Trader Joe’s

This is seriously my most favorite place to shop! My husband and I just moved to Raleigh and we *luckily* live very close to TJs! The only thing I don’t care for is how crowded it feels when you’re there. You end up bumping into others and it’s hard to look when people are at the frozen food cases with their carts. Love the store though and the people have been nothing but nice! Will definitely shop here often.

Tonight was not the first night I have visited this Trader Joe’s location and it certainly will not be the last! The location is easy to get to as it is cornered by two major local roadways. Every time I have been, the shelves were always stocked fully and appealingly. The aisles are wide enough for two way traffic and the store itself is small enough so that you don’t feel you have to walk half a mile to get from produce to wine and back again. The interior is inviting and fun — you can even get a history lesson while in the check out line! I’ve yet to see any food that looked perishable and the samples they offer are always very tasty. In addition, on the slower times that I’ve gone, I’ve often enjoyed the short conversations I’ve had with the staff on new food combinations to try. The only qualms I had today were rather small and are «issues» I would not normally even think to bring up at another grocery store. Even more important to me, it appeared that everyone working there was genuinely happy to be there. That matters to me. I much prefer putting my money towards a place that encourages laughter in the work place. I keep all 5 stars in my review as these notes are very picky and did not disturb my service as I have been here in the past. They are 1) the coffee bean grinder on the left (I’m used to the one on the right) stopped before all of the coffee beans had been ground. I’m glad I knew the difference otherwise I would have not gotten all of my grounds and left them in the machine! 2) I felt that they could have used more than one bagger this evening. She was very efficient, but even with all of the registers up and running (another rare and fantastic service to find in a grocery store, might I add) I felt there could have been one more bagger to help out!

I love coming to Trader Joes. Everyone’s energy is always amazing from when you walk in all the way to check out. They always have a wonderful selection of produce and you can’t beat the prices. The shelves are always fully stocked and love trying out new soaps and lotions they leave in restroom to sample.

I go here every weekend and it is always packed. Not their fault that the lines are long as the registers are always open. Staff is nice and they have what the Cary location one has but I like going to the Cary one better because it is not as cramped feeling and packed in there.

I love trader joes. They have good, hearty food at an affordable price. Their flowers are a great price and always makes my wife happy. Their food samples are always fantastic.
Some of my favorites that they sell are their Peruvian red shrimp (have a lobster type taste), plantain chips and their humus. Their frozen chicken is a great price for the quality. Their produce is always fresh. As a whole, it is my favorite grocery store in the area by far. Me and my wife go every week despite the drive because it is so much better and more affordable than any of its competitors.

Beautiful store. Waaaay too busy, but then again, it’s the first of the month, a rainy Sunday & a little after 12 noon. Who am I kidding to have gone then?!
Layout is great, aisles are pretty wide, produce looked amazing. Plenty of employee presence & it looked like all check out lanes were open.
Parking lot is big, but a busy day means it’s packed.

I still am not completely sure I understand all the hype, but there are a couple items that warrant 4 stars. Back when I lived in NYC there was always a LINE to get INSIDE the store. Uhh. No thanks. No grocery store is worth that.
When given the choice, I will always pick Aldi’s. It is way cheaper. And yes, I understand it’s the same company. Trader Joe’s is the yuppy hipster granola cousin of the German guys or something like that. I get it.
BUT, the other day I experienced grocery nirvana. Its name is «Trader Joe’s Spiced Cider». My lord, what do they DO to this stuff? It is seriously the best cider I’ve ever tasted– the mulling spices they used are incredible. It tasted like it was brewed fresh in somone’s homemace crockpot. (Well the crockpot probably wasn’t homemade, but the cider could have been.) I mixed it with some rum, and my soul came closer to Jesus. Or Buddha. Or someone…
The second thing is the brownie mix. (Judge away– I don’t care. Sometimes you just don’t have time to bake them from scratch. It happens.) They are moist and wonderful.
Sidenote: what the hell is everyone’s problem with the word «moist»??? I personally love the word. For the simple fact that it makes me think of Trader Joe’s brownies. Or rich potting soil. Or the steam room. Or the brownies again…
I digress.
At any rate, this grocery won’t be my go-​to, but there are certainly some good finds here.

How do I love the? Let me count the ways. Your European yogurt. Your tikka masala chicken. Your frozen wontons. Let’s never be apart. Also please do something about parking? And possibly make your samples bigger aaaahhh what am I saying your flaws are far outweighed by your awesomeness.

I get why people like this as a cheap alternative to whole foods. I don’t like the odd selection they have. I can’t buy one lemon, I have to get a bunch (they were all underripe too). They were missing many ingredients I wanted too. Whenever I come here, it seems I end up with alot of junk food. Dunno, I was in a hurry today and it was the closest grocery. I’d do equally well at Publix and have gotten everything I needed.

I love how every time I go into TJ’s they have a new item that I am wanting to try. The produce here is always oh so fresh and affordable here. I will sometimes come here for the produce and get the rest of my groceries at Harris Teeter or Lowe’s. The cashier’s are always so friendly and funny. It’s a great shopping experience all around.

Great produce, great prices! From the clean dog treats to the unsweetened cranberry juice, and did I mention the vegan asparagus soup? My new fave. Kinda jonesing on their avocado salsa thing too. The checkout clerks are always helpful, fun and friendly. Last year, one guy gave me helpful tips on how to train my rescue Beagle dog on how to ring a bell to go outside. (It worked and she rings the bell to go outside!)
Love this place!

Anyone that doesn’t give this place «4−5-Stars» is either blind or has a mental issue. They are close to perfection when it comes to a grocery store… full of delicious, healthy food and drinks (and amazing produce, juicers, and imported wines/​sake, you name it). It is obvious that their staff is always in a good mood and very helpful, like they truly are a «team» and love working there. That’s rare these days. This store/​chain is one-​of-​a kind and I’m just happy I live within walking distance, because, I go there at least 3−4x a week! If you are looking for quality groceries and to branch out a little bit with things that even Whole Foods wouldn’t have (with more than affordable prices), you’ve found it at Trader Joe’s.
p. s. Check out all of their amazing «International Frozen Foods» and if you don’t find something you want, you can add/​suggest it to their ordering list!

Trader Joe’s, Trader Joe’s, how I love Trader Joe’s! This Trader Joe’s is special to me since it’s the first one I ever went to, since being from Canada, we don’t have Trader Joe’s where I live. But this one and I fell in love at first sight. Fresh food for reasonable prices AND a great pre-​packaged foods section. I was in Raleigh last week and staying at the Courtyard, which is right across the street from Trader Joe’s, so I went to pick up a salad (Asian slaw with peanut sauce) for dinner. I was craving that salad so much and it just hit the spot. Delicious!

Organic staples at great prices! Always something new and fun to find to eat here. It’s a little farther than my neighborhood grocery store but it’s worth the road trip. Wish there was one closer to my side of town.

I admit, I am addicted to their cookie butter.
I have it practically every day and you should too!
Trader joes has some unique stuff– cookie butter being one of them.
Love their pumpkin pancake mix and corn puffs too!
They ALWAYS have yummy samples available.
Yes this location might get crowded but the workers here are always in such a positive mood that you forget about the lines/​limited space!
Everything here is pretty darn cheap minus their meats.
Fight the crowd and go to trader joes! Your tummy (and wallet) will thank you later~

This TJ’s has better parking lot than many others I have been to, it’s the store that is a bit of a cluster though. Maybe it’s just that it’s crazy busy all the time but it seems that no matter where you turn, there is a someone in your way or about to run you down with their cart.
Cluster aside, I do love that they have lots of fresh organic produce at very reasonable prices and do the bulk of my shopping here. I’m not big into frozen or processed foods, but I have a major weakness for the chocolate covered pomegranate and the chocolate covered almonds are both decadent and addicting!

Holy Smokes… Crunchy Cookie Butter, I’m in Heaven. Other than needing serious Mob Control on the weekend this ain’t nothing but a kool store. There isn’t a trip where I don’t pick up something different, delicious or wierd! Cheese, candy and cookies are eclectic, and though the layout is somewhat eratic I like the fact that assorted nuts are on shelves above the frozen foods. Makes you wanna peruse the entire store. Everyone seems happy, helpful and friendly. Now if I can just find that bag of chocolate covered frog feet.

TJ’s isn’t perfect, but it’s one of the best grocery shopping experiences you can have in the Triangle. If you’re looking for any frozen, canned or packaged goods, the selection and prices are pretty good. For produce, you’re generally much better off at your local farmer’s market or regular grocery store.
Compared to the Cary TJ’s, the Raleigh store is very small. The store can get very crowded on weekends and in the early evening. The good thing is that TJ’s has a system for scaling up and scaling down on registers. But, they always tend to reach capacity at peak times. If you’re only in it a few items, then you’re stuck waiting in line unless someone kind lets you cut in front.
Flowers tend to be a pretty solid deal, so make sure to grab some for your significant other.
Like every TJ’s, you can enter a raffle for free groceries if you bring your own bags. I’ve been entering the raffle for well over 5 years without success, so I don’t do it anymore. I figured that my lucky day isn’t coming anytime soon.
Most of the employees are very nice and a few of them have started to recognize me when I come in! I’m pretty sure they are trained to talk to customers, especially when they are working a register.
Finally, I want to mention a few things you can do to make the shopping experience better for your fellow shoppers. (1) Always bag your own groceries unless another TJs employee is bagging for you. This helps out the cashier and gets you out of the store faster. Win-​win. (2) If you have a cart or basket full of a ton of items, let someone with only a few items cut in front. (3) Take it easy when entering/​exiting the parking lot. The parking lot isn’t fun for anyone, so don’t make it worse by driving recklessly.

I might stop in at Trader Joe’s if I am in the market for something fresh and unique. They do have high quality food items that they carry. They are not as big as Food Lion, or some other store. They are small and carry products similar to that of Whole Foods or The Fresh Market. A team member will walk around with a sign saying you can ask them for help. They are very friendly, and are there to assist you, which I find refreshing compared to other stores.
#350

Fantastically awesome!
Being transplanted from the West Coast and actually going to Culinary school near the 1^st Trader Joe’s in Pasadena, it’s refreshing to see the combination of Southern hospital merging with the California Sunshine. Whenever I am missing home and some great food, Trader Joe’s is my spot.