Trader Joe’s

This Trader Joe’s blows. It has nothing to do with the food, prices or hours. But the staff has let the lines for the registers turn into a total clusterfuck. Whenever I go in, the lines wrap around all the aisles and run out the door. It’s a pain in the ass to maneuver around and through the long line to get to any of the food. People look at their phones, shop for groceries and shout at each other while in line. This slows everything down even more.
The staff let their own customers act like stupid assholes for too long. Now it’s near-​impossible to fix and it’s a shitty experience to shop there. It’s the closest grocery store to me so I deal with it. But if you have any options, shop somewhere else.

I first heard about Trader Joe’s when I was a sophomore at Penn. At that time I had no idea why people were so cultishly fanatic about it, and now I’m one of them and I get it. I get it. I live a 10 minute walk away from whole foods and a 25 minute walk away from Trader Joe’s, and I will go to Trader Joe’s every singly time. It’s cheap, fresh, and delicious.
The fruit/​veggie section is awesome (and most items have organic and non-​organic options), they have a great cheese selection, their frozen meals section is always good, and they make yummy in store samples. Also notable: baked goods/​frozen desserts, TJ’s kettle corn, and cheap tubs of hummus. I’ve heard some complaints about their meat section not being big enough, but it should suit your basic needs. If you’re looking for oxtail or particular cuts of steak you might want to try Whole Foods or Reading Terminal instead.
TJ’s for life! (Just kidding.)

TJs I luhhhhyouuu. Why don’t you have a Philadelphia bag? like de, nj, dc, ny, md?
Anyways you won’t find some of the random stuff you’ll find in acme or wegmans like 509 varieties of toilet paper. But you get savings here and some really cool choices. You don’t gotta deal with memberships because you save a ton shopping there.
This is the first location I’ve ever shopped at and its a crowded one and gets crazy around 5p. The line wraps through the whole store and its very crowded. The line always moves fast.
Got their own parking lot too.

Best grocery store in all of Philly. Even though they are limited with some things other grocery stores generally have, they still have enough to do one stop shopping for just plain food. The employees are some of the best customer service ones you’ll ever deal with in this city. I’m a vegetarian and this store has enough for my basic needs. Just watch what time you come because this place can get overcrowded easily, which is my only complaint.

I was quite overwhelmed by the options here and boy was it crowded, but the staff, in particular, made it bearable. I rarely shop at Trader Joe’s, though I definitely should shop here more. Their products are unique and I wound up grabbing a few things I hadn’t planned on grabbing.
Pros: The staff was very friendly. I shop in some grocery stores and the staff seems down-​trodden and barely helpful, but in both cases where I needed help, the folks here were great. They walked me to the aisle where I needed to find my item. No grumbling. That was a nice change for me.
Also, though it was crowded (madness, I tell you), the lines moved swiftly and they seemed to have a smooth and functional system of moving people in and out.
Cons: Tight, in my opinion. Maybe it was due to the crowd, but I just didn’t not want to stay there any longer than I did. I could barely step one foot to the left or right without running into someone. Thank God I had the cute little midi-​cart and not the full-​sized one. Maybe going at another time that isn’t a peak traffic-​time (I went at 6:00pm), might be a little better.

I love Trader Joes and having been to many of them am a big fan of the one in Philadelphia. Although always busy the lines don’t usually wrap around the store like they did when I lived in Manhattan and they are rarely sold out of items like their Manhattan counterpart is. The staff is always friendly. I think that they are highly trained to be this way but even if that is the case it seems genuine enough to me. I always like trying new products from them and am always interested in seeing what they will be serving in their tasting stations. Some of my favorite items are the chicken wontons, the turkey meatballs, the pre-​cooked grilled chicken and the Asian vegetables. This is a great great company and a great store — I just wish they would open more so that they are all not so crowded.

I went today shopping for the first time and was surprised at how many different selections they had. Because it was my first time. I decided to get a few items. A small unwritten list of things while also looking around to see what else they had to offer as far as meats, fruits, snacks, etc. Just a visual shopping list for next time I go. There were a lot of different choices and alternatives to non organic markets. Most prices were reasonable. Besides I would trade that for eating healthy non lethal ingredient foods. The waiting line was fast and efficient as previously stated in other reviews/post.The cashiers were very friendly and seem liked they enjoyed what they were doing. I would highly recommend anyone try it out.

Okay, this is your typical Trader Joe’s, whatever, they are all pretty much the same. Trader Joe’s has a good price on bananas, grapes, and maybe carrots but pretty much every other produce item is priced on the expensive side. Also, their limes and lemons suck. They go moldy or shrivel up within 5 day. All other produce isn’t the freshest either. Oranges rot from the inside out after a week. Apples are already soft at the store. Pineapples never ripen to a golden yellow, they just go from pale yellow to rot colored. Kale does not come in bunches but comes chopped in bags and starts to smell and turn slimey in like a week. Who cares if they are organic if they are rotten?
Produce at Whole Foods lasts 2x longer. You do pay more at Whole Foods, but when you’re a single unmarried person, shopping for one, and can’t eat a whole package of whatever in a week, stuff needs to last.
I mainly come here for their canned cat food. It’s decent wet cat food for a good price. I love their spices, condiments, and canned goods (beans, tomatoes, sauces), too.
Don’t come here on the weekends if you can avoid it. There’s usually a line of cars waiting to enter the parking lot outside and a huge check out line inside the store that wraps all the way around. The check out line is well organized and moves pretty fast though, but still expect to wait at least 10 minutes in line. Also if you come at the end of the day on a busy day (Monday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday), expect most of the essential things (e.g. eggs, fruits, veggies, chicken, bread) to be completely emptied out. People devour everything like vultures here at this store. Best days to come are probably Wednesday and Thursday nights.
One more thing, I just want to rant about a bad experience I had here. One time a guy directing the check out line reprimanded me because I had climbed onto the ledge of the produce case to reach a package of mint on the top shelf while I was shopping. It felt awkward that he specifically waited for me to come to the check out line to tell me that after I had been shopping for 20 minutes. He said next time I should ask for help to grab things I cannot reach. Okay whatever, fine. A week later, I go back and see a girl restocking the SAME shelf while standing on the ledge just like I had done! Seriously? Talk about hypocrisy. Why did I get reprimanded as a customer when a person that works there can do the exact same thing? It might have been for safety/​liability reasons. If that’s true, the guy should have said so, and I would have understood. Yeah no one wants to get sued. Instead, I felt patronized. He made me feel like I could have jacked up their equipment or something when it’s obviously no big deal since their own staff was standing on their for 5+ minutes.
Don’t expect über friendly and quaint staff at this store. Staff just mind their own business and stock shelves, and maybe give you lip once in a while. There’s constant yelling between staff and yelling at you to move out of the way of shelf stockers. I feel like I get directed around like yuppie cattle when I shop here. It’s way too crowded. I’m tired of having shopping cart battles and running into people. Patience runs thin in this kind of environment and the staff shows it. They have this raffle ticket system where if you bring your own bag, you get a raffle ticket for a drawing. Depending on the mood of the cashier, half the time you won’t even get a raffle because they just want to herd you out the door.
Overall, if I didn’t live so darn close to this trader Joe’s, I wouldn’t come here. I love the Trader Joe’s chain don’t get me wrong. Just not this one with some of their uppity, too-​hipster-​for-​you staff and definitely not their crappy produce that won’t even last the week. Their entrance location is whack, too. The entrance is not on Market street but at the back of the store. If you’re mapping out the address on a GPS, good luck. Make sure you turn right onto 22^nd street from Market to enter the parking lot.

TJ’s is an essential part of my everyday life!
Best times to come to TJ’s is in the morning as soon as they open, right before they close, or on Wednesdays. Yup, come here on Wednesdays, and you will be surprised to see how (relatively) uncrowded the store is!
But don’t be too frightened if you see the line that weaves around the corner, and you have to find the person with the «line starts here» stick, and the stick is all the way where the veggies are. The line really does move fast, and they’re so, so efficient. The same goes for the parking, too!
Wonderfully affordable, consistent, and great products surrounded by employees that are always so friendly and cheerful. Note though that their meats are on the pricier side, so I usually stick to their product that are priced by the count versus the pound. It’s always an adventure trying to get the biggest tomato or onion you can get your hands on! I was actually praised by the cashier once for having seized the biggest onion she’s ever seen at the check out line. Hurray for getting the bang for your buck.
Thank you, TJs, for making my weekly grocery runs a little more fun and a little more affordable. 5 stars, hands down!

Depending on when you go it can be super crowded (i.e. Sunday afternoon or Monday after work) and I’ve even had to wait in line just to get in the store before, but the lines are organized and always move pretty quickly. Trust me, its worth the wait. TJ is much cheaper than Whole Foods and always has everything I need.
With that being said, I suggest coming with a set list and knowing what you need if you’re going to go when its busy. You don’t want to be that person blocking an aisle trying to decide what you want while everyone is trying to grab things off the shelf in front of you.
Tip: They have the best selection of pumpkin flavored items, including my latest find of pumpkin pie spice cookie butter.

Pretty crowded inside. I’ve never had an issue with parking but I could imagine that some people may have some problems on Friday nights or the day before a holiday.
This is my go to place for Pumpkin flavored everything in October!

Trader Joe’s– a welcomed oasis in the grocery store desert of Philadelphia. Awesome selection, upbeat and friendly employees, and amazing prices. Plus, they always play really good music and it makes grocery shopping not suck.
They have killer selection of fresh veggies and precut stir-​fry packages (try the asparagus, mushroom, and red onion mix), and a really good meat/​chicken/​deli department.
Sometimes the checkout line in this place looks absolutely out of control, but they have an army of employees working the registers and it moves really fast.

This trader joe’s is great for seafood, meat, poultry, condiments, pantry items, and frozen food, dinners, and vegetables, but if you buy a lot of produce do NOT buy from here. It rots very quickly if it’s not already rotten when you buy it.
If you drive in the city make sure to go on an off time when the parking lot isn’t packed. Although I will say they do a good job monitoring the parking lot.

For the Pope Francis visit they handed out free cookie to passersby. How very nice of them. Nice to know that there are still some businesses that treat their communities kindly!

Excellent products at a good price. I don’t recommend going in the afternoon on a weekend as the lines will be ridiculous. If you go early in the mornings its quite pleasant to shop.
My favorite trader joe items include: spicy mangos, frozen pork dumplings, various chicken sausages, hummus and the handmade tortillas.
The cashiers are always so nice. I wonder if they make them take a class on how to be nice.

Living near this place is dangerous, especially when it’s on the walk home. Some days I have to force myself to stay on the other side of the street so I don’t walk in and walk out with a bunch of those mini ice cream sandwiches (I’ve got a soft spot for those). But seriously, it’s really nice to have a well-​priced option here in the city as Whole Foods can be pricey and the mom and pop stores have to charge crazy prices just to stay open. Overall, they have a decent selection of food. Produce is pretty good, just make sure that you’re checking out *thoroughly* the entire bag if you’re getting lettuce or a bag of apples/​oranges. Some times something gross can be hiding in there.
The staff is always extremely helpful and courteous — everyone is always so positive! I once even had someone at the checkout notice that the bag of apples I had chosen had a few bruised ones hiding at the bottom so he ran and grabbed me a better one (thanks!). The overall format of the store is small, but they manage to pack in quite a few options in the space. Prices are pretty great, especially for a city. I usually buy organic and I always feel that their organic produce (if they have it because it can be a crap shoot) is usually pretty good.
I’m going to share the secrets of when to shop here with you, my fellow Unilocalers, and don’t make me regret it by all rushing there at once. Best times to shop, I’ve found, are Sunday and Monday mornings around 10am are the best time to go. The rush is just starting but the morning crew has had the time to restock the shelves and completely unload the truck. Do NOT go after on those days unless you want to be stuck in a never-​ending battle of bumper carts, packed in the store like sardines, and wait in a line that wraps around the store (I mean they have a guy with a flag that has to mark the end of the line). Also note that usually any day around 5 – 7 is crazy busy with people stopping on their way from work.
This place is super convenient with the decent sized parking lot, but if you have the option to walk or bike, it is in your best interest because, especially during busy times, the line to just get in the parking lot can wrap around the block.

Five stars for the private FREE parking lot. In a big city, something like this is so rare so I was thrilled to have this convenience.
This location was packed on a Tuesday evening but the staff was speedy and efficient so the checkout line moved along at a rapid pace.
Great inventory and selection at this TJ. Awesome staff as well.

The selection is good but not the best I’ve seen. Otherwise this is the only TJs in the city so there are huge crowds on Sundays and Monday’s. The workers seem very prepared for the crowds though, and the (long) line moves quickly!
TIPS:
–Entrance is at the back
–Parking lot is in the back, limited parking and you may have to wait in line
–Avoid Sunday and Monday
–Bring your own reusable bag and you’ll get a raffle ticket!

One of the smaller trader joes I have been to, this store does offer parking but does not have alcohol. Situated in center city near Drexel university and on market st, it’s packed on most weekends day or night. Good to go on the weekdays.
Staff members are friendly and helpful. Lines even when it gets long isn’t too much of a long wait as there are multiple cashiers and fast checkouts.
They always have new products i have never seen before. Love the food as its always fresh and appealing. One of my favorite go to places for groceries.
Will come back every week!

This is a pretty large Trader Joe’s. Their produce variety is a little lacking, but that’s the only knock I have on the place. Lines can get comically long, but they really do get you in and out of there fast. They must have 15 or so cashiers every time I go.
The parking lot is great too. It can back up onto 22^nd Street sometimes, but again, they’ll get you in there. It’s 1 hour free parking, so I’ve had times where I’ve parked, walked to the bank, Express, J. Crew, and back to TJ’s to shop all in under an hour.
You might be intimidated initially, but it’s a very positive experience coming here.