Eli R.
Yelp
I give it one star because they do, technically, sell food.
At the busiest times of the day (before work, after work, weekends), they have the fewest number of staff members working. One register open only, at all times. Many (NOT ALL) staff members are rude, un-engaged, and do not know the store, the products offered, or where to find them. Yesterday after work I stood in line for 30 minutes to buy a bag of cat food. This is a constant problem. I walked out and mentioned to the security guard, "I wish you all could open more than one register at the busiest times of the day," and he said "Not at this place. Will never happen."
The fresh food is often spoiled or bad to begin with.
They've been receiving this sort of feedback for years and have done nothing to remedy the situation. This is because they know they don't have to. They're located in an up and coming neighborhood and are the only game in town for a few blocks in either direction (unless you want to go to Save-a-lot) so they have a tiny monopoly and can afford to understaff the store, understock the shelves, and underserve every customer. If you visit the Safeway in Canton, or any Safeway in a Baltimore suburb, you will notice an ENORMOUS difference in the cleanliness of the store, the number of employees, the quality of the food, and the quality of service. It is no surprise that this store takes advantage of operating out of a low-income neighborhood and feels it can treat its customers like trash. It's no different than many, many other Baltimore businesses.
The Giant in Barclay is a much better place to shop. Better prices, friendly staff and better quality food. This Safeway is garbage.