What items do you like at Trader Joe's?

[MongGrel]

I wish there was a TJs closer to me. There's one not terribly far, but it's in a bad traffic area. I go to BigLots and Aldi for discount shopping, and Wegmans for premium. I also go to a local natural foods store for obscure, or local items.

We pretty much do the same.

Publix for a lot of things, but some items are overpriced there when not on sale.

The TJ's here is on the opposite end of a highly populated county.

 

[Kaido]

They have this sweetened dried mango in the dried fruit section which is absolutely amazing. Make sure it's the sugary kind, NOT the unsweetened kind (unsweetened = shoe leather).

 

[CraKaJaX]

Guac, Flax Tortilla chips, Frozen chicken/lime burgers

 

[AznAnarchy99]

The only time I go to organic snoody grocery stores (World Market, Trader Joes, etc...) is when I want something different.

Basically, I go there when I want fine cheese/salami - and a nice beer that I haven't had yet to go with it.

Anything else, you're an idiot that likes paying $300 instead of $100. Want proof? Take a look around you the next time you're there. Emo's and hippies with tattoo's, nose rings, etc... all around you. At least with World Market, can't speak fully on Trader Joe's behalf.

Pretty much this. Their meat prices are crazy.

 

[OverVolt]

Yea my main stores are walmart and wegmans. Why buy water at wegmans for $4.50 when the exact same thing is $3 or $3.50 at walmart.

Oh man toiler paper at wegmans...

The thing is wegmans has way better produce & meat.

So...

Boxed stuff at walmart, commodity type stuff. And specialty/meats/produce from wegmans. Generally don't go to both on the same day. Just an after work run.

 

[CraKaJaX]

Since when is Wegmans in CA? :hmm: I miss that place so damn much. I would kill someone for a Danny's favorite on wheat with lettuce/tomato/onion/mayo right now. The bread was so good it was ridiculous.

 

[OutHouse]

I like their curry sauces and naan bread. The lemon squares are also in the awesome category.

fail

 

[OutHouse]

Since when is Wegmans in CA? :hmm: I miss that place so damn much. I would kill someone for a Danny's favorite on wheat with lettuce/tomato/onion/mayo right now. The bread was so good it was ridiculous.

I was in PA on a business trip and went to a Wegmans and holy fuck ive never seen a beer selection so big in my life. Craft beer from all over the country.

 

[Ns1]

TJ bacon is awesome

 

[CraKaJaX]

I was in PA on a business trip and went to a Wegmans and holy fuck ive never seen a beer selection so big in my life. Craft beer from all over the country.

That too.

When I lived in Syracuse I was literally 5 minutes away. This will never get old to me:

 

[Murdoc]

Thanks, guys. I think I have a good idea what to look for now.

 

[Dr. Detroit]

Mushrooms - frozen in a bag and seasoned with olive oil and spices

Crackers - their Carr like crackers are tasty

 

[ultimatebob]

I like their curry sauces and naan bread. The lemon squares are also in the awesome category.

Yeah, I just got some of their curries and they are pretty damn good.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Yea my main stores are walmart and wegmans. Why buy water at wegmans for $4.50 when the exact same thing is $3 or $3.50 at walmart.

Oh man toiler paper at wegmans...

The thing is wegmans has way better produce & meat.

So...

Boxed stuff at walmart, commodity type stuff. And specialty/meats/produce from wegmans. Generally don't go to both on the same day. Just an after work run.

On a slightly off-topic, but related note:

I would gladly pay the $1.50 extra for water, simply to avoid Walmart....

Including... The people of Walmart... The smell of the people of Walmart... The retarded cashiers of Walmart. Only having 1 cashier open with 20 people in-line with full-carts. Avoiding messes and spills up and down every aisle. Not having to hear and avoid ramming stupid kids running around with dumbass parents not watching them. Need I go on?

 

[natto fire]

but he speaks the truth.

If anecdotal evidence and raw opinion are truth, yes. I only go there every other month or so, but I remember distinctly them having a good deal on unsalted roasted nuts. I will post my findings the next time I go and anyone in this thread is free to prove me right or wrong. Keep in mind the nuts (mostly almonds, cashews and filberts, but it varies) have to be unsalted. That is the biggest problem I run into at other places is that the nuts are cheaper, but they are salted too.

This is probably the point when I get called out on lots of raw nuts. Well, I have went through the process of roasting them, but we have a gas bill to pay, and I would rather they were already roasted.

I know you can't ask for x on this forum without getting a response to try y but I thought I would try to drive it home.

 

[Markbnj]

fail

If by this you mean to point out that their naan is not as good as fresh baked then you are of course correct. You are also wasting internet on observations of the obvious.

 

[Capt Caveman]

but he speaks the truth.

Nope. Prices are in line with other grocery stores and they actually treat their employees well, one reason they're considered one of the best companies to work for.

 

[JBT]

Their almond milk is really good.

 

[bradly1101]

I forgot that probably the best thing about Trader Joe's is that it's the only retail establishment I've been to in decades that truly understands the meaning of customer service.

 

[ElFenix]

The Trader Joe's down here is popular, have never been to it I guess.

Sounds a bit like Whole Foods.

it's not. it's a frozen and packaged foods wonderland. if you need snacks, quick lunches/dinners, or a bunch of finger foods for a party, TJ's is the place to go. it's not a full line grocery store, and it's not very big inside (the produce section at the bunker hill HEB is larger than TJ's whole store). TJ's stuff may be pricier than bottom of the barrel stuff from another grocery store, but on equal or similar quality levels TJ's is less expensive. and it's really only semi-fancy, not frou-frou like whole foods has gotten.

also, if your state allows hard liquor sales in grocery stores, TJ's will be damn near impossible to beat. yeah, the macallan will be "14" years instead of 15, but the price will be ridiculously low.




sprouts seems to be a bit more like what whole foods used to be.

 

[RossMAN]

Going to make a TJ's run this weekend, any other suggestions?

 

[BoomerD]

I've noticed that a lot of the products they have are "regional" and not available everywhere.
We like the Ezekiel bread... http://www.foodforlife.com/about_us/ezekiel-49

Their cinnamon-raisin bread is great!

We also buy TJ's creamed honey, some of their cookies (once in a while...I'm not usually a fan of store-bought cookies) and occasionally some of the fish and meat from their freezer section.

 

[WaTaGuMp]

I bought their Orange Chicken, the radio kept saying how great it was. I am still on the fence about it.

 

[Xstatic1]

Would you happen to know how that compares to regular gingersnaps like this one?

I'm curious because I'm planning my next truffle experiment (I'm going to crush up gingersnaps into fine crumbs for my truffle's outer coating). The Stauffer's brand are hard cookies, which I mainly use for my cheesecake crust. The Trader Joe's brand got better reviews on Amazon, and I'm only looking for a ginger flavor, not an overwhelming ginger flavor (which given that Trader Joe's consists of 3 ginger ingredients), I'm wanting to know just how ginger-y it is.

 

[MongGrel]

I'm pretty sure I bought the Stauffer's Ginger Snaps in the past many times elsewhere, and they were very good then. They have plenty of flavor without going overboard, or used to.

Sounds like what you might be looking for.

:thumbsup::thumbsup: