Takoma Park Silver Spring Food Co Op

I was so impressed upon my first visit that I absolutely cannot wait to come here more regularly. It’s super clean, very well organized and their selection is flawless.
The produce is beautiful, bountiful and locally-​grown. Their dry goods are equally as impressive — you can tell there are very high standards here and they source locally for these items, as well. Super cool!
I love that it’s member-​owned and very much focused on community. You can tell when you walk in here — it just feels warmer, happier, different. Although it’s on the small side (compared to the major supermarkets we’re all used to), the selection is great and you can usually find what you’re looking for. I was especially taken with the baby section, the teas selection and their household products, too.
The check-​out lines were very well managed, and I was shocked to see zero long lines on a Saturday. Obviously it’s a well-​oiled machine, the people who work here are friendly and knowledgable, and they want to empower you with knowledge about your food, too. It’s fantastic!

One of the absolute best grocery stores anywhere around the DC area! Bonus — it is a member owned coop which rocks. They have the best selection of good food, support local, organic producers and make a grocery store into a community. What a lovely alternative to the green-​washing Whole Paycheck, TJs, etc. The bulk section here is amazing. And they offer some amazing local, pasture raised (so better for you, earth, and animals) dairy and meat. The only improvement I can think of would be for an even larger percentage of their produce to be local and organic.

I absolutely love the co-​op! I stumbled upon this gem after a yoga class and have been shopping their religiously ever since, and here’s why:
1. It’s clean.
2. The staff is always SUPER nice and extremely helpful. I never feel like a burden to anyone in the store if I have questions about a product or a brand or an ingredient.
3. I’m obsessed with the bulk section. It’s actually one of the best I’ve seen anywhere. All types of spices, teas, nuts, grains, honey are in stock. It’s legit heaven.
4. They have a great selection of vitamins and supplements with varying brands and price points.
5. I read a comment that said they don’t bag for you… I’ve never seen that to be the case. There are times when I’ve opted to bag myself because it was busy, but that was my choice.
6. Logistically, the store makes sense. Tons of parking, clean carts or baskets for you. There’s also outdoor seating which is super cute. Recipes and sale papers are in the front of the store. I like that they also place the coupons of a given item near that item in the store so you never miss out on it even if you didn’t pick up the sales when you came in.
Reasons for the 4 and not the 5:
1. Prices on some staples can be a bit higher; eggs being the item that comes to mind first. I only buy eggs here if I need them and it’s a weekday. Otherwise, I buy them from the farmers market. Some of the fruit was also overpriced. I remember seeing a bag of conventional clementines (and I think they were halos) for like 7 dollars. I KNOW the same exact bag was 5 at Giant.
2. Not sure if the membership is worth it for me. I travel for work, so I’m not home during the week to enjoy some of the additional member sales held on Wednesday and Thursday. Still trying to weigh the benefits of it… but so fsr, not seeing the value for me (emphasis on the for me part)
3. I would also like to see more seafood options. Not sure how feasible this is, but as a pescetarian, I have to still go to whole foods for wild caught fish (other than salmon)
That’s all. Other than that, I love this place.

I shop here regularly b/​c as a vegetarian, I need a place to stock up on veg proteins. But I’m so tired of the ridiculous prices. I routinely find the exact items in other specialty stores (like Mom’s Organic) for significantly less. I’d take a Trader Joes over this place in a heartbeat. Even with my member 10% off (once a month) discount, it’s still way over the top in terms of prices. And the check-​out person will almost never bag for you.
That they want to expand to twice the size is frustrating.
Simply put, I go here because I have no other convenient substitute nearby.

Good place. We just discovered it and they have a very good bulk section, local raw honey, local chicken and sausages, and in general a very good store. I Am going to look into joining. Frankly I like it more than Mom’s or Whole …

This is a cool little neighborhood market for decent and organic foods. I’ll break down the facts.
Good —
Always easy to find free parking
Short checkout lines
A lot of local Maryland and DC food
Super nice staff
Not so good —
Although there is a lot of local food — there is more out of town food than I would expect for a small store that specializes in organic.
In general I support these guys way more than Whole Foods because their business is truly local even if all of their products are not. Prices are reasonable and I really like how they are the only grocery store in Silver Springs that sells Local Maryland honey!

I have noticed that I have slowly gravitated towards shopping her more and more. It is not a big market but it always seems to have everything that I want. My recomendation is for the milk in the glass bottles. Very old school delish.

On 7÷27÷14 I went to the Co Op for the first time. I enjoyed the selection and it was close to my house. I spent 168.33 to be specific. So making a return on 24.15 should have been no issue and the receipt stated «No Returns Without A Receipt» Good news is I saved my receipt. It was only three days after I go in with my husband to return the «Keys Moisturizer» I purchased. The bad news is the manager on duty Mr. T. stated he told my «friend» he wouldn’t return the item because it had been used. I corrected him on the friend part don’t worry. We explained it should state that on the receipt. He stated I should know what product might give me an allergic reaction! I told him he was being ridiculous and he told me to show respect. I asked for his boss and at least ten minutes later he said his manager would get to me when he could. I doubt anyone was coming and he was so rude I decided why ruin my day off when I payed with Amex. My card company will handle this. I took pictures for everyone on Unilocal.A picture of the customer service area where in a 4×6 laminated print out of their policy is. NOT on the receipt but in a place a customer wouldn’t generally pay for an item. You can’t see the supposed policy on the wall either! Check out the pictures I will post of the store. I also took a picture of my three day old purchase and receipt. One last thing, their membership fee is 100.00! I thought the cashier was joking but she was so pleasant I listened why I should become a member. I was told ANYTHING in the store is was 10% off the third week of the month. I of course didn’t sign up but on the receipt it states ALMOST anything is 10% off. This store lost two good customers and the Co Op needs to get it right! Including communication with customers.

I miss living in Takoma Park for many reasons, mainly, TPSS co-​op. Great staff, great atmosphere, near unbeatable prices. Between TPSS and the farmer’s market you have access to the best food in the near DMV area; take advantage of it!

Expensive!!! So expensive. And checking out is painful. And the produce is frequently moldy. But I love that they have a really decent selection of vegan foods. I live just around the corner, so its great to walk over for a bagel on a saturday morning or a quick dinner on a weeknight. If they could just get more on top of the produce being bad, Id give them 5 stars.

Been inside this co-​op three times and I love the atmosphere. The staff are always courteous and willing to help; and there is a variety of fresh and packaged foods to discover and test out. I wish the Silver Spring location stayed open considering the distance — but it’s worth traveling to Takoma Park to get natural, non-​GMO products.

The last time I came to the co-​op it was to buy a whole bunch of soy yogurt for a baking project. There’s been some weird regional soy yogurt shortage with my normal brand (I know, so exciting) so my hopes weren’t super high. I walk in the door and… there’s a tasting set up with a new brand of soy yogurt the co-​op has just started selling. It tastes great and here’s a stack of coupons to use on it!
That’s pretty much always my experience with the co-​op: they are very, very good at maintaining a high quality selection of weird hippie foods. Yup, oranges and apples are expensive as compared to Safeway or Giant, esp. if you aren’t a member. But the prices on vegan foods are reasonable and the selection just can’t be beat.
I come here to buy all my weird hippie foods (vegan cream cheese! vegan butter! a billion kinds of tofu!) and buy my oranges cheaper elsewhere. I’m so glad the co-​op is here.

By virtue of being a co-​op, it’s much better if you’re a member here. If you live in the area, a membership is probably worthwhile. It’s a respectable health food store. Well-​stocked and clean. They have a large herbal/​supplement section. Parking is ample, though getting in and out can be a challenge depending on which direction you’re going. It’s not near the Metro, but there are bus routes that go by, and driving here on 410 is relatively easy.
For a non-​local, it’s probably a 3-​star place, and for someone in the area, a 4-​star place. I’ll round up.

I’ve been coming here since I was a little girl and it hasn’t changed (which is a good thing). I’m always able to find the produce and goodies that I need. It’s so easy to find what you’re looking for, and if you can’t find it, everyone there will help you. The only heads up (if you’re driving), is that it’s got a small parking lot.

It is a small local shop. I go here every Saturday morning as soon as it opens and there are many loyal customer in the area. The produce is fresh and the dry foods area is neat and made sure that is always in stock. The cashiers are super nice and was willing to put up with means my several transactions that I requested.

Cool Local Business. Everyone who works there is nice.
I go there for the occasional Kombucha and the home made Incense.

What a fun, exotic and unique food market! I could spend hours and hundreds of dollars on all the delicious treasures and intoxicating body products and aromatherapy here. The have a vast selection of organic produce and vegetarian/​vegan food items. I always find really interesting things that you normally wouldn’t find at your typical grocery store. My favorite obscure treat is the coconut milk frozen dessert in «passionate mango», it’s the perfect amount of subtle sweetness with a creamy texture.
They also have a fabulous selection of all natural beauty products, homeopathic medicine, incense and aromatherapy. They also have lots of items in bulk like nuts, herbs, grains, oils, natural candies and much more. There are lots of prepared foods, sushi, olives, vegan desserts and much much more in the refrigerated section. They have a membership program but I only shop here from time to time. The staff is really friendly, knowledgeable and eager to help. There is always plenty of free parking. The prices are a a little high to do all of my grocery shopping here but I do like to support the local businesses as much as I can.

On our first day visiting our sons up the road, we needed some lunch before heading downtown. We stopped here and bought an avocado/​hummus sandwich on whole grain bread, a package of pasta salad, pear and water. They have a couple of tables out front to sit at while eating. Way better than hitting the 711 for a hot dog before jumping on the Metro… try them out!

I usually shop at the TPSS Co Op in Silver Spring; it’s a block from my house. However this location is much bigger, and has a huge bulk section of healthy grains, nuts and flours.
I need Xanthan gum for a gluten free shortbread recipe and I don’t want to pay $ 10+ for a two pound bag when all I need is ¼ tsp. Turns out, they didn’t have it here. I guess I’ll try using ground flax seeds. They have it in bulk, and in their baking aisle.
The foods are organic, and a bit pricier than your local grocer, but hey, it’s organic and good for your body. They do have monthly deals though. Organic avocados were $ 0.99 each on my last visit. That’s cheaper than Giant. Vermont Bread Company’s organic soft wheat bread was $ 3.50 instead of $ 4.79. So, there are deals to be had.
The staff is very knowledgable about their products, especially the vitamin supplement lady I spoke with a few months back. It pays in the long run to treat your body right. You’re worth a few extra dollars, Don’t ya think?

OK, I admit… organic holistically vegan aromatheraputic veggies is not my thing. I love fatty hormonally stimulated meats, pesticides on my genetically engineered veggies, and FDA tested and approved pills! Plus, I have serious issues paying more for a pound of broccoli, then I would a rib eye steak!
However, that said — my husband and I found ourselves down in Tacoma Park looking at some kooky vintage stores, when we spied the Tacoma Park/​Silver Spring Co-​op. I rolled my eyes, but my husband — always on the look out for the bizarre — dragged me inside.
I will admit — STILL not my cup of tea. However, if I should ever decide to turn my back on fatty, over processed, hormonally stimulated foods — *this* would be the place that I would visit first.
To begin with, the store is pretty big and well stocked. Not just the weird vegan stuff (sorry, but «raw vegan cheesecake»?! How does that even *sound* appetizing?!?), but plenty of non-​vegan products, that are all organically produced. I really loved the aisle of organically grown rice and grains, much larger selection then I would have expected. Also, the tanks of honey and various nut butters (cashew butter, almond butter, etc), was quite interesting and unexpected!
However, a few of the things that drive me batty about organic foods and holistically focused stores, were present here as well. For example — the Red Bell Peppers, that were slightly mushy and wrinkly — selling for $ 7.99/pound. I get that it’s organic so it probably doesn’t have the pesticides ore genetic engineering that makes it last longer — but if I’m going to pay $ 7.99 for peppers, they better win the Miss America Pageant of Red Peppers. Also, while having a massage station by the registers is a cute idea — the overwhelming aromatherapy actually made me dizzy and slightly nauseous. Good concept — but aromatherapy isn’t for everyone — and at a grocery store, where I’m trying to ascertain the freshness of the $ 5.99/pound cucumbers by smell — getting slapped upside the head by a lavendar-​vanilla combo punch doesn’t help.
No worries to those that love this place — I really probably won’t be back, unless I need to pick up something organic for my beloved hipster buddies… and although this review *may* seem like a slam, it really isn’t. If you knew how much I hate aromatheraputic holistic granola-​crunching establishments, you would totally get that this 4 star is on par with a Michelin 3 star nod. Really.