Trader Joe’s

As always, TJs has a wonderful selection of fresh produce and awesome frozen selections at a fair price however, a few days ago a fellow customer passed gas on me here reaching for the kale so I won’t be able to return until my heart heals.

Smaller than other locations of TJs but still a good place to shop. Love me some TJs.
If parking in the lower lot is packed, there is an upper lot with a lot more parking and there is a staircase which leads down to the store.

*** Review From A Westfield Customer ***
Would be 3.5 stars… It’s unfortunate for what happened to the Westfield location, and we do look forward to going back there when they re-​open. I’ve always thought that the Florham Park location was closer to my area. But after doing some research, we realized that this location is closer. Here we go.
We came in on a Saturday, and the parking lot was bustling with cars leaving and others looking for a spot. We were actually lucky to get a spot close-​by because someone backed out. If not, then we would have parked somewhere in the elevated portion of the lot (whatever!). When we approached the entrance, we saw a sign that welcomed Westfield customers, and told us that some employees from that location were working here.
Just like the Westfield location, this one sold dairy products, meats, breads, and fruits & vegetables, which were located right by the walls of the store. Frozen foods, raisins, nuts, chocolates, sodas, snacks, cereals, and more were located in the middle aisles of the store. The only difference between this and the Westfield location is that no liquor is sold here. Given the size of the store (will be explained soon), I could understand why.
The employees that we interacted with were courteous, especially the ones at the cash register. When we approached the register to pay for our items (Virgil’s Root Beer, raisins, etc.), the two employees asked us if we were Westfield customers. When we said «yes», they were glad to see us since they worked at Westfield. They also told us that all of their booze was transferred to the Princeton location.
I take away two stars because the size of the store is a lot smaller than the Westfield one. At the time we came, the store was really crowded. The lines for the registers stretched towards certain aisles of the store. With people standing around, the place felt very cramped. With a store this small, there’s no way they can additionally sell liquor here.
Overall, this location is just okay. I can’t say that this location is better than Westfield due to the small size and cramped areas. But until the Westfield store opens up again, this location will suffice. Depending on where you’re coming from, you can utilize the local roads, I-​78, NJ-​24, and/​or NJ-​124 to come here.

I love Trader Joe’s in general– it’s a store that grows on you as the small size and limited number of brands initially makes it feel like there’s nothing there, but as you get to know the merchandise, they’ve got great deals and a large, well-​edited selection.
But what makes this particular location exceptional is the staff. Caring, friendly, intelligent, helpful. They pack your bags for you and don’t roll their eyes the way the Whole Foods staffers do. They know their merchandise and will let you know if, say, you’ve got a bruised apple or if something similar is on sale.
My understanding is that TJ’s pays their people a much better salary than their competitors and it really does seem to pay off– the store is always crowded, particularly on weekends, but the lines are efficiently run and management seems to make it a priority.

I like Trader Joe’s in general and the employees are great but I’m not a fan of this location. It is packed and crazy. I can’t even find parking in the lot and have to park next door at the Petsmart, which by the way is at a higher elevation and stairs separate the 2 parking lots. Inside is kind of small and there are people everywhere and their carts just stationary blocking passage. It becomes single file and you just have to stand there and wait for the path to clear. Maybe it’s not the people, but the set up of the aisles. There are bottle neck areas. I’d rather travel to the one in Westfield from now on.

This Trader Joe’s is exceptionally helpful, friendly and attentive. After a long stressful day today… it was nice to see all the smiling faces and to be able to buy the freshest white African Roses at the same time!

This is a great place to get fresh and healthy food, as well as a great variety. The prices are not bad and the store is in a great location — not to mention that everyone is always so happy :)

This place – formerly the Whole Foods, is an absolute mad house!
Parking can be tough at times as this place gets absolutely jammed.
Efficiency and friendliness inside the store are certainly on par with the majority of TJ locations.
Given their volume, their turnover is phenomenal. That being said, their produce is almost always fresh and of the utmost quality.
Despite the volume, the store is kept quite clean. Items are regularly restocked, and if you can’t find it, the staff will usually find it for you. If they can’t, they’re so apologetic that you almost feel sorry for asking…

Great stuff — love 90% of their products but just soooo tired of going there and they have so many empty shelves ! Waste of my time– this is not the first time happens about every 2 months and I go several times a month. I have never experienced that with any other supermarket!

Okay, I’m sorry for my first review that wrote for this Trader Joe’s. I’ve been going to this location more frequently now, and they are much improved!
Small selection of flowers when you first walk in, but I like their cheese section, and their ready-​lunches. They have a lot of options available for about $ 4 (wraps, salads, soups, pastas). Their dairy is really where it’s at though. The other TJs I go to in Clifton often sells out of their fruit flavored yogurts very quickly, but this place stays fully stocked and has a wider selection. I love their six-​packs of blueberry & vanilla, strawberry & banana, and mango & peach yogurt cups. They have a lot more bacon and meat at this location compared to the Clifton location too.
Their frozen foods section is smaller than Clifton’s, so you might not find everything you’re looking for, the check out area is fast and friendly, and if you’re buying a ready-​made lunch, they’ll ask if you need utensils, which is a nice plus.

This place is truly amazing! There were no Trader Joe’s in my hometown so when I moved down here, I couldn’t figure out what all the hype was about… but then I tried it out and felt that I had finally arrived! You can’t go wrong with the deli meats and plethora of cheeses. The dried fruits and nuts are reasonably priced and keep well. I also enjoy the meal options i.e. sushi, sandwiches, and salads. They’re perfect to grab-​and-​go. The produce is reasonably priced, but my only complaint was the meat selection. I couldn’t bring it upon myself to pay 6 – 7 dollars per pound for meat. Free range, organic, or not. Maybe someday I’ll graduate to that, but for now I’ll stick to the healthy snacks that are tasty and you can’t find anywhere else. Yum!

Love this place! So healthy have a good selection and much cheaper then R grocery store! Also fast checkout!

There is a debate on whether T J & Whole Foods are competitors.
While WF’s mission labels them more of a health food store, with crossovers into standard dietary fare, as well as boasting considerably more square footage, both stores do have common items.
I believe the reason TJ has smaller stores is b/​c they go to market as a discounter, and certain vendors will not sell to them to avoid cheapening their brand, or not wanting to lower their margins on the wholesale side. Or the competition will complain and threaten to pull the line if the mfr continues to support TJ.
That being said, both stores use private labeling. In addition, they obviously spy on each other.
For example, when TJ offered Dr. Bronners soap at a deep discount, WF responded right away and matched the price.
The main point I wish to make is that on the customer service side, TJ PUTS WHOLE FOODS TO SHAME.
Here in Essex county NJ, TJ occupies the old WF location, while WF moved to a larger space in Union (but still calls themselves «Millburn», b/​c it sounds more prestigious – Millburn includes the toney upscale Short Hills).
But where they really differ is in customer service– no challenge–
TJ BY A MILE !!
Entering Whole foods is like entering a morgue. The cashiers, with a few exceptions, are rude. They don’t make eye contact, They talk to their friends while they ring you up — my complaint to corporate about this was ignored.
When I try to aid them by giving them the PLU code on the produce, they get snooty.
Now, contrast this with the love shared by the TJ staff. there is obviously an effort to hire people who actually enjoy people. All staff are well-​trained on their product line, and if they don’t know, they’ll ask a team member. they go the extra mile, they seem to like to be there. They work together.
In contrast to Whole Foods, whose workers seem to walk around in a daze.
OK since this a review about TJ, here are the standouts — –
–cliff bars .99¢ (recently a famous convenience store ran a special on these – 2 for $ 3. TJ is .99 every day).
–tofu & tempeh, priced below market
–tofurkey sausage-​about ½ price of other stores
–nut butters – deep discounts
–vegetable oils, esp olive – quality at discount
–fish – salmon (coho, sockeye, Atlantic), sea
bass, cod, flounder. Frozen but huge savings
–breads – ciabatta, challah (certified kosher), wraps.
If you don’t mind frozen fish (I don’t — freezing kills worms and parasites), you will save a ton. Tuna here is $ 8.99/lb. versus Whole Foods at a staggering $ 27.99!!! And its previously frozen!
Also, TJ has some terrific macaroons at $ 4.99 per dozen. WF macaroons will set you back two bucks EACH… EACH???
Pumpkin seed oil, a wonderfully fragrant oil:
8.5 oz.– TJ ten bucks, versus fifteen dollars at WF (please note: WF does carry fhe Flora brand top quality raw pumpkin oil, processed at ultra low temps).
Besides food, there are excellent deals here on green products such as natural laundry detergent, dish soap, sponges.
Supplements: Three sleeper steals: Aloe vera juice at eight bucks per gallon. And two of the best food supplements one can use: green powder and red powder. The green is made up of cereal grasses run thru a juicer and dried. The red is a mixture of berries, also run thru a juicer, then dried, with the water and most of the sugars removed. Both products have added probiotics.
These three products, arguably the most nutrient-​dense foods one can use, based on the new ORAC rating, recommended by holistic physicians as part of cleansing protocols, would set you back about one hundred bucks elsewhere. But at TJ, I paid under fifty. Huge savings.
Lastly, I wish to give a shout– out to Shakeelah and Amie, who know how to keep it REAL – my favorite cashiers, no doubt.
p. s. add these dime pieces to TJ staff – Nioka and Sara. I need I apply for a job there — great scenery!

God help you if you shop while any type of restocking is going on: you will be invisible to the workers.
The big complaint would be things over which the store had no control, but are still to consider when attempting to shop here. The parking is minimal, and any knowledge of how to operate a motor vehicle is apparently lost by 90% of the patrons.
If you’ll excuse me, I need to go walk through Times Square where it’s less crowded and irritating.

My first time at this location and I fell in love as soon as I walked in! So clean and neat! The prices are so reasonable and much less expensive than whole foods. And as much as I love whole foods, I now absolutely adore Trader Joe’s (especially this particular location). I decided to initially go by because a friend of mine tried TJ’s vegetable pad thai and it looked so tempting I wanted to try it as well. Once I found it the scallion pancakes and vegetable gyoza dumplings caught my eye as well. I had to hurry up and get out of there. Lol. I bought those 3 items all for a total of $ 9.58…not bad at all! I’ll DEFINITELY be back!

I’ve been to 3 or 4 Trader Joes in NJ and this is my favorite one. Helpful and friendly staff. Their frozen Mexican entrees and thin crust organic pizzas are great. Good selection of breads, nuts, dried fruits. They always have a sample of coffees and small snacks or produce to taste near the back of the store aisles. My only complaint is their lack of variety of produce and coffee and tea selections. Try one of their brand of biscotti or Madagascar vanilla wafer cookies that come in a small tub. You won’t be disappointed!

This is probably the farthest TJ I have been to coming from JC. But its pretty short drive off 78 and was on the way for my commute home. The store is bit smaller than the Clifton and Paramus location but still decent size. Probably about the same size as the Edgewater location.
I think it was because of the impending snowstorm when I was here but a lot of the shelves were empty which was bit disappointing. But I had a really good experience with the staff who quickly directed me to the items I was looking for.
So overall it was a pleasant experience as usual in TJ. If location is easy for you to get to I would definitely recommend it as its only few minutes off 78 definitely easier to drive to compare to some of the other more crowded locations.

As a resident of Hudson County, I find that this Trader Joe’s location is the easiest to travel to and from. The locations in Edgewater and Clifton seem closer physically, but the tight roads and traffic signals make for more than a half-​hour drive for me without fail.
This location also seems a bit bigger then those nearby. There is a plethora of Trader Joe’s brand goods and organic and GMO free based food stuffs from other brands.
As a vegetarian I am always happy to see their Soy-​based Ground Beef Substitute. I know it doesn’t sounds that appetizing, but with a little cumin, turmeric and cayenne pepper it makes for great tacos!
Everything is nicely organized and the carts are not strewn about in the parking lot.
The produce is fresh, colorful, and most importantly modestly priced. There is a variety of exotic as well as contemporary food items and lots of choices for vegetarians. They even carry Brussels sprouts on the stalk (seasonal only!!!).
Lines seem to flow very well here and the staff is super helpful with bagging and assembling your cart.
The only drawbacks are no Chuck and limited sizes/​volumes of products.

I am a big sucker for Traders Joe. This location I feel is a little bit tidier than other ones so I am a fan. Plus Whole Foods is less than a mile away so if you can’t find it here it is easy enough to make another pit stop.
Try and come during the week. Weekend is crazy busy. But that’s the case for all locations.

I usually go to the Westfield one but, lately, have been in a rush and this one is closer.
It’s a pretty small store and some of the aisles are quite narrow. I also think the layout is a little weird, the way the frozen is and just how nothing seems to «flow.» I often find myself going back and over through the same aisles over and over again because I made a wrong turn or missed something. Either way, the staff is super friendly and that’s really important to me. Parking lot is usually packed but come late at night during the week and you’ll be fine. Gotta love TJs!