Trader Joe’s

Of all the supermarkets I’ve been to, i can say this is my favorite one. Though the line is very very long, i don’t mind. Upon entering, i went in line going to the checkout right away, as you will be passing each and every aisle (yes, thats how long the line was) while I was in line and while its moving, I’m already grabbing what i need. They have asian section, Italian, Mexican and many more. They have wide variety of selections and the price is affordable as well. I bought a lot. Definitely I will be coming back.

An open love letter to the Cheese Section of Trader Joes: You are the Arnold to my Helga, The tennis obsession to my DFW, The good hair to my Becky. Girl, if stares cost money, I would be broke as hell. Sometimes I spend a couple of extra minutes by the bread stand just to see if you’ll notice me back, and you can be sure I ALWAYS use the outer lane checkout. Prom?
Also totally awesome sweet potato chips, the ones with ridges.
P.S Broccoli floret crisps have no place in our lives. That’s what I imagine moldy sawdust tastes like.

Stay away from here during any rush hours. Lines are loooooong. Like amusement attraction long.

I love all 3 Trader Joe’s locations. East 14^th Street was the first Manhattan location. Great food items at great prices. Literally items «from soup to nuts». :). There are LOW SODIUM SOUPS, such as Creamy Tomato in a paper quart container, found neatly on shelves. Refrigerate AFTER opening.
Also great prices on fresh produce, healthy snack bars, teas, chocolate, frozen foods, & toilet paper, liquid soaps, pet foods, toothpaste & more.
I’ll post photos of some if my favorites from today. There is a lot to like at Trader Joe’s.
The staff is usually quite helpful & friendly, and they’re also fun and smart – a great combination of WONDERFUL, generally speaking.
For example, today, I called ahead to be sure East 14 St had the frozen bag of «Japanese Style Fried Rice», & it was a totally friendly & pleasant experience. Once at the store, I asked a «Team Member», as employees are called, about another frozen item, the unbelievably popular, hard to find, «Cauliflower Rice». I scored one only once! The fellow who helped me, who prefers to remain in the background was fantastic. A pleasure to deal with. Thank you for your help! They were out of stock. I wasn’t surprised.
Today the Sample Station offered the frozen dessert sample of a Mango Mochi. I thought it was an item I did not usually care much for, but, this one had a mango purée in its center, so I tried it, liked it, & bought it. I was told it was a seasonal item, so I should not expect to find it throughout the year.
Confession: I usually check ingredients BEFORE I buy an item, but I was very impressed with the taste of the Mango Mochi, so I was heading home on the bus when I read the ingredients. It does list a «monoglycerides and diglycerides of fatty acids». I might not have bought it b/​c of that… but, I’m not sorry I bought it, LOL… it tastes good! I’m not eating the box at once. It’s rich enough in taste & texture that two were plenty. And there was some time between the two!
And, the long line moves quickly! For me, Trader Joe’s is usually worth the wait. If you’re an impatient, and/​or grumpy soul, bring a book/​newspaper/​smartphone, or, ask the person near you about a food item in their cart… time will fly.

One of the best supermarkets ever. Much better than whole foods.
Great affordable prices and quality.
Everyone is friendly.
A wide variety of food and unique desserts.
I will keep coming back here.

Amazing location, there is so much to choose from and the staff are very friendly. The store was laid out as a normal TJ’s is and they had great customer service. I live a bit far from this location but it is always worth it for me to go all the way here. I always talk to the cashiers and they’re always more than happy to tell me how much they love their jobs and working there in general. It is heartwarming to hear about.
I always go back for the greek and yogurt dip and the delicious dark chocolate and peanut butter cups.

What else is there to say about Trader Joe’s? They’re a great company and, in comparison to everything in NYC, their prices are great.
This space: Great location, tons of selection, low prices, horrendous lines.
Tips:
–Come here during a week day or a Sunday morning. The kiddos at NYU will still be sleeping and you’ll get in and out much faster
–If they’re out of your favorite item, ASK them if they have any in stock. They have a warehouse next door and can bring you what you need almost every time.
–Snag the Splendid Ice Cream Sandwiches. They’re SO good. No, wait. On second thought, DON’T get those. Leave them all for me. Nommmm
–Get in line first and as you pass through the store (while in said line), grab what you need. It saves wait time! Most people are kind and don’t mind if you jump out of line once or twice… or seventeen times :)

This is a good location being that it is right next to the wine store. It’s a bit far from my apartment considering I live in the LES. The lines tend to be long but honestly they move so fast and I usually shop while waiting in line.
The staff is also very friendly and they answer any questions that I asked and at the register while I am checking out they will grab something for me if I forget it!

I need to update my review because I now work in this area and go to TJ’s more frequently, and I’ve totally changed my opinion on it. This 14^th St. location gives me a bit of anxiety since there are sometimes lines that go out the door on the weekends, but it’s worth it. The produce and meat is so much less expensive than other grocery stores, especially the organic stuff! The employees are so friendly and they have so many unique things that it’s definitely worth standing in line for an extra few minutes to shop here rather than Fairway or Gristedes. Perhaps because of their smaller size they have an advantage in keeping the store clean and appealing looking, but it creates a nice shopping experience despite the line that snakes around the store. Some TJ favorites: super cheap bananas, fried rice, cookie butter, and milk chocolate peanut butter cups.

Chaotic but gotta love it. There really isn’t anything to say. If you need to read a review on TJ, you need to get out more. Heads up if you don’t get out more, this place sometimes carries an hour and a half long line.

So many people! Still SO cheap. Got some lasagna and pizzas from Leann Cuisine because they were cheap. Don’t even bother!
Lines are long but they go fast and you can shop while you wait. Staff is friendly.

Awful. Not worth the hassle. Crazy aggressive shoppers, insolent staff. Every time I come here I swear it will be the last time. Waste your time and energy and deal with this for what? Save a few cents? I am surprised people put up with this. Only in NY would a bad shopping experience be justified as a badge of honor.
Just checked out. Coco the cashier looked high? Most of the cashiers are either weird and bad attitude. I don’t know if I have seen high before.

Favorite Trader Joes so far. The staff are super nice and the vibe overall is always super friendly even the customers. Selections are great, would recommend going during off-​peak hours if you don’t want to wait 20 minutes in line during peak hours. Even when the line seems long, it goes by quick usually. I don’t remember ever waiting more than 30 minutes even when the line would stretch close to the entrance. If you ever forget to get something while on line, you can kindly request one of the employees to get it for you too.
You walk in a totally chill customer and walk out going back to your usual NYC anxiety-​driven, watch out for creepy people, get your butt to the subway mindset.

Hear me out for this 5 star review… Everyone is quick to complain about the long line and the stock, but you must understand that this is the #1 revenue generating TJ’s in the entire country while also being the smallest store in the country, put those two together and you have a line and stock problem that in no way can be fixed except with a smile and efficiency which this store has. That’s just how it is and it is what you should expect going into this store. I went on a Sunday evening and I was pleasantly surprised with how quickly the line flew by despite how crowded it was and the horror stories I had heard about this store which had scared me away until now. I the guy directing the line was nice and extremely orderly with his direction. Yes the stock was low, yes the line was long, but the customer service and efficiency made up for it. I wish I had been going there more often as it was much cheaper than the grocery store I go to by my apartment in Brooklyn!
I spoke with the cashier and he said they get fresh stock in EVERY NIGHT, there is no possible way for them to be able to have everything all of the time. He was very very friendly and made me feel comfortable about coming back. He said the best times to come are in the mornings or during the week.
Good luck!

Best store to open in Manhattan. Cheaper than whole foods and they have a great selection. Although it takes me a 20 minute bus ride to get there I don’t mind it because there products are always fresh and they are always fully stocked.
I have to admit for the past month I have been hooked on their salsa verde and tortilla chips. I also love the farfalle with cheese and spinach.
Love this grocery store.

This location is, without fail, always more crowded than any of the others in town. I blame both the proximity to the TJ’s wine shop *and* an NYU dorm, all within mere feet. Expect to wait in line just to get in the doors. And all the more once inside.
The store also doesn’t seem as intuitively laid out as the 6^th Ave location. And more prone to empty shelves. But… «When in Rome» (with «Rome» being the Union Square vicinity) you gotta do what you gotta do.

Beware: this is the busiest Trader Joe’s in the city! I live in Union Square and this location is the closest to me, but I opt to go to the one on 21^st and 6^th Ave if weather permits. Nonetheless, TJ’s is definitely the best place to get your grocers (quality and price). A big plus at this location is that they have their wine store right next door… so I’ll always stop by both stores!

My favorite TJ. It’s small but if you get there early in am no prob. Everyone is nice. I get what I need which weighs a ton. I have a TJ bag with wheels. Load it up and take the train or bus home. That’s the high point of trip; it’s close to both bus and train at 14^th Street.
The store is all on one floor. I like the fact you don’t go up and down elevators or escalators. They keep renovating and improving the lay out. Prices are reasonable and food is fresh.
Highly recommend.

Of all the Trader Joe’s in Manhattan, I have a love hate relationship with this one. 9 out of 10 times, the checkout lines are ridiculous, but at least they move fast. The worst I’ve ever heard was a line of people outside waiting to get into the store. I applaud the staff for being so friendly and chipper while dealing with so many customers. They restock everything pretty quick so I can always get my go to items.
My favorite part is the wine shop as the one in UWS does not have one… Where else can I get a good deal on wines and find such friendly people who are willing to recommend something new for me to try?

I was pretty shocked to find this TJ’s slightly larger than the one in my hometown. Seems like everything else in NYC is smaller and more expensive, minus this spot. Well played, Joe! If you’re familiar with the store, it has all of your favorites that you would expect to find at other TJ’s… and then some. Though the lines take up two entire aisles most times, they have a pretty good system of working it out and plenty of registers to make checkout easier on everyone. Don’t get me wrong, you will wait, but not too long. With the insane prices and shite eats at some of the smaller spots around the Union Square/​E Village area, I can’t see myself shopping anywhere else if I need groceries in the area.
Bonus: TJ’s makes some solid, reasonably priced beer. Check it out!

This is my go-​to Trader Joes. Mainly because it’s located conveniently on my way home from work. With that being said, after work hours (anytime after 5 really) and the weekends are crazy busy. It’s only time to go grocery shopping for young professionals like myself. So don’t be in shock when you see the end of the line for check out begin at the ENTRANCE of the store.
My advice: bring a friend and get in line right away. That way, you can shop as you wait in line and have your friend pick out the items that are furthest away from the line. You do really need to go in with a game plan if you’re planning on tackling the New York trader joes.
Other than that little detail, I have no complaints or concerns about the store. It has everything you could possibly need, even dietary friendly, for ridiculously good deals. Their staff is even amazing, which is surprising because this place becomes a mad house and even makes me a little crazy. They really make you’re crazy trader joes experience.

As the only TJ in NYC (that I know of) with a wine selection, this happens to be a staple for me whenever I am near Union Square. Although I visit the grocery-​side as well, I usually pick those up near my house and just make use of the Wine Store exclusively.
Having a separate building next-​door specifically for wines is a blessing. Although the lines can be long, having a single commodity allows you to breeze right through. Their selections are actually quite fantastic ranging from 5 $ pinot noirs to 80 $+ bottles for the enthusiasts out there.
My tip? Don’t stick your nose up at the TJ branded wines, some of them can be pretty decent and at only about 5 – 9 $/​bottle it’s a real steal. Others can taste like pure sugar, so there’s a bit of a learning curve you’ll have to pick up on from experience.
Wine is one of those things I don’t mind trial and error — again and again and again… etc…
Buy one of their wine totes for a buck and bring it with you when you come back, it’s so much more convenient (and Earth-​friendly) than laying the bottles flat in paper.

So here’s the deal:
They open at 8:00AM sharp, so if you arrive a few minutes prior, you will stand on line outside. Once inside, if you’re done shopping by 8:30AM, you will more than likely wait in line for no more than 5 minutes, if there is a wait at all.
Stay away between 11:30AM — 1:00PM. The noon lunch rush is the worst for obvious reasons plus you’ll find a lot of geriatrics (with their Aids, walkers, scooters, canes) picking up items following their morning appointments at the nearby medical facilities.
Grab a basket if you want to stroll and shop. Grab a cart if you know the layout and where the items you want are located.
Bring a friend. If you work nearby (like I do), bring a co-​worker or a friend. One can stand in line while the other shops. Relieve one another and you can both get all of your shopping done without losing your spot in line.
Winter and inclement weather, if you arrive between 1:30PM — 2:45PM, you will wait outside to get in the store. By 3:00PM, anything good will be sold out.
The staff here are some of the best around. They’re helpful, knowledgeable and most appear to be lifers. I have been shopping at this location for close to 9 years and the staff does not rotate much.
I know a lot of folks complain about this location but it’s convenient. If you follow the afore mentioned tips, you’ll be fine.