Trader Joe’s

I love Trader Joes! I wish I had one down the block from me & I’d probably live there! The 1^st time I went. A few years ago. I assumed it would be expensive. For the amazing quality of the products, the great selection… Prices are very reasonable.
The parking at this particular location is the pits so I try and go either very early or… At dinner time.
Also… TJs is a Mecca for weight watchers or those eating healthy. They offer Many many low fat, organic products. And … they have the largest selection of low fat cheeses I’ve ever found anywhere.
If I know I’m going to have a busy work week… And cooking won’t be a pleasure but rather a burden. I buy their frozen dinners. They’re top quality & delicious.
Dairy. Less guilt guacamole… Chicken salad & on & on.
And… My little 5lb doggy… Whose stomach is sensitive Loves the dog food & does very well on it!
It’s a win, win all around

This Trader Joe’s location is great although the parking lot is quite the challenge especially on the weekends!
When I do shop at this location, I am sure to go at off Peak hours as to avoid parking lot chaos!
There is a very adorable crew member that check me out last night ! I wouldn’t mind frequenting this location !! :)

The crazy (prescription drug fueled?) obnoxious psychopath customers who frequent this location are well noted; I even joke with the staff about it as they hold their tongues and giggle a bit – but I can see their pain in their eyes.
Good God — the people that shop hear want you outta their way! WTF is going on in Merrick?
OK– what needs to be done is this:
You enter the parking lot– get out of your car and must fight whoever else is there for a parking spot (fists /​belts /​bottles /​wood only –no chains, metal or mechanical weapons) .
Poor parking attendant (who is headed for a melt-​down and deserves $ 50.00 an hour for a job like this!) awards a 20 minute parking spot to the winner !
The loser gets placed back in their car (no matter what ragged & bloodied condition they are in) and the car gets pushed back onto Merrick road set rolling in the neutral position.
If you destroy any opponent driving a white BMW SUV or white Lexus SUV you get a free $ 10.00 Trader Joes gift card and a free parking pass (that expires within one month and is NOT VALID on the day before Thanksgiving, the day before Easter or the day before Christmas Eve., New Year’s Eve, Memorial Day Weekend, Labor Day Weekend, July 4^th Weekend and any 3 day weekend we forgot about)
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— — — Satire (?) aside this is your basic Trader Joe’s with helpful and fast & friendly staff… with one bitch of a parking situation. (Like the shark in «Jaws» was a bitch of a situation.)
I hated to– but had to take off 3 stars for the hostile suburban natives of Merrick Long Island .
(And seriously folks; to the right of Trader Joe’s is a HUGE strip mall parking lot with plenty of parking. You can easily park there and walk, literally — 12 yards, to TJ and avoid a MESSY scene.)

You can’t go wrong with the prices and quality of food at Trader Joe’s. I always know I’ll find what I want at a reasonable price. Their frozen food is best. Chicken Tikka Masala all day. Long Island has plenty of nerve wracking grocery store parking lots but this is among the most savage. There is basically a gridlock of cars that continually fill the lot.

Ok Ok… i usually hate on Trader Joes because the clientele is an abomination of snooty self entitled housewives of Long Island who are horrendous. BUT you cannot discount the great shit they have here. I only had 20 $ with me so i had to be frugal and i got Beef Bolognese Ravioli, Bacon Cheddar Popcorn, Tomato Basil Sauce and some Dark Chocolate Caramel Coconut Candy Bar. I could have bought easily 100 $ more stuff but i live on SHitty Long Island and am poor. The store was clean and the employees are genuinely happy nice people. My cashier was Jimmy and he was so nice and smiling and made conversation with everyone and made me happy. Keep up the good work Merrick Joe’s. Ill be back when i hit lotto. BTW i see absolutely no problem with the parking at all. I guess some folks just don’t know how to drive. Again typical Wrong Island misfits.

I love Trader Joe’s! The only reason why I give it four stars instead of five is because I don’t understand why the locations which are fairly close to each other don’t carry the same products. I can understand certain things being regional, but my favorite vinegar is a pomegranate vinegar & I can only find it at the Galleria location in Garden City.

I am a big fan of Trader Joe’s in general. This location keeps very fresh produce, i never see anything rotten or moldy, thank goodness. Cashiers are always friendly/​helpful and they are all artfully skilled at bagging groceries, which I cannot say the same for many other grocery stores. My only complaint is the parking lot, but that’s more an issue of other clientele.

I find this TJ great. The staff is friendly and the food is always great. People that dont shop there assume they are more expensive then a grocery store but if you know your prices, you know they are infact lower.
I am a coupon girl too and I find I dont have to stalk the specials and coupons in order to get deals. I get them for the price I want (most items anyway).
I only didnt give it 5 stars because the parking is a b*tch. I am happy they have someone there guiding traffic because some people have no courtesy of the roads. Also their has been times they have lack of spots to park and its crazy. I usually try to get there during the week in the day time (before 11am). If you go on the weekend, its insane in there.
But over all, I do love the place.

I absolutely love this place. First off the staff is so friendly, helpful and personable. Last time i was there i was looking for lavender oil but they didn’t have it. So the guy showed me their lavender sea salt scrub. He said it made his dry skin on his hands so much better in just one use. He was right! My face had these dry patches and i was breaking out very bad. In just one use my skin was better and now i use it every day and i haven’t had a break out since. I highly recommend it! Their coffee beans are all delicious and most are cheaper than supermarket brands. Their produce is always fresh and the organic bananas are so cheap! I could go on and on about the food haha. But overall this is my favorite place to buy groceries and its always a pleasant shopping experience. Oh and also they have really reasonably priced flowers. I bought a lotus plant months ago and its still beautiful.

Clean and great variety of both fresh foods and frozen veggies and dinners. Nice selection of cakes and chocolates and their snacks are different with many healthy choices available. Their selection of nuts and fruits is outstanding. The cashiers and other employees are always helpful and friendly. The only negative is their crowded parking lot.

This place is excellent. They have fresh produce and I especially love that they change their items all the time. I just dont understand why they never have utencils. I come here for quick lunch and they clearly have GRAB AND GO items that I can eat for lunch but they never have utencils!
Great customer service and the employees are very knowledgeable with their products.

I’ve been coming to this Trader Joes ever since it’s opening. Where l do I even begin?
Comfortable atmosphere, friendly and helpful service, excellent products that are unique, reasonably priced and for the most part healthy. I especially love their wide selection of packaged meals that could be warmed up in minutes but don’t have weird ingredients or too much sodium. I also can rely on the food samples being exciting and even more importantly relevant!
Most of the time, I prefer going shopping at any trader joes over even Walbaums, Stop and Shop unless I need something specific.
My only complaint is there have been several times where once I start committing to a certain product, they either stop recieving shipments or stop the product all together. Other then that it’s great!

Heaven on Earth.
Trader Joes is my happy place. I could spend 3 hours here and be in heaven. I’m just obsessed. From the staff to the products, this place is 5 stars.
Let’s first start by talking about the staff. Everyone I’ve encountered here has been phenomenal. Every time I’m there they talk about the products I’ve chosen and actually have given me ideas on how to use certain products in different ways. I love a good cooking tip!
As for the products, their selection and variety are amazing. I love that there are many organic and healthy ingredients that don’t break the bank. It’s hard to find healthy food that isn’t crazy overpriced. I’m obsessed with the brie bites and reduced guilt mac and cheese! The chicken and veggie potstickers are delicious and the salads are a great value. I always find something new and delicious every time I’m there.
What surprises me every time is the value. Yeah I don’t buy most of my proteins there but literally every other ingredient is significantly less expensive than at a typical supermarket but is made with better ingredients.
Trader Joes surpasses Whole Foods and Fairway, in my opinion which is why it will always be my go-​to specialty store!

Trader Joes is truly my go to spot to shop for my groceries. I’ve learned the best time for me to go is right when they open on Saturday mornings, everything is restocked and full. The staff is nice and very helpful. My one issue though is as of late they haven’t had their almond butter in stock, not sure what the issue is but I’m thinking I might have to start making my own. I loved theirs almond butter because it truly only had one ingredient, which was the almonds, unlike other brands which have a whole lot of other added ingredients which aren’t necessary. That would be my only issue otherwise love this place, wish they had one closer to me but hopefully one day.

Great spot. What I both like and hate about TJ is their size. I absolutely hate their locations in both Westbury Galleria Plaza (WTh?!) And Merrick Road.
Size– though trader Joe’s stocks quite a lot of products in the little shop I still can’t go without a fresh deli section and a large consistent selection of organic produce. I can’t make it my go to grocery store. I’d always be limited with what I can make. It is also perfect when I need to run in quickly for something I ran out of too soon during the week.
I do however LOVE their frozen section. I die for their mixed frozen quinoa kale and sweet potato medley, their tamales (YUM I have these on hand all the time) and several of their delicious treats. I also recently discovered their incredibly well priced coffee pods. I get mine at Costco buy their medium roast beats all other starbucks or green mountain counterparts out of the water. Just amazing and only 4.99 I think for 12 Pods. Still pricier than my mega box from Costco but cheaper than the similar sized boxes from Target or Stop N Shop. Also tastier!
I stop by at least one a month.

I always find new things to log at Trader Joes! The dumplings (Gyoza) pork or chicken are tastes and inexpensive. Great lunch or snack item. Lots of delicious things that are quick to prepare when you’re in a rush and taste turbo met or homemade.
This time around I found seafood bisque in a bag… And was shocked to find it was so delicious. Clams, mussels, fish and shrimp in a tomato broth. Tasted it at store and bought one for a lunchroom quick dinner. Tasted home made.

Holy Sh! t Do you think they could put Pumpkin in anything else?
A recent visit I saw the following. After the first 10 it became a fun «Where’s Waldo» type game. This is what I found. No exaggeration.
Pumpkins (various sizes whole and chopped up)
Canned Pumpkins
Canned Pumpkin Pie Mix
Pumpkin Soup
Pumpkin Ice Cream
Pumpkin Cake Mix
Pumpkin Biscotti
Pumpkin Butter
Pumpkin Bread
Pumpkin Bread Mix
Pumpkin Cornbead Mix
Pumpkin Pancake & Waffle Mix
Pumpkin Cookies
Pumpkin Ravioli
Pumpkin Crème Cheese Muffins
Pumpkin Muffin Mix
Pumpkin Bunt Cake
Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin Seed Bread
Pumpkin Frozen Waffles
Pumpkin Spice Tea Bags
Pumpkin Dog Treats
Pumpkin Cream Cheese
Pumpkin Rolls w/​Icing
Pumpkin Beer
Pumpkin Body Butter
Pumpkin Pita Chips
Pumpkin Yogurt
Pumpkin Toaster Pastries
Pumpkin Instant Oatmeal
Pumpkin O’s Cereal
Pumpkin Spice
Pumpkin Spiced Granola
Pumpkin Bagels
Pumpkin Croutons
Pumpkin Joe-​Joes
Pumpkin Spiced Pumpkin Seeds LOL’d at that one!
Pumpkin Spiced Coffee
Pumpkin Chai
Pumpkin Bar (this pumpkin walks into a bar)

I was very surprised by both the prices and selection. I had the impression that Trader Joe’s only carried organic groceries. Contrary to that misconception, this location carries both organic and non-​organic. What surprised me more was that the prices of the non-​organic products (e.g. chick peas, black beans, tomatoes) were very competitively priced compared to the supermarkets which I usually shop at.
Asides the essentials, Trader Joe’s carries many prepared dishes (varying among frozen, refrigerated, and room temperature). A few examples include lasagna, burritos, paneer tikka masala, and wraps. They also have an extensive selection of snacks.
A few other sections I noticed were the spices which were mostly priced at $ 1.99 for a shaker (some of which came with a built in grinder); though, there were at most twenty variations. They also had a small craft beer section which included a mix and match six pack option.
The only drawback of this location is the parking lot. The only entrance is on Merrick Road, and there is no light at the entrance which makes entering difficult from the eastbound side. The front of the lot is also very congested because parking spots are very close to the entrance ramp.

PROS: It’s Trader Joe’s.
–It’s fall. They have pumpkin everything.
–Make your own beer caddy.
–Reasonable prices for quality products.
–Their dried fruit, desserts, baking supplies.
–Adorable re-​usable totes.
–Really friendly/​helpful staff.
CONS:
–Parking. Parking. Parking. That lot is a bottleneck.
–They aren’t closer to my house.

Typical Trader Joe’s spot.
Really interesting types of trail mixes, awesome freeze dried fruits and other various dried fruits.
Awesome chocolates pecan pies.
And of course who can resist the every day free samples that go on along with the free coffee/​tea. Great super market, just a bit too pricey on certain items.