doesn't need the $100-$120/week I was spending at its store. But It's still a shame that I can't shop at the grocer a half block from my residence without being treated like a criminal. read more

My friends and I have nicknamed this the "ghetto safeway" - and I'm laughing at the fact that other Yelpers have written about their nicknames for it as well. I've only been here a few times, and only when in a rush or an item was needed last minute while at a friend's place just around the corner. Dirty. Rude staff. Long lines.... avoid if you've got other grocery store options. read more

I was staying at the Marriott in Woodley Park, and wanted some groceries to cut down on food expenses. I wandered over to Adams Morgan, and found this Safeway. The bagel selection was slim pickings because of some special sale. Bananas were plentiful, and fresh enough. Finding cream cheese was confusing--it wasn't in the dairy aisle near the butter/cottage cheese/sour cream/yogurt. No, cream cheese and all other cheeses (besides the gourmet/deli type ones) are a few aisles down, next to the beer. Uh, okay. This logic doesn't make sense to me, but I guess I should note that I'm not a local, and don't know if other Safeways are laid out like this. The employee I asked for help was pleasant and pointed me in the right direction, but I'm still baffled. Some of the aisles are on the narrow side. While this wasn't a problem on a Thursday morning when there weren't that many other customers, I imagine the shopping experience here is far from fun during peak hours. This store will do if you're in a pinch and looking for basic items, but I'd recommend going elsewhere if you can. read more

This place is pretty much bottom of the barrel as far as supermarkets go. I'm not in to the yuppie paradise that is Whole Foods, but this Safeway can be pretty nasty. I'm not sure if it has been cleaned in a few years, and the employees could care less about anything beyond when their next smoke break is. The only plus side is that you can actually find some reasonably priced wine and beer here that is not nasty. read more

Pros: stuff is always on sale, and it's usually near-empty. I've had a lot of luck with produce here too - lasts longer than what I buy at Trader Joes. Also, they have free parking. The lot is tiny but if you score a spot, it feels wonderful. Cons: there is ALWAYS a line, and checkers are soooo sloooooow. It's almost worth not going (self-checkout is only slightly better). How is it possible, in an empty store, I end up waiting 20 minutes to check out? Minus 3 stars. Next time, I'm bringing a novel to read while I wait. read more

It's a Safeway, what more could you ask for? It's got what you need at the prices you know. This Safeway definitely has a....smell....when you walk in. I'm not sure what the smell is, perhaps some rotting produce somewhere. I wish there was a better bakery selection, they pretty much only have baguettes and French bread, which is fine but I like variation. The produce selection is fine, wish some organic options thrown in. Nothing too stellar. Whenever I buy eggs here I always have to check to make sure they're not broken, I feel like I'm frequently finding cracked eggs in this place. Service here is friendly, and it seems like the staff certainly knows their regulars, which is a redeeming quality. Seriously, if they could figure out what causes that Safeway stench, I'd give them an extra star! read more

For a small, not updated neighborhood store it still delivers and always has what I need. The staff has always been very helpful to me and my guests and I really appreciate their support, service, smiles and efforts to stock my small but cozy one bedroom apartment with everything we need whenever we need it! I walk to the store almost everyday I think because the staff has been so nice! Oh and for the price, the best meats in the city! read more

This Safeway location has improved a great deal in the last twelve years. I shop at this location a few times a week and I am very pleased with the new Manager, Ted. He is always asking myself and other customers if they need assistance when passing them. The other employees that I enjoy seeing is Frank and Virginia. They both are so friendly and pleasant to speak with. They make my shopping trips enjoyable and they go way beyond what is expected of them regarding customer service. Their vegan/vegetarian section continues to improve as well as the produce department. I will still shop at other markets for specialty vegan and health food but for the day to day items, will continue to shop here now that they have improved so much from just two years ago. read more

Horrible experience. A few of the front end ladies are nice... But the rest of the store is a TRUE THUG experience. The guys (manager included) all look dirty, unsanitary and hang outside the store smoking cigarettes. The meats are pathetic to say the least. The seafood section should really be closed for selling OLD recycled seafood. The ONLY reason I go here is cause I live a block away. However, henceforth I'll only be using it on a as needed basis. I am TRULY embarrassed (especially as black man) and the conduct, appearance and behavior of the staff there. SAD! read more