Trader Joe’s

Trader Jo’s is my favorite place to grocery shop due to their wide selection, healthy options, and affordable prices. This Trader Jo’s location is my preferred choice. It is located in a great location and I always pick up dinner at a local take-​out after I grocery shop here. The staff at this particular Trader Jo’s is so friendly and helpful. My family and I always look for Kris, as she is so friendly with our kids and she always makes great recommendations of new items to try. She definitely embodies the friendly, warm, Trader Jo’s customer service I have come to expect at this location.

the wasabi peas are not that spicy there more salty then usual

I love this place.
Customer service is always great!
I love their great prices and awesome products.
I am always a fan.
I’ve only ever had one or two price discrepancies. One where they didn’t charge me for the 6 cucumbers I bought (only charged for one), but I caught this before I left the store. And the other was they over charged me for rice milk. I only bought 3 but they charged for 5. I also caught this before I left the store.
They’ve always been kind and helpful when I couldn’t find something.

5 days ago i saw a recall ad for frozen organic corn and peas for listeria contamination at the irvine east location.
yesterday since i was nearby the campus location decided to bring the recall items with me to return to the store since apparently i shouldn’t be consuming them. and this was how terrible customer service went down:
me: hi i have 2 items that are on recall to return
manager (with plenty of attitude): only the peas are on recall (points to the recall ad).
me: well, that’s funny, i clearly have a photo from the other location saying the organic corns are also on recall for listeria (shows photo)
manager (with plenty of attitude): well, this isn’t within the recall range anyways. but i’ll give it to you.
number 1: uhhh. are you effing serious? your RECALL ASKED me return these products. do you think i would just willingly pull shit out of my freezer and make a trip to trader joe’s? i’ve got better things to do. the customer service was OUTRAGEOUSLY not in line with my past trader joe’s experience. someone woke up on the wrong side of bed (yes, baldy, i’m talking to you).
number 2: it’s VERY concerning that there are recall variations between different locations. that one location did NOT know about the listeria recall for the corn… so good luck, folks. consume at your own risk.
besides the horrendous customer service, this location is constantly out of items and swarming with anteaters.
if it wasn’t out of convenience, i would avoid this location at absolute all cost.

So far all of the items I have purchased from here have been of good quality except from this week. I bought their bag of tangerines around 3 days ago, and I just checked and 3 of them are now covered in mould!

I always thought TJ was expensive since it was organic and healthy but I was wrong. This is one of the most affordable and fresh grocery store near UCI. I come here for almost all my groceries and I love how convenient it is!
My favorite products:
–Cookie butter (obviously)
–frozen banana chips
–fresh and washed string beans
–just bananas
–pretzel with peanut butter filling
–guac with cheddar tortilla
The list goes on but I would recommend this place to anyone looking to eat clean for an affordable price.

I love Trader Joe’s! You can never go wrong with buying your groceries here. They have a wide variety of cheese which is perfect because my husband loves cheese. We usually buy prosciutto and a box of the pita crackers or the Rosemary crackers to go with it.
I recently bought flank steak here and the cut of the meat was totally worth the price.
The fruits and vegetables are always fresh here and they usually last a while as well.
To top it off, they have great customer service here!

Worst parking ever. They changed all the spaces so only workers from the office building can park there. They have security guards tell you where you can and can’t park in the parking lots but they are all full and have no spots with a bunch of people just driving around looking for spots it’s the worst parking lot ever been to. This Trader Joe’s is in the worst location.

This location is at the University Center. I think it’s great that they have it here so students can have healthier options and good prices. Parking can be a bit tough since this center is always crowded and I bet it’s super crowded on the weekends.
It’s not a very big TJ location but still has a good selection of items. Everything was well stocked and they had a ton of seasonal item when I went as well. The customer service was just as great as all the TJ’s I’ve been to.

I’ve dropped by here a few times now, and it’s full of people who seem to actually enjoy their work environment. Sure, you’re stuck dealing with the customers who think they own the store and bump into you or obnoxiously talk loud on their phones, but hey it’s part of living around this craptacular county. Parking can also be tough, but it’s near UCI so the awkward parking is to be expected.
The store is always clean, even the last time I shopped here some older blonde lady knocked over a glass container and the workers responded to the broken glass right away. It didn’t shock me that the lady pretended to be on her phone and ignored what she did, but the workers were cool about the situation. I like the workers here, and they’re always willing to help you find things, but with their layout I actually find most of the items I need on my own without any trouble.
Due to the cleanliness and friendly workers I tend to make the longer trip to shop here rather than other locations. The place is always stocked up with items, much more than other places around the area. I have no complaints and continue to enjoy shopping here, and eventually I’ll try every beer they sell.

Trader Joe’s — what’s not to love? Great prices, friendly staff, every thing you need to fill your pantry and your tummy. Parking can look intimidating but it’s really not as bad as it looks, promise. People coming and going pretty quickly so not a problem. My major issue with this location is the sample selection. Why so infrequently vegetarian options? It bums me out because I LOVE TJs samples and I so often turn the corner by the sample bar only to be confronted with Chicken Tamales and a sharp disappointment. But I guess that’s life.
Lines move quickly, crowed not too annoying. It’s Irvine so people are all like, «go on in front of me» when you’re standing there with a 99 cent bottle of TJs sparkling berry water (which I highly recommend) and they have a cart full of whatever-​the-​f.

Excellent Trader Joes. Although it’s more packed than others I’ve been to, the quality and amount of healthy foods are always consistent. I’m so glad there’s one next to campus. Delicious salads, cookies, reduced guilt chips, butter waffle cookies, Japanese fried rice, and a wide selection of frozen foods, drinks, and so much more. I always buy fruit here too when they have the 2lb bag deal. I got apples first, and then pears. Both were organic and delicious!
The customer service at Trader Joes is always so amazing. I’m constantly greeted with a smile, a simple «how are you?» that may possibly escalate to small talk, and then to a conversation, and lastly to a heart-​wrenching good bye and «have a wonderful day!»
I love Trader joes.

I come here all the time because it’s right across the street from campus. This location is always so friendly! Despite the long lines, I always leave with a smile because the cashier always manages to make me feel better. I was feeling very frustrated waiting in such a long line, but the cashier talked to me and really gave me the attention I deserved as a customer. He had also forgotten to bag one of my items and ran after me to return it. I thought that was very nice of him. The prices are really cheap here and I never feel guilty shopping here because I know the food is good. I love the protein section. They have a wide variety and it’s very fresh.
I’ve made burgers with the patties they sell and my boyfriend loves it! I’ve also come here for rainbow trout before and now I crave it all the time. Really great store. Only thing is, the line can get really long around 6 – 7, but luckily they have all lanes open during this dinner rush.

Always so friendly here! Seriously, my only possible complaint would be that sometimes they’re so friendly that the lines move slow because customers want to keep talking to the employees, which is a good fault to have, I suppose.
Very helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable staff. Convenient location for UCI people. Also, the store has slightly extended hours compared to other locations, I think. And I was told this is because it’s near a university campus, which means more people out and about later into the evening. Makes sense to me.
Keep up the great job!

Wish they had this Trader Joe’s here when I was an anteater at UCI! Love this location especially since it opens until 10pm, whereas other locations open until 9pm. So it’s perfect for us when we have a late dinner at one of the many restaurants in University Town Center and we need to go pickup some groceries afterwards!
Staff is always super friendly, and love that this location also has the kid-​sized shopping carts that have a sign «customer in training» attached to it. Too cute! They always offer the kiddies stickers each time we go. I just read some other reviews about winning a prize if we find the anteater. Totally trying it next time we head to this location!

My new favorite finds this month: Pickle flavored popcorn & lime tea cookies, mmm!
Conveniently located in the University Town Center just across the bridge from UCI. Gets really crowded during lunch time and after 5PM when everyone gets off of work.
Everything here is usually always stocked. The wine selection is great, but the beer selection is a little bit smaller than the one on Walnut. Brie cheese here is at least $ 5 – 10 cheaper than at Ralphs! I would recommend getting any thing related to Charcuterie here.
I absolutely love the frozen section for quick eats such as salmon burger patties, orange chicken, or the salsa verde burrito. Perfect for any college student or worker on the go. My favorite thing to actually make from here is the Spicy Sausage and Kale soup: Mirepoix, spicy sausage, kale, chicken stock — voila! (Well plus some seasonings). Perfect for any winter day to share with your friends.
Workers are friendly and always provide a helping hand when asked questions. The sample stand seems to always be open at this location too.

Californians, I just want to let you know that you take Trader Joe’s & all grocery stores that sell hard liquor for granted. Appreciate it, because in Boston… HAHAHA two buck chuck? PFT, it’s like 3 buck chuck & you’ve gotta take a long trek to Brookline or Cambridge for a TJ’s that actually sells alcohol.
Anyway, I feel as though all TJ’s are engineered & managed similarly in that they’re all amazing. Seasonal items are so fantastic. Pumpkin EVERYTHING FOR DAYS. I await you, October. GOooodbyeeEeee paycheck. Hello cabinets stuffed with pumpkin goodness.
The appeal of TJ’s is quite simple: friendly staff, clean stores, neatly organized, best prices, best frozen & snack foods around, great free samples, & umm… lots of hard liquor. Gotta get on those Golden Yolk Eggs, y’all. They’re so affordable & they’re one of the best grocery store bought eggs you can buy. This store is a pretty decent size too. Lots of parking, but sometimes it doesn’t seem like there are enough spaces. If you’re throwing your own little Thanksgiving dinner, you can find nearly everything at TJ’s. It’s a magnificent specialty grocery store. I talk about them on a daily basis without getting paid for it.
Love their cheese selection & chocolates. They’re life changing, I swear. The only disappointing thing I’ve ever had from TJ’s is probably the sushi. I love you, Trader Joe’s, you beautiful grocery store, you.

If I ever leave the UC Irvine area, I am going to miss this Trader Joe’s location. Trader Joe’s products and the products they carry are always quality & I feel like I am getting what I pay for in only the best ways possible! What’s more is that the service here is always great. TJ staff are always friendly and helpful & whenever I check out we always end up in some light conversation!
First off, I love the location and size of Trader Joe’s! After you come a few times you gain a pretty good feel of what products are where and sometimes you might see something new (or new to you) pop up and yes, you should go for it and try it! It’s probable that it’s affordable!
Another thing I love is that they give out SAMPLES! Now, now it’s nothing like Costco samples but they do give you a taste of quite a variety of items! Sometimes they have a plate of food (mini-​plate) and it’s enjoyable along with the coffee they usually have out for you to try.
I also really like they have grab-​n-​go lunch options! From pressed juice, regular juices, and kefir drinks to wraps and salads if you’re hungry or need something to settle your stomach for a while — stop over at TJ!
Trader Joe’s also sells a variety of wines, beers, and hard liquor. I think that your best deals here are on the wine! They have a bunch of different options and they are rather affordable. They also sell flowers, which at first you might be like «Hold up, Janelle No No No. Flowers are expensive!» Well, fear not! The flowers at Trader Joe’s aren’t too expensive so if you’re picking some up for a special someone, want to add some fragrance and flair to your home, or it’s for someone’s grad or what not — you can look no further and buy some here!
One of the issues I do have from time to time is really dependent on WHEN you come. If you go on Sundays & Mondays or other days/​times when everyone else seems to be buying groceries, you’re going to run into lines and maybe even times when they’re out of items, which sucks but it’s a pretty small grocery store. The only time the latter has really happened to me was when college students came back from winter break and needed to restock their fridges. Oh. My. Goodness. ‘Twas an experience.
Parking can be hit or miss sometimes because it’s in the UTC. But if you go during the right times you shouldn’t have a problem.
Extra Tidbits.
Some, but not all TJ products I enjoy:
— Chile Dried Mangoes
— Dark Chocolate Covered Raisins
— Dark Chocolate Covered Pretzel Slims
— Pita Chips & Hummus Options!
— Trader Joe’s White Cheddar Corn Puffs
— Various nuts and trail mixes!

This location is ALWAYS busy!!! But don’t let this be the reason why you don’t go. The lines seem so long, and endless but they really do go fast, and basically every time I go in there practically every register is open.
The staff are all nice, and always willing to help you locate something if you can’t find it.

Trader Joe’s is the most reasonable place to get groceries if you’re living around UCI. The quality of food is consistent with most of the prices and the customer service is excellent. Although this location is rather small, it is pretty consistent with stocking the most popular products. Avoid coming here around 4:00 — 6:00 because parking tends to be a nightmare.
My latest new obsession is the Strawberry Chia Smoothie which is dairy-​free and delicious. For snacks, I always pick up the three-​layer hummus (original, cilantro, and jalapeño layers), the white cheddar popcorn, and the organic penguin gummies. I also really love their cranberry granola bars which are unfortunately only a fall/​winter seasonal flavor.
I recently started buying my K cups here because they are SO inexpensive and taste great. Their seasonal pumpkin chai latte mix is a great for flavoring your otherwise bland coffee. The salty caramel latte mix was a little too sweet for my taste but probably tastes good with hot chocolate.
I also really love all their dressings and sauces here. The spicy Asian peanut dressing goes great with their cabbage slaw in the produce section and I like to slather their sweet chili sauce on the lemongrass chicken egg rolls. I’ve heard great things about their cilantro dressing but I haven’t had a chance to try it yet. I also love picking up a pack of the sweet potato gnocchi with butter sage sauce as an easy side dish for dinner.