Trader Joe's: that big of a deal?

[amddude]

I'm traveling to Tucson this weekend and they have some. We don't have any here. Is this a place I should check out?

 

[Gibson486]

Ummm...it's just a chain that sells food. Nothing more.

 

[Blackjack200]

I'm traveling to Tucson this weekend and they have some. We don't have any here. Is this a place I should check out?

I think we've done this thread before. I'm pretty neutral on Trader Joe's but some people love them.

 

[AstroManLuca]

It's kind of nice because they have a lot of high-quality groceries and they don't cost a ton like Whole Foods or other hippie-approved stores.

Not really a big deal though, no.

 

[Lifted]

don't waste your time.

 

[geno]

They sell some good stuff, some overpriced, some not. Their frozen stuff is usually good, very low on preservatives and pretty tasty. I usually stock up on some frozen goods to bring to work in case I don't have a lunch ready.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

They have some pretty good stuff and it's worth popping in from time to time if you have one locally. It's north worth visiting as a tourist destination.

 

[JD50]

Trader Joe's is awesome.

 

[Ns1]

it's a cheap whole foods IMHO

lots of incredible items, a lot of mediocre items too

not a tourist destination by any means...lol

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

TJ's have good deals on coffee and cheese as well as two buck chuck and their own label beer.

 

[Platypus]

It's better in terms of price than Whole Paycheck but it's really not that mind blowing. They have some interesting shit.

 

[nageov3t]

most of their frozen foods are pretty good (if not necessarily good for you). I also like most of their wine.

I'm indifferent towards their meat, produce, and cheese when compared to my local grocery store (granted, my local store is in a pretty high-end neighborhood)... I'll stop by TJ's if I happen to be in the area for something else, but I don't find it to be worth the drive to make a trip out there just for groceries (it's about a 25 minute drive from my house, compared to 5-10 minutes for my local grocery store)

 

[Pliablemoose]

Don't bother, it's just a small trendy grocery store with all private label stuff.

 

[logo908]

You absolutely need to see it. I'd set aside a whole day.

 

[AstroManLuca]

One thing I'll recommend is their tortellini and ravioli. Much cheaper than what you get from the big supermarkets and more interesting too. Those things cost $4 a pack from a typical grocery store. At TJs they're $2 for plain cheese tortellini and $2-$3 for more interesting flavors like artichoke, lobster, etc. Great for a quick dinner.

 

[MJinZ]

I like Whole Foods for the food I buy. It seems to be about the same price as Shaws or whatever.

However, if I actually did any cooking, I'm sure I'd be skipping down to Market Basket instead.

 

[Ns1]

One thing I'll recommend is their tortellini and ravioli. Much cheaper than what you get from the big supermarkets and more interesting too. Those things cost $4 a pack from a typical grocery store. At TJs they're $2 for plain cheese tortellini and $2-$3 for more interesting flavors like artichoke, lobster, etc. Great for a quick dinner.

asparagus + mushroom stuffed ravioli = epic

 

[Fritzo]

Don't they supply the Kirkland brand stuff for Costco?

 

[Gibson486]

I like Whole Foods for the food I buy. It seems to be about the same price as Shaws or whatever.

However, if I actually did any cooking, I'm sure I'd be skipping down to Market Basket instead.

same here.... just stay away from the one in Somerville

 

[KB]

Not sure about Texas, but the TJs in Virginia sell low price wine including the infamous Charles Shaw, aka 2-buck chuck. For about 3 - 6 dollars you can get a decent wine from napa valley, italy, chile or argentina.

 

[Terabyte]

If you like snacks/junk food, TJ's a good place for stuff. They do sell healthy food too, but I generally don't go for that stuff when I got to TJ's.

 

[Ns1]

OOOH YEAH

tj nitrate free applewood smoked bacon seriously > *

 

[Capt Caveman]

If you drive by one, it may be worth picking up some trail mix, dried fruits or other snack food.

 

[amddude]

Ok if I'm going for snack-ish food, other than trail mix anything else I should look out for?

 

[tboo]

Good place for snack food