Trader Joe’s

Ok so the Trader Joes organic whole milk is problematic. Only a few brands won’t froth up for cappuccinos and this is one of them. What that means most of the time is that there is some additive to the milk. What a sham!
Wherever you are getting your milk for your brand is scamming you or well I won’t accuse you directly but buyer beware.

If in the area I stop by as they do have great prices, but never make a special trip. This trader Joe’s does not have wine :(I like many of their products that are in the freezer, cans or boxed. I find their produce isn’t the freshest and doesn’t stay long. Not a fan of their meat department either. I buy many of the freezer stuff for my working family to grab and microwave at work instead of the usual sandwich. They have great prepared frozen foods that are quick and easy in Italian, Indian and Oriental cuisine. Organic brown rice in the freezer, I always stock up on. Mango dessert bars are so good. The place is clean and the staff is very helpful.

TJ’s is not Whole Foods and it’s thankfully not trying to be. ’cause Whole Foods – kinda pricey.
It’s also not necessarily a place to complete your weekly grocery shopping – unless maybe if you live in or are otherwise already in the neighborhood. Nor is it a place to compare brands since selection is pretty much limited to one offering of anything, very often the store’s own.
But it definitely is a small and relaxed place to buy much of what you need in addition to (healthy, organic, vegetarian, etc.) specialty items and some surprisingly good tasting (and seasonally rotating) frozen and prepared foods (This from someone who eats very little frozen and prepared foods…) at very good prices. Cashiers are friendly and personable as well.
It somehow also always strikes me a bit like a place wherein a sitcom would set a random potentially romantic first encounter – like two people reaching for the same jar of shelf stable clarified butter attempting to bond over their Franchese recipes.
–I’m making chicken. You?
–I’m vegetarian so, yeah, artichoke hearts.
–Oh, you’re vege – um, uh… I’ve never heard of using artichokes. Hey, listen, I really need to get to marinated meats, so…
Well, okay, that didn’t go well.
But that’s just my (slightly pessimistically skewed) outlook at play; I’m not saying that ever actually happened…
And I see I’ve digressed…
Anyway, a recent frozen sweet potato gnocchi was excellent and (somehow) took about six or seven minutes in a sauce pan (with just a few tablespoons of water) from start to finish. Was like magic…
A penne in roasted red pepper sauce was similarly good.
And though I’m very squeamish about vegetarian versions of meat products, browned in a skillet with a little olive oil, TJ’s own brand of Italian sausage subs real nicely for hotdogs, if that’s the kind of thing that might work for you.
Red Bank-​adjacent, it gives me another reason to drive down from Sayreville every month or so.
For those who haven’t been, it’s certainly worth exploring to see what needs of yours it meets, but especially to see what it offers that you didn’t know you need.

This Thanksgiving my boyfriends boss gave us a DELICIOUS BLUEBERRY PIE! I’m now a loyal customer. Fresh ingredients and PERFECT pie crust!!!

I live in Toms River and travel to Shrewsberry about twice a month just to shop here. Their prices are great and everything is healthy with a lot of organic options.
but please please please put a Trader Joe’s in ocean county! Point Pleasant would be great a place.
If they don’t, I’ll still make the trip. The staff is friendly and we always leave knowing that we got good healthy food at a very reasonable price.

Good variety of unique heat n eat food items, much better than frozen entrees you’d get in a regular supermarket. Good produce at great prices. The frozen chicken (orange glazed and teriyaki) is BEYOND GROSS, it should be called frozen gristle. Yuck, I’m surprised they sell it. I wouldn’t even give it to my dog.

Trader Joes is great for certain things. They have an excellent California protein bread, for instance. Their bagged greens, like shredded cabbage, shredded Brussels sprouts, baby kale, etc are great. They have really delicious salad dressings. I could never use them as my main grocery store, but I go there every other week for select items. The help is super friendly, too.

I went to college in Philadelphia, and live in Manhattan now. In comparison to Trader Joe’s in those cities, the Shrewsbury location is a dream. I mean, seriously. I once came in on a Saturday and had my pick of checkout registers – no line. It’s very pleasant shopping without hopping over other customers, or searching for the tail of the checkout line that wraps around the store.
When I have the opportunity to come here, I usually end up having to go to the ACME across the street to pick up a few more ingredients. As others have mentioned, this isn’t a full-​service grocer. For example, they did not have the radishes that I needed for the recipe.
In any case, I think Trader Joe’s is great. The employees here are very friendly and the quality is high.

Prices you can’t beat. Love the refrigerated soups, just wish they had them year round.
I had to stop buying produce here as the quality in the last year has declined. On a number of occasions I have brought food home to find that it was already bad but because of packaging you can’t tell in the store.
They need to bring back the 15 items or less aisle. With a number of office buildings in walking distance many people go to just pick up a few items around lunch time only to get stuck checking out behind people with full carts.

I am in love with this store! I can found any and everything I need!!! Even the international food you can find it in that store!!! Very welcoming people the always have a nice smile on the faces!!!
Salad is amazing and the price is more than great. A+ thank you all

Cookie butter. Frozen French onion soup. Rice noodles. Cheese. Produce.
Yes. Some things are expensive, but some are marginally cheaper. Produce is fresh and the cookie butter is ridiculous.

I love Trader Joe’s. This one is always well stock and the workers are friendly. I don’t like the layout of the store (e.g. the snack aisles are split into two different areas), but that won’t stop me from coming.

As others have mentioned Trader Joes is not a full grocery store that will meet all your shopping needs. Also, this particular location does not have alcohol like Three Buck Chuck, which is a bummer.
However, overall Trader Joes is great. The three things that set this place apart are:
Speed: Rather than spending an hour or more at a supermarket, you can get out of Trader Joes in usually under 20 minutes.
Customer Service: This Shrewsbury chain, as well as other Trader Joes I have visited, have great customer service. The staff, particularly the cashiers will actually talk to you in pleasant manner and are very helpful with bagging your groceries and even making recommendations for food pairings, etc.
Frozen Food: I’ve noticed that Trader Joes has excellent frozen entrees. I particularly like their frozen Indian food and frozen brown rice and pasta. Unlike other frozen items, their frozen food actually tastes fresh and good.

Came here for some quick pita/​flat bread and the bread was more for dipping than for a falafel, which is what I was looking for. The store is laid out a bit confusingly. But the service at the checkout was really nice.

I don’t buy all my groceries at Trader Joe’s. But when I do, they’re good ones.
TJ’s is not a full-​on grocery store, so if you’ve heard a some hype and as a result expect the most amazing grocery store, with every type of every thing, you will be disappointed. What TJ’s *is* is, a unique type of grocery store. It’s a little crunchy, being for those of us who want organics, and naturals, and hormone– and antibiotic-​free and, ideally, sustainable. It is also small. That means it has less than a bigger grocery store would. It has a lot of fresh, prepared foods, so it’s a good place to grab a lunch-​to-​go or heat-​and-​eat dinner and, while you’re there, you can indeed grab some milk or bananas or other mid-​week grocery stop needs. The produce is nicer, and cheaper, than at my traditional grocery store. The frozen items are pretty awesome, better quality than the industrial food found in a typical grocery store’s freezers, have more gourmet ingredients, and yet are also, somehow, cheaper. They have an entire aisle of dried fruits and nuts — far more than you’ll find at a regular grocery store — and the prices on these are great. So, TJ’s is also a destination for stocking up items like this, or the frozen foods, or organic meats which are literally non-​existent at my grocery store (so I can’t do a full grocery shop at my regular store). They have some household cleaning and paper products, cheaper than at your regular grocery store but more limited selection (which to me is actually good) and more eco-​friendly options.
This TJ’s is close to the same size as all other TJ’s I’ve been in in NJ. The layout allows a bit more room to navigate with your carts than traditional grocery stores.
Other TJ’s also sell wine and beer; this one does not, which is one big bummer, but that’s not up to TJ’s, as far as I know, it’s up to the township.
The staff here is friendly, cheerful, helpful, and good at bagging. Bring your own bags and be entered into a weekly raffle for a $ 25 TJ’s gift card as a reward for your earth-​loving ways.

Since this particular location is down the street from work, I think it is a great place to run in and get a salad and some fruit for lunch to take back to the office. As a grocery store on the other hand, I really don’t get what all the fuss is about. I don’t think it is realistic that you can do all of your shopping here and really don’t see the benefit to driving to a Trader Joe’s if you have a Wegmans or something near by. I’ve heard a lot about this place and it certainly doesn’t live up to the hype.
I do have to give them one compliment though, I’ve been to this location twice and every time the staff, particularly the cashiers, has been incredibly friendly and make you feel welcome.
Bottom Line: If you’re in the area and need to pick up an item or two, it’s great, but I would never drive out of my way to shop to here.

Love Trader Joes. I was really happy when this place opened in Monmouth County. It cut my driving time to half when they opened. The place is very nice and bright. Staff is friendly. I’ve been to other Trader Joes where if a new product comes in, they would have a sign under the new product that says it’s a new product. I am always looking for new products to try at Trader Joes and love that idea. But, this store doesn’t do that. Otherwise, it’s a great store!

First off, let me start by stating that this location does not sell booze! Wine is the primary draw for Trader Joes. Very cheap wine prices in the locations that do sell booze. People go there and leave with cases! Now if you are a wine snob (you are probably a douche) there may not be what you are looking for, but if you are a regular table wine person, then you will love it! Trader Joes is not going to be for your every day grocery shopping. They just don’t have the selection. What they do have is well priced and their own brand products are pretty good. Their coffee is excellent. If you are not someone that likes to cook, their frozen dishes are pretty good for frozen! Priced right too! Check the back of the store, there are usually samples given out and there is free coffee too!!!

I guess I just don’t understand all of the hoopla over Trader Joe’s. For years I have been hearing how great they are. Yesterday I stopped into this Trader Joe’s for the very first time. My conclusion is that the hype of this place was much bigger than its bite. Essentially every department within this store is lack luster. I can’t possibly imagine how I could be expected to shop here without having to go some place else afterwards to finish my shopping.
The place is just way too small in every way. I want to echo what Chrissy C. said in her earlier review — The former occupant of this space, Fuji, deserves a lot of props. I ate in Fuji on many occasions and this place looked so much bigger when they were here. Somehow Fuji was able to maximum its space and make the location look huge while Trader Joe’s has failed in that task. The place just looks small small small.
Anyway, obviously my visit to the legendary Trader Joe’s didn’t impress me and I find it hard to understand the rationale for ever shopping here when I have a Super Foodtown down the street and a Wegmans and a Whole Foods in relatively close driving distance.
I doubt I will be back.

After much anticipation, we have a Trader Joe’s in Monmouth county. Before this store opened a few weeks ago, the closest TJ’s were in Princeton and Westfield. So now, in Monmouth county, you are pretty much guranteed to have 5 grocery stores within a 5 – 6 mile radius of your house.
Anyway, I had never been to a Trader Joe’s before this one, but I know people go wild for some of their products. So one day after making my weekly trip to Wegman’s (in Ocean, I don’t have the patience for the Mega-​Weg in Woodbridge) and ShopRite, I came back out to visit Joe.
Okay, well, #1 the parking lot sucks. I used to work in this shopping complex as a summer job, and it used to be virtually empty. Now it’s packed to the gills and it backs up 35 during peak times. #2 The store is A LOT smaller than I anticipated… I guess Fuji was strategic in their set-​up, because it certainly didn’t seem this small when I ate there. The aisles are narrow, and as is typical of MonCo, people leave their carts in the middle of any sort of pathway. Enter shopping cart bumper cars!
Produce selection… no way. Wegman’s, Whole Foods and even ShopRite are FAAAAR superior. Skip this.
Dairy case… interesting flavors of hummus, loads of cheese varieities, their own brand of greek yogurt (which is cheaper than Fage or Chobani, but I have yet to try). This was a plus!
The aisles are full of staples, snacks and frozen foods. They have a lot of interesting, unique and quirky products. Most are their own, in-​house brand (sometimes customized to reflect the food ie Trader Giotto’s is the Italian line of pasta sauces, Trader Jose for the Mexican/​Spanish stuff). They have a whole bulk aisle too. It was too crowded, I skipped. I did pick up some veggie burgers (Masala flavor, SUPER tasty!) and frozen broccoli. Good prices on frozen stuff.
Their pre-​marinated meats seemed pricey… but they are everywhere. They only had salmon as far as fish goes… and it looked really questionable. So, thumbs down on the meat section.
I guess Trader Joes is pretty cool for being an indie-​type grocery store… but I think it’s way over-​hyped. I’d rather split my shopping budget between Whole Foods and Wegman’s, since Trader Joe’s seems to be an amalgamation of the two.