Trader Joe’s

Love the cheese selection and great to-​go lunches. Been a fan since the 1980’s.

Do NOT buy your milk here unless you’re going to finish it way before the expiration date.
For 2 years now I have been shopping here on and off and every single time I get milk, it goes bad anywhere from 4 days to a week before the expiration date. They must leave it out, have their fridges at the wrong temperature, or leave it in the sun before bringing it in. I love Trader Joes but I cannot go to this one anymore because of this.

Normally I would rate this Trader Joe’s location at 4-​stars, but I had a horrible experience with one of the employees, Jake. As I was waiting in the massive line, a good friend of mine with an anxiety disorder called me, so I answered. Normally I find it rude to be on the phone while checking out at the grocery store, but this was an exception. They had just changed their credit card system so now you use the chip to check out, and apparently I removed my card too early while I was talking to my friend… well, doing so froze the system (not my fault), and Jake started snapping at me and communicating with me in the most accusatory and condescending attitude. I love Trader Joe’s, but every time that I have shopped their since this experience, I have made sure to checkout with any other employee. If you are going to work in customer service, you should learn how to be patient with people, even if you are having a bad day.

As soon as I make my way back to California, one of the first places I touch base at is Trader Joe’s. I remember when I was living in California, this was a staple and then moving to Virginia, it was tough at first until one opened up. Trader Joe’s as most of you know, has a lot of great foods from fresh produce that are organic to non processed premade foods that are very affordable. They only open a couple of stores around the US a year to ensure that they have fresh produce wherever they open a store.
Yes, you can easily do all your shopping here and really don’t need to go anywhere else. Here you know you’ll get great well grown food, high end foods and great instant meals. They have a great selection of wine as well and everyone there always seems to enjoy working there. Oh, and they seem to have a great floral section as well! Check it out!

My favorite grocery store of all time, always have, and always will be, Trader Joe’s. Coming to this location is a treat for me, the store seems bigger than the one closest to me, and the layout is different, so it just seems like there’s more stuff. I’ve always found it odd that there’s a food for less in same shopping center, which I’ve always found has their own following, but it seems to me everyone is shopping at TJs. I go into the food for less to get things I don’t find at Trader Joe’s I need, like varieties of baking soda, toilet paper, and laundry soap. The employees are great, and the shopping experience is always a stellar one for me… I revised this review cuz I just realized I didn’t give it the five stars it deserves with the last review!!!

I like coming here. It’s a tight little store, where everything is easy to find.
One thing though: it gets crowded with students, yuppies and general weirdos. I once saw a lady in the checkout line wearing jump goggles and a shopping card filled to the brim with almonds.
Even though the selections aren’t huge: they don’t waste their time on mass-​produced meats and cheeses; everything is pretty much artisan.
Could use more exotic fruits and vegetables. Miami is the country’s largest exporter of exotic fruits. I wanna start seeing some dragon fruit and papayas.
The beers are all craft with a few off brand pilsners and that’s word.
Staff is young, friendly and eager to succeed their way to a college degree that will eventually lead to a career in someone else. Everyone is super friendly, perhaps too friendly? Is there such a thing without being creepy? It’s not too bad, in fact everyone is really helpful.
Whatever you don’t find can probably be found next door at Food 4 Less.

I love shopping here! The prices are reasonable and the shelves are always well stocked. And unlike most other grocery stores, the employees at this Trader Joe’s genuinely look happy to be working there. They are always smiling/​laughing and are more than delighted to help you find what you need. That’s a sign of good company culture, and I’m happy to support that! Obviously I’m not the only person who enjoys shopping here though, since the store can get a little crowded during certain hours of the day. I’d recommend shopping during the first and last two hours of their business hours if you want to avoid long checkout lines =]

Who doesn’t love Trader Joe’s? This is a good location in San Luis Obispo, fairly easy access from the freeway. Parking is usually fairly reasonable.
Tonight we were greeted by a very charming cashier. Where do they find these guys? :)

A great place for groceries. The prices are reasonable. The variety and quality is good for the store size. I’m not sure what I would do without this place.
My only gripe, which is minor, is that they are always restocking when I’m there. Combine that with how crowded it usually is and it becomes tough to navigate at times.

I love this store and the people who work there. I love it even more because they are carrying more and more organic items at reasonable prices (ever since New Frontiers was sold to Whole Foods, I shop more at Trader Joe’s). I eat the Empire Kosher chicken and they even order the organic kosher chicken leg quarters for me every time I make a request.

I give Trader’s a 4 star rating because they offer a decent selection of organic and healthier products at a lower price. They offer a great selection of cereals, nuts, fruits and veges, wines, and sweets. That being said, this particular space that they occupy is tight. The store is always packed and the isles are SMALL. Most of the time it is stressful trying to get a parking space in the lot and deal with the crowds in the small space. Sometimes you are accosted by Green Peace people who accuse you of not caring about the animals and the environment if you don’t donate. What a turnoff. Love Trader Joe’s, but not a big fan of this location.

Awww yes, a Trader Joe’s right next to a Food 4 Less… my life is complete! This location has incredibly nice staff and really elaborate food samples (I’ve had a chicken taquito with salsa and guac, mushroom risotto and greens, and a mini thanksgiving plate with 5 things on it). That matters a lot to me. A lot.
I come here for my ‘staples’: Beer, wine, frozen chicken burgers and tomato-​red pepper soup.
They’ve got an excellent wine selection, and I’m able to find grapes and blends that Food 4 Less doesn’t carry (I’m practically a connoisseur).
TJ’s is also great for meals on the go, self-​stable grains, and meat that won’t kill you. The prices are right, the food is healthy and fresh, and those samples aren’t going to eat themselves.

Generally it is a fine place to shop, and I recognize you can’t have an on day all the time, but the last visit was odd.
Given it can be a stressful season for retail, the staff seemed particularly off today, in a poor mood and unfriendly. I was to bag my own groceries, as after my transaction was complete the cashier moved on to the next customer.
She was professional enough, and normally I don’t mind, but it felt like a total disregard (which I understand, I used to work in retail as a cashier).
The last few times I’ve purchased something through Trader Joe’s, the pre-​made products are ok, but nothing really pops with flavor or pizzazz (maybe I’m just picky). Even some of the frozen products are left wanting, I don’t know, more flavor.
Overall, it is an ok place to shop most of the time, but just that… A-​ok. Pricing is fair, selection is good, some products are excellent.

I just love this store. Good prices, unique finds, and good portions. It’s my go to grocery store!
My only complaint, the pushy green peace people out front! It’s like every week I’ll get caught by one of them, and they grab my bags and shove their clipboard in my hands. Make me feel bad for not giving them my credit card, «you don’t care about animals?» If you say you don’t wanna sign up. The only way to sign up is to give them your credit card number right there on their clipboard or to call ‘someone’ and give it over the phone. That’s it. Nothing to take home to read about, think about, learn about! Just give them your credit card now. Not cool :(

This place is one of the best Trader Joe’s stores I have every been in. The layout of the place makes it extremely easy to find everything you are looking for and the selection is great. The staff are very friendly and helpful and they make your shopping experience as stress free as possible. This is a new must stop when I visit the SLO area. Plus big thumbs up for the great selection of Firestone beer.

Yummy things to buy, cheap wine and friendly staff. Great for picking up a quick lunch. The staff are always helpful. If they see that the item you’re buying is damaged or not packaged properly they’ll replace it for you.
Great variety of foods here. I’m a fan.

I love trader joe’s and I have yet to go into one that I did not like. This was no exception… indulged myself on snacks and had a blast :) I love you, trader joe’s!

Most of the items in Trader Joe’s you will pay a premium for as they are always top-​heavy on organic and natural goods. That’s fine if it is your gig, but if you are a bargain hunter, you can still snag a deal on their wine.
The Charles Shaw brand has a decent Pinot or two, plus their Sauvignon Blanc isn’t bad either. Of course, for only $ 1.99 a bottle, it isn’t high-​end wine, but if you want to use it for mixes or are just a broke Cal Poly student, you can’t go wrong for the price.

I live in LA so I’m used to big TJ’s with great selection… and the SLO store doesn’t disappoint.
In all honesty, I’m a bit biased because my dad works here. If you see an old Fart Japanese guy with salt and pepper hair, do yourself a favor and don’t bother — he’s not so great with customer service: D Just kidding, he’s cool and knows where everything is located.
This store is well-​laid out and seems always stocked up when I go. Staff is super friendly and surprisingly, their parking lot isn’t terrible (it seems like part of the criteria for selecting TJ locations is crappy parking lots).

Once Trader Joe’s made it to San Luis Obispo, we stopped meeting people we knew in the Santa Barbara store. We used to make runs to Ventura or Santa Barbara, filling the trunk of our old 68 Fleetwood with wine, nuts, and cheese. Stocked to the brim with mustard, olive oil, and pasta sauce, we would head north with a sigh of relief, popping coffee candies all the way.
It’s definately more convenient to have our very own store in town, but it’s a hoppin’ place. I usually shop at 8am on Sunday, and stock up on everything from dried mangos and wasabi peas to beets and salads. I also like their juices and salad dressings, which accompany the gourmet lettuce and produce selection. I love munching on the samples as I cruise the aisles, and I always study the new products on the way in the store. It’s fun to create a Trader Joe’s spread for a cocktail party, and I always pick up some Baklava for desert. Prices are great, and their wine selection is decent and modestly priced.
Their French bread is a tad cakey for me, but my new favorite is the Fruit and nut loaf. Try it with smoked cheese, and enjoy a treat!