Kitchen

[sueinsf]

I will add that you can RETURN at Trader Joe's!  So if you get produce that is bad (or goes bad way too quickly) or you just don't like something, they will take it back and credit you!

[Dorothy11]

SO many high quality products at great prices!

Pound plus Belgian Chocolate Bars

Imported and Domestic cheeses - try the Black Pepper Toscano

Nuts and Dried Fruit - best prices around

High Quality Olive oils - try the Tunisian

Irish Breakfast Tea

Joe's Os

Bran Flakes

Heavy Cream - it is not ultra-pasturized, great for whipping

Bread - all of it

Coffee - whole bean, grinder in store if needed.

WW Pasta

Soups in boxes - try low-sodium Tomato Roasted Pepper

Baking supplies

Jams

Peanut Butters

Go explore!

[DiAnne]

Great prices on cheese, nuts, dried fruit, wine.  Unusual frozen food.  They fall down on produce.  

[ValuSkr]

I agree with the others - it's an interesting little store, prices are generally good, and produce is definitely not their strong suit.

[Mothertrucker]

weird, I like thier produce, but hten I am in Southern California and it strikes me reading this that maybe here our TJ's have better produce than some other stores in other parts of the countyr? Or are you ALL from here, too?

[jlkz]

DH shops there frequently when we snowbird in FL.  His favorites:      

Vegetarian Lasagna ( frozen )

Breaded cod fillets frzn

French green beans " haricots verts " frzn

Boxed soups

cashews raw / unsalted

dried brown Smyrna figs

dark chocolate bars inexpensive but outstanding

          ( just came back from dinner with a group.   The Vietnamese            restaurant did not serve dessert so I pulled out a bar and broke it into pieces---it was devoured and received a rousing chorus of Mmmmm's.  Even the waitress came over to inspect the now-empty wrapper.  Sniffed it and wanted to know where to get it !!! )

[september]

---

@Mothertrucker wrote:

weird, I like thier produce, but hten I am in Southern California and it strikes me reading this that maybe here our TJ's have better produce than some other stores in other parts of the countyr? Or are you ALL from here, too?

---

We get the best produce at my TJ's too.  Also in CA.  

[sfnative]

@Shogirl

I've been shopping Trader Joe's since 1973 starting in Marin County across the Golden Gate Bridge from S.F.  That's a lot of years and $$$ spent at that chain.

Today for the first time I was aghast at what "our" store had become.  My guess is that the total number of items has been cut by 25%, which means they're filling the shelves with more of same product next to it.  Good example: 3 shelves of Nori, yes 3, filled to the max.  And the next set ofshelves, the same.  The variety was so lacking I doubt I'll go back.

Though folks have commented positively on Gluten Free items, I found only 2.  One was a plastic pak of blueberry muffins.  The #1 ingredient was sugar!  The bread I found, whole wheat/white look exceedingly uninspired.

Very, very disappointing trip to TJ's today.

[ID2]

I've been in TJ a few times and just don't get the appeal. I've tried to get on the bandwagon. I've bought things from them. But it just isn't a store that I would care to shop at. The "favorite" things listed here bought by some just aren't anything I buy. To me TJ is just a pint sized grocery store. I'd rather do my one-stop shopping elsewhere, where they sell everything. JMO of course.

[Noel7]

Trader Joe's isn't a grocery store, they don't usually carry brands that you would see elsewhere that I know of... except for alcohol.

TJoe's is a speciality store with quality items and they cater to foodies, not those who shop only at grocery stores. 

They have a lot of ethnic food not usually found in your typical grocery store, imported cheeses and butter, crackers, etc. 

If all one wants are grocery store items, TJoe's is not the place to go.