The Fresh Market

I should probably give this one star based on the experience, but we found a beautiful gift item in the floral department, and the store, overall, seems to have a good approach to food. However, this was my first experience with The Fresh Market, and I am not happy.
I came here because two friends of mine (fellow gourmet lovers) highly recommended The Fresh Market. The Saturday shrimp specials in particular drew me in. The produce section and the «perimeter shop» experience was good. The deli looked well-​stocked, and the row of roasted chickens looked delicious.
My first interaction was at the seafood department; I requested a half-​pound of the «peeled, no-​tail shrimp for $ 9.99 in the corner.» The server was efficient, not particularly outgoing, but friendly. He finished the order quickly, and handed me the wrapped shrimp. I placed it in my cart and went about the rest of my shopping. The shrimp ended up being the incorrect shrimp; I had to spend extra time peeling and deveining raw shrimp, which hindered my food-​prep on an already busy weekend.
Sure, that isn’t a HUGE problem, and could be overlooked. The bigger problem was the inadequate wrapping of the shrimp, which led to juices leaking out onto my radishes and apples, and into the baguette rounds, which had to be thrown out.
Back up to «went about the rest of my shopping.» After the seafood case, I visited the cheese case. I picked up a Stripey Jack, which appeared to be a lovely mixture of British cheeses. And it might very well have been, had it not had mould all over it. Strangely enough, the mould only appeared on spots that could not have been detected by looking at the wrapped cheese. So that all had to go into the trash, because the mould was dispersed enough that I couldn’t slice off and carry on.
I’m very disappointed, Fresh Market. I do most of my shopping at Wegmans, but always enjoy a local market that features unique items. I love Balducci’s in Old Town, and figured you would be another option. You left a very poor first impression on me, but people rave about you, so at best you are inconsistent. That makes me a nervous shopper.

Very nice upscale market for this location… I totally didn’t expect it. Great looking foods, lots of unique foods also! It was easy to get around in, well laid out. Friendly staff at deli and at checkout! Another hidden gem in Alexandria!

The good here — is REALLY good. And the bad, irritates the crap out of me to the extent that I pretty much only come here for certain things.
Reasons I come here:
Sushi — probably the best supermarket sushi around, so good I often stop by to get some and the staff is always happy to make mine fresh for me if I don’t see what I’m looking for.
Bakery department — love the fresh breads and pastries
Cooler with single beverages — I love trying new things, but don’t always want to by a 4 – 6 pk of them
Bulk candy — I don’t eat a lot of sweets but I like that I can bag up just a few treats when I want some
Coffee — they have a wonderful selection of whole bean coffee, there’s always a bag of the almond one at my desk at work
Yeah, then there’s the rest:
Produce — horribly over priced
Dairy/​Frozen foods — overall a weird selection of items carried and if I am in here for something from the sections I like, I’ve never once been able to just pick up something from my shopping list in the dairy & frozen section
Grocery section — meh, I can get most of these items elsewhere for better prices
Cheese dept — for selection and price, the cheese department is fine; my beef is with something I’ve encountered here on more than one occasion — false pricing of blocks of cheese. I’ve picked up 2 blocks of something an simply shocked when the obviously lighter of the 2 has a label that misstates its weight and therefore inflates its price. The frustrating part is really when I’ve tried to bring it so someone’s attention in the cheese department I’ve been met with what I can only classify as apathy about the error.
The meat section is pretty nice with a good variety of cuts offered and competitive prices for what you get. And with the exception of my experiences with people in the cheese department, Fresh Market’s staff is very helpful.
One thing to beware of — the tiles at the entrance and front of the store around the produce department get VERY slick when they are wet. Have done a nice wipe out on them trying to get a shopping cart :(

Really like this market. It’s a little pricey and they don’t have a lot of popular name brands but if you’re cool with trying new things (like an Arrabiata that’s not Ragu) you shouldn’t have a problem shopping here. Very clean. Friendly staff.

One of my favorite grocery stores. Admittedly it does not have quite as large of a selection as Whole Foods might, however it is a very pleasant and warm experience shopping here. They have lots of beautiful flowers, candies, fresh fruit, bakery and some grocery items. It’s more upscale and clean than Whole Foods but just a little bit less to choose from.

Reasonably-​priced on many things. Produce is a bit pricey. Employees look a bit lost. Selection is good. The design is something though. It looks like they took bits and pieces of Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and a boutique.

I am a fan of The Fresh Market. It is what I call a manageable size grocery store with top quality foods. If you are looking for 500 different types of breads, eggs and cereals this not the store for you. I find no pleasure going to super stores where they try to be everything to every one and your eyes glaze over when you walk in. I like a store which presents a smaller selection of great products and has a friendly staff on hand to assist you. Keep up the good work and thanks for taking the time to lend me helpful advice.
Kris J.

Checked this out yesterday. Not bad. Pricier than a MoMs and has less selection than Whole Foods, but I liked the layout and the décor. Both made me feel like I was in an upscale old country store. Nice to know that this is here if I need it, but I do not anticipate putting it into my regular rotation… psssst…particularly now that we have the big W amidst our shopping choices. I love the location, though. I’ve always had a soft spot for the Bradlee shopping center.

This fancy chain supermarket is always organized well and really clean. Some of fruits and vegetables are not that expensive. Organic steak tomato was $ 1.49lb. Massive watermelons were $ 3.99. 2 Blackberries for $ 5. They have a great selection of beer and wine. I wish more organic stuff were cheaper for everyday shopping.

I have mixed feelings.
The pros:
– The produce section is fantastic. There’s an impressive variety of top-​quality fruits and vegetables, always fresh and delicious and mostly in-​season. I’ve never been disappointed, and I’m happy to have this resource nearby my home. The produce section is head-​and-​shoulders above anything else in the area.
– The staff is helpful and polite. At the sushi bar workers are happy to fill special requests, and everyone, from the manager to the cashiers, treats me courteously.
– I’ve never bought anything that hasn’t been good.
The cons:
– This place is grossly overpriced. I have no problems with paying a premium for excellence, but the prices here exceed those of gourmet specialty shops.
– Grocery selections are limited. There are just a few short aisles of canned/​packaged foods. If you’re doing your grocery shopping, you’ll need to supplement with a trip to a broader-​based market.
– The interior design feels like a movie set. It’s as if someone took elements from Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, local co-​ops, and farmers’ markets and combined them into a fake ambiance. Food shopping at Disneyland…

Bought some not-​so-​fresh salsa from here that swelled up so much within a couple days I refused to open it. Took it back to the store and was told I couldn’t exchange it for another container of salsa without a receipt. Never had this issue at any other local store. Considering I spent hundreds on the trip when I bought the salsa, it’s insulting that they won’t replace an unopened, obviously unfresh item in good faith. For a supposedly upscale place, their customer service is atrocious.
1 extra star since the fried chicken is good, assuming you’re lucky enough to find any or feel like waiting half an hour to have them make some more.

It is possible to catch some deals here but its a needle in a haystack search sometimes. It is pricier than their competitor Whole Foods. All of the deli people I have encountered have all been pleasant and helpful.
Most things we’ve tried have been pretty good. One time I bought the parmesan crusted tilapia and it tasted like it had been sitting in a warehouse. The salads have all been really great. I really like the blueberry yogurt pretzels.
The last time I went the checkout lines were super long and a manager opened a register on the end and didn’t announce it. She was ringing up one woman while the other lines were getting longer. I finally stepped out of line and asked if her lane was open — it seemed like she didn’t want it to be known. Without looking up she said ‘yes it is’. Two other people in line moved over to her register with me and they both thanked me for speaking up and asking. They too, didn’t realize her register was open.
If the prices were more competitive I would shop here more often than Whole Foods as I live closer. Also, that one manager should work on being more friendly.

Just stopped by for lunch with a co worker. Food was okay, I had a chicken tandoori samosa and salad from the bar. Good price for lunch, and nice atmosphere for shopping. Stayed mostly in the produce section which was similiar in price to what I see at safeway or giant. Not really close to home, so i wouldn’t go out of my way to shop there, but good if you are looking for a quick, inexpensive bite to eat for lunch while at work.

I can totally do without this place. I wasn’t impressed. The prices are inflated, and I don’t see the quality in the product to be any better than buying from Whole Foods or for that matter your typical chain of Giant or Safe Way.
My husband and I made two trips to the grocery store today. We stopped by The Fresh Market initially to get groceries since we had grabbed lunch in the area, and thought it would be convenient. After picking up a few produce items and scanning the aisles for our typical essentials, we realized that we would be paying quite a bit more for the exact same name brand items we usually get at our local Giant. For the few items we did have, we went ahead and bought them and got out.
We later on went to Giant to get our other supplies saving us the money we would have spent here. Example — Stacy’s Pita Chips are $ 2 more at the Fresh Market than at Giant. Better save my money by visiting Giant for all my needs. Seriously, I just can’t get on the bandwagon hype of this place.
As for quality of items, I feel that they are still on the same wavelength as Giant. I didn’t find the produce that exceptional. We had dinner tonight with some of our purchases, and in no way shape or form was it worth the extra few cents or couple of dollars spent just because it may have had the organic label on it. Giant and Whole Foods offers organic. Also, call me a bad person, but frankly I just don’t give a shit if the beef or chicken were cage free or free range. That advertisement isn’t going to make me want to buy the product anymore than it did before if the price tag is inflated by more than what I am typically one to pay.
I am going to stick to my common folk grocery store. Fresh Market is for the birds.

Not only is the place ridiculously expensive (even Whole Foods has better prices), but this place should NOT be called The Fresh Market. I recently bought some yogurt that had already expired! Granted, my fault for not checking the expiration date before I purchased.
I will say that their baked goods are delicious.

I had quite the view of this place based off of the Unilocal reviews. An over priced version of whole foods (haha), but what I found was a local market that catered to clientele that enjoy fresh, organic, or specialized foods.
My trip gave me an opportunity to test out their sushi bar. It seems as though the sushi chef was willing to work with my tastes, but I was lucky enough to find what I really wanted already made.
Tuna with avacado and brown rice. I’m not a huge sushi fan, and I’m al so allergic to shell fish so my sushi options are limited anyways. The sushi seemed to be pretty fresh and the brown rice was and pleasant departure from the typically found white rice. Wasabi and ginger of course were included. 12 pieces of sushi for 6.99. I was satisfied with my purchase and when I have a hankering for sushi for clinch I’ll be happy to return.

Having shopped at Fresh Market before it came to Alexandria, I was excited about this location replacing the dirty Giant that preceded it. It has been a constant disappointment however that makes me sad.
I wanted to like it so much. Yes, it can be pricey, but they can have good sales and classical music with free coffee makes the food shopping experience much more
palatable. The service is just horrible though and creates enough stress to offset it.
The deli counter is slow and understaffed. Expect only one person actually working behind it and a line if busy. I was making a salad and wanted deli meat and cheese cut into a single slab rather than thin slices and you’d think I asked for them to construct the Eygptian pyriamids for as long as it took them to figure out how to slice ONE piece.
Sale items will frequently be out and the shelves left unstocked. On weekends they promote sales on pizzas, rotisserie and fried chicken, which are all good if you can find them but the racks are more often than not empty. They’ll offer to make one up while you wait, but it took ten minutes to get a pizza and I wasn’t willing to wait twenty minutes for fried chicken. They were having a sale on yogurt and the two times I went that week, the shelf was empty.
The cashiers are often indifferent and unresponsive. More than once I’ve had to ask about a sale item which didn’t ring up right only for them to look confused as what to do. I was buying «buy one, get one free» coffee once and wasn’t sure if it rung up correctly as both coffees ended up on the reciept. When I asked the cashier, she really didn’t answer me, but poked around on her terminal for five minutes before going to ask a manager who also didn’t talk to me, only to find that rather than showing as BOGO it rung up 50% off. That’s fine, just talk to me and know your product!
While this Fresh Market looks nice and inviting like others I’ve been to, it’s all show and doesn’t deliver.

As other Unilocalers have mentioned its EXPENSIVE! Whole foods on steroids! Fresh Market does live up to its name with hot food ready to order and a fresh salad bar. The bakery also caught my eye but not my stomach fortunately! Honestly, I think the best bang for the buck is the beer and wine offered! The prices are fair and comparable to other grocery stores. One thing that miffed me was the check out lanes or lack thereof! The process to check out takes longer than usual as folks cannot lay and unpack their baskets ahead of time. Instead folks must wait til the person in front checks out and then unpacks their basket. The process wouldn’t pass a Lean Six Sigma certification! I won’t give up hope for Fresh Market as whenever I need something quick, I’ll stop by and cringe during the check out process.

I am so used to the NYC gourmet market experience that this place is everything I hoped for after moving to Alexandria, VA.
Granted, Manhattan is famous for Zabar’s, Citrella, and the Gourmet Garage, et al… but there was always an underlying impersonal interaction with the employees in the «Big Apple». Live there and you will know what I mean. There was a herd mentality that I wasn’t used to after moving to the east coast from Los Angeles.
So, it was refreshing to find this gem of a place that meets my criteria for a relaxed environment with all of my foodie needs being met.
Experimenting with my local Whole Foods in the Carlyle District, or the chaos of parking at the nearby Trader Joe’s, the Fresh Market combines the best of any gourmet endeavor.
On my first visit I enjoyed:
1. The fresh flowers and plants.
2. The bakery smell.
3. Yummy hot/​cold offerings.
4. And wide array of sodas, including
What I bought:
1. A new marinade for steaks.
2. Buffalo wing flavored gourmet cheese.
3. No-​sugar added cheesecake and Belgian chocolate.
4. And hot tender chicken wings.
This place is awesome!

I don’t love Fresh Markets, but I am so glad this grocery store exists. Thank you for opening and filling the grocery store hole created in this neighborhood when both Giant and Safeway closed last year.
My thoughts on Fresh Market:
— It is not a place to do a whole grocery shopping. The store is small and they don’t have a lot of anything.
— As a whole it’s expensive. Yes, I did find an amazing sale of buy 1 get one free Chobanis, but I’m not going to be buying any $ 10 bottles of pasta sauce anytime soon.
— They have great old fashioned candy, nuts, grains and trail mixes in bulk.
— It’s a good place to get quality meat and fish.
— Most prepared food and baked goods are not cooked on site.