Hey DMV, did you know that a brand new Whole Foods opened this morning? At the corner of 12th Street South and South Eads in Alexandria there is a sparkling new mecca for foodies. We were lucky to attend a quick media tour (thanks Annie) through the gorgeous space right near the Pentagon City mall. This is THE nicest Whole Foods I have ever visited. As a healthy food lover, advocate, and blogger, I visit Whole Foods markets wherever I go, but this location is truly spectacular. The best thing we found at this location was the first package of the Beyond Meat Burger sold right in the meat case. You cannot find this burger anywhere else except in Colorado.
Isn’t this veggie display so cute? The radishes and broccoli pictured here were so fresh and inviting. The 36,800 square foot store is loaded with amazing and unique fruits and vegetables to tantalize even the pickiest eaters. We tasted an awesome pink dragonfruit that a produce member was cutting up for visitors. Every section of the store has a unique and modern display that will encourage you to visit often. Shopping is usually a chore you do not look forward to, but this store might change that feeling for many customers. And if you really love this store, you can live next door and have your own private Whole Foods entrance. The Bartlett Apartments have it all, pet friendly services, rooftop pool, fitness center, lounges, and so much more. If I did not already have a great place to live I would totally be moving in here.
The Whole Foods Market Pentagon City will be a place for families and professionals to relax, recharge and refuel. Can you believe the size of this HUGE jackfruit? It was more than 10 pounds. Have you ever tried Jackfruit? Believe it or not, this is a great meat substitute for vegans and vegetarians. We have never seen one quite this big though.
This cheese department is nicer than any I have ever seen. Not only did it look gorgeous, there were so many unique offerings. If you are a cheese lover you will be right at home at Whole Foods Pentagon City. I love the way this cheese display has most of the choices at eye level, rather than down low where you need to search through and find the one you are looking for.
We met the Severino Pasta company more than 5 years ago at the Media night at the Whole Foods in Rockville. It was so nice to see that they are back again with a really cool self-serve pasta bar. Each of the pasta shapes are made fresh daily with the secret Severino family recipe.
This cupcake display is right in the middle of the bakery area, close to the pasta and the breads. The cupcakes were displayed in a fancy jewelry type lighted box. Every single person who passed it stopped to look and dream of one of these sweet confections. A half hour after I took this picture more than half of the cupcakes were purchased. When you make a beautiful display like this, the product sells itself!
Deciding which cookie to choose from on this double sided tea cart display is close to impossible. With over 80 varieties to pick, you are sure to find a new favorite here. Cake balls, decorated cookies, simple cookies, sandwich cookies, brownies and even chocolate covered pretzels. Your sweet tooth will be very happy here.
The circular rotating pizza oven from Italy is cranking out some incredible pizzas. Square or round pizzas are for sale here. There is even an electronic ordering area right across from the pizzas where you can place your own order, choosing your toppings and your crusts. Walk around and enjoy the store while the pizza makers create your pie.
Maybe you do not feel like pizza tonight, but you do feel like a fresh Ramen bowl. You are in luck since Paper Horse by Erik Bruner Yang (of Maketto and Toki Underground) is opening soon with a few delicious and customizable ramen options. There will be two base options, one is a pork belly and the other a vegetarian/vegan one. What a lovely quick service addition (around $12) to the usual Whole Foods fare.
After you pass all the fast casual options you will come to the corner where a small restaurant called the Basin Barroom sits. It is a relaxing space with 15 beers and 1 Kombucha on tap. An extensive list of wine and cocktails are also served here. The menu at the bar or tables is a simple battered vs. broiled seafood style. Some of the menu items include Oyster Shooters, Seafood Salsa and Chips, Cajun BBQ Shrimp, Lobster Roll and a Seafood Salad. You can also choose from a sandwich or platter menu with the options being rockfish, salmon or grouper and then a fried clams, oysters or shrimp platter or sandwich as well. All the bread served at the Basin is from local Leonara Bakery in Arlington! Happy Hour will be at the Basin weekdays from 4-6pm, with $1 off Pub Drinks.
Every Whole Foods has a wonderful salad bar. It is one of the things I love most and expect to see at a Whole Foods. But oh my gosh, can you believe all these toppings? I feel like moving in next door so I can visit this salad bar for lunch every day. I am in serious salad bar heaven! At media night I got a small bag of locally made goodies that I will share with you next week, some delicious and fun products that I am eager to tell you about.
Hey kids, listen up, the Whole Foods Market Pentagon City Kids Club wants you to have a healthy snack on them! Choose one treat (apples and bananas were on the top shelf) as a gift for shopping with your parents. There are some nice quiet tables right after the checkout area if your kids want to stop and enjoy their treat after shopping with you. Every store should have this, am I right?
This post is getting very long, but there are still a few things I want to share with you. Not pictured, but still very cool and only found at the Whole Foods Market at Pentagon City:
- Full service coffee and juice bar with nitro dispensed cold brew coffee, hemp milk lattes, breakfast and lunch sandwiches, acai bowls, and cold brew teas. Pretty awesome options at the grab and go area right in front!
- Farmstand Freeze, the first in our region, where fruits and veggies are frozen overnight, then they are placed into a Pacojet machine and shaved while injecting air into it to create a light, fluffy and fruity dessert. This non-dairy, low sugar dessert sounds amazing. We will be trying it and photographing it next time.
If you bring along your electric vehicle, there are 2 free charging stations in the below ground parking area. It is so nice to go shopping, eat dinner, and come back to a fully charged car!
Beyond Meat Burger: The Vegan burger sold in the Meat Case
And lastly, we were able to buy one of the FIRST ever sold on the East Coast, Beyond Meat Beyond Burgers and we will be trying it out tonight. These burgers are 100% vegan, all natural, and are supposed to be a delicious meat alternative for those who miss the flavor and taste of a beef burger. We will be posting our full review tomorrow, but until then the package looks like this (and they cost $5.99 for two patties).
Are you curious how the Beyond Meat Beyond Burger tastes? We tried it and we have a video to show you exactly what it looks and tastes like:
We love Whole Foods. We shop there as much as we can. We’d go there more often, but the closest one to us is about an hour away.
I would drive an hour to visit this whole foods again! So many fun and unique products. Thanks for visiting!
I love Whole Foods Market. When I shop there it does not feel like a chore, but more like a vacation. I love getting a cup of coffee and browsing through all the departments. It takes me twice as long to finish my shopping when I go there.
Wouldn’t it be awesome if every store was this much fun! I agree with you, it is so nice to have a snack and browse a store like this. It is my version of a spa day!
That definitely looks way different than the whole foods I have here! I wonder if they’re going to move some of those over this way I would love to check that out.
It is pretty modern and I awesome, right? I love how the newest stores are always so nice. But then I am stuck shopping at the store closer to me, wishing I was back here.
I have not yet made it into a Whole Foods store. I really need to check it out. I hear great things about it.
wow! You do need to visit a Whole Foods! It is such a great place to discover new items.
I love shopping at Whole Foods. They have so many great products. I like their gluten free selection since my daughter has celiac disease.
This location had a lot of really nice and different gluten free items.
Those cup cakes look so good! My family have recently became interested in eating healthier food. I know we have a whole foods around here but now ill have to find out where and go check it out.
I really think you will enjoy shopping at Whole Foods. You can use the location finder here, http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/list?gclid=CIz8w4Gf0M0CFUgehgodAjkAug&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CObD-4Gf0M0CFVcENwodl2wCew to see where the closest store is to you!
Oh wow, I’d love to visit this if I’m in the area. That fruit looks so delicious as well as that cupcake display. I’d want one of all of them.
I hope you get a chance to visit this amazing store! We can’t wait to go again in a few days.
I love Whole Foods. It’s one of my favorite supermarkets of all time. I have to drive a while to get to my nearest one, so I don’t go as often as I would like. Their food always looks so delicious and fresh.
I am sure it is worth the drive! We are lucky that we have two that are only about 15 minutes away.
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OMG! I love Whole Foods! Unfortunately, we don’t have one too close to my home, but it is well worth the drive.
The jackfruit is unreal! I’ve never even seen a jackfruit, let alone one that large! Wow!
The coolest thing was that there were at least 20 jackfruits that big! Usually our other stores has 2-3. Since it was the grand opening there were so many cool things to look at.
Wow, this Whole Foods has everything. I’d want to do all of my shopping there! That veggie display is super cute.
When the veggies look so pretty it really makes you want to buy them! My daughter who likes only a few veggies chose a whole bunch of new ones to bring home. Her favorite new find was the neon pink dragonfruit that they were sampling.
I’ve never been to a Whole Foods but that food looks amazing! It almost looks like it’s worth the trip from Texas.
This new store is very close to Washington DC, which is a great place to visit this summer. Come on over for a fun East Coast vacation.
OH wow, I have never been to a Whole Foods before, this looks like a wonderful option you have!
Most whole foods do not look this cool! Each time they open a new one, somehow they make it better and better!
That is so exciting. I wish they had a Whole Foods near us. I would go there everyday.
I have been itching to go back everyday since our first visit. I really look forward to going again this weekend.
I am lucky to have 2 Whole foods near me, and we absolutely Love them! Beautiful pictures! Thanks for sharing:)
You are so lucky to have 2 near you! It is such a fun place to shop!
I love that veggie display! So cute 🙂 And I’m also a huge fan of Whole Foods! They have such a great selection!
Aren’t those veggies so cute? Everyone was stopping to look at them and take pictures. It really encourages you to eat more veggies when they are displayed so nicely.
Whole foods is such a great food store!!! All the desserts in the bakery looks amazing!
The desserts at Whole Foods are always so tempting! We try to stick to the produce section and fill up our cart there!
That looks like SUCH a beautiful WFM! I’ll be sure to visit next time I’m in NOVA after seeing such fun and beautiful pictures 🙂
Thank you so much Ruth! I really tried to capture how modern and beautiful this new store is. When I went to the grand opening in Rockville 5 years ago I thought that store was so amazing, but somehow they know how to always make it a little bit better!
I grew up eating jackfruit but I have never seen one that large. Whole Foods is one of my favorite stores. I have to budget and make a list before we go there but it is so wonderful. Enjoy it in your town.
How did you eat your jackfruit Kita? I had never really heard of it until recently.
I LOVE places like this! There is always so much to see and do and you often end up coming home with so many goodies to try! This place looks amazing especially those pizza slices!
I agree with you, discovering new fruits, vegetables, and foods is the best part of visiting a new store. We did not try the pizza but everyone else was buying a slice!
I would like to make that jackfruit with coconut milk in it. It has been years since the last time I had some.
Jackfruit with coconut milk sounds delightful! I will need to try that.
I could not refrain from commenting. Well written! I hope to visit this new location soon.
Thanks! I know you will have a great time at this new Whole Foods location!
Okay that Jack Fruit is humongous! Oddly enough I love going to whole foods for their flowers. But this post makes wanna venture around inside a little more to see all the other goods they sell. 🙂
Whole Foods has so many goodies. I love their flowers too. At this particular store the flower section was surprisingly small! I really want to go back and buy one of these jackfruits and experiment with it!