Grand Mart Gaitherburg

A lot of times, you get a little bit bored of the same ol’ same ol’ grocery experience and you need something a little more exciting. Well, Grand Mart is definitely a different experience for the typical shopper. It has a wide variety of Asian products and many Hispanic products as well, but the best reason to come is the fresh produce at excellent prices and the extensive seafood department. Because of the volume of product that moves through the store, the items are almost always visibly fresher than comparable items at other more traditional grocery stores. The store is owned by Koreans, and there is a small, overpriced Korean food stand inside the store that deservedly doesn’t get much business, but the rest of the store is packed. Often, I feel as if I am in another country when I step in the doors as a wide range of nationalities is represented, and the choice of music is usually upbeat world music from around the globe. So, if you don’t mind crowds and you like fresh fruit and vegetables, fresh seafood, or want to try out some funky asian products, Grand Mart is the place to go. more

While there are other ethnic grocers in the area, this one caters to a wider range, carrying Korean, Chinese, and Hispanic foods predominantly. The prices are reasonable with the best deals on Friday, Saturday, and Sundays. This is also when the store is most crowded. As other reviewers have noted, you can find items not typically sold at other grocery stores such as beef tongue and sticky rice (mochi) snacks. The fish, like other Korean stores, is usually very fresh. The produce can be hit or miss. Sometimes it will be fresh, but sometimes it will be a bit wilted so it is good to know how to select the produce. more

Grand mart is a great place to go when looking to make an authentic enthic meal. There are many items that are found here that are not at a typical American supermarket. I love the fact that they carry Mellon Bars(I can't find them anywhere else)! The prices are also great! Fresh Produce and Seafood. The Lines can get long on some weekends, so I alwaystry to go during the week. more

When this Grand Mart opened a couple of years ago, it was pretty good. The selections were good for Asian groceries, the produce was fresh, and the prices were pretty decent. As time went on though, I've noticed a change for the worse. First of all, the produce section is no longer that fresh. They still offer a lot of different kinds of vegetables and fruits, but the quality has gone down. I used to be able to count on freshness of the vegetables, but the last few times I've been there, the vegetable leaves were wilted and the prices have gone up. The selection for Chinese grocery has also declined; they have stopped offering a lot of products that I remember seeing. I think the same goes for Japanese groceries. The store itself has become messier, and the prices have gone up. It has gotten so much worse that I no longer shop there anymore, but shop in Asian grocery stores farther away. It's a shame because it was good in the beginning and it just went down. Lastly, one interesting note is that shopping carts mysteriously would disappear. That happened to me twice. Both times happened in the produce area. I had my cart near me, and I'd be picking vegetables, and before I know it, the cart was gone. I went all over the store to look for it and couldn't find it. I had several items in the cart, too. I thought it funny because it happened multiple times. It has never happened to me in other grocery stores in my life. Funny. more