Can We Talk Trader Joe's?

[hellonurse]

I'm sorry, I know this has been asked a million times.

I've never been to TJ's. The closest one is about 1.5 hours away. I would be willing to drive there once in a while to stock up. But if I'm going to do it, I want to do it right. So... can you tell me your must haves?

I love different varieties of snack foods, like popcorn, crackers and nuts. I'm also interested in the good frozen stuff and the can't-find-anywhere-else stuff. Really, anything that you think is worth a try.

Thank you!

[ECB]

I have a TJs near me. I like it but I don't known of its really worth a 1.5 hr drive. But - I like their chocolate chip Dunkers.

[hellonurse]

May 19, 2013 17:11:54 GMT -5 ECB said:

I have a TJs near me. I like it but I don't known of its really worth a 1.5 hr drive. But - I like their chocolate chip Dunkers.

Well, my first trip out that way is for a doctors appointment. So, not a total waste. Haha. I figured after that, it would only warrant that long of a drive if I fell in love with some of their products.

[LoveTrains]

Nothing at TJs is worth a 1.5 hour drive.

[Deleted]

Things we love that we can't get elsewhere:

-Frozen Indian foods including the breads. Not really a fan of their samosas though.
-Butternut squash ravioli in the fridge section (with a browned butter/sage sauce added) is so delicious
-All of their cheeses
-Peanut-butter stuffed prezels
-Sparkling lime-aid
-tomato basil hummus with pita chips
-chocolate lava cakes from the freezer section
-pie crusts from the freezer section (vegetarian, so good, and so much easier than making them)
-Just the Clusters Maple/Granola cereal
-Tea Tree Tingle shampoo/conditioner
-greek yogurt (I've never bought it elsewhere, so I can't compare it to others)
-Vanilla ice cream
-DH loves the Mandarin orange chicken and the chicken tacos in the frozen section (I'm a veggie, I can't comment)
-TJ's boxed mac and cheese
-TJ's salsa, I think it has a cowboy on the label, and tortilla chips; we both love that salsa
-frozen pizza in the green box
-DH loves several of the dry couscouses
-basmati rice (I've never looked for it elsewhere, so I'm not sure if it's hard to find)
-spinach chive linguine (we toss with homemade alfredo and cooked veggies)
-anything on the nut aisle, but we actually buy this type of stuff more at the natural food store from the bulk containers; I do particularly love the mix with the cherubs on the front, I think it has chocolate and peanut butter disks along with all sorts of nuts and some sort of dried berry

I'm an odd man out in that I prefer my own pizza dough to theirs. It's not bad, but I don't buy it. All of their treats above the frozen food section are good, but I try to stay away from all the cookies/chocolate (except for the occasional ice cream/lava cake). The little butter cookies with a depression in the middle filled with chocolate are for special occasion entertaining at my house. Amazing.

[hellonurse]

May 19, 2013 17:29:13 GMT -5 @juno said:

Things we love that we can't get elsewhere:

-Frozen Indian foods including the breads. Not really a fan of their samosas though.
-Butternut squash ravioli in the fridge section (with a browned butter/sage sauce added) is so delicious
-All of their cheeses
-Peanut-butter stuffed prezels
-Sparkling lime-aid
-tomato basil hummus with pita chips
-chocolate lava cakes from the freezer section
-pie crusts from the freezer section (vegetarian, so good, and so much easier than making them)
-Just the Clusters Maple/Granola cereal
-Tea Tree Tingle shampoo/conditioner
-greek yogurt (I've never bought it elsewhere, so I can't compare it to others)
-Vanilla ice cream
-DH loves the Mandarin orange chicken and the chicken tacos in the frozen section (I'm a veggie, I can't comment)
-TJ's boxed mac and cheese
-TJ's salsa, I think it has a cowboy on the label, and tortilla chips; we both love that salsa
-frozen pizza in the green box
-DH loves several of the dry couscouses
-basmati rice (I've never looked for it elsewhere, so I'm not sure if it's hard to find)
-spinach chive linguine (we toss with homemade alfredo and cooked veggies)
-anything on the nut aisle, but we actually buy this type of stuff more at the natural food store from the bulk containers; I do particularly love the mix with the cherubs on the front, I think it has chocolate and peanut butter disks along with all sorts of nuts and some sort of dried berry

I'm an odd man out in that I prefer my own pizza dough to theirs. It's not bad, but I don't buy it. All of their treats above the frozen food section are good, but I try to stay away from all the cookies/chocolate (except for the occasional ice cream/lava cake). The little butter cookies with a depression in the middle filled with chocolate are for special occasion entertaining at my house. Amazing.

Awesome, thank you so much! Several of these items look very exciting.

[Deleted]

The Chocolate Chip Dunkers are fabulous!

[hellonurse]

May 19, 2013 17:32:53 GMT -5 @libgrl said:

The Chocolate Chip Dunkers are fabulous!

Yes, definitely going on the list!

[rageragerage]

I really like their marinara, the super lean ground beef, the frozen mandarin chicken and their gummy bears

[audette]

I only lived near enough to a Trader Joes to be able to buy anything perishable for a short time, a while ago.  And even it was farther than I preferred to drive if I was buying anything frozen, so my preferences tend to fall into the realm of "things I could ship to DH in a care package", which is probably 90% of the stuff I have bought at a Trader Joes...


The dried fruit and nuts section was one I always spent a lot in.  That and the aisle with the cats cookies for people.  All of those were frequent care package items for DH.  For me, I often bought some of their low fat granola (they had a berry flavor, and a almond flavor), and their Irish Breakfast Tea.


We now live _way_ too far from the nearest TJ's to even contemplate shopping there.  However, I am tempted to ask a buddy of mine that lives near one to send me care packages with the Irish Breakfast Tea (caffeinated and decaf).  It makes a really good iced tea, as well as a really good hot tea (I like a strong black tea, and most of what I can find here is either supremely expensive, or is weak-ass crappy tea).  That, and maybe some of the cats cookies or triple ginger cookies.  Yes, I miss these enough I am tempted to ask someone to send them to me in Korea...  If work sends me somewhere near a TJ's, you can be sure I'll be saving space in my suitcase to bring some home.

[audette]

May 19, 2013 17:21:28 GMT -5 LoveTrains said:

Nothing at TJs is worth a 1.5 hour drive.

I disagree.  Kinda.

DH really enjoyed some of their food items when he was deployed.  Usually, I'd have some excuse to be driving the 1.5-2 hours away to where the nearest TJ's were to us at the time (visiting a friend, taking a class, heading to/from the nearest airport, etc), but if I didn't have an excuse for a trip, and I wanted to send DH a care package, I made the trip.  DH really enjoyed their triple ginger cookies and their dried fruit and nuts during his deployments, and would ask me to send them.

I felt it was worth the drive to be able to include something in DH's care packages that he was specifically requesting.


That being said, once DH was home, we only went to TJ's if we were already going to be in the area for some other reason.  Because under normal circumstances, that is too far to drive just to go to TJ's...

[delawarejen]

I would consider taking a small cooler with you - many of my favorites are frozen items and I know I'd be bummed to have to limit my choices to non-perishables.

[gt7301b]

May 19, 2013 17:43:10 GMT -5 audette said:

I only lived near enough to a Trader Joes to be able to buy anything perishable for a short time, a while ago.  And even it was farther than I preferred to drive if I was buying anything frozen, so my preferences tend to fall into the realm of "things I could ship to DH in a care package", which is probably 90% of the stuff I have bought at a Trader Joes...


The dried fruit and nuts section was one I always spent a lot in.  That and the aisle with the cats cookies for people.  All of those were frequent care package items for DH.  For me, I often bought some of their low fat granola (they had a berry flavor, and a almond flavor), and their Irish Breakfast Tea.


We now live _way_ too far from the nearest TJ's to even contemplate shopping there.  However, I am tempted to ask a buddy of mine that lives near one to send me care packages with the Irish Breakfast Tea (caffeinated and decaf).  It makes a really good iced tea, as well as a really good hot tea (I like a strong black tea, and most of what I can find here is either supremely expensive, or is weak-ass crappy tea).  That, and maybe some of the cats cookies or triple ginger cookies.  Yes, I miss these enough I am tempted to ask someone to send them to me in Korea...  If work sends me somewhere near a TJ's, you can be sure I'll be saving space in my suitcase to bring some home.

audette is my tea soulmate.  TJ's is a bit too far for my regular grocery shopping, but I make a trip when I run out of the Irish Breakfast Tea.  I just went today and bought three boxes  (plus the rest of my grocery shopping for the week.)

But to answer the original question, I wouldn't drive 1.5 hrs to shop at TJ's.  Heck I only go there every couple of months or so and it is only 15 minutes out of the way.

[FrozenSunshine]

Indian food and naan
Frozen spinach dip
Turkey corn dogs
Pizza dough - for when I'm short on time
Uncured bacon
Peanut butter chunk cookies
Uncured bacon
Salsa verde
Tri-tip carne asada


I love their frozen desserts, cheese and nuts selections.

[sent]

May 19, 2013 17:32:53 GMT -5 @libgrl said:

The Chocolate Chip Dunkers are fabulous!

I have yet to meet someone who could refuse a Dunker!

We like a lot of their frozen foods especially the appetizer-sized ones.  They have a nice variety of frozen pizzas.  The Mandarin Orange chicken is one of their best sellers.  I always keep a bag in our freezer as our "last resort" meal when we have nothing to eat but don't really want take out.

Crunchy Curls are an interesting TJ's exclusive snack.

Three-layer hummus.  It's the only one we will buy.

My mom likes some of their breads and nuts because they have several low or no salt varieties that other stores don't sell.

I just asked DH what his favorite TJ exclusive food is and he says their stuffed turkey.  This may be a holiday-time thing, but they sell these small turkey breasts with stuffing inside that you have to bake at home.  They also have some chicken breasts like this.  He loves both.

[janetplanet20]

Green chile and cheese tamales
Chicken potstickers
Pretzel thins
Tatziki (a cucumber yogurt dip. It is seriously SO good)
Flatbread crackers
Caribbean fruit Popsicles
Green tea mochi
Chocolate mochi
Cheese selection

[Deleted]

peeled hardboiled eggs (so convenient!)
great produce selection
good greek yogurt - I buy their brand which tastes as good as fage but is discounted
hummus - jalapeno+chive or horseradish are my fav
cilantro chive greek yogurt dip
TJ's mild salsa - it's more like pico and it's delicious
uncured turkey bacon
chicken/spinach meatballs
salt water taffy
fleur de sel caramels
all of their cheese

I also used to like their veggie sushi, frozen orange chicken, and pizza dough but I can't eat any of that anymore.

I just bought some chicken lime burgers that I haven't tried yet but they look pretty good!

[Deleted]

They have this frozen pizza appetizer-y thing that we get every now and again - it has yummy cheese, some type of ham-ish item, and onions. IT IS SO GOOD!

Just keep an eye out in the frozen aisle for a little thin-crust pizza-ish thing.

We don't have one close to us, so sorry for the crap description - but this is something we pick up whenever we are by the one closest to us (about 30 mins away).

[cricketwife]

I would not drive 1.5 hrs for any of this...but if you're out that way and want to stock up:

Chicken broth -- free range organic chick broth is like 1.99 for 32 ox.
frozen fish -   I buy a lot of the tuna steak and salmon
cheese -- any and all.  they are much cheaper than at the regular grocery store.  You must buy
St. Andre (cheese) to eat with their Raisin & Rosemary crisps (Small crackers in a pale green box. They are the best thing ever.)
cilantro hummus.   OMG.  A.MAZ.ING.
corn salsa (in the fresh section)
bananas -- so cheap
jars of roasted red peppers
they had prepared Indian foods (not frozen) called "Indian Fare" that are only 1.99 and really good. I especially like the eggplant one and the madras lentil
thai chili cashews  - and other nuts (all priced well)
frozen bell pepper strips
Columbus peppered salami slices

And of course the fun of TJ's is wandering through the aisles and finding random things that look good and trying them, so I definitely recommend doing that.

[hellonurse]

Thank you everyone for all the recommendations and suggestions! I'll be sure to bring a cooler with me.

[dr.girlfriend]

Jalepeno-cilantro hummus
Butter chicken (frozen Indian food)
Chocolate-covered pretzels
Triple Ginger Snaps
Nan bread (with breads)
Frozen meatballs
mango ginger chutney
mahi mahi burgers

[Deleted]

Our staples:
Frozen:
Mac n cheese
Gyoza
Gnocchi
Orange chicken
4 cheese pizza
Spinach artichoke dip
Chocolate croissants
Pie crusts

Not frozen:
Whole wheat pastas
Arribiata sauce
Thai curry dinner sauces
Dried cherries
Cookie butter
Irish breakfast tea
2 buck chuck
Cheese
Yogurt
Dark chocolate peanut butter cups
Canned artichoke hearts

[magdala]

I can't believe that the dark chocolate peanut butter cups haven't been added yet. Also the peaberry coffee. Pure bliss.

[Deleted]

Frozen rice ( best idea ever)
Frozen cherries ( awesome in smoothies)
Potstickers
Limencello Cake ( this might be a holiday thing)
Frozen Pizzas
Fresh flowers ( so pretty there)
Sparkling pink lenonaide
Peanut butter pretzels

[hetty]

We went for the first time yesterday and the things we picked up that have been a hit are:
*cookie butter
*cilantro chive yogurt dip
*three layer hummus

[doobeedoo]

While it may not be 'special trip" worthy, I think TJs is amazing. 

We usually get:
Hummus (our favorites are the Meditteranean and Roasted Garlic).  We serve with their sea salt pita chips (in the blue bag). 
Mini chicken tacos (frozen).  I would not have bought because they seem gross, but they sampled them one day and I am hooked.  So are my kids.
Pinachio cookies: white chocolate and pistachio.  Yum
Tuscan Pane bread, makes the best panini and toast ever.  It does not have any preservatives, so you have to eat it (or freeze) quickly.
My husband likes their boxed Indian food (not frozen) such as Egglplant and Lentils.
I also love their produce, dairy and flower selection.  I almost always buy flowers when I am there because they're such a bargain.

[ginkgoleaf]

Love their "beans so green" frozen veggies. Decent selection of bars for DS. I find that their bread items spoil before I can eat them... Even if I get a pack of bagels and have one a day, the last one might be moldy. So pay attention to dates on stuff like that. In general love TJ's and excited one is opening closer to me later this year! Currently I drive about 25 minutes every 1-2 months for TJ's and Costco, which are both in the same town.

[msmerymac]

Mushroom truffle flat bread! And cookie butter.

The best thing about TJs is that there are really nice products that are much more expensive as name-brand, but packaged under the TJs label, they're cheap. I'm thinking things like vanilla coconut milk, frozen Amy's meals, the tofurkey sausages, boxed indian food.

There are definitely things that I try to buy at TJs, even if I don't need it right then. I used to live within walking distance of 2, and now the closest is 20+ minutes away. I went yesterday and threw some soy chorizo in the cart because it's so fucking good, and it's like $2. Same with the hummus quartet, some of the dips, the cilantro salad dressing, some of the salads/pre-made lunches.

ETA: feta caramelized onion frozen tarts are amazing. They also have cheap protein powder if you're into that. 

I love the convenience of their frozen brown rice, but I've seen that in a few other grocery stores, including Wegmans. 

[msmerymac]

May 19, 2013 20:59:43 GMT -5 ginkgoleaf said:

Love their "beans so green" frozen veggies. Decent selection of bars for DS. I find that their bread items spoil before I can eat them... Even if I get a pack of bagels and have one a day, the last one might be moldy. So pay attention to dates on stuff like that. In general love TJ's and excited one is opening closer to me later this year! Currently I drive about 25 minutes every 1-2 months for TJ's and Costco, which are both in the same town.

It's because of the lack of preservatives. Keep them in the fridge!

[ginkgoleaf]

May 19, 2013 21:04:14 GMT -5 msmerymac said:

May 19, 2013 20:59:43 GMT -5 ginkgoleaf said:

Love their "beans so green" frozen veggies. Decent selection of bars for DS. I find that their bread items spoil before I can eat them... Even if I get a pack of bagels and have one a day, the last one might be moldy. So pay attention to dates on stuff like that. In general love TJ's and excited one is opening closer to me later this year! Currently I drive about 25 minutes every 1-2 months for TJ's and Costco, which are both in the same town.

It's because of the lack of preservatives. Keep them in the fridge!

Yeah it figures. Think not using the a/c yet this year also hasn't helped. Duh, will try the fridge next time. Sometimes I'm an idiot.