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Two words: PoundPlus Chocolate
It's 17.6 ounces of 72% dark chocolate imported from Belgium for $4.99. Well, for me it was $free.99 because my mom bought it for me. Booyah. Get your own (mom and/or chocolate).
Me: Mom, this isn't just PoundPlus...it's Pound plus 10%.
Mom: What? How do you know?
Me: I calculated it.
Mom: Who does that?! That's the most useless information I've ever heard.
Sadness. But I have my chocolate bar to cheer me up.
Trader Joe's has some seriously amazing snacks and frozen foods (I'm obsessed with their vegetarian masala burgers oh my god) but their produce and other freshly made products are downright nasty.
I think they're intentionally hiding those fruits and vegetables in plastic containers so we can't examine them closely. I mean, it's not environmentally friendly or cost-effective for them to go through the extra effort of prepackaging the produce, so what other explanation is there?
Pretty much all of the fruits and vegetables I've purchased from this Trader Joe's have been either rotten or about to rot within a day or two. Worse, I got some cheese dip once and it was literally full of mold when I opened the container. I'm cringing right now thinking about this stuff. It's such a shame because their prices really are good and, again, everything other than their "fresh" items really is excellent.
I heart me some Trader Joe's. But if you are a working person like myself, it's hard to go anything during the hours of 9-6. You and everyone, apparently, because the only time this place is NOT packed is at opening time. Otherwise, give yourself a good 15 to simply stand in line. Also, this one is sort of in between the rest of the shopping center (behind a Sushi place and next to a Karaoke bar), so parking can get a bit confusing (bear right when you enter into the parking lot and take a quick left, hugging the building to your left).
Other than that, is has everything you expect of a Trader Joe's. The facility is a big older and the whole atmosphere isn't as sharp as some other TJ locations, but with $2 bottles of wine, I would succumb to shopping in a garbage can for my ChucK!
5 stars except it's way too crowded and crazy every time I go here. I've been particularly pleased with their:
- Asiago pre-sliced cheese. Very tasty & versatile.
- ready-to-cook Kalbi. MMMmmm...
- fresh Basil. I trimmed the stems & kept it in a cup of water, used the leaves over a period of 2 weeks, and then some roots started sprouting. So now I'm going to plant it!
- square-shaped package of extremely low-fat ground beef. Good price for good amount & quality.
- fresh-cut bunch of mixed flowers. $5, pretty, lasted a long time.
-public restroom. Easy to find.
Mascarpone Cream. Prepackaged Salad. Packaged Orange Chicken. Cheese Blintzes. Trader Joe, whoever he is, brilliant. I come about once a week. He even came up with Ginger Almond soap?!? Do I eat it or use it to wash myself?
The lines can get a bit long--probably weekend morning or early afternoon is a good time to go.
In my original review, I wrote about Ocumare chocolate. It was one of my most favorite items from TJs. Tragically, they no longer carry it. Trader Joe, what were you thinking?
Parking is abundant and if you strategize about when to go, the crowds aren't so terrible. If you… Read more »
Pros:
- Whole Foods for Half the Price
- Free Samples
- Open until 9pm
Cons:
- Limited selection
- Shrink wrapped bulk produce
- Closes at 9pm
Trader Joes, I used to come to you and see you at least twice a month. You provided me with yummy, unique, and varied frozen snacks, sauces, dried goods, and potato chips that were not brand name whore labels, saving me money because I didn't have to pay a premium for marketing costs.
You have cheap booze and I think the term 2 buck chuck was invented by you. I liked the strange sort of Hawaiian looking shirt décor you have, the non-trendy atmosphere, and the ever so present green movement within your walls that permeates through every product you slang.
Then I started seeing other people (read: Ranch 99), and this is what I've learned:
1. I hate your parking lot. It sucks and people who flock to buy "health food" all sit there waiting for a coveted spot, less than 20 feet away from the entrance. Why pretend to be healthy if your lazy ass is unwilling to walk a few extra feet? And why do you go so agro just to get the best space? I would rather risk swine flu with a side of crotch rot than do battle with your drivers.
2. The hippies smell funny (like fart and funk) and ignore my request when I say "Excuse me." While you sit there shopping for organic dog food, blocking up all walking space with your 10 cubic feet of years of uncut dreads, studying all the labels with diligent scientific analysis, did you forget that your dog licks his own balls and eats his own poo? Do you think he cares if his food is organic? All he wants to do is eat - a lot. Then poop it all over the neighbor's lawn so you can pick it up. It secretly pleases them to see you do that.
3. The free samples used to be awesome. I thought that a single menu item that was given in a tiny cup would temporarily appease my appetite so I wouldn't go into a hunger induced supermarket shopping frenzy. But you placed the sample counter usually by a high traffic area, inducing pedestrian constipation. Then I went to Costco and Ranch 99 and was treated to almost a dozen free treats. Hmm... 1 vs. 12 items. I'm Chinese. I'm good at math. And mooching free stuff.
4. How dare you constantly rearrange your inventory so that I have to relearn where my favorite chicken nuggets are? This is like suprising me with a pop quiz that evokes suppressed memories of being mentally abused as a child by bullies. This is simply unacceptable. I should not need to be on anti-anxiety pills to have to shop here!
But despite all of this, I still like you. I will continue to shop here as I am drawn to the long lines, obnoxious shoppers, and low grade snob appeal so I can come to terms with my insecure desire to be cool and Berkeley.
Just remember, although you will get my business, you will also know when I am displeased. You'll know it because I will enthusiastically crop dust the aisle I'm in with a temperature raising sulfur-laden egg fart. The smell will linger for minutes and cause a hundred new posts to appear on Craiglist missed connections, rants and raves, and W4M.
I think that's a fair trade.
Don't get me wrong, you can find a great variety of foods difficult to find elsewhere here.
But remember, you get what you pay for (actually less), TJ's is in business to maximize profits, and all things are not what they seem.
e.g., read ingredient lists. You'll find products (same brands) that andronico's sells as 0 transfat, here at 2 grams transfats. These are products that will be illegal after Jan 1st. What is it? Explained by manager, TJ are bottom feeders and they made a deal with the manufacturer to buy their waste (check their Tofutti - which they label as "better than cream cheese" -- should be labeled "more deadly than cream cheese" - I actually called the central office on that one, and the buyer explained that some trans-fats are good for you!
Would you accept a dinner invite from a friend who delights in the value of buying a $3 wine for $2? Hmmm. what's the value? If you have to dispose of 3 out of every 4 bottles of wine you've discovered at TJ, is that a value?
Anyway, I revel in some of their products, but carefully read the back label, as not everything is what you'd expect.
In a household where foot long receipts are the norm, one could say I'm an avid grocery shopper. Ever notice how dogs pace back and forth in front of the cabinet that contains their treats? This is me in front of the windows at specialty food stores. But at TJ's I can walk in tongue lolling and hungry, trusting that quality, sustainability and economics will hold hands and be happy.
The bulk of my frozen and larder foods and dairy products are purchased here, namely:
* free-range, organic chicken and eggs - the man only eats chicken and embryos that are happier than he is
* cream top milk - it just tastes better
* veggie corn dogs - BEST DRUNK MUNCHIES, EVAR
* edamame in the pods "with a touch of salt" - cute
* frozen gyoza
* cheap-o-licious cheeses
* fig spread
* dolmas in olive oil
I could keep going but the list would be interminable. I'll suffice to say, don't sleep on the nuts and dried fruit (AMAZING), liquor (but consult http://thesecondglass.com before purchasing the wine), vitamins (keep them cells happy), and skin/body products (Dr. Bronner's for the win! Those bottles could keep me reading on the toilet for hours).
Location specifics: Everyone tries to beat the crowds, but it pays off to be the lazy ones. Come just before close on the weeknights and the place is practically deserted. If you want to munch while you shop, the samples counter is towards the back left, and they don't mind if you take seconds. In fact, the staff at this time of night are generally much more chill and helpful.
After this whole love fest, I'm sad to say that TJ's will never get that fifth star. TOO MUCH PLASTIC. I'm ashamed to purchase your cellophane-smothered produce, and non-recyclable trays. Get with the program, Joe!
PRO: always have free samples. sell $2 wine. lines keep a-movin.
CON: the don't have plain soy yoghurt---only berry flavours...not a big con, clearly, which is why the 5 stars remain.
I love Trader Joe's to death, but you'll never see me give any Trader Joe's store a low-rating. Oh Yeah, this is the only TJ's in the city of El Cerrito and the lines on the weekends is incredibly long with people's shopping carts piled Empire State Building-high. I do mean "Carts" with the "s" and without the parentheses, because family use at least 2-3 carts for shopping and the express lanes is also used as a customer services lines for unhappy customers with a ton of complains and other bullcraps.
How small is this store? They only have six checksatnds and narrow aisles.
Maybe I'm spoiled because I live in San Francisco with four serviceable stores that is much more convenient and bigger stores too. Don't come to this TJ's on the weekends for just one shopping cart full of groceries or a single banana.
I'm just glad Trader Joe's decided to expand (however slowly) in the East Bay area because back in the day, the Emeryville location was a lone BEAST to shop in. But we tolerated it, so happy to just have a Trader Joe's on this side of the bridge to get all kinds of foo-foo treats that made us feel we were getting something new and special. And we read their flier religiously and felt that through it, we had a direct connection to Joe's thoughts and aspirations for us shoppers.
That was then. And now, thank God for the EC location in the revamped strip mall. Yes, this store is still a mad house, but not nearly as picked over as the Emeryville location. And the people who shop and work here are always nice and make the most of the often crowded conditions, which is more than I can say for other niche stores (clears throat... and thinks of Berkeley Bowl)
Bottom line: as a single parent, I can get reliable ingredients for meals that are affordable, delicious, of good quality, and easy to prepare.
Shop in off-peak hours for the least wait and stress, but if you can't, it's still worth it.
Trader Joe's is awesome, there's no doubt about that, but this location down right sucks. It's unorganized and the ghetto ass old non-renovated side of the El Cerrito Plaza is not the right place for this store.
I challenge the layout of the store. Dog and cat food across from nuts and chips? Uh, no. The TJ's by my house has the dog and cat food in the aisle with detergent, vitamins, papertowels, soap and other household items. It makes sense; non-food stuff next to the other non-food stuff. I even missed the nutrition bar (Clif, Luna, PowerBar, etc.) section just because skipped the frozen foods aisle entirely.
Because of this backwards design, it just causes people to linger in the store longer and thus cause congestion so it stays crowded, longer. Have any of you people taken a retail management class? Organize you sales floor so that you inventory is accessible to the customer, i.e. DON'T put the dog/cat food next to the chips because those people don't necessarily have pets and won't be inclined to buy that if they buy chips. They've got the "keep them inside the store long enough to buy more items" phase down right, but they forgot the "then get them out of the store to make way for more people forking over money to you" part enitirely.
The TJ's by my house in Daly City may be in a more congested shopping center with scarcer parking but my shopping trips there are certainly shorter than going to this TJ's when I'm in the East Bay because of its backwards design.
IT MAKES NO SENSE.
Trader Joe's played an important role in tying together lots of our precious memories.
I remember that after our first "date," I went to Trader Joe's while you went to Lucky. (Speaking of which, why did we go to the El Cerrito plaza after brunch? It was not even on the way from Fat Apple's to where I used to live...) Being as efficient as possible, I did not wait for you to come pick me up, but instead walked to the Lucky's parking lot directly to look for your car. :D Funny. Something that a girl would not normally do on a first date, right?
But why should it matter? Everything about our relationship and our love was meant to transcend the conventions anyway.
And my favorite chips that were getting more expensive. And the creme fraiche that you wanted to try out your new waffles. And the "healthier" peanut butter that I bought first and then you followed. :P And the organic lollipops. And the trail mix that you could finish in two or three days. And all the other ingredients that we bought from Trader Joe's to make our wonderful dishes -- dishes that turned out to be successful only when we made them together but failed when we tried making them separately on our own. And even during our numerous conversations, you would sometimes tell me about your grocery shopping at the Trader Joe's.
True, this Trader Joe's is often very crowded. Don't even try to come here on the weekends; there will be tons of customers. True, I have been to better Trader Joe's than the one in El Cerrito.
Nonetheless, I am giving five stars not only because I love Trader Joe's in general, but also because this particular Trader Joe's in El Cerrito will always have a special place in my heart.
i love trader joe's. i just came from there in fact.
the lines can get long though... and the parking lot is kind of small.
but i love their products! most decent prices on the mochi ice cream. and the chocolate croissants, yummmmmmy.
love love love the dried mango too. the one without added sugar.
what ever happened to the banana crisps??
3.5 stars.
I guess I don't really have too much original input on this one.
Cons:
-It's always crowded.
-The layout is senseless.
-I agree with Bryan G.: it's annoying that TJ's is not self-sufficient; i.e., you can't get all of your groceries here.
-The produce often is just ok. Safeway produce can compete with the produce here.
Pros:
-The staff is wild friendly.
-The sparkly cranberry juice is very high quality for the price. My favorite snacks, since someone asked, are the honey roasted mixed nuts and the 'identity crisis' chips, which in turn are wonderful with the tomato basil hummus.
-This is the closest TJ's to where I live, so they've got me there.
What's the number one reason we like Trader Joes, girls? It's the cut flowers, right? Right?? Don't you remember what we talked about? Just keep saying that and stick to it. *sheesh*
They used to have stargazer lilies for $4.99. It bums me out how the price went up by $3, but it was way too good to be true. In spring they sell bunches of fragrant and cheerful daffodils for $1.99. I notice their flowers last a pretty long time. Sometimes girls really need flowers. For those times it's nice when they last all week. Flowers you buy at Yucky's might make it through the car ride home.
When I do my shopping here instead of Yucky's, I save about 20 bucks a week. Not so bad. The impulse buying must be kept in check, of course, which is not easy since they make a lot of low-priced chocolate covered nom noms.
Really good TJ food: corn meal crust pizzas, Indian entrees that you boil in a bag but actually taste really good when you put them over rice, hummus and some of their ready-made salads.
Cheaper than anywhere else: frozen vegetables, greek style yogurt, milk for lactards, and hansen's soda.
Tip: come after 8 p.m. - when the madness is over.
TJs is where we go to save money on food. Convenient location from our apartment. The aisles are narrow and on the busiest times, it can get cramped maneuvering with your shopping cart. We've noticed that the busiest times to go are on a Sat. morning and afternoon. Better to go in the evening but then often times, you're out of luck in finding the items you need.
New discoveries at TJ's: Gorgonzola crackers, Greek yogurt with honey, frozen pancakes (surprisingly good) and mixed nuts with peanut brittle.
Food items I could do without: Cheese and chicken enchiladas. I used to purchase them but now, not so great.
Parking can be a deuce especially when the Farmer's Market is happening. We park on the other side near the Macaroni Grill. Much more parking there.
*********SKURRRRR**********
URGENT UPDATE!
if anyone was tempted by those dried lychee & dried dragonfruit that i mentioned on my original review....
STAY AWAY...
sounded yummy but no bueno..no bueno
the lychees just wern't the same w/o the juice
and dragonfruit has ABSOLUTELY no taste...just a good crunch from all the black seeds....
i'll let you guys know how it tastes in my cereal tomorrow morning =P GOOD NIGHT YELPERS!!!!!! (damn yelp addicts)
btw... my friend actually owns the domain http://nobuenos.com HAHA...random
cheap organic produce
cheap organic EVERYTHING
not really a HUGE selection but you'll find everything…
Read more »
I'm a Trader Joe's fanatic. If I could make love to the store, in the store, behind the free sample counter, I would. And maybe I will...
I came here to see what was happening with dinner. A bag of fusili for 99 cents? Me so horny! Prosciutto clocking in at $3.99...imported I might add? Yes, sir, spank me and call me silly...I was turned on.
Thought I would steam some asparagus, but realized I'm not a huge fan.
Instead, went to stuff my mouth with flan parfait cake and fresh brewed green iced tea.
Score-GASM!
That's more like 3.8 stars.
As many others have already said, I like Trader Joe's, I really do. But the hit-or-miss factor is starting to impact my shopping habits in a very negative way. Years ago when I first began shopping at TJs (in Maryland), I was more than willing to be adventurous. Stuff looked good, and most of it tasted good. My favorite was the caponata pasta sauce with raisins (NOT bruschetta topping), which of course, I can't find out here.
Well, lately I've become much more timid. I tend to stick with my safe staples -- until they become discontinued like their imported pizza with sundried tomatoes and artichokes (I've noticed others have had the same complaint). I've had so many terribly inedible things. The sushi? I had two rolls and threw the rest away. The same goes for that abomination they call "multigrain pilaf". And the gorgonzola chicken? Don't even get me started. These are merely a few of many sad examples.
Back to my "staples": unfortunately, they aren't the healthiest. They no longer include produce because it's just not that good, and that's a serious bummer when you're doing your best to convince the people around you that you actually care about nutrition.
At the top of my happy list:
1. kalamata olive pizza with cornmeal crust
2. virtually any cheese they carry (that's never been a "miss" for me)
3. the Rustico pasta sauce. It is the most delicious sauce out of a jar I have ever met. It is full of roma tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, green peppers, garlic, basil and carbernet that you can actually TASTE. Please start buying it -- I just know they want to give it the ax soon.
4. stir-fried veggie eggrolls. I think I only like them because they are impossibly low cal/fat for eggrolls. It boggles my mind.
5. Thai Red Curry Sauce. I'm just going to ignore the fact that the last time I opened a brand new bottle the contents were moldy. BRAND NEW. moldy. Someone please explain.
6. The ridiculously fattening mushroom turnovers. You have to try them!
So anyway, I would appreciate it if people would continue to update the rest of us on what they've discovered to be hits or misses. I'm just not a gamblin' girl and I've been burned too many times.
5 stars for Trader Joe's minus 1 for their stupid clientele! (except for me and you of course)
Basic Trader Joe's experience: fun/ fresh selection, clean, busy, courteous staff.
But from the parking lot to the check out line the customers here suck. They are like in their own world and could care less if you are trying to get around their stupid asses. People who shop here are really self absorbed jerks.
OMG try the swiss chocolate by the check out counter- the trader joe brand...yum
Revision 3/6/2008
I'm dropping this to 2 stars from 3. I've recently had several experiences with meat products from here making me ill, in addition to a continuing string of stuff in general going noticeably off or stale 1-3 days after purchasing it, despite prompt and proper refrigeration after bringing them home.
---
While the parking is nominally better here at my local Trader Joe's than it is at the Emeryville or other locations, (in that there actually *is* parking) when all is said and done, it's still basically a case of "Same shit, different toilet."
The unpleasantness of many of the patrons here is only outdone by that of the self-congratulating lipservice liberal enviro-elite who swarm like flies on shit to the organic grocery Meccas of Berkeley Bowl and Whole Foods. It's really quite surprising how much contempt and condescension people can convey without even uttering a word.
As for the store itself, it's just like every other TJ's I've ever been to, in the Bay Area or otherwise. Weird layout, cramped aisles. They carry some decent stuff, they carry a lot of weird, mealy, flavorless and/or disgusting crap. Prepackaged pseudo-ethnic schlock abounds. Prices are fair, but when I find many of the products to be so underwhelming, it really doesn't end up being all that much of a bargain. These days I just come for a few specific things that I know I can rely on. (Or at least until they stop stocking them inexplicably, as seems to be their habit any time I find something I really like there...)
The lines tend to be insane more often than not, but occasionally I do manage to get in and out in short order. Never figured out the rhyme nor reason to this. YMMV.
3 stars is probably too generous, but I'm getting nicely sloshed on an unmemorable, yet perfectly drinkable $4 Bordeaux I picked up there tonight, so they get the benefit of my inebriated state and the fermentation-induced relaxation of my usual curmudgeonly and cynical demeanor.
Secret tip: park over close to Petco to avoid the insane drivers who don't watch where they're going and/or the ignorant hippie types who prance around the parking lot with their un-checked and spasming children, seemingly oblivious to the presence of oncoming traffic. The parking lot over at Pacific East Mall on a weekend is a walk in the park, nay... a sheer unadulterated delight even!, compared to this obstacle course of obtuseness.
This is my store! I love the staff here.... I am sure they are sick of me by now. I am there every day! okay, my review is boring. I am sick of myself at this point. Just shop there.
Also a 3.5
Sorry, this place is just too crowded. Its small and not lots of shelf space. Difficult to find some items and honestly really cramped.
The staff here is the best!!!!!
There is lots of parking!!
One thing about this place that really brings it low ratings is that its always crowded.
Its so crowded that its hard to move around. Expect to bumped into or in somebody's way.
Other than this its like any other TJs...Good offerings at good prices!
OMG
Oh here's one more fact check out lies are long and often go into the shopping area. Makes moving around difficult.
Since I like many of the products I shop at off hours (and its still crowded)
Wow someone posted that TJs may have genetically modified produce??????
Don't swing by here after work, it will be soooo crowded.
High quality groceries for awesome prices! Everyone loves Trader Joe's.
I love THIS trader joe's because I can get my carless ass there by hopping on the BART. Brilliant!
After having long shunned regular visits to Safeway, Lucky or Albertson's, Trader Joe's has become the main place where my family gets its groceries. Pros and cons of TJs here is as follows:
PROS:
-Decent produce.
-Decent selection.
-Good prices.
-Joe-Joe's
-Samples.
-TJ's brand of cheap, dark chocolate bars.
-Vitamin aisle.
CONS:
-Parking lot is cramped, especially when the Farmer's Market is going on at the same time.
-Lines inside can get very long, especially on the weekends and weeknights. This gets exceedingly miserable when the lines back up into the aisles, and it's very near impossible for both the line and the aisle shoppers to get by each other. Also it's a nightmare when school starts up again, and their stock gets very low very fast.
-Many items we've fallen in love with over the years have been replaced by TJ's own brands, which are sometimes just not as good, and most of the time more expensive.
I have long had a torrid and steamy love affair with Trader Joe's.
It even survived my long 9 months in a Trader Joe-less Hawaii though I longed for it daily and eventually began to question whether it really had been as good as I fondly remembered.
Having moved back to mainland territory, I can confirm that it is BETTER than I remembered and I particularly love this location in my new neighborhood.
I spent my Friday night doing the usual craziness...grocery shopping!
Yes, yours truly happily perused the aisles for about an hour picking up all the delectable (and gluten free) goodies I desired for $90.95. That price point has bought me breakfast, lunch AND dinner for 2 weeks.
AND snackies!
All of which are gluten free! I know, I know. I'm a gluctard (tm Lauren S.) and I have been neglecting my diet and thus suffered an attack of my gluten allergies. So it is with heavy heart that I dispose of all vestiges of my carb loving, gluten loaded groceries and restock with what I am supposed to be eating. Sigh. Thankfully Trader Joe's makes so many yummy foods it's not a pain in the ass nor an expensive overhaul of my pantry.
I love you Trader Joe's. I just wish that you would move to Hawaii someday so everyone there could love you too.
Bliss:
Handful of Blueberry Muesli
Big spoonful of Organic peanut butter
Chopped bits of free-trade organic dark chocolate bar
Squirt of Agave Nectar
(PS. Do Not chop chocolate bar on cutting board recently used to cut onions. It ruins EVERYTHING)
People, please stay away from this place. It's too crowded!
To try to beat the rush, I make my weekly trip on Sunday mornings, arriving at 8:59AM for the 9AM opening. About 59 other people are gathered out front when I arrive. 10 or 15 minutes later, the store is thick with shoppers. Yikes!
Here's some of what we like at TJ's: the prepared salads; the blue corn chips and the popcorn; the organic milk; the cheeses (excellent prices!); the walnut oil (currently "discontinued"); the dry pasta; the partially baked bread (to finish off at home); the high-end chocolates(interesting selection); their mochi; the frozen mac and cheese dinner; their frozen rice bowls. There have been some amazing wine deals, like an Australian cab-syrah blend that TJ's had for $8.95 and whose usual price was a big multiple of that number. Their tortillas won a Chronicle food tasting a few weeks ago.
3.5 stars
Things I like about this location:
-Ample parking
-Wine (as do all the others)
Things I dislike about this location:
-Smaller than some of the others, it felt cramped
-Too crowded
crowded=abort abort!
I absolutley hate this Trader Joe's. Don't get me wrong - I heart Trader Joe's. I do 95% of my grocery shopping here. I just absolutley hate this location.
I came here yesterday at 1130 AM on a Monday morning. I expected it to be slow... boy was I wrong. This place was packed. Not like a Saturday morning or weekday evening packed, but I thought I could browse through the isles without people getting in my way. There was hella people here.
Also, they didn't have my favorite items (i.e. porkchop stuffed with apple dressing). It seems everytime I come here, this Trader Joe's is conveniently out of everything I oh so love.
The parking is terrible here. The lot infront of Trader Joe's is like five spaces long, so you'll be circling for a long time.
I recommend the Concord location, the one on Oak Grove if you can swing it. Parking is great, they're always stocked, and the lines seem to be always short. If you're in the area, definitley check them out.
Can't wait for the Pinole location to open on Pinole Valley Road... but I'm sure that one will be just as bad as El Cerrito's...
Okay, we all love TJ's, so the 5 stars I'm giving here is in regards to this particular TJ's in comparison to the other locations...
I just got back from shopping my TJ's in El Cerrito, and I must say that these 5 stars are in large part to the awesome manager Ken who works this store. Ken rocks. He is knowledgeable, accessible, efficient, effective, and on top of all that, genuinely friendly and pleasant. I'm so impressed with him and the TJ's here overall that I finally had to write a review to give due credit. Need advice on wine? Ken and the staff can help. Out of something on the shelves? They'll check the back to see if there's anymore in stock (and sometimes there is!) The sample lady is cheerful and will share recipes with you. Everyone is available and willing to help.
Also, I find this location to be more spacious. Plus, they've always got food and drink samples going which I find is not the case at other locations like Emeryville.
Back in my freshman year in the dorms, I used to take the BART here to stock up on cheap, yummy foodstuffs that easily trumped what crap the dining halls were serving us. This place is literally steps away from the El Cerrito BART station, making it extremely accessible to UC Berkeley students. The plaza in which it is located is also conveniently populated by other well-known chains.
The food sold at any Trader Joe's, including snacks, often boasts of all-natural or organic ingredients, which is bound to give any junk-eating college student at least the illusion of eating healthier. My favorite things to buy here are the banana chips (which contain no artificial banana flavoring!), and the sundried tomato and basil hummus (as well as many other flavors of hummus), best eaten with their Mediterranean flatbread.
What I like about Trader Joe's in El Cerrito: it is within biking distance from my apartment, trader joe's cornbread mix, tj's organic blueberry frozen waffles (vegan! awesome!), good selection of almond milk, lots of vegan junk food.
What I dislike about TJ's in El Cerrito: lots of vegan junk food (my own lack of self-restraint?), the veggies are in plastic containers, always very crowded, hard to negotiate the huge strip-mall parking lot stuffed with SUVs on my bike.
one of the more positive additions to the plaza. the staff is startlingly happy, and a handful are hipster-esque, a rarity in el cerrito. but refreshing. i got mad love for the hipsters. their microwavable quiches are awesome and dont make me feel as fat as other microwavable foods usually do. if you read the packaging, trader joes is hilarious. instead of trader joes, on their mexican products it says trader jose, and etc. thats just cute. the lines here tend to drag along (the only thing preventing it from five stars, that and its occasionally messy), but its just a cutesy place and has managed to stay put in spite of lucky's looming over it.
We are longtime TJ fan's...whenever we visited my folks in LA
(when the TJ's were only in So Cal) we used to bring a cooler
and a couple of extra duffel bags to haul back our sacred TJ
items.
Then came the TJ's in Concord, San Rafael and....finally
Emeryville...when old EC Plaza was being torn down...several
of us started visualizing and chanting for a TJ's to be built
in the Plaza.....and hooray...it's here in the Plaza, too close
to us.
When they first opened, I went there ALL the time; some of the
clerks knew me and would wave to me whenever I came in....
(not too embarrassing)
A friend of mine went there THREE times in one day the first
week they were opened.
We love shopping at TJ's ...where else can you shop and
get 6 bags of groceries for $50!
This TJ's is big and has lots of items you can't get at some other TJ's! Yum, choices!
This store has been around for several years and TJ's has been in the Bay Area for many more. So can someone explain to me why they are incapable of preparing for the holidays, stock-wise? *Every* *single* *holiday* they run out of EVERYTHING you need. Apple cider, candied pecans, mascarpone cheese... I don't get it. I walked out having spent only $2.03 last night because they had run out of everything I came in for, except blue cheese. I refuse to accept that demand changes that much from year to year. They must have data to guide their buying/stocking. You force me to brave Albertson's/Lucky around the holidays and I hate, hate, HATE you for that! (12/23/07)
---
I used to hate this place. I used to come here looking for very specific groceries that I needed. No, I don't want a bag of twenty lemons. Did I come to Costco? NO.
But then I came to the understanding that you just have to *experience* Trader Joe's. If you go in without expectations, you come out much happier.
They used to have a TJs brand blackberry fruit spread that they discontinued. That's the only bad part about having small, good quality, proprietary branded food. It's good, you like it and get used to having it every morning for breakfast even though you've NEVER liked any kind of jam/jelly/preserves/spread before. Then, BAM! They discontinue the only flavor you liked and now it's gone forever. Sure, they make you feel like you have power and influence by telling you that if you tell the management desk and request it be brought back, and if they get more requests like yours, then it might actually happen. But, c'mon. I even tried to work the system and request it to every different desk clerk up there! Bummer.
Blackberry fruit spread, how I miss thee!
And to you selfish little monkeys who bring your carts in and park them on one side of the aisle while your double-wide ass blocks the other half, causing a major traffic jam as you glance from a distance and take for freaking EVER to decide whether you want pecans or walnuts-- I HATE YOU! I hate you because when I politely say "excuse me" you act like *I* am the rude one who suddely threw your world off axis by trying to squeeze by and resume my exotic shopping experience. Have some courtesy, people. COURTESY.
Emeryville, CA
Category: Grocery
El Cerrito, CA
Category: Health Markets
Pinole, CA
Category: Food
El Cerrito, CA
Category: Drugstores
Neighborhood: Rockridge
Category: Grocery
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