Giant Food

Giant doesn’t value loyal consumers. I spend a lot of money per month doing grocery shopping. I am from Costa Rica and don’t like to carry my passport with me. I had two valid ID’s which they declined. I told them to call them to call the cops and they still declined my purchase. I wanted to buy a 24 pack of beers. The workers could also be much nicer. Go to Safeway instead; it’s cheaper and is in the same area

Found myself going to 3 Giants just to get things like prepared Kale Salad or Cream of Spinach. Also, sell dates on perishable items, dairy seem too short. The New Giant near the Cathedral on Wisconsin is convenient a new, but I have switched my shopping to the «Social» Safeway in Wisconsin in Georgetown. Worth the extra mile. Giant needs a rework on their ordering systems for sure. They should look at what customers ask for.

No need to put up with high priced food and diffident help at WHOLE FOODS any more. This new GIANT is terrific… good prices, especially the specials, courteous service at all the counters, e.g. Bakery, fresh meat and fish. Convenient parking underground.

All I’m saying is, be sure to check the sell by date on dairy products before you buy. On a positive note, they were fine with exchanging the milk that had expired 3 days ago.

I live closer to the Van Ness Giant. However, I love this location. The store has a HAPPY HOUR. Can you beat that? The shopping carts have wine glass holders! The drinks are excellent and they let you sample the drinks.
The store is much more like a suburban grocery store. There is plenty of space in the store, and they have great high ceilings. The parking garage is free with validation and it is easy to get in and out of the garage.
They have a great hot bar and salad bar. They do have a bigger selection of products than most stores in this area, which is nice.
Note: I can’t remember their names, but the people who work at the bar are ALWAYS super awesome!

Some of the workers in this store have a lot of attitude. On a recent trip there, a security guard near the self-​check out section asked to look into an empty Starbucks packing box that I had in my cart. She then pulled out a package of freshly ground Starbucks coffee in a Starbucks bag with a receipt and questioned me on it. Huh? I didn’t mind her taking a look in the box because she asked before she went ahead and stuck her hand in, but she continued to give me the stink eye until I left the store as if I had gotten away with something. Hopefully they haven’t issued this woman a gun.
I’ve experienced other instances of rudeness at this Giant, so I’m not shocked by it anymore and have pretty much come to expect it. At first it seemed random, but then I experienced it at the deli counter, in the bakery section, at the customer service desk and in the self-​checkout area, so it seems not to be a one-​off type of thing. This is not to say that there aren’t some good people working in this store, but the bad apples need to get their attitudes in check and management needs to step up its game so that customers like me don’t choose to shop somewhere else.
I’ve also had problems with some of the food I’ve purchased here — ice cream that had melted and then refroze, popular food items that are only sporadically stocked, etc. I like Safeway better and I think their prices are lower too so that’s where I do my main shopping now. I won’t patronize businesses whose employees think they’re doing me a favor by taking my money. I vote with my feet and go elsewhere.

I am obsessed with this giant. They have double the amount of natural foods (vegan, gluten free, ect.) as most other giants AND a bar near the entrance so you can booze and get your grocery shop on simultaneously. Glorious! I’m still getting used to the DC bag tax, so don’t forget your reusable bags if you’re new to the area or visiting.

This Giant is one of the best in the area. The parking is conveniently located and free, and there are always sufficient spots near the escalators and/​or elevators up to the store. This Giant has the largest overall variety of items of any grocery store I have been to in and near the Georgetown area. The employees at the self-​checkout are also quite polite and helpful when the machines fail to properly read my coupons, which is a frequent occurrence.
The pricing is usually more competitive than other grocery stores in the area, with the exception of alcohol. I have to go elsewhere for any wine and beer I want because it is far too expensive here.

The prices are pretty solid and the place is petty hip for a grocery store. They have all the basic needs but I’ve been underwhelmed by the meats. I think that is more of a reflection of the giant brand and not the specific store.

I prefer the Safeway on Wisconsin Avenue in Glover Park to this new Giant. One of the commenters said that the customer service at this Giant has gone down hill since it first opened and I agree. I would complain to the store’s management, but I doubt that they care. The employees are not trained and need to learn that saying «Have a nice day» doesn’t mean you’re providing good customer service — you actually have to answer a question or solve a problem in order to do that.
I was at the bakery counter and an employee asked if I wanted to sample one of the breads they were promoting that day. I put the sample in my mouth and then immediately removed it because it was so stale it was hard. I (nicely) told the bakery person that I was going to throw it out because it was too stale to eat, thinking she’d be happy that I let her know. She just shrugged and didn’t say a word! So they knowingly hand out samples of foods that aren’t even fresh and don’t care!
In general they’re probably not that different from any of the other grocery stores, but they seemed to have started out on such a good foot.

After coming here a few times sad to say the customer service terribly declined. Always have an issue with employee’s and their attitudes so I avoid.

A month ago or two when they opened I would have a totally different review– now that the staff has settled in their lack of training really shows!!! I am there once a week or more. Today while I was shopping a worker almost ran into me– then another started to help me and then abandoned me to help another worker with his customer. Then while checking out– my cashier was more into asking the manager when she could leave than finishing with me so i had to sit there while they talked! (you would think the manager would clue in a customer comes first, but she did not.) Then a silicone brush I was buying got caught in the conveyer belt– they pulled it out and told me «it’s fine»…I got home and tossed it knowing how many germs it just ‘brushed’!!!) very frustrated… what happened to customer service!!!

This used to be a sad, old tiny Giant with such narrow aisles, I am pretty sure they had miniature carts!
It took a long time, but they finally redid this and it’s amazing! I only made my way up there a few weeks ago for the first time despite the fact they opened in November, so it was very possible the «new» sheen was off and it could have been a big disappointment.
Firstly, the parking situation is great — they have this big parking garage that is easy to get into and out of — you can go in 2 ways which probably is helpful in avoiding a traffic buildup off of Wisconsin Ave on the weekends.
Once inside, the store is large, well lit and very welcoming. I was only getting a few items, but took the time to wander a bit. You immediately see the fresh produce, but they also have a bar and a large health food aisle which had a lot of gluten free stuff.
Overall, it’s a pretty standard supermarket — but for DC, it’s large with a lot of selection. I am really happy it’s here as it’s better and closer to me than the Giant in Van Ness which already feels tired and old.
I used the self checkout machines and everything was easy. The staff were helpful and friendly — I needed to get parking validated and it was done with a smile! It was convenient that they had both escalators and elevators to access the garage.
I really look forward to shopping here — it’s a great option for this area!

This is the centerpiece of the new Cathedral Commons development. A development which is far from finished, but the grocery store is open, so I’m reviewing it.
This is not a natural foods store as such, but they’ve made a real effort to sell themselves as one. Like many grocery stores, the produce is the first thing you see, but the second thing is likely to be their juice bar, and the third will be their natural health food aisle. The regular grocery store stuff is actually buried farther back. Selection was okay; oddly weak on milk alternatives, but strong on other things. Probably three stars on that basis.
It is, however, one of the easiest to navigate grocery stores in the area, and has a large self-​checkout area that apparently is using better technology than the other Giants I’ve visited because it didn’t mess with me as much as these things sometimes do. The store appears to be lit by genuine sunlight. What’s more, they were making a genuine effort on customer service throughout the store; I saw a number of people getting help, and though it sounds odd to say, they have the most pleasant and helpful employees at the self-​checkout area that I can recall seeing. All of that is enough to nudge them in the area of a four star rating. Their hours are also very generous; 6 am to midnight every day if I read correctly.
Transit notes: they have a garage, with 90 minutes free with validation and elevators and escalators to the store. The cathedral area is well away from the Metro, so you’re probably either walking or driving. For those that do not have a PhD in DC street maps, this section of Wisconsin Avenue is busy and does not have left turn signals for some reason, so try to avoid turning left by taking sidestreets if driving northwards.

This long-​awaited Giant replaced the dilapidated Giant that once stood in its place. I have to say that I’m definitely impressed. First of all, the store is large. There is actually enough room in the aisles to not be bumping into other people, and the selection is great. I was able to find all of my regular grocery items, as well as the speciality items I required. The store is well-​organized, and I was impressed with the overall quality of the goods there. The produce is fresh, and there is plenty of it (which is more than I can say for many grocery stores in DC).
The staff is unbelievably friendly. Employees say hello to you, ask if you found everything okay, and offer you a cart if you look like you might need one. I have also seen a couple Giant employees helping older people out to their cars with their groceries. This Giant is also well-​staffed. Every time I’ve been there, I’ve seen multiple people waiting to help in the self-​checkout area, and baggers for every checkout station. I know that the abundance of staff could be because this is the first week the store is open, but we shall see.
The store has a PNC bank, a Starbucks, and a little bar area where you can grab a beer or wine and get a growler filled. Also, there is garage parking. They will validate your ticket, but if you stay under 30 minutes, you don’t have to get validation, it’s free.
Overall, I’m impressed with the store and I look forward to continuing to shop there. This is a vast improvement over the last Giant that was there, and certainly rises above many of the other grocery stores in the area.