Oh, Safeway. The new Giant at City Market at O is kicking your butt, yet you refuse to improve! I still come here seriously almost daily as I live right across the street and it could not be more convenient - and when I'm toting along an infant, I'm all about convenience. However, I become more and more disappointed with Safeway by the month. A few years ago, when it was new and shiny and lovely, this place was awesome. But quality of service and selection has seriously deteriorated. I feel like in the past couple of years, they have re-done their aisles SO many times but really with no visible improvement to the feng-shui of the store. As in the case of the most recent "remodel" and "grand re-opening" last summer, literally weeks went by when aisles were empty or partially stocked, and even after things were sorted, MANY employees didn't know where to find things. Also, during the latest remodel, they removed one of the greatest and unique features of the store - the NUT BAR! I mourned its loss, as I'm sure did many other customers. A few things did improve, like a greater organic produce selection, more gluten free options, and better card/gift wrap selection. But those things don't make up for all the negatives. The people who work here, for the most part, are unmotivated and ambivalent. One of their cashier policies (which I know because it is posted by the manager's office) is to always thank customers by their name (via the receipt). Now I know my last name is a tad unusual, but it's not hard to pronounce if you know phonics, and the fact that 80% of the time the cashiers don't even bother to follow this policy by trying to say my name shows the kind of lackluster attitude here. (I should note that there is one young gentleman who works as a cashier -- I don't know his name -- but he is the epitome of excellent customer service. Whenever I see he is working I try to get in his line because he is one of the few employees here who cares about doing the job correctly and politely!) When you are checking out, be sure to check what is being rung up, particularly with fresh produce that doesn't have a bar code. TWICE in the past 5 days I've been mischarged for items - in the end, not huge price differences, but still, if this is your job, you should know the difference between a lime and a lemon (yes, that happened). Both times when I caught the mistake of the cashiers, they gave me looks like I was inconveniencing them. This has happened to my husband several times as well, so they aren't isolated incidents. There are a lot of self-check out kiosks (they book-end the regular check out aisles), but 9 times out of 10, the five on the south side of the store won't be open, and the ones on the north end will only have 2 or maybe 3 in operation. I don't know why they bothered installing so many if they weren't going to have them fully operational all the time - or at least during regular day hours. During the busy rush hour about 5 pm the other day, after waiting for seriously 10 minutes in line for a self-check-out kiosk, I asked the man who was "monitoring" the kiosks why the second set of self-check-outs is NEVER open. His response? "There isn't enough need for it." Um...so I guess Safeway thinks that having lines of people literally stretching down aisles to check out doesn't necessitate the "need" to open more lanes. Absurd. Besides the location's convenience, the other thing that keeps me coming back is the Just-For-You personalized deals and promotions (like personalized coupons) that get updated each week. If you are a regular at Safeway, sign up for it online (there is also a mobile app). I feel bad ranting against this store, but it really has a long way to go to restore itself to its original glory. read more

This is our go-to Safeway, thanks to the parking garage and the proximity to Busboys & Poets. For a $5 purchase you get 90 mins in the garage, so you can grab a quick drink or two next door at BB&P, breeze through Safeway's produce section, self-checkout and leave. No need to walk through the whole store! If you have a more substantial, non-happy hour sort of shopping list, I find this store to be a good one--its huge, so getting everything you need isn't an issue. As far as grocery stores go, this one's newness is an advantage... read more

This Safeway has the capacity to be a five-star Safeway--- dry cleaning service available, all new layout, sandwich bar, deli, bakery, floral dept., pharmacy, seafood dept., Starbucks, et al. What makes this location a 2-star Safeway? The people. I hate that. I so wanted to love this Safeway, but it is rare that you can visit here and have a good experience (read "a normal experience"). You often hear the employees cursing, they won't greet you (if they even acknowledge your existence), won't assist you unless you hunt someone down, and they complain about their jobs. A LOT. I have to go here because it's close to me and I am a Starbucks aficionado. If it weren't for my Starbucks cravings, I would walk farther to another grocery store. Even with my weekday visits to this Starbucks in this Safeway store, the employees aren't very nice either. If I get acknowledged within one minute of stepping up to the counter, it would be a miracle. A smile? Don't expect it. In this Safeway's land, smiles don't exist. Sorry, Safeway @ City Vista. I want to like this location, I really do. read more

This store is a disaster! On Tuesday, I placed an in-person order at the bakery of this Safeway for a birthday cake for my husband. There was one employee working and she recorded the order manually. She also told me that there was no receipt or order number she could give me, but assured me that the order would be ready for pick-up the next day at 4:00 PM. When I returned to the bakery department the next day at 4:15 PM, the two employees working knew nothing about the order. They searched in the back of the bakery for a cake matching my description. Nothing turned up. They were not even able to locate the notepad in which the order had been recorded the previous day. After about 15 minutes of searching, they concluded apologetically that the order had not been carried out. Neither employee offered any other help or alternative solution besides saying several times "we are sorry". There were numerous cakes available in refrigerated display cases that anyone with more common sense, and some basic cake decorating skills, could have quickly transformed into a birthday cake. Upon realizing that I would not be able to obtain a birthday cake from these two, I asked to see the store manager. I was asked again to wait while the manager was being paged. About 10 minutes later, and three attempts to page him, the bakery department received an in-house call informing them that the store manager "had stepped out" and would be back in about 25 minutes. There was no assistant manager and I was told that I had to wait for the manager if I wanted to speak to someone about my cake issue. At that point, roughly 45 minutes after I had entered the store, I gave up and left empty-handed. We had to celebrate hubby's birthday without a cake. From now on, I will avoid shopping at Safeway! read more

It seems like this store has a lot of complaints, yet nothing seems to change. Every time I've gone into this store, there has been ONE checkout lane open..... ONE! How that's acceptable? I don't know... someone please do something about this. read more

Hey, it's an urban Safeway that has, I'm told, basically ushered the former war zone of Mt. Vernon Triangle into a nice, liveable, walkable place. I'm no grocery store guru, nor a foodie, so my comments are pretty pedestrian. The service here, though I read that it's better than before, is still pretty abominable. I refuse to use the in-store Bergman's dry cleaner after having to get past the incredibly bitchy, disinterested Safeway employee who took 10 minutes to find my shirts. On the other hand, some of the checkout folks are nice. It's hit or miss. But overall, the management should be IMMEDIATELY fired. My dog could do a better job running a grocery store, and she's no genius. I get that this is a dense urban core and that this store has to serve a lot of people. But why--oh why--are the self check-outs almost always out of operation? Why is the management so blatantly anti-customer? Why can't they re-arrange the entry so that I'm not constantly dodging people in line at the in-store Starbucks, people coming up from the garage, and homeless people just hanging out? read more

This is such a horrible store. And that's coming from someone who: a) comes from a place (California) with lots of Safeway stores, and, in general, likes Safeway. b) LOVES grocery shopping. Unfortunately (or fortunately, because my apartment is great), I live directly above this store, and it's open 24 hours. So I cannot avoid it... Here is why I dislike the store: -Their fruits and veggies are not always fresh. In fact, they are often moldy. -The lines to check out are super long, any time of day or night. For absolutely no reason. Most of the time, only 1 or 2 registers are open, but 10-15 people are in line for each. This shows that they have a COMPLETE disregard for customer service. -The store is very disorganized, and oftentimes if you can't find what you are looking for, neither can the safeway employees. -Unlike some Safeway stores, they don't carry much organic or natural meat which is disappointing. -It's really dirty in the store. -The cashiers are rude and act like you're bothering them by shopping at Safeway. The good: -Okay wine/beer selection. -Convenient location. -Open 24 hrs. read more

This store puts me in a bad mood the second I walk inside - and I LOVE grocery shopping. I live across the street from this location and go out of the convenience, but seriously, its a terrible store banking on its location. Many items are out of stock and the produce section is often pitiful. Plus, they seem to rearrange the store every few weeks which makes it increasingly hard to find items (I see what you're doing there, Safeway). And the employees, oh the employees... where to start? First, good luck finding anyone to help you find something. Second, expect ridiculously long lines (even at non-peak hours). They seem to never have enough cashiers, and the ones that are "working" are more concerned with socializing with each other. I despise this store so much, that when I have the time I walk a mile to go to the Noma Harris Teeter. Booooo, Safeway, booooo! read more

Why I hate: Everytime I pass through the produce department, there is always some moldy, fly infested produce in plain view. Someone doesn't care. I recenlty purchased a bag of Blue Diamond almonds that expired two and a half years ago. How can this be? That magazine I purchased didn't make its way into my bag. No tofu. No cilantro. No cucumbers. No Kale. No lemons! Do they stock on Saturday or Sunday? Both? Neither? I can't figure it out. Must always have a backup recipe in case they don't have some key obscure ingredient like lemons. Weird surcharges on some frozen vegetarian items. No carts. Are you kidding me? read more

Nice Safeway. Two words you never thought you'd read together in Washington, DC. There's all the usual suspects of a grocery store and of a Safeway except everything is new, rather well-stocked, and there's ample space to wheel your cart around. I had to do a double-take when I walked by the "mixed nuts" kiosk display - like the olive bar at a Whole Foods only... for nuts. Clearly, the CityVista Safeway is going for the upscale angle. I visited on a Thursday night, past the dinnertime rushhour, and found the store still on the busy side. Despite the two dozen shoppers there was no wait at the five cashiers open, and there were also self-checkout stands open. Though the meat and bakery counters were closed when I visited the surrounding stands were stocked, and I walked by the bread aisle distracted by the wine section! the endcap sales! etc! before I noticed it. Funny enough this Safeway might actually be the closest one to my neighborhood (Ledroit/Bloomingdale) and given the stories I hear about the Shaw Giant, I will probably find myself here more often. The extra trek certain will be worth my while. read more

We don't like Safeway and only go here for late night cravings on a whim. That said our experience tonight floored me. We bought a banana pie, and while I don't expect it to be gourmet by any means or even very good, I expect it to be safe. The pie had ROTTEN BANANAS INSIDE. BLACK GOOEY ROTTEN BANANAS INSIDE A PIE. This is absolutely unacceptable and disgusting. Not to mention the customer service here is abysmal. I'll be returning with said pie in the morning, so wish me luck. read more

Forget your Soviet Safeway. Leave behind your Social Safeway. As the first to review, I dub this location Spectacular Safeway--seriously, make this your next stop for grocery shopping heaven! This Safeway feels more like a Whole Foods than your average budget market, with wooden floors in their produce section and organic, local fruits & veggies throughout. The rest of the store is well-stocked and easy to navigate--although the aisles are a bit narrow for my liking (especially because the checkout lines went back down each aisles--though they moved quickly!). While your Safeway card will get you discounts on anything from Lean Cuisines to Ziplock bags, the extremely helpful staff is there to help you save even more money! While waiting in line at the deli counter, one of Safeway's employees handed us a coupon for a free pizza on any purchase of $25 or more. This tip was perfect---my roommate and I were headed to a Super Bowl party shortly after, and were thrilled to find that our food offering would be free! The discounts did not stop here. As we were checking out, we presented our pizza coupons when the cashier alerted us that, on the reverse side of the coupon book, there was a $10 off coupon as well. Not only did my roommate and I walk away with a free pizza a piece, we saved about $20-$30 on coupons and Safeway card deals alone. All thanks to the helpful employees! A+ for service! I really, really hope this location stays as amazing as it is right now. For quality food and service, come on over to Mt. Vernon Square and to Spectacular Safeway! read more

This is such a pretty Safeway. It looks and feels more like a Whole Foods. I wanted to just stand in the middle and bask in the freshness and prettiness of it. A very different experience from the previous Safeways I've patronized. I didn't notice a difference in terms of products offered - it's a Safeway. It's just newer and nicer. The produce selection, though, is above average. The after-work crowd can create some long lines, so be prepared to wait. There's decent parking in the attached garage. And there's a Busboys and other places in the same building too. So you could make a whole outing out of your grocery trip. read more

I live across the street from Sexy Safeway (it's a DC thing to name your Safeway). I neither love nor hate this Safeway, which is odd, since I tend to develop relationships with the local supermarket. By DC standards, it is reasonably priced - certainly when you compare it to a full-on earth-muffin grocery like Whole Foods or Yes! This Safeway is big, even huge, for the location, and has just about everything I could want. Produce is abundant, if uninspiring. Same with the meats and seafood and bakery. The biggest headache is with lines - the place is perpetually staffed just below what it needs. 4am? There will be a line, both at the staffed checkout, and the self checkout (since half of the stations are broken at any given time). You're okay, Sexy Safeway, but I don't love you. read more

This is strictly my emergency grocery store. Intended only for those extreme late night cravings of Magnum ice cream or baby carrots! And, yeah, I'll drag myself inside during the day only if classes have got me on a strict time crunch. Don't be surprised if your cashier is texting during your scanning of items, or if she's hollering like crazy with the girl that's pretending to bag your groceries or if you need help finding something and the employees all run away like you've got the croup. As for the customer service desk you wonder? Totally slow and completely unhelpful. How many checkouts are open during the busy time of the day you ask? Oh, um, usually just three! And the self checkouts are usually out of order or being check-blocked by some slow woman trying to scan 7,000 items without bagging them! FML!!! I don't understand the receipt checking people at the door. They don't check anything but the time on the receipt, so anyone could have easily gone back through the store and piled some items into their bags! The receipt checkers only cause traffic jams at the exits in this already traffic-jammed city! Arghhhh!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously, if I need groceries, I drive to Virginia and get some real help without the stupid five cent bag fee. Yeah, I'm from Georgia and the five cent bag fee is stupid to me. It only adds an unnecessary tax people that didn't plan out their entire day around the fricken' grocery store. I do have some of my own bags, but I tend to buy more than what I planned for. read more

I only frequented this store because it was directly across the street from our apartment home. Here are the pros: -Open 24/7 -Reserves boxes for you if you need a few for your move -Parking validation -Starbucks on site -Pharmacy on site -Amazing discounts at Exxon gas stations if you have a Safeway card (the savings are tremendous!) -Safeway seems to always have a good sale on lots of items Here are the cons: -It's super crowded most of the time, which equates to long lines/wait times -Sometimes the meats look "suspect" -There's a park area just outside of the store that is occupied by the homeless---which doesn't pose a problem for me as they usually don't bother me; however, one has to deal with the awful smell of (human) urine when passing through to go to Safeway -The pharmacists are terribly slow! It's ridiculous how long one has to wait in the line to pick up a prescription All in all, this store was good to me as far as convenience and savings are concerned. However, I wouldn't go out of my way to go to this location! read more

I -reluctantly- went to this "Safeway" store after my awful experience at the Fairwood Parkway store in Boooooowie. But I needed to pick up a few things to take to an office party at work. So I stopped here (it was on my way, i.e. convenient). I parked for free (90 minutes with a $5 purchase). I found my office party items quickly (all the while scanning the aisles for order and discounts and found many). And (uh-oh) went to the self check out. Here, there was only 1 working self-check out. I used it. John, the self check out staff, thankfully employed the "hands-off" policy. He let me do my thing until he was absolutely necessary. When I asked him a question, his approach was even more like mine: "let's wait a second to see what the machine says". It said "transaction complete." Yay! (It was just taking a longer than usual time to do so.) I bagged my own stuff. Got my parking validated. Now, I'm on my way! I'll come back to this store again for the full shopping experience. For now, I'm a fan. Of THIS Safeway. read more

This place is a nightmare, yet I find myself going here to pick up a few random items because I don't want to go to Trader Joe's. What can I say? The meat department smells rancid and I'd never buy meat or fish here. A lot of the times the produce is rotting on the shelves. Oh, and most of the time at least half of the self checkout registers aren't working. And more than a few times I've picked up items that are "on sale" only to have them ring up full price. And the lines are longer than any DMV I've ever been in. Oh, and how ghetto is it? I was walking through the produce section on afternoon and saw discarded chicken bones laying on the floor. Apparently some of the customers couldn't wait until they got home to eat that rotisserie chicken. read more

Zero stars. I used to like grocery shopping but this place made me switch to Amazon Fresh delivery. It really is incredible how bad it is and that nothing has changed in years. read more

Like so many other reviews, I am going to point out once again how terrible the customer service is at this place. All of the checkout people are far more interested in talking amongst themselves than checking you out. Most recently the checkout clerk actually stopped scanning my items to help her fellow employee do something with a time sheet. This litterally took about 5 minutes of the two standing right in front of me talking to each other while completley ignoring me and the customers behind me. Corporate Safeway really needs to institute a 'no talking to fellow employees', rule in this place. I know that sounds absurd but if the workers have such a hard time understanding even the most basic aspects of customer service I am not sure what else can be done. One extra star for having garage parking for free for 90 minutes. read more

Very convenient location. My hotel was across the street, literally and since my room had a kitchen it was perfect to pickup snacks and microwaveable items like popcorn. They pretty much have everything and prices are reasonable. Lines were a bit long, so checking out was slow. read more

I'm glad to have a Safeway in the area. It's true. But, jeez, the lines are rough. Whether there's a large crowd in the store or it's nearly empty, the clerks seem to move slowly. Really, slowly. It's also nearly impossible to find an employee when you're in need of assistance. Trust me - I've tried many times. The customer service center won't impress you either. On a very positive note, the store's stock is generally well-maintained and fairly inclusive. Thankfully, there are even small sections dedicated to natural foods, vitamins and pet care items, none of which are ever a given in DC groceries. For that alone, I'm tempted to give the place four stars. :) My tip? You'll probably be happiest using their home delivery service. That way, can take advantage of the well-stocked variety of items while avoiding the lines. It's a win-win! read more

After I came home from Safeway, I discovered many items I thought were on sale were not discounted on the receipt. It turns out the staff had not updated the signs, and so I was correctly charged the full price under the impression that many of the items I selected were on sale. BOO! read more

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

Well, its cheaper than Whole Foods, and a whole lot bigger/nicer than the Safeway in Dupont. It is a shame they don't have the slightest semblance of how to treat their customers though. I like the phrase in one of the other reviews here: "Ghetto Witches" as they seem to run this place, and they can't be bothered assist you when they have their friends and coworkers to text and talk to. And what is up with the security people checking the receipts... is that supposed to stop shoplifting or something? They don't even look at what is in your bag, they just make random check-marks on your receipt. And of course, in typical Safeway-DC fashion, they do this exercise right in front of the shopping carts, which means there is a line of people waiting to leave the store right in front of the carts, which means if you are entering the store and you need a cart, you have to wait until everyone that is trying to leave gets past the "security" before you can start shopping. It's quite the system they got there. read more

I recently moved to the area and was pleasantly surprised to discover this Safeway within a short distance from my place. It is pretty much the only grocery store in the area as far as I know, but it is huge enough to satisfy all your needs and desires, even if they have nothing to do with food. It is open 24 hours a day so you can buy your frozen turkey legs at 4 in the morning if you'd like. Also there is an ENTIRE aisle devoted to dog and cat food. I don't even own a pet, but I was pretty impressed by that. Other amenities include an in-house starbucks, ready-to-eat meal counter, a full-service nut-bar. Yes, nut-bar. There is a station that has every type of nut known to man with a person standing on-call, ready to fill you with these tasty kernels until your intestines explode. Overall the place is very clean and nice inside, with a lot of check-out counters. However, due to some mysterious reasons I can't comprehend, the lines seem to go twice as slow as other grocery stores. My theory is that the Safeway is so big, it just feels like you are moving more slowly when you are inside of it. It could also be the woman in front of you buying 35 cups of snack pack pudding though. Since I live close by I come here a lot. If you are in walking distance or have a car I'd say it would be worth coming here for the large selections. Plus, there are always some interesting people standing around outside, so every trip is an adventure. I haven't been contacted by any of them yet but if I do, my plan is to throw some nuts at them and be on my way. read more

SOOOO glad this Safeway opened! I used to go to the one near Dupont Circle (on Corcoran) but I would have to go very early in the morning to get what I wanted (the shelves emptied pretty fast) and I would squeeze between people crowding the aisles and whisper "excuse me" at least two dozen times. Not to mention, the lines were ridiculous. The new Safeway is a little closer to my house, and it's in a great, up-and-coming location just north of the Gallery Place/Chinatown area. The reliable and affordable Safeway prices are the same and the space is much more open and conducive to heavier foot traffic. There are two entrances, which can be nice on a cold day, and there is a Starbucks by one of the entrances, which can also be nice on a cold day. The extensive wine and beer collection is a plus that is not part of the Dupont Circle store, and the salad bar is packed with toppings to enjoy at a few tables nearby. Again, I am very glad that this new Safeway is open. Grocery shopping does not seem like such a chore anymore, but more of an experience, and one that I am sure to enjoy in a relaxing environment. read more

I live on the other side of Mt. Vernon Sq. but I make the walk b/c it's so worth it. Reminds me of the Von's back in LA. Clean and well-stocked with a good bakery, deli, wine selection and produce (though they've been out of basil lately :( Nice little starbucks inside too. The staff can seem a little distant at times in the checkout line. But overall a very good experience and WAY better than walking to the overcrowded Whole Foods. I cook dinner almost every night and I can find exactly what I need at Safeway. read more

The good: The selection of produce is pretty great and the validated parking. The freaking awful: Too bad your parking is only validated until 1.5 hours; and yes, you will take over 1.5 hours because the line will at least extend down a full aisle, if not wrap around to the next one. I have abandoned a cart in line once here. Full on ice cream melting and everything. They closed from two lines to one. I almost had an aneurism. So the lesson is, yes they have great selections but to preserve your sanity you will never wait in the line and actually purchase the items. read more

I will also say that I ran into the "already punched out" excuse. The customer service at the location is very "iffy." I've been accommodated by workers and managers sometimes, and other times I've encountered incompetent managers and employees. But this is a common occurance in most businesses I've visited in this town. Everything from Grocery stores to retail stores show the same apathy. I know I'm asking a lot for DC to be just a little friendly like Charlotte, NC, but at least stores can have some sort of resemblance of customer service! Color me Irritated read more

I stopped in last night to pick up some victuals for jazz in the park and it was alright. I am not a huge fan of Safeway in general but I wanted to give this spot a shout of because of the wine/cheese/olive selection. The little gourmet back section of the store is really well set up, the only suggestion I would make is to have the folks that staff that area people who are knowledgeable in cheese and wine pairings but I am aware that that is a lot to ask for a chain grocery. There was some sort of event going on with professionally dressed ladies and gents walking around the store so maybe they have events here as well. Pretty cool that they have the Starbucks and tables in the front too. read more

Ive been going to this Safeway for years and they're always well stocked, however, when I went today I experienced some staff ignoring COVID guidelines. Most of the check out personnel did not have their masks covering their noses which I thought was bad enough. Then I saw one of the employees completely remove their mask and begin eating a bag of chips right near check out. I understand that wearing masks for their entire shift is difficult, but as a customer this made me feel really uncomfortable and made me not want to return. When I attempted to call to speak with management, they kept me on hold for over 15 minutes and I ended up having to just hang up. read more

For the second day straight, I went here and asked for a Safeway "card" to get the "discounts" on groceries. They were out. How exactly does this happen to a corporation that cares about its customers? I was told to keep my receipts and come back and I'd get the discounted price. However, today, a cardholder deal didn't show up on the receipt, so I'll miss out on that. And, don't go late Sunday night. The shelves are empty. Oh, and Trader Joe's across town has underground parking and sells their high end beer for less, e.g., Dogfish Head is $8.99 at TJ's and $9.99 at Safeway. And, don't go later at night, it's rough around here. read more

The rudest people work here. They just sit here soulessly as they check you out and the person working the express lane is extremely rude at ALL times. Recommend Driving into Maryland for shopping for food than spending money here read more

A necessary evil. The good: 1) location 2) underground parking The bad: 1) You will never wait less than 20 minutes to get through the checkout line 2) Lazy / useless employees 3) Unless you shop at 8am on Wednesdays, good luck finding yogurt, milk, fresh veggies or advertised items. 4) No carts- EVER 5) Check your receipts! Not all sale items are accurately recorded in the registers. 6) Beware of the men who try to sell you their food stamps for Boost Mobile calling cards (apparently calling their dealer is more vital than milk and bread for their 10 kids) 7) Skip your workout on shopping day- the elevators are almost always out of service. Staircase city, sweethearts. 8)Good luck pulling out of the garage without getting nailed by oncoming traffic. There is ZERO visibility when attempting a left. Oh, and you best red-line your first drive if you hope to make it through the green light across New York Ave. The whole 2.5 seconds will leave you smack dab in the middle of 4 lanes of traffic if the driver in front of you is unfamiliar with the fact that you need to charge through 2 red lights to safely make it onto L Street. In sum- GHETTO! But, given the alternates options of Ghetto G (Giant on 9th Street) and Whole Foods, I continue to endure the mess that is City Vista Safeway...sigh..... read more

This Safeway sucks. It's the closest supermarket to my apartment but I try to avoid it whenever possible. The security guards get real out of hand and I've seen them more than once detain and accuse customers of shoplifting, only to let them go after they were wrong. Second, a lot of the times I go in there on my lunch break, their deli/salad bar isn't there. They tell me, "oh the salad bar guy isn't on the schedule today so I don't think we will have salad bar today." Come on now, that sounds like bullshit. Either they were just lying or Safeway is dumb enough to actually not have someone there to prep the salad that day. Same thing has happened to me when I was looking for chicken wings. Chicken wing dude isn't working today, so no chicken wings. GTFOH!!! Is this for real? This Safeway is on some bullshit. read more

So far my local Safeway only has 2 1/2 stars. You gotta be kidding me! First - it's a 24hr store with a Starbucks for you coffee drinkers. Full service seafood, deli and bakery. Hot food bar, snack/nuts bar and a really good wine and beer selection for a supermarket. Parking is validated for up to 2 hours - free! I've been to Safeway about 40 - 50 times. Maybe more. Never one issue ever! I would like to say there are often specialty items I want that I try to find at Whole Foods and cannot. But Safeway always has them, and doesn't charge and arm and a leg. Meat - I love it. Some of the best shrimp and steak I've gotten from this Safeway. Once I both ribeyes for my boyfriend and I. We drool now just remembering those steaks. The store is always clean - even the public bathroom. Everyone who works there has been super nice every time I was there. I am not even going to read the poor reviews for this store. I'm sure some stuck up hippies who think grocery shopping should be like sex with fat free ice cream that still tastes good wrote them. I don't do hippies. Hahahaha read more

After seeing all the reviews of this place on Yelp, I was pretty terrified to do a grocery run here. By no means is this the best grocery store I have ever been to, but it's definitely not the worst. "Not that bad" is pretty much the extent of my praise for this place. I'll start with the bad parts: There are super long lines, basically all the time. Don't think you're going to beat the line or outsmart the system because you're shopping at off-peak hours. There are simply fewer staff and the lines are just as long. Spotty produce--I bought a pre-packaged fruit salad (that had that day's date on it) and opened it as soon as I got home. As I was eating it, I noticed a moldy berry. Unless the fruit became completely covered in mold in one day, the store assembled the salad with a piece of moldy fruit. Gross. Stock can be a bit hit or miss. It seems like they sell out of things often and don't restock frequently. On the upside, it is a supermarket, which means there's a pretty decent selection of products. It's convenient to my apartment, so this is simply the default store I use. I'm generally able to find what I'm looking for, and with the club card, the prices drop pretty dramatically. (Seriously, it's worth looking for the sales, because it seems like things have a big markup and then every other week or so, products are buy-one-get-one, for example). read more

I used to solely go to the Trader Joe's in Foggy Bottom or the Target in Columbia Heights for groceries (don't laugh -- Target is amazingly cheap, as long as you're just getting the basics). The Giant at 9th and O was just gross, and Whole Foods took my whole paycheck. Then this Safeway opened up, a short walk from my apartment and just a few blocks away from my office -- making it a great place to stop on the way home from work. Trader Joe's is still cheaper, but Safeway obviously has a much bigger selection -- especially on produce. Their produce dept is great, and you can usually find good deals -- a few weeks ago they had asparagus for $1.99/lb! I bought, like, 8 bunches. They also have extra savings for some items on the weekends. Cons: some of the stuff is expensive (for example, Morning Star Veggie Bites are $5.49, but $3.39 at Target...I told you not to laugh at Target!). It's also not in the best neighborhood, so coming here after dark is kind of sketch for a few blocks. read more

It's clean, nice, and new! It's a million times better and more convenient than the semi-local Giant. They have a good selection of foods. The sandwich making people leave something to be desired (slow service), but the quality of food is good. It's usually pretty busy and I've found that self-check out seems to be the way to go to get out of there if you're in a rush. Parking on the street is tough, but they have a garage where you can park for free with validation if you spend $5 or more (though I don't think they care). As far as the Starbucks: If it wasn't for it's convenience (inside the Safeway and close to my place), I wouldn't go to this Starbucks. The service is slow if you get something more complicated than just a coffee, the selection of pastries is pretty limited, and there isn't much seating. However, it's new and clean at the moment (a plus). Not the place to hang out, read, or relax. read more

This safeway is new, clean, and has a great selection. I live in logan circle but will walk the extra few blocks to this grocery store in Mt. Vernon Square because the prices are good and it is much more organized than the Giant on 9th street. The produce is decent for a Safeway. They even have a nice organic selection. My only disappointment is the meat and seafood. Often they are out of meat when I go, especially if it is on sale. And the seafood does not always look that fresh. However, this is a great grocery store to go to. It is clean, not expensive, and they have free underground parking. read more