Safeway

Yeah… this is the «Soviet» Safeway. It’s tiny. It’s almost worth a trip just for the amusement. If you’re looking for good produce, something kind of difficult to get in a grocery store (i.e. not bread or milk or eggs or any of the normal basics or a particular brand of a certain type of food), or beer or wine, you’re NOT going to find it here. What you ARE going to find, though, are long lines at rush hour and picked-​through produce selections. So don’t go here if you’re looking for anything besides the basic necessities during off-​peak hours. What makes this location so difficult is that there aren’t many other cheap options in the area either, you have to go to either Whole Paycheck (excuse me, I mean Whole Foods) or Trader Joe’s, land of the ridiculously long lines. Basically, don’t grocery shop anywhere in DC right after work or on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
The staff at this Safeway, however, is pretty wonderful and cheery and their location/​size isn’t really any of the management’s fault, so it’s sort of not an entirely fair review, but if you’re looking for a rating of the experience, you can definitely have a better experience at another grocery store somewhere else.
Also, there’s usually a homeless man standing right at the entrance begging for change, but he’s harmless. And there’s often a dog or two tied up to the tree boxes in front and they might bark pretty viciously at you as you walk by. If you’re looking for beer/​wine, the Cairo Wine and Liquor next door isn’t bad, or Prego Again across the street is an ok option too. But if you want a deal and better selection, I’d walk to the Whole Foods if you can happen to manage it for alcohol.

Poor selection & all of the products are overpriced. The cashiers are pleasant but you’re more likely to use the self check out & ½ of the self checkout stands are broken. This closes early for a supermarket in a busy neighborhood. Save money & shop elsewhere for better groceries, selection & prices.

This is where other Safeways send their bad everything. Considering this is such a highly trafficked area, it should be torn down and built back up. Every time I walk in there (to get non perishables) I feel like I stepped back into 1984. No wonder it is called the Soviet Safeway. BRING DUPONT A NICE GROCERY STORE!

Do yourself a favor and go anywhere other than here. Seriously.

As an unpaid DC intern on a budget, and someone with a simple week food menu, this Safeway has been PERFECT for me. They have a very poor selection of organic and gluten-​free foods, but if that’s not your thing, then it doesn’t matter anyway. It’s easy to navigate, fairly priced, has pretty much all you need, and offers excellent deals. I highly suggest getting their app not only to set up deliveries but also to read about their weekly specials.
Getting a Safeway card has saved me a ton of money this year. The membership is completely free and takes 5 minutes to set up. It gets me deals on pretty much everything I buy regularly– for instance, $ 2.99 strawberries and blueberries.

This is the grossest grocery store I have ever been to. I shy away from buying produce from this store, and only buy canned/​packaged goods (and even then double and triple check the expiration date as it’s often that day or the day after). One time I bought taco sauce, got it home, and discovered little worms under the lid.
That said, it’s the closest store to my house so sometimes I get desperate/​hungry and have to buy things like broccoli or lettuce.
Tonight was one such night. Upon opening the package of stir-​fry veggies (honestly seemed safer than anything else) and discovered the carrots had a vinegar smell to them. Is it possible for vegetables to ferment inside a plastic bag? They weren’t due to expire for a week!
WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THAT SAFEWAY WHERE NOTHING IS SAFE FOR CONSUMPTION AND/​OR THEY ARE ALWAYS OUT OF COMMON ITEMS? The area around the meat counter always smells like old meat and wet mops. Literally nothing I buy seems fresh or good. DuPont is a relatively nice neighborhood with high rents. It shouldn’t be in a food desert (no one should be…) Seriously, management, get it together: people like to eat the basics like cereal and eggs, and salad shouldn’t be bad before it goes home.

They do a great job with the tiny little space that they have and manage to have a remarkably wide variety of necessary items. Arguably more than the nearby whole foods, which might be able to provide you with parking and 8 varieties of organic quinoa but doesn’t carry Crest.

I never knew that DC locals referred to this specific Safeway location as «Soviet Safeway» (or that they nicknamed their grocery stores) until one of my roommates informed me that this location was known to always be out of stock of certain items!
And honestly… while this can be true for more popular or sale items. It’s a convenient spot to get your groceries if your apartment is nearby and I have never had a problem with the staff here. Whenever my roommates and I used to walk around, the staff would always ask us if we needed any help and accommodated us accordingly. The pictures you see on Unilocal don’t really give the store too much justice. I’ve never really even seen a whole shelf GONE. For the most part, the staff and the company itself has done a good job with the space they are allotted and realistically the traffic flow and amount of people who shop here on a regular basis.
It’s smaller than the Safeway locations I am used to, but mind you. My hometown is the SF Bay Area. Honestly, having a Safeway here felt like a blessing in disguise because it felt familiar when I first moved to the DC area. Great things can come in small packages! You can come here to buy pretty much anything with the exception of alcohol. If you’re craving sandwiches, they do have a deli & sandwich making section as many Safeway locations do, but they do lack in a Bakery (which is unfortunate because I love donuts, bagels, etc. — but hey, you’re in the city… there’s plenty of places to acquire those items if you really want them). Also, like a Unilocaler before me mentioned if you think the prices are steep… bare in mind where you’re living and where you’re shopping. The DC area is not known and popularized by its affordability, just saying.
When I lived in the Dupont Circle area and wanted to avoid the trek to Trader Joe’s & didn’t have the funds for Whole Foods — my grocery needs were fulfilled here & I was able to get the veggies, spices, baking necessities, etc. and even trash bag and cleaning supplies (when I didn’t want to go to Columbia Heights to go to Target)!
I will have to say though that sometimes there is a line for the self-​checkout machine, but I mean there’s lines everywhere in life so waiting in line to buy your groceries realistically shouldn’t be THAT big of a deal. Gotta keep on livin’
This Safeway is also conveniently located by hardware stores, CVS, cafes, bars and restaurants along 17^th St., which I always found to be useful when I was running errands or coming home and realized I needed to get something for breakfast or whatnot the next day.

This is a typical Safeway store (not fully serviced though — no bakery). I get my groceries at this location every week and I highly recommend going early in the morning (especially on weekends). From my experience shopping at this location, they only stock their aisles every morning, so by late at night most stuff is gone (i.e. vegetable, fruits, or anything on sale). You’ll spend a lot of time queuing to pay. This Safeway store should have the self-​service kiosks as express… it just doesn’t make sense that someone is using the self-​service kiosks with a full cart.

Soul-​sapping. I went in to get a few things for a salad but the produce was rubbery and old. The tomatoes in particular had clearly been refrigerated for awhile and were soft, and the onions looked on their last leg. They didn’t have many things on my list which is ok since they are small and can’t be expected to have everything.
The worst part was the self-​checkout machine. Worse than CVS’ machines if you can believe it. I usually avoid these like the plague but I was biking home with a small backpack and wanted to pack my stuff on my own. But after I scanned each item, it said it could not verify my bag (even though I had skipped bagging) and the clerk had to come over and punch in a long series of numbers. After 3x of waiting for her to come over, I had to just quit, and go wait in a long line for a human. Leave it to major corporations like Safeway and CVS to outsource their labor to the customer while failing to pay their employees a fair wage. It’s totally worth it to spend the extra money and shop at Whole Foods nearby on P and 16^th.

This Safeway teaches me a lesson in acceptance every time I go. The first time I visited, I needed baking soda, and they just didn’t have it. I was shocked. This is the only convenient Safeway or «ordinary» grocery store (i.e., not Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s) within walking distance of Dupont Circle. So I’ve learned to accept that this Safeway is really only for standard fare and that it’s quite possible they might not have even the most basic staples.
I don’t go here to do my weekly grocery shopping. I get a car2go to get over to the Safeway in Georgetown, which is always well-​stocked with really anything I need. I go to this location only in a pinch.

Man, I’ve just read the reviews for this Safeways. If you read these reviews, you need to consider the source. Who lives near Dupont Circle? People who are used to getting what they want WHEN THEY WANT IT. The rest of the world … we know what REAL life is like, and act accordingly.
Just moved here from the suburbs in a different state a few months ago. Yes, this store is small. Yes, there is less to choose from. But almost everybody has been nothing but nice when helping me. There is enough choice, and if you can’t find one thing, you do what I’m going to do and try Whole Foods which is just a couple of blocks away. This small Safeways is perfectly good for being so close to where we live. I’m originally from California too (like another reviewer) and I know good produce. I am fine with the produce at this Safeways. I love the lady at the Deli who is always willing to joke around with me. I love the guy stocking shelves who asks me if I need any help. I’m a little older, and I ALWAYS get asked if I need help putting bags into my trolley when I’m checking out.
There’s plenty of quality items to choose from. There’s gluten-​free, and vegan, and international items. Man, we are a spoiled bunch of people. We all need to get a life and quit complaining about small grocery stores.

I love Safeway, but I wish it was a little closer to where I live. It’s only a 10 – 15 minute walk, but if you have a full load of groceries it’s a struggle.
I’ve gotten meat, produce, snacks, milk, etc. from here and I’ve never had any problems. It’s a little cramped, but this is DC, what do you expect? They have a good selection of just about everything and reasonable city prices, although I do miss how cheap everything is in Texas. The shelves are always well stocked when I go. Plus the rewards card is nice.

Not my go-​to grocery store in DC. They don’t have the gourmet items you need, but for your standard fare, it’s generally available. A small store around the corner from your house so it’s quite cramped inside, but for a quick item or two, not a bad store. For nicer items, longer grocery trips, and gourmet food, you may want to check out the Whole Foods a few blocks away.

As compared to other Safeway stores I’ve been to in the DC area this one was pretty nice. It was clean and quiet despite going at like 9pm on a Friday night. The selection isn’t half bad considering the size of the store, and the customer service seemed fine. Nothing to rave about, but nothing to complain about either.

The staff was helpful, not the fastest I ever seen, but far from the worst. It is much smaller than your average suburb Safeway store. But it has almost the same volume of traffic on basic needs. You won’t find ten different types of the same peanut butter here. You just find top name brands and a few choices. Store was clean and staff I ran into was friendly. I will go back if I am on that side of town and need something.

Aside from the pay, this must be the best job in America. Seriously, does anyone in this store do any work at all? Notice the group of employees laughing it up for 20 minutes in the corner, or the other employees taking up a whole aisle as they talk about workplace gossip and completely block you from shopping. As an employee at this Safeway, feel free to do whatever the fuck you want, as long as it’s not work. In fact, if your name is Kenny and you’re a manager, feel free to cop an attitude with every customer and then simply walk away when the customer is mid-​sentence and trying to explain what it is they need. Or, if your name is Patricia and you’re a cashier, scowl at every customer who comes within 10 feet of you. The Safeway motto at this store should be, «Like we give a fuck… ha!»
So yeah, save yourself a headache and stay away from this place, which makes the DMV feel like going to a luxury spa.
Postscript: I do have to give props to the front end manager, Theresa. You are the only person in this store who seems to be doing any work, who always has a positive attitude, and who is unfailingly polite to customers. Please fire Kenny.

Ugh, this store drives me insane. GREAT location, with tons of people around to give it plenty of business. So why are they always out of what I need? Why are there never enough lanes open? I know it’s small, but they just don’t maximize the space and they certainly don’t act like they appreciate your business or value your wants/​needs as a customer.
The produce is a little iffy here, there’s no beer in the store. Very limited selection when it comes to most products, and whenever I need something even a little beyond the most basic spice (coriander seeds) or baking item (bread flour), rest assured, they will NOT have it. Prices are pretty high, service is lacking. It’s frustrating to give them business.
There actually is one really awesome guy who is generally stocking shelves and almost always asks me if I need anything and is very polite. The other employees are gruff.
Today I went in at about 3:30 to grab a few things for dinner and ended up with a small basketful. Of the four self checkout lanes, one wasn’t operating, and the other three were in use, with a woman in line ahead of me. I realized that the lane next to it was free with no one in line and the cashier just standing there. So I went over and started unloading my basket. After she had hung up the first 4 items, she remarked «you have more than 15 items.» I hadn’t realized it was an express lane, and I said that and apologized – no response. I again said I was sorry, but really, there is no one in line, no one waiting behind me, and you’re going to try to make me feel bad when I obviously hadn’t realized? Just typical surly behavior.
They’ve actually cleaned up the sidewalk in front recently. For the longest time, there was a homeless guy who had set up a cot with a frame directly out front and made a big tent around it. Not exactly what you want to see as you come and go from your neighborhood store. The last time I walked past him, a middle aged, well-​dressed white dude was crouched down next to him, lighting up something (crack?). He looked wild-​eyed and quickly turned away and ducked into the homeless guy’s tent when he saw me glance over at him. Ah, DC.

I would like to give this place a good review, but really it only makes me appreciate other grocery stores in the area more. I guess it has improved from the days that it was labeled the Soviet Safeway. Back then it was the only option in a mile radius and the store was dirty all the time and lines were like the lines at GUM when they got new shoes. The store is cleaner now and the lines are not quite as long, but I really find the prices here quite ridiculous and the selection not to be that great. It really makes me appreciate the grocery sores in Adams Morgan more than anything else. I can say the staff was very polite my last visit here though. so there is that. :)

This Safeway is definitely a necessary evil. Living one block from it, it’s pretty much the only option I have besides Whole Foods or going to the Safeway on Columbia Road.
They don’t call this «Soviet Safeway» for no reason — there is hardly any selection at all. On one hand, I certainly understand that there the middle of the city, a normal Safeway or supermarket is as big as one entire city block. They definitely have to work with what they got. But on the other hand, it’s very annoying never being able to use coupons because they don’t have those newer products. It’s kind of odd because when I go to a supermarket in the suburbs, I feel like I just hit the lottery with 20,000 types of options. For instance, they have roughly four types of Hot Pockets, but in real life there are 20 different types of Hot Pockets am going to a new bigger supermarket opens my eyes. How Soviet.
Like I said, this Safeway is a necessary evil, so I’m not in a position to recommend it or not recommended. However, I will say that they have a rat problem, because I myself had seen a mouse scurry across the floor, and so has my partner. They didn’t even ask shocked when they when we told them we saw one, so it must be a regular occurrence. Oh well, I didn’t see any mice bite marks on my hot pockets, so I’m fine.