Trader Joe’s

We love Trader Joes for a lot of things. Snack nuts, chips, crackers, cheese, dips, frozen goods. It’s ok for produce as well as long as you are aware it will go bad in a matter of days. So eat their produce immediately. Always crowded and crazy. Even when not that many people are there it feels crowded because of its small size and aisles.

This is one of my favorite locations and it is convenient. The staff is usually friendly and helpful. I like the variety of selections and being able to try various items before purchase. The prices are right up my alley and parking is bearable.

Great organic grocery store chain in the Saint Louis area! Very fast service and friendly staff. Large selection of meats veggies coffee wines and more. Moderately priced but it’s all organic foods

The Des Peres and Brentwood Trader Joe’s locations both are convenient for me, but Des Peres is my favorite for the same reasons mentioned by previous reviewers:
1. Parking is much easier here.
2. This TJ’s can get crowded, but the Brentwood store is ALWAYS crowded.
PRODUCTS I LOVE
I don’t do all of my grocery shopping here, but I like enough of their products to be a regular shopper. It helps that nearly everything is reasonably priced! Some products have been da bomb. Others have completely bombed. (I’m talking to you, Reduced Guilt Chicken Breasts in Poblano Sauce!)
In no particular order, these are a few of my favorite things:
–Fat-​free cottage cheese
Only 70 calories per half-​cup. Texture is more like a paste. I love mixing it with PB2 (that I purchase on Amazon).
–Peanut butter and oat OR chocolate chip brownie and oat bars
130 calories for the PB bar, and 120 calories for the chocolate chip brownie bar. 5 grams of fiber per bar. I prefer the PB bars. :)
–Better’n Peanut Butter
I can assure you that this product is NOT better than peanut butter. It’s more of a sweet peanut butter spread. I love topping chocolate VitaTops (that I purchase at Target) with 16 grams (50 calories) of this stuff. It’s like a peanut butter icing, if you use a little imagination. Okay, a LOT of imagination.
–Frozen brussels sprouts and spinach
–Toasted Oatmeal Flakes (cereal)
This stuff is awesome! The flakes are thicker than corn flakes and take a while to become soggy. (That’s a bit of a bummer for me because I love soggy cereal. :))
–12-​oz bags of shredded mozzarella cheese
–Ciao pepperoni
–Trader Joe’s Pizza Veggie Burgers
I know some people are against soy products, but these are «soy» delicious.
–Shepherd’s Pie (frozen)
I always cook this in this oven. It’s pretty freakin’ bland, but I add Tony Chachere’s seasoning to it.
–Apple Cranberry Bran Muffins
Okay, I’ll be honest. Eating these muffins is kind of like eating hay, but it’s tasty hay. I’d recommend warming them in the microwave. Only 80 calories per muffin (they’re small), and they have a mind-​blowing (or colon-​blowing) 13 grams of fiber.
–Honey Mango Moisturizing Cream Shave (for men and women)
100% vegetarian and paraben-​free. Just don’t eat it. I used this for a long time and loved it. It has the consistency of a lotion. Unfortunately, I have really sensitive skin, and I ended up developing a sensitivity to this product. It was fun while it lasted!
SERVICE
TJ’s always seems to have great service, and this store is no exception. The employees are helpful and friendly. Sometimes they are /​too/​friendly. At the start of a new year, a cashier once asked me,
«So, what was the best part of last year?»
The end of the previous year had been absolutely horrible, and without thinking, I replied,
«That it is over.»
The cashier had a look on his face like, «Oh, no. This is awkward.» So, I tried to lighten the situation by saying, «But it’s behind me now. It’s the start of a new year.» :p
RATING
Manageable parking lot. Usually not crowded. Good food. Reasonable prices. Great employees. This Trader Joe’s gets five stars from me.
However, I have to mention one thing I dislike about many Trader Joe’s locations. They have one set of sliding doors that serve as both an entrance and an exit. They often keep the carts right next to the door. So, you end up with a traffic jam as people getting carts and entering the store run into those exiting the store and returning their carts. Why would you ever design it that way? (This is a serious question.)

The place is very crowded with is a good sign but the crowds often mean a shortage of product. We go here for unique items to try and to re-​buy ones we have enjoyed in the past. The missing star represents the missing products and empty shelf spots. Who ever orders stuff for them needs to figure out a better method.
I do enjoy getting the mix and match beer. Fruit is always fresh. And the kids usually can find something sweet to take home.
The folks who work there that we have interacted with have always been helpful and courteous.

This Trader Joe’s is nice on the inside but is small for other Trader Joe’s I have been in. All the produce felt that they were on the verge of going bad and someone needed to do a better job of gathering carts as they were all outside in cart returns and needed to be retrieved to have one. The parking lot is also very small and you have to be careful as business’s threated towing if you park in the wrong area. All in all it does offer Trader Joe items and prices just not up to par of other stores that I have been to.

I just love TJ;s! I know I am a bit of a dork when it comes to saying this but I do enjoy going to this location. I am a fan of most of their items but I have to say that I love me some of their low calorie lemonade and butter chicken! I get those (several actually!) when I am able to stop here. The wine isn’t bad either!

This is one of my favorite TJ’s in the area. I wish I could visit more often, but it’s so far away!
I like visiting TJ’s when I am looking for some snacks to bring with me to the park, or when I am looking for picnic items. This location always has the exact items I am looking for including their rosemary raisin crackers; they are insanely good! They offer the best honey goat cheese and other cheese items as well. I also like to come here and browse since there are so many other random items I never would have known about like apple smoked chicken sausage (which goes great with the honey goat cheese).
The only complaint that I have about TJ’s in general is that they are almost always busy no matter what time I go and the aisles are so narrow that it’s almost impossible not to bump into others. Sorry if I have ever run into you!
The customer service is always awesome and they don’t usually have a wait at the check-​out lane.

This TJ’s has MEDIUM sized carts for my oldest brat! It’s great because I know she wants her own cart but feels the tiny ones are for bayyyybeeees. Every TJ I have been to will immediately call on extra cashiers if there is a line of more than 2 people. The employees are friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. Perhaps they are paid well enough to always have a smile on their face. Try the rosemary raisin crisps in the cracker section. Customer for life!

After my mother got me hooked on organic and all natural ingredients, TJ’s has become my shop of choice. There is a great selection, and it isn’t overwhelming like whole foods. The cashiers are always so friendly and great with my toddler while we are checking out. They even give him a whole roll of stickers sometimes. 5 stars.

Im so lucky that this is right next to my work! Staff is very helpful amd friendly. Decently priced delicious food! Literally shop here 2 times a week

I would love to be a Trader Joe’s regular, but there is not a location in my area.
However whenever I do get a chance to go, I am always very happy with what I walk away with.
There are many food options here and things that you never would have thought about buying until you’ve seen it here. They always have samples to persuade you to buy more.
Their prices are typical for what you are there buying. Their wine is cheap and very delicious.
The staff is very upbeat and ready to help. There’s even kiddie carts if you bring a little one with you to help you shop.
Be sure to check it out!

Trader Joe’s is one of the best stores for entertaining guests. They have every food option you can dream of and some you didn’t think you could buy! They are the masters of treats.
First off, their cheese spreads are awesome. They have some amazing goat cheese that is ready to serve right away with crackers. My favorite is the cranberry encrusted one. They also have some awesome wines you can pair with cheese.
They are pretty well known for their cheap yet expansive wine selection. You can find every price point of «low-​end» wine from $ 2.99 to $ 20.00-$ 30.00. They might get pricier but I’m not sure.
Let’s talk about their sweets…
Every chocolate creation that comes from Joe’s is pretty much to die for. They have these amazing (seasonal) sea salt caramels. They also have these chocolate truffles that are the perfect plain truffle (my favorite candy). They are fairly cheap… like $ 3.99 for a box of 20. These are perfect cheap but fancy/​amazing sweets to keep around the house.
My holiday favorite has to be their mint JoeJoe’s. These bad boys are basically amazingly delicious peppermint Oreos. It’s not the holidays until I eat an entire sleeve in one sitting…
I love going to Trader Joe’s because the staff are seemingly more upbeat/​happy than other grocery stores. They seem like they like their jobs for the most part!
If you haven’t been to Trader Joe’s, you’re doing it wrong.

Instead of fighting the crowds at the Brentwood location I tend to stop by this location after work to pickup some of the essentials that only Trader Joe’s can manage. The location here seems to be much more organized than the Brentwood store, however that might change once the Brentwood store expands. Overall the crowds here are never as bad as the other store, and the customer service here is top notch. I rarely take employee suggestions, however here they always seem to be spot on. The employees actually try and love the food they sell.
I love the organic section, great selection of chicken but I love the pizza dough and pepperoni, its amazing to make a grilled pizza (yes, a grilled pizza. Thanks to Trader Joe’s its super easy and delicious!)
The store is very similar to Aldi’s, however the quality is much better but only slightly more expensive, still a great value though. Now if we could just get a location in the metro east!

Trader Joe’s is one of the best things to happen in St. Louis in the last 10 years. I am partial to this store, since it’s the one I visit most often. They have a decent produce selection, and tons of unique items. I love their edamame hummus, and the TJ brand multigrain crackers (yes, it’s possible to get excited about multigrain crackers). My most recent discovery is their seaweed snacks, which was huge a relief after my Costco membership expired and I thought they were lost to me forever.
One thing that is a bummer about Trader Joe’s is that they sometimes discontinue certain favorite items (RIP Spinach Pie and Cucumber Wontons). Also, I’ve never much cared for any of their meats (aside from cold cuts).
I like that the workers wear fun shirts and that they’re super friendly and talkative. It’s just a nice, friendly place to shop for unique food at excellent prices.

This is a very nice TJ’s. I was surprised at the layout as upon entering the store — there was the meat and it seemed much easier to browse and look at things with most of the items that require decision making lined up along the walls… meats, produce, cheese, dairy… They have a very large area for the liquor too. I snagged a 3.99 bottle of Pinot Grigio to cook with and actually like it to drink also. I have a new love for this multi-​grain seeded break they sell there it makes wonderful toast. It is by Golden Hearth and is 2.49 a loaf. Also was able to pick up some Chia seeds for under 5.00 a bag — They also have a new gluten free granola that looks more like a trail/​snack mix… I of course had to try some of that too. The staff was helpful and friendly.

Hey, Joe. I like this location way better then your location at the Brentwood Promenade. The store lay out seems to have a better flow, it is way cleaner and the staff truly understands the Trader Joe’s philosophy, meaning they offer better customer service.
I am a big fan of their Organic Vodka Sauce and it is a secret ingredient in a dish I make and it is not a pasta recipe. As others have stated, TJ is not a place where you will see the major brands and where you’ll come to shop with coupons from the Sunday flier. The brands here are unusual and many are owned by TJ. It is kind of like shopping at Aldi’s, at first you may not know the brand names. You’ll have to do what I do and that is experimenting to see what you like. However, here at Trader Joe’s they are a little more expensive, then Aldi’s.
Did you know that they are owned by the same company? I didn’t until another Unilocaler pointed it out to me. The things you can learn on Unilocal.
None went in my cart today, but I can tell you the potato chips and tortilla chips here are party worthy. Also, the salsa and dips are perfect as well. Another treat that I look forward to each year and each year I hold my breath that they do not discontinue it, is the Oreo type cookie with peppermint icing filling. Christmas would not be complete without it and I am already looking forward to next year.
I do not mind the extra drive here from the city. Here I get better customer service and I do not need to worry about Parking Lot Derby at the Promenade.

Oh Trader Joe’s there’s so many reasons I’m a fan. I just wish you had more locations around.
I love everything about TJ’s: the super friendly crew members, the free samples (which are almost always yummy), the lower prices for almost everything you could need to purchase and their nifty, nifty line of TJ brand products like Joe’s O’s, Trader Giotto pasta sauces and more.
Everything is local, organic or both, plus affordable and unique and not what you’d find at your regular Publix or Schnucks. The staff are actually knowledgeable about things like wine pairings, cheese types and other common questions grocery shoppers might have, and I swear to you, their positive attitudes even outshine the people working at Whole Foods.
The stores are well-​lit, well laid out, brightly decorated (much better than the drone of run-​of-​the-​mill Kroger) — and at holidays, they definitely like to show the spirit and fun.
In fact, I only have two real qualms with Trader Joe’s: 1) the fact that there are not more locations in the midwest and southeast where I currently reside, 2) they don’t have as much fresh produce or varieties of items to choose from as large scale grocery stores. I know, however, what I generally can and cannot find in a TJ, though, so I just plan my grocery list accordingly.

Pumpkin macarons. In your mouth. Yes. Get you some now.
Might be silly to review another TJ’s but I decided to anyway. It’s still effing awesome. I could spend hours just talking to the employees here and so could my boyfriend.
It’s a little known fact that we both love us some Trader Joe’s. Sean’s love for sesame oil knows no bounds and it’s awesome that you can get some for pretty cheap at TJ’s!
Also I got a pie pumpkin from here and made my own homemade pumpkin pie. None of the canned shit. There’s even a recipe sticker on the pumpkin so you have no excuses!!!
Coffee bean chocolate sugar grinder… need I say more?!
Go forth!!! To TJ’s!

Clean, well stocked, yummy stuff, and close to home. But there’s a dark side to our relationship…
I’m so glad I found you again. I was worried that we would never be together again when we moved from California. You have some great stuff, and you charge me the just the right amount. Sure, you’re a bit «earthy», and it’s not that I’m against that, that’s just not my thing. I don’t need organic treats. I dig all the rest of the stuff you offer; wine, veggies, pizza, frozen meals, desserts, nuts, sauces, cheese (can’t be beat), and salads. I’ll be honest, I tend to lose control when I’m with you… my wife knows when we’ve seen each other, she can feel it. Oh, and the lasting impact on our checking account is obvious as well. I tend to come home with things that I never thought I’d need before… but hot damn, it was worth it. I have to try and see you less often, to save my marriage, I hope you’ll understand.