Magruder’s of DC

Great place to buy beer. Heaven forbid you’re in there near closing time or you’ll get the bum’s rush.

Magruders was in bad shape before the Koreans took over it looks better it looks more like a store the shelves are filled its my main place to shop for groceries

This store is fantastic. My family has been shopping here for 20 years.
The store has a great selection and offers competitive prices on beer/​wine/​spirits as well as food items. As others have noted, it’s not just what they sell, but how they sell. The employees and managers are just awesome; the customer service is excellent. I have always purchased my dad’s father’s day and birthday gifts here. The sample offerings are fun and tasty as well.

Went there today to buy 48 bottles of wine to fill up a wine rack. Seemed like a daunting task at first, but then Abraham stepped in and saved the day. He greeted us the moment we walked in the door, and when we told him what we were looking for, he offered to help. In a matter of about 10 minutes, he helped us pick out all of the wine. He gave excellent advice and was mindful of the price range per bottle that we gave him. We were extremely impressed by the service, selection, and value. They even had someone carry it out to our car for us. What really made the experience amazing was Abraham. He’s awesome!

A friend and I stumbled in here on a Saturday night after seeing a movie at the Avalon. Unlike most DC liquor stores, you don’t have to strain your eyes through a dirty glass separating you from all the liquor and a disinterested and uncommunicative staff person.
Indeed, the alcohol selection is great, but the reason you come here is for the impeccable customer service. The staff will talk you through their wine, liquor, and beer selection. The prices are comparable to most other liquor stores.
They’ve also got parking in the back. Great spot.

Great selection and very well staffed. These guys know there wines, liquors etc. Customer service is a must for this team. I’m always impressed when I get in there.

3.5 stars.
The prices won’t always be as low as Safeway but then… sometimes they will and sometimes those are the biggest shocks! For some reason, this little store also carries certain items Safeway does not, so I always find myself in here time and again getting random odds and ends. Never spend more than 10 – 15 in here, but usually come once a week. People who work here are friendly for the most part. This is the second best beer selection in the area (beaten only by CC Wine and Spirits). A solid local little place.
Some of their sandwiches are pretty darn good and beat Safeway deli in quality and friendliness though not price (but I guess that is to be expected). the pulled pork sandwich was great I just wish they would carry more Mexican rice!
Good place.

In a world where there are 3 liquor stores within 2 – 3 blocks of each other, it’s hard to decide which to go to. This one happens to be the furthest from my apartment, but I’m a fan of Magruder’s produce store next door, so I popped in one day. Also, they had sent me coupons in the mail – what liquor store offers coupons for beer, wine and liquor? Awesome! The first time I went in, they didn’t have vanilla whiskey. I didn’t really expect to find it since I haven’t seen it anywhere but in Texas. I don’t know if Magruder’s ordered some or if the vanilla whiskey gods decided to bless me, but the next time I went in, I found some random brand of vanilla spiced whiskey! Score!!! They often have wine and beer tastings and friendly people – although the cashiers are a little dense.

After several communications with the owner, stimulated by my original Unilocal review, Magruders determined that the beer I bought was subject to a recall and was indeed bad. They were gracious and replaced the bad case. So they get good marks for going out of their way to set things right in the end, but the overall experience was still less than stellar. I’m raising my rating from 1 to 3 stars.

One of the first liquor stores that I visited when I moved to the area, and I have been faithful since. The staff is friendly and super helpful, and I LOVE the fact that the prices are truly discounted.
In addition, there is a produce market next door that I adore.

Have now checked back a few more times since it changed ownership earlier this year. Prices seem to have stabilized — not sure if they still run newspaper ads on certain days with the discounts but basically can count on fabulous prices on my favorite fruits and vegetables on any given day. It’s again worth going the extra distance to shop here every week. So glad it has survived the transition and come through a much better store with multiple improvements — new floors and carpeting, new card readers, repositioned display cases — the interior now looks much cleaner, neater and more spacious. If you haven’t shopped here before you should definitely check it out, it may just become your regular grocery store!

Magruders is our go-​to store for produce. They have consistently good quality fruits and veggies, and they’re almost always at lower prices than the other groceries in the area. The prepared foods at the deli counter are consistently good, as well. The store is now under new ownership and it’s cleaner now than it used to be and they’re carrying some great new items. For example, they have some things from Firehook Bakery, and will also be stocking organic fruits and veggies. The new owner is really responsive to questions and suggestions and is making a big effort to accommodate his customers’ needs. I recommend it!

Dear Safeway,
You suck.
Sincerely,
Me.
I started going to Magruders when the recession hit. I never even noticed the place was there, but there’s something about the threat of poverty that increases awareness.
For just ten dollars I was able to buy three full bags of fruits and vegetables. Compare that to Safeway where $ 10 will get you four grapes, a potato and a dream, and you’ll see this place for the bargain that it is.
It’s basically a farmer’s market store. They have everything you could possibly need as a «normal» cook. Don’t go in there expecting to imitate what you saw on last week’s Iron Chef America, but for the average person, I can’t think of anything that’s missing.
There is one caveat, however. This place is exactly like a farmer’s market in the sense that they sell produce exactly how it came out of the ground. They don’t do that «pretty check» that you get in grocery chains. Sometimes the bell peppers look proud and robust… the Spartans of Bell Pepperia and other times they look like the forgotten lepers… shriveled and decrepit. If there’s been a lot of cold weather, it will be reflected in their selection.
Still, if you can time your visit to match their shipment dates, then you won’t be disappointed or penniless by the time you leave.

Great store, fantastic produce and low prices. I love Sara, the cashier, she is great at customer service, takes her time helping customers makes you want to come back and shop some more. Please don’t change.

This review is for the «farmer’s market.»
This place is a gem. It has a great selection of produce, and the prices are rock bottom. Need 20 limes to make caipirinhas? That might set you back $ 4. Need to make a Passover Seder dinner for 15 – 20 people? You can probably get most of the ingredients for your courses for $ 50-​$ 75.
It’s not Whole Foods, so keep in mind selection varies slightly and they don’t always have everything in stock (though they usually have most of it). If you’re looking for organic produce, you will probably have to go elsewhere. The space is very small, so it can get a little cramped on weekends when everyone’s shopping, but it’s never unmanageable.
My recommendation: Find some veggie-​centric recipes, go to Magruder’s first, then cross the street to Safeway for any dry goods or items Magruder’s didn’t have. You’ll save a ton of money and you’ll be eating healthy.

Great prices on produce with OK quality. it ain’t Whole Foods but it even beats their 365 Brand prices. great beer and booze selection too.

So what’s a presidential debate without booze. Isn’t that the allure really… to identify the candidates agenda and drink on their recurring talking point buzz word then giggle at Ron Paul while secretly loving him? Maybe that’s just me and my so called «problem» but keep denying yours and see where that leads ya. Stopping at Magruder’s allowed the celebration that was last evening. Beer should be the theme since it most certainly trumps «most» things in life and is a joy that should be honored as well as cherished. While I’m far from being a heavy drinker and in most circles would be considered a social one, we all remember those first few tastes of this wonderful legal libation. Whether we turn to those memories and develop comfort from sipping on recollections of times gone by or we turn to them for their inherent low cost appeal, we turn to them none the less. In today’s world where the cultural fabric of our global economy gets further reaching, we could be sampling the offerings from fine breweries in Belgium, United Kingdom, Mexico or the United States in a moments notice. While we all love this aspect and the joys associated from expanding our ever refining palate, our mind periodically wanders back to those fruitful memories of the beers that brought us here. This one goes out to Pabst Blue Ribbon, Miller High Life, Old Milwaukee and Schaefer for shaping me into the man that I am today. While we all have our own choices, one thing remains true… that the way to a mans heart is a healthy dose of man flowers. So whichever your flavor, hats off to you Magruder’s for providing me a library in which to taste my way around the world. Cheers ~

When you currently live in a state that has state-​run liquor stores, the selection may be alright, but the price seems unusually high. That’s where Magruder’s comes in. I love the word «Discount» when it comes to buying my favorite spirits. Of course, I don’t like rot gut, either. Call me a liquor snob… it’s true… but I’d rather go for quality than quantity. That’s also where Magruder’s comes in. I don’t go there very frequently, but it is my first choice when I want to pick up a very good bottle of scotch or bourbon and not have to forego next month’s rent.
So, the pro’s and cons…
Pro: Prices for most spirit, beer and wine
Con: Wine selection pales in comparison to beer and liquor
Pro: Parking in rear… liquor in front
Con: Location is good if you live in the neighborhood… not so good if you’re coming from Alexandria.
Pro: Samples of beer, wine, and spirits
There you have it! Pro’s win! Magruder’s Discount Liquors is a winner in my book.

I love this place.
Came in here the other night, departed from the hamster wheel of yuengling and chevy chase liquors and got a couple of bottles of Affligem which they were selling for $ 6 a pop, got a case of Stella for $ 20 and had a decko at the whiskey prices — $ 80 for La Quinta Ruban and the Nectar D’Or is still too much — I know I will find it for $ 50 — $ 60 soon enough.
I like that the staff are friendly, I like that there’s a lot of space, I like that you can grab meat and cheeze and flowers along with the booze.

I think this is one of the dumbest skits on Saturday Night Live… everytime it is just a slight variation on the same thing — total cop out and nothing but filler… what’s that? Magruders? Oh… I thought you said MacGruber… nevermind.
Sorry, that was lame. Anyway…
Their wine selection is good, but certainly not one of the stronger selections in the city — and deals are only to be found when something is on sale. I find their beer selection and pricing to be a bit better. That all being said, I think their customer service is lacking — the last 2 times I went to the store, the person at the checkout was in need of a little attitude adjustment.
MacGruber!