Trader Joe’s

I love Trader Joe’s but this one wasn’t so great. It was a zoo in there. After you finally find a parking space, it is so packed in the store that you are constantly bumping into people because people had NO manners there at all and don’t care if they ram right into you. After you get what you want, they only have 1 line for 15 items or less. They should have at least 2 if not 3 because ¾ if the people had less then 10 items and some people had full cart fulls. It took about 30 minutes just to check out and I had 3 items. I would have just went to a regular grocery store but was replacing items I used of a family members, so had to replace with the same exact item. The checker that I had was extremely slow, (maybe he was on something) and had no sense of urgency at all.

I love this place and after years of staying away thinking it was some high-​end Foo-​Foo-​snob-​a-​Rama (like that one in Aptos off Rio Del Mar that I will not mention by name), I learned the truth! Great stuff and ever greater prices, the folks that work there are always polite and helpful, and even on the worse days they manage to get me out of there without my having a birthday waiting in line.
So why only three stars you ask? Funny you would ask (but that’s okay, I’m prepared). Back when I was buying their Red Bell peppers (the loose ones), I repeatedly would get one (or two) that was moldy on the inside, with no warning signs on the outside. The first time I reported this to the front desk everything seemed fine, I got my refund and wandered off into the sunset assuming they would look into the matter. So, I return the following week (because I shop once a week) and bought them again (silly me), and guess what? Yep, icky black mold on the inside.
So, since a week passes before I can report this, what to do? If I hang on to them I’d have quite a science project going. This time the return process was not as pleasant. The gentleman behind the counter seemed, suspiciously curious (like this was a grand plot on my part to get over on them over a few Red Peppers).
I inquired, asking if they had looked into the matter. You never know, maybe hey was preoccupied, maybe he just realized he left his bathtub water running for forgot to water his Begonias, whatever the deal the interest level was not what I would expect from an otherwise seemingly very efficient operation (I mean the store and not my recent hernia procedure).
So my solution to this was easy, stop buying the darn things! I guess what really ruffled my Mohawk was the non-​response from the corporate level. No, I didn’t complain about the Grinch with the faulty plumbing woes, I complained about the peppers! No response. Really?
So, in summary (or springary if you prefer), overall a great place to shop (well, except for the parking lot closest to the street (talk about a surgical procedure)! So, for me, just stay away from the loose Red Bells and accept the occasional recall as a norm, «shaat up» and shop!
Life is short, life goes on (even without Red Bell Peppers in my cart).

Viv at the sample counter is very sweet. The stuff she makes is delicious! Dustin who works in the cold cuts section is always willing to help me find specific products in the store. He always helps with a smile on his face!

Very nice people at the cashiers. They often make my day. Great food — friendly shelf stockers — kids mostly. Cheap cards! Vegan frozen dinners! Thank you! What’s not to love except it’s one heck of a crowded parking lot. lol

Best grocery store !! Organic and way cheaper than whole foods! Love it. I highly recommend if you haven’t gone yet!
Downside: sometimes lines get long; lots of uptight people.

I popped a Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup into my mouth, and let it sit there to soften — as one does — then chewed into it without a thought. Then I noticed something wrong. Why is there something chewy in my soft peanut butter cup? I started gagging, as I realized there was a fibrous, unidentifiable THING stuck in my back teeth, bridging the roof of my mouth, mixed up in a sticky sludge of melted chocolate. I ran to the sink to pry it out, spit it into my hand, and washed it off. What emerged was a large, tangled piece of paper or sacking. Some bit of rubbish lying around the factory had ended up stuffed into my peanut butter cup where the peanut butter should have been. When flattened out, it is more than three inches by two. I contacted Trader Joe’s online, but received no direct response (or apology) from them, as they immediately turned the matter over to their supplier, ConAgra. ConAgra demanded several times that I phone them rather than discuss the matter in e-​mail, which I refused to do because I know they want to avoid a written record of the food adulteration. It took many e-​mail exchanges for me to get an assurance I would be refunded.
Have you ever wondered why TJ’s has such a generous return policy? I could have taken the adulterated food back to Trader Joe’s and gotten a refund there, but they would have taken the evidence and binned it. They don’t want customers to pursue complaints beyond the store. What TJ customers need to know is that TJ’s takes no responsibility for their store-​label goods. Most of their food is supplied by ConAgra. So ignore the folksy, pirate-​themed, «natural food» atmosphere of the stores, and be aware of who really fills all those packages.
This isn’t my only experience with bad food from TJ’s. At Christmastime I suffered through a case of «food-​borne illness» (the official name for food poisoning) from a bottle of Trader Joe’s fresh carrot juice. I know that was the source of the illness because my spouse and I had eaten the same things for four days straight, due to the long holiday weekend, except for that juice. I was violently ill for a full day. After that I stopped buying their juice but continued to shop at TJ’s. After this episode with a foreign object in my food, however, I am through with Trader Joe’s forever.

I really like this location. The employees are very friendly and the store is well laid out and easy to navigate. I always like the samples, of course. The main reason I do some of my shopping here is the price of milk and beer. I can’t find cheaper prices of these items anywhere else. They have some nice seasonal items at good prices, too. I like the Fearless Flyer which gives me ideas for food products I may not know about. I’m glad I live close by and will continue to shop here.

When we came out to this area for a weekend trip, we pretty much hit this TJ’s up pretty regularly. We were kind of pleasantly amazed at how this one was organized and we’re able to get all of desired ingredients (and alcohol) with ease. The place was well kept and the staff was friendly.

This store was dirty (the floors were sticky/​crumby.) The produce was pretty sad and wilted. Cashiers were especially slow even with long lines and they spent too much time talking to each other instead of paying attention to the customers.

Most of the time, I love the food they offer, but I do not like the return attitude.
If you have to return anything, like I did today. I returned a chicken that was disgusting and smelled bad, he did not apologize but asked why I brought it in and next time to leave it at home (like he would of believed me that I bought a bad chicken). Gee I bought it yesterday and it smell like s… and then he said do you need to buy anything and refunded the money. Hey an apology that I had to pay for the gas to drive back and go out of my way again. Gee, if I had to leave it at home why did you sell it in the first place. This is the second time, I had bad chicken there.
Also, when I bought flowers and they were bad I brought them back and they left them at the counter and the guy must of thrown them out and then the guy went on break and then he said go shopping and let them know. I went shopping and when I was at the checker they acted like I was making it up that I brought them back. Then I had to wait until they figured it out.
Hello I have two master’s degrees and do not think I am going to steal your flowers or make up a story to insinuate this is by attitude is not acceptable.
SO bad on returns. But most of the time, the food is good and the products are. But they need to improve how they handle a return and stop the attitude and apologize.

I love products from TJ’s and have been coming to TJ’s for many years. I have been to many other TJ’s and hands down the service here is the worst of them all. Im not talking about the checkers because most of them are very personable and nice. I am speaking of the stockers in particular. I understand that stocking needs to be done but the way that they treat customer while shopping is unbelievable they are so disrespectful they literally are rude and step in front of you as you are trying to shop. The problem has been an ongoing problem at this store and its gotten to the point I dread going there. I hate to shop in an other area or go and not keep my money local but it looks as though I may have to if I want to be treated with respect.

Just became a new shopper of trader joes. I am actually surprised on the healthy food options and the low prices.

I love TJ’s, don’t get me wrong. But, I do wish they would carry more organic like New Leaf. I was there the other day and bought some fugi apples that were in the ORGANIC bin. When I got home I was looking at the label and it has a 4131 which is conventionally grown. I suppose this is my fault as I should not trust that it is organic even if it says so and looked at the label. But, I also feel that TJ’s should put them in the correct bin. It would be nice to know that its one less thing for me to have to check! So when you buy fruit and veggies that have the organic sign, make sure they are organic. Now I have to make another trip back to the store to trade these two apples! :O (

I would like TJs corporate to stop making weird frozen hor d’oeuvres that once you get them home and cook them, they are inedible.
And I don’t want to admit that their oranges are good because someone might buy them all.

What’s not to love about Trader Joe’s. Ah, yes, they do not carry beans and they do not carry raw cacao. I made this my first stop in Santa Cruz on a Sunday morning. I had one thing in mind: dinner. I needed to decide on what to cook seeing as how he left the decision up to me. I don’t know what he has in his pantry nor did I make a mental note of the spices and seasonings he has but I went w/​something purely simple and healthy. I chose to make turkey meatloaf.
Anyway. This Trader Joe’s is spacious compared to the 2 that I frequent to in my area. They offer the same things as the other locations but the one thing that stood out to me was not the excessive amount of pumpkin things you can buy but the ladyfingers that just showcased in time for the holidays; it’s tiramisu time!
Staff were friendly. I had no issues except that when it was time to pay, my card did not go through. The machine froze. I then swiped again then later noticed 2 identical charges. Thankfully USAA works extremely fast so I was able to get the refund in less than 20 minutes.
The best part is that it’s w/​in a 5 minute drive from his house.
This is my grocery store moving forward…

I’ve been a fan of the Capitola Trader Joe’s for years. It’s just over my back fence. It’s the just the right size and easy to navigate. I remember back when it was smaller. I especially am fond of one of their employees named T.J. Appropriate name! :) He’s usually in produce, but can be seen in other areas of the store, as well. He epitomizes what a store representative should be. Friendly, outgoing, caring and competent. I hope he never leaves. I also like Marni who is one of the women who make demo food in the the little kitchen. She’s recently back from a 3 year stay in Hawaii. So glad to see her again! I get so many meal ideas from those demos!
I make at least two trips to Trader Joe’s a week. And, I always come out with more than I intended to before walking in! I love trying new items as well as the old tried and true. They also have the best return policy around! I rarely have to return anything, but when I do, they’re very gracious about it. Their stuff is guaranteed, after all! :)
I’ll always be a faithful shopper at Trader Joe’s!

Yay for TJ’s. They have a few things here that the downtown branch does not, like the kale/​spinach pies mmm. Easier to get in and out of here than downtown too.

I’ve never met a Trader Joe’s I didn’t like. The TJ’s in Capitola is no exception. I like this location a bit better, not quite as congested as the downtown store in Santa Cruz. They had all the must have’s for a Valentine anniversary; a nice assortment of wines from around the world, the ever popular cocoa dusted truffle’s and some really special anniversary cards. True story-​Bob and I had to go through the line separately because we both purchased anniversary cards we were trying to hide from each other!

I’m a big fan of Trader Joe’s store all over the place. Normally, I give TJ’s a solid 4 to 4.5 stars. This place I give a 3.5 stores. It is a lot smaller than most Trader Joe’s (even compared to NYC locations) and thus has a smaller selection of products across the board.
Ben B., one of the managers, is the coolest and nicest guy on the planet though and I’ll go here just to experience the amazing customer service I receive from him and his team members.

The Capitola, California TJ’s is our original Trader Joe’s. Not nearly as kick butt as NW 185^th in Hillsboro, OR (5 stars, baby!) but still pretty awesome. LOVE their dark chocolate peanut butter cups and I do not even like DARK chocolate all that much, I far prefer milk chocolate (which is also awesome).
This location is back when I thought each had a theme and this one was surf boards. Duh. That is just the coolness factors of all the TJ’s — which may or may not have surfboards.
I only wish they would bring back the cotton kitchen towels — they were, ie, blue and white with squares. I still have some from 10 years ago they are that awesome.