Trader Joe’s

I love Trader Joe’s but this location not so much. The parking lot is really busy and the store inside and outside is really crowded. Too many cars drive by that are not pedestrian friendly, crossing over to get inside the store can be a challenge. I went on a Sunday so maybe that was a bad day to go, nonetheless I will still go. Employees are friendly so that’s a plus. Flowers are very reasonably priced, I got tulips and they turned out well.
Whole foods is in the same parking lot which can be convenient if you shop at both.

I love the simplicity of trader joe’s. None of their products have ever failed me, which is amazing. You can’t beat the wine and cheese prices here and they have quite an assortment for being a smaller store in comparison to Fry’s, Safeway, etc.
Staff is always helpful and friendly! Although they get busy because of their location, I rarely have to wait in line too long. It’s nice that they offer coffee to sample while you shop and they always are offering a food item to sample. Love me some Trader Joe’s!

My go-​to Trader Joe’s. Favorites in the last have included the now apparently discontinued dark chocolate mint shortbread star cookies, the seasonal pumpkin pie mochi ice cream, frozen cha siu bao/​BBQ pork bun dim sum, their soy ice cream sandwiches, mozzarella, granola, honey roasted peanuts, and flat bread. Misses from here include their frozen tamales, loaf bread (it molds in a days), and frozen shu mai (way too much onion). I’ve also picked up some health items here like «green» plant-​based vitamin supplements that seem
promising. And of course their speculoos cookie butter and its many related products deserves a mention.
Trader Joe’s is also a place for gifts, especially when they roll out their large assortment in the winter. They have some very unique candies, baked goods, teas, and other treats, all of which are a big hit in states that don’t currently have their own Trader Joe’s.
I have had moldy food from here twice (tin of mints and pack of sliced cheese). They gave me a refund even when I didn’t have the receipt with me, which I appreciated.
Watch out for when the parking lot gets busy!

This is a great place, every single one of these has a wide variety of cheese, and I’m here for the cheese.
My wife, on the other hand, is here for organic produce.
Enjoy

In this day & age, I truly believe that most people want honesty. With that being said, i’m going to give an HONEST review. I came to Trader Joe’s yesterday afternoon (11/​15/​2015) for ONE thing: Chicken breast. Up to that point, Trader Joe’s was the only place I shopped for chicken breast for months as the quality is usually pretty good as long as the «sell by» date isn’t too near (with the only «downside» being the price charged for the amount of chicken you actually get). I came into the store & immediately noticed TONS of people in the front of the store. «Wow, they’re REALLY busy today», I said to myself. I should have taken that as a «red flag», but with an empty stomach, all I had on my mind was grilling up some chicken & having a nice lunch after skipping breakfast. I went to the meat section, grabbed two packs of chicken breast & got in one of the lines (EVERY line was about 15 – 20 ppl long, which was very unusual for Trader Joe’s). After waiting in line for about 20 minutes or so, there was only one more person in front of me & I overheard the cashier saying something about them having computer problems. Once it was my turn, I was naturally annoyed as a result of the long wait but I was just eager to finally pay for my item & get on with my day that had already been planned in advance. In the end, I scanned my EBT card once & after about 1 – 2 minutes it didn’t go thru (I had more than enough credit available for my purchase). A manager was called over, I scanned it again, & after another 1 – 2 minutes he tells me «Oh sorry, our EBT transactions aren’t working right now». I looked at him for a few seconds as I waited for him to offer some type of customer-​focused resolution after I had stood in line for 20 minutes waiting to complete my purchase. Sadly no resolution was offered & before saying what I REALLY wanted to say, I realized that I just didn’t have the energy, I left the chicken on the counter & I walked out empty-​handed (after waiting in line for nothing & having 20 minutes of my life wasted [all of which could have been avoided had the people who work at the store set the right expectations ahead of time]).
My complaint isn’t due to the fact that the system went down. My complaint is due to the fact that the HANDLING of the situation was so unprofessional & non-​customer focused. I can see if a company just went into business a week ago, but for Trader Joe’s to have been in business for as long as they have (founded in 1958) I would expect that they would have some type of proper protocol in place for situations like this. In my eyes, it’s just common sense: Put your ego down, put a sign up on the door advising your customers that you’re having computer issues & thank people in advance for their patience. Warn people that the EBT system may be down, so that you set the right expectations IN ADVANCE instead of having your long-​time customers standing in one of your RIDICULOUSLY long lines for upwards of 20 minutes just to walk out empty handed all because you made no effort to warn them in advance that your system was down. Had I known what was going on in advance, I could have saved myself the headache & either brought mom with me (since she always keeps cash on her) or just went to another store & avoided the mess altogether.
What I experienced yesterday was just not customer-​focused at all, it is not what I would expect from Trader Joe’s & I honestly would have expected more. I mean SOMETHING to make the wrong right & make me feel better about shopping at your store even after an experience like this. Companies make mistakes just like people do, but this was just a complete turnoff for me & i’ll think twice next time I walk into the store & see that many people at the front. If you don’t communicate something to me, i’m left with no choice but to assume the worst & in this case i’ll simply assume that your system is down again, i’ll just turn around & walk out. I was not happy with my experience yesterday & wanted to share in hopes that someone at Trader Joe’s can take ownership & find a better way to handle stuff like this next time around. Other similar companies (i.e. Fresh & Easy) thought they would last forever, but at some point there was a disconnect with the customer: We all know what happened to Fresh & Easy & i’m quite sure that Trader Joe’s would not want to end up in the same position. Once again, I truly hope they find a better way to handle situations like this going forward so that the customer feels valued & respected (aka– the opposite of how I felt on yesterday afternoon).

Love all the people at this trader joes but the parking is crazy. They need to do something about this. The staff is amazing!

As we all know, Trader Joe’s is the poor man’s Whole Foods. And you know what? Fuck Whole Foods. TJ’s is far superior in quality and price of their home brand. Trader Joe’s deals in the essentials. You don’t get rows upon rows of cracker choices, because you only need 4 – 5, and Trader Joe’s got the cracker business on lockdown. The produce is the freshest on this side of town. The pre-​made salads and meals are so fresh and out of this world delicious. I can only condone grocery shopping at Trader Joe’s and Costco. If you’re frequenting elsewhere, you’re doing it wrong.

The employees are great! Everyone is so friendly and seems to genuinely enjoy being there, probably because of the reasonable prices, quality products, and quintessential kitsch. I can find everything I need, and then some.
They’ve got the best, most unique junk food ever. Cookie butter, anyone?
Their wine selection is on fleek.
They’re like a luxury grocer that doesn’t make you feel like you’re in a luxury grocer, because they are so cool.

It’s a Trader Joe’s so you probably already know what that entails. if not, the selection can seem a little limited at first. Almost everything I’ve tried I end up liking. The Dark chocolate turbinado sugar almonds are amazing…
Sure, they repackage other brands as their own and half of the allure is probably good marketing/​branding but whatever.
Be warned this location can get quite crowded on Sundays as it seems a little smaller than other stores I’ve been to. It can actually be a bit of a nightmare at times, including trying to find parking.

This is my go-​to grocery store and I can honestly say that if they sold every grocery item I need I would probably never go anywhere else for groceries. They have awesome products at gray prices and friendly staff. But for the crazy crowds that inhabit the store most of the time I would have given this Trader Joe’s a 5-​star review.

Big selection of pre-​made salads! Their best one is the «Lemon Chicken Salad Salad» with a small bowl of chicken salad added to the box. OH WAIT — I just found out they discontinued it! It was their best salad though… who doesnt have their thinking cap on over there?
They do have a public restroom which I believe the employees also use. But dont expect it to be clean & sparkly like the rest of the store. In fact when I used it, it was filthy, there were no paper towels, and someone had spit into the sink. The employees prepare the boxed salads in the back area too, which causes some concern. What help is it if the salads are organic if they are prepared by 20-​somethings who must use that restroom?
They are open daily until 9, so don’t be put off by the dark charcoal window film on the entry door. At night it looks as though they are closed from the parking lot. They need something to keep the store cool in the summer at sunset, but it needs to be removable in the winter.
Whole Foods is right next door now (used to be a Linens & Things), so that’s good in case Trader Joe’s is a little too limited for your shopping list you can hoof it over there without re-​parking. If you STILL can’t get everything on your list just go to Fry’s across the street.
But good luck finding anyone on the road who will make crossing 20^th Street convenient, easy or even SAFE. In fact, EXPECT the arrogant, unnecessarily-​harried luxury SUV driver to spot your predicament and SPEED UP to try to intimidate and punish you for having the audacity to even potentially cause them to slow down in the least. Once you make it alive you will find that their parking is bad too at Fry’s. But the arrogant driving on 20^th Street ends in the Fry’s parking lot where the piss poor layout necessitates the greatest of community cooperation and patience — PROVING that the display of arrogance on 20^th Street is purposeful. Why?!!
What I want to see is ONE BIG GROCERY STORE the size of Coscto that has everything all 3 stores would have IN it. Then you can park once and go thru a single checkout with a single basket without risking life and limb and bumper.

The parking for this location can be a madhouse because it’s located in a very busy strip mall and largely due to the construction surrounding it. But in TJ fashion, it won’t disappoint with all the usual goodies that make you feel so adult and domesticated shopping here. Staff is always awesomely happy and helpful.

A basic, super busy Trader Joe’s that has everything you look for in a Trader Joe’s and then some.
Parking lot is a bit of a nightmare because of the Whole «Paycheck» Foods and the 24 Hour Fitness next door, in addition to the tons of other shops in this plaza, but midday on a Friday was fairly manageable.
I just ran in for some milk and juice, but got side-​tracked by the pre-​made foods and ended up bringing home several yummy wraps for lunches. At under $ 4, they make the perfect (cheap) lunch!
I was also side-​tracked several times by the abundance of holiday items they have displayed at the front of the store, especially the dark chocolate caramels. Caramels. .. my personal Achilles heal. I managed to withstand the temptation this trip, but I’m still thinking about them several hours later so I see a return trip in my future, especially since these kind of treats are usually gone once the holidays are over.
Aisles are a bit small but not any more that usual and two carts can easily pass without incident. Managed to bypass the cheese and wine sections with no damage (a feat in itself) and found an open check stand with no problems. Cashier was friendly and quick and I was in and out in less than 10 minutes.
I love Trader Joe’s and each visit reminds me why. Great food, great prices, unique items. .. this T.J.‘s has it all!

I can’t say enough amazing things about this Trader Joes.
The other day I went to the store to get my groceries done, which I really enjoy. After spending over an hour picking up everything I needed, finally I made it to the friendly register personnel.
She was amazing. All my groceries bagged and what do you know… My debit card does not go through. I don’t have back up card. After she tried couple of times and no luck, she asks for the manager to help her.
They tried every possible option but no luck. It was a debit card from Chase and I had this problem before. So I decide to call them.
Long story short, they couldn’t do anything because their system were down. Horrible, I couldn’t use my own money.
Enough about awful Chase, I am writing this review about my all time favorite grocery store. I apologized to them and told them my hideous bank can not do anything since their systems were down. I felt bad that they will have to put all of the groceries back.
They said no need to apologize and said they were sorry I had to go trough the hassle. Not only that they showed sympathy but the manager would not let me leave the store without packing some dinner on Trader Joe’s. How amazing are they?
I was bit embarrassed of the whole situation even though it was clearly my banks fault, I must say Trader Joe’s took that away and made me feel comfortable and safe.
Thank you Trader Joe’s for being you, for being simply the best!!!

Stopped in for some emergency supplies. (Emergency as in there was only butter in my fridge and I had one roll of toilet paper.) The employees were lovely as always, colorful, fresh fruit and vegetables greeted me and I scored in the free coffee & food that was available to sample. Trader Joe’s never fails to delight and, of course, I purchased more beer and wine that is humanly necessary. Trader Joe’s doesn’t need a review. Of course a visit here is wonderful. This is a definite favorite of mine!

This is the best Trader Joe’s I’ve ever been too and it’s crowded for a reason!
I’ve been here a couple of times this past week, addicted much? From their fresh flowers, produce, meat, snacks to drinks I don’t think I’ve gotten something here I didn’t quite like. Hell, even the frozen meals are … what’s that term again? Bomb (dot) com!
This location is packed, so you may have trouble going through the aisles but it’s all worth it. TJ’s has great prices and great products. I love their little sample stations and I was graced with being able to try their Spiced Chevre and Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins which were so amazing I grabbed the Chevre ASAP!
The workers here are so incredibly amazing and helpful. Whenever I’m staring into the products neatly, lining the shelves I’m approached and given recommendations if need be. The cashiers are awesome as well!
Definitely will be coming here for all my cheap grocery needs and fantastic customer service. Don’t forget to bring your eco friendly bag! :-)

Can we just sit down for a minute and talk about Cookie Butter? Are you seated? Ok. If you have yet to try this delicious invention, please direct yourselves to the nearest Trader Joes and buy yourself a bottle. It will not break the bank, for less than $ 10 you can get a bottle of this delicious concoction (like a spreadable gingerbread /​cinnamon butter), a box of graham crackers and some apples.
Don’t do this type of thing all the time, ’cause diabetes, but next time you have a party and need a suggestion for what to bring, this is for sure a party pleaser. On top of this, TJ always has great stuff to eat and drink. A decent selection of beer (although every time I go I wish it was a tad more diverse) and wine, and fresh produce (most of it with organic options).
The staff is almost annoyingly friendly (not quite to Oregano’s standards, but you get the picture)… and their stores are always clean and tidy. Even if all you do is walk in and buy a bottle of Cookie Butter (stay away from the cocoa swirl, it’s too much cocoa and not enough cookie butter) you won’t regret it.

I come here for the olive oil but I always find a few more necessities… like The best Vitamin C powder, cheap bananas and dark chocolate covered almonds with sea salt! Those are SO yummy!!!
The staff is always very helpful!

Always nice visiting a trader joes no matter what state or city you find yourself, nice workers ready to answer questions.
Stores are always clean and spacious.
Picked up a Arizona grocery bag for $ 1, value!
Got a few snacks and crackers for my ride home.

Who doesn’t love Trader Joe’s!!! The parking lot here is a nightmare, as it is directly next to a gym and a short distance from Whole Foods. But after playing chicken with that oncoming minivan and securing your spot, prepare for a good time — not just grabbing your groceries.
They often have wine and/​or beer tastings going on in the evenings. After all, nothing makes you spend more money than getting that «I have all the money in the world!» feeling you get from booze.
For single folks, you’ll surely find yourself someone to mingle with down that organic produce aisle. Grab some apples and a date all in one spot!
Trader Joe’s isn’t only cheap, they actually have quality products. My splurge is always that chocolate peanut butter and jelly candy bar you’ll find at every register. Gets me every time.
See you there!