It is incredible to visit the very first Trader Joe's! Established on August 25, 1967, this location is still going strong today. While it is much smaller and cozier than the newer stores, there is something special about shopping at the original. Yes, the parking can be a bit challenging, but I love that they have kept this location open for all these years. It is a true piece of history that grew from one store into a national brand operating in 43 states and Washington, D.C. How could you give it anything less than five stars? The staff are just as friendly and kind as you would find at any other location, making it a wonderful shopping experience. If you are in Pasadena, this is a must-visit! read more

Trader Joe's - OG TJ's! - Grocery Near Me - Pasadena, California

1st TJ's?!! so good so good! quite the contrast from the last market i yelped (erewhon, posted now!) but still has a crazy parking lot (no matter which coast you're on!) this is the 1st TJ;s in the country and while we sure didnt set out to see it, thats the fun part of exploring a new city! layout is shockingly just like your local TJ's, no roped off corner with a shrine or anything like that, just your good ol familiar excellent service with quality products you can count on! we were starved from a full morning of travel and knew a baguette would solve the hunger equation, $2.19 later, thank you very much! on top of the usual greatness you get at a TJ's, walking out i happen to see the manager and like a tourist, mentioned how exciting it was to be in the OG TJ, asked if there was any specific thing offered at their store and while there wasnt really much, they did have a reusable tote bag for sale (a buck!) and he gave us one gratis for the story we had to share. took some pics, and ate the bread, moving on.... read more

The OG TJ where it all began! I love the location and it's bigger than it looks from the outside. Unfortunately I wish they had products just offered at the original location but they carry all the same goods. I think some bread looked different than the ones in Colorado. Great service as always and the selection was great! read more

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I do enjoy going to Trader Joe's and this store is definitely doing a good job. Great and friendly staff. Clean bathroom. The aisles were stocked and showcase in a presentable way that made me feel comfortable. I like to feel comfortable. Trust me. I got a few things that I always get and I got a few things that I never get. Sometimes I like to let loose. I don't want to tell you about any of the items because it might reveal too much about myself and I'm trying to maintain secrets.. Thank you read more

Trader Joe's - Cleanliness - Grocery Near Me - Pasadena, California

Of course I had to check out the OG TJ's! The store itself is small and compact, but I love how it's still running since '67! The staff were friendly, and the store was well-stocked. Parking can be stressful, as their small private lot gets filled quickly, and it's tight to get in and out! There is residential parking, if you're willing to walk. A cool spot to just stop by if you're in the area! +the OG TJ's! +tight parking read more

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Most Trader Joe's are great and this one is no exception! Nice layout, friendly staff, good prices, great selection! Only drawback at this location is the parking lot is super small and it can be hard to find a spot! 4 1/2 stars 1/2 read more

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

My wife and I always like to shop at Trader Joe's because they everybody a good deal on their Trader Joe's products peoduces,wines and many items that you can find a better deal at Trader Joe's... The staff at Trader Joe's are very friendly and helpful and making your shopping experience great. read more

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

I was in L.A. and about to head back home to AZ and wanted to grab some food and snacks for the road. While passing through Pasadena, I came across Trader Joe's and realized that this store is their first location. I am a huge Trader Joe's fan and enjoyed being in the store that started it all. If you look at old photos, there is not a lot of difference in how the building looked back in 1967 and how it looks today. Other than the TJ logo on the sign is now its trademark red color. Trader Joe's now has close to 600 stores nationwide. The signature Hawaiian shirt that the employees wear has been a thing since their inception. Trader Joe's is named after its founder Joe Coulombe. This location opened on August 25, 1967. Trader Joe's is a neighborhood grocery store that sells all sorts of unconventional and interesting products. The customer service is always great here. You really can't go wrong with planning a dinner night on the fly with Trader Joe's. Even though I have my usual favorites that I like to pick up, I still feel my friends always find way cooler stuff at Trader Joe's than me. I love their seasonal items. They like to roll out the carpet for the holidays. If you like pumpkin everything products in the Fall, this is the place to go. The tiki theme at Trader Joe's is a lot of fun. I am a big fan of how environment friendly their products are. I make sure I bring in my Trader Joe's shopping bag every time that I stop by one. I follow a couple of Instagram accounts that give you ideas on what to shop for. I even have a cookbook with meal ideas that use only Trader Joe's products as the ingredients. You can make a pretty good charcuterie board using a variety of their affordable cheeses. Flowers and wine are good pick-ups too. Even though it is no longer $2, "Two Buck Chuck" is still a solid affordable wine. Check out the Fearless Flyer for food ideas and specials. read more

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This location is super stocked. Parking lot is a little tight. Employee members are very nice. Honorable. They were also handing out samples of the large mandarin oranges. Super juicy and sweet! read more

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I dropped in while visiting the area. This is the first trader joes store, which was very cool to see. It was stocked well with plenty of alcoholic options--- more than just beer and wine. Service was great and I appreciated that they acknowledged it being the first store with a mural in the front. The parking lot was unusually tight, which we all know is a key feature of TJ, but it was extra small here. read more

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The original TJ location but the main issue is parking but some new signage in an attempt to ease the flow. Finding a space on the street is best as you can get in an out faster when busy. Great store, everybody is helpful, great Trader Joe food, especially the frozen meals and meal prep items like frozen seafood. Lots of ready to eat salads, wraps etc. . Lots of unique sauces and spice blends. Watch out for the chocolates, cookies, etc planted near and around the food we should be eating, damn you Joe! read more

This TJ's is so great. Everyone is really sweet and friendly. I recommend coming here for your groceries as they are always stocking and making sure to answer any questions you have as you shop. The food is usually fresh too and they get merch frequently as well. The ambiance is super chill and definitely what you'd expect at a trader joes (: read more

Well organized, well stocked store with great customer service that makes shopping even more pleasant. The ambiance is like other Trader Joe's, welcoming, warm, bright and easy to shop. Great selection of Trader Joe's brand unique items, fruits, veggies, snacks and etc. Also excellent frozen meats, food, veggies, prepared meal there. Quality is solid and prices are reasonable for what you get. I love their flowers and cold sandwiches. Today, i ended up buying grape and they were incredibly delicious. read more

This is THE original trader Joe's location and it definitely shows. It's definitely cool to swing by and see a piece of History, but the parking lot is so small and the store itself is quite small as well so I'm not sure I would make it my regular groceries store location. There is a brand new Peter Joe's a few blocks away that is almost triple the size and has a huge parking lot so I would definitely recommend going there instead if you are just looking to get some shopping done. That being said, the service here and the charm of the original location is amazing. There's definitely a historic ambiance that you won't get from the newer spot. read more

The is the Original Trader Joe's. The very first one, the OG, the one that started it all. I have written that I love Trader Joe's and it is my favorite grocery store, but have never been to the first one. I love all the touches Trader Joe's does to their stores and how it still feels like a local neighborhood grocer. The service here is excellent, this is the one the rest have followed and made them the chain they are today. Amazing choice of healthy food, new discoveries, wine, snacks, you can find it all here. I will address the parking, the lot is quite small, but they have overflow parking as well as some street parking, so yes, not great, but something you can work through. I found parking right away right in front on the street, no problem. Not enough of a deal to drop my five star rating, Trader Joe's is just to awesome. Come back and check out some history, they have been here since 1967, a staple of Pasadena. Enjoy! read more

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OG store so it gets all my votes! Staff are always very friendly, aisles are cleaned and well-stocked, and it never seems to get TOO crazy (at least all the times I've been)! read more

The Original! You have to stop-in just to be able to see that. We love Trader Joe's, and will stop in any chance we get. Parking is a bit hard, and we ended up finding spots in the alley behind the store (we knew it was OK since a sign proclaiming it was only for TJ customer was prominent). That being said, it would be really difficult to bring a shopping cart to that area so would recommend parking there only if you can hand carry it. As for the store itself, it tended to be on the smaller side, but seemed to have all the necessary essentials and the checkout line was very short. We were going to be in (South) Pasadena late, so we couldn't buy anything that would perish without refrigeration.We picked up our favorite (elote seasoning), and will try two things that I haven't tried before (peri peri sauce and red wine vinegar). We were also looking for pizza sauce, but the only one sold is the fresh, needs-refrigeration type (very close to the fresh pizza dough, which is very good btw). As usual, prices are low and the associates were all kind and helpful. read more

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On a Saturday morning in mid November, I came here to get a few items at 8:30am. Inside, it wasn't too busy since everyone is going to South Pasadena location. It has everything I looking for including the seasonal item, such as horseradish potatoes chips and sin frozen items. The line to pay was short and quick. read more

Trader Joe's - Horseradish potato chips is really good - Grocery Near Me - Pasadena, California

This past weekend I was out with my daughters in Pasadena. We hit a few places and Trader Joe's was one of them. I did not know this TJ is the original original TJ. It was built in 1967... older than me by the chinny chin chin of X number of years LOL. Even though this TJ is 57 years old, it looks really good inside. Very bright and clean... just well maintained all around. Very well stocked in inventory. Love the wall art! I strolled around the store, took pictures along the way, and picked up some of my favorite items (TJ sparkling water, aloe vera juice, banana chips, corn chips, salsa) and some newly found items (peanut butter pretzel, spicy tempura seaweed snack) as well. I'm always up for new and exciting eats and drinks. Staff was fabulous and a joy to connect with for the moment... thank you sir for thinking outside the box in helping me pack my items... you know who you are! He made it very easy for me to transport the 15 TJ water from my cart to my car trunk. I enjoyed my visit very much. I even took some selfies with the beautiful art wall LOL. The only down side was the parking. It was really really tight. Not too many parking spots. I was lucky and got a spot upon arrival. Thank you TJ for the experience! read more

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This is the original and first ever Trader Joe's (opened in 1967) so I just had to pay a visit. Now is there anything special about this flagship store? Not really - in fact I probably prefer visiting other Trader Joe's locations for one simple reason: parking lot here is small with tight spaces. While I did notice this location has slightly more unique options (e.g. Instant Boba Kit) comparing with other locations, I would rather visit the one in Huntington Dr/San Gabriel Blvd. In general I love Trader Joe's, but treat this location as your average Trader Joe's with (1) the wall art to pay tribute on being the first store and (2) awful parking lot. P.S. - Didn't realize Trader joe's is owned by Aldi until now. read more

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I love shopping at Trader Joe's. The workers are always so helpful and kind. If you are lucky to get Jono and Flannery, they are the best. After a long hard day they made me smile. read more

THREE different egg cartons with one or two broken eggs. these guys hamfist those cartons on the shelf. CAREFUL guys.

Honestly just wanted to post this review because of the amazing shot I had of this Winter Peonies as well as the nice lady who pointed me to where the peonies were at since I have no clue about flowers. The Peonies are to the right of the store when you walk in. There should be a section full of tubs filled with bouquet of flowers for $8-$13. I called in beforehand to confirm they had the peonies because the first store I called did have them! All of the bouquets of peonies only had 1-3 peonies that were fully bloomed and the rest were still in their bud form. Surprisingly parking was easy even though the parking lot was tiny! read more

Trader Joe's - Winter Peonies - Grocery Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I really like this Trader Joe's location. They always have what I am looking for in stock. I love coming here for prepared and frozen meals, snacks and meat/cheese for whenever I crave a charcuterie board. I also buy boxes of chocolate and cookies here during the holiday season to give as Christmas presents. Their flowers are also fresh and affordable. There is never a long wait to pay. The parking lot is small, but there are also street parking available. read more

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Best.place to shop! Fresh. Friendly manager. Come.to Hawaii! Great selection and new South pasadena location free Parking. Aisles are spacious. read more

First time shopping here and I'm so glad I navigated the tight spot at tjeir parking to run in and grab a few essentials. Within five minutes two friendly assoc. Asked if they could help me find something,(low carb wraps and frozen falafel) Josue at the cash register couldn't have been kinder. Knowledgeable, courteous and efficient Highly recommend this location! read more

You all should know by now the fastest way to my heart is to compliment me. A guy working here did just that and so five stars for this Trader Joe's! Review done. Lol just kidding. Kinda. Now, this is the OG Trader Joe's location. If you ever wondered what the first Trader Joe's was like, here you go. Right here in Pasadena, we have the original, albeit quite possibly the smallest Trader Joe's of all time ... with what I would imagine to be the smallest Trader Joe's parking lot of all time. Quite possibly the smallest parking lot for any grocery store ever of all time? I went in for a few items, and even though this location isn't huge, they had everything I needed so no big complaints. Also, with the aforementioned parking, I was able to snag the first spot so I didn't have to deal with a lot of the maneuvering issues that everyone else in the parking lot had to. This isn't going to be my go-to TJs but it's just so darn convenient when I'm in the town of rose bowls! I'm sure I'll be back. read more

I just want to shout this location out for their outstanding customer service. I wanted to serve their mini apple pies at an event I was hosting, so I called a week before and they ordered a few cases for me and set them off to the side for me. When I came to pick them up at check out, Tracy and Margie were so helpful in getting them, counting them out, and making sure everything was taken care of. Thank you, og TJ's! read more

Yelp asked me if I recommend Trader Joe's? Such a great question...I mean who doesn't recommend Tj s. It's the most hyped, holy grail, if Trader Joe's sells it I buy it store. I love that I don't have too many options, but just 1 type. I don't need 4 brands of soy sauce. One is perf. Staff is always lovely and they have the best snacks. The freezer section? Total gem. Flower section is always perfection. Love 10/10 read more

The ORIGINAL Location of Trader Joe's! Did you know that Trader Joe's began in Pasadena, California? I didn't know what a great store this was when my cousin from San Francisco talked about it. Over the years, I've learned that Trader Joe's will never come to Hawaii because of the cost of shipping. It's a fact. That's why, whenever I travel, I need to bring items back for friends and family. The snacks are delicious, different, and reasonably priced! While I'm there, I like to look at the fresh flowers, greeting cards, pet supplies, household goods, and... Everything! I also appreciate the convenient restroom and free parking! This particular location is cozier than the others. I was just happy to be at the place where Trader Joe's first started... and happy to see new products such as Ube Spread! read more

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I wanted to share my experience regarding the staff at the Trader Joe's Arroyo location. Unfortunately, I have found some of the team members to be unfriendly and awkward. This contrasts with my visits to other Trader Joe's, where I've enjoyed pleasant conversations with the staff. As I live closer to the Eagle Rock, I absolutely love the employees there. I hope this feedback can help improve the experience at Arroyo TJ's. read more

I was only looking for a few items but everyone here was very friendly and helpful. They took the time to show me where the items I was looking for could be found. A very positive experience. read more

Original Trader Joe's! The parking here is a nightmare! The lot is so small and the surrounding areas quite busy with other businesses and residential area so very limited parking. Other than that, they usually have most things in stock. Sometimes I've gone and a lot of the shelves are cleaned out. read more

I love Trader Joes...Products are good but the employees make it even better. I try to find things to bring back to Hawaii....I received recommendations so I got some of those things. One problem I had was that there wouldn't be enough room in the freezer overnight for an item I bought...an employee helped me locate a dry ice store...beyond the call. Another time a manager helped me find flowers I needed for a party. He not only called around to other TJ stores in the area, he arranged for the flowers to be held for me. Again, I was looking for an item that they were out of stock on...the manager checked and told me when the item would be back in stock. People there are so nice and helpful...Love shopping there! Thank you, thank you, thank you! read more

My partner and I are Trader Joe's addicts, so it was fitting that we finally checked out the original location. The food options were great, much like every other location. We went during October so they had a lot of deals on pumpkins, I think it was about $4-5 / pumpkin. The service was great. They were giving out samples at this location. We recently bought some fish that was not good and we didn't have a receipt and they didn't ask any questions and just gave us a refund back to our card. Trader Joe's had the absolute best service. Keep in mind this is the original location so parking is not great. The lot is small. I went around 4pm on a Wednesday and there were multiple spots open. read more

Trader Joe's - Outside - Grocery Near Me - Pasadena, California

Their selection of cookies is impressive! I like to tell myself they are good for me since they come from Trader Joe's . They taste amazing ...all of them...Every kind! They have a great frozen entree selection which I appreciate ...especially since I am looking for something healthy to wipe my conscience from eating all those cookies! Staff are always super helpful! Love this grocery store! read more

This is just right across where I live so I always always come here whenever I need something or if I need to do grocery last minute. The staff always greet me with a smile and they always make sure I was full filled during my shopping trip. They have a good selection of items and new items. They always keep updated with that. Too bad that every time I come too late and some famous items are always already gone. read more

Trader Joe's supposedly focuses on customer service so they do not worry too much about having quality fresh produce/meat. I have been coming to this particular location for around 2.5 years. Employees are generally okay here. Not friendly but not rude. Other locations (silverlake and hollywood) have much better customer service. Anyway during checkout, usually employees bag groceries in an efficient way. My husband wanted to help so he started bagging one bag. I thought the cashier named Miranda would bag the other reusable bag at the same time to reduce time, but she just stood there with her arms crossed until my husband grabbed the second bag and bagged rest of the items. I am very confused. Is this the new Trader Joe's standard? read more

The personnel is very nice , professional and courteous. But that's not where the problem resides: My issue is that a lot of items don't last as long as others bought elsewhere. Maybe I don't store them properly but let's take the pita bread: First, It is difficult to create a pocket as most sides are stuck so forget making sandwiches. They don't age well either. The vegetables don't last long when kept in the fridge. Maybe it's the fact that they are prepackaged in plastic for some. The basil is the best example: 2-3 days max when bought in the box. One can argue that the prices are less than elsewhere but for the apples for example are sold by the unit and there is no scale to get an idea of the price per pound. Of course, there are many good items like the hard cheeses and maybe, I caught a bad day or a bad batch. I wonder if I am the only one with this experience? I will try again and maybe update my review. read more

I like this location over South Pasadena location just because of the floor plan or layout of the store is much more efficient from what I see. Its a bit more spacious too. Most of the employees at Trader Joe's are nice and friendly and I have never seen anyone dry here. They are all welcoming and they never forget to greet you. My favorites to get here all time are grapefruit juice, pico de gallo, frozen foods, dry pasta (especially organic fettuccine) and some chips. Its affordable and portion is just right for me because I tend to waste a lot of food when I get it at Costco even though it maybe cheaper to get it there. Since the foods I get, no one eats in the family so its all my responsibility to finish them, haha. It's also fun to browse through their new item shelves. They always have a lot of fun & interesting new items to pique your interest. I recently purchased their watermelon spread because I love watermelon! Anyway, parking is not too great here but feel free to park in the streets like everyone else does. With this pandemic, please please wear a face mask or face coverings and do not bring any reusuable bags. They will be more than happy to bag it for you in recycled paper bags. read more

Trader Joe's - Some of my favorites!! - Grocery Near Me - Pasadena, California