Trader Joe’s

So I had been hesitant to returning to a Trader Joe’s for about a year due to bad costumer service at the mission viejo location. But I gave in, my sister loves TJ so I went to this location and I love it ! service is outstanding it exceeds 5 stars. The entire staff is so FRIENDLY it feels nice to shop there. BUT ABOVE ALL, GARY IS DEFINITELY MY FAVORITE HE MAKES ME AND MY SISTER’S SHOPPING EXPERIENCE FANTASTIC.

Awesome workers. Helpful, kind, etc. Never seen such hard workers! A little small, gets crowded, I would suggest not going in peak times like 5 pm. Otherwise a great TJs

Excellent selection of cheeses, freshly baked breads, pressed juices, and produce.
I love their fresh orange juice and pineapple juice with nothing added.
The only downside to this location is that the parking lot is tiny compared to other locations.
The parking is in a corner of the Village of Orange parking lot squeezed next to CVS parking and it’s almost always crowded.
Be prepared for a line at checkout too.
Worth the craziness though for the delicious food.

I can never leave this place with JUST things on my list that I walk in with. It’s just that good.
I’m here at least twice as week and I’m a terrible menu planner and like to cook whatever I’m in the mood for that night. I usually let the aisles of this store and the sample tasting station decide what’s for dinner. The veggies are fresh and extremely reasonable in cost. I like the prepared microwaveable ones when I’m in a pinch for time. Try the Brussels sprouts! Their individually packed trail mix is a must for those of us always on the go! You can’t go wrong with their cereal options either. Something for everyone in the house.
Their freezer meals don’t taste like freezer meals. I especially enjoy the Butter Chicken, pasta varieties, and the Japanese Fried Rice! Unique and tasty at the same time. I’ve also been addicted to all things cookie butter, like most. Try their cookie butter ice cream!
Their cold brew coffee concentrate is always a staple in my fridge. It’s easy to mix with water and/​or milk over ice every morning. The selection of wine is also great with lots of options.
This particular store can be super busy or not have a line to wait in. Regardless, they are quick to open new registers and move people through during the busy times. The crew is always happy to help answer questions or provide recommendations and opinions.
The parking lot can get busy as it’s in the very corner of the plaza but not to a point where you can’t find parking. Just might be a little more than a 10 step walk.

Gotta love the variety of new and interesting products they keep bringing in. Only things I have a problem with: 1. Their flowers go bad really really fast. We are talking two days for a lot of them. 2. Some of their items get moldy in a closed package before due date. This has happened to me a lot and although they’re really good about taking items back it’s just really inconvenient to go back… So I just buy smaller portions of perishables from them.
Thumbs up to the always friendly staff!

I like the beer and wine selection. The prices are amazing on some odd brand but tasty beverages. As far as food they have lots of snacks and a good variety of frozen food. They get fresh bread daily. Their produce is kind of sad but sometimes they have what I need. Truthfully I’m usually just there for the beer.

TJ’S always fun to visit for some unique products and fast grocery restock trip. This store is always clean and restocked.
This review is more for products:
Chocolate covered pretzels with peanut butter. I used to love it but the bag I picked up today did not impress me much. You can’t taste peanut butter. Thick level of cheap chocolate overpowers and it is the only thing you can taste. Better buy in bulk in Sprouts.
Veggie sticks potato snacks — wanted some yummy crunchy junk food. Well, this snack is not worth the calories. This veggies sticks are greasy and lack absolutely any flavor.
I still have couple favorites:
Steamed lentils are great addition to a salad or can be a quick meal by itself.
Bruschetta so good with some toasted garlic bread. Great appetizer combine it with steamed lentils.

Truth be told I don’t shop here for everything but I love their orange juice, strawberry preserves and pre-​made sandwiches. Oh yeah and I can’t forget their ice cream sandwiches! Yum!!! The flower bouquets aren’t a bad deal either. I try to go early on the weekend mornings as to avoid the crowds.

There are not very many things I can say about most grocery stores in most locations. They all carry food. They have the same layout, lighting, ambience ect. There is not much in general that distinguishes one location of a supermarket chain to another. Except for this place. Today I found the same old grocery store, but with just a little something special in the side.
The staff here have managed to unanimously capture the spirit of the community grocery store.
It’s always a good sign when the patrons themselves are friendly and personable, and it must be because the staff themselves lead the example of what it means to go beyond simple curtesy, to being a neighbor.
It’s an interaction of building a repot with the people that come in. With every employee I came into contact with, I encountered individuals who cared about more then just helping you find the bread, but helping to put a smile on your face. I saw customers enter in one mood and leave in a better one and I was blessed to be one of those customers.
Thanks trader joes on Tustin ave.
Ill be back again soon.
Sincerely
Your neighbor

My mom and I shopped here on the morning of Memorial Day for breakfast to make for our family. Im from Reno an always love shopping at my local Trader Joe’s. I love the way the store is laid out and as always, it was very clean and the employees were all very sweet as friendly. I hope their manager reads these because I mean it, the employees were ALL so nice. That’s such a great quality. I’ll make sure to stop at this store whenever I need groceries when I’m in town

Gary is awesome, has the best recommendations! Love this Trader joes! They have the best food, also very reasonable prices!

Great Trader Joe’s. It is clean, well stocked, and the lines are pretty short. The staff is friendly and helpful. The only downside is the parking. I’m always worried I’m going to get hit because it has an awkward layout and cars are constantly coming in and out of the lot.
I recommend the «reduced guilt spinach and kale Greek yogurt dip» (with sweet potato chips). It is tasty, but not as heavy as typical spinach dips. It’s also healthy without adding a bunch of artificial ingredients.
No lemon crisp cookies during my last visit. Those are addicting.

Shopping at Trader Joe’s always makes me happy. This is a great location, shelves are well stocked, great selection, very nice staff.
It does get pretty full and the store as well as the parking lot are pretty small.
They still carry the full selection and I don’t think I have ever bought anything here that I didn’t fully enjoy. Love that they rotate and get new items in, love their sales flyer, prices are great, except for the fresh meat and cheeses I think are a bit too expensive. One of my favorite grocery stores to shop at.

Unilocal challenge 2015 ³²⁄₃₆₅ **updated review**
Trader Joes
Has some Hoes
Who like to munch
On a bunch of tastey stuff
They keep coming back
Cant get enough
So much yummy stuff.
Its true, there is a secret group called Trader Joes Hoes. Its because we cant get enough, and we are always looking for more.
Trader Joes is by far my favorite spot to shop. I love experimenting with all their delicious goodness of tastey ingredients and coming up with my own recipes. If your not kitchen literate, they have a lot of prepackaged meals and simple recipes that make it look like you know what your doing.
Located at the corner of Meats and Tustin next to CVS, with plenty of parking, but not always good parking.
Now I know a lot of people say TJs is expensive. But it really isnt, as long as you always keep your must have ingredients on hand, like the cooking oils, basic dairy, spices, rice, dry stuff, ect. The only thing I think that adds up is the meats. But, they are so worth it. The flat iron steak and Pollo Asada are perfect to throw on the grill for a quick dinner. Pick up the frozen roasted peppers, garlic cubes, stir fry and put it some toasted flatbread along with your meat and its yum yum in the tum tum. Pair it with a premade salad and pick up one of the mini cakes and it will seem you spent forever in the kitchen, when you were done in 30 minutes. The key is to add your own touch to everything, use something pre made, like a sauce, but add something else.
Service at TJs is always exceptional. To work at TJs it must be in the job requirement to be cool. Everyone has a good vibe and attitude.
The best thing is, if you buy something and dont like it, you can bring it back for a refund.
*much needed update**

Trader Joes is awesome. The staff are super friendly and really helpful. The store was clean and stocked well, especially for how busy it was. That’s the only complaint really… that there were so many people in there and it was a bit chaotic. But you can’t blame them I mean it is pretty awesome.

Fairly typical TJ’s, here are my thoughts:
Pros: good selection, friendly staff, good location right in the Orange Mall
Cons: treacherous parking lot, tiny store, often horrendously crowded making the first two «cons» even worse.
I’ve shopped here a lot, but I plan it for off times if I can. But overall, a solid location and shopping experience.

Every time I come here I find so many goodies that I don’t feel guilty eating. It’s definitely a great spot to shop for healthier alternatives. Their store brand products are yummy! This is a smaller spot but I like the layout. I love all the bags of dry snacks from nuts, pretzels, mixes and other yummies for the tummy. In the back they are always handing out samples of a meat, frozen food or tasty food. I definitely swing by this corner every time. The prices are reasonable and the recyclable bags are cute!
The down side is that it is right next to CVS in a busy corner of Tustin and Meats. The parking lot is a zoo at times with people jumping in front of your car and cars backing out.

Fresh fruits, cookie butter, dried fruits. This is the second happiest place on earth next to Disneyland!
Too bad I can’t pick the store up and ship them to Hawaii.

When it comes to grocery, TJ’s is usually my preferred place to go so I’m happy this one is close to home.
For our BBQ, I was tasked with finding a dessert. There are lots of bakeries in the area but unfortunately, they close early so I came here to find something. The baked goods section isn’t all that big which was a bit disappointing but TJ’s has some awesome cookies, candies, and other goodies that make up for it.
While looking for my dessert, I also managed to pick up some awesome dinner things for future dinners. TJ’s makes it so easy with their sauces, veggie packets and their produce packs. Dinner/​lunch is almost too easy and if you don’t want to cook, they have some prepackaged stuff that’s pretty good too — just heat and you’re good to go.
Another awesome thing is their drinks especially their milk. TJ’s had the best milk. If you love milk, definitely get their milk. There’s just something about it that is so awesome.

When it comes to cooking, I’m pretty incompetent. Thank goodness for Trader Joe’s and their pre-​made meals, prepackaged deliciousness and their plethora of jarred sauces where anyone like me can make a decent meal for themselves.
My go-​to is their summer curry. You basically put it in a pot, add your proteins and veggies and you’re good to go. Though it’s coming straight from a jar, it still holds a ton of flavor. We’ve used it both as a sauce and a base — both ways resulting in a fantastic meal.
They have some great salads and sandwiches if you’re looking for a quick lunch. Add a large bottle of water to your meal, and you have yourself one healthy alternative to fast food for under $ 5. I get pretty indecisive and end up picking up multiple items, but even then, it’s still super affordable.
If you’re lactose intolerant like I am, they have a great selection of dairy free frozen treats. You might think to yourself, «Yeah right… it can’t be good without dairy…» and that’s where you’re wrong, it’s pretty damn similar and if you get the soy based desserts, they still have that great creamy texture that you get from normal ice cream. Win.
My only complaint about this location is that it has a super small produce section. By the end of the night it can be pretty picked over in terms of fruits and veggies, so it’s best to come early to score the greens (or reds, or yellows… you get my point.)
It’s also a great place to pick up the Charles Shaw (2 Buck Chuck) for parties. You can even buy it by the case on the cheap!