Technically not in DC (2 blocks away), the Glut Food Coop is in Mount Rainier (Maryland), a town 95% of Washingtonians have never heard of (even though it borders DC). On the northeast side near Eastern and Rhode Island, the Glut is “Still Funky, Still Cheap” since 1969, offering you both food and an experience.

This isn’t Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods, or even TPSS. Forget an electronic scanner. Tap your toes to the reggae music in the produce section. Avoid all the plastic packaging by buying in bulk. Love the cheap dried fruit. Make your own peanut butter. Say hi to your neighbor. Let someone cut in line with only two things.

More hardwood floors than sparkling granite (way more), if you hate shopping (and don’t frequent organic enclaves), go elsewhere. But if like the people and the experience as much as the food, this is your new destination. I love it the more I go there and it’s one of the anchor businesses in Mount Rainier.  Apparently, it’s having a hard time adjusting to the new organic market realities now that natural foods are trendy and everywhere…click here for the story.