Dayum! Never thought I'd leave a review for a Trader Joe's, but this holiday season I have been slain. I have been a long time fan of Trader Joe's off-beat and inexpensive items. A box of cereal for $1.99? Sign me up! Edamame already cooked and microwave ready? Yes please. The produce section leaves something to be desired, but if you're careful you really can do all of your grocery shopping at Trader Joe's and let bygones be bygones. They even sell beer, wine, and liquor, which is a rarity for Massachusetts grocery stores. What more can you reasonably want. All of those things merited the four star review that I never felt motivated to write. But now, for the first time ever, I have discovered the Trader Joe's holiday cookies -- and there is that extra star. The Candy Cane Joe Joes and the white chocolate fudge dipped gingerbread men, the maple cookies, you name it... a roommate of mine bought some of their seasonal winter cookies to share, and my mind is blown. The candy cane joe joes are like lighter fluffier mint oreos with little chunks of crunchy peppermint; the gingerbread cookies are spicy and sweet at the same time; the maple leafs are rich and tasty. Give me a choice between a bag of potato chips and a box of cookies, and I'll take the potato chips most days -- just not seasonal cookie time at Trader Joe's. I will be stocking up for the year to come; hopefully I'll be able to exercise the self restraint that will make them last through the summer. read more

MY FAVORITE PLACE TO BUY GROCERY'S! If I didn't have Trader Joe's in my life, I think my kitchen would be an empty barren place of nothing.. For those vegetarians out there, they have a wide selection of meat alternatives. I'm especially grateful for their tofu spinach rolls (in the frozen foods section) and their dried apple rings. FYI- If you bring your own bags to transport food in, they enter your name into a hat to win free food. It's great! read more

I love Trader Joe's, but please quit forcing your cashiers comment on one thing in your basket or cart. It's so phony and cheesy. I know it's part of the company strategy to encourage customer/employee dialogue and pump up a customer's excitement about buying roasted seaweed snacks, but it's annoying and fake. One of these days I'm going to purchase just toilet paper and prunes, and see what fun mandatory product comments my product selection can solicit from the cashier. read more

I like this location cause I can drive to it and because it has everthing (the closer Boylston street location is a PITA to get to and is super small). However, this store has major drawbacks. If you go on a Saturday or Sunday be prepared for the most annoying parking lot experience of your life. How hard is it, people, to get in and out of your vehicle in an efficient manner? Inside the store it doesn't get any better. Old people are endlessly confused, the yuppies stop in the middle of the aisle and hold conversations with friends they've run into, people are constantly standing in front of the cheese section for entirely too long, and, as much as I love the TJ employees, they aren't so good at the restocking. Go in the middle of the week, mid-afternoon, and delight yourself with the really good wine selection, cheap prices, and endless selection of tasty frozen food options. Also- don't go if the stupid weather forecasters predict a blizzard- I just needed a couple of things and people were stocking up like they were preparing for the nuclear holocaust. read more

i remember when Builder & Son, co. shut down and a few months later Trader Joe came and open it's doors. It was love at first sight. Since day one it's bright red glowing letters have become my night light, providing me comfort during cold lonely nights as i look out my window across the street. Trader Joe provides me endless amounts of comfort food while helping me watch my weight, with a huge frozen food section that include tofetti, gelato, sorbet as well as quiches and mini gourmet pizzas all at wallet friendly prices. Every Mother's Day, Trader Joe helps me out and provides bouquets, pails and buckets of flowers in all assortment and never for more than $25. This valentine's day they had 6 huge red roses w/ babies breath for $5!!! So here is an ode to Trader Joe. Thank you. Thank you for keeping me comforted with your scrumptious dessert food. thank you for making me eat dried apricots instead of Lay's potato chips and most of all thank you for making me seem like the most thoughtful daughter in the world. I don't know what I'd do with out you. I'm so happy you moved next door. :) read more

Of all the Trader Joe's I've shopped at, this one tops them all, for its grocery selection, shelf arrangement, central location, and ability to blend into its historic Coolidge Corner environs as your friendly neighborhood grocery store despite being a supermarket chain. (Which it doesn't feel like, once you get inside and notice the rough woodwork, the handmade signs and the helpful staff.) I cam get anything I need here -- cereal, orange juice, milk, fruit, vegetables, veggie burgers, peanut butter, jam, tea, coffee, candy, etc. -- at some of the lowest prices and the highest quality (especially those 19-cent bananas!). As specialists in natural, organic and gourmet produce, their prices beat Whole Foods by a mile, enabling me to watch my vegetarian health-food diet and stay on a budget. The free samples of food and coffee actually satiate my hunger and my joe jones (no pun intended)! And once you try their mini-peanut butter cups, you'll never want Reese's again. Ditto for their all-natural chocolate syrup, which puts Hershey's to shame. Their reasonably priced liquor selection includes wonderful Australian table wines. The logical, sequential configuration of the shelves, the large space that allows them ample elbow room from each other, and the one-floor location of everything enable me to find whatever I want quickly without getting lost in a labyrinth and becoming a raging bull like the Minotaur or Jack Nicholson in "The Shining." And if I'm unable to locate something, an employee is always on hand to direct me. The checkout is so efficient, with multiple cashiers so I don't have to wait in line very long, and a 12-items-or-fewer express lane when I'm in a hurry. The front and rear entrances open right out to Beacon Street (almost on the corner) and the rear parking lot, making this Trader Joe's convenient for both T-takers (the Green Line trolley stop is right across the street) and motorists. In fact, this is my favorite supermarket in the entire Boston area. For the best produce at the best prices, Trader Joe's has no foes! read more

The fact that there is even the option of parking is awesome despite the small capacity of about 40-50 cars only but there's a cranky parking guard who helps direct traffic and yells at people to hurry up. You live in a city - that's what happens anywhere with parking. It's still TJ's and this is a pretty decent size one + wine + beer + 2 check out areas (front and back). * Go on weekday mornings if you can - less people. * Monday's is inventory/restocking day so no empty shelves. * Employees are always helpful and know where most of the products are. * 3 buck chuck. Trader Joe's brand wine. Period. * Kale, Leeks, Broccoli tasty bits are pre-washed and pre-cut in a bag ready to go for less than $3 for hippies with little time. * Plenty of delicious snacks to take home with you. * They have 3 sizes of carriers for everyone's shopping needs - standard baskets, baby cart, or big cart. I'm a fan of the baby cart because you can remain swift through the store and carries enough food for your weekly food run. I come all the way from Fenway just to shop here. read more

I live half a mile from this one, and I will gladly pollute the atmosphere and decimate the icebergs to drive the extra mileage to the one on Memorial Drive because: --There is NEVER a good time to shop this one. Believe me, I have tried different permutations of times of day, days of week, T vs car vs bike. No matter the way you choose, you will be fighting clueless, inattentive, or downright aggressive people for aisle space to manoeuvre or hunt for budget brie. --The parking lot sucks whale-wang. This is Brookline, remember. There's no space for anything. And getting in and out onto the road to get on with your day is a tricky proposition, again, because it's always "me first!" in Brookline. And in this case "me" ain't you, Dear Reader. --The cheese turns moldy after two days. This is endemic to nearly every TJ, though. --It's small. Bigger than the one on Boylston by Berklee, though.But you suffer for the selection. For example, I love me my nut/dried fruit mixes, but the ones I love best are at Cambridge because they have the space to carry more of them. And a better prodce selection in Cambridge too. --Where the hell is their coffee grinder? They used to have a sign that it was 15 steps to the right, but I can never find it. They're doing this to screw with my head, I swear... +On the plus side, the staff is really really nice and will approach you if you look like you're seeking something. And the food is cheap. read more

It's all about going at the right time! As in don't go here on the weekend or work days at peek hours. If you do, you will be waiting in a line. Thankfully the line usually moves quickly. I grew up in CT and went to college in VT, so when I moved to Boston, Trader Joe's was new to me. I thought it was awesome! I can still remember the first time I went in there and thought that it was the best place to get some quick frozen meals and snacks. I usually get essentials, i.e. pasta, bread, peanut butter, etc. here as well. Trader Joe's takes items made by other brands and pretty much slaps a new label on it and sells it for less. You can't really go wrong! They have a great wine and beer selection as well, also cheaper than in other places located around the Brookline area. Who can go wrong with two buck chuck! A little story about how the wine became so cheap. This is "the story" I heard, The maker of Charles Shaw "2 buck chuck" becomes rich and decided to start making wine and he was going through a divorce at around the same time. He needed to give his wife something in the divorce. What does he give her, he gave her the proceeds from the wine, which he conveniently priced at two dollars, so she wouldn't be making any money off of it! I don't even know if I believe this story, but it was the first one I heard. Funny thing is two buck chuck is actually 3 dollars in MA. The only this I would not buy at Trader Joe's is produce. I don't like the way the tomatoes come in styrofoam and have cellophane wrap over them, as do many of there vegetables. It's just not right! If you move from a place that doesn't have Trader Joe's you should check it out! For all you city folk, you should already be coming here! read more

I loooooove this Trader Joe's. I'll even got as far as saying it's my favorite. Great wine and beer selection, nice produce and a thorough selection of dry good staples, sauces and fun stuff, too. The location is fantastic and convenient. It's also clean, well-stocked and super organized. As usual, the staff is incredibly friendly and helpful. I often wonder what it is TJ's dies for their employees that motivates such exceptional service. Great place to get your everyday items and a few interesting ones, as well! read more

Yeah yeah - the food is healthy, diverse, affordable, and delicious. The free sample booth is fun and a nice little treat. The staff are adorable and helpful. But I think we all know the real reason I love this place - booze, baby. They have an incredible selection of wine under $10. I've done the research - most of it is decent. Verdict? Trader Joe's = great deals and happy drunken dinnertime. read more

Honestly, I do all my regular shopping here. I seem to get the best prices! $1.99 for a fresh loaf of bread? $1.69 for a pound bag of frozen mangoes?! $0.89 for mac and cheese?!?!?! Yes please! Plus, they have an AMAZING selection of wine and trail mix, two staples in my diet. Just watch out for the little old ladies who can't seem to navigate the aisles with their shopping carts. And remember to bring your own bags to tote your groceries home! read more

I miss this TJ's. I lived in Cleveland Circle for 3 years and worked across the street from this location and let's just say that although the staff didn't necessarily know my name, they all knew me. I was there almost every day. I love too many things that this store has to offer. I have bought large quantities of food here (but never more than you can squeeze into a basket because I had to take the T home) and I've run over here for a sandwich and a Smart Water on my half hour lunch break. To all you complaining about the crowd here: YOU HAVE NO IDEA UNLESS YOU HAVE BEEN TO THE MANHATTAN LOCATION. Think a store the size of the Boylston St. location, with about 80x more people. Ok it's about twice the size of that store, but still, it's insane. Also, I love that this store is able to sell wine with the groceries. At this location I never had a problem with them running out of what I wanted to get, and I didn't have to deal with a checkout line that snaked its way around the entire store (or even on Sundays a line outside just to get in to shop). Working retail in Coolidge Corner for so long, I know what a bitch it is to deal with stereotypical Brookline customers. Just be glad that when they bump you, you can say excuse me and give them THE LOOK rather than having to suck it up and put a smile on your face because you're at work. I'm a big fan of THE LOOK. Often coupled with "you could have just asked me to move." Right now I live in an apartment with a bathroom smaller than many of the strollers you see up and down the aisles and on Beacon St. Anyways, you won't find cheaper milk or cheese or cereal ($2.50 for Kashi GoodFriends!!!) and the frozen food selection is great for people who aren't good cooks like me. Like I said in another review, if you're having a bad day, just buy the little blue bag of Stroopwafels and just take delight in all their caramel goodness and the fact that you are a way better person than whoever bumped you in the frozen meat section. read more

I love this Trader Joe's! The employees are always so friendly and helpful. Gloria may be the sweetest and chicest lady I have ever met. She is a ray of sunshine during this pandemic. read more

Along with the TJ on Memorial Drive in Cambridge, this is the only location that sells booze in our crazy Puritan state. If you're willing to slog it out to Brookline on the green line, it's also much, much larger than the shoebox-sized store on Boylston St. I basically only come here for wine, almond milk, chocolate, and a few el cheapo specialty items. Trader Joe's is definitely not what I would call a one stop grocery store, and it can actually be rather frustrating at times when they're out of what seem like the most basic of foodstuffs (no apple cider vinegar or tortillas, but stack upon stack of canned lychees? WTF?!?) Oh yeah, as others have already mentioned, the clientele at the Brookline location can be annoying as hell. Something about this store seems to send people directly into a lumbering aisle-blocking trance. Despite these negatives, the selection and price range of wine and beer are amazing, and many of the essentials are quite a bit cheaper than Shaws without a lot of the icky preservatives. Definitely worth going out to Coolidge Corner a few times a month. read more

Sooo much better than Star market. Produce is fresh and tasteful. Half the time the organic stuff is the same price as the other produce, making that choice much easier! Things really are less expensive here which I am surprised to admit, but I spend about $50 a week if not less for plenty of food and essentials. Love the frozen section Love that you can buy beer and wine. Love that it's trader joes brand! read more

The parking lot is a hell fire during the times most convenient for most people to go grocery shopping. But shout out to those parking lot guys -- they are the real MVPs. Be nice to them. It will pay off in parking lot karma. However, it's a very small lot -- if you can, just park in a metered spot elsewhere in the neighborhood and walk. Trust me, it's worth the $2.50 and short walk. More importantly: the store. It is tiny. It gets very busy and very crowded. I've found that Tuesday and Saturday nights are great times to go. The building is very handicap accessible, right down to the wide aisles. There are also two different parts of the store you can check out at (front and back). As for the food... I hate shopping anywhere else now. I only discovered TJs the last two years or so. I thought it was just another snooty Whole Foods type store for rich white people. Though some of their products are preeeetty expensive, I'm able to get stuff here for literal dollars less than, say, Stop & Shop. Food for nearly a month cost me all of ~$80-100 and the same trip elsewhere would cost me near $250. PS: if you're into fruits and veggies, don't discount their frozen items. They are HIGH quality. Example: their frozen green beans literally smell farm fresh like they did when I was a kid passing through pastures and road-side farm stands near my home town. Green beans and blueberries are my personal favorites...and are super cheap. Shocker! I'll end with this. Be nice to everyone there.. especially when they're new. Don't fuss over small inconveniences. They work their asses off to keep this place going, as crazy as the crowds get. read more

I come here for a few items and leave with bags upon bags of groceries everytime. I can't help it; the prices, the fresh food, and the variety make it impossible to leave without spending at least $50.00. Oh, Trader Joe, if only you were a real person so that I could hug you. read more

The Grood: - It's not Whole Foods, and I have major (grass-fed, organic) beef with Whole Foods. - It's two skips from my apartment. - FREE SAMPLES! - Every bite of frozen food they sell is delicious. The Horrendous: - This location is so effin' crowded that you cannot fit two average-sized people next to each other in a single aisle, and you are almost FORCED into rear-ending that nice old lady's shopping cart to get to your edamame. - The parking lot gives me aneurysms, and I don't even drive. - The produce section here is pretty iffy. Like really really pretty iffy. Them's the breaks. Don't go on a Saturday afternoon ... or any afternoon, or after 5 pm ... or in the morning ... but otherwise, TJ's is amazing. read more

I like the eccentricity TJ's brings, but the price is relatively high compared to Shaw's or other grocery stores. With that said, they have items that are rare to find anywhere else. The one thing I would get from TJ's: MOCHI ICE CREAM $3.49 - a box of six ice cream pucks, each wrapped around by a thin layer of mochi, or glutinous rice cake. The flavor (strawberry, mango, green tea, or chocolate) takes over your mouth as your bite into it. Let the ice cream melt in your mouth, then what you left with is the chewy, sticky mochi, which is a joy to eat. That's basically what I go to TJ's for. read more

LOVE : I love that they have such cheap plants. I thoroughly enjoy their vanilla almond cereal. I crave their 1 minute microwave Indian rice. I dream about their strawberry juice bars. I go ga-ga over their freshly frozen veggies. 2 dollar bottles of wine? Yes please! Most of all, I love that it is 2 blocks form my house. So easy, so convenient. HATE : The one and only issue I have with this place is that you can't buy individual produce. What if I feel like an avocado in my salad one night? Too bad...at TJ's, you have to buy a bag of 6. (Who can seriously consume that many before they go bad?) Hey, I'd like to make something that requires one, maybe two onions. Nope, Have to buy a bag of 8. I hate that. I also hate their apple/butternut squash soup. Yuck. Bland. No flavor at all. Maybe they should use one of those bags of 8 onions to flavor it up a bit. But overall, 4 stars for food, minus one for the produce issue. Other than that, I love me some Trader Joe's. read more

I'll be honest, I have a love-hate relationship with this place. I love the food, wine, and beer, but I can not stand my fellow patrons. Everyone walks around like a zombie in the cramped aisles, carts banging into people and carts alike, and very rarely do I get an "excuse me," a nod, a "thank you," or even a "sorry." The produce/meat/cheese area is like watching seagulls at the dump. You know what I'm talking about. I'm sorry if you're offended, please don't take it personally. It's probably not you. You're probably one of the smiley/courteous people in there, being the good Yelper that you are. Anyway, it's always packed, and I don't even bother driving over anymore because the parking lot is a disaster area. There's a cop and an attendant, and things still get pretty far out of whack. I don't understand why the meters across the street have suddenly become a no parking zone, but I'll refrain from questioning the will of the nice law enforcement people in this town. What kills me, are the people who drive the wrong way in from the bank parking lot. Don't tell me you don't know better, Mr. I Couldn't Afford a 5 series. Your BMW doesn't give you carte blanch to ignore the rules, dude, despite what they told you at the dealership. Aside from my issues with my fellow Brookline... ians (?), the staff is a joy. Great people all around. They have never been anything but helpful, and often give me recommendations that always end up being home runs. I'm not big on pre-packaged meals or items in general, but what I've tried has been great. The produce selection is somewhat limited, but I don't expect them to have everything I need here. I'm a crazy home cook, I watch way too much Food Network, and I have deep seated culinary love for many styles of cuisine. I can go to Stop and Shop or Whole Foods, if I'm looking for something off-the-wall or mega-organic. They have enough seasonal items to keep me happy, and it's always fresh. I come here for the meat, the booze, and the Trader Joe's branded foodstuffs like hummous, bread, cereal, dumplings, nuts/dried fruit, plus some unique items like greek yogurt, coffee, and naan. All in all, I've saved a small fortune by shopping here and get better product than I would at most other places... if only something could be done about some of the more obnoxious patrons who seem to have forgotten that common courtesy should be a lot more common than it is. read more

Nathan and Jen's Trader Joe's Shopping list: Wine Champagne More wine Smoked Gouda Jarlsberg (2) Mushroom and Truffle Frozen Pizza Table Water Crackers More champagne (1) New York Style Cheescake Pigs-In-A-Blanket Pastries Wine Champagne Guy at the checkout: So, you two having a party? Jen and me: Umm....No...That's just how we roll... Bring a Trader Joe's to Austin!!! read more

This place is a really big Trader Joe's. And for you driving-types, it has a parking lot. This place has everything you'd need from a TJ's, plus a nice alcohol selection and a manned samples section. Yum! This store is much bigger than the one in Copley Square, so they have many more flowers, plants, produce, and seasonal foods to choose from. However, because it's in Brookline, it's a circus. It gets crowded on Sunday afternoons with rude people who hit, push, and shove their way around the store, and that can be very stressful. read more

Man, I love Trader Joe's. Okay, the parking situation / checkout line / general lack of space does suck a lot, but -- This is one of the only places I can stock up on two weeks' worth of quality groceries (including booze) for under $100. I don't think I need to spend time regaling the tremendous quality of TJ's products, but yeah, they're fantastic. Amazing selections of cheese, wine, snacks, (healthy-ish) frozen entrees, etc. You can pick-and-choose your own six-pack of brews. Two caveats: the bread tends not to stay fresh for very long, and some of the produce also tends to wilt quickly. I find myself buying my leafy greens elsewhere. They have stuff like pesto gouda here, if you're into that, like I am. And cookie butter. And chili-lime cashews. Once, I bought a big bottle of TJ's brand scotch for $10 and it was good. Go figure. I love you, Trader Joe's. read more

A nice little grocery store for a certain niche. The good: -Free samples, -free coffee, -Very friendly staff -Easy access by car or T -Good cheap wine selection -Good selection of premade frozen / boxed foods -Fairly cheap if they have what you want The bad: -Poor selection, don't go if you like to browse through a multitude of choices. Also, don't expect anything too specialty. For example, they have a wall of 14 freakin kinds of hummus but you can't buy sesame seeds to make your own tahini. -Poor selection especially comes through with the produce section -Always crowded, but they usually have enough people working the registers -No counters to get things fresh (deli, butcher, fish, etc). But if you don't need a big selection of cuts of beef and don't mind prepackaged meats then this shouldn't bother you. Perhaps what solidifies the 4 star rating, and what is gauranteed to keep me coming back since I haven't seen it elsewhere, is that they carry Barbara's shredded oats cereal. You have no idea how addicted I am to this stuff. So as long as TJ is my only drug supplier I'll keep shopping there for sure. read more

Everyone who knows me knows that I am OBSESSED with Trader Joes!! And I've been to many in different cities, but this one just has a soft spot in my heart. First to address the main con that everyone presents: yes, it gets crowded. But I think the staff does an excellent job moving the lines along quickly, and if you are just prepared for it, you can get everything you need to get in the aisles. Now to rave: as far as prices go, I must say that this is one of their greatest draws. I can do my food shopping for a whole week for $20-25. With bananas at $.19 each, and other necessities like eggs and milk at low prices, I am a happy camper. While I find most of their food absolutely delicious, I also love that they are happy to give cash back for food you don't like if you bring it back, no hesitation or judgment passed! Earlier this fall, my freezer broke and I had some of their frozen food from TJ's that I was nervous might have spoiled, so I brought it in and simply asked if there was a chance I could return it, and they took it back (and even consoled me about my refrigerator woes). Also, gotta love their food and wine samples. It always enhances my shopping experience. And last but not least, they sell wine, beer and liquor. I believe the liquor is relatively new, but it is now a one-stop shop for me. So convenient! read more

Since when was going to the grocery store fun? When it comes to grocery shopping, I tend to be a "list person," otherwise I end up with a bunch of crap in my cart that I never needed in the first place. At Trader Joe's - the fun is in going without a list and seeing what treasures you can find. Great selection of "ready to make" foods, as well as fresh vegetables and meats so you can make your own creations. I'm a big fan of their frozen foods: orange chicken, specialized pizzas, pork gyoza, seafood medley...yum yum yum! Wonderful wine selection... and by wonderful I of course mean cheap. I love that there are registers in the front and back and the staff is always cheerful. Yes, the main parking lot is always a giant disaster - just head right for the "secret" side parking lot - it's about 20 extra seconds of walking and you won't risk your life. read more

It's a solid Trader Joe's and has become my go-to grocery store. Employees are always friendly and everything is (for the most part) consistently stocked. Their prices are great and sales are relatively frequent. My only complaints are that the layout of the store is very cluttered (I know, at least it isn't nearly as bad as the Boylston one downtown. Sheesh.) and it always seems like there's a ridiculous line, no matter what time or day it is. Their produce section and frozen foods section more than make up for this though. read more

I cannot even TELL you how happy I am to have TJ's so close to my new apartment. I can walk here and it is GLORIOUS. Seriously, I am here at least once a week. And now, in honor of all the amazing things TJ's has to offer, here is a recipe that I make by the vat. Lisa and Joe's Lentil Salad 1 pkg TJ's steamed lentils 1 bag TJ's microwaveable brown rice 1 pkg TJ's Spinach, Fontina, and Garlic chicken sausage (optional) 2 tomatoes, diced 1 cucumber, diced Feta cheese to taste Garlic powder to taste Onion powder to taste Salt and pepper to taste Zesty Italian dressing to taste Chop and brown chicken sausage. Cook brown rice according to package directions. Mix all ingredients in large bowl. BOOM. Lentil salad. read more

I LOVE TJ's!!!! I always come here to get my groceries because they have the most interesting selections. However, the only thing they might not excel in is there produce and deli meats since it's all prepackaged--you should probably get any produce and deli meat at StopnShop since it's cheaper and the quality is about the same, if not better, than TJ's. However, they have so many unique meal options that are quick and easy to do at home! I personally love their Mandarin Orange Chicken because of how simple it is to make and how good it tastes too!! And let's be real, who doesn't love orange chicken? This TJ's is super busy though, especially on weekends, so if you're driving there then prepare to fight for some parking since the lot isn't that big, but there is some free street parking close by! read more

I went to the store around 430pm today and got a worst experience at Trader Joe's ever with this rude cashier. I got a check out at the check out table which was the closest to the entrance door and this cashier kept talking with the next cashier Jon stop while I was checking out. He never said anything to me like "I got a bag" "silence". And he stopped checking out process sometimes because he wanted to focus on his chat with her. You should millions times better than that. read more

Good for organic cheese, nuts, dried fruit, whole-grain crackers & chips. But I give them a low rating because they sell things full of trans fat and refined grains. Half of their food is junk I would never buy. They are supposed to be a little smarter than the mega-commercial shit stores, but it's incremental. The vitamins are incomplete complexes. The liquid supplements have gelatin (non-vegetarian). The cookies have trans fat. The frozen food has trans fat. What the fuck? "It seems to me that they're very big on pushing their processed foods and less on, you know, selling ingredients to make a home-cooked meal" -- Sarah R Ding ding ding! Anyone for high blood pressure? TJs is the place 4u! Simply put: You can't trust Trader Joe's. And the produce is mediocre - on par with Shaw's. Edit: Their produce is rather decent at larger stores, avocados go bad quickly, some organic stuff seems good quality, and their guacamole starter kit is cute. The layout of this store is horrible, just as others say. If you want to find something, and you don't know where it is, you have to comb the whole store. It's fucking stupid - everyone has to do the same, and that causes unnecessary traffic and overall inefficiencies. And I wouldn't recommend buying anything that says "PRODUCT OF THAILAND" as half their nuts do - they made me violently sick for three days. No thanks! Thanks for the wine, but you're actually just hurting Best Cellars across the street, a small NY/MA wine company that is educational and classy as opposed to the bargain shopping mass quantity gorge fest mentality of TJs. read more

Trader Joe's is the best grocery chain in America. Like, if Beyoncé and Jay-Z sent their baby to a daycare run by Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen (both British KNIGHTS), she would grow up, become a film director phenomenon, and shop at Trader Joe's. Vladamir Putin has been known to shop here (though not at this location), and he's reportedly likened TJ's to "the Yves Saint Laurent of the grocery industry." Inclusive, ready-to-eat, and comfortable in a female tuxedo. The smart and caring people at Trader Joe's have forgone any sort of "frequent shopper" rewards program to ensure that prices are always low. For everyone. All the time. And believe me - the prices are low. So low, in fact, that you may find yourself wondering where exactly TJ's food comes from. Don't stress yourself, though. A banana is a banana is a banana. Why pay $8 for a 2 oz. jar of preservative-free pesto from Whole Foods that will go bad in 3 days? But seriously - why do people buy that? This Brookline location is among the better ones in the Boston area. I recently moved to the North End and still make my way over now and again. Parking can sometimes be a hassle here, but the Brookline Police Department recently established a system whereby private companies will move and park your car in a secure location for only $125. Considering the money you'll save shopping at TJ's, it's a steal in the long run. Stop paying 3x the price of meat at your local mom and pop. Grab some reusable bags, start shopping at TJ's, and never look back. All ages welcome. read more

I love everything about TJ's- the organic, the fair trade, the low prices- everything except the complete idiocy that occurs inside the store. The food at TJ's is great and I find the CC location has a good grocery selection and a good liquor section. (I do think that the Memorial Drive location may be ever so slightly better than this location) We do all of our shopping at TJ's and we have never been disappointed. The prices are amazing- what we spend $40 on in TJ's would easily be $80 in SSS. Yes, the parking situation sucks but I hardly ever pull into their lot....you can usually find street parking within the block around the store and on Beacon St. There is also a surplus lot in the office building next door to use on weekends. 98% of the time I don't even attempt to pull into their lot. The only drawback to this store is that the patrons seem to lose their minds once inside. People are pushing their carts in all sorts of crazy directions they cut you off, they stop dead in their tracks....little old ladies barrel down at you as if they don't see you at all. Yesterday I saw a girl on a cell phone walking in circles flailing her arms. All that means though is that you have to go on an off time (I suggest right before they close) or just put your head down and go for it. Its completely worth it for both your pocketbook and your health. read more

Not such a fan after the remodel. The front of the store is now impossibly clustered--if you pay at one of the first two registers, enjoy squeezing through eight other people to get out of there. Ugh. It's still a TJs though, and what this one has going for it is its ample, inexhaustible, and cheap alcohol selection. It's always wine tasting day at TJs. My personal fave? The beer mystery bag. For one thing, 99.9% of the time I CANNOT say no to any kind of mystery bag. Once I got the entire Barbra Streisand anthology in a mystery bag--jealous? You should be. But anyway, the beer mystery bag always has a nice mix of beer varieties, and it's so fun to open! Like a birthday present!* Once I got a rotten salad here. It was a downer. *Will accept beer mystery bags as birthday presents. read more

The fact that they have a pack of 12 assorted macarons for just $4.99 totally elevated them in my book. How did I miss this before?? I usually try to stick with eating desserts only when I'm out and never stock goodies in the house, but was checking out the ice cream section. Holy French dessert heaven! They're actually pretty good and while on the smaller side (probably a good thing), most of the flavors rock. This location gets super busy, so try to shop in the morning if you can! They always have fresh produce stocked and amazing products in general with reasonable prices. And again, I'm obsessed with quinoa bread. I still wish they would expand their spice section, but glad that what they have is much cheaper than the Stop and Shop down the street! I love how accessible this location is, too. It's right off the Coolidge Corner T stop and there are two parking lots. One of my favorite stores. read more

Coming here is kind of hit or miss if you're driving. I got lucky last Friday night with spots everywhere, score! The selection at this location is good but I couldn't find everything I was looking for. I supplemented my trip here with a trip to Whole Foods, which is kinda lame. The layout of the store isn't my favorite either - I found myself wandering and walking back and forth across the store trying to find things I thought would be grouped together. The Mem Drive location is bigger and better I think, but I might just go to Whole Foods next time. Hmph. read more

I am very happy with this Trader Joe's, and it has become my primary grocery store because the nearby Stop & Shop sucks for air. Every single price in this store appears to be spot-on from Chicago's pricing, yet the rent is almost certainly higher here. The wine selection, as always, is good and inexpensive. Most of the products are worth a try; they have fewer items than a "real" grocery store, but they really don't have fewer types of foods--they've just replaced redundant brands with a single reasonably-priced brand, mostly Trader Joe's generics. The customer service is great, with employees personally checking every item with great efficiency. It's basically an up-market version of Aldi (which is not surprising because both chains are owned by different Albrecht brothers of Germany). I've always loved the beer selection, and Trader Joe's has a variety of great store brand beers at $5.99. The German styles are mostly made by Gordon Biersch, and they are all competent beers, and a bargain at the price. Other Trader Joe's brands are made by great brewers such as Goose Island and Unibroue (for example, the Vintage Style), and they're also a fantastic value. Finally, Trader Joe's has a good selection of well-priced seasonal micros, most of them from New England. Because they rotate seasonally, there are almost new beers to try. All this said, I have a beer complaint that might be useful to regular customers. Usually, Trader Joe's has a ton of single beers awkwardly sitting around. I was never sure what customers were supposed to do with them. It appears they have all been packaged as "Mystery 6 Packs" priced at $6.99. I bought one imagining that the pack would have a few Trader Joe's $5.99/6pk beers and maybe some of the great micros they carry, so $6.99 would be a fair price for such a blend. My pack included 4 common imports, most of which sell for less than $6.99--Guinness, Heineken, Tsingtao, and Bitburger. I was happy to also get a Sierra Nevada Glissade, but then my sixth beer was a highly dented can of Trader Joe's "Name Tag," a totally sucky macro facsimile that TJ sells for $2.99/6pk. Would not buy another "Mystery 6 Pack" unless it was priced better. read more

Hard working staff but produce is not fresh, quality of food has gone down steadily over the years. Also they have *got* to be exceeding the capacity limits for safety : The other day I literally couldn't get into the store (through the back entrance). I had to turn around, put my basket back, and leave. The lines were snaking through frozen and produce aisles. This can't possibly be legal. I couldn't help but think if God forbid there was an emergency, all those people would be trapped :( read more