Trader Joe’s

The lunchtime line vs. the afterwork line vs. the pre-(add any popular event, catastrophe, or Flix and chill moment here) is in the words of the Talking Heads, «same as it ever was.»
Grin, step out of line for a last minute quick pick, and bear it. The line does move.
The fresh pressed juices are cheap. As are the cheeses, the meats, the prepared salads and such… Bananas when in stock are like 20 cents each. So they are cheaper than the fruit carts.
They have good brew, nice drinks, $ 1.99 seasonings when cooking needs help.
My fave thang though:
Two words. Siracha. Hummus. *drop the mic*

I wouldn’t say this is the worst trader joes but definitely not the best ever. Much bigger selection compared to my local trader joes and for the most part is fairly organized. The employes are extremely busy and you rarely see them not doing anything.
My only gripe is that due to the huge line I wasn’t able to access certain areas of the store.

The crowd here is HORRIBLE.
The majority of people who shop here don’t live in the area. They travel from outside the neighborhood in search of cheap food. It gets insanely crowded that it makes me feel like I am at a refugee camp. What is more frustrating for me is that this store is most conveniently located from where I live but because of this insane crowd who is mostly from outside the neighborhood, I cannot shop comfortably in my local grocery store.
10 blocks down Wholefoods gets very crowded too but people there are more civilized and the line to check out moves much much faster.

This Trader Joe’s location is far too busy. The lines wrap around the store. They also never have what I want. When I went it looked like the store had just been raided the day before Thanksgiving or Christmas eve. I would rather go all the way to Edgewater, New Jersey to go to there Trader Joes there to avoid the lines and be able pick up everything my heart desires without a struggle.

I always step in reluctantly, when I step into a Trader Joe’s. It feels like the IKEA of food. Everything on offer is so formulaic, I feel like a tool bag. I’m surprised they don’t have joint coupons with IKEA (Get 10% soy nuts when you buy this stool!”), but I digress. This is by far one of better Trader Joe’s from my experience (as compares to Union Square and BK Heights). The selection is good and shelves stay stacked. The line can be intimidating, but they manage it well and you will usually get through within 10 minutes. Also, great selection of flowers at this location.

This is not the best Trader Joe’s I have ever been to, but I am just grateful there is a Trader Joe’s accessible to me within a reasonable distance. Grocery shopping in NYC is so heinous. I am relieved to shop in an establishment I am familiar with that offers fresh, affordable produce. I’ll even put up with the large crowds, ridiculously long lines, and odd layout of the store. The cashiers work pretty quickly, so the line itself is not bad and usually does not take very long. It is somewhat stressful to shop for produce while you are in line. You have to grab and go as you move along the line. But hey, I need to eat. Spinach and kale for about $ 2/​bag and about 8 frozen chicken breasts or chicken thighs for about $ 7. Sounds good to me.
One difference between TJ’s here and TJ’s in CA, the cheese. Same cheese, same packaging, but a lot of them taste drier, and crumblier, and do not cut as cleanly. Oh well, you win some, you lose some.

From the west coast and it’s pretty much the same Trader Joe’s I’m used too, except a few food items are a little different but I think that’s because they have different food vendors making them. Yes, there’s always a line. But come on, you live in New York City! The line wait time can range from around 10 – 20 minutes depending on how busy it is. Obviously certain times are better than others. I have only shopped there in the afternoon so I can’t say what morning or evening is like.
Overall, I’ve been very happy with TJ’s here. Employees are very helpful and seem like the typical happy TJ employees.

Best Trader Joes in Manhattan. Used to go to the one in Union Square, but this one is a million times better. It has two floors and plenty of room
To shop without bumping into to other customers every two seconds. Yes, it can get crowded and the line to checkout can get awfully long, but I’m
my opinion this is the best Trader Joes in Manhattan.
It’s better to go after 1 or 2pm because sometimes if you go earlier they haven’t gotten the meat deliveries yet.

I’m a Trader Joe’s junkie.
Could easily spend a whole afternoon and wallet here. That’s because I’m a sucker for specialty food/​snacks.
TJ is best for frozen foods (mac&cheese), granola/​cereals, yogurt, and of course, wine. If you want to save $$, beware of the snacks aisle, which contains the unnecessary kettle popcorn…

I am very very (very) late to the Trader Joe’s train but after just one shopping trip I’m a fan! I remember walking past the TJ’s on 14^th street and always wondering why there was such a loooong line out the door! Based on the reviews, apparently that location isn’t as good as this one — so even though I live on the UES, I walked cross town to check out this location instead.
As other Unilocalers have mentioned, the prices are great (e.g. 99 cent bag of pasta) which is what people keep going back for despite the crazy lines. I came around 9am on a Tuesday morning. It wasn’t crowded but still a good amount of people. I only waited in line for 5 mins so this would be a good time to go if you’re trying to avoid the rush.
As this was my first time I wasn’t quite familiar with the set up but signage was good and things were easy enough to find. This location is actually 2 floors and underground (the entrance is on the street level).
What I love most is the variety of stuff they have — and since its their own brand, you can’t find them anywhere else. They sell great frozen meals for those days you just can’t bring yourself to cook from scratch (but you’re also trying to curb your Seamless addiction). Try the Paneer Tikka Masala frozen meal and the Mac n Cheese.
Also: COOKIE BUTTER! I’m hooked. If you haven’t tried it, you must!

I started coming to this location recently after realizing it’s on the 2 line going home. I take 2 buses to the supermarket by me anyway and said why not come after work?!
Are there ever short lines? No. I don’t think that exist in any Trader Joe’s if you don’t go as soon as they open. But i gotta say, I came in Thanksgiving Week and it was WILD! The line wrapped around and around again, BUT for a line that long it wasn’t so bad! They have a person at the back managing the ppl getting on the line. Also, there was legit 26 registers open!
You gotta love Trader Joe’s for a lot of great prices, and unique foods that you truly can’t get anywhere else. The harvest salsa is awesome, so is the frozen shumai w/​the soyaki they sell, produce is all fresh, granola bars and so many other yummy foods they sell there! The only reason they don’t get 5 stars is because there are certain foods you can get at a GREAT price during the holiday season at regular supermarkets like Stop& Shop, that you can’t get here. Ex: Big Polly O ricotta cheese for $ 2.99 or the mozz cheese block for $ 1.99…but it is what it is, they have to make a profit somewhere and also more or less everything stays the same all year round. I love coming here and can’t wait too try other exclusive goodies that they sell… oh the cookies are the
too!
Also, the workers are all so very friendly :-)

Club TJ, it’s lit. Especially on primetime weekends (11am-​6pm) and Monday after work.
Apparently New Yorkers love to wait in lines. They wait in lines to get into da club, for cronuts, museums, and to get inside — as in you wait in a line to ENTER — Trader Joe’s. This fact alone makes shopping here a surreal and cerebral experience, like you find yourself pondering, «Does the $ 3 I saved on this almond butter make up for the hour of my life I just lost waiting to purchase it?»
I find TJ especially economical for packaged goods, like their big ass bag of gluten free oats for $ 4, frozen anything, nuts, candy. almond milk, etc. For fresh food and produce, please just hit up your local farmer’s market or an Asian supermarket.

If I had a good local grocer, I would give him my business. Since I don’t, I travel 45 minutes to this, my nearest Trader Joe’s, bypassing the neighborhood rip-​off joint as well as Peapod, Fresh Direct, Whole Foods and Fairway. I often even pay for delivery at $ 20 a pop.
Yes, I became attached to Trader Joe’s while living in California. But the real reason I come here is the cashiers. If you don’t mind being waited on by people who clearly hate you, go ahead and get your raw milk and marcona almonds at Whole You-​Know-​What. If you prefer not to be confronted with the income disparity and potential for racial discord on this island while you jockey for a place on the express line, there’s only one place to go and that’s here.
Right: I go for 2.5-hour grocery runs, 0.5 hours of which is spent on line, and that is indeed crazy. But I am so charmed by the clerks that I come out chuckling to myself almost every time. The fact that the customers are as stressed-​out nasty as any in the city makes the employees’ good cheer all the more powerful and remarkable. Three bells, captain: I’m athwart an asylum harbor.

I love Trader Joes, I wish there was one right where I lived. I prefer the one in Chelsea, I’m not sure I’d come back to this location. It’s a bit annoying shopping on different floors. The selection is pretty slim around 7:30pm on a Tuesday. Huge lines, it’s so difficult to shop since the lines are literally blocking the aisles.
Still great prices, love being able to get a ton of organic products for cheap. I’d have to pay 2x as much elsewhere. I always end up spending $ 60+ even after doing my regular grocery shopping elsewhere. I’d buy a lot more but there’s only so much we can carry.
Obviously not as good as Whole Foods, but I can get way more for my money. I wouldn’t buy yogurt from TJs. The fridge isn’t cold enough and plenty of people have mentioned mold. Other than that, great selection of snacks, frozen food, soups, pastas. They don’t have a good variety of fruit, I normally see apples and bananas. I even love their frozen veggies, it’s better than recognized brands.
Shopping at TJs saves so much money…

If Pixar made a supermarket, it would be this Trader Joe’s.
More so than any other TJ’s, this location is packed to the gills with creative hand-​drawn signs. It’s an oasis of friendly faces, high quality, and low prices in a city can often be unforgiving.
They have a great selection of prepacked foods, meats, frozen foods, and snacks. I’d like if they had a wider variety of fruit — seems like regardless of the season, 80% of the fruit bins are used to hold different kinds of apples. And they also don’t have many leafy greens other than bagged salad mixes.
The limited selection in some categories isn’t too big of a deal. There are plenty of other supermarkets to fill in the gap. For what it’s worth, I always walk out having bought at least $ 20 more than I needed.
No review of Trader Joe’s is complete without commentary on their insane line (it snakes around half the store, and they pay someone just to hold a giant banner marking the end). The long line actually isn’t a problem — not only does it go by quickly, you can continue shopping while you wait in line.
#LifeHack: Finish shopping on the lower floor, then get in line and do your upper level shopping.
Also, the cart escalators are the COOLEST. THINGS. EVER. I’ll have to grab a video next time.

I always feel giddy after doing grocery shopping at Trader Joes. The produce are always fresh plus they have a wide selection of organic foodstuff. I love their ready-​to-​eat section.
The people who work there are very pleasant and helpful. The only downside (I guess with all other branches) is the long line to the cashier. But it’s not a long wait so it’s just overwhelming at the beginning.

You are the best Trader Joes! Amongst all the crappy overpriced bodegas and dirty grocery stores in NYC — TJs is a sight for sore eyes. This is the largest trader Joes in the US (or so a team member told me) so don’t be overwhelmed by the number of people. They run this place super efficiently and restock constantly — if you can’t find something then ask an employee! They’re happy to help.
Pro tip: skip shopping on the main floor until you’re on the line… grab stuff you need as the line moves ;)

So this is TJ’s. For years I heard about this magical place, full of snack, loved by the people of Hawaii. And while living there I would occasionally get something from this place from an excited friend or coworker. I would graciously accept BUT question their excitement. Then I walked in and found spinach pre made guac and lost my MIND.
I ended up buying way more I could carry, nicely by some amazing lamps I had found via craigslist. I never felt more NY in my life, well maybe when I attended college on 10^th across from Lukes where I was born…
Wait… TJ’s. Right, so I will be back, and I will bring a cart and a friend. I will Drake it and start at the bottom. The lines were awesomely quick, the Hawaiian theme was so welcomed! and the people were super nice.
Only downfall: I got spring rolls. Halfway through the second roll there was a hair. Womp womp. So I’ll stay away from the prepared food and be more vigilant.

In the interest of full disclosure I must admit that I love every TJ’s I’ve ever been to. I also worked at one a few years ago part-​time and it’s the BEST place to work. So, I might be a little biased…
Forgetting my apparent bias, this store ROCKS.
I walked in for the first time and was a little confused, but finally sort of found my way around with a bit of help from the amazing staff here. It’s a BIG store and I love that! I don’t think it’s possible to be out of stock in something here, the shelves were full of everything and that’s so nice.
I went around the two floors and got what I needed, cashiers are downstairs so I headed there and saw a line so long that it stopped me in my tracks. An employee saw my hesitation and reassured me that it would take no more than 10 minutes and she was right! Amazing!
The only hiccup I had was when the cashier barked at me about bagging my own groceries saying he preferred to do it. I let him, but I think you should be able to do it on your own if you want to. Whatever. Nothing can dull the shine on this store, nothing!
Favorite Trader Joe’s EVER.

Not my favorite of Trader Joes. I’ve shopped in the Charlotte, NC and Jacksonville, FL location.
Staff isn’t nearly as friendly or helpful at this location.
Very difficult to navigate around. There are three floors and everything isn’t in its ‘section’.
As others have said, the shelves look sparse and their is a lot of hustling. It’s not like you can look online and know what they offer or where it’s located so how do people browse?
The check out line isn’t as scary as it looks but it wraps around the entire bottom floor.
Luckily, I only needed like two items and I was in NO hurry, otherwise I would have been engulfed into the crowded oblivion they call Trader Joes.