My family and I started shopping at this charming little TJs location again because one of our favourite people, Sheldon, was transferred here. I hadn't seen him in a while, and I popped into this store due to the convenience, and was pleasantly surprised to see him working here. We've been doing our weekly shopping at this location since that day. My kid loves shopping here and I love that the store makes an effort to keep the children busy and happy, so parents can shop in peace. While shopping, the kiddo will look for the store mascot, ringo the raccoon, around the store. if she finds him, the lovely cashier will give her stickers and/or a lollipop. She is happiest when Sheldon is working as she's SO fond of him. He's really easy to like- A true mensch! No exaggeration... the first thing that comes out of my kid's mouth when we walk through the doors is "SHELDON, where are you, Sheldon?". & she shouts it like the woman, Edith Bunker, from that old school show, "all in the family", creating an amusing start to our shopping experience. & If working, Sheldon will come out and help us as soon as he hears my little squawk box from the front of the store. That being said, Sheldon and the rest of the team at this location are absolutely fantastic. Everyone, for the most part, is friendly, kind, welcoming, knowledgeable, and always happy and willing to help. Sheldon will often go the extra mile and offer to help me schlep and load my groceries into my car, which is always helpful because i tend to buy a lot of stuff, and I'm a very petite person, so the extra assistance is MUCH appreciated. This store is also fully stocked with all sorts of amazing products and excellent seasonal items. I usually walk out with more stuff than expected and I am always happy to spend my money here. With everything being so expensive these days, I will happily spend my money at Trader Joe's as I know I am getting the value for the money I spend. PSA: This location gets pretty busy, especially during the weekend and during lunch on a weekday. the parking can be a bit tricky, especially when certain patrons don't put their carts back where they belong... a gentle reminder: PLEASE don't be that off putting person who leaves their shopping cart in the MIDDLE of a parking spot or in the middle of the parking lot. It doesn't take much effort to put your cart back where you found it, and it would be helpful to all. TIA :) read more

Nicest Trader Joe's I've been to. Super clean and spacious! The team seemed like everyone worked well together and they seemed happy to be there and help :) read more

Found the perfect flowers to adorn our table and delicious snacks to share! The flower selection they had was great including: baby's breath, tulips, Cala lilies and cute daffodils. It was easy to find the perfect flowers to go with the spring vibes. Their deli meats were great for the charcuterie board. This area does get a bit packed, the parking lot was a little busy but we found a spot. read more

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Honestly, as far as Trader Joe's goes, this one maybe has one of the bigger parking lots I've seen. It's located in a bigger strip mall. It's also fairly big inside, there's a fairly decent alcohol and flower section in addition to all the standard grocery and produce aisles. The staff (in typical Trader Joe's fashion) are quite friendly and affirming of your selections. It can get a little crowded but the checkout lanes are aplenty and efficient. read more

Trader Joe's has its own unique style of what they believe a grocery shopper should have. Excellent selection for what I call the "It" crowd. Select people who believe you should eat a certain way. What I find is there are a lot of organic items there that you think would be nasty and not taste good but are actually phenomenal. Like I never really tried Feta cheese until shopping here. Or the fresh basil plants they have. My wife loves a few of the hair and facial products. My kids love different dinner items they have. And I love the fact that they have snacks that are healthy and don't taste like it is healthy, but they are. Always come here and they are friendly too. Old time paper bag for the groceries too. God I miss my childhood sometimes read more

This is my favorite Trader Joe's. My daughter and I go every weekend. The staff is so friendly and nice, especially our cashier today. I think his name tag said "X"? We talked about book fairs. If he's single, I'm interested ;) read more

I used to go to this store for over 5yrs. But ever since my purse was stolen last month, I have not come back until then. It happened so quick were I laid my purse on the top cart next to me and pick up a meat and just like that, when I pushed my cart I looked down and my purse was gone. I filed a police report. But the problem is they don't have a good camera coverage. From what I hear from my friends. TJ stores do not have good coverage since this apparently is happening to most TJ. I am not quit confident it going back anytime soon. Just watch out your shoppers! read more

I love the Trader Joe's yogurt however I don't like that. They're only 4 ounces compared to other yogurts. They are quite a bit more money. They are good, but why don't you sell them in the much bigger containers like you do the vanilla that would really be great. It's hard to keep up with a family wanting this yogurt 4 ounces doesn't go very far. It comes out to about $.66 each I especially like the mango. read more

This has GOT to be the Trader Joe's with the largest parking lot I've ever been to and that's a huge plus since it didn't feel like getting into the plaza was like triggering a random PvP battle. We came here on a Saturday evening, I think around the time they were about to close since the old breads were being taken out and the new ones were being stocked in. I gotta say, the lights though are super harsh and a bit jarring when entering in from complete darkness, but other than that, it's a solid Trader Joe's. Some nice holiday goodies in stock, store was clean, lots of workers around to answer questions and help and despite it being kinda packed, there was a worker at every cashier and we got to check out very quickly! I think my only other qualm was the lack of flowers, but potentially they're not in season or already out for the end of the day! read more

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I would recommend not coming to this location towards the end of their day / near closing time, not just because it may be inconvenient for the workers, but because they start clearing out and restocking items which makes selection limited. I'm not certain if it just happened to be on a weekday that I visited, but half the produce looked to be cleared off the shelves (maybe inventory day?) but I guess it was a lesson learned in trying to shop at TJ's 15 minutes prior to closing. The store always has friendly enough associates, as I've always been able to ask for help on finding an item or learning that they don't have certain items in stock (such as white chocolate chips). I have also had to return a couple items here and have done so without issue, as they would recommend I just do my normal shopping and then at the cashier, request for the refund of the item I have brought back with a receipt. The shopping space can get tight but it's not nearly as tight as the location near Sand Canyon (and the parking at that plaza is way worse). Overall, the store is pleasant to shop in and always have the seasonal goods. It's a go to spot for quick groceries and provides a decent experience, with selections that aren't too overwhelming as a big brand grocery store, and quality that seems to be decent for most families. read more

Love coming here! They're the only place that carries the spanakopita that I love, definitely recommend! read more

Trader Joe's - Spanakopita - Grocery Near Me - Irvine, California

Came here during Christmas time on my way to my friends house in Irvine and the place was better stocked than other locations. Because they had a high turnaround everything was fresh including tye flowers! The cashiers didn't look stressed despite how busy the lines were and overall the store was running very organized. Very high traffic store. Plenty of open parking. read more

Diet? What's that?? I visited TJ's to buy snacks for my coworkers at the office. Since I was already here, I decided to stock up on a few items for my own pantry. Might as well, right? Here's a few of my favorites and some of the ones I tried recently, with mixed results. These are not all for me, I promise: Cocoa Baton Wafer Cookies - parody of Pepperidge Farm Pirouettes, but tastier! Sea Salted Saddle Potato Crisps - this is their answer to Pringle's. The texture is not as crisp and the flavor is boring Animal Crackers - Great for kids and adults alike! Similar to Stauffer's, but with organic ingredients and slightly less sodium/carbs Soft Bite Mini Almond Biscotti - these go well with a cup of tea Simply Nutty Bars (Dark Chocolate, Nuts and Sea Salt) (Dark Chocolate, Peanut and Almond) - these are fine, the KIND bars are more superior Dark Chocolate Sunflower Seed Butter Cups - like a peanut-free Reese's cup! Similar taste to Free2b sunflower cups (the rumored supplier), but cheaper 1 LB Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds - Very addicting! Way More Chocolate Chip Cookies - Ultra chocolaty treats! PB&J Snack Duo - peanut butter wafer stick with a jelly dip, unlock your inner child with this Handi-Snacks copycat Almond Windmill Cookies - buttery shortbread with bits of crunchiness! Many Things Snack Mix - I like the addition of the spicy honey cereal squares, makes it more interesting than your average bag of Chex Mix! As you can see, lots of their products closely resemble brand name items. But these aren't just knockoffs, quality tends to be better for the most part. Definitely good in terms of value! What's your favorite TJ's snack? read more

Trader Joe's - "Groceries" ⋅ Irvine, California - Grocery Near Me - Irvine, California

Incredibly rude cashier staff. An older, dirty-blond woman with small, curly hair that looked like instant noodles, who had to shake a cowbell at TJ. I was trying to go straight to the flower section without weaving through the packed store, so I walked past the cashier to take a shortcut. This grumpy women shouted loudly and rudely: "Hey, folks! Don't walk behind me! Walk somewhere else! Don't walk behind where I handle the money. You know... people just don't walk behind cashier machines." She never helped us or told us where we should enter. Then, when we entered through another entrance, she made a passive-aggressive comment to a customer at the register: "You don't walk behind the money. You can't just walk like that." The customer didn't respond, clearly uninterested and unwilling to engage in the cashier's rudeness. I've never seen such behavior in any Orange County supermarket. She wasn't just enforcing a rule--she wanted to make a scene. She could have simply told me to walk between the registers instead of shouting nonsense about "where the money is." What exactly was she implying? Why would TJ allow someone like that to interact with customers when it's clear they don't know how to communicate properly? She didn't say "I'm sorry, but you can walk there ," or thank me for choosing another path. Instead, she just rudely shouted... It's a clear sign that the person hasn't been trained in customer communication, yet they're working in a role that requires it. On top of that, the layout of the cashier area is confusing, with no clear indication of where you're supposed to walk. If you don't want people cutting through, open a separate entrance for the flower shop. It's ridiculous to make customers walk through the entire store just to grab some flowers. The parking lot is terrible--narrow and chaotic. read more

I really love this place to shop! The workers are always so friendly. The selection is pretty fresh although I will say sometimes the broccoli and other produce may be better to be bought at Ralph's or another grocery store. The ambiance is very welcoming and I would come back again. read more

Overheard a couple young male cashier/baggers (says Parker on our receipt) gossiping about a couple ladies (who might have been LGBTQ) and making inappropriate assumptions all the while checking us out. Didn't bother greeting us but just kept gossiping and stereotyping like we couldn't hear them. Very rude and immature. Management needs to find better workers here and maybe have a talk about inclusion/inappropriateness. This isn't the first time encountering rude workers at this particular location. read more

I used to love this trader joes, however, today I came across a VERY rude worker who called me a liar when I was just buying bread for me and my mom. She said "if you wanna be a liar go for it" and tried preventing me from buying food? Are we rationing food now?! read more

Catching up on neglected reviews...I've been going to this TJ for probably 15 years and always found it to be well-stocked, well-staffed and well-organized. The produce and meat sections are very well maintained. Of course there's always several new and delicious offerings available. read more

Spacious, variety of choices, yes. Staffs are very friendly and nice to explain about products.

One of the location with the rudest employees. I don't have much to say but one of the employees hit me on purpose with the rack and did not even apologize. And at checkout I was greeted but was ignored afterService could improve! read more

This Trader Joe's is so clean and the customer service I was given...I have NEVER experienced such kindness in my life. Aurora was THE MOST sweetest, most beautiful, most kindest woman to help me. I came after work and boy did I have a rough day today. I told her I only came for the tiny lavender cooler bag and she listened to me and showed so much compassion. I don't know this woman but she not only gave me the last bag, a hug, but she went above and beyond and gave me some flowers. There needs to be more individuals like her in this world. Thank you Aurora for your kind heart and your excellent customer service. Thank you for spreading positivity! Trader Joe's is VERY lucky to have a person like you to be apart of their team! Great job store #37! 10/10 read more

Trader Joe's - Grocery Near Me - Irvine, California

I really like this Trader Joes. Or as us insiders call it: "TJ's" It's located in one of the best shopping centers in So Cal. in one of the best neighborhoods in So Cal There is a Starcrooks next door to coffee up before you shop as well as a Smart and Final that sells the best Paper Towels: Brawny Select-a-Size. There is also a great breakfast place with great pancakes and omelets: Stacks This shopping center is owned and operated by the Irvine Company so you know it's first class. There is usually a staff that cleans the tables. I stop at this TJ's on my bike and by car. Usually I get a Tuna Wrap and sit outside at the tables and people watch. Sometimes I get the Cold Nitro Brew at Starcrooks. Employees here are very friendly. If I lived closer I would come here all the time. I don't see any reason not to shop here unless you don't eat food. read more

Trader Joe's - Trader Joe's Covid-19 Line. - Grocery Near Me - Irvine, California

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The water section has diuretics! The bread and fruit are old and taste bad! The Danish Pastry was wet and horrible! Traders Joes is not what it used to be! read more

Trader Joe's - Grocery Near Me - Irvine, California

I have shopped at this location for decades! They are wonderful and always extremely helpful. I love the small but good selection they carry. Their bagged nuts are plentiful and always priced affordable as compared to Ralphs abd definitely Albertsons. I love the kick back atmosphere and the produce is always on point. I appreciate how easy it is to shop there and I always find outstanding Vegan food. My absolute favorite is their Vegan banana bread, OH MY GOODNESS to die for! read more

I was here to get a bouquet for a friend, and ellen and brian were so so helpful and kind ellen even helped us wrap the flowers up and make them look beautiful and was incredibly sweet 12/10 experience! read more

100th review! What's to say that hasn't been said about the amazing place that is Trader Joe's. This place is my day one, my first love when it comes to shopping for food. Sometimes I'll just stand in the cheese aisle for five minutes lost in my own thoughts and other times I'll end up over in the wine section with my Vivino app scanning different labels to see what I want to try. I know almost every single worker there by name and literally I walk in these doors at least three times a week. Thank you Trader Joes for always serving the community. read more

A local small Trader Joe's with super friendly people, I can always find what I need and then some, Selena thank you for being sunshine in human form!! read more

First of all, this Trader Joe's is located in a busy shopping plaza with many places to eat nearby. Their parking lot is spacious yet it may be difficult to find parking at times. The space itself is large and well lit. Located to the left portion of the store are the assortment of flowers, truly beautiful and mesmerizing to pass. The workers are friendly and kind. My favorite food items have to be anything in the store! All jokes aside, you can never go wrong with Trader Joe's from their price to their assortment of foods.Personally, I enjoy their sunflower butter cups and their microwave dumplings. Because I am allergic to peanut butter, the sunflower butter cups are an amazing alternative (as told by my friends who also enjoy them). The dumplings are close to the ones you can find in authentic restaurants! read more

Ah, Trader Joe's, the place where you walk out with a bunch of snacks but no real groceries! Haha, all jokes aside, TJ does have some excellent snacks like mochi rice nuggets and dried mango slices that always end up in my basket. They have an amazing selection of fresh flowers and plants too, like monsteras and orchids. I've never had an issue with any of the plants I brought home. The only downside of this location is that they always seem to run out of any kind of fresh fruit around the time people get off work. Another thing is people don't know how to drive in this plaza lol. Thanks for reading! ^-^ read more

I really like the staff and the snack selection here. The different seasonal items make shopping fun again with the family as they scavenger hunt for the different themed items. If you want to return something, they have a generous return policy (without receipts) and can get you store credit asap. read more

WORST TRADER JOES EVER!! I don't know who runs this store but I don't know how they could've gotten their position. I've been to quite a few Trader Joe's stores throughout out the country and I've never seen such a depressing crew. It's obvious they HATE where they work and that can only reflect management. Trader hoes is supposed to be happy and upbeat. These people obviously hate coming to work. NOBODY is happy working in this store. You're better off driving the few extra minutes to one of the other Irvine Trader Joe's stores read more

I'm actually very disappointed in this location. The customer service is always super sweet, they're not the problem. It's the food. I've NEVER been to a TJ's where I was concerned about the food quality. But every time I come, I see old cut up fruit packages that have been on the shelf for days. I can't buy chicken there anymore after pointing out to a employee that a large number of the wrapped chicken packages were filled with air which is a HUGE health risk for the bacteria that improperly sealed meat packaging causes. I used to enjoy going there for protein and fresh seafood, now I don't trust it to not get me terribly sick. I think it just needs to be better inspected/monitored honestly. If it doesn't look right, don't sell it! read more

Went fie mustard with bleu cheese but found it was discontinued in 2020. The guy I asked for help was very meticulous and went out of his way to research the special mustard. So shopped for other goodness. Specifically looked for "New" tags and found several frozen and dry goods that I can't wait to try out. read more

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I used to live within almost walking distance of this location. They have a great large parking lot that is connected with other shops. Sometimes it can be pretty crowded in the parking lot but you can always find a spot even if it's a little further away. The only complaint is since it's a busier shopping plaza you are having to dodge cars when going back to your car with groceries. Staff at this location was always helpful and in-line with the brand. They were always well stocked. I love Trader Joe's and all their affordable food and products they carry. They continue to innovate with their products and it's so wonderful to try new items. I especially like the increase in vegan products! Thanks TJs read more

Trader Joe's is my "go to" grocery store. The produce is fresh, reasonably priced and there is a good variety. Additionally, TJ is always adding new items that I love to try such as the frozen boba tea, the reduced carb tortillas or the plant based yogurt. The staff is always friendly and helpful. Love Trader Joe's! read more

I enjoyed this location. The cashier was nice and asked about my day. The parking is hard, but the inside of this store is large and clean. I appreciate the nice employees. It really makes a difference that they smile and ask me if I need help. read more

This Trader Joe's has a larger than average floral selection which is amazing. They also have a lot of the seasonal items in their store. Even though this is a busier location checking out is quick and painless. read more

On 4/25/20 I had a terrible experience at TJ's on Culver in Irvine. I'm not going to lie. I never had a bad experience at TJ for over 10 years except on 4/25/20 during Covid-19 at this Culver location. Yes, I'm aware these are new normals. However, I don't need the added stress from this terrible entire experience. I also feel degraded by store manager while he's "watching me" head to the registers. Because of new guidelines, I've been avoiding going out. But, I ran out of food, so I needed to restock my fridge. I arrived Sat. around 6:30 PM. I waited patiently 20 mins before entering and stood 6 feet apart in line. In the meantime, I was watching the employee's disinfecting techniques with the shopping cars. He only wiped the handle areas which I thought was incomplete. At the entrance, I also noticed a bald headed male employee (30's, about 5'7") directing the traffic flow. I naturally thought he was the store manager. But, I noticed he wasn't wearing a mask. So, I thought that was very weird and quite unnerving. By the time I entered, it was 6:50. I did my best to hurry and do my grocery shopping for at least a week of supply. Well, I'm not that familiar with that store. I usually shop in Woodbury. I noticed the same bald male employee by the bathrooms still NOT WEARING A MASK. I asked him about how they disinfect the carts. He replied that they wipe the carts like the guy is doing outside. I thought that was such a nondescript answer. Well, I continued picking up my items. About halfway into the store, I met the actual store manager. I asked him the same question about sanitizing the carts. He said that they wipe the handles and the perimeter. "What about the inside?", I asked. He also said they DON'T WIPE the INSIDE the cart. Oh, that's TERRIBLE and GROSS !!! Also, the store manager gave me a warning that the store's closing at 7. Well, I waited 20 mins and I have only been shopping less than 10 minutes. He told me I had to go to the registers now. Then, I remembered I needed to get some sparkling water. As I headed over there, HE actually FOLLOWED me! I've never experienced anything like that, ever!!! It felt like I was going to steal something and he was watching every move. QUITE DEGRADING!!!!!!. I found the sparkling water section. I don't want to leave my home again just for one item. He asked what am I looking for? I replied that I'm looking for the blueberry lemon flavor. The manager told me that they don't carry it. REALLY? I just drank the last one at home. I don't believe your answer. Anyways, I took a different berry flavor to buy. He then WATCHED ME go to the registers. I felt like a thief. Because I had such a bad experience, I gave my first input online to corporate. Two days later, Captain Jeff, another store manager, called me to apologize & to clear up anything for me. At the end of the phone call, he said he would follow up with that store manager (male, 40-50s, salt and pepper hair, about 6 feet, medium build with a tan). Well, I haven't heard anything from corporate or from Captain Jeff about the follow up. It left me hanging and I still feel the same bad thoughts. I will NOT GO BACK to this Trader Joe's. Besides, I'm not the only one who feels this way. From the other people's reviews who posted after my shopping date, it looks like this Trader Joe's doesn't care. TJ's LACKS the proper treatment of people. TJ's LACKS how to make me feel better after my phone call. ***Most importantly*** TJ's LACKS the proper protocol to disinfect thoroughly !!!! It would take a lot of convincing for me to shop at TJ's Culver, Irvine again. I don't live that far from this location. What an inconvenience. read more

Trader Joe's - My last TJ's sparkling blueberry lemon water - Grocery Near Me - Irvine, California

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Poor quality of sandwich, I usually have a craving for a quick somewhat healthy lunch and drop in for a salad and or sandwich. Today got a Turkey club wrap. Never again disgusting mess and date still had 4 days to go. read more

Trader Joe's - Wilted lettuce, way too much sauce and wrap fell apart. - Grocery Near Me - Irvine, California

Trader Joe's uses paper bags. Each time we shop at TJs, our purchases have to be double bagged. In California, we pay a bag tax - 10 cents a bag. So each "bag" costs me 20 cents. However when I shop at Ralphs, Lowes or Home Depot, our purchases are never doubled bagged. Their bags, plastic or paper are strong enough to support our purchases. Why can't TJs use bags that are strong enough to support customer purchases without having to double bag? Single bags are a win-win, for the environment and customer wallets. However, I believe the retailer gets to keep the 10 cents per bag. This might be the real reason TJs in the only retailer in California that I know of that "has to" double bag customer purchases. TJs should use the same materials that other retailers in California use so that double bagging is not necessary ..... read more