What's the big deal with Trader Joe's?

[spertia]

I like Trader Joe's because it feels like a cross between a discount food store and a gourmet food store. To some extent, you can get the types of items that are carried at Whole Foods (and not at mainstream grocery stores) for quite a bit less money. I wouldn't want to rely on TJs as my only grocery option, but it is definitely useful for buying certain things without breaking the bank.

 

[Asch]

The advantages of Trader Joe's are that it's much cheaper than most grocery stores, it doesn't do a lot of discounts or "club cards" or other obnoxious sales tactics, the selection of items is manageable (there aren't 20 goddamn brands of peanut butter), and some of their staples (e.g., nuts, dairy) are very good. The biggest disadvantage is that the produce mostly sucks.

 

[Dakota rube]

Originally Posted by HORNS

I heard something similar to this only yesterday - except the person saying it was a deinstitutionalized bum sitting on a park bench.

 

[JBG]

Lot's of hype for TJ's here in the town of their corporate hq.

We typically keep a number of their prepackaged frozen items on hand (the meatballs are good, so is the orange chicken) that can be put in the oven or on the stove quickly when there is just no time or inclination for "real" cooking. Wine selection can be surprisingly good at times, but I have never gotten into the 2 buck chuck thing - a rant for another thread...

We get our produce and most other staple items elsewhere...

 

[ed1066]

TJ's in California also sell liquor and sometimes their prices are better than BevMo. They also get some unique brand liquors that are sometimes good which I have not found elsewhere, such as the Islay single malt they sell called Finlaggen...

 

[sho'nuff]

love my trader joe's lot of stuff i buy,i buy from here as it is more sensibly priced and closer to home. eggs, milk, staples like those, are usually cheaper.

lot of great grain cereals and so forth that are not found in other stores.


it is the only place i know of that actually carries 100% cranberry juice. (not cranberry juice with only 30% juice 70% corn syrup, or , 100% juice cocktail but with 80% of it apple /grape)

the only strange thing about the place it gathers alot of weird women. most are like into fitness or something nature-related or whatever but they go about their 'vegan' ways or organic pursuit or whatever political thing at that point in their life. and they act a little weird too.

 

[Cary Grant]

Originally Posted by adambparker

Living in the Twin Cities, you're lucky on the co-op front. Not too many cities (outside of CA and places like Madison) that have the number of quality co-ops that Minneapolis-St. Paul does.

Yup-

we're ground zero. Three new co-ops in development currently... can't swing a bag of pachouli without hitting one.

 

[foodguy]

Originally Posted by sho'nuff

the only strange thing about the place it gathers alot of weird women. most are like into fitness or something nature-related or whatever but they go about their 'vegan' ways or organic pursuit or whatever political thing at that point in their life. and they act a little weird too.

this is actually historically accurate. When TJ opened, back in the late 1960s, it was known for wine and cheese (when hardly anyone else had them) and health foods (which hardly anyone else had, either). Very definitely an echt socal combination.

 

[westinghouse]

Worth it alone for the Trader Joe's Garden Patch Vegetable Juice. It's what V8 what supposed to be. Their Angus steaks are awesome too.

 

[JohnGalt]

Originally Posted by gomestar

Wegman's

+1

 

[itsstillmatt]

It is hard to imagine this much passion surrounding Trader Joe's. I don't shop there, because there are three or four shops within a mile or so of my house with much better meat and produce, and I don't eat a lot of premade foods. TJ's isn't bad, it just isn't what I am looking for.

 

[james_timothy]

Wait- don't you live right in the middle of San Francisco?

That just might explain the availability of options, whereas those of us who live in the vast wastelands... we take what we can find.

 

[otc]

Originally Posted by leftover_salmon

Their meat is pretty good, especially for the price...but Whole Foods is way better. Everything at TJ's is single-serving -- like an airplane-food supermarket.

I live alone...so thats a good thing sometimes. Their prices are also just so much better on some things that I like the occasional trip to TJ. Also, when they have mystery beer, I can't resist. It varies by store but mine does 12 beers in a stapled shut bag for $7.99. Last time I got a pretty good mix--only one canned beer, 4 goose islands, a pair of something that was like $10 for 4, some Mission St, and some other random stuff.

Originally Posted by adambparker

Living in the Twin Cities, you're lucky on the co-op front. Not too many cities (outside of CA and places like Madison) that have the number of quality co-ops that Minneapolis-St. Paul does.

Yeah, when I moved to chicago I figured the co-op in hyde park would be a good thing...like the co-ops back in the twin cities...oh how wrong I was. What an epic fail of the co-op idea (my dad and aunt have fond memories of it...so it can't always have been that bad). I'm so glad that **** is gone...I really liked the treasure island that moved in (combined with hyde park produce, I was pretty much set).

Now my grocery options kind of suck. I absolutely hate the jewel nearby...their high-low pricing strategy is a pain ********** and they use the clusterfuck system of organization (basically put random **** in random places and hope people buy more sale items as they walk around looking for stuff).
The Treasure Island nearby isn't so bad but it is a lot smaller than the one on the south side and just feels generally shittier...selection is lower quality too (gotta be the first time a north side grocery loses to the south side).
The Whole Foods is ok...I source a lot of my produce there but I can't handle the higher prices and limited selection on other things (I need my processed sugared cereals!).

Thus, I often go to the downtown TJ...it may not have everything and I don't want their produce...but I don't get pissed off just being in the store (and the whole foods is on my walk home from the train for produce)

 

[Xericx]

I hate Trader Joes. their food is cardboard crapola. Everything is cheap, but there's a reason its cheap, it sucks.


Whole Foods is where I go...good stuff.

 

[indesertum]

love my wegmans

i hear two buck chuck is pretty good at TJ. want to try some