Ginnie, I can't tell you anything from first-hand experience, but from everything I've heard others say it sounds great, and I wish there was one here! Do you already buy organic/health foods? If so, I've heard their prices are pretty good as far as that goes, but compared to "regular" foods there's going to be a pretty good jump in price.

Not sure if it will help, but they do have a website, if you want to check it out. www.traderjoes.com/ Hopefully, someone else will be able to give you more info.

calliemoonbeam

 

I lived near the original one for quite a while. They have good prices what they generally carry. More upscale than regular markets. Very good prices on nice party food too. They have their own line of wines called Charles Shaw. The nick name is "two buck Chuck" because in California they sell what is normally a $10 bottle for $2.

 

I shop there regularly for *certain* items that only Trader Joe's carries, or which they have good prices. That includes:

-- Olive oil
-- Juices, including unsweetened/not from concentrate cranberry juice. The cranberry juice is very, very strong, but good mixed with lemonade or ginger ale.
-- Their naturally sweet canned corn
-- Marinated flank steak, for carne asada
-- Balsamic vinegar
-- Quality cheeses

These are all good.

On the flip side,

-- I don't like their tortillas, but that's a personal taste thing.
-- Their fish is NOT good, though your mileage may vary.
-- Never been impressed by their produce.

 

Hint: Don't go to Trader Joes on a weekend...it's a mob scene!

I love their vegetables...lots of choices! Also madly in love with:
Volcano coffee
Tomato soup with roasted peppers (comes in a box, ready to eat)
Mango chicken sausage
choices for fish & meats

Good foods, decent prices.

And I hear the two buck chuck is GOOD!

Mon

 

Some stuff a bit pricey, but generally much better quality.

We get:
Whole Wheat pita bread
mayo - it's sugarless
various types of chips - some priced better than others, but some are organic
King Arthur Flour (might not be available in NC)
Rumford baking powder - no aluminum and cheaper than in grocery store
organic peanut butter
organic low sugar preserves and no-sugar preserves
granola

 

I used to go to Trader Joe's a lot when I lived in the city. I found that I could only do shopping there once a month because they don't have everything. For us it was stock-up time. They are like a more reasonably priced Whole Foods in some ways. Their frozen food section is pretty good and there are a lot of ready made meals frozen that you only need to heat. I like their coffee, pizza and beer selection. I get a little miffed when I see that most of their dairy products are imported from Vermont, but I would go check it out. It is worth it, but avoid peak hours. (nothing wrong with VT, but I live in a dairy state)

The funny thing is that they are owned by ALDI.

 

Trader Joes. to me, is kind of a fun, novelty store. I go there every once in a while, but not as a regular thing. They do not have everything I need, but they do have good prices on cheese, beer, wine, chocolate. They have a fun selection of frozen foods - my favorite being the frozen fettucine alfredo, really good for a fast meal. They have a limited selection of fresh meat and veges. I don't care for their baked goods - usually too dry and bland for me, but your selection may be better. It is worth a trip to go check it out.

 

Trader Joe's has good whole wheat/grain pasta, much higher in fiber than you normally see. It has a kinda' "nutty" taste to it.

 

We have one about 15 miles away. They are a little pricey but we liked their soups in a box, just open, pour into a pot, and heat. I guess they are competition for the local Whole Foods makret.

Ken in Glassboro, NJ

 

Just know what to look for. I ADORE Trader Joe's and we are a one-income family.

The goat cheese is out of this world cheap. They have excellent frozen fish, the wine is 2.99 per bottle usually and well, I wish I had more time, there is so much there. Fresh cut flowers are cheap, even on valentines day!

MORE LATER....

 

Love it!!! It is a regular stop on our shopping days.

you can get a lot of the organic canned beans (we use a lot of garbanzos for hummus, sandwich spread, salads etc) very inexpensive.

Also, baking stuff there is wonderful! Love the vanilla paste! I get my holiday and fair baking supplies there. Good quality, organic and well, cheap!

I buy baguettes there, slice and freeze for quick snax ... I really don't like making those long loaves.

Yummmmmmmy maple yogurt.

2 buck Chuck...yep, gotta love it esp. for big parties. And FYI it won some awards out here in Wine Country this past summer...any wine fans that can say which one? I cannot remember....

Supplements are less there than our **Mart, esp. for CoQ10, Vit E, etc...

For us here parking at Whole Foods is tricky and it's a bit far. Trader Joes is on the way to oldest DD work so we can send a list w/ her to stop on her way home. I agree w/ the stay away at peak hours...NOT fun!!! Go early-ish and kid-less if possible to wander and price compare....

Produce... I still stick to our famers markets. TP etc...Costco....

Have fun!!!!

=)Bonnie

 

I just saw on the news that they have a recall on 2 brands of baby carrots due to Salmonella

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0824biz-carrotsrecall24-ON.html

[ame]http://www.google.com/search?complete=1&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=1&ct=result&cd=1&q=trader+joe%27s+recall&spell=1[/ame]

 

I love their olives, cereals, Irish oatmeal, cheeses, supplements, beer. Their baked goods have no preservatives so don't last very long, but are good.

 

LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! Trader Joes.

They are cheaper than the Harris Teeter that I use to shop at.

Things I buy are:

boxed soups aprox $2.50 a box but feeds my family of 5
boxed cereals - morning lite is our favorite, really tasty and high fiber
frozen spinach pie - yum
frozen mango chunks for smoothies
TJ high fiber bread - $2 a loaf
wine - $3 per bottle
all beef natural hot dogs
eggs
milk
yogurt
soy milk
frozen veg

This is my new favorite grocery store - owned by the same people as Aldi's I believe.

 

Oh, and at Christmas, get their English Toffee and chocolate truffles!

 

I and DH are nuts over their blue potato chips forget what brand. Sure wish we had one here. (been to Mom's in Seattle area)

 

Never been to one, I do know a lot of their canned products are canned right here in the next town over. When I was there they were canning canned chili for them, made with organic tomato paste from China but labelled as product of Canada. Whatever turns your crank I guess.

 

And don't forget every homesteaders' favorite...Discount Pate!

 

Bumping this old thread from 2007 to ask..

Today is 11/18/2013 - does anyone know if the Peppermint Joe Joe's are in stock yet? I'm jonesing for them.

 

...
-- Their fish is NOT good, though your mileage may vary.
...

I was kinda curious when I read that. I know it's an old thread and 2007 was a long time ago. Things do change, for the better and for the worse.

But one of the things we usually buy at Trader Joes when we get there is... fish. We don't buy fresh, only frozen. And we typically won't buy much other than tuna steaks or salmon steaks. But we've been pretty happy with the fish we've gotten there.

I did wonder if the poster above (are they still here?) was talking about fresh fish as opposed to frozen, though. Somehow, with "fresh", I never feel like I know just -how- fresh it really is. And I tend to smell it. The fish I'm getting out of the freezer doesn't really smell all that much.

Anyway, I'd be curious if others like or dislike Trader Joe's fish.

We've occasionally bought some other stuff there but nothing I can remember as all that remarkable. They do have some organic stuff, which we do like. But we tend to try to buy stuff locally and put it in our freezer for our use later on... since we don't have our homestead yet. (And when I say "local", that might be anywhere between Alabama and Pennsylvania, depending upon the season. Our rv has wheels!)

 

I LOVE Trader Joe's! When we lived in Tucson I would portion out some of my grocery money to shop there. When we went we purchased the salmon and at that time we liked it. The closest one to us now is in Albuquerque, NM and about 5 hours away, so when we have to go there for the VA we make a stop.

Things that we like to get:

Balsamic Vinegar
Certain spices (rosemary, saffron)
Coconut Milk
Peanut Butter
Sipping Cocoa
Dried Fruit and Nuts
Lebkuchen (around Christmastime)
Pastas
Chocolate Chips
Baking Powder

I sure wish that we had one closer!

 

himalayan sea salt
toffee chocolate sea salt covered almonds.
blood orange soda
bake at hime ciabatta.
and vahlrona chocolate bars

we use trader joes to buy our "fancy foods" when we are going to have a date night picnic. or a special dessert. or when mama is jonesing for one of the above.

we get other things too its usually based on what they are sampling

 

What I like from TJs

Olive oil and vinegar
vitamins
DrBonner's peppermint soap is about a 1/3 less in price than elsewhere
marinara, I like to make my own, but theirs is good
frozen haricot vert beans
frozen kung pao chicken..cheap, easy and good to have in for long days with not so much time to cook from scratch, I add a tad extra liquid for more sauce
fresh style mozzarella
vanilla extract
boxed tomato/red pepper soup..delicious.
their canned tuna is good, the well known brands have become like cat food imo
chocolate
uncured pastrami
milk and juices

I haven't been happy generally with their frozen meat and fish

 

When we went from two incomes to one I started doing a fair amount of shopping there ... bread, olive oil, tortillas, frozen fish, frozen chicken, Joe's Ohs, cheese, wine, coffee. Not a big fan of the produce - but you can save a bunch shopping there. And their ethnic foods are decent - the stuff that's supposed to be hot (spice-wise) actually is.

 

Trader Joe's is an amazing charitable company.
The 2 in Indy give TONS of food every year to a program called Second Helpings.
They, with only 4-5 paid staff members, provide 3500 meals A DAY FREE to hungry folks all over the city.
Trader Joe's helps to make that happen!!