Trader Joe’s

I shopped here regularly for about a year and eventually became disenchanted. If you are looking for some specialty items, they might carry it, but it’s no substitute for a regular grocery store.
The quality of the produce is average to below average. They never carry white onions, only yellow and red. And wrapping an individual potato in plastic wrap? Seriously? I don’t like that some produce is in the shrink wrapped packages. I want to select smaller portions.
They carry no fresh meat; it’s all frozen. Living in the «beef state» I don’t see the point of buying frozen meat imported from another country.
The selection of alternative non-​wheat baking flours is very limited.
The staff is always friendly but I always got the idea that the customers were snooty. It seems to me like some people see shopping there as a status symbol. So I’ve taken my business to Fresh Thyme and Whole Foods, both of which have much better produce and meat departments.

I love this Trader Joe’s! They have a wide variety of delicious foods, the employees are friendly and seem happy with their jobs, and you can’t beat the prices for the quality of a lot of their pre-​made stuff. It’s a treat to have this place in Lincoln.

There are pros and cons to Trader Joe’s and the rating really depends on what you come here for. We really enjoy their selection of frozen foods that can be quickly prepared into meals. The ingredients are often good and the quality is as good or better than expected for the price. Trader Joe’s also does a pretty good job with snack foods. The people that name & label their products have a sense of humor and that makes me laugh. :)
The alcohol selection is decent and they pride themselves on cheap wines, although I rarely purchase any wine below $ 10. I think it is hard to select wine here unless you know what you are looking for. There isn’t much guidance and I’ve been happiest with my wine purchase when I picked out something that they just happened to have that I’ve had before. That being said, you can indeed buy wine here for $ 3 a bottle if that’s what you are into. There’s also a decent warm beer selection.
Trader Joe’s does not do a good job on produce. It is prepackaged, old, and sometimes bad before you even get it home. I’ve tried to purchase veggies that looked good and been very put off by the taste when I actually tired to eat them. I also wouldn’t recommend their refrigerated meats. There are many other places around to get fresh meat that is butchered in-​house.
The staff are good and the store appears clean. In sum, this is a good place for some items, but consider it an additional stop, not a full grocery store.

Been here multiple times with my best friend and her husband and I must say I have never been disappointed coming here. They always have what we’re looking for and the produce is always really fresh and stocked.
The staff also deserves a 5 out of 5 stars because they know there stuff, especially about the types of wines in the stores. It’s one of my favorite places to get stuff because we love making new dishes with fresh items.
I would recommend coming here for fresh fruits and veggies because it’s always in stock plus you get excellent service!

I enjoy shopping at Trader Joe’s because they offer products I can’t find elsewhere. I enjoy the unique drinks and juices along with their variety of ethnic foods that allow me to try new and different cuisines. Many of the products that I’ve tried are due to the free samples they offer. It’s a little organic, a little hip and a lot of selection of unique choices at a price I can afford. Staff is helpful and I appreciate good ol’ fashioned paper bags that they offer.

I love this place! My first reason is this place has healthy prepared foods as well as great produce. The second is the price is reasonable. They have precut fruit like pineapple, mango, and watermelon. Also they have a great variety of prepared salads. My favorite item here is the Chili Lime chicken burgers. There are four in a package equal to 1 lb. and they are less than $ 4!

This is a great kid-​friendly health food store. Though healthy is more expensive, they do manage to take mercy not to extend your grocery bill above all your combined living expenses. The lack of a need to take out a 30 year fixed rate loan to pay for your groceries does come with a price of its own though, they simply do not have as large of a store and selection, but they certainly have just about all you would need and some extras. My daughter loves to stop in and get some stickers (she is easily bought off).
Overall healthy food that will not force you to question if paying rent is really necessary.

Trader Joe’s is a great little boutique grocery store that has their own brand of items and some unique food to buy. One of my favorite things is all the various nuts. I particularly like the lime and chili mixed nuts. For a quick meal I like the Frozen Teriyaki Chicken and Asian Veggies, Thai Joe’s Coconut Curry Chicken Stix, and Trader Ming’s Mandarin Orange Chicken are all really tasty. Sometimes you just need to explore and try something new because they have a lot of options. About 25% of the store is devoted to snacks and sweets and they have a lot of good options to try. They also have some decent wines for around $ 10.

Excellent location! Easy to get in and out. Plenty of parking available. Wide variety of products. High quality produce. Good liquor selection. Extremely clean store. Well maintained. Staff is friendly and helpful. Some products can be a little pricey, but you are paying for quality. Good selection of both organic and non-​organic products. I thoroughly enjoy shopping at this store!

Awesome location!!! LOVE Trader Joe’s!!! Their staff is always so friendly and willing to help!!! As well as to make some very awesome recommendations to new products or product pairings!
Check out their samples especially!!!
The parking lot is easy to get into and easy to find! Really a great location I just wish they had a second one further north!
Love their selection of unique products! Best place for produce and organic!!!

My daughter likes shopping here coz they have small shopping carts. That helps me shopping easier. I like all the items they have But limited selections.

Nicest grocery staff in the country. They always have free samples. Their ingredients are always healthier than other grocery stores. They have gourmet foods at affordable prices. They have amazing frozen entrée options for those of us with busy lives. Awesome wine selection and very inexpensive! Overall, this is my favorite grocery in Lincoln, hands down. I often go out of my way shop here rather than big box groceries.

I make it a point to visit Tj in every city if I can… I know it makes me kinda crazy but I can’t help but love it. Staff here was really friendly and we had a nice conversation with one of the jolly workers who was walking around handing out salt water taffy. They seems a little less stocked with produce but maybe it was delivery day.

Trader Joe’s is –the– place to go for a huge selection of cheese at prices about 40% less than the regular supermarkets. Aside from the 19cent banana (29 cents if you want organic) their produce is always very reasonably priced and of good quality. But I largely come here for the fish and frozen items, just as I did on the West Coast — the best sweet potato fries, amazing ice cream creations, fish varieties that are absent elsewhere in Lincoln, ready-​to-​heat dishes from various cultures (i.e. Indian food, Shepherd’s Pie, Tempura veggies) and always of high quality. Plus, some of the best real chocolate candies and fantastic cookies around, without the premium prices.
Well, I don’t buy my staples here; I can get those at Target. But for a bit of a food adventure, and a huge savings on cheese, fish, and cookies, this is the place to go.
Unfortunately, as other reviewers have mentioned, this Trader Joe’s doesn’t carry some of the West Coast favorites. I truly miss my Rosemary Chicken dinners, fantastic comfort food of high quality, and I’m not sure why it’s absent here.
But try the «Itty Bitty Bites» — you’ll be glad you did.

I go to Trader Joe’s for imports that I like that I don’t want to spend too much money on, like soups because I bring my lunch to work, frozen meals with an ethnic flair (their Indian ones are pretty decent), cheese, etc. They don’t have everything the coop has because they are a trading place. That means it is not the local stuff. And for a lot of items, I am okay with that. You shouldn’t go in expecting something that it is not.
The location is great, I think it is an ideal area of Lincoln for such a store. The employees are generally helpful, and I like having nice samples of stuff I hadn’t tried before.

Thank GOD for Trader Joe’s! it’s not a substitute for a full-​sized grocery store, but there are things you can get here that cannot be found anywhere else. Beer and wine selections (and values) are very good.
To the reviewer who compared it to local «cooperatives» and Open Harvest, I say… You’re missing the point, comrade. Open harvest is the sort of place where people go in their psychedelic VW vans and Birkenstocks to buy bulk granola and natural healing suppositories, or whatever it is people like that buy. Trader Joe’s was started to cater to Americans who had traveled extensively and were looking for food and wines that the local grocery stores didn’t offer. And that is EXACTLY what is needed in this hick town where people still think Velveeta is cheese.
I hope it and the coming Whole Foods put the final nails in the coffins of Ideal, Open Harvest and others who have been doing a terrible disservice to the Lincoln «foodie» culture for years with their bad selections, bad quality and low turnover.
UPDATE: Changing my rating from five to four stars because of several instances of food going bad or molding on (or before) the ‘sell by’ date. Trader Joe’s obviously has some supply chain issues out here. However, fresh perishable goods are not the main thing one goes to TJ’s for.

Trader Joe’s has been hyped and marketed as a ‘super awesome, hyper organic, inexpensive marketplace with a hip edge to it.’ But after shopping there a couple of times, both in Monterrey California and Lincoln, I have found that this is a weak substitution to local co-​operatives, and even local chain supermarkets. Open Harvest may be a bit more expensive, but they focus as much as possible what is available LOCALLY. Trader Joe’s is prepackaged and re-​packaged, branded, and sold at a much lower price — but there is nothing local about it. I think the only thing I saw there that was local were some six packs of Empyrean.
Trader Joe’s is riding the wave that good companies like Whole Foods, and hundreds of local health food stores have fought hard and long to establish in consumer consciousness, and they are peddling something completely different. I don’t care that they sell what they sell — I actually like a lot of what they sell, as far as variety and taste goes… my main ‘beef’ with Trader Joe’s is that they market themselves as being something that they are not. — ‘Your Neighborhood grocery store’
I don’t feel good shopping here. It is an intuitive feeling.
It just feels phony from top to bottom.
I can’t put my finger on it, but I will trust myself… in the meantime,
Open Harvest, Leon’s, Ideal Grocery, the dozen or so amazing ethnic markets, and Russ’s is where I will be shopping.

Hot Damn do I love Trader Joe’s!
Although this place is exactly on the opposite side of town for me, I happily endure the drive to get me some Trader Joe’s.
This quaint grocery store sells items ideal for the person cooking for 1 or 2. Their pre-​packaged or pre-​seasoned dishes (fresh and frozen) give you the opportunity to be transported to another country. Their food knows no ethnic boundaries! I completely enjoy their whimsical food ads and their daily samples.
You may think, «OH, I can’t shop there, it’s too expensive!» Well, you’re WRONG. Having frequented Russ’s, Hy Vee, and Supersaver, I can say that Trader Joe’s is no more expensive. Despite limited specials/​deals, their consistent prices will ensure you get what you want at a reasonable price EACH time. No more scouring ads and cruising around town to find that special price. You know what to expect every time you’re at the store.
**Here are my MUST TRIES**
–Bruschetta (so what if you can make this at home, it’s freakin good here)
–Fresh pizza dough balls (only 99 cents!)
–21 Season Salute (spice mix WITHOUT salt — good for all you high blood pressure people)
–Raisin Rosemary Crisps (I hate rosemary, but these are so yummy!)
–Spiced Apple Cider (seasonal to Fall, try it warm)
–Frozen Seasoned Corned Beef (seasonal to March, eat with honey mustard on sourdough bread)
–Tomato Soup (pair with oyster crackers)
–Inexpensive wines (this don’t ‘mean they’re tasteless!)
–Any type of cheese (just expect great cheese here)
Tiny Downsides (not every place is perfect)
–With a name like Trader Joe’s, I’d expect a larger fresh produce area. Yea, I’m impressed that they sell brussel sprouts on the stalk, BUT that does not make up for a limited variety of farmer-​like products.
–I’m surprised they stock so much of 1 item. SO much of 1 item that I ran across more than a few items already expired or very close to expired.
In the end, I am still left with this feeling.
Trader Joe, will you marry me?

It is so wonderful to have TJ’s in Lincoln. I am 99% thrilled with everything they have and provide. The only down side is they dont carry some of the things that they have on the coasts (meatloaf) and that the produce is not quite up to the TJ standard i am used too… but hey after a bit of two buck chuck… who cares :)

Thanks for making the trek to Lincoln, TJ’s! I was a bit concerned that Lincoln might get the short end of the Trader Joe’s stick, expecting a smaller version of this great market. WRONG! It is just a big and beautiful as any I have been in.
What makes this place great is the well manicured selection of fresh produce, meats, cheese, and dry goods. The store is rather small, but is filled to the brim with interesting selections and great steals (I. e. velvety smooth French chocolate truffles for $ 2.99/box, triple crème brie at less than $ 6/​pound, grass fed beef at $ 5.99/lb). These prices make it possible to buy the organic potatoes, the fair trade coffee, etc. without breaking the bank.
Don’t forget to save time for the frozen food aisle. Normally a snore in other grocers, this is one of my favorite parts of the store. You’ll find an extensive selection of sweets, entrees, and bits and pieces (organic frozen veg, prepared meats, vegetarian entrees). The best part is that all that I have tried have actually been worth the reheating.
Of course, if you don’t know already, there is the two buck Chuck, Trader Joe’s house wine. Although I admit that most of the varieties available definitely taste like $ 2.99 bottles, the Merlot is actually drinkable, and was featured in Bön Appetit magazine a few years ago in an article on wines that are inexpensive enough to cook with while still good enough to drink. It’s a cult thing anyway.
Trader Joe’s is the place where you can afford to be fancy!