Trader Joes

[Sylvia]

I'm a regular at Trader Joe's. However, as others have said, they don't have everything, so I also shop elsewhere.
Some of the items I purchase include nuts, chocolate, soy milk, organic tortilla chips, fruits and veggies, dog treats (I've found they have dog treats made in the USA, many places have them made in China and I don't trust that).

[PamNY]

Trader Joe's has good price/quality on nut butters, cheeses, kefir, vinegar, olive oil, jam and yogurt. Prices on Cliff and Pure bars are better than elsewhere. I love their Cuban-style canned black beans. Hummus, beet salad and pre-cooked lentils are good.

I don't like their breads, and their cottage cheese is too salty.

If your TJ has a wine store, they have good wines in the $6-8 range.

The employees are generally cheerful and helpful, which is a pleasant change from a lot of stores.

[Crankin]

The thing I dislike the most at TJs is the slowness of the check out people. It's like they are all in another world. I generally run in to buy a few things and I hate waiting, nor do I want to be chatted up.

[PamNY]

The thing I dislike the most at TJs is the slowness of the check out people. It's like they are all in another world. I generally run in to buy a few things and I hate waiting, nor do I want to be chatted up.

The checkout people are consistently good at our TJs -- much better than Whole Foods, where the whole concept of exchanging money for groceries seems to be new to a lot of the folks.

I'm always amazed at how well TJs handles the long lines. They do tend to be chatty, but I'm from the south so I'm used to that.

[indysteel]

There's a TJs near where most of my doctors' offices are. One day a year, I schedule all my annual exams. Typically, I have a bit of time to kill between appointments in the morning, so I go to TJs. Well, that's prime time for the stay-at-home moms in the area, with their small children in tow--small, precocious children who are given their own child-size grocery carts to wheel around with playful abandon. The mothers are invariably on their cell phones and are playing little attention to their offspring. It's like a roller derby in there; I'm lucky to get out alive.

[PamNY]

Child size grocery carts? Oy.

[Eden]

Child size grocery carts? Oy.

The co-op I shop at has a couple of them too..... toddler sized, they are just the right height for slamming into knee caps or shins.... (which nearly happened to me last night)

[indysteel]

Apparently, TJs calls them "customer in training" carts. Oy is right.

[Norse]

We were lucky enough to have a TJs open just about 1 mile from our home. We buy most of our stuff from the farmer's market (rarely go to Whole Foods - it is too pricey), supplemented by TJs and rare trips to the regular locally-owned grocery store and one co-op. Among the many regular purchases and faves:
- peanut butter
- hummus
- bagged greens
- nuts of all sorts
- mini-carrots for our dog (her favorite snack) and dried chicken breast strips, also for the dog; for the cats, "holistic" kitty treats
- olive oil
- dijon mustard
- boxed soups and stocks
- some dried pasta and gnocchi
- tuscan bread
- greek yogurt and cottage cheese
- various frozen desserts (the lava cakes and apple blossoms are a special treat)
- ham and gruyere tart
- jojoba oil, face lotion, hand lotion, Tom's toothpaste...

... and of course, cheap wine Honestly, they have the lowest prices for many everyday items.

[Norse]

Oh yes, also canned white and black beans and artichoke hearts, breakfast/snack fruit bars, and quick-cooking steel-cut oats. DP and I literally jumped up and down for joy when we first learned that we were getting a TJs in our neighborhood.

[spokewench]

We do not have TJs in our town so I miss them. When I go to visit my sister, I always buy a case of wine (Charles Shaw, of course) they call it two buck chuck (that's what it sells for in California TJs. Here in AZ it is 3 buck chuck. Also, they carry some very good wines in the range of $3.99 to $8.99. I also buy my proseco there it is half price of what I can buy it here in my town.
I like the cherry jam, montmorency cherries, all packaged nuts are good.
I don't usually buy fresh goods there or frozen since I have a 4 hour trip to get home.

[bluebug32]

I don't live near a TJ's, but whenever I do go I have to buy their ginger snaps. Three kinds of ginger, a soft center and perfectly crunchy outer...oh yeah. Nothing else quite like them.

[GLC1968]

This is a timely thread for me. We rarely ever shopped at TJ's (the one time I did, I was disappointed that I couldn't buy what I considered basics like certain types of flour) and often walked out empty handed since I didn't eat prepared foods and avoided nuts.

Now there is one on my route home (and a Whole Foods and a Peet's!!), so I'm looking forward to exploring what they have to offer. I will definitely look for nuts and olive oils since we use a lot of both...but you all have given me some other good ideas. Thanks!

[Dogmama]

Love their organic veggies.

And dog treats - as somebody mentioned - made in the US from real food. Even organic dog treats (like he notices...not!)

I do like their organic peanut butter. I pour off the extra oil.

[sookiesue]

The thing I dislike the most at TJs is the slowness of the check out people. It's like they are all in another world. I generally run in to buy a few things and I hate waiting, nor do I want to be chatted up.

There are two Trader Joes in my area that I go to, and the checkout people are outstanding. I am happy to wait an extra minute or two in line to be treated kindly and have someone answer my questions if I have any. I am also happy to wait a bit for the people ahead of me to be treated with similar decency. It's refreshing to see.

A couple of years ago I was there and I had my 2 year old in the seat in the shopping cart and had was carrying my 3 month old in a sling across my front. The checkout guy not only offered to help me out to my car to unload the bags, but he pushed the cart for me and delighted my 2 year old with funny faces and other silliness. When he got to the car he loaded my bags into the trunk for me while I buckled the kids into their car seats. I wrote a letter to the company when I got home commending this employee for his great attitude and kindness that went beyond the store doors.

A little humanity like that goes a long way these days, I think.

As far as what I buy - the ones here have decent organic selections: milk, peanut butter (best price I've seen anywhere), veggies and fruits - these aren't always available but are priced well when they have them, nuts, pasta, wine, juice.