Trader Joe’s

I’ve always loved Trader Joe’s and shopped there with delight every week. I was so incredibly excited when this location opened around the block from my house. Oh well.
Yesterday I was shopping and my tummy was a little rumbly. «What’s on sample?» I thought., as I pointed my cart in that direction. «Turkey Corndogs?!?» Because I’m a normal human being, I could barely contain my excitement. There were two employees having a boisterous conversation at the sample hut, and there was one sample left on the tray. As I approached, another employee actually sped up so she could get to the sample hut before me. She snatched the last sample and looked at me. «Oh.» She said. Which maybe means «sorry, I didn’t see you there» in youthspeak and I’ve just lost touch. She looked at the employees having a conversation and loudly said «He wants a sample.» And walked away without making eye contact with me. The conversation broke up after about another minute, at that point the sample lady looked at me and said, it’s gonna be a few minutes. This was confusing because there was a half cut corn dog sitting on her sample altar. I didn’t really want to stand there and wait (because that’s awkward), so I walked away… Never knowing the wonder of a Trader Joe’s corndog.
This is not a big deal, but it made me feel I wasn’t a concern. I can’t imagine returning with the same delight that I used to.
Also, it’s impressive they can put everything I buy in one bag, but if what I buy is over 50 pounds, they should think about a second bag.

This location, as with their other locations, promote friendly customer service and just overall cleanliness and predictable grocery shopping experience. I like that familiarity. This was my first visit to this location, but I knew exactly where to go to get what I wanted. Why? Because their store layout is similar to the one I often go to (it’s in Milwaukee). Inexpensive healthy food with friendly and quick service has always make Trader Joe’s stand out from the rest. They do have a parking lot with decent amount of spaces as well. They keep their shelves stocked and clean which never is an easy job.
Basically… low price and great service from Hawaiian-​shirt-​wearing employees are what makes this (and all) Trader Joe’s a great place for grocery shopping.

I went here during the holidays and was looking for a particular product. Could not find it, but when I asked a store person about the product, they went and looked it up. They did not have it at this location but found it at another Trader Joes. Long story short — they had the other store send it to this location.

Trader Joes is a cool grocery store with unique global offerings. Quality goods at affordable prices. Employees are friendly and extremely helpful. Staff upholds great work ethic and treats their employees with respect.

An employee named Meghan at the store made my trader joes experience really bitter. I asked a simple question «do you work here, I need some help» — her reaction was «can’t you see that I work here?» I mean it’s funny when you think about it but at that time it’s like– are you seriously going to talk to me like that?
I give an extra star because I genuinely find this place reasonable in prices and most of the food is good quality.

Staff are super helpful. This place has its magic. I love shop here.

Trader Joe’s continues to be the most affordable place I know to get high quality groceries with a stellar shopping experience.
Trader Joe’s has lots of their own brand products which are SUPER affordable and taste great. From spices to sauces and everything in between. Love their Greek yogurt and hot salsa.
There are also a ton of kosher options at this location including turkey, chicken and beef. You can ask the customer service for a sheet of all the kosher products in the store.
The customer service at Trader Joe’s is the best of any grocery store I’ve been to. They spotted a rotten part on a watermelon I was about to buy (I must have missed it) and they immediately ran to find me a replacement.
Although this location is in the heart of Evanston, there also seems to be plenty of parking in the attached lot. GREAT LOCATION!

First, it gets 3 stars for being a Trader Joe’s. I like to get 4 – 6 items a week at TJs, and those items are great, can’t be beat anywhere else. But if I need any sort of produce, good luck, it’s about Jewel quality, often bagged up, priced by the piece usually, meh. So if you just want to be trendy, or if your life revolves around frozen food, this is a great place, otherwise not so much. It gets 2 stars because out of the half dozen TJs I’ve been in, this one has the least friendly staff, usually a highlight of other stores. Sometimes I have to work to get the cashier to even acknowledge me, none of the service people in the aisles ever says hi (not that I need that, but this is supposed to be the TJ style), and so it’s a sort of okay specialty store for a few items, no more than that. Why people love TJ is a mystery to me.

We just left the Evanston Trader Joes after buying $ 850 worth of wine and groceries for our wedding. Being totally brain friend and exhausted after flying in from Los Angeles the night before, we were frenzied to find what we needed. The manager on duty not only opened multiple bottles of wine and prosecco for us to try (we had neglected to think of tasting before hand!), she sent us off with a gift tote bag of waters and snacks as we left. We already loved trader joes but this location deserves a very special shout out! Thank you so much !!!

I have been shopping here weekly for the last few weeks, and they are a lot nicer when it’s not close to closing (still don’t think it was an excuse the other evening). Even in the daytime, its hit-​or-​miss whether or not you get a checker or someone helping in the aisles that is friendly. That being said, there are some really nice staff members, on par with what you would expect from TJs! It’s not going to stop me from shopping here going forward.

I love TJ’s, and everyone knows I love TJ’s. It is my to-​go place for healthier options without drying your wallet out clean. I never had a problem with their service — they’re always friendly and approachable. The place is clean, what else can you ask for? I would recommend everyone to stop by if they’re in the area! Since it is very likely, you’ll end up taking something back home!

I shop here all the time. And I do mean at least twice a week, sometimes more.
First, the staff is top notch! They’re great. I know TJ’s trains them well, though in addition to that, they’re just good people. You can’t buy that. You really can’t!
Second — they have the best prices on most of the things I buy. Their wine selection and prices are well known as the best around. They also have great frozen foods and organic selections that just aren’t available anywhere else.
The produce section admittedly has ups and downs, though I find that it is consistent for the foundational items, and fresh produce is a difficult product to assure quality for. Bring it back! They’ll refund it if it isn’t up to par.
Best of all, their parking lot is plenty big. I truly appreciate it.
Thanks Trader Joe’s!

Burden free shopping for parsimonious health nuts!
Rarely will you question, «why are these apples so shiny,» or «why is this banana a foot long?» My point is the fruit and veggies LOOK like they are produced by Mother Earth and not by the hands of man and weird chemicals. I mean, some chemicals and unnatural machinery probably touched the produce at one point, but it’s not ridiculously obvious at Trader Joes.
The prices are AWESOME! Bananas are 15 cents each!!! Potassium has never been so affordable!
Northwestern students! Ask your friends to drive you, or take a nice walk up there and Über your way back. Ubering is about 4 – 5 dollars.

I love Trader Joe’s! Healthy food options at better prices than Whole Foods! They’re able to do this by carrying their own line rather than the usual name brands you’d look for.
I love their always fresh produce (bananas, kale, varieties of lettuce, fruit, etc!!), their cereals, granola, steel cut oatmeal, grapefruit juice, cheeses, snacks like cheddar popcorn, veggie chips and blue corn chips, tasty salsas, their frozen veggies, frozen waffles, big bag of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, breads/​bagels and good wine selection (!), and while I enjoy cooking dishes from scratch, I’ve tried a few of their prepared frozen entrees to save time. I’ve found them to be usually tasty and not filled with all those awful preservatives that you can’t even pronounce.
Their meats and dairy tend to be a bit pricey so I still find it necessary to shop at other stores, yet I’m able to get a lot of the staples here that my family needs and likes. They also sample one product a week that my daughter enjoys trying. She especially liked their mandarin chicken and chocolate chip banana bread. (They give you the recipes too.) There are so many other items that I look forward to trying and customer service is always great. Everyone is friendly and helpful, especially when I’m looking for something specific. Go… you won’t be disappointed!

As an avid Trader Joe’s fan, I was sooo excited this location opened up. I have yet to have a bad experience (knock on wood), and only wish it was closer to the rest of downtown Evanston (that would be horrible for my wallet). Pretty much everything here is very reasonably priced.

I moved here years ago from the west coast and was so excited when Trader Joes was announced to open here in Evanston… SO EXCITED!
Such a disappointment. Customers new to TJs will never know.
Believe me, I wanted to love this place! I loved it before it opened!
I’m actually only posting this review in hopes that someone in corporate sees it along with other disappointed reviews and is inspired to do what it takes to bring this store up to Trader Joe standards and customer service that was originally intended for TJs patrons.
THINGS THAT (at other locations) SET TJs apart and above most other grocery chains —
CUSTOMER SERVICE — being greeted, acknowledged and appreciated as a customer. (very inconsistent here)
Honestly, I do not go to tbe store to be validated and socialize, but its worth a strong mention that this store has only a few employees that follow the original, upbeat and helpful guidelines that are consistent in other stores.
As a business owner that focuses on quality and customer service, I truly understand the challenges of hiring, training and monitoring staff conduct and interactions… TJs WAS known for excellent customer service!
SELECTION — somewhat limited at this location. Like all chain stores, our local store selection is limited to what is deemed popular, or accessible in our area. or region.
There are just so many (more) cool options at west coast stores. its irritating.
I mean, whats up with the honey selection? Various baked goods that don’t exist at this store and other selections that are clearly shipped in from very far away — even to California.
QUALITY — Just awful. Produce and bread have issues. I always take care in selecting my produce to assure its freshness and edibility in 2 – 4 days, but produce gets rotten faster and organic bread often molds by the 2^nd day if on the counter or in a dry cupboard.
One of the workers told me I need to refrigerate it because its organic with no preservatives. Funny, cuz I dont seem to need to do that with other organic breads ever. Sliced bread usually keeps a week in my house — or at least 4 – 5 days…
I was so happy to learn that TJs was opening at the old Blockbuster site.
Just want to put this out there to hopefully alert the powers that be at TJs
(beyond the customer service desk)
so they can focus a bit on bringing this site up to speed with their branded reputation.
Today I will be returning my LAST loaf of organic bread and heading to WFM for some fresh stuff.

Am I the only one who can’t stand this place?
Oh I have tried and tried to like this grocery store; but after each trip, the same thoughts nag at me: Where is all the produce, What are all of these stupid products and Why are people in love with this place? For me, it has too many bells ringing, too many frozen items and creepy items renamed after famous brands.
Since I can’t make sense of the prepackaged, frozen nirvana, I’ve concluded there is some mythical creature named «Joe» who waves a wand over people in the parking lot, putting them in what I call the TRADER TRANCE… so they walk robotically through the aisles CONVINCED they need these oddball products.
«OOooo YES! I absolutely cannot do without these mango coconut chia pops! And these tropical ice cream sandwiches!!! Who has time for cooking? I’ll just throw two or three of these frozen entrees in my cart; my family will LOVE Palak Peneer, Tarte d’Champignon and Pizza Parlanno! Perhaps the strangest is the cereal aisle, where all of the boxes seem to be derivatives of some well known brand. «Joe O’s» anyone?
So go if you want. At least I got a free shopping tote on my last visit!

When you think of a Trader Joe’s location that lives up to its storied reputation, this is one that comes to mind.
It’s a bit on the smaller side, but still impresses with its friendly staff, clean aisles, and wide selection of goods.
The parking lot can get a little tricky to navigate when it gets crowded, but still a great overall experience.

Some of my favorite things from Trader Joe’s: bagels, butter almond cookies, flowers!, cheap wine, and fresh fruit:)
The only thing that I’ve ever gotten from Trader Joe’s and not liked was their tea tree oil shampoo and conditioner (which broke me out) and their daily moisturizer (which made me super oily).
The service is always great and (unlike other stores) no one ever makes fun of me when I ask them to get things off high shelves for me, which happens more often than I’d like to admit…
Also! They have a stuffed animal hanging on the wall, and I’ve heard a rumor that if you are a child and you locate it, you get a small gift:)

Here is my take on this Trader Joe’s. Let’s break it down to be fair.
Excitement:
Everything that reviewers below me have said about excited for the grand opening of this place, is TRUE. Come on, the Northwestern Newspaper has talked about this establishment on so many occasions that even for an out of towner like me, I have been counting down for this location to open.
Exterior:
From the outside the store is pretty cool looking. It definitely stands out from the boxy looking Jewel Losco and Whole Foods next door. It has a spacious enough parking lot, about the same size as Whole Food’s, the entrance to the store is well light and transparent, it’s like grocery haven welcoming you!
Store Clerks:
Soo out of this world friendly. I have noticed this to be true at every Trader Joe’s I’ve shopped at. Even in this polar vortex winter and as I was checking out 15 minute before the store closes, the girl who was scanning my grocery at the checkout line still manages to pull a genuine smile on and asks me what my plans are for New Year. I admire this kind of energy.
Layout:
Consistent with most Trader Joe’s. Some might think that the set up is hard to navigate, I personally think it’s not a big deal. Trader Joes like to be nontraditional and eclectic, so why not? Plus as long as their aisle space is large enough, I frankly do not care. I did not come here to for go-​cartting.
Price/​Convenience/​Variety:
In between Whole Foods and Jewel Losco. But, the plus is this place has great convenient items, like 3.99 wraps, sandwiches and sushi. Hello! Pre-​diced celery, bell pepper, carrots and onion. Nicely packaged frozen international entrees, though not super authentic but hey. You win on the convenience point! Trader Joes does offer a lot of options that Jewel Losco is not able to offer, like a large can of grade A honey. And, the produce is fresher and in better condition than Jewel Losco. I personally try not to enter Whole Foods unless I absolutely have no choice, I am just not that «Whole Paycheck» kinda gal. I feel like I can eat well and fresh without killing my whole wallet. I suppose go to Whole Foods if you need super specialty item.
Oh, and come on, 2 $$ not 1 as indicated on the top of this page. The verdict. You have my support! I wonder since the opening of Trader Joes, if Whole Food’s business has staggered? Hmmmm, you be the judge!