I don't understand why anyone would rate Trader Joe's lower than 5 stars, the place is perfect. Their staff is always friendly and they have a great selection of products that are all quality, quite tasty and in my opinion all reasonably priced. And if you are a wine drinker they do have a great selection of lower priced wines. read more

I've visited Trader Joe's twice in the past two weeks. It has been my first two visits as well. I was excited to see that they carried things like coconut flour, ghee, and coconut creamer. I can probably get these things at larger super markets, but Trader Joe's is located right in downtown Madison. My other grocery store options include Madison Market and Capitol Center Market. Both of these places either don't carry these items, or they are priced towards the expensive end. Trader Joe's is not as expensive as I anticipated it to be. I can find some very reasonable prices for certain things. I will continue shopping at Trader Joe's for the things that I cannot get else where. Organic eggs, chicken, coconut milk/creamer will all be on my list. Beef, vegetables, and fish not so much on my list. read more

Love, love, love this place! They have all these amazing snacks and healthy foods. Everything here is delicious and the staff is always so friendly. I don't understand why the review has two dollar signs because groceries here are relatively inexpensive compared to the same item sold at regular grocery stores. There are very few items I need to buy at a regular store that Trader Joe's doesn't have. Highly recommend this place. read more

trader joe's is pretty good for basics. however, i've purchased some things there -- bread and yogurt -- that within a couple of days were covered in mold. and twice, i bought fruit yogurt that didn't actually have any fruit in it. (it was just plain white yogurt.) the upside is that they seem willing to refund for bad products. the downside is the hassle involved in finding mold on your food two days after you buy it and having to go back to the store. read more

Trader Joes is great for some things. The staff is friendly. I feel like you really have to know what you are looking for... I don't go there too often because I try to keep my trips down - and usually prefer Woodmans, Willy, Metcalfe's, or Jenny Street. I also prefer to go to more local establishments. The parking lot is below! Just one of the many "have-to-live-here-to-know" charms of Madison :) read more

Love it! I always find at least a few new things to try, parking is somewhat of a challenge, however.

Trader Joes is successful because of it's campus location. As typical with most TJs a lot of the items are competitively priced. They have some items that are all out steals. But, because the store isn't very large sometimes there are inventory issues. We've stopped in for pizza dough, coconut oil and some other things and they were out. I get it, out of stocks happen.It just seems to happen a little more frequently here. Good selection of cheese, frozen dinners, sauces etc. Produce is bottom of the barrel though. Thats what farmers markets are for! read more

Trader Joe's hits the sweet spot between affordability and quality. I have to confess, I shop here mostly for the frozen and longer-term refridgerated items, but I'm always happy. I can fill my whole freezer with reasonably healthy, well portioned meals that last almost a month for less than $100. Wine selection is great too. read more

Fun, neat and friendly grocer with deals and delicious foods available. Madison's best bet for an inexpensive alternative to Copps and Woodman's. It is conveniently located and won't burn a whole in your pocket like many of the over-pricey and inconsistent co-ops. We have frequented this grocer for more than a month and have always found satisfaction. read more

I am so glad Madison has a Trader Joe's. I stop there every Friday on my way home from work to pick up some goodies. They offer food that is healthy and affordable. I love their cheese selection, their Bavarian Hefeweizen, Dolmas and Plaintain Chips. Very friendly staff too. read more

For someone who lives in a studio and can only cook in the microwave, on the George Foreman and well...that's basically it, Trader Joe's has been a life saver. A great experience every time I go. No matter what day or time, there seems to always be something new to sample. Chunky brownie pieces sprinkled with sea salt? Would have never thought to try, but ended up buying a whole packet. Frozen meal section is wonderful--love the crab cake cakes and already seasoned and stuffed fish fillets. Very reasonable prices for my student budget and I've noticed that I've been slimming down as well. Good bye Senior 30! read more

Trader Joes has great ideas at a fair price for groceries, especially for young people shopping for themselves. So many unique healthy frozen options! The staff is always smiling and generally enthusiastic about their employment. The only downfall is elbowing through hoards of people to pick up the essentials. Seriously, does anyone know when this store is not busy? read more

I like this store and their triple ginger snaps. The only reason I am removing a star is because of the parking lot; but that is really just first world problems. read more

This Trader Joe's in particular is one of my favorites. It's never too crowded except around the holidays, I've never had to wait in line for more than 1 minute (someone always comes around to pull me over), all the cashiers are extra friendly, and the samples in the back keep my belly warm. WARNING THE PARKING will drive you crazy. Come at an odd hour to avoid the extremely stressful experience that is parking here. It's cramped, the spaces were made with ant-sized cars in mind, and you'll often have to wait for a spot by loitering in the middle of the whole lot and blocking people. Coming even a little later in the night will save you the hassle. Trader Joe's in general: Why must you package all your vegetables? Why do your herbs only come in small, plastic-wrapped bunches? My favorites: a bag of four avocados for ~$2.50. Two salmon filets for ~$10.00. $3 wine, "healthy" (I'm not really sure, but the ingredients definitely read a little better) frozen food. read more

Love, love, love! Wish the parking was better, but always love the variety and prices. Bought some frozen chicken tamales that were sooooo good! Always enjoy the sesame rice crackers...did NOT enjoy the roasted seaweed snack. read more

I don't buy into the trader joes hype to the level that many do. I acknowledge they have a unique experience and interesting food options, this particular location is difficult to shop because it is very small and difficult to get to by car. Parking is a nightmare, especially on the weekends. The only thing that gets me in the door is their $3 Charles shaw wines which do live up to their name. read more

A good experience. I love the spirit each time I visit. They provide plenty of healthy options. Read the labels. Pricing is very fair. Everything from regular groceries to your wine and cheese gatherings. Charles Shaw wine is available along with a fine seletion of other labels and price points. I have always had a pleasant experience at the checkout. Everybody is friendly, talkative and willing to help. read more

I always have had a great experience at TJ's The staff really go out of their way to help you and keep you wanting to come back. I highly recommend this store. For fruits and veggies I go to another, but I still shop at TJ's once a week. I am a fan! read more

I am not really a huge fan of trader joe's. It has got some nice food and some interesting options, but it seems a little superfluous in terms of "gourmet," "fresh," and "organic." I like a lot of the food, but there are a lot of options also that just don't live up to the expectations. If you are going to be cooking for yourself, you don't need to come to trader joes. If you want to switch it up a little bit, than yeah, trader joes is a good place to browse. read more

Love this place! All the people there are super friendly. The Weasel Ale was wonderful.

Way overrated because the place is sooooo small and parking sucks so bad.....great quality food and price but thats it.

Although it's not my main grocery store, I pop in to TJ's at least once a week as it's within a stone's throw of my workplace. It's always a nice little respite, with everyone always being extremely friendly and helpful and of course I don't mind the ever-present sampling area. I've sometimes picked up a package of the offering of the day, and have tried new products that way. But usually I grab a bag of beet chips and/or dark chocolate peanut butter cups for a delicious, not too unhealthy pick-me-up treat that doesn't break the bank. They may not be organic, but the ingredients are basic and healthy-ish without chemical additives and artificial colors, etc. At Christmas time, they are one stop shopping for amazingly low priced seasonal greenery -- wreaths and poinsettias and anything else you need or want to make a festive holiday home. The prices on everything are amazingly low here considering the high quality. Cheese, beer, wine, all kinds of grab and go or frozen, easy to make or ready to eat items. The only reason I don't give Trader Joe's five stars is that they don't typically offer organic fruits and vegetables per piece, as they do with their conventional produce. I would like to enjoy an even healthier snack like an orange or banana, but I'm not down with chemical agriculture. The organics are only sold in bulk bags or bunches. Bummer. But four stars for everything else! read more

one of my my favorite grocery stores! convenient parking especially considering the location. lots of great items you can't find anywhere else and all for great prices! always friendly staff as well. read more

I love TJs! They always seem to have a bagful of deliciousness that I need to try. It is really great that they serve samples of items in their store too. A little sample for me ends up with an impulse purchase for them. Seems to be a win-win! I like their fresh flower selection and the prices for flowers is pretty reasonable for our area. I like the take-n-go items in the chiller area. A quick bite for lunch or fun items to throw into your next tailgate/picnic adventure. The bite size desserts are great for my office gatherings. You don't feel super guilty when it's only 2-3 bites of a dessert. I've heard a lot of people complain about their high prices, but I think that they seem actually cheaper than Whole Foods or some of the big chain stores. One thing that I wish they had more of is.... BEER! They have A LOT of wine on their shelves, but this is Wisconsin. We like beer too! I just learned about their return policy for food that you don't quite like. You can return items if you find that they were not to your liking. That's kind of a cool concept that you will probably not get at other stores. I hope others don't abuse that policy and ruin it for those that may need it. read more

WOW. Trader Joe's on Monroe St. blows my mind. Every time I am there I leave so amazed and happy. First of all, there prices are unreal. Secondly, their customer service is amazing. Every time I check out I have great conversations with the cashiers, I truly could sit in Trader Joe's and talk to those people all day. Also, the new watermelon wonder kombucha is insane. Trader Joe's I love you. read more

For some weird reason, I always thought Trader Joe's was just a place to pick up some specialty items. I never thought it was a place where I could get the majority of what I needed on my grocery list. Well, I was wrong, seriously wrong! I work on campus and sometimes I'd just drop by TJs to pick up a few things. But today I needed more than just a few things. I ended up getting everything on my grocery list :-) and that included some really awesome vegan meatless meatballs; yeah you heard me right! Now, I will say that I am NOT all about the Two Buck Chuck wine, however I did pick up some really nice Tempranillo for only $3.99 ( in fact, I'm sipping on it while I type this review). Sure the produce department leaves a little to be desired, but I picked up some awesome organic avocados for only a buck apiece. Back in the day when we had a gaggle of kids at home, I don't think TJ's would suit what I needed, however this is the place if you're just shopping for a small family! read more

Love TJ its right by my house I just walk over there. The prices are great. Sometimes products are not there that you had but that's the business. read more

Nice store and just slightly overpriced products until you walk to your car and find a $25 PARKING TICKET!!!

Well, we love our TJ's. Much more than we would have expected when we moved to Madison (in Chicago, it was our favored quick-trip for cherry soy chocolate stuff, but not the regular spot the Madison locale is for us), it's our go-to place. Ridiculously - as in, an embarrassment of riches, not saccharine or insincere - friendly staff, many of whom we're on a first name basis with. Great finds in wine (secured and sustained by a staff that knows and enjoys nice vino), good meats and poultry, many staples. Our lad is always eager to try out the samples. Nothing but our highest praise. Thanks, guys - we appreciate you! read more

As a poor college student I truly value a place that allows me to stock up on produce and reasonably priced red wine for under twenty dollars. I never had to wait more than 5 minutes to check out, even when I wouldn't mind waiting there's always someone who is ready to get you out. Though I might not grocery shop here regularly since they don't provide a lot of other items that other grocery stores offer but what they do offer makes me look forward to shopping here. read more

Wonderful store. Very friendly personnel! Actually though, I haven't visited a Trader Joe that wasn't great!

Always amazed at the great prices for organic etc. I love the size of this store and having limited choices that are all pretty decent.

Great win selection reasonable priced. I enjoyed all the organic foods available and the TJ's multi grain bread id the best I ever had

The problem with Trader Joe's is so much of their products say "distributed and sold exclusively by TJ's' BUT they don't tell you WHERE they are produced/grown. I care about that and you should too. read more

I do not love Trader Joe's. In fact, I strongly dislike it. It gives the appearance of being a neighborhood grocery, but it isn't. It's a specialty store selling lots of esoteric products mostly suitable for parties or for fancy-seeming but essentially warmed-up, packaged meals. Everything comes from California, even (this is Wisconsin!) the cheese. Need to pick up some basic grocery item on your way home from work? Some brussels sprouts? A jar of horseradish? Fish sauce for your stir-fry? A few sweet potatoes? Don't bother. Whatever you need, it won't be there. It's simply not a grocery. It's a foodstore-like place specializing in fairly inexpensive little luxuries and faux little luxuries. Yes the staff is friendly, but even the friendliness seems oppressive after your third or fourth time in there looking in vain for something an actual grocery store would carry. I know that many people love Trader Joe's and I'm in the minority, but to me it's just such an irritating spot. Yes, I've stopped bothering to go there. read more