My family (rather well to do...unlike myself) loves to get together around holidays and discuss the finer traits of 2 buck chuck. I think I cried last year. I just cant imagine talking abou that wine in such a way. i swear it comes from concentrate.

Reply

I love Trader Joe's, although I have purchased some things there that didn't taste so good. I never bought them again so I can't remember exactly what they were, but I remember they've all been frozen meals. (I've also had some frozen meals I like.) But that's possible with every grocery store.

I totally agree with the produce problems. When the TJ's I go to first opened, the produce was great. But that changed after a few months. The limes usually have brown spots on them already, the figs are always punctured and torn, the grapes are always brown on the ends and falling off the stems, the avocados are hit-or-miss, and the oranges and grapefruit are usually soft and mushy. I don't buy much fresh produce there anymore. (The organic strawberries during the summer were nice, though.)

I don't have an issue with the Three Buck Chuck, although I've heard some people in the store get annoyed after they came in looking for the Two Buck Chuck they'd heard about on TV. It's my understanding that the extra dollar is making up for a state-imposed tax for shipping alcohol out of California. TJ's could always just charge $3 in California as well, but why should consumers there get screwed too?

And packaged salads are sold in every grocery chain, and they're all a salmonella risk. Just ask Dole.

What annoys me the most about TJ's is they seem to always stop carrying the things I really like! (Like the banana peppers and pepperoncini they had a while back.)

Reply

I am an avid TJs shopper. I agree with you about the produce - I always stop at the mini produce shop near my house for my produce needs (excpet for the bagged mixed lettuce, the pre-shredded carrots and the microgreens which are weekly staples). They did just add a new "fancy" pasta though that is a tad more expensive but is SO good. It tastes similar to my real italian pasta. I also am obsessed with their eggplant hummus, even though their other hummus flavors are pretty bad.

But their cottage cheese - so much better than knudsons, and they have great prices on organic milk, and I love how many of their products are made without trans fats and preservatives, at still a low price.

Reply

The only thing I ever had from TJ's that I absolutely *hated* was their walnut cilantro pesto, and I love cilantro.

As for the produce, the artichokes and tri-colored potatos I've had were good, as were the heirloom tomatos last year.

Reply

All fool me - I bought some fresh [pre-packed] fancy steak once at TJs, rolled in pinweels with cheese and spinach [or similar] on a skewer. It looked so pretty, the meat was red and fresh looking. When I cooked it - about a gallon of water appeared in the roasting pan and it the meat turned out to be as grey and tasteless a meal as i have ever had.

I only go there about 4 x a year, or less, too, when I buy greek yoghurt, frozen roasted veggie enchiladas, walnut bread, chocolates, almond meal and sesame pittas. I can definitely live without it.

And i never want to buy 4 apples - why can't I just get one?

Reply

I have been known to say, "I worship at Trader Joe's." I have also expounded on my theory of "Trader Joe's as communism manifest," which goes something like this: at a megastore like Ralph's, if you want cottage cheese, you have at least the following choices, ranging in price from :
Knudsons, Daisy, Kroger, Large Curd, Small Curd, Regular, Low Fat, NonFat, big container, small container, regular lactose, reduced lactose, then there's the fruited versions etc. Oh, ok, you get your "freedom of choice" blahblah, but...go to TJ's dairy case and you get these choices: organic or not, regular or lowfat, big or small container. Yes, your choices are limited, BUT, most I've heard from agree: it's a BETTER product and there's no argument that it's CHEAPER. Give me that anyday over pay-for-play shelf space supported by million-dollar ad budgets that create racket and hullabaloo and keep kids watching TV and asking for syrup-coated-sugar-bomb cereal...but I digress...

I definitely think Trader Joe's is a better place in SoCal, where it started. Never have I had an inedible banana. The apples are good enough to avoid a trip to another store/market.

Unfortunately, TJ's does occasionally stop carrying favorites, and I've asked them "Whyyyyyy?" Example: Mexican Cocoa stopped appearing on their shelves to my dismay. I asked, and they said that the prices had risen above their acceptable level so they had to stop carrying it for a while.

I stop at TJ's when I go home to Chicago for things I feel I can't live without and inevitably am either disappointed that they don't carry it, or the price is prohibitive to my thrifty sensibilities. I think the *3*-buck Chuck stores don't quite live up to the true *2*-buck Trader tradition.

As for Chuck, well...he makes for an excellent sangria or glogg so I'm definitely not going to complain about that.

Have had the odd bad food item. But unlike any other store I know, they have always taken it back for a refund or replacement, no arguments. Had a batch of mint truffles that to me and a guinea-pig friend tasted chemically. The person taking them back at TJ's didn't notice the flavor but replaced with the plain truffle that I knew I liked.

Also, I have never come across a Trader Joe's employee who was not helpful and polite, if not downright friendly. Try and find anyone at a Ralph's or Albertson's who doesn't disappear the moment you spot them!

Anyone (in the Midwest) know of Aldi? There's a connection between Aldi (German-owned, with stores by the same name in Germany which are more like TJ's) and Joe's. Apparently there was a sale/merger etc.

Anyway...if you're not shopping at TJ's where are you shopping for the things that meet your standards? The big chains don't cut it. In a super-populated area like West LA, I don't come across a convenient fruit/veg market. I don't want to pay the Whole Foods status prices. I don't always make it to the farmers' market. And I sure don't have a garden in the back yard like I grew up with!

Reply

My scorn for Two Buck Chuck aside, most things at TJ's are worth a try. I have to say I stay towards the basic building blocks of a dish rather than the prepared items themselves.

I do get annoyed about becoming attached to certain products (a late, lamented lamb sausage comes to mind) and then one day have them disappear.

Trader Joe's has done a good job of raising the level of "foreign" and "gourmet" food knowledge in a lot of communities. Friends that live in areas that aren't blessed with lots of gourmet market choices really appreciate TJ's variety.

One thing though, the mojito simmer sauce isn't for the famous mint drink. It is a Latin cooking sauce with lots of garlic.

Reply

I am in the east and relatively new to TJ and love them. They carry the organic and all natural foods that I can't get at my local store. I don't think I have had an issue with the produce or the salads. I got a frozen pizza once that was unbelievablely great. And the bagged spinach salad was very good too. And Whole Foods is way out of my price range.

Reply

3 buck Chuck? What a deal! In Ohio, it's almost $5. Don't blame Trader Joe's though. The state of Ohio is to blame. Them, and "big alcohol".

Reply

I only go there for 2-buck-chuck when I am having a get-together and I need lot's of wine, and cheap.

They do have one great product, the Punjab spinach sauce. That stuff is addicting. The organic milk is a reasonable price too.

Reply

I am going to join the list of people who like Trader Joes. I go there regularly. I shop there and at Whole Foods and at a local coop here in San Diego. For me, it is fun to know what items I can get where for a good price. At Trader Joes, I have my regular things. Fresh veggies don't usually make the cut there -- but their onions, potatoes and some of there tomatoes are decent, as are the fresh summer fruits, etc. The cheese, nuts, breads, soaps, Lara Bars, rice pasta, steel cut oats, organic milk, butter, yoghurt, some of their pizzas and avocadoes, toilet paper and paper towels...great price on Valhrona dark chocolate bars, and a wonderful organic red wine called Finco Solano...

I save a lot of money on these high quality things there and steer clear of their meats and fresh veggies for the most part. And, I am not very fond of their pre-packaged meals and TJ brand stuff which to me usually tastes too sweet and - well - packaged.

Reply

As I'm lucky enough to shop locally at a year-round farmers' market, I steer clear of the produce aisles at TJ's. That said, I *do* buy a good many staples there, including King Arthur flour at the best price going and Rumford non-aluminum baking powder. In the same section, Billington's superior light and dark brown sugars are available, and again for much less than in "regular" stores; I'm an avid baker, so I realize a substantial savings by getting such stuff at TJ's. Oh, and I load up on the baking chocolate in bulk packages; they've got bittersweet, dark, semi-sweet and white, all of which I use with abandon.

In the dairy section, I pick up Total Greek yogurt (yep, I'm another fan!), half-and-half, unsalted butter, and Rockview brand organic buttermilk (I use it religiously in baking), a steal at $.99/quart. The TJ's brand cream cheese is cheaper than Philly and does *not* leave that gummy aftertaste in one's mouth.

Other items? Well, let's see, I use big cans of whole, peeled tomatoes (no salt) frequently; again, you can hardly do better at $.99/can. Asceptic packages of chicken and veggie broth find their way to my basket, as do organic canned beans like pinto beans and black beans. I use those when I'm pressed for time and can't wait for dried beans to cook up. I've found a good variety of poultry sausages at TJ's too, as well as Niman Ranch uncured bacon, a personal favorite. I pass up on other "butcher shop" items, however.

Country Choice makes a top-notch hot cereal, and their rolled oats and multi-grain cereals are terrific, price-wise as well as in the taste department. The dried cereal selection is very good, with a number of brands that would cost much more at a Whole Foods. Next to the cereal I find almond, soy and rice milks, and across the aisle is the dried fruit/nut area. I'm a big fan of the lower-sodium dry roasted peanuts, as well as the nut meals (the latter, unfortunately, have been discontinued).

Booze, no problem. I've honestly never tried the aforementioned Chuck, but find plenty of very acceptable "house" wines from all over, including a favorite Shiraz. The hard liquor selection is good, and growing; Knob Creek, my bourbon of choice, is cheaper at TJ's than at BevMo.

If you know what to look for, particularly in the area of staples, a foray at TJ's can be very rewarding. I imagine the selection varies somewhat based on where one lives, so of course that will play a factor in your shopping basket.

Huffy

Reply

I love TJ's, but lately I've been annoyed with them for marketing junk food under the guise of health food. Granola bars, fruit bars, all of those processed cereal products - with all the blatant lies about how "healthy" and "natural" they are. Other stores are guilty of the same - Whole Foods has been doing it for years - but somehow I expected better of Trader Joe's.

And yeah, their hummus blows.

Reply

i don't usually shop at TJ's here in A2, but that's because it's in a very awkward place to get to if you live on campus, and I used to live on campus. It's also in a very crowded little strip mall that never had any visitors until TJ's moved in.

Their food is decent, and it's cheap. Their chocolate is quite nice for being 17 oz and like 2 dollars.

However, the layout of the store makes me want to murder someone the instant I walk in there. I don't know if it's the hawaiian shirts and the wall graphics, or the way things are placed next to each other in a way that even a supermarket can't match... but I hate it. Hate hate hate. I hate it the way I hated panera when I walked in. I set foot inside and I seethe.

Reply

Good:
- Frozen wild salmon fillets. Blackening spices and thrown onto the cast iron makes for dinner in 10 minutes.
- Spinach Punjab Sauce. Also stunning as a dipping sauce for raw broccoli.
- Frozen meals. Cheap, fairly yummy, all real ingredients.
- Turkey breast fillets with bacon already wrapped around them. Salt, pepper, broil, amazing.
- The nuts selection is unreal. Cheap, too.

Bad:
- Hit or miss. That frozen salmon goes in and out of stock. The turkey breasts seem permanently gone. There was about 6 months I went through withdrawl of the peanut-butter pretzels.
- Sometimes, you *want* brand name. My hubby likes his Coke and Cheez-Its, no substitutes. The cats hate the TJ pine-litter. These require a trip to another store.
- And to agree with previous comment, what, am I supposed to eat nothing but pears all week? How about a mixed-bag of fruit, so I can get some variety?

Meh:
- Don't like 2 Buck Chuck? I stocked up on Columbia Crest's Grand Estates Merlot for $8 a bottle. Just gotta already know what you want.

Reply

I too am a Trader Joe's lover. No, I don't like the produce, but for nearly everything else it's fantastic. The nuts/dried fruit--so good and cheap (the dried mango in particular). Juices--many all-fruit ones at much cheaper prices. The yogurt is great, the frozen salmon, the turkey meatballs, and their "breakfast bars"--this blueberry/appple/fig walks into a bar...these are so fruity and good, without high fructose corn syrup, mucho, mucho better and cheaper than the original nutrigrain bars. Long live TJs.

Reply

I love Trader Joe's. Not every thing is great, but its a great place for dried fruit and cheap wine & beer. I haven't seen liquer there yet, but they might still be processing the liscense for it here in MI. They do carry the New Mexico Pinon Nut coffee, which is very good. They also corner the market on Altoids ginger-crack.

Reply

I've liked most of what I've bought at TJ's - mostly baking staples (chocloate, dried fruit, nuts, and so on), their house Irish tea isn't bad for everyday (we go through a lot of it), we can usually come up with decent wine, and those truffles leap from the box into my hand far too easily.

However, I am with Hawk: the store itself makes me ill. I mean that literally. I have *never* walked out of one of their stores without a headache from the noise, light, and the frelling bell! Can we kill the person who came up with the bell? And the lame explanations of what the bell means on the chalkboard...WTF is up with that? 3 rings means I have a migraine. Got it?

The layout is stupid somehow, although I am not sure how, it just manages to be horribly inefficient. I've never managed to walk straight through it once, ever trip requires multiple forays down several aisles. Like I *never* buy their frozen food, but I buy things that live above the frozen food--a group that seems to change ever time I go there. Also, the stores I've been in are always terribly crowded; like give the cart to one person and have the other one run down each aisle collecting things to put in it crowded.

When I am going to the city and have TJ's on my list of places I need to go I usually find it a far less pleasant place than the hospitality industry focused Costco up the street a block. (it's the Costco in Lynnwood, WA on hwy 99, for those of you who are local...now that's a fun store...)

Reply

Maybe if I knew what a Trader Joe's was. We don't have those in Austin that I know of.

Reply

Don't you know TJ's is where yuppies meet other yuppies. They buy the prepared foods to impress each other with. They can't cook.

Reply