Balducci's

Balducci’s Soups Old Town Alexandria Virginia takes justifiable pride in its unique shops, and for foodies, it doesn’t get much better than Balducci’s, directly across from District Taco on South Washington Street. The fresh prepared food is unlike anything I’ve seen in even the most upscale DMV grocery stores - made from scratch, comfort foods like meatloaf, coconut shrimp, short ribs – there’s a whole line of expertly crafted and wholesome foods for lunch or dinner. I went there today to check out the soups and found a cream of roast turkey soup and homestyle chicken noodle soup, and in rotation I’ve found an outstanding turkey chili, broccoli cheddar, potato and ham, and a wholly unique and very tasty beef lasagna soup. The offerings can be a bit pricy, but not out of line with other upscale grocery stores, and a real bargain when compared to the price of entrees at the restaurants in Old Town. The meat and fish counters are an absolute joy to behold, and now that Safeway and Balducci’s have merged I’ve been able to earn and spend customer loyalty points in a way that pretty much offsets the slightly higher prices in the meat department.

Bad experience, even though the young woman who checked us out was exceptional. I didn't get her name, but she was on duty on Sunday, April 6, 2025, at 11:30. For 15 minutes or more she tried to apply the Balducci app, and she knew what she was doing. However, the app would NOT work due to poor wi/fi. The manager wouldn't allow the clerk to apply anything without the app, thus we got no specials nor the once-a-month 10 percent discount. We enjoy the good food and the pretty store, and are willing to pay high prices occasionally, but it will be a long time before we go back - if ever. This is unfair.

A very nice store. Fresh seafood and meats. I was asked to buy bread; must have been good; there was only one left. Nice peaople

Save your receipt in case the meat they sell you turns out to be rotten - they declined to give me another chicken to replace the one I bought and that was very off when I opened it up at home. Apparently without the receipt, or the chicken, there's nothing they could do. I wish they'd trust their customers and stand by their produce, for a high end place it seems a bit miserly.

Honestly certain employees who are at the front of the store are very rude. I bought some wine one time from this store and there was only one lane open. When I went through the line, the lady had this very frustrated passive aggressive attitude as if she was mad that I went through her register or something. It’s just really inconvenient to experience that as a human being because i don’t deserve that. It made me not want to shop here anymore.

I absolutely hate a rude cashier. I told the lady that the orange juice was spilling and she just took it off. She did not try to help her nothing when I told her about the rest of them being open, she just ignored me and brushed me off.

Their is a few people who work here with a nasty attitude. They mistreated me and did not help me to my needs. Their names are Mary, Raad, and Vicky. They don’t properly handle their products, especially the produce. It’s a shame since it was my first time coming here and will probably be my last unless something can be done about the attitude and workmanship of these employees.

The store always exceeds expectations with their fresh seafood (so fresh it smells sweet!), their meats trimmed for you by a real butcher, their deli meats sliced the appropriate thickness, their fresh produce that lasts a good while in the fridge. Still loving them after many years! Edit: Shortly after writing my glowing review, I stopped shopping here for over a year. I was terribly disappointed with freshness on 3 shopping trips in a row. Staff is always extremely courteous and understanding, but they seemed to have changed their core standards! Anyway, I'm giving them another chance. Hopefully they'll redeem themselves in my eyes. I still hate the new app though (so do the cashiers)!

I've always been a fan of Balducci's! This location, although small in size, is packed with a great selection of goods and gourmet finds. I mean, sometimes you're a regular grocery store just does not cut it. When looking for a unique item or specialty kind of meat.... In steps places like this. And, you realize you've made a great choice from the minute you walk through the door. This location has a lot of fresh product the day I came here and that's always a good sign and plus in my book. No rotten fruit on display, weird smells, bright, clean and more importantly ..... no fruit flies! For those that are picking shoppers, know what I mean!! lol. I was shopping for thick cut bone-in ribeyes. I had two in-hand from another grocery store and was shopping for two more. The butcher shop at Balducci's not only had them in stock but they were over twice the size, had better marbling and color, and overall seemed just more fresh than that of the ones I picked up elsewhere. Just browsing all their cuts of meats and seafood varieties was an experience to set any cook or home chef's mind to imagining the possible. When I need fine cuts of quality meat I will keep these folks at the top of my list that for sure. Also, you can't go wrong with the bakery items offered here. I oftentimes buy a couple of goodies that originally was not on my shopping list because everything catches your eye and entices you. In all, a great store and shopping experience overall. This location is not necessarily my favorite Balducci's location but it is quick and convenient to get to from my home and work location when heading home.....which makes it a winner in my book. Two thumbs up and I recommend!

Local grocery store, there is some street parking as well as parking garage. The prices are a little higher than what you normally would pay but I did notice some unique items that you might not find else where. The meat section and prepared food items looked like they have some decent food items.

Balducci's Soups Old Town takes justifiable pride in its unique shops, and for foodies, it doesn't get much better than Balducci's, directly across from District Taco on South Washington Street. The fresh prepared food is unlike anything I've seen in even the most upscale DMV grocery stores - made from scratch, comfort foods like meatloaf, coconut shrimp, short ribs - there's a whole line of expertly crafted and wholesome foods for lunch or dinner. I went there today to check out the soups and found a cream of roast turkey soup and homestyle chicken noodle soup, and in rotation I've found an outstanding turkey chili, broccoli cheddar, potato and ham, and a wholly unique and very tasty beef lasagna soup. The offerings can be a bit pricy, but not out of line with other upscale grocery stores, and a real bargain when compared to the price of entrees at the restaurants in Old Town. The meat and fish counters are an absolute joy to behold, and now that Safeway and Balducci's have merged I've been able to earn and spend customer loyalty points in a way that pretty much offsets the slightly higher prices in the meat department.

This review is about damage in the parking lot. Some of the spaces apparently have red metal sprinkler pipes installed above them. We pulled in, we are in a sedan, not even a higher SUV, I popped the trunk to get our shopping bags out to take into the store, and the trunk door went up, banged right into the sprinkler and the paint was chipped. If our lower sedan had that happen, a higher up SUV must have encountered that problem also. A warning, or putting some foam around the pipe would have saved us going to the dealer to get this repaired.

An unfortunate update. I buy their vegan Mac and cheese pretty regularly but a few times there has been a weird aftertaste. This time I happened to look at the expiration date and the item had expired 6 days BEFORE I even bought it. Idk what what's going on at Balducci's but this is truly unacceptable and I just cant trust this place anymore. This is unsafe and putting the health of local citizens at risk.

The last few months the service there has been very bad. There would be people at registers only to tell you they aren't open and go to a self check out. Not even in a polite way. Some people are decent (people working in the allies) but some have no common courtesy and personal skills (most of the register people). They seem demotivated and not happy to work there. I hope you will find a solution for this as I don't feel like coming there anymore. It is such a bad ambiance.

At least at other expensive supermarkets they smile and treat you nicely while they take your money. I approached the only checkout that didn't have a "closed" sign on it only for the unpleasant cashier to say "Oh no, no, no! Only self checkout is open after 9pm" There are so many better ways to speak to your customers while you rob them.

Picky back on a few reviews regarding service. People at the register were not friendly and rude. Nothing special about the products, I would say equivalent to Safeway.

If I can leave a 0, I would. I bought 3 pieces of grey sole fish tonight, and when I got home, I notice the smell was very bad. So I tried giving it a good wash then cooking it despite. However, I should have listen to myself as even after cooking, it tastes very spoiled, and have a terrible smell still. I ended throwing it away. I called balducci to let them know so that they can be careful and not sell it to others. They offered a refund, but I don't need a refund. I went to them for the quality and for as expensive as they charge compare to other grocery, this is below par. I don't mind paying quality. But they have high prices without quality, I am terribly disappointed.

I used to come here at least once a month and on special occasions for terrific fresh meat, seafood and cheese options. I knew it was expensive but it was always a treat. I noticed a trend of less friendly staff and lower quality food. Yesterday I went to grab some items to pull together a nice charcuterie board after a long week. I'd never had an issue with quality before but when I got home I noticed one cheese was over a month past it's sell-by date and the pate was just at its sell-by date but when I opened it, it smelled rancid. I also downloaded a 10% off coupon from the app and was chastised by the checker when I put my phone number in apparently rendering the app coupon useless. After her literally staring at me without a solution, a manager came by and helped. The checker said "we will give it to you this time." Her tone sounded like I was trying to scam them. I went back today with the two outdated items and asked the checker, an apathetic 30-something, if there is a customer-service booth. I started to explain the food was expired and he interrupted me and said "Give them to me. I'll just refund you." No "I'm sorry for your trouble" or even eye-contact. He was actually visibly annoyed with me. I should have said something but just needed to leave. I promise I was polite and since I'd never had an issue before went in thinking it was just a rare bad experience. Granted I'm not a regular but when I have gone in the past it has been fine. I believe everyone should be treated with respect but to add insult to injury, I have metastatic breast cancer in my bones, so a trip to the store for me is usually well-planned and infrequent. I feel like since they've been acquired by a larger company they just don't care anymore. I gave an extra star for the crab cake which was delicious but if I'm going to go out of my way to buy cheese that's over $20/lb it should be well-organized and not expired. And whether I spend $40 on a cheese plate (me) or $180 on a couple steaks (not me), I should at least get a "thank you." Just a really disappointing experience all around. Wegmans it is.

We decided to purchase everything Balducci's for Christmas dinner. From the beautiful sauce (delicious) to the fresh sausage, meats and cheeses (ricotta/mozzarella) we used in making in our lasagna, to dessert, it was all fabulous! We spoke to the bakery while we were there and the baker showed us delicious apple pies, too! It was easy to assemble my lasagna from these quality ingredients. Thanks Balducci's for making our Christmas easy & delicious!

This store is conveniently located for us but hardly our first choice, mostly because the employees' attitude stinks. Nearly all the checkers are checked out, not saying hi, not making eye contact, not acknowledging your existence. By the looks of other reviews, we're not the only ones to experience icy service. This is bad business for any store, let alone one that charges a premium.

Just a fancy grocery store with tons of stuff pretty much what'd you expect which is nice

Meh. usually specialty markets are pretty good but this one not so much. i expected better. i came here for a deli sandwich. i was unimpressed. the sandwich took a while to make, and i asked the lady for coleslaw on it and she replied with let me check if we have it, even though there was a pile of it in the glass case. the sandwich was put together terribly. barely any dressing, the pastrami was bland, and 10 slices of Swiss with dry coleslaw. i grabbed a bag of fries- those were good and cheap. the other items in the glass case looked good but after tasting my sandwich, i am not sure if i want to try the other stuff. the meat counter looked phenomenal. i'm sure the meat is good. i grabbed a loaf of sourdough. I have had better at whole foods, wegmans, etc. i grabbed a prepared caesar salad with chicken, that was good. I wish it came with more dressing. it is a nice grocery store and i am sure you can find some good stuff here but its expensive. I feel like basic products are marked up just for the sake of it. I am not sure what makes their products better than any other place. but im annoyed at the sandwich situation. lol the check out was annoying too. there was only one cashier working, at least have two. I MAY come back if i want french fries for cheap, and if i want to splurge on some meat for a special occasion. but overall, meh.

As indicated in many other recent reviews, the quality of the staff has really gone downhill in the three years I've shopping here. Today was the final straw: I had to wait half an hour for coffee after reporting that it needed to be refilled. A manager told me that the checkout clerk was new and didn't know that he was supposed to do something when I reported that the coffee was out. That's no excuse given what Balducci's charges - the 7-11 up the block has much better staff.

I am giving a five star review for Balducci's cakes specifically. Whenever we have a special occasion, we always get a cake from Balducci's. And it never disappoints! We recently had one that was a coconut lemon cake and it was just delicious. We've also gotten chocolate with chocolate covered strawberries on top. The cake is moist and always has great flavor.

Deli staff needs serious improvement. Especially in the morning. Oftentimes there are not ingredients prepared. Staff does not have equipment ready if they are actually there. At least 50% of the time the breakfast item you request is not available for one reason or the other. Otherwise they do a decent job when they want to

I have been shopping from here for years and ordered grilled vegetables via instacart and found a grilled Maggot in my food. So gross.

Still the best deli counter - especially for Country Ham and Italian Dry Salami - but Wegmans is serious competition, with prices $2/lb less. And still the best cheese selection in the area. For holidays, the meals from the catering department can't be beat. Food is excellent, and between the cost of groceries, time spent cooking and shopping etc, it costs less than putting the meal together myself.

I was in the area and finally decided to go in. The last time I called the store was back in 2015 looking for Bubbies Mochi. They had an array of flavors. Tho 5 years later I'm hoping they would still carry the brand I was looking for. Alas they do not. Reason for the 5 stars is because they had something else that I found to be the Best Ever. Lemon Madeleines Their NY cheesecake was really good too Definitely recommend for a visit.

Has a nice selection of high-quality meats, cheeses and baked goods. But I would NOT recommend it. Cashiers seem to carry an attitude of "I don't want to be here" and are clearly not customer focused. Ran into minor issue with my account not be recognized, which meant my coupons would not work. Not a big deal but the 2 cashiers standing there just shrugged their shoulders and more or less pushed me on my way. Of course, that just compelled me to wait in line again to make sure my groceries were rung up correctly. Cost me a 5-minute wait, 2 signatures and a crabby look from the cashier!

Unbelievably disappointed in my "old love" Balducci's (Alexandria VA store). They have fallen hard. First of all, I absolutely hate the app for coupons. The old system of earning points was flawless. Why change? Now it's always a struggle at the checkout to try to figure out what coupons match what I have in my cart. I didn't plan my life around shopping once on the app then again in the store! Staff is still terrific, but there are not enough people. Biggest disappointment is of course quality. I'm happy to pay higher prices for great quality. That's now in the past. I've had to return rancid lobster meat, then rancid shrimp that I bought, trustingly, on the day I returned the lobster, and a loaf of clearly labeled "cranberry walnut" bread that turned out to be olive bread. My salad greens were wilted after a day in the fridge. UGH. What happened to you, Balducci's?!

Meh. I am not the biggest fan of over priced bourgeois food places. For example, one non-organic lime was $1, at Safeway around the corner .50c I did like the store brand sparkling wine. The meat and fish look as good or better than whole foods. This will be a place I go to only put of desperation or pure laziness because I can walk here vs a drive.

Love this store!! Clean, well stocked and friendly and warm atmosphere! Meat department can't be beat!! Nice wine selection. Deli counter has lots to offer.

This used to be a great store. But it was recently sold to a large chain. Since then, they have created an app that is not only difficult to use, but offers rewards and then erases them when you get to the checkout counter. I have routinely spent around $1000 a month at this store over the last few years. I thought maybe they were having problems with their app, but after talking to the manager, it seems more likely that they are purposefully cheating their customers. They also leave food items on the shelves that are months past the expiration date. I don't advise shopping here. It also appears that they are abusive to their cashiers since they have new cashiers every week. None of the cashiers seem to stay more than one or two weeks at this job.

Great in a pinch but pricey with a limited selection. If you're looking to grab a bottle of wine and some cheese on the way home Balducci's will get the job done, but overall it isn't where I get my groceries. Even their prepared meals lack oomph. The price aside, I find their deli style counter to be quite bland. They do have a nice selection of cakes though, and they sell a variety of ice cream treats if you are looking for a little something. Overall pricey with a small selection. Usually fairly clean.

Is it mind blowingly expensive? Yes. Is it an incredible grocery store with an insane selection of speciality items? Yes. So I think it's worth it when you need to make a great in home charcuterie board or make a special meal. I was able to secure Passover catering less than 24 hours before Passover, which I thought was incredible. Everyone loved the food and raved about it and wants to get catering there every year now. The desserts were especially enjoyed.

There is a cashier here who is so clueless that it's frustrating and mind blowing all at once. Today, was my second time dealing with her cluelessness and I'm astounded. Episode 1: green and yellow squash were on sale for the same price, say $2.99 per lb. As such, I placed both my green and yellow squash in the same produce bag. When I got to the register, I informed this cashier that the diff colored squash were on sale for the same price. She then proceeds to ring the single bag of produce up under the code for green squash, then rings the same bag up as yellow squash; IE she rang ONE bag of produce up TWICE so that I would've been paying double for a single bag. I'm shocked that a cashier who deals with money has done this, but she was young so I explained to her that since the squash were on sale for the same price, she only needed to ring the squash up once. Do you know this girl went back and forth me telling me that the same bag of produce had to be rung up twice to account for the different colors?! Mind blown. I finally convinced her to realize the error of her ways after about 2-3 mins, which is a long time to discuss a simple checkout issue. Episode 2: today, I grab a package of chicken salad which is prepared in house. Apparently, the package I picked up didn't have a barcode label on it with the price, so the cashier went over to look at the price. She came back and rang the item up at $10.99. I asked her if the item itself was $10.99 or if it sold for $10.99/lb since it's a deli item. She stated that it was $10.99 flat, which I know to be false, so I asked her to go double check. She came back and confirmed that the item was $10.99 per lb and proceeded to place the item in the bagging area-- without weighing it to determine the actual price! Unreal. I then instructed her that she'd need to weigh it to get the exact dollar amount. She then argued with me saying that she didn't have a scale at to weigh it (though the register has a produce scale built in), and seemingly implied that I'd just need to pay $10.99. Another cashier saw what was happening and chimed in, picked up the item, and said "oh yeah, this will be about $10.99 bc this is about a pound"... WHAT? This isn't rocket science. If something is sold by the pound, WEIGH IT! I don't care how much you think it weighs. This was extremely annoying so I told the cashier to forget it and take the chicken salad off altogether. She then voided the entire purchase and rang everything up again and nearly threw my receipt at me. Please train your staff better bc this cashier seems legitimately clueless. The examples above are situations that have simple solutions, yet she couldn't figure them out. Side note: Balducci's is cool, but overpriced. It's way more expensive than Whole Foods, which is expensive, yet its selection isn't any more gourmet.

I hate this store with all my heart. It's pretentious, overpriced, and the deli counter couldn't be any slower if they tried, but it's the only place in Alexandria I can find San Daniele prosciutto.

From local farms to delicious delicacies far across the seas, this Balducci's, and I would imagine all of them, bring together the finest, freshest, most extraordinary prepared foods and ingredients for foodies of every stripe; the passionate, the adventurous or the most discerning munchers among us! It really is a great place to enjoy the rare, the ripe and the fresh! Yes, it's a bit more expensive and perhaps not for everyone's everyday food shopping, but it's a great place to graze and gather and enjoy!

I have never had a bad experience at Balducci's ever. When I go in for a special item and it is not in the case there is always someone willing to check for me. Always a pleasant shopping experience .

Got Christmas dinner from Balducci's and it was SO disappointing. Skimpy portions for the price and very vague reheating instructions. Won't return.

I love overpriced bourgeois gourmet food places but unfortunately Balducci's is getting further and further away from the gourmet. Add to that customer service is getting worse and worse. After many years of having a rewards card all of the sudden a week or two ago they wouldn't take it anymore. Told me I had to enter my phone number but since my phone number was never entered in the first place that wouldn't work. People in the store couldn't help me. I tried calling the store and they never even answered the phone. So I tried to talk to customer service when I went there the last time and then they told me I had to call this other number. So I gave up. The last three times I was there I couldn't even get guacamole. They were out, three times in a row. (Edit, It's now the last four times in a row. I give up.) It's been a while but they also used to have really good variety of smoked salmons that you could order by the pound. Norwegian, Gravlax, Scottish salmon. No more. It's been no more for many years. I hear another gourmet food store called Foxtrot is going to be coming here later this year. Maybe that will be an alternative for me. I really hate going places, paying a lot of money and then being treated like my business isn't worth having.

I used to really enjoy shopping here but have noticed over the years the dismal customer service, i.e., nobody greets you or says hello, employees look unhappy, cashiers barely make eye contact or say thank you after ringing up the purchase. Despite the really cool kitschy hard-to-find items I like to buy even if it's a bit pricey, it's no longer worth my time or money coming here. The negative energy of the employees encompassing the store overrides any desire of mine to shop here. The last time I was here, an item I purchased the night before rang up the regular price instead of the sale price. When I came back the next day to get reimbursed, the female cashier gave me a hard time aka an " attitude". What I mean is that I had to interpret the receipt (that should be her job), tell her where the item was in the store (also should be her job to know), and conclude I wanted a refund for the price difference (also should be her knowledge toolbox). She never apologized for the error or inconvenience of having to come in. I won't be coming back. I'd rather walk a few blocks past this place to the Safeway or drive to nearby Trader Joe's or Harris Teeter. Management really needs to provide customer service training to employees or stop hiring people who do not want to be there.

Let's start with the plusses: 1. The store is conveniently located in Alexandria and has underground parking. 2. The deli/prepared foods folk, bakery staff and fish mongers are wonderful. Ask them anything. They're always smiling and helpful. 3. The store is always clean. Now for the minuses: 1. The cashiers are borderline rude if not downright rude. All of them. All. The. Time. Seriously, what happens between the few steps between the deli counter and the cashier? I've witnessed one make a fool out of an elderly man for not knowing how to use a chip credit card and others roll their eyes over a shopper's head about her!! I've heard them use choice language and complain about everything in the world - from their shifts to other co-workers to customers. Unreal. If I were still in operations mgmt and they worked for me? Well, they wouldn't work for me. I'd have fired them all. 2. The fish in the prepared foods section is farm raised. For the price they're charging, that's insane. Just understand the lack of product quality when you purchase. I assume the salmon used for the sushi is also farm raised. Really bad for you. Imagine thousands of fish packed densely into tight quarters. Imagine them dying on top of each other, defecating onto each other, getting each other sick all the time. Yes, that's farm raised fish. Feel free to pay the ridiculous rates they're charging for it there. You can get farm raised fish at Aldis or Safeway for almost nothing . . . 3. The salad bar needs rubber bands. Why am I paying the rates I'm paying only to have everything fall all over the place in the car? Every supermarket secures its food except here. Why? 4. The soups are bland, bland, bland. Be careful of those lids. They don't fit well. I would transfer the soup to a real container as soon as you get home - if it makes it there. Half the time I get a sandwich it's great. Half the time the bread is soggy or stale. Hmmm. 5. I can't fault them for selling the exact same products as Trader Joe's or Safeway or Giant and charging exponentially more. If you're willing to pay the price, that's on you. But you should know that there are lots of places selling what they sell much more cheaply. Bottom line? If I am paying 5-star rates, I don't expect 2-star food quality and cashier service.

If I could give ZERO stars I would! I left home specifically to get to this grocery store before they close as no other stores nearby sell the product that I was looking for. I was scheduled to arrive 11 mins before close but took the wrong exit and arrived 6 minutes before closing. I only needed one item. The staff and manager there had just blocked off the entrance and locked the main door - at 6 minutes to 9pm- and would not let me in!!!! They looked at me and then walked off! So rude! Will never shop here- would have been my first time at this store!!!

Pass the Shropshire. Balducci's covers a lot of bases. U.S.D.A. Prime dry ages steaks? Check. Real Sushi? Check. Shropshire, stilton, red dragon, duck pate, D'artagnon fois gras, and nuff du pape? Check all around. Don't bother griping out the price. This is not the place for coupon clippers...and if you're going to buy expensive cuts of meat, make sure you know what to do with them. I love walking over in the evening, or stopping on my way home from work, to buy something completely ridiculous and decedent to spoil my good Lady. There is very little in the store that I actually Need...the point is that I Choose to buy absurdly expensive cheese and caviar because I don't take a single meal I share with Mary for granted. Balducci's...an epicurean's playground.

Ok, I have driven past Balducci's for years without giving the place a second thought. I mean as you're flying down Washington street, it really does seem to be a bit of an inconvenience to pull over and search for parking. However, the other day the Gods must have stepped in, because I could feel their foodie food angels turning my steering wheel toward Balducci's One Hour Free Street Parking. "How bad can it be?" I thought. "I will be in and out in 15" Well, I was wrong, for it really took me about 30 minutes to browse Balducci's gourmet isles. This place has it All!!! But let me just say it loud and say it proud: Balducci's has Chopped Chicken Liver!!! Balducci's has Chopped Chicken Liver!!! Now, if you live in New York, this really isn't such a big deal, but here in Alexandria, finding a place that sells my favorite deli staple is about as easy to find as Bilbo Baggins snagging a magic ring in the dark. Why even our "New York" style deli doesn't carry it. So, Balducci's, you are my oasis of delicious chopped chicken liver deliciousness. However, it doesn't stop here, for Balducci's has a selection of gormet foods that would make the ghost of Julia Child smile. I really do suspect that she might be haunting Balducci's isles. Hey, maybe it was her steering me towards a selection of prepackaged Indian meals that have managed to change my refrigerator's landscape to the truly yummy. Yes, those shelves now overflow with Chicken Vindaloo, Chicken Marsala, and Chopped Chicken Liver. Yum!! Thank you foodie angels wherever you are..

This place was extremely overpriced. It was a unique market experience but it wasn't worth the price and selections inside the store. Associates were friendly and available to assists and answer questions. Free parking for customer on the next street over and little right inside. Maybe next thing we may try with this place is getting or ordering a cake. Otherwise, not our grocery scene in there at all.

Eva, in the Scarsdale New York Store is the best. She went out of her way to find baking chocolate that was not on the shelf. I needed the chocolate to bake a special cake for tonight. Its wonderful to have caring conscientious people like her working for this store. Thank you again for such great service. Denise Breda

Definitely has some overpriced items but I always drop by when I can if I'm on cake duty. Best Red Velvet cake in Northern Virginia. The cake is not too sweet, not too heavy but very very moist! Never will disappoint at a party.

Very poor service at check out. Five days earlier had been told to use my 10% coupon and save $10 coupon as that could be used any time. Specifically asked about expiration and told they "never expire". Today told $10 coupon had expired! Long wait while management was consulted, other shoppers delayed etc. Decided all this not worth$10, so I left and will not return to Balduccis as there are plenty of better shopping options. One expects better service at a high priced store

This place has some good stuff, but a lot of it is overpriced. It's a gourmet grocery store with gourmet prices - even on things you can find at most other grocery stores for less. The salad bar is ok - better than the big boy grocery stores - but not as good as Whole Foods (which I hate for other reasons) and their hot bar has some good stuff on there sometimes, while other times it's a joke. The employees are nice though, and the wine prices are fairly competitive. I suspect that this store is kept alive primarily by clueless, insular, rich elderly Caucasians that have no idea about any other options. I don't feel too sad for them though - they have all that money you know.

Again for a second week, Balducci's has hit it out of the park! Today it was CeeCee, I apologize if am butchering your name, pardon the pun:-) CeeCee gave me the same outstanding customer service I received as the week before with Marc. She treated me like a long time customer. She hand picked out a wonderful Sakura Wagyu ribeye, which I demolished tonight. It was divine. Ceecee was yet another example of customer that many specialty stores have yet to master. Bravo again for Mr. Knight's deft management of this Alexandria Balducci's. I am now officially an eternal customer! Thanks again:-) Gail

Great place to get my Napa Valley's ... Green Valley Organics lactose free butter supply and other high quality actual dairy products ..... and they deliver!!!

This would easily get a 4 or 5 star rating if not for the ridiculous sky-high prices. Think of this place as an even more pretentious, high-end Whole Foods: unique, healthy, sometimes bizarre, always expensive selections. There is a hot bar, salad bar, cold sandwiches, and made-to-order sandwiches and such, in addition to a comprehensive, neat bakery. The yogurt covered pretzels are to die for.

Horrible place! Their staff is downright abusive to customers. Most cashiers are incredibly rude and obviously lack proper customer service training. They refuse to say hello or thank you...even after saying thank you to them most typically just ignore. A woman named "Frey" is one of the worst. The meat/fish counter is also terrible. I remember a time last year when myself and another customer who was an elderly woman were standing in line waiting for service. It was at least an hour before store closing. A man from behind the counter came out and yelled at us both for standing there and said "the meat is closed for the evening!" This not only made us both feel bad, but was embarrassing. How would one know the meat/fish counter closed before the rest of the store? Today, I had another terrible interaction at the meat/fish counter with a man named Benjamin. It was shortly after 7 pm and the store was scheduled to close at 9. He was already in the process of taking all the food from the ice. I asked him if he by chance had any salmon filets. He looked disgusted at my question and rudely asked how many pounds I needed. I said I needed about 4 fillets. He rudely shook his head and claimed he didn't know what that meant, and proceeded to say "ma'am they are $22.99 a pound so how many pounds do you need?" while continuing to rudely shake his head. Usually at a meat/fish counter you can ask for 4 fillets and they will happily accommodate the request, often showing the first fillet cut and asking if that size was alright. Why is there such a rude, toxic atmosphere among employees at this store? Although the store looks nice, who would pay these prices to be treated like this by their employees? Shame on you Balducci's of Alexandria!

NEVER order catering from this place. We ordered $230 (!!) worth of food for a small office party and these platters were so small. Everyone was carefully tiptoeing around not getting too much and my boss was very nervous the whole time we'd run out. We called to clarify if this truly was the correct size of food. They told us it was and weren't really accommodating. We ordered 1 sandwhich platter, 3 side platters is all we got and we only had ~15 individuals at the party. Sure it's one pound each but don't let that fool you- it comes in a bowl the size of a small mixing bowl. My boss normally loves Balducci's but this time was just really disappointed and plans on never ordering catering from here again.

mostly stopped going when they closed down their hot food and salad bars. but I did stop in for a cup of coffee the other day. only to discover that they are charging 11% tax on the coffee!!! Firehook around the corner charges something like 2.5%. Both charge $1.95. the tab with tax at Firehook is $2. at Balducci it's $2.17. Makes you wonder what other fast ones they're pulling.