Trader Joe’s

I love this place! It has super affordable food that is both unique and pretty healthy. (And honestly, what more could you possibly want from a grocery store.)
The coolest thing to me is the fact that they will let you sample pretty much anything you want. All you have to do is head the back, where at least one employee will be handing out a feature sample which usually includes a portion of hot meal, some kind of juice or cider, tea, and coffee. Anything you want, they’ll head in the back and let you try it.

Great smaller grocery store. I love their seasonal items and salads.

Awesome selection! Great prices. Clean store and bathrooms. Very friendly staff. Glad we decided to stop at this store. We are fans of trader joes in general but this one is great! Wish it were closer to our home because we would visit this one all the time! Even if it’s out of your way you should check out this shop.

i lover Trader Joe’s.The ice cream is sooooooo good! The fruit are fresh always:)

This is a great Trader Joe’s location! TJ’s is by far my favorite place to get groceries. It’s small and cozy and has a vibrant atmosphere. The employees are unfailingly nice and helpful! (I always leave in a better mood than before I arrived. How many stores you can say that about?)
I have found that the produce for sale can be a bit riper than I would like, and that I need to use it up more quickly than I am used to, such as lemons, apples, and kiwis.
They have a great selection of squash right now. It’s also the perfect place to stop in a hurry to buy last minute flowers for someone special.
For my fellow Paleo eaters, they have almond flour at about half the price of the products at Wegman’s or other grocery stores. That’s a big plus for me because I cook with it often.

Is this a dream? A Trader Joe’s with NO lines or hustle and bustle??! This one is clean, spacious, and NOT exasperatingly crowded like the ones in California. Service is still friendly and casual. All the usual Trader Joe food items are here: wonderful selection of cheese (how I’ve been craving Parmesan), garlic hummus, almond crunches, delectable snacks! The only thing that’s missing is the large selections of wine and 2 buck chucks. But that’s because of a silly state law. I traveled far for this, but it was well worth it because this TJ brings back the familiar tastes of home without the busy atmosphere!

As with any trader joe’s, it’s a bright and very pleasant place to shop. I like to pick up funky appetizers and dips for company here, or grab fruit to bring to work. The fruit here is usually really decent. The thing I like most about this store (and this company) is that employees seem happy to be there. Not in that fake, «my manager’s watching so I have to smile» kind of way, but genuinely happy. It makes you feel like a part of something good when you shop there.
Only complaint? The line can really build up and it can take a while for backup to arrive and open another register. Tragic? No. Annoying when I am buying a single piece of fruit and need to get to work? Yeah, a little. All in all, though, great place.

This trader joes is tiny! That point aside, there is always something yummy here. I wouldn’t do regular grocery shopping here but when in need of something unique, this spot always has something good.
Plus, the samples are awesome! I tried one of the mini tacos and just had to get a box.

One of the best things about shopping here is the staff. Every employee is eager to please. It’s not like other local groceries where you may ask a question and hear ‘I don’t know. Take it up front and get it scanned’ Or ‘That might be in aisle 12, but don’t quote me.’ Then they stand there looking at you.
Downsides? The prices are a little high, but the items are unique so it’s hard to compare. Not many staples… I wanted mayonnaise and could only find dairy and egg free stuff.
Back to the upsides. I am willing to pay a little more merely for the customer service… trust me, it’s outstanding. I asked someone in produce how an apple tasted. It was a variety I had never heard of. She immediately tore open the bag, walked me to the sample area, and cut one open. You will not find an employee who doesn’t represent the store well.
There are many options for vegetarians, vegans, gluten watchers, etc. I was able to pick up some deli meat that didn’t have added nitrates/​nitrites. Normally, I do not allow myself to eat deli meat because of the additives. Just walk through and you will find a lot of things that you want to try. Last time I went in for some organic sweet potato chips and walked out with a cart full of food.
No stupid store card you have to carry around. Also, if you bring at least one reusable bag, you can enter into a weekly drawing for a store gift certificate.

I am tired of store cards (Wegmans), surly employees (Weiss), shenanigans (Giant, Weiss), so this is my new go-​to grocery store. it is not as big, but when you want to get dinner party food or interesting food, or just staples, it serves.
the only down side is the irrepressible humor of the workers, and it’s small size and limited selection, if you know what I mean. The stores farther away are a little better, but this one does very nicely, and thank you very much.

Pleasant new discovery.
I love trader joe’s. They have so many healthy food there at such cheap price. It helps me a lot to stay on a gluten free vegan diet because I can find great variety of options.
The customer service is good, very fair price. What a joyful place. Love love love

Love Trader Joe’s!
So I must express my happiness of having one within 40 miles now. This Trader Joes is pretty nice, and lacks the massive crowds found in the DC and West Coast TJ’s which makes the trip a little more relaxing. The staff here are always willing to assist you, and are all very polite. It’s great to be able to get fresh avocados as well as quality frozen foods without all the preservatives and additives. The drink selection is wonderful as well. We love the Green Plant Juice, Kettle Brewed Tea, and Aloe Vera Juice.
Sadly the only downfall is the lack of wine (which is always so cheap)… but I can’t blame TJ’s for that. Good old PA liquor laws.

Trader Joe’s is awesome. It makes you feel good as soon as you walk in.
I usually get the peanut/​almond butters (unsalted, crunchy) and produce. This is about 15 minutes from my house yet I make it a few times a month.
Staff is super friendly and the store itself is geared towards Penn State, definitely a must see/​visit.

4 stars = Yay! I am a fan! Yeah, that about sums it up.
Tip: Peruse the frozen items slowly and methodically. There are treasures to be discovered. I am a fan of the mochi (mango and green tea flavors), garlic naan, orange chicken, kung pao chicken, arugula pizza, margherita pizza, mushroom & black truffle flatbread, organic jasmine rice and brown rice that cooks up in 3 mins in the microwave, korean short ribs… and so much more! Oh yeah, the snack foods selection is also pretty fantastic.
What is not to like about having a TJ’s in State College? Oh yeah… the lack of wine but don’t let current PA liquors laws discourage you; as with every TJ’s this is still a great place to shop.

I am a Trader Joe’s fan and have been shopping at them since I was kid. That being said, I am so bummed that PA alcohol laws ruin one of my favorite parts about Trader Joe’s in State College. That’s okay though! Because this Trader Joe’s is brand spankin’ new the experience is above and beyond that of the older ones I’ve been to back home. The produce is cheap cheap cheap compared to Wegman’s and the options for just about everything are significantly more appealing (organic, grass fed, uncured, no preservatives, etc.) Unfortunately, I can’t do my entire week’s worth of shopping because they just don’t have some of the stuff I can get at Wegman’s. That being said, I spend a lot less at Wegman’s now that TJ’s is in town!
Some staples: TJ’s unsweetened coconut milk, kerrygold unsalted butter, TJ’s uncured bacon, chocolate almond bark, coconut chips, microwavable jasmine rice packets and their organic navel oranges are my FAVORITE!
PS their flowers are super cheap ! And every time you bring in a reusable bag you get to enter your name in the raffle. They do a drawing twice a week for a $ 25 TJ gift card! How awesome is that?

The main reason I’m a fan of Trader Joe’s is for the alcohol… so PA laws mean that this will never be my favorite TJ’s. But that aside, it’s a nice BIG store. The aisles are a good bit wider with more space between than my TJ’s in Georgia.
They were a little low on produce, and they didn’t stock some of the items that I wanted to tell my BFF about, but all in all, a great store.
I recommend the frozen Indian items (Chicken Tikka Masala, Palak Paneer, Tandoori Naan, Garlic Naan), the peanut satay sauce, the Ends and Pieces (fruit leather, but the weird edge pieces so it’s cheaper), the frozen rice (why would you ever take the time to make rice the old fashioned way?!), the coconut milk in cartons, the cultured coconut milk (yogurt made from coconut milk), and the Quiche.
Don’t forget to stop by the counter for free samples! Our recent delights have included the butternut squash soup, the olive oil and french bread, and the grape juice.

Finally, a Trader Joe’s in State College!
I know what you’re thinking, and yes, I’ve been around the block a time a two — this is NOT your mothers supermarket. TJ’s is the embodiment a streamlined, quality supermarket products and near wholesales prices. Sound fishy? Yeah, I thought so too. Then I did a bit of reading.
Turns out, TJ’s business model absolutely rocks. They source and rebrand mostly everything in the store to be TJ’s brand. Again, maybe you’re absentmindedly shaking your head staring at your computer like a crazy person, but I can assure you — this is high quality stuff we’re talking about here. Cheeses, breads, flowers, juice, eggs, bacon, chicken, etc. all of it has been carefully selected and priced well.
Have I mentioned the FREE SAMPLES?! Back corner of the store. My advice, go straight there. Chat up the food slinger, and embark on your first or most recent TJ’s culinary experience.
In summary, this is where you will shop next. I guarantee it.

Great new grocery store! They sell unique items that are very tasty. The only downside is that the store is quite small and I don’t see myself doing all my grocery shopping here. It’s more of a place where you would get those different items for a unique dinner.
For those who don’t enjoy cooking, they do have a wide variety of frozen dishes that taste much better than similar frozen dinners you would buy at a grocery store from a name brand – they’re also very easy to make.
The prices are also much cheaper than I thought they were. This was the first Trader Joe’s I shopped at and I had a preconceived notion that all specialty stores like Trader Joe’s would be expensive. There were even some things that were cheaper here than at local grocery stores (including Walmart).
Overall, I would shop again at Trader Joe’s for the unique items and relatively low prices. However, I can’t see myself making it my weekly go-​to-​grocery-​store. But more of a store to go to when I want something different.

Wow. After god knows how many years, they finally have opened a Trader Joe’s in the middle of Pennsylvania aka the middle of nowhere. Now, I normally don’t ever go to Trader Joe’s because there’s this place called Whole Foods, but when compared to every other place in State College, Trader Joe’s has single handedly taken the throne away from Wegmans. The only downside is that this place is kind of small, and it doesn’t sell what I love most at Trader Joe’s: Charles Shaw wine. Damn you Pennsylvania and not allowing me access to my 2 Buck Chuck.
Trader Joe’s has opened up in a brand new shopping center. It currently shares it’s space with Pier One and another empty building. Fittingly, this center is named after Trader Joe’s. Now if you’re unfamiliar with Trader Joe’s, it is pretty much a cheaper Whole Foods, but with only Trader Joe’s branded goods. From produce, to meats, and even all your snacks/​drinks, they are all Trader Joe’s brand. Thankfully, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. For the most part, the Trader Joe’s branded good are pretty decent. On the regular, I end up buying their fruit ice bars which I think are just amazing. The branded juice and breads aren’t half bad either. Towards the back, you’ll find a nice spot where you can sample their food.
The sad thing is of course the lack of alcohol. I know Trader Joe’s can’t be held accountable for that, but no trip to Trader Joe’s is complete without a case of cheap wine. In my opinion, this location is a little on the small side. It has a decent amount of stuff, but the produce/​fruit section is quite small. There are just enough frozen goods, and about half the store is dedicated to non-​perishable goods. Well, Trader Joe’s you have just won my business for the next 6 months that I will be here in State College. After that, I will return to a real city and be reunited with my buddy Whole Foods.

Hooray Finally opened!
Seriously, what’s not to love? Above average quality food at reasonable prices.
Trader Joe’s has a definite formula and standard and the State College location is no exception.
Customer service is always excellent, there are product samples at the back of the store (who doesn’t love a free sample!) and an amazingly diverse selection of nuts, salads, meats, cheeses and just basically anything under the sun. I especially loved the frozen food section but would warn against the produce (it’s pretty mediocre). The only bummer is the absence of beer, wine and spirits (since TJ’s on a whole tends to stock pretty stellar wines) but that has more to do with silly PA laws and less to do with the awesomeness of TJ’s.
Shop on!