@Lindagaf our Aldi is great. So is the one near DD. Not yucky at all. Newly remodeled on our case. New store in DDs case.
And you can’t beat the prices on their organic products at Aldi.
But this is about TJs…so I won’t unfriend you for your Aldi comment ?
I really like our Trader Joe’s in MD. The staff is great, and many have been there for years which says something about the culture.
https://www.businessinsider.com/trader-joes-jobs-best-parts-2018-7
Store is clean. There are some dud items for sure, but you’ll run into that anywhere.
As I said I love many TJ products but the lines at the local store are soooooo slow moving. The lack of a universal line which this store badly needs is especially frustrating. Guess wrong and you could spend three tines as long waiting as the person who was behind you but guessed right and got a better line. The best grocery store in our town has a managed line.
I once bought their Sumatra Coffee Brownies and they were outstanding! But I haven’t been able to find them again and I wonder if they’ve been discontinued. Has anyone seen them lately?
We have a TJ’s right next to a Whole Foods. I go to the Whole Foods all the time, but do go to TJ’s every now and then to pick up certain things. They have a good selection of wine that is usually cheaper than anywhere else. Tortillas, low sugar jam, dried seaweed, baked graham crackers. They are always cheap, and some of the stuff I can’t easily find elsewhere. I wouldn’t drive across town for it. The produce generally sucks, often near or past expiration.
@maya54 - I went to a TJ’s in Manhattan once and it has a very managed line! The line snakes around the whole store so it’s a bit scary at first but it moves. There are proctors making sure it is orderly, lol, and when you get to the front, you’re directed to the next available checker when that checker holds up a ping pong paddle with a number on it.
It works better than my local store where checkers will selectively pull people out of line to go to a new register and never, ever, ever, do it fairly.
Products at a great price that I use are: jojoba oil, argan oil, olive oil (non-virgin for cooking), terrific and delicious selection of cheeses. A recent find is a facial cleanser and a facial moisturizer, which works very well for my ultra- sensitive skin. The staff at the TJ’s closest to my home are consistently friendly and helpful. It’s a bit of a schlep, but I find it worthwhile to take an occasional trip to stock up on my favorite items.
I love Trader Joe’s but usually go there for specific things-they have many items much cheaper than my local grocery store chain (Giant, which is the subject of much complaint on our area FB page). Like many have pointed out, it’s just one of several places I shop because I can’t (or don’t want) to buy everything I need there. I typically shop at three places, Trader Joe’s, Fresh Market and Sam’s (wish we had Costco nearby but it’s not near enough to make membership worthwhile). I hate my local grocery store, Giant, which unfortunately is closest to my house but I avoid as much as I can.
Like others have said, there are things we love and things that have been a disappointment. Their dairy prices are cheaper than anywhere else around-I get our milk, almond milk, butter, cream cheese and Greek yogurt. Their cheese selection is great. My son loves a spreadable Belgian butter they sell. I don’t usually buy meat there but occasionally get frozen fish (Mahi mahi, tuna and wild salmon). Produce is hit or miss depending on the season. I do buy most of our canned or packaged goods there - black beans, salsa, quinoa, artichoke hearts, low salt soy sauce, etc. And nuts! Best prices for nuts! I use a lot of nuts in salads and pesto. Also get my dog treats there.
My kids love the frozen orange chicken, and they also like their frozen mini-pizzas. Probably a few other things but I don’t typically buy much frozen stuff. Oh, berries and açaí for smoothies. And my daughter loves the pane bread, which is similar to a sourdough. One seasonal favorite is the pumpkin bread mix. Seasonal item and I buy several boxes every time I go b/c it always sells out. Even though we have a delicious homemade pumpkin bread recipe from Ghirardelli chocolate, the boxed mix is always on hand b/c my kids devour it (four kids means one loaf lasts about 5 mins).
Trader Joe’s is across town from me so it’s not a place I run to but it’s in an area of town I’m in several times a week so I just plan my errands to include it. We are supposed to be getting a Lidl in the next year or so which would be so convenient as it will be right up the street. It’s supposedly like Aldi but I’ve never been in Aldi either (we have them in my area but none near me). I’ve hear Lidl is similar to Trader Joe’s and Aldi so I’m looking forward to having it as a nearby option.
@4kids4us - total agreement re: frozen orange chicken!
Frozen cubed mango is a good price and is great for a quick fruit cup or for smoothies.
@Aug2019 it is a staple in my house for a quick meal along with TJ vegetable fried rice and frozen edamame. Dh travels a lot for work so my kids know it’s on the menu at least once a month when he’s OOT. Since I’m usually shuttling kids to/from practices or at one of their games, it’s an easy meal any of my kids can make without me.
We didn’t live near a TJs until 9 months ago. It’s further away than other grocery stores, so we don’t do our main shopping there, but there are certain things we really like at TJs:
Peanut butter
Cheeses
Nuts
Rice
Low-sodium butternut squash soup & chicken broth
On occasion, we’ve gotten bread there too. I recently picked up tea, but haven’t tried it yet. DH wasn’t crazy about the hummus, but I think we’ll just try a different flavor.
I’m not big on frozen foods, so I haven’t tried those, but I’ve heard that some of them are quite good.
OP, I’m with you on TJ being overhyped. I will go there once in awhile and buy things I hear our favorites of most people, and I will try other things that look interesting. But it seems every time I clean out my pantry or fridge I find myself tossing unfinished TJ items because they just weren’t good.Their frozen mac and cheese was hyped as being the best of all yet when we tried it my kids agreed it was mediocre. Same with equally-hyped cookies, frozen foods, etc. It’s like I want to be a TJ fan but every time I shop there the items I get are just meh.
My local Costco beats TJ’s hands down in the cheese selection Cypress Grove, BellaVitano, Marieke Gouda, etc. at a fraction of the price.
I eat very little prepared food, and very few carbs - so I think that’s part of the reason TJ’s doesn’t hold much allure for me.
@thumper1 , touché! Maybe I have to try Aldi again. I confess that I have not ever shopped an Aldi in the US. In the UK, it was just awful. Cheap, and I guess you could survive, if you had no other options. So maybe they made it better when it came to the US. Seems that there is one about 30 minutes away, so I will check it out when I am next in that area and report back.
We all have our likes, dislikes, tastes, value we want out of a shopping experience. Of course I’ll agree that the most important aspect of a quality grocery shopping experience should be the products.
That said, one of the things I’m not tempted by at TJ’s is their sweet baked goods. I have tried their frozen lava cakes - very good and I do like some of their bread products - I’m talking about you crumpets!
Also though I do make my own at home, we are slightly addicted to their almond butter granola. OMG.
@doschicos, are you tempted to try any of the favorites listed above to expand your trialing of their products??
@Lindagaf Aldi is completely hit or miss. We had one nearish our old house that was equivalent to a TJs but the one nearest our new house is revolting. I wish there were better quality control with Aldi, but it is off my list because you never know what you will walk into.
I don’t get the hate for TJ. I don’t go weekly but there are some staples in our pantry that I make a trip for.
Staples I like to have in my house-
Farro
Barley
Artichoke hearts
Kalamata olives
Sunflower oil
Tortilla chips
Jarred red and green salsa
Husband loves the habanero sauce
H also loves the raisin medley
Nuts- I buy my almonds and walnuts at Costco but cashews at TJ
Frozen naan bread- I keep a supply in the freezer. I can remove one slice and put it in the oven for a few minutes. I like to be able to give my H a few more calories at dinner.
Bagged onions, shallots and garlic
Organic Persian cucumbers
Surprised no one mentioned the orchids
Right now they also have peonies for a good price
Greeting cards
My FIL loves the kettle corn
I also like some of their spices
Kids loved the orange chicken when they were young
Frozen fruit for smoothies
Vegetables are hit or miss for quality. I don’t care for the prepared foods
Last but certainly not least for our household is the dog biscuits! Mainly the peanut butter ones but I also love how they have seasonal flavors. I’m sure our dog doesn’t care what flavor they are.
As far as service I find it’s the best by far in our city. They always have a lot of cashiers open versus our local chain grocery store that has usually just one or two check stands open even when the lines are long.
When the kids were at home & I was cooking regularly, TJs used to be our go-to store for snacks, peanut butter, cheese, eggs, organic chicken, chicken sausages, frozen veggies, almond flour, canned dog food…
I’m always tempted by the candies & other baked goods.
Now I stop by for dog food, and maybe beer.
I think @busdriver11 and I go to the same TJ’s! 
I don’t like that particular Whole Paycheck. It is new and very Amazonish. I much prefer the PCC and Met a bit further south - if I am going to overpay $$$ for any food, I would drive there.
My recent find is the H Mart. So. Many. Different. Veggies! Asian foods!