Trader Joe’s

Some of my favorite things at the Oak Park TJ’s are the flowers, chocolate covered pretzels, chocolate covered almonds and rice cracker mix! They have plenty of parking in their own private lot. Prices are good. Just your standard TJ’s. I’m a fan!

I really like this location. Friendly staff, not far from me, cheaper than Whole Foods with not un-​comparable selections! I’ve actually been going to Trader Joe’s since I was in college in Fullerton, CA. back in the 1980’s. Admittedly back in the day way back when it was for their bargain wines when I’d buy 3 bottles and one might end up being vinegar, but I’ve since come to appreciate the fact that their food selection is so top notch! Great selection of frozen entrees and other items. I myself have found them to be hit or miss on that point, but have found the staff to be very responsive and offered a refund on anything I am unsatisfied with. So points for that. Certainly better than the other close by chain stores (and I am not a fan of chains). Wished I lived closer! Parking can be a little crazy, just have to time it right I guess.

After going to places without a Trader Joe’s I feel like I have to be very thankful for living where I do with the amenities I do. They have a ton of novelty food options in addition to meat, dairy, vegetable staples. Not a fan of their sushi, love most of their frozen dinners. The only thing is as an amateur baker, I’m not really impressed by their baking selection which is kind of sparse in terms of basics. They have premixed boxes of this and that but some items like leavening agents and what not are seasonal items if even.
I feel like they do have a number of items for good prices so I often get my vegetables and dairy substitutes from Trader Joe’s. This isn’t my one stop place for grocery shopping because to be honest, I go to different grocery stores for different reasons and I’m perfectly fine with that.
My one issue is that I’m constantly going between work, study, and other activities. When I didn’t have a car, I had to walk everywhere so I took my book bag along with me. I feel like I always got a lot more attention when I had my book bag which made me very uncomfortable. I work very hard so it needles me that I have to feel like an intruder when I’m a paying consumer. When I think of that and how I’ve had to change my behavior because of it, I dislike Trader Joe’s more then a tad bit and out society even a bit more then a tad.

Fine location, parking seems kinda of crazy with the adjoining apartment building, though.
We came here to pick out dinner, and it had all of the standard pre-​made options that I like (salads, sushi), still in abundance at the end of the day. Store is nicely organized.
Seems like they are on top of the beer game too– my guy found a limited release beer he’d been searching endlessly for here. Price was about $ 1 more than Binny’s we later found out, but he was joyful to get the product!
Fun specialty items, including a good vegetarian and vegan selection keep me coming back to peruse items I’d never even knew existed!

I can’t tell you how amazing this TJs is! Every time I go I am blown away by their customer service! Today I was there and Susan, one of the workers, was goofing around with my kids and they loved it! Another time, one of the checkers gave me a free bag of their pickled popcorn! And they always strike up conversations whenever I’m there. Also, anytime they have new products, they always have great reviews, good and bad, and offer many ways to try them. I love this place!

Now that I can shop during the day parking isn’t difficult, but the restocking issue is still around. This store even ran out of toilet paper — really (?) So frustrating, how can a store run out of toilet paper and for a few days not just one day. Everyone is pleasant and smiling and I like the quick service in opening registers if the lines get long — cross training certainly helps. This is only grocery store that I don’t mind waiting in line because I know it won’t be long before another register is opened.

Great store with great service. The staff seem to enjoy their jobs and the food is of pretty good quality for a more than fair price.

I love this Trader Joe’s. It’s in a pretty great location, a little off Harlem with it’s own private lot in the back. The cashiers and staff are always so friendly and particularly fun to talk to. They always make my shopping experience that much less tedious and less like a chore. I haven’t had a bad sample yet from the stand in the back.
From the frozen aisles, I was pretty impressed by the packaged meals ranging from the typical American meals to even bibimbap. I remember taking one to work and eating the entire meal quickly. Impressively quick, as are most of the packaged products here. I will say I tend not to purchase fresh produce here because of the price, but I love the chocolates, ice cream, and snacks here. It makes it a little less guilty to eat knowing the products are made from quality ingredients and fair trade.

I’ve always had friends that were extreme Trader Joe’s shoppers and I never understood why until I lived around the corner from here. I absolutely love this Trader Joe’s for many reasons. The staff is always so pleasant and it’s easy to have a conversation with them. Unfortunately when it gets busy a lot of the cashiers are so engrossed in conversations that they don’t notice when the line starts to get longer.
I am a huge fruit lover so it is really nice to have a set price per item instead of having a per pound cost. I never have to guess how much I’m spending when going grocery shopping. I’ve gotten a ton of recipes from the corner of the grocery store that allows customers to sample an item.
No matter how much I love Trader Joe’s a decent amount of their items get moldy extremely fast. I purchased a bag of bagels and only managed to eat two bagels before they went bad. If you live by yourself I highly recommend buying small quantities of items because you never know how long you have before you have to toss it.

Favorite place to shop! So many great products and staff is excellent! Will miss it dearly when I move!

One thing I love about Traders Joe is that they don’t carry the tipical brands that every other grocery have. They have many healthier and organic choices. This place is not that expensive and staff are the best.
You can always ask anyone working there for anything and they are always happy to help.
This is one of my favorite places ever!

Good morning, it’s 5:04am on a Friday, glad to see Trader Joes is having the parking lot pressure washed and no need for an alarm today. The pressure washer decibel level is excessive. Do you think you could have waited till 7? Pressure washing a parking lot is a major priority, especially having it completed at 5am on a Friday. Thank you! Just a little earlier to the gym today… looks like many other residents have the same idea…

My first trip to traders. My friends have talked about their great products and prices and i finally gave in. For about $ 30 i got a ton of different stuff including pasta sauce, shampoo, snacks, and freezer rice meals. I love the organic options and the staff seem to actually like working there and helping people. I’m going to campaign to get one near me ASAP.

Ahh… My happy place. I can’t shop anywhere but here. This location is amazing and the staff is incredible. They alway encourage you to try new things and often open items in front of you to try if your skeptical.
So yourself a favor and shop here.

I’m always in and out of here in a few minutes. Everything is well-​organized and clean and there are never big lines at check-​out, even when it is crowded, although the small parking lot can get crazy, especially when people are trying to circle around in both directions.
The produce section isn’t huge but what there is looks fresh. There are usually samples and plenty of cheap, tasty chocolate bars.

Um no, Hell no.
All Trader Joe’s are not created equal.
Glen Ellyn – great items, smiley helpful staff.
Downers Grove – great items, smiley helpful staff.
Park Ridge – great items, smiley, helpful staff.
Chicago (Lincoln Ave) – great items, smiley helpful staff
Glenview – great items, smiley helpful staff
Pac Beach, CA – great items, smiley helpful staff
A trend? read on…
Oak Park? someone must have pissed in their breakfast because these folks were the most unhelpful, most unfriendly people I have ever encountered at Trader Joes, hell, at any grocery store EVER. Maybe it’s because they have to maneuver the cramped obstacle course they call a parking lot. As much as I love OP, I will never visit this store again. Whole Foods? Yes. I’ll be taking my dollars to you. I know I won’t receive an eye roll from your cashiers or be made to feel like I’m interrupting a peace summit if I interrupt your conversation for help locating an item.

The parking is usually confusing and packed unless you are out on a Sunday and get to go in the garage for free parking.
Mental note: most of the people seem to like to have their small children dance around the middle of the parking lot while cars are zipping in and out.
Not that I mind I go here for the reasonable prices and great selection of cheeses and olives, not to be a crossing guard.
The staff is great and helpful and its quick and easy to get in and out of here.
definite pluses: staff, selection, prices.
negative: kids that sub a speed bumps.

Trader Joes gets criticized for the health of the flowers they sell, the lifespan of the produce, and $ 3 bottles of wine. The critics of course do not consider the price when decrying such products. All the aforementioned items have their place.
This Trader Joes is a quality location and much like other TJs, the other customers are typically the problem.
This TJs is a suburban location and walkable for far fewer people than a typical TJs located in Chicago. The parking lot at this TJs is too small and the customers too inconsiderate.
Yesterday, a car waited about 5 minutes in the parking lot waiting for me to pack the car, take cart back, etc., thereby causing a traffic jam only rivaled by the eastbound Eisenhower during the morning rush hour.
If you go to this TJs please be prepared to park a block away in the street, trust me it will be quicker than driving around the parking lot in an endless loop.
Fast-​forward to your shopping experience. Navigating the supermarket without a shopping cart will be helpful for an in-&-out visit. If you do grab a shopping cart prepare yourself for the chronic annoyance of other customers– the aisles are quaint and successful navigation requires the skill of a demolition derby veteran.
Recommended: Happy shopping!

This place is all kinds of win.
‘Course, it doesn’t hurt that I live in the same building that this TJ’s is a part of, so if I ever need a stick of butter or crumbled feta cheese, I only need to walk downstairs to get it. Ultra convenient for yours truly.
The employees have always had a pleasant attitude and great sense of humor. Knowledgeable and very friendly. Terrific variety of items, fresh produce, and overall quality that can’t be beat. Speaking of unbeatable…
Their wine. Holy lord their wine. The other day I picked up a bottle of Shiraz (a flavorful red) for $ 3.99. I honestly thought they had forgotten a ‘1’ in front of the 3, but they hadn’t. Apparently, they can afford to sell wine for $ 4/​bottle because it flies off the shelves so quickly, and TJ’s makes a profit from retailing in bulk quantities. Good for them – and good for you too, dear reader!
They also have a hard liquor section with some interesting entries (limoncello, anyone?), but the real star is their beer selection. Tons of local, Chicago-​area microbrews in a veritable rainbow of styles & potencies. I’m a huge fan of their ‘mix-​and-​match’ option: basically, you take an empty 6-​pack cardboard carrier and fill it with whatever is on the shelf. Since the beer bottles are individually priced, you can pick & choose to your heart’s content. 5 stars alone for featuring this!
Lots of check-​out counters ensures that even during peak hours, you don’t have to wait long. They have a cool bell system for faster service; 1 for assistance, 2 for manager, 3 for «all hands on deck». Does 3 bells mean some serious sh*t is going down? Zombie apocalypse? Or some old lady’s gallon of milk exploded? My advice is: if you’re ever shopping here and you hear three bells, your best bet is to duck and cover.
My only complaint is that the parking lot is complete and utter CHAOS. I’ve narrowly avoided death from seriously crazy Oak Park soccer mommies flying through with their Audi SUVs. Sundays and weekday evenings between 5pm and 7pm seem to be the times when you’re most likely to be flattened by a Range Rover… after 7pm, it’s a Porsche Cayenne.
I LOVE OP TJ’S!

This has served as my Trader Joe’s for some time. Its always predictably well stocked, the workers seem to really like their jobs, and the samples in the back corner are always great.
I really like the prepared section of food here and am always inclined to get a wrap.
The parking is in the back and is kinda tight and you compete with a lot of apartment complex traffic and blue hairs going ½ MPH through the lot — its enough to almost make you drive away — but the unique food keeps you coming back.