Aldi

They now carry more healthy selections; organic and gluten free items! More reasons to love this place!

I’ve been going here for years and the place hasn’t changed that much. For a place that is always crowded and has lots of customers they always seem to have 2 cashiers maximum on duty. Even on days before major holidays. The place is kinda disorganized with some sort of random toy section. Their are some sketchy characters there as well in the parking lot often trying to find people to make deals with (on illegal DVD’s and other «services»).Even when the police are there they seem to not care. The reason why I gave it two stars is because you can find good deals on some products. For example the canned chili is good and vegetable/​fruit selections as well along with seasonings. But I would go elsewhere if your looking for beef and other meat products.

Make sure you bring a quarter for the shopping cart (you get it back after you finish shopping). I estimate Alid’sitems cost at least one-​third less than other supermarkets — their organic vegetables and milk are the same price or cheaper than regular non-​organic versions at places like Safeway etc. This is the discount arm of Trader Joe’s so you find some of the same items (ie Mama Cozi pizza). Their gluten free range of grocery items is wide-​ranging and affordable. The cheese selection is fantastic. They rotate seasonal items through the store — also great value. The store itself doesn’t look fancy, and you bag your own groceries — but at the low price they charge it is well worth it. The checkout line moves fast.

I have shopped at this location for years. There is always parking. The shopping carts require a deposit of a quarter as incentive for customers to return the carts. Sometimes it is annoying to have strangers «beg» for the quarter from your cart or offer to return the cart so that they can have the change, but that won’t stop me from visiting. If you are out of quarters, you can always get change from the cashier.
The prices are great. The décor isn’t The Rtiz but that is why the prices are great. The cashiers are always nice.
When my bankcard wouldn’t work, the manager was kind to me. I appreciate the team spirit at the store.
You won’t find the same brands as Giant or Safeway but I don’t mind.
The advantage to having a European grocery chain in the US is that you get great chocolates!
The laundry liquid is cheaper than Walmart.

I’ve just recently moved from Michigan where I only went to Aldi when in need of cheap wine. Given Maryland’s rules about selling alcohol, now Aldi serves as an option for actual grocery shopping.
Someone might find Aldi’s features to be a pain in the butt, but if you’re coming here to shop then you’re trying to save money so you’ll appreciate the cutbacks in services that allow us all to get great deals. Bring a quarter so you can get a shopping cart (don’t worry, you get it back when you return the cart), bring boxes or tote bags to carry your groceries, and bring a debit card or cash (not being able to use your credit card is not something to cry about). And if the quality of the items is lesser than what you get at a «nice» grocery store, then you can decide if that ambiguous quality is something that’s worth saving money to you or not.
We have bought everything from chocolate to produce to laundry detergent. Even an electric kettle! Most everything so far has been great. Things to avoid: gum (it turns to mush after just a few minutes of chewing), granola (hard as a rock), perhaps potatoes (unless you like gummy mashed potatoes), salmon (frozen, which is not the issue, but tastes extra-​fishy… instead go for the frozen tilapia, which is great), and asparagus (the skinniest asparagus that turns into shoestring fries when cooked).
If you’re under the misconception that they have no brand name items like I was, wipe that out of your mind. While most of their items are generic (another feature that saves us money), they do have some brands here and there. They have some brand name juices, cereal, and candies.
We do most of our groceries here now, save for emergencies and convenience. We walk out with double the groceries for half the price!

I pass by the store very often and live nearby, but never entered until this past weekend. It’s unlike any other grocery store I’ve been to. I didn’t know about the cart and quarters so I just used my grocery bags to hold my items as I walked around.
The selection was generic and very good. I eat a lot of natural and organic food and snacks so I was very pleased to see they have a good selection. Specifically, they had cup of fruits, apple sauces, and natural frozen vegetables and sandwich meat. I was looking for some natural fruit spread/​jelly and didn’t find one however. Also — even though they had soy milk and almond milk, they didn’t have the specific vanilla-​almond-​fiber milk I buy for my daughter. After Aldi I had to go to Safeway to get it. However, I was able to get 95% percent of everything I needed which was fantastic.
My cashier was very nice and professional. She explained to me about the cart and quarters and let me use a cart for free to get back to my car. I appreciated that.
The biggest shock came when I saw my bill. Talk about BLOWN away. WOW — their prices are fantastic!
I am a new Aldo fan; absolutely. I went home and looked at my Safeway receipt from the week before (I keep them just in case I need to return something) and I literally saved 50%. This will go a very long way into helping my own budget for my family. I really wish I knew about this place sooner. I will still go to the big name stores or Trader Joes for my specialty veggie-​bacon, special almond milk, and body products. If I really need other name brand stuff — Family Dollar sells lots of name brand food for great prices too — like Oreo cookies and Doritos. — but for the other 95% of the stuff I need each week Aldi’s is all I need. Their Aldo «Doritos» aren’t bad and are worth it for the most part. The other Aldo food I’ve eaten so far has been good. Their fruit selection isn’t huge, but it’s the staples and at prices that you’ll be excited about. I got strawberries and banana’s. I wanted blueberries, but didn’t see any. They also had apples and avocados and a few other things.
When I asked them what I could use to pay — they said something weird and I asked «what’s that?» and they responded with ‘food stamps’. So this place takes food stamps, debit, and cash. This doesn’t bother me at all; I should use my credit card less anyway. Also, this store clearly caters to folks who don’t have a lot of money or who don’t want to spend a lot of money. There were people in the store that ‘looked’ poor, but no one gave me a problem, acted rudely or anything like that. The lines were long but they moved quickly. One reason for the speed is that they don’t bag your groceries for you. This surprised me but didn’t bother me. I was honestly too giddy about using only 50% of my grocery budget instead of 100% like usual that I was more than happy to bag up my own food.
I think everyone should give this store a try if you’re trying to spend your money wisely.
Aldi is my new go-​to store. I plan to get everything I can from here first and then go to other places for the couple of other stuff I can’ t get at Aldi. I really feel fortunately to have found this place; it’s really going to help my family and our goals.
Thank you Aldi!

Cheapest grocery store around! I really like the food it tastes great. And I made the math once– I think we save about $ 5,000 a year :) yes please. Trip to Japan coming up

I used to go to Aldi all the time when I lived in the Northeast, but when I moved back down here, I thought the closest one was way out in Virginia somewhere. I was wrong! I don’t know how long this location has been here, but somehow I just discovered it. I absolutely love Aldi. For those who don’t know the concept: they stock primarily generic brand stuff, some «special buys» that are name-​brand, and a fairly small selection of meats, veggies, and frozen foods. Everything I have ever gotten has been very good quality. I once saw a special on the Food Network about Aldi and they explained that the generics are made in the same factories as the name-​brand items, but they don’t have the name, so you’re not paying for advertising, branding, etc. The selection of meats and veggies may be limited, but they have all the basic necessities and even some less conventional items. The prices almost always beat the regular grocery store chain prices (except occasionally when there’s a really good sale at the normal grocery). For example, today I got bananas for 44 cents/​lb, beefsteak tomatoes for 50 cents/​lb, and fuji apples for $ 1.23/lb (which ordinarily isn’t that wonderful, but right now it’s hard to find apples for less than $ 1.50/lb). Those prices are better than Costco!
As others have mentioned, you have to put a quarter in to get a cart, but who cares? You get your quarter back when you bring the cart back, which keeps the parking lot clear of stray carts, and keeps cost down because they don’t have to pay someone to walk around outside and do the job you could do yourself.
They don’t take credit, but they take debit. The store is clean and the parking is free.
I highly recommend Aldi for all your household essentials and anything else you’d be willing to buy generic.

I shop at the Langley Park location and it is pretty cheap comparing to the Giant near to my house but please, I am surprised not to see any phone number on the receipt, hard to get it on internet. Do they have a phone number? I guess that I would have to ask the cashier next month when I will go there!!!
YOLANDE

Why does this place close at 8pm?!? Comparing this Aldi’s location to Save A lot, this place SUCKS! The New Hampshire location is very small and the selection is very small. Who made up the idea to pay a quarter to use one of the stores shopping carts?!? Rent a cart? Why? I really thought this place was a joke. Trader Joe’s owns this chain?!? LOL Dont waste your time just go to Save a Lot or Shoppers.

ok, i know that this is basically the cheap grocery store, and that you kind of have to take what you can get as far as the… environment.
i’m used to aldi, the stinky people, the crowdedness, forgetting a quarter for your cart and having to lug everything around, and not having bags, i can deal with all this.
there was a DRUNK guy, and we are talking wasted drunk outside the store taking peoples carts from them so he could get quarters, and being a real pest. the security guard wouldnt do anything about it, it was a mess, just go to a better area if you have the time…

Not your typical grocery store, however it is a good place to brush up on your Spanish speaking skills since that is the common language spoken here.
As the previous reviewer stated, it probably won’t have everything you are looking for, especially brand names. It is a poor man’s Trader Joe’s. I wasn’t aware that it’s owned by the same company. This chain is based out of Batavia, IL.
As far as the products go, take a risk ast the unknown. Most products are pretty good! They sell oatmeal cranberry cookies in a tub for $ 2.99 and they are really good. Similar to stuff you’ll find in Costco (Richfood brand). They sell a frozen food brand called Sea Queen and when they have it, the salmon in puff pastry is delicious ($ 4.99 for a 2pk). The shrimp and crab cakes I bought for $ 3.99 are like the Phillips frozen ones in the big chain grocery stores; not the best, but not terrible.
I’d probably come here from time to time, but this isn’t where I’d do my regular shopping. I am the Coupon Queen after all, and you can’t use coupons on off-​brand products.
no-​name brands = lower prices.

First — the Aldi website will try to tell you this location is in Langley Falls, MD. Indeed, there is a post office with the same name that shares a parking lot, but Google Maps knows no such place and neither do I. It’s in Takoma Park — use this address to get directions.
If you’ve never been to an Aldi’s, but need to save money on groceries, get ready to get excited. This is a pared down grocery store. It is unlike any other grocery store I’ve been to. It is owned by the same company as TJ’s and is it’s discount distant cousin.
This will be a long review (I know you’re shocked) because it will double as a primer for Aldi beginners. Please have patience with me. Contact me with questions as there will be a test.
Basics to know:
–Most shelf items are displayed in packed boxes on pallets. No displays and few shelves. Customers pick up the boxes for their own use so you can always get to the product.
–There are very few, if any brand name items here. Most are private label. Don’t be scared — I’ve consumed Aldi’s products for 14 years and have had one bad experience.
–It is similar to TJ’s in that the number of unique products is low I think about 1600. There are four aisles — that’s it. You can get 90% of groceries you want from this store.
–People come here to stock up. Lines are therefore long. It is probably not wise to come here for only 10 items. Come here to stock up, in the DC area these stores are somewhat out of the way.
–Hours are limited. This is not the 24 hour megamart even when located in the suburbs. Check before you go.
–Fresh produce is limited, and not super, especially when items aren’t in season. I stick to staples and frozen veggies (as I do with most places) which are picked and frozen at the peak time.
Tips for you, the informed Aldi shopper:
–You put in a quarter to release the cart, and get your money back when you return the cart. Two dimes and a nickel will not cut it unless someone returning their cart will take your change for their cart.
–No free bags — you can buy paper/​plastic/​insulated ones there, but You earth-​friendly Washingtonians already have your reusable shopping totes, right? You can also pick up empty boxes throughout the store to carry heavier items and keep the cans from rolling around your car.
–They do not take credit cards or checks. Bring cash or your check/​debit card.
They do these unique things to save you money. Groceries can cost half of what they would other places. You aren’t paying for bags, a cart collector, manufacturer displays, or credit card processing fees through inflated store prices.
Review specifically of this store: It’s mayhem on Sunday. I know this is shocking for a grocery store. At this place it’s a bigger problem because it’s not clear where you line up. (Note to the management: paint lines on the floor before you leave one night.) My biggest complaint was other customers: they were rude — cutting the line, verbally aggressive. angry at the long lines, and getting in the way of staff stocking the story. (I’m sorry you cannot squeeze by those pallets unless you break the laws of physics.) I got excellent boneless, skinless chicken here for 2.60 a pound — regular price. A five pound bag of sugar (identical no matter what brand) was under $ 2. I plan on stocking up here for holiday baking.
Still with me? Excited about your very first trip?
Short summation: If you know the rules, it’s a good place to stock up on discount basics. *Remember the quarter!*