After a few bottles that were barely drinkable even for this person with low standards, I have given up on Two Buck Chuck. I now buy the next-step-up wines, ones ranging from $4.50 to $4.95, as my cheap-go-to-wine-I-don’t-serve-company.
They have this frozen Asian orange chicken that technically tastes good but I can’t find the chicken. It’s all breading. Yuck.
They have a trail mix that has dried cherries and peanut butter cups in it that sorely disappointed me. It has a very odd taste–practially inedible. The one with a similar recipe at Whole Foods (I think it’s called Double Feature?) is SOOOOOOO much better.
I also do not like their corn salsa. Yuck.
They do have a lot of things I do like though!! And they have great, reasonable flowers and cute cards for only 99 cents.
@need2learn Whole Foods guacamole is made in-house daily with all fresh ingredients. Trader Joes does not do that.
Thought this was timely for this thread - 5 appetizers to buy at TJ’s and 5 to pass up:
Their sushi is bad–none of us would take more than one piece. Never purchased a 2nd time.
Their coffees are hit or miss. So far I’ve liked the Ethiopian and New Mexico pinion… the others were meh. The worst was probably the “Joe” coffee.
I do most of my shopping at Trader Joes. I like the variety available that I don’t get at our local grocery stores. We have about 6 of them in our area and they are very popular. On the weekends their parking lots are packed. They are well stocked and clean. The fruits and vegetables section is always fresh and clean because the items get sold so fast. Some of the breads need to be kept in the refrigerator because they are half baked and would spoil if sitting on the counter. I love their flowers and seasonal items. I have my favorites that I go for on a weekly basis. It is also a great place to collect items for a hostess gift. Whenever I plan a get together shopping at Trader Joe’s is a must.
I enjoy the international food that can be found in the freezer section.
Today I purchased a hand lotion gift set which contained 3 one ounce tubes of hand lotion for $7.99.
L’Occitaine has a comparable item selling for $28. I find items to be very reasonably priced.
There maybe items which are not to everyone’s liking but I feel most of the stuff is pretty good.
In our area because of the crowds customers always ask them to open more stores in the area.
The nearest TJs to me in the NYC area also sells a limited selection of wines. The closer supermarkets in my neighborhood the same thing.
However, most in my neighborhood still go to the nearby wine/liquor shops due to the greater selection…especially in the mid-high end price category.
Many of my friends prefer TJ’s to WFs not only for budgetary reasons, but also because Whole Food’s CEO’s conservative oriented politics is troubling for many of them along with the fact the ones in the NYC area were caught overcharging on a number of items by NYC’s consumer affairs division:
In short, a combination of high prices*, CEO’s problematic politics for some, and the NYC area stores being caught overcharging customers doesn’t make them a savory business for many NYC area folks.
No real dog in the hunt as the nearest WF is much further and less convenient than the nearest TJs…which is also a bit out of my way though close enough for occasional light shopping needs.
- There's a reason why they're often nicknamed "Whole Paycheck" by many around here.
Regarding the appetizer list, the arancini was listed as good but I was underwhelmed. I’d say their frozen appetizers are more hits than misses for me overal but they aren’t all great. The samosas are ok but Cistco has better ones.
Agree with some others that their chips aren’t great and I haven’t lived their salsa either. Only tried a couple though.
Don’t much care for the TJ version of meatless breakfast sausages. The Morningstar version are much much better, but sadly are no longer carried at TJ’s (or Costco).
Fig Goat Cheese log was underwhelming. I was expecting something reminding me of http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/fig-and-walnut-tapenade-with-goat-cheese-105649 rather than just figs and chevre–victim of too-high expectations.
Dry skin lotion which is supposed to have no fragrance has a slight whiff that I don’t like at all.
To be fair, nothing has "no fragrance ". It may have no added fragrance, but the ingredients will have their own smell. There’s pretty much nothing that has NO smell. Now you might find the smell of the ingredients objectionable, but maybe that’s why most manufacturers add a scent…
Just had a (new?) Greek filo and cheese spiral which gets baked in the oven. Yum.
I actually like the satay sauce, it is a much more grown up version than the sweet and not complex one I have been making. Has coconut and lime leaf.
Do not! like their wine–can get the few I do like cheaper elsewhere.
Never buy their beef as they do that tenderizing thing with the prongs (which can spread bacteria).
Veggies OK
Berries tend to be too high priced.
Get tired of friends serving frozen appetizers from TJ’s–they seem to run together in a mundane way.
Do not care for many of their pizzas.
Hate their frozen fish except for their breaded Halibut that they seem to have recently changed–
bake it/chop it and use it for fish tacos with coleslaw and black beans and cheese and so on.
Orange chicken–ick
Dislike all of their chips and popcorn
Do not care for their soups
Hate all of their yogurt–weird flavors --except their own mango one
Find their milk and half and half and whipped cream high priced
Do not like their whipped cream or the price of their eggs
Chocolate bars just OK
Cookies–mostly no
HATE!!! their flowers. They fall apart within a few days. Get them as gifts far too often.
At least here, they are awful. Really cannot stand them.
LOVE their Mediterranean Hummus–I buy a big one and swirl it around in a flat bowl and drizzle with their olive oil and their pine nuts that I toast–looks totally homemade.
Love their cheeses/prices
Adore their round of cornbread
Love the Organic Tomato Basil Pasta sauce.
Love their balsamic and olive oil choices
Mac and cheese --family enjoys for lunch
Yes to frozen desserts overall–think few realize this.
/key lime pie
/NY cheesecake is S’s favorite
Teva iced tea
Orangina!
also their lemonades
Love the price of their artichokes–both plain and marinated
Good price on nuts
When they have tangerine juice–!!so good
Kalamata olives
Only! canned tuna-- in water-- that I will buy
Guess I am 50% positive and 50% negative
But then I shop at no less than 4-5 stores to get what I like and think is a good value.
I can’t find any current thread to post the good things. But have to say the milk, butter eggs and cream are some of the lowest prices in the area.
Bumping this thread because in a whim I bought a bag of Trader Joe’s Pickle flavored popcorn. Never again.
LOL!
I don’t like when I like something and look for it and am then told that it has been discontinued.
The trader joe’s k cups did not work. I have no idea if the taste was ok because I couldn’t get water to brew through the pods.
Just this past weekend at a family get-together, I tasted TJ Marcona almonds with rosemary, roasted and salted with sea salt. Delicious!