Trader Joe’s

I’m a huge TJ fan, and this location is by far the best one in the TC that I’ve been to. The store itself is pretty large, enough so that people can go down every aisle and not feel on top of each other. (Ahem, Maple Grove TJ) I love their produce here, and it’s extremely reasonably priced. Their meat and seafood sections are great, I can find different products like tri-​tip or barramundi, without having to pay triple the price of Whole Foods. The staff are friendly, and even when they’re busy, they seem to be able to get the customers through check out quickly.

I think every Trader Joe’s that I’ve ever shopped in around this country has given me the same solid impression.
I really appreciate how they hire (though it’s obviously not a guarantee) upbeat and passionate people.
Service often trumps a product being sold (well, within reason!)
This location is always well-​kept, well-​stocked, and efficient in the checkout process, especially with an abundance of shoppers.
Also, as with any location, there are CLEARLY some favorite products that customers favor (including myself), which leaves a vacancy for extended periods of time. It’s the nature of the beast when you’re a large chain. It’s a good day if you can get the plain frozen asparagus AND canned no-​additive coconut milk (which would be my lack on this particular visit)! Worth the wait and definitely increases the demand when they are able to source it!
Where I toggle between a 3 or 4 star rating is the lack of transparency in sourcing their foods &/​or ingredients. I understand contracts and agreements, but not only are most folks waking up to what they’re eating, it’s a longterm winning strategy to, at the very least, let your eaters know how/​where food is raised/​grown/​processed. There’s the recent research revealing high quality dark chocolates of varying brands containing heavy metals (including many of trader joe’s brand chocolates and (dark choc, too)! Speculation is that it came from soil that it’s grown on. It sucks, but hey, I think TJ customers are still a forgiving lot and would like to be included in helping guide your success through transparency rather than contracted non-​compete secrecy.
I still love TJ’s and think they have a brilliant concept through streamlining and self-branding…but because of the closed sourcing trade, I’m very okay spending the extra bucks at co-​ops for most of my ingredients (especially animal proteins).
Anyway, the Minnetonka location is always a happy place to shop at :-)

I really liked the layout of this Trader Joe’s. It has a wide open feel when you walk in, which isn’t the standard. They also have a large selection of newer items which are always fun to try.

I shop at Trader Joes once or twice a week, ($ 100X52 weeks) and usualy think the store is great…
except when they get busy durring non rush times (2:30) they dont open more registers.
this week, they had 4 check-​outs open with 3+ people wating at each, and a bunch of cusstomers in no mans land. there were 5 employees chatting in the observation area at the front of the store aking no moves to help their customers. eventuly 2 slinked off to the back avoding eye contatct (you know we are people not animals)
this has happened twice I know of…
Nobody is left with a good feeling after shopping to have to wait another 10 min. to part with our hard earned cash, there are other stores.
Retail 101 TAKE the MONEY
Also how about a que instead of customers guessing which line will move quickest, that would be a nice service.

I’m literally in Trader Joe’s three times a week. They have excellent wine deals and I especially like their staff and store cleanliness.

Fun environment and amazing staff! While I choose to shop at farmer’s markets & co-​ops for fresh produce Trader Joe’s is my go to for anything else. They have an amazing selection for a great price.
On top of their food choices their liquor store is awesome! I bought most of my wedding wine from there and every time I went in to buy more they were helpful and knowledgeable, not to mention they threw in 5 bottle openers for the bar table at my wedding. They know how to keep their customers!

Love my Trader Joes! Grocery shopping does not get any better than a thimble of coffee, daily samples, quality help and quality food at decent prices.
Things to try:
The dark chocolate peanut butter cups
fresh vegetables for a strip fry
quality cheeses and wines
Tahitian vanilla snaps
salsa authentico
inner peas

If it weren’t so hot here in the summer and if I left my A/​C on blast, I would get fresh flowers from TJ’s whenever I could. They always have the most impressive choices for an affordable price — I feel like I’m almost in a little street floral market when I pass by that little section. Even though I’m sure this TJ’s is just as big as the other TJ’s I’ve been, I feel like their selection is a bit more limited. They have all the core products though (fruits/​veggies, cheeses, meats, frozen dinners, snacks, oils and sauces, snacks) and all great quality with affordable prices. A few months back TJ’s was always out of coconut oil since there was a craze around how healthy coconut oil is to use for everything, but they had plenty in stock today! The people here are awesome, per usual. Parking is never a problem.
I do wish they had fresher baked items available, but I also know that I like looking at sweets but rarely buy them. So… guess TJ’s is smarter than I am!
It’s also in an easy location if you wanted to run other errands — Michael’s, Bed Bath & Beyond, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Staples, Caribou Coffee, are all nearby. There’s a Target in another strip mall nearby too.

This place makes me happy just typing this review and thinking about them and you know they really need another 5 star review because going there is an awesome shopping trip. Everyone is super friendly and it is a pleasure to buy your groceries there — always have random conversations with the checkout person.
I refuse to buy cheese anywhere else, but I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad product I’ve tried. Love their flowers, desserts, produce and I have pretty much just started buying everything there. Their prices are so much better than other froufrou stores.

It’s Trader Joe’s. Being from California they have some good policies on foods they sell and their own product line is pretty good. Trader Joe’s also has some fun novelty snacks you can’t find at other places. But regular Trader Joe’s shoppers know TJ’s has never been a place to get the best quality fruits and vegetables. Even in California with good quality fruits and vegetables everywhere TJ’s always had mediocre produce. In the summer and fall go to your local Farmers Market for better quality and cheaper fruits and vegetables. I will keep buying their bread and some of TJ’s products, but go somewhere else for fresh fruits and vegetables

I used to shop Trader Joe’s with my dad when I was a kid in California, but being a youngster I never really appreciated all they had to offer. Now that they’ve spread their wings across the country (and I’ve grown about 2 feet), I see them in all their glory. Here are some of my favorite things about TJ’s:
1. You won’t get lost, as the entire store is the size of most produce departments (but don’t let that discourage you… they’ve got a stellar selection!)
2. ORGANIC foods, and tons of them… including produce. (Speaking of, I’m a big fan of their 4 organic avocados for $ 3.99)
3. Everywhere you look there are products not commonly found at the supermarkets (pretzel buns… YUM!, British crumpets, garlic naan, lobster ravioli and coconut oil cooking spray for examples).
4. The Grocery + Liquor combo… a match made in heaven (Check out their KBC Blueberry Wheat Ale for $ 1/​bottle, and build-​you-​own 6-​pack while you’re at it!) Just be sure to check expiration dates on their beers… sometimes I’ve found some old bottles. Also, they don’t have any coolers in the liquor store, so if you’re looking for something chilled to drink right away… drive down the frontage road to Haskell’s.
5. Prices are pretty great! It’s one of the best places to buy spices (including saffron), coconut oil and organic produce.
My only wish is that they offered larger bundles of fresh herbs like cilantro and parsley, and that’s actually one thing that isn’t cheap here. Also, their cheeses dont keep long at all… they almost always grow mold before the date on the package… not big enough deals to drop a star, but worth the mention.
All in all, I couldn’t be happier that this is the closest grocery store to my new pad! They’re about to get a lot more of my business :)

I really love this TJ’s for its location location location! You can easily find a parking spot! SLP is a nightmare!
I love the variety of organic food, variety of new items, the produce always look good, the fresh flowers are beautiful, and pretty much I cannot live without the jasmine rice!
The customer service is awesome! They actually smile here!
They have prices, AND they have a fantastic selection of beer and wine.
I am a true Trader Joe’s junkie!

I really enjoyed my first time in a Trader Joe’s. Fun music, appealing fragrances. You could actually smell the fresh fruit in the air. It is the first time I haven’t ever noticed that in any store. I only wished there was a location near Farmington.

I’ve shopped here a lot since it opened. I don’t know where they import the employees, but they are always hyped up on great juju and a lot of them love talking about food more than I do.
Every thing I get at TJ’s is great and very competitive prices. I’m a huge fan of all their food except for their produce (I admit I’m a produce snob).
that the store isn’t too big and you can actually get in and out of this one fairly quickly. This is one of the better TJ parking lots in the Twin Cities.

The only reason why I’m giving this location 4 stars instead of 5 is because, as a kid, I grew up going to the Trader Joe’s in La Jolla/​San Diego (grandparents live there). THOSE are some badass Trader Joe’s.
But anyway, THIS Trader Joe’s is hands-​down the best in the Twin Cities so far. Easily.
Why?
1. St. Louis Park’s Trader Joe’s is gross, poorly stocked, and the staff seems miserable. And that parking lot… words cannot describe how stupid it is.
2. St. Paul’s Trader Joe’s is nice, clean, and well-stocked…but that parking lot is AWFUL. Every time I go there, I think someone’s going to smash into my car in that stupid underground parking lot. I feel like there is some giant conspiracy and the contractors who built it are part of a car insurance scheme or something. It’s THAT bad.
3. I tend to avoid Maple Grove and Bloomington like the plague (especially now since Jun Bo is no longer open in Bloomington. RIP). I haven’t been to those, so Minnetonka wins by default.
If you are planning on having a posh little soirée at your home or wherever, Trader Joe’s is the place to get those delectable little hors d’oeuvres everyone secretly wants to stuff into their face and store for later, like a hamster.
They also have pretty great dry, frozen, and canned goods. The soups, the sauces, the pastas, the frozen foods, teas, spices, and COOKIES (Joe Joe’s. Oh. My. GOD) are all pretty great. Their pomegranate green tea is literally my crack. I NEED it. Seriously, I stockpile that stuff as though I’m stocking up for a nuclear war, also like a hamster.
I don’t necessarily recommend their Japanese food, however. The Trader Joe’s miso is pretty gross, just tastes sort of off… needs more MSG. Never was a fan of their sushi rolls either. Their produce section is decent enough, but I’ve always been a bit weirded out by bagged fruit and veggies… like pre-​seeded pomegranate or pre-​cut mango slices. I just imagine dirty, cheese-​smelling little fingers touching my mango slices… which is completely irrational, but still. I’d rather just cut the damn thing myself.
But yeah, this Trader Joe’s is great, the parking lot makes sense/won’t give you the urge to kill someone… definitely give this location a try.

Trader Joe’s! I simply can’t live without YOU! I have to say it took me a little while to understand what the «craze» was all about but now I’m hooked. The list of why I like you is endless. Somehow I can spend an incredible amount of time strolling down aisles just looking at all the wonderful products you offer. Yes, I know I can’t get everything here but what you do carry is oh so amazing!
Here are a few of my favorites–
–Nuts, nuts and more nuts. Packaged in larger bags or in smaller individual «to go» packages.
–Their variety of greens and different funky combinations. My latest purchase was called «power to the greens» (a combination of kale, chard and spinach).
–Fresh flowers and you don’t have to spend a fortune for a bouquet. Prices range from $ 3.99 to $ 9.99. Your pick!
–Don’t overlook the greeting cards either. All for just 99 cents.
–Great assortment of meats, cheese and fresh organic fruits and veggies.
And who doesn’t just love a liquor store right next to the grocery store. Well Trader Joe’s you really know how to keep a customer happy.

When I think of Trader Joe’s, I always think of the amazing snacks and treats (TJ’s Chocolate Passport may have been my best investment recently)…and the ridiculously crowded, cramped, terrifying parking lots/​garage/​10 parking spots. But not at the Minnetonka store! Just an FYI. I’m here at least once a week, and I’ve never had a problem parking!
The beer and wine section is great here as well, huge selection with great prices — especially thanks to my new TJ’s best friend. Lorenzo. Not only is he a wine genius, but start chatting him up and you’re guaranteed to be entertained. If you’re ever looking for wine recommendations, he’s your man!

Hi Trader Joe’s, nice to meet you finally. This location has been there for years, but I just started shopping there recently.
Pros
1. Small, easy to navigate
2. Fresh flowers
3. Perfect for a quick stop
4. Organic, bagged, pre-​washed and cut Kale
5. Booze — cheap booze
6. Great party apps
7. Inexpensive (most of the time)
8. Super friendly and helpful staff
9. TJ brand is a great, inexpensive alternative, without sacrificing quality
10. Location, location, location
11. Ample parking
12. Cheese, not just colby or american, fancy stuff
13. Pretzel rolls and sourdough bread
14. Wide variety of single Luna Bars
Cons
1. Getting in and out of the area is always a cluster-(insert bad cuss word here)
2. Produce and fruit are not always the best, smaller selections and higher prices
3. Sometimes long lines to check out
4. Can’t do all of your weekly shopping here
Overall, love TJs. As you can see the pros far outweigh the cons of shopping here. It is a cheaper alternative and perfect if you need something for a party or just a bag of noodles for dinner.
Happy Shopping.

1. Helpful and friendly staff.
2. Mostly good for you food items at a good price
3. Samples!!!
4. Cheap chocolate — and not crappy chocolate
5. TJ’s own line of products — from curry sauce to mustards
6. Huge parking lot (not the case at the SLP TJ’s)
7. If you don’t like it, you can return it, no ???‘s

We live a stone’s throw away from this place. Customer service is always stellar at this location. For instance, I was at the check out counter and asked if they carried ginger beer. One of the employees demanded that I stay put while she grabbed me a case. That’s Byerly’s service without the exorbitant prices! They also sell beer and wine at this location. We like to purchase their inexpensive reds for cooking, 3 – 5 dollars a bottle!
As a previous reviewer noted, their is ample parking at this location. I didn’t like lugging 2 bags of groceries 1 block to my car at the SLP location. Bed, Bath and Beyond, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Michael’s share the same parking lot so you can get a lot of things crossed off your list in one car trip.
BTW, this is the only place where you can buy Pretzel rolls. That’s right. Pretzel dough in roll form. I will never put my home made burgers in between any other kind of bun. LOL!