Trader Joe’s

GREAT NEWS everyone.
This Trader Joe’s as moved to 1920 Queen Anne Avenue N.

It will be sad to say good-​bye to Trader Joe’s at this location (I believe, the original storefront), as it’s been relatively easy to pop in and out for its neighbors in the densely populated upper south slopes of Queen Anne (Highland northward).
Some of the employees here are among the nicest people in the world, and it’s been a pleasure exchanging pleasantries with them. In fact, I’ve had better, albeit on-​the-​fly conversations with them than with many of my friends.
But as Trader Joe’s popularity has soared – some would say, to the detriment of shopping there – , I’m sure the pressure on store employees has increased, especially as it appears that the new location on Queen Anne will turn it into a supermarket (the other dinosaur for comparison would be the 17^th & Madison store).
The new location is in an ugly block-​long brick shopping mall building but has three times the space, I’m told.
A neighborhood grocery, not a supermarket, with quality, interesting semi-​specialty foods is what has made Trader Joe special. I’m sure the new storefront will offer a wider range of products, but I’ve been happy with the selection here. And I don’t need two dozen varieties of pasta of all shapes…

It’s literally the smallest TJ’s in Seattle, and if I remember correctly one of the employees told me it’s the smallest in the country. But I always kind of expect Trader Joe’s to be cramped and packed with people making it hard for me to reach my bag of plantain chips — I never paid much attention to the size. (TWSS*)
Like any TJ’s, they always have what you need unless they don’t. For instance, dried mangoes disappeared last fall but they’re back now. And today I learned that frozen mashed sweet potatoes are done for the season (this actually breaks my heart). They do have wine (a lot) and beer (a little), but they don’t have liquor like other locations — again because of the size.
And it wouldn’t be Trader Joe’s without a «parking situation.» It’s as if corporate HQ has a goal to make parking at a Trader Joe’s store as difficult and perilous as possible. The store on Capitol Hill has a windy parking garage that threatens each vehicle with scrapes and dings. But this store’s parking perils involve dodging shoppers as they exit the store and waiting in a line to turn sharply into a teeny-​tiny parking spot. It will be a test of your mettle, but so far I have parked in their itty-​bitty parking lot without incident. Looks like Seattlites are pretty good when it comes to parking. Go us.
Do I recommend this place? Yeah. It’s my main grocery jam and I pretty much plan my diet around things I can buy here. I can buy high (er) quality foods cheaply and that’s really all I care about. I’ll even squeeze into an itsy-​bitsy parking spot to get it.
* That’s what she said.

I was driving around Queen Anne (or more accurately, lost in Queen Anne) and I came across this Trader Joe’s. I wondered how it could be that I had never been there before. I saw some room in their parking lot, which is unheard of in other locations and decided to stop in for a few staples.
I like that this one looks small but seemed to have everything I needed. There were many staff members around but there seemed to be less customers than I’m used to which made for a pleasant shopping experience.
I got everything I needed, didn’t have to worry about backing into anyone in the parking lot, and even had time to run to one of my favorite bakeries a few blocks away. Sweet!

I know the store is small, but I kind of love it. It’s a Queen Anne gem. The people are very helpful, especially in the wine department. It’s got a shockingly large selection for such a small store.
As much as I love this store, I can’t give it 5 stars because there have been two different occasions in the last 4 months that I have bought items and brought them home, only to find they were already going bad. (Cheese starting to mold, English muffins= same problem)
I would suggest this store to anyone– just check over that your food with a careful eye!

Love this store.
Stacie is always so pleasant and friendly!
Just got back from your new Queen Anne location.
The store is awesome AND Stacie is too!

I def’ like the TJ on Madison better… but this one is nicely located to SPU on the side of the hill of Queen Anne…
I just have to say… my newest discovery… their deliciously smelling body butter that has me melted!!! It smells as good as it works. so lusciously on my skin lol
This is a lot smaller than the other locations, but again, it is convenient for a quick pick me up stuff… but I have to say, their parking lot sucks. It’s like a one way and it’s rather inconvenient.
But they’re nice people. Store closes at 9 daily. Yay!

So I love Trader Joes, have for a while. I love the convenience of their products, sauces, frozen meals, mixes, etc. I love their staff and the wonderful friendly service you can always expect. They make shopping enjoyable and easy. This Trader Joes is no different. There is a very small parking lot that you can generally find a spot at. Their is a demonstration stand. There are quality employees and products. My only pet peeves with this TJs is it is a really small store. It can get crowded and there are items that I don’t think they carry like other TJs. They also run out of some items. But it is a great, quaint grocery store for the Upper Queen Anne neighborhood!

Still as small as last time I visited LOL. But, the new one will be large based on the rough wooden structure.
Anyway, they were either out or didn’t stock the greek yogurt guac and now that I have visited recently renovated TJ’s, I noticed the significantly lacking yogurt and drink selection along with a couple other things that the larger locations stock. If you weren’t a typical TJ shopper, you might not really notice/​care/​pay attention.
The parking lot is still as miniscule as before as well.
Yummy samples… except the one day we went which had yucky samples haha.
The prices are still awesome!
But, as this review and last show, I like TJ’s consistency. They stocked most of their new products I have seen. But, I have gotten spoiled lately with larger TJ’s locations so this is still a baby one.

I love Trader Joe’s for their great selection of non-​GMO, preservative-​free prepared foods. I often buy their bag of organic lemons or container of organic basil. Their nuts and dried fruit make a tasty on-​the-​go snack. Sometimes they have the most awful things too. Absolutely none of their Korean food is authentic or good. But most of the time, I am very happy with what I purchase, I come back for more and I don’t have to worry too much about the content of their prepared foods. It’s a weekly hit!

I got the mac & cheese there the other day and my life hasn’t been the same since. It’s all i want to eat and I’ll have my casket filled with it when I die.
Fact: The samples at the sample table rule almost every time.
I wish their beer was cold but it’s a great selection

What’s not to love!
My Loves:
Any Coffee here but I loves Dark French Roast!
Original Savory Thins! Sooo addicting!

This has to be one of the smallest Trader Joe’s ever constructed. It also has one of the worst parking lots.
Sorry, there is no way to sugar-​coat these short comings. One of nice things about shopping at Trader Joe’s has always been their selection of produce, breads, wines and their employees. The folks who work here make it fun and they are all great bunch. Because of it’s size however, they just do not have a full selection of products.
By comparison, the one is the U District is very large and has an almost spacious parking lot. The one in Ballard is even bigger and could fit several of the Queen Anne size stores inside it. I love the area, but… just another reason to go to Ballard when we visit.

The parking lot here is pretty tight, so the best time to go would be first thing in the morning on the weekend. Also, it’s good to go first thing in the morning because that’s when the store is fully stocked.
As with all TJs, the produce can be hit or miss, especially the bananas. The store itself is pretty small, and can get pretty uncomfortable when it’s busy inside i.e. not much room to maneuver around. If you can at all help it, don’t grab a cart, and just carry your stuff around in a basket.
The staff are pretty nice and helpful if you need help finding what you need.
Don’t forget to bring your own bag!

Here are a dozen of my favorite items, exclusively from Trader Joe’s.
1. Trader Joe’s Gnocchi Alla Sorentina (better than restaurant gnocchi!)
2. Trader Joe’s Chili Pepper Sauce (tastes exactly like taco bell sauce)
3. Trader Joe’s Cookie Butter (try it and you’ll know why it’s in my top 3)
4. Trader Joe’s Marinated Artichokes
5. Trader Joe’s Salsa Especial
6. Trader Joe’s Steel Cut Oatmeal
7. Trader Joe’s Vanilla Creamer
8. Trader Joe’s Almond Biscotti
9. Trader Joe’s Yogurt Covered Pretzels
10. Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Ice Cream
11. Trader Joe’s Heart of Palms
12. Zico Chocolate Coconut Water (not exclusive but it does cost 50% less than Whole Foods!)
Needless to say, I’m a Trader Joe’s addict. In fact it was one of my preliminary requirements before moving to a new city. I must have a Trader Joe’s or it’s just not going to work. Good thing Seattle was well equipped on that front!

A nice change from the TJ’s in Capitol Hill/​CD. With a big open-​air parking lot this grocery store is already much better than the one in Capitol Hill. In fact it’s bigger on the inside as well. So you get more treats, more samples and more cool chalkboard drawings.
I still tend to shy away from produce and bread here as I’ve gotten better elsewhere but the frozen foods, the pre-​packed fresh foods, the cheese selection, the wine and various other canned goods are hard to beat. Definitely a great store if you live nearby. Especially if you’re single! Cooking for one is easy with TJs. Just try not to be tempted by the sweet treats near the register. They’re so good but not so good for you.

Traffic jams in the surface lot and traffic jams inside the store caused by terrible layout.
A very frustrating shopping experience.
DO NOT COME HERE!

Yes, Trader Joe’s is awesome. I don’t know what I would do without it.
This location isn’t big but it doesn’t need to be, because it is a neighborhood store. Parking is simple, you might just have to wait for someone to leave for an open spot when it’s busy.
I really like the frozen section-​a different layout than most. I feel like they actually have a bigger selection too. Some new items to look for-​mushroom ravioli and onion rings, oh my!
And if you don’t buy wine an beer from Trader Joe’s, well, I can’t help you. You are beyond hope.
Returns? No questions, no hassle, no problem.
Just don’t buy vegetables here. For some reason, they go bad very, VERY quickly. Everything else is great.

When Joe decided to trade, the Queen Anne location is exactly what he had in mind. Or so I’d like to think… This is by far my favorite Trader Joe’s in the Seattle area and here’s why:
* This is your neighborhood grocery store. No, like literally an in-​a-​neighborhood grocery store. Other TJ’s tend to be located in more commercialized areas but for what Trader Joe’s sells, this one seems the very appropriately located.
* Layout is efficient with the freezer section being against the wall which means the frozen goodness is at eyelevel, rather than being hunchbacked over in frozen cases having no idea people are waiting for you to move.
* The store is small, quaint, and charming.
* I feel like hanging out with the cashiers who work here — down to earth people you enjoy chatting with.
So what if the parking lot is small — big deal! If you can’t find parking on first try just count to 10 and someone will pull out of a stall and your problem is solved. People move in and out of there constantly.
The Queen Anne location just makes me HAPPY every time I go there:)
All in all, I’m the biggest Trader Joe’s fan at any location trying some of the tastiest ethnic foods which make you feel more worldly than you probably are, their organic options for a price which puts Wholefoods to shame, and their focus on healthy living which I can always appreciate. They are not going to hit the mark on everything but for most of their products, I could not praise Joe and his trading self enough.
Forever yours TJ,
Tanya
P.S Check out the Ice Cream Bön Bons — they are worth a Trader Joe’s trip alone!

What is not to like about this store? Other than the Real Change people outside or the people picketing about products made in Israel.
The employees really like it when you give them a challenge like, «get all my groceries in one bag and you get a high five.» Seriously, try it.
I heart Trader Joes.