Trader Joe’s

I love love love trader joe’s. This location has great staff and the location is great with lots of parking unlike other locations. The selection of greatness is always above par. From frozen favorite like their orange chicken and beef & broccoli to desserts like ice cream and salted caramel bread pudding.
Also coming home with yet another awesome bday card that I couldn’t not get for .99! And a lemon balm herb plant. Can’t wait to use this for my marinades and drinks! Also, great alcohol selection.

This place is definitely worth the drive. The prices are affordable and the fruits and vegetables are always fresh. I always stock up on the bottled water. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable.

I haven’t met too many Trader Joe’s that I don’t like. I mean, what’s not to love? Happy employees, an impressive frozen food selection, affordable snacks, and best of all, «Turbinado Sea Salt Dark Chocolate Almonds.» You guys. You GUYS. This is what dreams are made of.
Beyond my love affair with said chocolate almonds, this TJs makes my heart happy. The employees are helpful, the selection broad and everything is well-​organized.
My main issue? Getting here can be a total pain. But that’s the Woodfield area. Expect big crowds during peak weekend times and pack your patient pants for extra long waits at the Golf turn lane. The parking lot is also on the small side with narrow lanes, so watch yourself with pulling in and backing out.

What kind of magical place is this?! I don’t want to leave. I feel like a cargo ship crashed ashore a tropical island and birthed Trader Joe’s.
Great selection of everything! Whatever type of food you’re looking for I’m sure they have it, especially if you’re looking for organic or vegan stuff.
Also their tiny little beer section is insane! It has an amazing variety of beers to choose from. And some really good beers at that!
Also another also, their veggie patties… get them. Like a lot of them and eat them. They’re incredibly delicious!

I live in the city, but when my parents watch my kiddos I typically meet them at this Trader Joe’s to pick up my kids (it’s halfway between my parents’ place and my home in the city). Plus, I can get some grocery shopping done (kid free) while I wait for my parents.
Anyway, I bought a bottle of wine today and the cashier, David, checked my ID and noticed that my birthday was two days ago. He wished me a Happy Birthday and when he was done ringing up my order he said, «one second, I’ll be right back.» He came back with a bouquet of flowers and said, «Happy Birthday!» This was so incredibly sweet — it brought tears to my eyes. There need to be more people like David in this world. I will definitely continue to come back to this TJ’s.

I relied on Trader Joe’s when I lived in NYC because of its prices, and I still go there for almost everything. A welcome addition to the suburbs. I’m a little biased because in NYC the lines wrap around the store, and nothing will ever be that crowded here, so it’s always a great experience.

I’m sooo happy that Trader Joes opened up by Woodfield Mall. My wine spend just went down significantly thanks to 2 Buck Chuck!
I love all their healthy frozen food. I’m not a big fan of their fresh fruits and vegetables, so I go to Mariano’s for that.

I love love love the pecan pralines and the choc pb cups.
Not a fan of the turkey bolognese.

They always have what I am looking for. The customer service is not always the greatest but I guess they make it up at the check out line because every time I have been ready to check out, the cashier just seems so joyful and happy. The store for the most part is always clean and for the most part, every time that I walk in there are no crowds.

This place is a welcome addition to the Schaumburg community. I love trader joes. They have fresh organic vegs and a decent price. They also have some great food that is ready made. The people are very friendly and the check out is quick. If you like garden burgers, you have to try their Masala Burgers… They are the best vegi burgers I have ever had.

My gf and I always shop here around 10 – 11 AM on Sundays. This place is a bit small but there is never any really heavy traffic. The store is always clean and the employees are always super nice! Shopping here is easy and fun and much cheaper than WHORE foods. lol * WHOLE FOODS** lol I just wish trader joes had a little bit more of a selection but this place is awesome!

Oh my! You could cut the level of pretentiousness in the air at this joint with a Katana blade. Unlike the vast majority of my reviews here on Unilocal,I am going to keep this one relatively short, which is fitting considering I was only there about 5 min and walked out. Several people I know have encouraged me to check this place out, so instead of my normal trip to Mariano’s on Sunday, I diverted to Trader Joe’s. While I admit much of my reaction to this place is of a personal nature, which is why I left 3 star «A-​OK» intact, I can’t imagine a world in which mentalities like this rule the Earth.
Like other stores of it’s type, it’s stocked to the hilt with organic items of every variety imaginable. Need a certified organic belly button lint plucker? You are in the right place. They also tow the line for several other flavor of the week buzz words in the organic foods movement that have about as much rational/​scientific basis as an Oprah episode.
Also, not surprisingly, about everything here comes at a minimum 25−35% markup over a conventional product. Hell, it is even expensive by organic food standards. I have no problems whatsoever with people taking a more proactive approach to healthy eating, as I find it highly beneficial. However, like any other aspect of life, anything taken to extremes can become downright creepy. Trader Joe’s is the final result of people who take the whole «certified organic», «green», «free range», etc. marketing terminology to an unhealthy level (pardon the pun). This place is strictly for those who view their involvement in organic foods in much the same way that Al Qaeda does Islam. For the rest of us? There is a Mariano’s down the street.
Now if you will excuse me, I think I am going to go buy a Hummer now and purchase stock in a plastics manufacturer.

This Trader Joe’s location isn’t my favorite even though it is conveniently located near my office. They have all of your standard and loved Trader Joe’s products but something about it is off. It might be that getting out of their parking lot can be a pain since sight distance isn’t the best and there’s a good amount of traffic coming in and out of this strip mall or it might just be I don’t particularly love the layout of the store itself. Typically at TJ’s all of the employees are friendly beyond belief but I’ve had my fair share of unfriendly ones. I’m not saying you have to be overly nice but just the other day, the woman who rung me up was a bit standoffish. She didn’t say hi when she rung me up and when she dropped my peaches she didn’t apologize. Hopefully she was just having a bad day. I’ll keep coming here out of convenience but I feel like it’s lacking the welcoming feel TJs is known for.

Finally a traders joe close to me!!! 3 stars for location, friendly staff, and cookie butter!!!
Located across Woodfield mall, this TJ is situated in the best location possible. Although they don’t have plenty of staff available for questions, the ones at the checkout were friendly. And c’mon, they have cookie butter, that alone gets a whole star! Why did I stop at 3 stars? Because of variety and value. For variety, I would go to Whole Foods. For value, I would go to Mariano’s.
I will most definitely come back for cookie butter and coconut chips.

Full disclosure — while I’m not much of a shopper, I do like Trader Joe’s. We’ve been going to the one in Lake Zurich for many years and occasionally to the one in Arlington Heights. Having one in Schaumburg is much more convenient.
Unlike the other stores I mentioned above, this one is very large. We went the second weekend they were open and I expected to see huge crowds and long lines. Fortunately, we picked a great time. While there were a lot of people there, they were prepared at checkout and there was no significant wait.
Trader Joe’s has a great selection of products you can’t find in many other places. They have their own wine — lovingly referred to as «Two-​Buck Chuck» (Charles Shaw Winery). It’s not the best, but at $ 2.99 a bottle, you really can’t beat it. They also have an outstanding selection of flash frozen fish — at much better prices than other stores and they have a wide variety of types of fish. Their produce is always outstanding, but tends to be a little higher in pricing than other stores. And, they have a variety of meats — some prepared, that are also very good.
The best two things about Trader Joe’s are (1) their selection and pricing, and (2) the friendliness of their staff. No matter where I go to a Trader Joe’s, the staff seems like they want to be there. Their attitude helps secure five stars for Trader Joe’s.

It’s about time they put a TJ’s in Schaumburg. It’s in a prime location, so I’m sure it will continue to do well. It wasn’t nearly the sh*! show I thought it would be, since this parking lot can get crazy busy. There was plenty of parking, and inside wasn’t too crowded either (granted, I went on my lunch break on a weekday… but still). There is the usual TJ greatness inside — good prices, unique items, friendly staff, and a nice selection. I like that this location has wide aisles too. This location could end up making me broke!

I love love love Trader Joe’s and I was SO EXCITED they were going to open one up in Schaumburg, which is much closer to me than the one I have been going to for the past 4+ years.
Bye bye Algonquin, maybe I will come to visit!
Anyway, this Trader Joe’s is a lot BIGGER! They have a LOT of produce/​dairy/​meats, but I am sad that they do not have a carafe of hot coffee samples at their sample section. :(I patronize Trader Joe’s every week and the Algonquin one has coffee and milk. :) *hint hint* Anyway, the staff is helpful and the check-​out time is almost non-​existent! I really love it here and I am happy to call it my NEW Trader Joe’s. :)
ONE thing though that I see is similar in both the Trader Joe’s I’ve shopped in, is that their RED ONIONS seem to almost always have soft/​rotting red onions in the bags. I realize they are organic, but when you buy a bag for $ 2.99 and get like 4 – 6 of them and like 2/​3rds are sprouting after a day or two. OR MOST of the bags have «soft» red onions and I am hard-​pressed to search through most of the bags to find none that have «good» onions. I expect there to be some «riper» red onions in the bag, but if I have to throw 3 of them away… that’s not good. :(Please Trader Joe’s if you read this, try to sort out the «bad» ones so I can buy a FULL bag of «good» red onions?
That’s the only negative I have… otherwise I will happily patronize the Schaumburg Trader Joe’s…but I may just be getting red onions singly if just to avoid the possibility of getting a lot of bad ones in the organic red onion bags. Same can be said with the organic yellow onions too, but NOT as bad.
******* UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE: 4÷2÷15 ********
SO, I went into the Schaumburg Trader Joe’s today and one of the super nice crew members PATTY recognized me from the Algonquin store (because she had also transferred from there to here) She asked if everything was ok and I had mentioned my concern about the Organic Red Onions (bagged ones) and she said, «oh, just get a replacement one, no problem!» YAY! THANKS PATTY! I LOVE PATTY! SHE IS THE BEST!
So, I again, had the hardened task to sort through the red onion bags… I was concerned about the mess I’d create moving all the bags around and all the onion skins scattering all over the floor. Patty said not to worry about it. (yay!) Anyway, sadly I was NOT able to find a single bag that had ALL good/​passable red onions. I guess this batch was not good… Patty even spied a SINGLE Jumbo Red Onion with a sprout coming out of it! So, instead, I grabbed 3 Jumbo Red Onions (which were 99 cents each, a organic red onion bag (2lb) is $ 2.99) and I figured that was a good exchange/​replacement for the previous red onion bags that were not good.
I will tell ya, I did have to get some Organic Yellow Onions (which I go through much more quickly than the red onions, btw) and FORTUNATELY I only had maybe ONE slightly rotten one (which I am using right away!) I hope they can either sort through the red onions and toss out all the bad ones. Other than that… very happy and will definitely come back again and again!
I’ll see you EVERY Thursday, Schaumburg TJ’s! Be ready for me! :)

Excited Traders Joes is open near my work. This is a lovely one. Really wide aisles. Great selection. The employees are always upbeat and milling to help. They have a nice selection with reasonable prices. And they carry an amazing salami it has a white skin with two small salamis in a cellophane tastes like butter. Can never recall the name but always able to identify.

Wow! Finally they are open!
Just like most of the other Trader’s Joe, they are very friendly, nice and helpful! Not sure because they are new or what but I felt a very positive energy while shopping here. Most of the traders joe stuffs are available.
I am sure that the surrounding community is very happy to see them arrived!

25 WAYS NOT TO LEAVE YOUR LOVER
Oh, TJ’s how do I love thee… let me count the ways… as in 25 ways to NOT leave your lover. I am a huge fan of Trader Joe’s because TJ takes very good care of me. What can I say — I am obsessed with TJ — I can’t get enough! TJ’s is a Tiki-​themed wonderland filled with pyramids of Pumpkin Butter, Pumpkin Coffee, Almond Butter and Two Buck Chuck. It’s like the song, «It’s My Life,» by Bön Jovi, and TJ’s is definitely part of my life. You enter the store with your list and you decide to «F» the list and leave with a cart full of stuff that wasn’t even on your list! Yet, like any good relationship, TJ’s knows how to keep me on my toes while still holding true to what brought me here in the first place — their classics as well as some of my favorite items unique only to TJ’s. Customer service is always effusive with wonderful philoxenia.
What are they? Well, do you have time to read the freakin’ list? Numbers 4, 6, 19, 22 and 24 are my favorite ‘go to’ items and I always have these products in our house. If I were stranded on a deserted Island and had to pick only one item from TJ’s, I would buy up all the «Reduced Guilt Chunky Guac» while singing this:
«Because I’m happy
Clap along if you know what happiness is to you
Because I’m happy
Clap along if you feel like that’s what you wanna do…»
We have a TJ’s close to our house, but I was in Schaumburg for a meeting and decided to stop into this TJ’s. It is well organized. Their customer service is always ebullient as well as effusive. The price-​point is so much better than Whole Foods. They even sell lots of Organic products, which I love, love, love. I’m super fain!
Here are my 25 reasons why I cannot break-​up with TJ!
1. Triple Ginger Snaps
2. Speculoos Cookie Butter
3. Joe Joe’s Cookies (All Varieties)
4. Reduced Guilt Chunky Guacamole
5. Charles Shaw Wine (All Varieties)
6. Pumpkin Coffee *
7. Mac ‘n Cheese
8. Pumpkin Butter *
9. Almond Butter (All Varieties)
10. Pumpkin Pecan Instant Oatmeal *
11. Chili Lime Chicken Burgers
12. Fennel Bulbs *
13. Cranberry Goat Cheese Log *
14. Harvest Blend Herbal Tea *
15. Pound Plus Chocolate Bar (Milk & Dark)
16. Almond Cocoa Spread
17. Pumpkin Bread & Muffin Mix *
18. Rosemary Marcona Almonds
19. Corn & Chili Pepper Salsa
20. Dark Chocolate Covered Caramels
21. Chocolate Orange Sticks
22. Pesto Gouda
23. Mandarin Orange Chicken
24. Spinach & Kale Greek Yogurt Dip
25. This Cranberry Walks Into a Bar… *
*Seasonal item