Assal Market

I absolutely love this place. Very reasonably priced and the owner is very nice. We have ordered sweets from here and very time it’s been Fresh!

I usually go to Yas on church but my Persian co worker convinced me to give this place another chance… One word filthy! From the parking lot w food over flowing out of the huge garbage bin to the inside. Can’t even take shopping cart Inside since there is no room… Please clean up this nasty place!

Really? This place is always dirty, disorganized and the service is horrible how do they stay in business and how are they passing health department inspections? Beware! It takes forever to get out the door so plan on wasting hours of ur time even for one item!

I agree with the comments that Ali left, that this guy is dishonest. The owner is nothing short of a crock. Most of the items in the store do not have a price tag on them, which makes him charge you whatever he wants at check out.
I bought discounted fruits in front of him, and he wanted to charge me full price for it. Also, prices are 40−50% more of what you would normally pay in similar Middle Eastern stores in Falls Church area.
Place is crowded and isles are narrow, making it difficult for two people to shop in the same isle.
Skip this place all together!

The place is pretty dirty. There is a lot of selection but the untidiness of the place will prevent me from going back.

You can find all Persian groceries here but there are couple of these type of groceries around DC. I gave it 5 stars just because of its owner. Super nice and friendly which is really rare in Persian groceries.

Great local Persian market. Always has everything I need whenever I plan on making a Persian dish which requires ingredients I can’t find at an everyday market. Veggies and fruits are always fresh… I’ve never had a problem with them. I have been shopping here for years (since being married) and remember going here with my dad when I was very young (used to be at a different location back then), since he always shopped (and still does) from here. Good quality and good pricing. I don’t usually buy pastries here (go to Yas down the street for that) but their fresh cooked bread is always delicious, warm and excellent quality. Their mortadella is very delicious also, although a bit pricey but I think it’s pretty much the same price at any Persian market. The owner is very nice and always willing to help and greets all of the «regulars» on a first name basis. The butcher area of the store is also well managed and they have a wonderful selection of meat.

I’m not sure what Falcon T was talking about, but Assal is actually a very good market carrying most every Persian necessity (and quite a few treats). I’ve never had a problem; in fact the owner is very nice, though I’m sure it helps that my kids are cute. Yes, you do have to wait sometimes for him or his wife to come up and check you out, but it’s a family run place.
If you want immediate service on garbage food at bad prices, go to Food Lion or some other regular American grocery. I’ve never run into any problems with the quality of the groceries or packaged food at Assal. They have fresh veggies, delicious warm barbary breads and naan, and decent pastires for an overall good price. Though, I’d recommend to Agha Assal to see if he can get an Asian grocery hookup somehow, because I’ve never seen vegetables as low priced as at one of those places.

I think this place is great. As a vegetarian, I am always looking to try out new food and came here to have a look around knowing that there would be a good selection. It was somewhat overwhelming because the store is small but it is jam packed with various items.
It’s a good place to buy lentils, spices and powers, such as chickpea powder.
Very friendly, obvious neighborhood place as everyone seems to know each other and good for people watching as there is always a buzz of activity.

A great neighborhood middle eastern store that stocks up on daily grocery essentials to specialty items.
They have a butcher’s counter, a bakery counter and every one of their aisles is stocked to the gills with stuff.
A great place to go and pick up new things to try out.
The staff is very friendly and will do their best to locate what you are looking for.

Have you ever encountered a commercial so great that you still remember the jingle to it over 15 years later? A commercial so great that you sing it to your little cousins when they ask you to teach them a new song? So great that you share it with Unilocalers? Well, I have!
It’s an old Iranian commerical for Mika chocolate that goes something like this…
: Salaam salaam, ay bachehaa: (Hello hello, children)
: Man yum-​yumam, dooste shomaa: (I am yum-​yum, your friend)
: Man avalesh wafer boodam: (At first I was a wafer)
: Baa waferaa too fer boodam: (With other wafers I was in the oven)
: Bad shokolaat rikht roo saram: (Then chocolate spilled on my head)
: Shokolaati shod doro baram!: (And I am now chocolatey all over!)
Thankfully, this chocolate treat still exists and Assal Market carries it… and it is still as good as it was when the commercial first came out… mmmm! The only thing that sucks is that everything in this Persian grocery store is a bit overpriced, but I suppose that’s expected when there aren’t that many markets around that carry the things they do.
They’ve got lavaashak (like a fruit roll-​up)… noon-​e-​barbari or lavash (breads)… noon-​e-​khaamei (cream puffs)… seer torshi (picked garlic)… limoo amani (dried limes)… pomagranate paste… rose water… doogh-​e-​abali (yogurt drink)… chai-​e-​sadaf (sadaf tea)… sohan asali (honey based sweets)… basmati rice… al-​nakhla flavored tobacco for your hookahs… Shadmehr Aghili’s brand new CD… concert tickets to the next Kamran & Hooman concert… and much much more!