A grocery store so awful that I felt the need to write a review about it. Very poorly stocked, with broken doors (both entrance/exit and some doors in refrigerated sections). Ive found many different items on the shelves there that were already expired (some by over a month!), so I've had to make it a habit to double check expiration dates of everything I grab. Absolutely horrendous vibes here. read more

I gotta say the best part of this grocery store is the pharmacy. All the pharmacists are absolutely wonderful. They are responsive, have checked to make sure I'm aware/okay with the price, and most importantly they do it with a smile. Bless them. I do wish their deli looked fresher (tuna salad always looks crusty later in the day) and wish their meal kids had more options (Chinatown location had different grab and go meals) read more

Feb 2nd approx 5:25 pm. I was using the self-checkout when an employee came over and reached across the credit card screen. At first, I thought she might be helping or grabbing candy or something nearby. However, when I checked the receipt on the machine, I noticed a $10 donation had been added for the store's charity, which I did not authorize. When I asked the employee about it, she denied adding the charge and said she didn't know what I was talking about. Eventually, the self-checkout clerk had to void the entire transaction to remove the $10 donation and rescan all of my items. Adding charges without a customer's consent, regardless of whether it's for charity, is unacceptable. Employees should not be reaching over customers or touching checkout screens while someone is in the middle of a transaction. I also noticed the same employee touching another customer's screen as I was leaving. read more

It's getting worse. This already subpar grocery store has gone extremely downhill in the last year. Empty shelves, poor produce, unbelievably high prices, and general disrepair throughout. It has become a burden to shop here. You're much better off adding a half hour to your commute and going to Trader Joe's or Whole Foods--maybe even the Harris Teeter opening nearby. I'm embarrassed to call this my grocery store. read more

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

Pricing is often not present in organic area, nearly everything that is marked has sale marked on it but prices don't seem to change... read more

Safeway - Hard to go in without navigating hanger outers. - Grocery Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Go to this Safeway if you like being scammed. The reason why this Safeway gets a lot of business is because there are a shortage of grocery stores in the Adams Morgan area. This is a busy area with lots of people, many single young professionals who have nowhere else to go but here. A lot of homeless people also come to this store which makes this situation even worse. This Safeway was my go-to store for a few months--and it made me miserable. The selection is very outdated, the prices are outrageous. I'd consider this exploitation. Taking advantage of the monopoly you have in the area. But what's worse is how unethical this store is. There are so many instances where they advertised as Sale on the shelves ($4.99 in big bold letters for a frozen pizza) but $6.99 showed up in the system. Another instance, brussel sprouts were $2 a batch, but the lady rung it up as $2 a pound (I ended up paying over 2x as much as I should have). When you ask the staff about the price of something you FEEL has been rung up incorrectly, they are quick to say, "yep, it's $2 a pound" when you later check to see that it's $2 a bag. I've experienced this more than 10x and didn't say anything because I felt gaslit about my hunch that something was on sale. Eventually, just once, I asked them to adjust the price of the pizza because I can see the Sale price right from where I am standing. Also, a lot of the items in the Weekly Ad that are on sale for this specific store, as shown on the printed out in the Weekly Ad as you walk in. They are not on Sale. The store is clearly not aligned with the marketing. The store POS system isn't aligned with the marketing they have blasting around the store itself. I recommend going to Harris Teether even if it's slightly less convenient. You won't regret it. Or, go grocery delivery somewhere. This place is depressing, unethical and doesn't deserve our business. Even if I gave it a lot. This is not it. read more

Horrible customer service. Never have enough checkout lanes open and try to force you to use self checkout. Ignore you when you ask them to open a checkout lane because no one in this store seems to want to work. Studies show most theft is done at the self checkout so not sure why they try to force you to use it unless the employees are letting their friends steal. read more

I live in the neighborhood (Adams Morgan), and I go at least once per week to that location to buy my groceries. This time (March 18th 2025 - around 2:30 pm), I was assaulted verbally by a big African American EMPLOYEE!!! I was checking the eggs to make sure none of them were broken, so I asked him if I could lay the eggs on top of some boxes to check them, since my hands were full. He ignored me, gave me a dirty look, and walked away. After that, I took another box to check them, but most of the eggs were broken and dirty, so I decided to switch one of them to the initial box, which was much better than the second one I checked. Right after, this man (the EMPLOYEE) stood in front of me (FYI, I'm a young woman, 5' 3'') and started yelling at me with nasty words, telling me, "Take your shit and leave." I was also with my dog, who is a support animal (I always go with him; it has never been a problem), and he kept repeating, "Take your nasty dog out of here". I could see in his face his anger and desire to hurt me and my dog, like kicking him. Words like "shit," "shitty," "nasty," and "bitch" were repeated over and over again. I told him many times, "Stop being rude to me, I'm just checking the eggs," but he never stopped insulting me. Then, I asked for the manager, an African American lady, who didn't say much. She seemed afraid of him too. She apologized, and that was all. I didn't see her go to him or call him out. Are you going to fire this individual?? Im sure you will, right?? While the manager was talking to me, a customer lady defended me, which I highly appreciated, because as a woman, she stood up for me. I dropped my groceries and left the store. It's a store I will never go back to, and I will warn all my friends and neighbors to avoid going there. I really don't know what their hiring policies are, but this company just hires people as menial workers, without checking if they are mentally stable and qualified for their job. They need to clean up their staff and surroundings. I've seen many fights at this location, and actually, an injured man (according to the news, stabbed) in the alley behind the store. This is the first time I've experienced something like this in my whole life. I left the store feeling attacked and scared of being followed. DON'T GO THERE, THERE ARE MANY OPTIONS AROUND. GO TO GIANT, WHOLE FOODS, STREET MARKET, OR TRADER JOE'S. read more

The only reason to go to this Safeway is its convenience as it is the only large grocery store close to 18th and Columbia (Harris Teeter is a little far if you have a lot of groceries). This Safeway frequently has individuals aggressively panhandling within 10 feet of the store and is not the best place to be after sunset. There is a poor produce quantity and quality and most things are overpriced. The lines for self-checkout and clerk checkout are often backed up. If you can, I would go to the Harris Teeter or the Trader Joe's on U St. to do your grocery shopping. read more

The only reason that I give this Safeway at 1747 Columbia Rd ,NW 5 stars is because of the wonderful pharmacy and meat department . Sue in the meat department is amazing . She 's always got a wonderful smile and great customer service she was so uplifting even through the pandemic . The regular food products in the rest of the store are very high priced and low quality. read more

Nothing good and nothing bad about this Safeway. It's small but has all the things you need. All parking is street parking. Check out area can get a little crowded and backed up. read more

Big applauds for frances and her hepler... I went to safewsy today to buy some cookies for my job and its my first time here and as soon as i walked in there was nothing out of the ordinary about this place so i went and grabbed 3 boxes of the $6 cookies and as i was checking out i dropped one of the boxes, next thing cookies were all over the floor(i was so embarrased) but then the manager i think she was(frances) came up and said(its ok, leave it we will clean it just go and get another one)!! I was so happy and relief and i felt that she really knows what she was doing, Also there was another lady who help me i dont know her name but also very nice and helpful too i wish i had her name.. The guy who cleaned the cookies was not nice though. He said is that you who dropped the cookes and gave me that unfriendly look which was scary. I left feeling happy...good customer service.. read more

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

If I could rate this store below a one star I would. The manager was disgustingly rude, I asked her were there any available bathrooms because the 1 stall that is available for the whole store was DISGUSTING!! Poop everywhere, urine everywhere, no napkins. Feces were on the toilet paper. My question is, if there are no bathrooms available, how are the employees washing their hands properly?? I cannot believe a manager was so rude at a Safeway, especially at this location. I'm so disappointed and taken aback by the lack of customer service. Thursday February 1st was the evening that I crossed the person that makes me feel comfortable shopping here. Such a shame. read more

Review is for the pharmacy. I got there 15 minutes before close for one prescription and a flu shot. The pharmacist stayed late to take care of me as well as two other customers. Superb service, and check out goodrx coupons its much cheaper than cvs. read more

I've been coming here for 2 years. This is the best Safeway within a mile radius of me. The employees are friendly especially Ramon. He greets all customers that go by him. I rarely use the cashier to check out, self check out is the way to go. When I have used it the cashiers have been friendly. The shelves are always stocked, the produce fresh. The deli employees are always helpful, love the egg salad. I've never had a bad experience or felt unsafe here. read more

I was pleasantly surprised to come to this Safeway last fall after work to find the store well stocked. It certainly seems bigger and had more to offer than the DuPont location. One thing to be cognizant about is checking the dates on the package. One of the meat items we purchased had expired and we didn't discover until after we arrived home. read more

This Safeway routinely tries to sell food that is past its expiration date. A few days ago they sold me packages of fresh pasta that, when I got them home, I discovered they were infested with mold. This isn't the first time I d found visible, disgusting mold on a food item at this Safeway. I threw the item away immediately because I was disgusted by the idea of keeping it in my kitchen. When I called Safeway to report it, they accused me of lying about it, even when I offered to show my receipt and send photos of the moldy item. So that's $12 I'm never getting back. I live half a block from this Safeway. I won't be buying food there again. It's not safe. read more

The last few times I patronized this location the security personnel were too busy checking their smart phones to notice the rampant shoplifting happening. Not good. This doesn't promote a safe environment for customers . Ever since this location began selling beer and wine there has been a lack of secure atmosphere. read more

The most wonderful experience I have had in the Washington, DC area is being sung to at Safeway by Roman, who directs the meat department. Never having been at the store, I was wandering around looking for grated cheddar cheese when I met Roman, who gave me a big smile and an even bigger welcome. He also showed me where the cheese was! Then, he asked if he could sing me a song and then went to the in-store intercom system and sang, "Welcome to Safeway today, welcome to Safeway today! Welcome to Safeway, Dear Amy. Welcome to Safeway today! Who does that?! I felt like a million dollars. Thank you, Roman, for making my day! You're the best! Good move, Safeway! Hiring incredible people like Roman makes memories for customers like me and will keep us coming back! read more

This Safeway was nothing special when I first moved here in January 2020, but it has gotten so much better. The produce section is to me the best part. It's always fresh and selection is amazing, I feel bad for anyone who goes to Dawson's or Streets, Dawson's almost never looks appetizing and Streets sometimes has good stuff, but most produce is kept on the shelf for WAY too long if it doesn't sell. Meanwhile at Safeway it's cheaper and I don't have to worry about grabbing something bad in a rush. Also, the tropical fruit selection is perfection, ripe cherimoyas and yellow dragonfruit today!!! Also, every single employee I've talked to is really kind and makes the experience feel to me more like a mom and pop store than a chain. I don't understand the recent low reviews. A couple years ago maybe, but it's a solid grocery store and the only thing that I would like is a larger selection of non perishables, but understand that there are size constraints and that my favorite brands aren't the most popular. read more

I have lived in the neighborhood for 7.5 years now and this Safeway is the closest to my place. It is literally across the street and I call it my referigerator because I barely keep anything at home since this is so close. They recently had a much needed uplfit which they received, but the selection is very limited. The entrance door had been broken for awhile, so the exit door served as the entrance as well. On one of my recent trips, I had noticed that a sign replaced the Tide products. I guess its one of these things in which theft of cleaning products is prevalent, so keeping the good stuff behind the counter was much needed. I imagine that they had a recent audit and discovered loss on this particular product. Overall, I usually get their salads, steak, chicken, iced coffee, creamers and love that Open Nature Broccoli and/or Cauliflower pizza. Be sure to sign up for the rewards card as you get points which lead to discounts on gas, plus they have coupons you can digitally clip that will show up at the register. It is a sure way to save some $$. read more

Post-renovation review: OMG... is this the same place? The place is clean! There's a pharmacy! And the aisles are clearly labeled... and I no longer feel like the walls are closing in on me! I didn't notice if the old place had a butcher or fish counter, because I was usually too busy trying to escape as quickly as possible... but post-renovation, they definitely do. The staff is even unusually friendly and helpful! Somebody wake me up from this dream! read more

I have to say that from the reply I received from Dawn at Safeway in response to my review was very believable because I've noticed a big difference in my last two visits. Deli staff has been exceptionally pleasant and there has been some attention paid to me instead of the cashier on the next aisle. Thanks for your efforts to improve things! read more

I posted complaints about the bad service and rude treatment in the store pharmacy and the only response I got directed me to "contact US" and there is no such link, so it seems they don't care about customer needs. read more

I was here this afternoon (1/19) around 2:30pm and noticed a pretty awful smell. Those in line to check out around me were plugging their noses and covering their faces. A woman had had excessive diarrhea near the entrance to the store, and had proceeded to walk through the front of the store (while leaking excrement on the floor) and stand there, covered in diarrhea, for at least several minutes (she was still there when I left). Despite several complaints from customers, including requests to remover her from the store, security just stood there and stared at her instead of asking her to leave or finding her a more private area to clean up (or seek medical attention! It was pretty bad). While I'm all for being compassionate, this was a pretty horrific experience for everyone else in the store. I'm genuinely worried that myself and other shoppers/employees may have been exposed to something highly contagious like c diff or norovirus. I understand people get sick, but I was a bit shocked by the lack of response from security and management. read more

This place is closest to my apartment so it's fine for anything but fresh produce. I say this because every time I go there's at least one area with something rotting or starting to. And today I made the awful mistake of buying meat here. The expiration date said 9/4/18. Today is 8/31/18. I thought it would be okay. I get home and open the package-- it smells like fruit. I think, oh that's weird. I try to cook it anyway. It smells awful, like poop. Then I try to taste a small piece because I want to be sure I'm not just paranoid. Please tell me why this meat tasted like bananas. WHY. I'm not buying any fresh/raw produce from here. I don't care how far I need to go, I'm going to Trader Joe's read more

Run down. Extremely overpriced. Don't expect customer service. God forbid an employee gets off his/her phone to help you. Overcrowded. And with seedy people hanging directly outside. Not a safe area if you're a woman. Better off ordering groceries online. Stay safe; stay away. read more

So the thing about this Safeway is that it has somehow consistently lived up to its bad reputation. The store itself feels (and in many ways is) very run down and the quality of the fresh produce and fruit is equally consistently poor. The only thing I would come to this Safeway to buy is packaged goods, cold beverages and maybe frozen goods (be sure to look at the dates though). That's about it. I am however, giving it a second star because the few times we were there a very nice gentleman tried very hard to help us and assist us in finding anything we may have been looking for. Kindness in any form is always appreciated. On a final note, for anyone that may be wondering, this is a Amazon Locker location. read more

I am sticking to my philosophy of Yelping chains ONLY when I have experience some extreme form of good or bad (see my Yelp of Benetton in Dupont). In this case, I am posting because of the good. I have never EVER had a friendlier grocery shopping experience than here- not even Trader Joe's and those guys are the happiest employees ever. I have lived in Woodley for 4 years and never went to this Safeway mostly because it's stigmatized as being dumpy and sketchy. It was convenient this one time, however, so I brought my granny cart along and stopped in to load up for the week trying to keep an open mind..... I couldn't figure out what to do with my granny cart out of fear of, on one hand, being accused of shoplifting, or risking poking someone's eye out if I piled it into a shopping cart. I opted for the latter and an employee noticed my struggle and said that they have special carts in which you can hang your granny cart upside down to store more conveniently. He got one for me, stored the cart, AND helped my transfer my groceries to it. The meat, dairy, produce, and even the guy hanging out in the cookie aisle all immediately said "good afternoon, can I help you find anything?" Their customer service was unfailing and really impressive for a grocery store, especially one that has been so poorly reviewed. BUT. My three stars are for the customer service. A grocery store is for groceries and no matter how good the service, the groceries need to be up to par. Their food selection wasn't that great, although I did enjoy their "gluten free" tags that grabbed my attention. They were out of all organic chicken, no greek yogurt, and yogurt selection overall is not extensive, but I guess every grocery store, first, has a market to cater to and, second, limitations in space means prioritization of stock. Produce was better than I expected. Closing words: As a point of comparison, this Safeway is NOT worse than the Giant on Wisconsin. That store is ungodly, aggravating, and, now that I've experienced this great customer service at this Safeway, no one at that Giant has ever asked if I needed help come to think of it..... read more

Can we say ghetto? I have used this store many times to pick up things for parties or visiting friends and I never cease to be amazed at how civilized people in the area can rely on this shabby store fit only for a third world country. Somebody pack up this store and send it to North Korea. read more

I didn't live in the 17th century so I've never seen something actually be pillaged, but this place comes close. If you choose to shop there Sunday-Tuesday and you buy typical white people things such as greek yogurt, chicken breast, eggs, pasta sauce, kale, Naked juice, or anything that isn't on the list of approved EBT/food stamps items you'll be screwed. At the end of every weekend middle class twenty somethings come to this store and hoard anything that doesn't have high fructose corn syrup as the first ingredient. The self checkout line is an interesting social phenomenon. People seem unable to figure out how to use a touch pad. The best part is the only reason they use the self checkout is that they think that since they have a liberal arts degree from a small private college that they somehow can do a checker's job better. Its funny to see them swipe an item and seem puzzled by the fact that the price then shows up on the screen. Watch out if they have to find the code for their free range micro sprouts because its likely its harder than most of the dudes on awkwardboners.com read more

I have a funny story about this Safeway. I was living in Adams Morgan soon after I spent a year in Spain. Anyway, I one day I was hanging out, minding my own business when a friend/neighbor calls me and says something along the lines of "I am at the Safeway, I need your help...can you come up here?" So, I walk over to the store and find her standing at the back of an aisle, with a look of fear and panic. She tells me that I am going to need to go shopping with her **every time she needs something** because the signage was all in Spanish. I calmly took her by the hand, walked her to the OTHER side of the aisle where the signs had English on them. We still laugh about it. 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

I avoid this Safeway at almost all costs, so I'm only there about once every month-and-a-half and thats far too often. While the produce is so-so and the store is dingy the real reason I avoid it is the crazy cashier. Every time I come here, generally to pick up a last minute item or two, I inevitably end up with the same disgruntled cashier. He's in his 50s and yells at me every time. The exchange goes something like this: C (speaking loudly): "give me your bonus card" Me: "I don't have a bonus card" C: "you need a bonus card" Me: "I don't want a bonus card" C(yelling): "why don't you have a bonus card" By then he's generally finished scanning my two items and I've handed him my money to distract him from his tirade. Then I grab the change and run for it. Next time I'm going to tell him that I don't want a bonus card for a dingy store that I go to only when my cupboards are empty. Ugh. 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

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At the "Sandanista Safeway," the selection is limited, produce is wilted, the lines are long, and the staff are rude and lazy. I told a worker that there was a spill in an aisle and she just stared at me and walked away without saying a word. The checkers look miserable to be at work. There is a tiny underground parking lot for about 15 cars that you access down the tiny alley behind the store (alley is to the right of the loading dock; hang a left when you get to the next corner). Go elsewhere. read more

Really, Safeway? Is plastic bag theft (checkout fraud) at this location SUCH a problem that I have to wait for a manager to show up to approve my self-checkout transaction when I reported using my own bags? At $0.05 DC tax per bag, and with the ridiculously inflated prices you try to get away with at this location, surely you can afford to suck it up when your customers mis-report how many bags they use? Delaying me like this firmly ensures that I will shop at one of your conveniently located competitors, instead. I've lived in the neighborhood a long time...a very long time. So I know the OLD Columbia Rd Safeway. Sure, you spruced things up, made everything pretty, and started carrying some token (really token) organic and high-end items when Whole Foods, Giant, and Harris Teeter moved in close by...but you didn't fool me. Your overall inventory still falls ridiculously short of what your local market wants to buy. I can't remember a time when I went in there and actually came out with everything that was on my shopping list. read more

Customer service=NONE Food Selection=BAD Francesca is the epitome of rudeness and bad customer service. I've spent hundreds of dollars in this place and I got no "Hi!", no smile, no "thank you" from her. She rang up my items, talking (more like Ghetto talking) to the other cashier and handed me my receipt, just like that, as if I'm a robot. No more Safeway shopping for me. I don't deserve to be treated like that. And Safeway, you don't deserve one star. read more

Yeah....this Safeway isn't *horrible* certainly. You can get most things you need, and it's just a block from my apartment, so that's nice for me. But it's really lacking certain things that I thought all supermarkets had, like a bakery section. Even horrible ghetto supermarkets usually have a section with a few baked goods. It's not a huge deal, since there are other places nearby to buy baked goods which are better than any supermarket baked goods, but still. I was going to give this place 3 stars, but then the other night I went there, jonesing for some ice cream, and all the ice cream had been cleared out of its cases. Even the display cases at the end of the aisle which seemed to have had ice cream were empty. And I just can't abide that. read more

No matter what time I come to this Safeway, I wait an eternity to check out. Sometimes the lines go the whole length of the aisles/store. 2 stars because it gives me time to think about and assess my life decisions that got me here. The produce is dismal. Go to Harris Teeter to save your sanity. read more

Safeway - 20 minutes later, I was able to check myself out. If you want an employee to help you bag, well, good luck. - Grocery Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia