Trader Joe’s

I always go to this Trader Joe’s for my grocery needs. And its super close to UCLA!
I get all my snacks, vegetables, dairy, etc here, plus the frozen food is like a restaurant in my microwave.
Parking is super easy and there’s plenty of it, they validate it free for one hour. Don’t forget to get it validated at the register.
It can get super crowded here, so I try avoiding Sunday and Saturday afternoons. The lines can get super chaotic at these times.
Its a great store and I love how they’ve decorated with UCLA gear everywhere. The employees are sweet and always helpful!

First the pros:
1)It’s Trader Joes! Love their pre-​made meals, and their hummus is great
2) parking is super easy
3) staff is super friendly and helpful
4) good selection of scotch
Cons:
1) last time I was there, I had someone take or clean up my cart twice. Granted I only had a couple items in it the first time, and the second time, had just got a new one, went to grab a saad and came back and it was gone, but rather annoying
2) the checkout line was super long. Waited over 40 minutes to get to cashier
3) when I finally get to the front of the long ass line, some old Persian lady came up and cut in front of me. I was literally placing my items on the counter and she walked to the front (also cutting the 20+ other people in line) and simply handed her items to the cashier. The cashier looked sheepishly at me and asked if it was cool. Obviously I didn’t want to punch an old lady, or cause a scene, but he should have pointed out that there was a line and that she should wait in it like everyone else… My little rant…

Okay — the BEST chicken tikka masala in the frozen section. I promise you can compare it to your favorite Indian restaurant. We get the mango ginger chutney and mix some in after microwaving and it’s perfection! Plus easy, validated parking.

Possibly my favorite Trader Joe’s location.
Parking is super easy and ample! The parking structure is attached and they provide free validated parking for an hour. More than enough time to get in and out.
The samples are always on point and they always have them out for breakfast and lunch and I’m pretty sure for dinner.
Lines are pretty chaotic during the lunch rush but they have every checkout running to make sure and accommodate for the madness.
I especially appreciate the face that the location is really customized to the UCLA demographic with check out lanes named after popular campus halls and locations. They even have Joe Bruin on a mural when you exit. I’m not sure why Joe has blue eyes tho… seems a bit far fetched for a bear but whatever.
Great place to grab an inexpensive lunch.

Great place to get groceries. Thought I was going in to an art studio and soon came to the realization that there was produce everywhere! And what fresh quality! The peanut butter is amazing and how about those brussel sprouts! I have been back once a week for the last 4 months. Glad it wasn’t art ;) I’m going bananas over there for these wicked prices!
–Len out

A life without Trader Joe’s is a life I don’t want to live. Love their selection of frozen food — I pretty much live off of frozen chicken and vegetables from this place. Every time I go there I always end up buying whatever they’re giving samples of because it’s just so good! If you want to get produce I’m pretty sure Ralph’s is cheaper, but I absolutely love their pre-​cooked meals and snacks. Best place for cheap, interesting, good food.

Good store. Convenient parking. Close to Target, Rote Aid, Ralphs: makes for a one stop shopping trip. Helpful staff, cool patrons. Parking validation– do not lose your ticket; they’re merciless.
:)
I do most of my grocery shopping there. I like that they don’t have «discounts for your private information, aka loyal customer,» just one price, no questions asked.
I liked their pre-​cooked meats, very convenient.

My favorite grocery store in westwood — high quality groceries for prices that are a quarter or a fifth of price of Whole Foods. Also cheaper than Ralphs. This is one of the better stocked trader joes around, and parking is free for an hour. I highly doubt anyone needs to shop at trader joes for longer than that. Every staff member I’ve encountered was nice and courteous and helpful, never hesitating to drop what they’re doing to help us or run to the back to check on inventory.

Great location for the Hoe’s as its right across the street from a Tar-​get. I mean what more could you want? Validated parking you say? Done. This location has everything you need except enough space. During rush hour it can get a bit close to comfort with the other shoppers. Isles are not the largest but select is good. Also a great flower/​plant selection.

All I wanted was a falafel wrap. And… a chocolate bar. And maybe the mochi ice cream too…
Unfortunately, the stressful parking situation on a late Sunday afternoon left me empty handed. Avoid during peak hours if possible. I had to wait in a long line to park with people honking and cutting me off so I ended up just leaving.
Other than that… sweets are amazing! Produce is mediocre and not always fresh. I bought grapes a few weeks ago that were expired. There are lots of options for pre-​packaged foods, like wraps. Pre-​packaged salads are ok. Frozen options are cheaper and seem healthier than what you would find elsewhere.
I suggest coming during non-​peak hours if you want a decent Trader Joes to shop at. There is FREE parking for 2 hours with validation. But beware the parking stress nightmare that could overcome you. Otherwise, shop away. And in the meantime I’ll be at the gym working off the chocolate bars and falafel wraps that I ate LAST week… I probably won’t have anything to work off from this week since I never made it inside today.

Hands down my favorite grocery store ever. I purposely take a 20 minute drive ever week to come here to get 80% of my groceries. The prices at TJ are a lot cheaper than regular grocers (Ralph’s, Vons, etc) and they have better quality goods.
For the most part, I feel like all Trader Joes are pretty similar – fresh produce, great healthy (er) snacks, organic products, and awesome customer service. Every time I walk into a TJ there is always a worker greeting me with a smile or asking if I need any help. It’s hard not to leave Trader Joes feeling happy.
Here are some of their products I enjoy:
— Organic bell pepper tomato soup
— Almond butter
— TJ packaged salads
— Their large selection of interesting dips (spinach & kale esp)
— Hummus
— Turkey jerky
— Frozen pizzas
— Dark chocolate power berries
— Cookie butter anything (spread, ice cream, and heard they have cheesecake now)
— Crème brûlée
— Highbrow chocolate chip cookies (GET THEEEESE)
As a matter of fact… I’ve never actually been disappointed with any of their products. There’s literally nothing I don’t love about TJ. It’s so hard not to love this place!

The cleanest, most organized Trader Joe’s I’ve ever been to. If it wasn’t the flagship in the LA, I’d be surprised.

My favorite place to do my exotic/​regular grocery shopping. Lots of creative frozen options, sauces, and all produce and dairy. They now have a pretty extensive alcohol selection. Also have a floral department. This TJ has a parking lot with 2 hr validation. In the heart of Westwood!

Definitely the best run and the busiest Trader Joe’s that I’ve frequented (rival to that of the Pico store), and I truly believe that these people care about my groceries. .. and all of the free coffee that I drink out of those little cups.
I have a feeling that the following people are responsible for this 5-​star TJ’s, as well as being the people whom have lightened my day, from time-​to-​time. .. that being said, I do adore all of the team members here…
Shouts out to:
Allison
Charlene
Grace
Mandy
Aubrey
Joe
John
Randy
&
the big dude with the accent who gives me fist bumps
I’m sorry if I forgot anyone, everyone here is the dope show and worthy of a visit from The Pope, or someone else who is important and clean.

Love this location !!!
There is free parking with validation, the staff is always friendly.
It’s easy to get in and out
I always end up buying more things that I come in for, try different things :)
I love their to-​go salads. They are reasonably priced, around $ 5 for a nice portion, and are full of flavor! Definitely try them. It’s way better than getting a salad from Whole Foods when you pay double than that and get less.

We changed hotels half way through the trip, therefore, it was a little too far from the 8500 Burton Way location but at the end of the day we found this location to be much more helpful for various reasons mainly ’cause of the layout which mimics my regular location in Seattle. I picked up some snacks for Coachella which was very very helpful this time as the stuff inside the fair grounds were hit and miss on dietary needs. The customer service was really nice, they appreciated us Canadians ’cause we didn’t act like entitled locals.

Love coming here to get random stuff such as their egg white spicy rancheros pint. So good and healthy too. Perfect for a lunch time on the go food. I also really like their granola and usually get my chips and snack items here as well. I don’t really love the produce at trader joes because I find some of the items not super fresh or don’t look that bright but they have reasonable pricing for everything. The trick is to read their labels carefully and not think all natural means organic. This particular location is nice and very convenient to walk to.

They have wine…
They have a huge selection of cheese…
They have ready made, heat n eat multi-​ethnic food…
Oooh and did I mention that they have huge selection of ummm Wine!
Love this place, they make it so hard not too!

Yes, the parking situation is frustrating sometimes, especially when the big rig is blocking one of two exit lanes. But the unbeatable customer service you get inside is worth the wait. No matter how busy they seem, TJ team members are always so friendly and helpful.
In addition, the produce here is always fresh. And of course, the snack selection is just exquisite, as are all seasonal products, from beers and ciders to crackers and cake mixes.
Definitely one of my favorite places in the hustle bustle of Westwood.

Trader Joe’s is one of my favorite grocery stores! I love their unique seasonal items, friendly and knowledgeable staff, branded staples, and overall variety of goods.
That being said I had to minus 1 star for the lack of awareness regarding Trader Joe’s popularity and in selection of this location. You just consider that you’re opening in the heart of UCLA/​Westwood village, surrounded by health conscience individuals, medical professionals, university students/​personnel, AND apartments…
As a result, this location is very busy!
On the positive, they have plenty of staff, it’s clean. Offers free 1 hour parking, organized well, and the management seems to be running the store well.
I hate to take points from places I love, but location, location, location!