Trader Joe’s

Oh TJ’s. You are getting closer and closer to me but far enough away to remain a «treat».
Long ago in a land far far away, I worked for a floor company and would strip and wax Trader Joe’s floors in San Diego (The Pacific Beach store. .). I was smitten and cannot break the spell of this grocer and their high quality budget conscious goods.
Always on my «Must Shop at.. .» list for every city, we stock up big on essential Trader Joe’s treats like incredible craft beers, 3 buck Chuck, candy, the best snack anywhere, even frozen goods (carefully calculating the thaw rate vs. remaining drive time home).
This is a nice store location! (Birmingham must have some ca$h; yikes!) This TJ location sits among some posh stores I didn’t know existed anymore,. I thought I was in a restricted «Soccer Mom Audi Wagon Parking Only» section but fortunately no one towed my car.

Ok ok I know Trader Joes. I grew up in SoCal where Trader Joes is synonymous with 2 buck Chuck and fresh cheap produce. Trader Joes at the Summit doesn’t disappoint there. Although the store is a bit small and can get busy it has all the stables you come to enjoy from a place you can get pumpkin ravioli sand whole cut flowers and a bottle of wine for $ 7!

Trader Joes is a great addition to the area and a good second choice if Whole Foods is out of the question for the day. Cookie Butter is heaven sent! I always make sure to grab some while I am there also the riced cauliflower is always sold out but it is divine! The wine selection is a big plus for
me, the wines are very very affordable but taste like you paid more for them. Best place to stock up on them! Trader Joes for the win!

I love Trader Joe’s and I have been going since before they came to Birmingham (shout out to the Buckhead Atlanta location) so I was super happy when they opened here. The staff is friendly but not as much as the other location I have been to. I love their produce and a lot of their frozen items have become staples in our house. If you like Indian food I highly recommend the chicken tikka microwave meal that comes with rice. It is as good as restaurant chicken tikka!

I can’t say enough nice things about Trader Joe’s. I’m so excited that they finally decided to grace Birmingham with their presence. You can find so many neat and interesting things. But you can’t leave without a bottle of wine. Seriously, you can’t leave without at least a bottle. They have some very nice, moderately priced wines that will excite your palate. I found an awesome Malbec for $ 5 that I liked so much I bought a case. The service is very good and it seems like the employees know what they are talking about when they make recommendations. Don’t forget the wine!

You have no idea how long we’ve been begging and pleading for a Trader Joe’s to come to Birmingham. It finally happened, folks! I’d only been to one out-​of-​state Trader Joe’s, so I had an idea of what to expect on my first visit, but I had no idea that TJ’s would become our weekly grocery spot. My husband and I are able to get 90% of our monthly groceries here, and we spend about 25% less than we would at other grocery stores. Additionally, we’ve discovered some delicious new meals that are exclusive to Trader Joe’s stores. Our favorite is the tamales (which I’ve been told are only available during the winter holidays… but I haven’t checked back to see if they’re still available now). We stocked up to have plenty in the freezer to last us through the year :). There’s also COOKIE BUTTER (think peanut butter that tastes like a gingerbread cookie)… $ 3 WINE (that tastes like $ 13 wine, at least)… low prices on organic produce and seasonal flowers, a decent craft beer section, and a good selection of gluten free products. It’s really a one stop shop, save for those pesky miscellaneous items like kitty litter bags that require a once-​a-​month trip to the supergrocery store. The staff is friendly and helpful. Be warned: Sunday afternoons are BUSY (that’s when we typically shop). It’s a small grocery store, and you may have to wait in line. But it’s worth it!

I always go to Trader Joe’s telling myself I just need a couple things and maybe a frozen meal or two. Then I get there and grab a cart because… let’s be real.
If possible, go on a weeknight so you’ll have room to move around and take your time getting to know some of their goodies and what things pair well together (you’ll thank yourself.) I made the mistake of going on a Sunday and mixing it up with the after church crowd, which can get a little stressful.
Their frozen meals are better than food from some restaurants, especially if you add personal touches to them. I have yet to pick up something I wouldn’t try again. They also have a great wine selection and very friendly staff.
On that note look out for Sarah, who transferred to Birmingham from a store in South Carolina and can steer you toward the perfect thing in each section.
My one wish is that TJ’s sees how popular this store is and gets in on the redevelopment going on in downtown Birmingham so I have one less reason to get on 280.

I don’t get it. Honestly I was excited to get a Trader Joe’s since I had only been to one other. This is the same as that one. It is a trendy thing. They have all the stuff like a whole Foods or Fresh Market but they also have the high prices. Nothing is wrong with this place but I wont go back as long as there is a Sprouts in the area. The staff is nice. the stuff is nice. the store is clean. Just not worth the prices in any way. Don’t make this your go to place until you have tried the others.

I have always heard great things about Trader Joe’s so I was excited when I saw that one was coming to the Summit.
The location is inconvenient and when I went it was very new so it was PACKED. The store isn’t extremely large, but there’s a great variety of items and the prices looked cheaper than Whole Foods.
The store was very clean and was laid out well. There were people with samples of some of the cheeses and drinks. The cashier was very friendly and didn’t seem stressed at all despite the mass of people when we went in. She told us that the best time to come is around 10am as that seems to be when they are the least busy. Think I’m going to try again then so I can really look around.
Definitely check them out!

If I were to give this TJs less than 5 stars, it would be because it’s so busy. Which, I would argue, Trader Joe’s CAN fix… by building another location! Please please, pretty please?! :)
In all seriousness, TJs really has done a fantastic job with this new location. As always, the prices are great. They also have a very large selection… I think the selection might even be better than the Atlanta location I usually stop in. The service was friendly and helpful, the music was jammin (I like to jam while I shop), and I was treated to FOUR different free samples. Who doesn’t love free samples? #noshame
The store was seriously packed when I visited on a Sunday afternoon. Maybe now that TJs sees how much we love them here, they really will expand the chain into other parts of Alabama! I joined a Facebook group two years ago to petition them to come here, so it’s good to know that our voices were heard!

OK, so I may be taking my life in my hands by standing out as probably the only person in town who isn’t ecstatic over this place, but my feeling is just «meh.» I feel like they are WAY overpriced and really, not any different than Whole Foods, Earth Fare or Sprouts. Sure, they have all their own brand of a bunch of stuff, but so does WalMart. There’s not a huge selection of stuff, though some of it is novel. Overall, not really impressed. The service is OK… the guy back at the coffee sample stand was pumping out samples as fast as he could, but the cashiers were not overly friendly and the aisles are a little cramped.

FANTASTIC CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!
So my wife had a bad day so I stopped at trader joes to get three things to cheer up even the saddest of ladies: cookies and cream ice cream, daisy’s, and wine.
The lady checking me out knew as soon as she saw my basket something was up. She gave the ice cream on the house since my wife had such a bad day. Talk about building loyalty to a company.
Oh yeah and you can’t beat the 2 buck chuck wine.

I am so glad that we finally got a Trader Joe’s here in Birmingham (long overdue!) That being said, I absolutely hate where it is. I don’t know why on earth they decided to put a grocery store in a highly congested retail shopping center. I tend to stay away from 280 altogether, but would have rather it been a little further down the road in a small strip mall or free standing building if they wanted it to be in that part of town. Only one buggy return can be found, and watch where you park… because you might find yourself facing an impassable median when you have already made it half the way back to your car. The store itself is great. We love the wine selection, all of which are well priced, including the «two buck chuck» Charles Shaw wines for $ 2,99 a bottle (which are actually very good!) The produce and dairy sections are what I usually hit up, because the prices are really good. They have a good selection of organic meats as well. I am hoping that another store will be built in the near future (in a more desirable location!!) Only thing holding back from a 5 star rating is the location.

I really enjoyed going on opening night! I was super impressed with how well they were handling the mass amount of people that were coming in and out. The staff was super friendly, and I was very impressed with all of the layout and décor and pricing. It was much more reasonable of a grocery experience than I imagined.
Plus, all of the Birmingham theme stuff was very neat. And they had some tasty samples in the back.

I’ve been waiting on this place for a long time. We always stopped at the location in ATL since Bham didn’t have one, but now we have one up the street from us. Nothing like buying organic and GMO free foods for such a low price with a good quality. I can find just about everything I need from this store! I love the Chicago style popcorn, cookie butter, good wine to choose from, good quality dairy products that don’t cost an arm and a leg like other places. This store has yet to dissatisfy me.

Way way way too much of a wait for that many employees to be there. Pitiful service on the multiple times I’ve been there. The company is great but this specific branch sucks. But keep in mind trader joes products are fine.
I choose not to shop here anymore. I can walk around an entire store past a million employees, and not get a word said to me. Me and my girlfriend couldn’t find an item and everyone was too stuck up to help us, we unfortunately left.

As other people have noted being at the summit is kind of a pain. I always refer to TJ as the Winn Dixie of Whole Foods. Yes it is all their own brand but the quality is excellent and they are always putting out cutting edge foods. Cookie butter, great specialty mustards and vinegars and incredible frozen foods.
TJ focuses on customer service. They have a policy that if you want to try something just ask and they will open it and let you try it. No charge. No doubt they will do well. Just hope they stop running out of everything. B’ham loves new.

If you have been to a Trader Joe’s, you know the quality products they have at a reasonable price. I have always enjoyed being able to stop by their stores, but never lived in a place that has one. Until now…
Everyone has been excited about this location opening for a while. And it has been popular thus far. This location is one of the nicer ones I have been to. The selection is fantastic and the store is clean. A win-​win all around. Every employee we encountered was friendly and helpful. And you can’t beat a decent bottle of wine that costs $ 3!
My only complaint is the geographic location. I’m sure it is good for them since the Summit is so populated. But that makes it more undesirable to go for a quick trip. I can go ahead and say our trips there will be limited between Thanksgiving and the December holidays… that place is a madhouse!

I love Trader Joe’s and my mom is very happy to now have this one near her. So many unique, delicious things here, and it’s really not even much more expensive than a regular grocery store. My favorite thing is the kringle, which they usually have around the holidays. Another nice thing, since this Trader Joe’s is in Alabama they have the wine section (the ones near me don’t). The employees are extremely friendly. I came here a week after the grand opening and it was still packed!

This place is just as cool as I remembered it. Of course it was crowded because it just opened but that was to be expected. TJs was my go-​to place when I lived in Indianapolis. Back then I didn’t cook as much as I do now so I relied on lots of items from TJs frozen section. In most stores frozen foods are full of preservatives, sodium, etc. But here you will find plenty of options that are heart and diet friendly.
If you’ve never been to a TJs, don’t go in expecting to find your favorite brands. There are a few name brand items, but not many. Most items are TJs own brand or brands that you don’t normally see in Birmingham and probably not too much in Whole Foods. Many of the items are organic and it’s a great place to shop if you are allergic or sensitive to certain foods. Lots of options for you!
What’s the difference between TJs and Whole Foods? THE PRICES! For $ 20 (my limit), I bought 2 bananas, a bag of frozen edamame, a bag of frozen shrimp fried rice, large bottle of hazelnut creamer, 64oz bottle of low-​cal pink lemonade (with organic lemon juice), a bottle of red wine (merlot/​Malbec blend) and a last-​minute splurge… organic dark chocolate and almond bar. Well, grand total was $ 22 and I woulda made it had it not been for that dagblasted chocolate bar calling my name!
You won’t find your favorite bread, but branch out and try something different… all sorts of multi– and whole-​grain breads. And the wine section?!! LOVE IT! Do any of you remember the «two buck chuck» wine craze about a dozen years ago? TJs is where it started (this winery had an abundance of grapes, produced amazing wine and sold it for $ 2 a bottle). Anyway, great labels and cheap prices. Tried something new so I’ll let you know how I like it.
Anyway, take some time to check it out. My only complaint is that it closes at 8pm? I hope that’s just for the first week only. Kind of a bummer to close so early, especially on the weekends.

I’m very excited there is a Trader Joes in Birmingham now. The store does not change their price based on location so when I lived in Manhattan this place was godsend and going here today made me very nostalgic but also very glad I wasn’t carrying a week’s worth of groceries through the subway and up 6 flights of stairs. This location 100% saves me so much time and money from making day trips to Atlanta.
I went the morning they opened and I expected a crazy line with lots of waiting and tons of disorganization but what we got was the opposite. I parked very close to the store at 8:05 AM (they opened at 8AM). We were given leis and shopping carts as soon as we entered. We waited in line to enter the store for about 3 minutes (not bad at all). From the time that we entered the store to leaving we only spent 45 minutes getting everything we needed and includes the time we took to circle the store twice and stand in line to checkout. For those other Trader Joes aficionados out there, this one has wine and beer and is fully stocked with all the goods. We started at the opposite end of the store (wine section) shopping and made our way through the entire store and found everything we needed. Everyone was incredibly helpful and we got a free reusable bag and fresh flowers and tons of help carrying everything to the car. If you like fresh and organic grocery and to try new products I highly recommend Trader Joes. Make sure to check out the Frequent Flyer catalogue before you go in to the store. I was told the store was still getting products in so if you didn’t find your favorite item they were working on making sure it was there in a few weeks.
In case you get overwhelmed, I’ll just leave you with my recommendations:
Wine: Espiral Vinho Verde
Cheese: Trader Joe’s French Truffle Chèvre
Tortilla: Trader Joes’s Habanero Lime Flour Tortilla
Dip: Trader Joe’s Tahini Sauce
Snacks: Trader Joe’s Dolmas, Trader Joe’s Coconut Chips
Chocolate: Trader Joe’s Smashing Smores
Condiments: Trader Joe’s Whole Grain Dijon Mustard
Dressing: Goddess Dressing
Oil: Trader Joe’s Lemon Olive Oil
Greens: Organic Arugula, Fennel
Frozen: Trader Joe’s Mushroom Turnovers, Chicken and Cilantro Mini Wontons
Bang for your buck: Trader Joes Almond Meal, Trader Joe’s Balsamic Vinegar
Please message me if you have a recommendation for coffee because I was too overwhelmed to make a decision today.

Amazing! !! I LOVE Trader Joe’s and this new store lives up to expectations.
Staff is knowledgeable and helpful. Prices are much cheaper than expected. I have found many items that are cheaper than the grocery store.
My recommendations from this visit
Pumpkin Os — so much flavor, great for breakfast
Dark chocolate salted pumpkin caramels — strong pumpkin flavor
Kringle — any flavor — fantastic!
Can’t wait to come back!
TRY IT!