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Best Supermarket
Rating Details »
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
11 reviews for Best Supermarket
People love binary analyses. For example: "You can look at it one of two ways..."; "To be, or not to be..."; "There's two kind of people in this world... People who X, and people who Not X..." &c.
Well, that's not going to work here. For the purposes of this review, there are four types of people. (1) People who are unfamiliar with Stuff White People Like. (2) People who are familiar with Stuff White People Like, and enjoy it. (3) People who are familiar with Stuff White People Like, and do not enjoy it. (4) People who are familiar with Stuff White People Like, and are on the fence about it because it hits a little too close to home.
If you're a part of the latter community, and you live near Best Supermarket, you are psyched. This place is great. What more could you ask of a neighborhood market? Well, you could ask for decent produce and later hours, I suppose...
... but you're still psyched.
A close-to-perfect neighborhood market.. small with friendly staff, a good selection of beer and wine, pretty good meat, Firehook bread, Swing's coffee and the best bagels I've had in the area.
Prices are a little high for some items, but if you don't want to walk all the way to Teeter or Safeway the convenience is worth it.
This place is super clean and has the appearance of having an amazing selection given its size (maybe 1/8th that of the typical Safeway/Giant). But the selection really isn't all that amazing, unless you're shopping for wine or spices. If you're like me and looking for SmartOnes frozen dinners (judge me), prepare to chose between chicken with mushrooms and beef with veggies. And that's it.
And while I get that these people aren't magicians and can't fit a normal supermarket into a typically bodega sized store, don't call yourself a supermarket and don't call yourself the best. Although the name sure if funny.
What really bummed me out is the prices. While I wanted to support the local place, I ended up ordering groceries from the larger stores due to budget constraints. I don't expect Best DC to put out a Best DC Supermarket clubcard, but it would be nice if they actually had sales once in awhile. Maybe they could start an email list to those neighbors who shop there to send them coupons every once in awhile. If their prices were a tad more reasonable and they had a bit more selection on the items I actually wanted, I gladly would have chosen them over the competition. But, my wallet is thin and this place wasn't even that luxurious.
I was expecting this place to be a lot more expensive, and have a much worse selection, than it actually does. It looks like it will be a typical overpriced bodega with a mere gesture at a produce aisle, and milk that costs twice as much as it should. Not so-- my bags of vegetables and other crucial cassoulet ingredients were probably only 25% more than they would have been at Giant, and it was right down the street. If I lived just a few blocks closer (or worked in Dupont Circle), I might shop here every day on my way home from work.
I would really like for this local, independent business to succeed, but I have found that not only are their prices quite high, they do not always honor the prices listed on the shelf. I had a very unpleasant experience today where I selected an item with a coupon attached to it -- that's the reason I selected the item -- and they refused to honor the coupon. There was no sign or disclosure saying they wouldn't honor coupons, even coupons that are affixed to the items they are selling. The owners categorically refused to discuss the problem with me, and so I didn't purchase the item. At this point, I would only return if it was the only place open; it's just not a good value in any way and the owners are not customer friendly.
It's too easy nowadays to make yourself known as the "Best". is this place really the "Best Supermarket"? Doubtful. But realistically, calling the place the "Pretty Good Supermarket" or the "Not Bad, I Guess Supermarket" just doesn't ring as well as "Best Supermarket". Note the lack of any definitive, such as "the" or "A". Makes this place seem like Cher or Bono; one name only...just "Best".
So the market used to be barely 2 stars. It had one of those industrial heaters in the corner that probably had a few decades worth of supermarket funk stored inside. remember the Simpson's episode where Homer eats the box of baking soda and starts hallucinating and drooling? This supermarket was like that, minus the hallucination. It smelled horrible, and it was well known not to buy anything from there unless it was canned.
But since then, there's been an ownership change, and the place is much nicer, cleaner and now has a huge wine selection. Any place in DC that sells wine and beer from anywhere except behind bulletproof glass is a winner in my book!
The downside: the prices are ridiculously high now. 1o bucks for a small bottle of Tide detergent?? Peanut butter for five bucks?? A half gallon of milk for $4.75?? It's an uncomfortable feeling knowing that walking an extra 8 blocks to Safeway may save a buck or two, but means another 30 minute commitment, at least. If you live around here, make sure to visit this place at least once a week. Keep this business alive, mostly because I don't want to have to walk any further and would be totally bummed if this place went out of business.
And one more thing...it's just across the street from Cake Love and is next door to the Love Cafe. reward your shopping duties with a ridiculously butter-saturated cupcake!
Prices are indeed higher, as in all smaller stores. But it's great to have a place in the neighborhood for produce, a small selection of good cheese, greek yoghurt, and good asian and latino sections. Best of all, the staff is very friendly and helpful; they make you feel welcome when you walk in the door. I get by with a monthly trip to a bigger market and take care of all my needs in between here. The experience is always pleasant and I usually find what I need.
DC's Best Supermarket. I just love the name, it makes me laugh. Anyway, this market is pretty big and has just about anything you would need for a normal shopping trip. But as expected, the prices are a bit higher than Safeway (but you never have to wait in line here). Lots of fresh produce, wine/beer selection, and all your basics.
Also, the best thing is that they sell day-old Firehook Bakery bread for a discounted price! If anything, come here for that.
I LOVE Best DC Supermarket. Yes, it's a bit pricey -- but one needs only to look at the prices to avoid a surprise at the register. For a market of this size, the selection is glorious and interesting.
As I idly walk the aisles during my lunch hour, I find myself taking a closer look at unknown-to-me Asian products, an extensive cracker selection, and three different kinds of chorizo. Wow! And the guy is so friendly.
Yay for Best DC!
I like the place, I like the staff and I like the location. Oftentimes, I walk there after exercising my dog and doing my last-minute shopping. The Best DC Market carries upscale merchandise and caters to an equivalent clientele. About the best selection of sauces, cooking powders, crackers and snacks I've seen in DC. I am amazed at the versatility of their products in such a relatively small space; the meat selection is varied and they have an outstanding wine cellar. As well as super bread. Definitely I am a fan.
This is a really nice neighborhood grocery store, similar to a NYC bodega. The prices ARE high on some products, but totally reasonable on others, particularly some produce, which is consistently fresher than Safeway. The owners have taken the time to select and stock a number of organic choices, both for fresh and prepared foods. Also, they carry specialty items, ranging from Pocky and other Asian snacks & ingredients, to local M.E. Swings coffee beans. And as someone else mentioned, day-old Firehook bread!
