Aldi Grocery

Aldi is an acquired taste. You either like it or you don’t. I’m a fan of the low prices on staple foods. I don’t do all my shopping here but can score great chocolate, cheap butter, half and half, baking supplies and soy milk. A few items have been misses but they do offer a refund on all Aldi brand items so you can’t lose!

I love this store. I hear complaints from non-​fans that you have to rent a cart (25 cents but you get it back when you return the cart), have to bag your own groceries, and it doesn’t have the «name brand» foods. Renting the cart and bagging your own groceries keeps the prices down, so that’s a HUGE plus in my opinion. As for the name brands… so their brand of ketchup looks, tastes and smells exactly like Heinz but is ¹⁄₃ the price of Heinz. I’ll save my pennies and buy the ketchup from Aldi. Some times they do have «name brands» and these are a bit cheaper than the ones in other supermarkets.
Not only that, Aldi has European goods like real bratwurst from Germany. I especially love their European chocolates and specialty cakes/​breads (the German stollen and pound cakes are wonderful! So is the brioche — man is that good!).
The produce is great too. Again, the prices can’t be beat.
Anyhow, I like the Aldi in Camp Springs better than the one in Brandywine because the Camp Springs store is larger and the traffic pattern is better. So whenever I’m in the Clinton-​Camp Springs area, I shop there. The Brandywine store is right off that series of traffic lights on 301 and it’s a pain in the you-​know-​what to take that right turn to Waldorf.

I love this place. The produce is always fresh. and plentiful. The store is super clean. Only drawback, there are never enough lines open. The team is nice and professional.

Aldi is a great little grocery for the budget conscience shopper looking quality products but uncaring of brand names. Mind you they have special buys of the big brands from time to time, but if you are looking for all the brands you see on the TV, skip it. If, however, you are like me, and looking for quality grocery items at reasonable prices, this is the place. Think of it as private label, since most of it is.
Yes, you have to pay a 25 cent deposit for a shopping cart, but you get the quarter back when you return the cart — bonus: the parking lot isn’t littered with those annoying abandoned carts that hog up spaces and roll around and bump into your car. Yes, you have to pay for your bags (10 cent each I think) unless you bring your own reusables, or if there are empty boxes around the store you can use those to load up your haul. Yep, you have to bag your own groceries… but is that so bad? I’ve never had smashed tomatoes or broken eggs when I got home, and had I, I would have only have myself to blame. There is a large counter after the check-​out area to accommodate the self-​bagging process (please be mindful that this is a shared area), so even the self-​bagging is no issue.
Last trip I paid $ 1.39 for a dozen eggs, $ 1.79 for a quart of half-​and-​half, $ 3.29 for a lb of their premium sliced lunchmeat, $ 2.39, for an 8oz of parmesan cheese, $ 0.59 for bag of baby carrots, and $ 1.19 for a 184ct of facial tissues — no sales, these are the regular prices… good luck doing that at the stores that are all brand name stuff.
This location opened a few months ago, so it’s clean, fresh and generally well stocked.
You need cash, EBT, or a debit card as they don’t do credit cards, but that’s a minor inconvenience. I’ve been an Aldi shopper for years and have no plans to stop.