I love Trader Joe's. Here's the deal: - Small, crowded store - Limited selection - Unreliable selection And these are all good things. The small store means I can get in and out with all my groceries in about 20 minutes. The fact that it's often crowded makes it feel like a community experience instead of an isolated leave-me-alone grocery shopping trip. The selection of products is limited, but what they do have to offer is relatively cheap and often healthier than 85% of what the huge selection at the supermarket is offering. The small selection also means that I'm not spending 10 minutes staring at cereal trying to decide which one to buy. It gets me in and out quicker. It's hard to make a good case for the unreliable selection, but I think it has a certain charm to it. Sometimes they run out of regularly stocked items for a week or two. Usually they come back, sometimes they've been discontinued. "Where's that almond butter I always buy?" It's gone. For about 2 weeks. But don't worry, it'll be back. "Why?" Who knows? It's not like the supermarket where you can count on your Multi-Grain Corn Chex being there every single time - it's a bit more of an adventure. The one thing I hate about this Trader Joe's is the parking situation. The turns are incredibly tight, the parking spots are limited, and I always feel like I am about scrape the wall or destroy another car. Fortunately, they often have a (super nice and friendly) guy directing traffic, but it's still a harrowing experience. When I first moved to Seattle and started shopping at TJ's, I missed the cold, fluorescent abundance of Wegman's (East Coast!) or even Safeway. But once I got used to it I fell in love. I would be super bummed if my local TJ's suddenly closed, and QFC could never fill the hole that would be left in my grocery shopping heart. Bonus product recommendations: - Vacuum Fried Banana Chips (silver pouch) Forget those other boring, sugar-filled banana chips. And don't let the word "Fried" scare you. They use coconut oil and NO SUGAR and these things taste amazing. They are heavenly and 100% habit-forming. - Plantain Chips An awesome, much healthier substitute for potato and tortilla chips. They don't have a lot of their own flavor, but they're great for savory snacking or for dipping in salsa or almond butter. I destroy bags of these each week. - Just Mango Dried mango slices. No added sugar, nothing. Like the package says: just mango. And super amazingly delicious. Holy crap, eat these immediately. - Trader Joe's Hummus (original flavor) Without a doubt my favorite hummus ever. The perfect combo of ingredients so that it has a lot of flavor without punching you in the face with it. This is a non-violent hummus. read more

I don't think I've ever been in a nasty Trader Joe's, and I'd like to keep it that way! This location has garage parking so you have to catch an elevator to get to the store and the parking can get chaotic when multiple cars are going in and out, but the store is nicely laid out and fully stocked. Coming from Hawaii, I always buy snacks and stuff to bring home for work peeps and family, so I do leave with a pretty heavy bag! Prices are reasonable and I feel that their store branded items are of good quality. I really only interacted with the checkout person, who was very friendly and NOT overly chatty, but the other employees I saw walking around the store seemed nice! read more

Want food that's better than QFC and Safeway but don't want to sell a kidney to shop at Whole Foods ? Then Trader Joe's is for you. Their selection is limited compared to the big chains, but they have items that are rare and unique at a very decent price (think raclette cheese or napoleon gherkins). They also have THE MOST AMAZING FROZEN DESSERTS !!!!!!! Chocolate croissants, regular croissants, tiramisu, chocolate lava cakes,... I plan on suing Trader Joe's, either for making me obese, or for intentional infliction of emotional distress if they ever, ever, stop carrying these desserts. Other things of note : most of the 'regular' stuff like milk, orange juice, cheese, etc... is cheaper than at QFC, and better. The one exception would be the meat / fish where the choice is more limited and they're usually more expensive from what I saw. Their wines selection on the other hand is quite decent and usually priced decently. Their staff is also pretty cool and helpful, which is probably due to the fact that they are not treated like cattle as some big chains do. They sometimes stop carrying specific items, I am still mourning the loss of the frozen mini french baguettes, so if you really like a new item they propose I suggest you fill your caddy because it might (or might not) disappear soon after. That specific Trader Joe's on Madison suffers a little bit from a crappy garage that's a bit tight and almost always full but that's the price of success I guess. read more

I love Trader Joe's. Usually. Ever since moving from CA I was stoked to hear that there was a Trader Joe's near me on the Hill. When I finally made my way over there I was so, so, SOOOOOO disappointed. Here are some downers: - The parking garage is a nightmare. If you're not a good driver or you own an SUV, park on the street! This garage is friendly only to tiny cars and people who are used to driving/parking in tiny, packed garages. It's cute that they have a parking garage cop though. HA! -The produce goes off ASAP. It's almost as if you bring it home and it knows it's time to rot and go soft and moldy. -The bread is the same. It's always dated so you have 2-3 days to use an entire loaf! -It's a small store. The Trader Joe's I've been to in the past were 1/3 bigger (at least) and all the food I liked to buy isn't available at this Trader Joes. What's with that?! They still sell some great food and I love the sample bar. I am usually totally sold on whatever I taste. In general it's a good store but it could be better. I tend to give in and just go to Safeway or QFC because I never have trouble parking or finding what I want. read more

I've been here a few times before, but the crazy parking lot and the idea that the prices are higher than your average store, plus the fact that it is just a smidge far to walk have conspired to keep me from visiting this TJs for the vast majority of the time I've lived in the neighborhood. I needed pumpkin seeds, preferably shelled and roasted, and so my sister and I decided to give this place a shot. The parking lot is still scary and insane, despite being improved, and it's still a smidge far to walk. It is more or less on my bus route home and that's a good thing as I was pleasantly shocked at how low their prices are for certain things. 29 cents for a lime that costs $1 at QFC? Thanks, TJs, you just tripled my drink consumption! Some of the meat prices were competitive even against Costco. That is not to say that there are still some high priced items - processed food and dairy seem to be fairly comparable to Safeway or QFC, and because the store is kind of on the small side, they can only carry so much. However, they have figured out how to put a lot of items on their shelves and the store is laid out in a very easy and sensible way. Despite being a busy Sunday, we didn't have to spend any time in line and our cashier was very nice. Oh yeah, and I got my pumpkin seeds too! read more

This Trader Joe's, by way of the dashing clerk Zachary, has changed my opinion of humanity forever. First of all, he hunted us down and correctly discerned that we were, in fact, looking for a check out stand. At that point in time we were stranded in the no man's land between the flowers, the food, and the sea of people clamoring to leave, but he changed all that. Zachary changed everything. Quick and courteous, he laughed at our off color jokes and had not one, but three, suggestions for dairy free chocolate. He even went to get it for us. He also doubled bagged our groceries so our mimosa makings would definitely not crash down onto the hard, cold concrete in the parking garage, nor did he judge us for buying mimosa makings at 11:30 on a Friday morning. Zachary: if you're reading this, we love you and would like to become your pen pal (or regular pal). Seriously, we will kick our roommate out so you can move in. We also hope your friend meets that nice Jewish girl. We have a few candidates if you need any. Trader Joe's: promote Zachary. WE DEMAND MORE ZACHARY. read more

Who am I kidding? Despite the nightmare parking, I LOVE everything else inside the actual store. AND, parking is a little better than when I last vented, as they have added some spaces, better signage & a traffic "director" during peak hours (who is actually very helpful if you pay attention to him!). I am a loyal fan of many of their snacks, meal/snack bars, sauces, frozen entrees & wine. Kiddo loves going because he gets to check out the food sample (always something they are cooking up in the back of the store) & leaves with stickers. read more

It's a Trader Joes. What's not to like? Well, the parking garage is kind of terrifying. And I live just far enough away to justify the drive sort of maybe (oh, who the heck am I kidding? I'm not walking a mile uphill in the rain). But get past that and it's everything that's great about a TJs. The staff are helpful and eager, and I love tasting what they have to offer at the taste bar. AND there's an alcohol section! Coming from Massachusetts, that's a Big Deal. One day, I came in looking for chocolate for truffle making. I asked a staff member about it, and not only did she show me the offerings, she opened up THREE different bars just so I could sample them! What incredible service! It's increasingly difficult to skip all of the specialty items and get just the essentials, because there are lots of deals to be had here! The prices are so good, however, that I can afford to treat myself every so often. And that feels good. read more

Still three stars-I just go there for a few specialty items like interesting crackers, but I did want to comment on the parking garage. This is the single worst parking garage I've ever, or probably ever will experience. The designer, a maniacal genius who spent many a night designing the human equivalent of a rat maze, for the amusement of only him. I'd like to see the figures for how many 'fender benders' have occurred in this god forsaken destruction derby that's posing for a parking lot! read more

SORRY EVERYONE! i live above the trader joes so i don't have to worry about parking. and in my opinion, i think its the greatest grocery store ever!!!!!!! i am a big guy, in want of losing weight, and for some reason, every time i go in this store. i feel like i'm going to be super healthy and super fit once i leave this place. granted, every aisle is really small and they dont have as much food as other grocery stores. but that's the best part! i can't go in there and buy a crap load of food because they don't sell a crap load of food in the first place! and most of it's organic! and not nearly as expensive as madison market or Whole Foods! so in conclusion, i'm eating heathlier and eating less due to the fact that there isn't really as much to buy in the first place!! THANK YOU TRADER JOE'S FOR NOT CONFORMING TO THE NORM OF HAVING A GINORMOUS GROCERY STORE WHERE YOU SELL ALMOST TOO MUCH FOOD TO CUSTOMERS THAT NEED TO EAT HEALTHY IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!! read more

Groceries are very important to me. I'm a single dad, and I believe I would be considered "Middle Class". This means that, as much as I enjoy good food prepared for me by others, that's not something I can do for every meal. And Trader Joe's is my absolute favorite place to get the staples of my diet. It's not pretentious like other natural food stores (Whole Foods - I know you're cool, but I still think you suck), and I have found is cheaper than traditional grocery stores (that's right, even my Safeway card can't save me this much money!!!) The key word, however, is staples. While there is a decent selection of all sorts of things here, there's really nothing high end (ie: they have good cheeses, but no great cheeses, decent wine, but no really good wine). Also, the steaks and fresh fish are never really that great. I prefer the meat at QFC. As for fish, a traditional grocery or the Market is a better bet, especially if you don't want farm raised fish. But, for everything else, it's spot on. While the selection of produce and the like varies, the quality always is pretty damn good. There are plenty of different types of cereal, and thanks to their having everything store branded, there's no huge markup (yay!). The breads aren't super fab, but pretty good overall, and the handmade tortillas are wonderful. I've never had any issues with the processed meats, and they have the cheapest Hebrew National dogs around. As for dairy - the milk is always fine, they carry Kefir for the freaks from Eastern Europe and Russia (point of clarification - my partner is from Russia and loves Kefir), and there's plenty of tasty (and plain) yogurt. The frozen foods are fine (I regularly use frozen veggies, and these are just fab), and they have a large selection of nuts (kind of like the Cuff!) and other snack foods. There's no cola, however, so I have to get coke for my whisky elsewhere...damn! Long story short, they are right there with staple foods and snacks. Decent beers, acceptable wines, and nice rotating variety. If you go in the afternoon, though, expect there to be little choice in the way of produce. Also, the store is often crowded, uncomfortably so. The lines move pretty quickly, however, so there's never an unacceptable wait to get the hell out (unlike Safeway). And then there's the parking, which is awful. But, on the plus side, the expanded parking will be open soon. I heard a rumor once that the Safeway on 15th and E John was going to close, and TJ's was going to move in. I wish that was true, because the space would be rad, and then they could have even more selection!!! But, for now, I'm happy with the selection, the quality and the service. Hurrah! read more

Trader Joe, Trader Jose, whatever you call it-- This place rocks. Aside from living so damn close to TJ's in the Hill, their selection of produce, dairy, frozen and dry goods is expansive and their wine selection, to me, is OUT OF THIS WORLD. They have this one Argentinian white that I am obsessed with. I'm sure that they think I'm an alchy, but honestly, this wine is so good that I'm afraid to lose it. So I stock up, haha. Customer service is on point-- when I need to find something they typically drop everything what they are doing to walk me to the spot where _____ is located. They are ALWAYS giving out some delicious samples too! Hell to the yes. One issue I've dealt with before with TJs is how crowded it can get. Not like they can do much about that aside from trying to convince others to not go, lol. Also, if you drive, good luck with the garage- I've heard it's a nightmare and one time, I made the mistake of driving to TJ... it was hell. It's like people in Seattle don't know how to drive when it starts raining, snowing or in small, enclosed garages. Smh. Also, TJ shoppers, please don't avoid the garage by parking around the hill. It makes residents like myself curse ever having a car because finding parking is a beezy. Try walking for a change, you lazy bastardos. Thats all. ILY TJ! read more

Much like every Trader Joe's I've ever visited, this place is fantastic! Sure, consistently great products and nice layout, but what always sells me on a place is the customer service. Here you can tell that the employees enjoy what they do, are loyal, and are also pretty knowledgeable about what's being sold. I don't always come to this location, I usually leave with a smile on my face. I will support TJs for life. Example of above-and-beyond: I once asked a stock guy about a sandwich I hadn't seen available for a few weeks. He dropped everything and looked into it. The person who had that information wasn't available at the time, but the stock guy checked-in with me every couple minutes even though he clearly had work to do. That was pretty awesome. read more

At TJ's, you get what you pay for. This adage is easily experienced by comparing their Goddess Dressing to the original by Annie's Naturals. Annie's Naturals' ingredients are, well, natural. Trader Joe's uses similar ingredients, but also adds other stuff to preserve the dressing's shelf life. The taste is similar, but Annie's got the tangy goodness that makes me want to eat salad all day long. The TJ's version can smell a bit off after sitting in the refrigerator for a few days. If you go looking for produce, make sure you inspect the contents thoroughly. I often find that many of the tomatoes are molding inside the plastic containers. Go to TJ's when you want to stock up on Smart Water, you won't find a better price around town. read more

I don't usually review chains, but this location of Trader Joe's is so great I just can't not! While there is nothing out of the ordinary about the product selection here compared to other TJs, I have such a good time shopping here because of the great energy put out by employees. Conversations at check out are always delightful, it's easy to find someone around to answer product questions and they pretend not to see when I take more than one free sample... I usually hate grocery shopping, and this TJ makes it quick, easy and enjoyable! If this location carried the TJ meatless crumbles, I'd give one more star. read more

Dear Trader Joes, I love you. I live in Canada where you do not exist and i go to your website often and send you emails asking you to open in Canada. I want to help you. You have done such an amazing job incorporating all the wonderful flavours, and organic options, into an amazing market. Oh and your prices are wicked. In a good way of course. I save so much money when i shop here (compared to Canada). I can't really not recommend anything i have bought here because i always find something that is way more exciting making my shopping list even longer every time i come across the border. I do love that you have free underground parking at this location. All the best, Vanessa read more

I must admit that I always have way more fun shopping at Trader Joe's instead of QFC/Safeway. There's so much fun stuff to buy, be it strange varieties of cheese with apricot in them, or exotic flavors or salsa. I always come here before hosting a party, because the frozen appetizers are the easiest way to satisfy hungry guests! Just pop them in the oven, and you're good to go. The spanakopita, feta & onion pastry bites, and stuffed mushrooms are my go-to choices. The produce is always fresh, and you don't pay as much of a premium if you opt for the organic stuff. There are also tons of frozen veggie options available, which is what I always spring for. The frozen basil cubes are especially awesome if you find yourself frequently making Italian food in a pinch! Beer and wine (especially wine) are also exceptionally cheap here. On my last visit, we picked up four bottles of wine, all under $5 each. That absolutely does not mean that they tasted terrible. I would argue that the average consumer wouldn't be able to tell the difference between these wines and something in the $10-15 range--I certainly can't! Liquor is also competitively priced, and I like that they stock several options from local Seattle distilleries. The parking garage can get a bit chaotic (especially on weekends), as there are a few tight turns around which you can't really fit two cars at once. I like heading over around 5-6PM on a weekday, because both the parking garage and the store are relatively empty, making shopping a much more pleasant experience. read more

Ok, I'm a strange cook. Went to culinary school for 2 years in England. Yes, I know England and elegant cuisine is a bit of an oxymoron. Come on Jellied eels and go a bit north and you get haggis! But, did learn to cook the most fabulous curries. Trader Joe's has ghee(clarified butter) and even buffalo ghee! Those lovely little red shrimp and even the blue ones on occasion. The coconut cream is really low priced; and is nice and smooth and flavorful. Jasmine rice is the cheapest around and it smells so good and fresh; unlike some grocery stores where it smells like a wet sari that's been in the hamper too long. Love the individually packed chicken breasts. The breasts don't have those stripes that look like bad ombre dye jobs which is the mark of overly antibioticed and overly hormoned chickens. The staff is friendly, efficient and will answer questions-well, maybe not the ones you missed on Jeopardy. I'll take salted caramels for $200, Alex. read more

Organic bananas at 29 cents a lb? Nature's path ORGANIC cereal for $2.99 a box? WTF?! Why do I live in Canada? read more

I *heart* Trader Joes. They almost always have just what you need for a recipe - the only reason I'm giving 4 stars is because they don't have a lot of specialty ingredients or "regular" grocery store items (i.e., table salt). But I guess that's what keeps the prices low, which is fine by me. I also love the little taste-testing area at the back of the store - often inspirational for meal-time. read more

Oh, come on. The parking lot is not THAT bad. And I like the new guy directing traffic in the garage. He's always in a good mood even though he spends all day in there. (Can you imagine?) I'm kind of shocked that lately I'm getting lots of my organic produce here instead of at Madison Market. It's HALF THE PRICE. Literally. Tiny selection, but it's fresh, delicious, local-ish, and cheap. So what if I'm eating several nectarines a day for 3 weeks? They are 69 cents, and they're good. I can't tell you my new favorite thing there because I think it's kind of undiscovered, and if you all start buying it they'll always be out of stock. Which, by the way, is the reason for the missing star. They run out of the good seasonal stuff once people catch on. Don't look in the bagged organic veggie section, please. That's mine. read more

OK, is it just me, or do you feel like you're saving the planet when you shop at Trader Joe's? I mean, it's so serene in there, and there are so many ethical and organic choices..... I like TJ's for the amazing hummus, fresh (and small family sized portions of) salmon, great little premade dinner choices and especially the price and selection of the beer and wine! While they don't have a huge selection of ingredients to make your food, the selection of what they do have is respectable; basic veggies, breads, marinated meats. Their premade choices are inexpensive and quality. The little taster cups of coffee and tasty bites of food can get you over the hump till you get home to make a real dinner. As far as the parking garage conundrum: I am grateful to have a place to park my jalopy, or a dry place for my bicycle. I don't care if it is tight, I can squeeze my Cadillac in just about anywhere with enough motivation. read more

This is the furthest grocery store I could go to, and instead of walking to Whole Foods (WF) or driving half the distance to QFC, I even go an extra block past Madison Market to get here. Street parking is limited in this neighborhood and yes, the parking garage is slightly traumatizing, but your best bet for a spot after noon is from 2pm-4pm M-F. I think the store is laid out backwards and you have to do a bit of backtracking to keep all your cold items till the end. The store is certainly small compared to QFC or WF, but it also means I can get 2-weeks' worth of food for 2 people in 30 minutes. Yes, a majority of the items are TJ's own brand, but they're good quality and certainly more affordable than WF. read more

I heart Trader Joe's they have a few items that I can not get anywhere else. like the Australian Liquorish, this stuff is so soft and chewy and the smell is just wonderful also they carry Smoked Tuna and Canned Tuna Fillet's, they are great to take with me on the road for a snack and if you have a Cat try the trader Joe's Tuna for Cats, your Cat will go crazy for this stuff, I have gotten canned food at QFC and Mud Bay but none of them get eaten like this stuff does read more

There is a Trader Joe's in Issaquah and Bellevue that i could frequent-and i do. BUT, my heart belongs to the one on madison off of cap hill. This TJ is just about the brightest, biggest, happiest TJ there is this side of the mississippi. I love the greater amount of selection they carry at this location. i keep telling my sister about it because she is a hoarder with a capital W...er H when it comes to TJ's Vino. next time i'm in the 'hood i will make sure to walk around this favorite grocery shop of mine* *favorite g shop in the city that is. read more

I can just imagine a couple of us Seattle hippies with our reusable bags coming to blows over a parking spot in the garage at this place. It's that bad. That's why I had to have a little chuckle today when I noticed the new installation... an SPD officer trying to direct the inept drivers. Like any Trader Joes, the produce leaves something to be desired. Sometimes you come across really great finds like caviar or frozen chocolate lava cakes. Wine is cheap, but you have to know which ones are actually potable... some really suck. read more

What can I say...I love Trader Joes. I first encountered Trader Joes in the bay area and was pleased when I found out there was a store not too far from my house. One of my favorite pastimes is going to the grocery store. Odd I know but I enjoy perusing the aisles and seeing what kind of food is being offered. In fact, whenever I go to a foreign country I make it a point to go to a grocery store to see if I can find anything unusual or interesting. Trader Joes has a large selection of frozen food items that I do not normally encounter. I was there today and found a rack of lamb for $15.00. What a deal! I will say that while some of the prices are reasonable...others can be on the verge of crazy. For example, why would I pay over $4.00 for milk. Yes, yes I realize it is organic and that it probably came from some special kind of cow but I would rather go to Safeway and pay $1.00. All in all I really do love Trader Joes...but alas they get 4 starts. Mainly because of their selection. I can buy 2 buck Chuck but not a 12 pack of toilet paper. read more

This store is GREAT if you need to get a buncha treats for a same/next day party. Reasonably priced cookies, chocolates, cheaper/drinkable wines, veggie plates, premade dips, guacamole, quick frozen/oven bites or appetizers and even floral arrangements to surprise your Host or Guests. Excellent bang for your buck!!! A fantastic party store. The parking is usually dreadful, so make sure you bring ample patience if you swing up into their driveway. This store is NOT Great, if you want to do regular shopping unless it is for same day snacking. The shelf life on the fresher things tends to be short. They do have a nice array of things like nuts, energy bars, snacky snack things. And their cooler (frozen) section is decent if you are a swinging bachelor with only a freezer and a microwave to see you through. For regular weekly shopping (esp if you like healthy and organic stuff) I suggest Madison Market a block SW. on Madison and then suppliment at the TJ's. The other three best options on th Hill (in MHO) are the three QFC's. For whatever reason, I'm not a fan of the two nearby Safeways, unless I'm in a pinch or picking up one item. read more

I love having a Trader Joe's so close to home. It's nice to be able to walk here. I've also come here by car and the parking garage is a nightmare. They really need to do something about it. They have great products (even organic) at great prices. And, their staff is really friendly too. I come here at least once a week to buy their pre-packaged veggies, nuts, cereal, you name it. read more

I have to say, I'm a fan. The parking garage could use some work, but that aside, it's the same fantastic Trader Joe's I'm used to. My favorite thing about Trader Joe's is that they have a ton of ready-to-eat (once heated/cooked) meals that are still healthy, and they're NOT expensive. You would expect a healthier store to be pricier, but Trader Joe's usually isn't. My purchases of choice? Tomato-pesto flatbread, goat cheese pizza, olive and goat cheese tapanade, frozen mango bites (kept frozen and eaten frozen, mind you), and, okay, pretty much everything else as well. read more

I have this terrible habit of going into stores with the intention of buying nothing yet leaving with a handful of things. Trader Joe's is the perfect example. What's not to love either? Some three buck Chuck (though now, $2.50), dark chocolate bars with caramel and black sea salt, and a dozen types of hummus. The prices are comparable, if not better, than the QFC down the street, which makes the broke college student in me all giddy on the inside. One of the most notable things about this Trader Joe's (even surpassing my favorite back home in Vegas by miles) is the customer service. The employees are always so friendly, and helpful in the event of questions or inquiries. I've never left this location without experiencing great customer service. read more

Love this place except they discontinued two of my most favorite trader joe staple foods: Identity Crisis Chips and Cous Cous Salad with sun dried tomato. This is my public plee to please bring them back. I promise to purchase them at least twice a month. OK-- back to the customer focused review: Parking is free, they often have free samples of their featured item which is fun in the store, they have a great frozen food section! Their dessert section rocks too! read more

This place is great if you're looking for QUALITY food in un-branded packaging. I go for a few specific things: -Wine (cheap wine) -No seriously, really cheap wine. You'll drink more wine if you start shopping here. -Packaged nuts - What can I say? I'm a sucker for legumes. -VEGETABLES - Can anyone say $1 bell peppers??? -Artisan bread - Stuff your grandma wished she could make in her Pampered Chef machine -Olive oil - At 4 bucks a liter for extra virgin who wouldn't love it?! On a side note, the parking garage is a completely terrifying experience. If you can, stop in on your way home by bus, or go when it's not busy. The guy they have armed with a whistle at the entrance tries really hard to make things easier, but in the end, it's a tiny parking garage with little to know turnaround room :S read more

Caveat: I would never purchase produce at TJ's unless I get a hankering for organic. Produce is always cheaper and higher quality at most Asian grocers in town. Thus, this 5-star ranking is reserved for what Trader Joe's does best: nuts and seeds, crazy delicious snacks and cereals, cheap oils and booze, and holy-fricking-tastic frozen foods. I've shopped at TJs all over the country and dearly missed it when I was living abroad. My god, their frozen entrees are so delicious, they sometimes make me forget the shame of "cooking" for one and sadly downing my pork potstickers with $3 chuck. Just kidding, but they do make great lunches for work. Most of the frozen foods are not too calorie dense, have fab natural ingredients, and taste amazing. How can you make mac and cheese taste just as good as buttered chicken and naan? Such range! What else can you drown your lonely sorrows in? That's right, the best fro-yo and soy ice creams. So creamy and tarte. Did I mention the mochi? The other deserts range from meh to wildly fantastic, but I'm a woman of simple taste and stick to my mango sorbet and fro-yo. Also in the frozen aisle are frozen fruits (berries, yum!) and veggies, all of which are fresher than fresh produce (frozen produce are picked at their peak and retain more nutrients) and cheap as chips. Seriously, even stuff on sale at Safeway is rarely cheaper than full-priced TJs. I'm going to skip the wine/beer reviews because I'm sure there are better booze-hounds on Yelp, but one last thing: TJs has super cheap, high quality oils, both of the moisturizing variety and the stuff straight from Italy. I'm also in love with the chicken stock in the little sachets (orange box). The ingredients and sodium content make my heart happy. And the fact that they're concentrated means I don't have to schlep a heavy carton of broth on the metro is wonderful. TJs, CAN WE JUST PUT A RING ON IT? read more

The best Trader Joe's (compare to Queen Anne and U. District stores!): wide aisles, quality interior consttruction, pleasant staff, relaxed atmosphere, very wide selection of groceries. Wish this one were on Queen Anne. The selection of breakfast cereals is very good, unlike the kiddy stuff found in your typical supermarket. Quality TJ Marina sauce. Excellent plain cream line yogurt. Bad coffee, though. Going to the one on QA is like going to a Friends of the Seattle Public Library semi-annual book sale: you rush into a crush of people and hope to get out as soon as you grab your groceries and get through the line at the cash register. But in an era of airplane-hangar supermarkets like the Harvard Market QFC. any Trader Joe's is somewhat of a victory for the consumer. read more

I love the cheese, and don't get me started on the cheap ass Tolberone! I love TJ's because they sell a lot of stuff grocery stores sell for a much better deal! Salame?! Juice?! Uh-huh! read more

Good lord. Will NEVER go to this store again. Customers waiting in line was nuts, waited about 45 to check out. With drug heads stealing and screaming at us. Pure chaos in this store. Not even to mention the screwed up parking garage. Prob only about 20 spots and they are so crammed in there, good luck parking a truck or SUV. read more

Well, I guess I wasn't hippy-fied enough in Austin so Seattle's here to finish the job...but not without a fight!!! Everyone I know here raves about the wonders of Trader Joes and, after my visit today, I can see why. I'd give it another star, but I wasn't able to do all of my shopping here because I don't have cookware to prepare food in. I'll be back when I get some pots and pans. I just needed to do some supplemental shopping to enhance my poorly stocked refrigerator (until today it was cupcakes, beer, a couple take out boxes, and lunch meat). I was going to go to the U District and hit up the one there, but I have friends in the Hill who offered to drop me off, then I caught a bus home. Another reason I didn't wanna buy too much. Onto the experience. The store is not too huge, but its well laid out, allowing room in all the aisles for shopping carts and whatnot. There's a conspicuous absence of name branded products, which could be a positive or a negative, depending on how you look at it. I haven't decided on that, either. I just know that I got my supplemental items and didn't pay too much money. I didn't feel like I'd been bent over with the amount of items I'd purchased. The customers were indifferent towards anyone but themselves, but the cashier seemed genuinely friendly. He even managed to fit all my stuff in the TJ's bag I purchased without crushing my eggs or bagels! I could be in love...maybe. read more

Whenever my friend and I drive to Seattle from Spokane, we make a TJ's stop. We always went to the one in Issaquah because it is right off of the I-90. Then we ventured up to the Joe's on Queen Anne. This is by far our favorite TJ's in Seattle! I understand the review that said the produce section is small. I guess it was. I'm never really amazed by TJ produce sections except the one in Santa Barbara. To me they are always small, but have good quality for what they have. Mostly I look for brocollini and they have it, so I'm satisfied. The great thing about this Joe's is the frozen food area. We love the TJ's indian food selections that this had one of the largest stock we've found. read more

Even though I worry that the new capitol hill TJ's will drive my beloved Madison Market out of business, I can't help but adore Trader Joe's. Their products are inexpensive, creative, good quality, and they carry a ton of easy-to-prepare meals for single/busy people. Update: I now know many of the checkers by name. When someone asks a new employee where an item is, I lead them to the aisle. It's funny yet sad simultaneously. I live at TJ's. read more