I recently discovered Union City Grocery while visiting D.C. My hotel was very close by so I decided to stop in and check it out. It's an adorable neighborhood grocery store with a large selection of locally sourced products. The store has a little bit of everything without being overwhelming. It's the type of store you want close by when you don't feel like dealing with a big box grocery store. I stopped in for something sweet and ended up getting an amazing nitro cold brew. I'm not sure that I had ever had this before. It was yummy and I didn't need to add anything at all. The nitrogen made the coffee a little creamier somehow. I don't know much about the process but I know it tastes great. I also ordered a mammoth sized chocolate chip cookie. It was one of the best I've had. I wish I could remember the name of the company that makes them. They were fresh and perfect. The market also has a salad bar and a hot bar that seem pretty convenient and if you are picking up food here, they have several tables that would make it easy to eat in. They also have a great selection of wine and just about any other staple you could need. I ended up sharing my cookie with my partner and we did go back for a second one! We had friendly service both times. read more

It feels like a family whenever I visit Union Kitchen. The staff always greets customers with a warm hello and a smile. The market provides a wide variety of things, from items on their unique menu to organic and gluten free snacks for the entire family. The staff is always available answer questions or offer recommendations. My favorite item on the menu is Breakfast Croissant with bacon, egg, and sausage (comes with sriracha Mayo). A great quick and fulfilling morning meal. Located in the perfect location near the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and Mt. Vernon Square metro station. If you are in the Washington D.C area I highly recommend. read more

I wrote two other reviews (below). I went back this morning for breakfast (first time for breakfast). I am now demoting Union Kitchen to one star. The sandwich area literally says "made to order." I asked for a bacon, egg and cheese on a bagel. They declined my order and affirmed that you can only order the pre-made sandwiches off the menu. "Made to order" means specifically made according to a customer's specifications. I do not like being lied to in the morning. Union Kitchen Grocery is an expensive lie of a grocery store and deli. Edit: Eggs are premade, those weird egg patties. They just heat them up. ---- Original review included below. I went back to Union Grocery for a sandwich. Less staff were present, but overall much better. The sandwich I received (minutes ago from writing this review) was fine. It was dryer than the first (an improvement) but felt like it lack all the ingredients listed on the menu other than the meat. I bought a different sandwich than the first time, but this bread would not have withstood any of the wet sandwiches offered (like chicken salad). So, decent sandwich? Sure. Great? Meh. ---------- I'll divide my review into two -- groceries and the food service (sandwiches, a small hot/cold bar, etc). Groceries - If for some reason the Giant a block away does not have what you want, then Union Kitchen Grocery might. They have a very small selection along with some beer/wine. Otherwise, your best bet is going to Giant a block away first. Food - Union Kitchen Grocery serves made-to-order sandwiches and has a small hot/cold self-serve bar (I think it was self serve anyway). I had the chicken salad sandwich and it was nothing special. In fact, they served it on a biscuit (or something similar) which is not very liquid resistant so the sandwich was closer to a pile of mush rather than a sandwich. Staff - There was a line to check out, two cashier stations, one cashier (new person, was struggling) and an abundance of staff messing around. Someone should have helped the guy out and/or manned the second cashier station. Overall: Skip and go to Giant for groceries or skip and go to Sundevich for sandwiches. People thought your review was: read more

I loooooove Union Kitchen Grocery! This is a wonderful spot to stock up on locally made goods (candles, cards/stationary, hand towels, chocolates...) which make perfect gifts. They serve Compass Coffee on draft and have a few variations. The Vietnamese nitro brew was AMAZING when they had it on tap...however, the last time I got it (last week), it is no longer an on-tap option and they have to make it for you...still good, but definitely not as great as before. (Bring back the Vietnamese nitro on tap!!!!) Lots of baked goodies here like cookies and croissants to tempt you. My favorite part of Union Kitchen Grocery is the bulk items. There aren't nearly as many options as Whole Foods, but - it saves me more frequent trips to Whole Foods! Get granola, pearled couscous, quinoa, etc in bulk and save some $$$. Staff is super nice as well - remember me and my orders - which always endears me to a place. read more

I love Union Kitchen grocery. They have amazing fresh food, juices, delicious custom sandwiches, coffee, it is fantastic. They have amazing Mac and cheese, baguettes... I love coming in here after taking a fantastic Pilates class from Bailey or Greg at district Pilates across the street, the manager is super friendly as is the staff. I can't wait for the next time I get to enjoy the yummy groceries I always get from Union kitchen grocery! Thank you! read more

Taking off a star due to the price as the shop does carry more conventional brands aside from the locally-produced artisan goods. While I am all for supporting local, I don't want to willingly be ripped off for other products I know are cheaper elsewhere. The shop itself is rather small for the 'grocery' portion since it is shared with a small food and café area with a few token seating. I appreciate the decent coffee and nitro on tap (but would not come here just for that) as well as the occasional sampling of the locally-produced items. The cashiers has always been friendly as well. read more

Recommend the Creole Pumpkin soup with the grain crackers, yummy. Excellent and friendly service being a first time customer. read more

Union Kitchen - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Awesome neighborhood grocery / cafe. All staff are so friendly and accommodating; sandwiches and coffee drinks rock! Great small grocery selection. So happy to have this store in the hood read more

Interesting place for checking out new local producers products and innovations. Some samples/tasting at the register definitely gets you as these new products are amazing. The café and salad bar looks pretty good but I did not end up getting anything during my visit. Possibly next time! Visiting this place is a must if you would like yo try something new and exciting from DC! (Be prepared to pay a premium for it though) read more

A great little shop to grab some very local foods and beverages. I give three stars because the sandwiches from the sandwich shop that's housed here are not great, and very overpriced for what you get. The local goods you can buy here are high quality and nicely packaged. Though because everything is locally sourced, it's more pricey than a regular supermarket. There's also an onsite Compass Coffee shop with good coffee and other options. It's a cool place to go when you want some quality items while supporting DC entrepreneurs. read more

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I had a wine and cheese party to attend to, and I wanted a neat place to pick up some alcohol. Because I don't love wine, I wanted to be different. Searching online where to find mead (honey wine), I discovered that Union Kitchen Grocery was a mead purveyor. After work on a Friday, I headed over to Shaw and walked inside the store. There was a decent selection of beer and wines, as well as a few choices for mead. I picked up two bottles of mead, paid, and left. I'd say the store itself was okay, but prices on alcohol are 10-20% above normal. read more

Love love love the concept of this place. Also, the tuna melt is the best tuna sandwich I have ever had!! It's a one stop shop for breakfast, lunch or some groceries. Many local options. read more

Gave this place a shot despite walking in and being greeted by (1) Jesus music and (2) vegan pork cracklings -- what the fuck is that???? The Blind Dog cookies looked really good but there were fruit flies buzzing around them, so no thanks. read more

This was about a block from our hotel, so I ended up coming in here twice looking for light dinner items. If you are looking for grocery items, go to Giant, which is about another block from here. I came in here a little past 7pm on both days. They have a very limited selection here of produce, cheeses, snack foods and more. My favorite was the very chocolatey chocolate-chip cookie I bought. OMG, there was chocolate in every bite. I should have bought a dozen of them. There wasn't much that I wanted to eat, but they did have these bagel bites that were filled with cream-cheesy goodness. So much yummm! So, I bought 2 of those. Even though I couldn't find much prepped food here, I made the best of it and still tried to find some fun, unique things to munch on. Enter cookie and bagel bites. Perhaps lunch time had more of a selection. It's close to some swanky eateries and a super delicious bakery across the street. read more

I decided to stop in one day after passing the place a million times. Not only is staff genuinely friendly, most items in the store are from local vendors. Prices are not too much higher than the local grocery chains. The experience, customer service and knowing you are helping local businesses and some entrepreneurs makes it worth it. The hot bar and sandwiches are the BEST in the neighborhood!! read more

What a gem! Got the organic roasted beet sandwich - it was huge, filled with fresh ingredients and totally worth it for $8. I had a dollop of Mac and cheese from the hot bar that was delish. The nitro coffee was also excellent. I topped it all off with their chocolate salted caramel bar. The total came out to be $20 and I had more than enough leftover for a second meal. Everything was fresh. The place was clean. And service was uber friendly. Going back tomorrow for more! read more

Wandered in here on my way to a training class and grabbed a chai, slice of banana bread and a cookie for later in the day..all three were superb but the cookie omg..to die for..soft and buttery oohey gooey yumminess even later in the afternoon so I know that it must be nothing short of heaven fresh out of the oven! The chai was delicious and sweetened with a deep rich honey which was quite pleasant and the banana bread was delicious and moist with nice plump walnuts that added just the right crunch read more

So was really excited when this place opened, replacing Glenn's on 7th. Sadly, their breakfast counter doesn't hit the spot for Sunday morning pick me ups. Bagels: only have the stuffed ball versions. Egg and Cheese: only serve them fried-no omelet, no scrambled. The rest of the shop is just an overpriced deli Hunt for a yummy breakfast deli in the hood continues..... read more

This grocery challenges the old style grocery, it balances unique local products with essentials while bringing a sleek modern vibe. - great nitro cold brew - unique frozen products (Swapples, Berg Bites, P.S healthy cookie dough) - great create your own salad bar - and more! read more

Best breakfast sandwich in DC and a huge variety of locally made products to choose from!

I love this place as a cute neighborhood spot to get a quick sandwich and latte. Their hot food bar is actually delicious as well.

The hype has been validated... The chocolate cookies and the nitro coffee (get the Vietnamese nitro) is amazing. Solid vibe and I highly recommend it to anyone. read more

The grocery part of this store is cute and offers a nice selection of local foods and drinks. Most of it is a bit pricey, but I can see occasionally picking up a few things for a special meal. Unfortunately, the sandwich shop leaves a lot to be desired. We've only had breakfast here, but based on that experience I can't imagine we'll risk trying lunch. My BEC sandwich was soggy and without bacon. My husband's sandwich was also pretty unappetizing. Based on other reviews, it sounds like our experience was not unique. There are definitely other better sandwich options in the area. read more

I like this place! It has that local vibe that can be tough to find around the convention center. They carry local products made in/around DC from local businesses.The aesthetics of the place are clean, simple, and modern: wood, concrete, steel, and sharp lines. I went to this place for a quick bite and got a delicious italian sandwich. They also have a beer selection so I thought why not, and had a beer with my sandwich. I didn't try the other sandwiches but from what I saw from other customers they all looked amazing! Thee beer and sandwich went well together, and along with friendly staff, and the amazing weather, turned my okay day into an altogether fantastic day! To summarize: Good vibes. Good Sandwiches. Good Beer. read more

I tried Union Grocery one more time for a quick dinner pick up on my way home. Had meatloaf, mac and cheese, and some sauteed grape tomatoes. Wasn't the best I've ever had but wasn't bad, either. And, it was convenient and relatively cheap (maybe $10?). As a bonus, I was able to pick up a bottle of wine at the same time. I prefer their Indian dishes (butter chicken, in particular) to the meatloaf, but it's a good option to have in the neighborhood. Would be good to see more Indian options on the menu for dinner - since it' seems to be a strength and holds up well on a buffet. read more

Love having this gem in the neighborhood so to get breaks from the giant supermarket. Just a little selection of everything (incl wine and beer) and a way to try new and local items at reasonable prices. Try one of the awesome exotic ice cream flavors! read more

A bit of an oasis for a simple, quick breakfast egg sandwich on the go, although I was glad they had a nice little area with a few tables & chairs, (WiFi and power, too) so I could eat before heading back out into the cold morning. read more

I was so excited about this place to open and I'm happy to say that I made it within the opening week. The store has a nice variety of products. I really liked their specialty and local products like the homemade shoyou noodles, gluten free carrot cake by the register and their coffee selection. Some of their prices were high but I'm ok with that if I'm supporting a local business, but if you're not into that go grocery shopping at the Giant down the street. They had a nice hot bar and salad bar which I didn't try but I did try 3 of their sandwiches. If you're in-between Smoked and Stacked and SUNdeVICH then you better be good. I ordered the Italian, veggie and the bahn mi. The best was the bahn mi but they were all a little underpar. I wonder if the sandwiches and recipes were taste tested? I think if they knew the competition in the area and their own sandwiches that they would try and kick it up a notch. I'm a little conflicted with my review, I want a local place like this to succeed but the giant down the street has better sandwiches and almost similar products (minus some specialty. read more

I love this place! I'm in town for a convention and have come here every day for coffee in the morning and then again for lunch. They have a great little salad bar and hot food counter, everything is delish. And they have nitro cold brew which is super tasty! read more

The food use to be really good but who ever they have cooking now is horrible but the workers are friendly and polite but they need the original cookers back and change the menu up more like they use to when they first open read more

Super friendly people over there and chocolate chip cookies that will make you smile, guaranteed.

Loving that UKG opened up the road to my house. They have fresh new offerings daily, including when you haven't got time to find a restaurant to order in from! Friendly staff and a great coffee exploration place, especially if you need some fresh pastries from across the road at Buttercream! read more

Loved the chocolate chip cookies,and the friendly staff. Will definitely come back next time I'm in the area!

Their Vietnamese coffee is the best! I'll sometimes take a trip over to Shaw just for their coffee. They have a small amount of seating and the staff are always friendly. read more

This is a review of their nitro brew ice coffee. The best I've ever had. It came out light brown because of the nitro bubbles and remained that way in the cup for what seemed like 10 min or longer. That made it the creamiest nitro i've ever had. I highly recommend it! read more

The hot bar food is usually very tasty, and I recommend the coffee and croissants in the morning. I like the focus on local products and incubation for local businesses, I have had some great finds here. It is really just a great all around corner market. I think some people are expecting it to be something it is not. read more

I work across the street so this is my favorite lunch spot! I love being able to shop local the prices are a little high but it's quality makes up for that! The staff is super friendly and I love the eating area! My favorite things to get are the bagel poppers, Natalie's strawberry lemonade, greystone brown sugar blondies/brownies,la croix seltzer, and wheat pretzels! I try something new every time so my favorites will change soon I have tried their sandwiches and menu but will and will keep y'all updated! read more

So google maps showed me this place with over 100 reviews 4 and 1/2 stars for groceries more than Giant supermarket, and since I am only visiting I popped in, only to find empty shelves and over priced water. I am sure the folks there are nice, but its not a grocery store its a joke! read more

The grocery store and coffee bar are great, however they make the WORST breakfast I've ever had in recent memory. A bacon, egg and cheese was delivered with a scrambled egg mold and bacon spread on white bread. Take a walk two doors down to Smoked and Stacked for a proper start to the day. read more

Long wait time during the lunch rush, which is not that different from the other restaurants in the area. The M'panadas were tasty and simple (baked not fried) and the pricing on all the hot meals was very reasonable for this area of DC. read more