The staff at this TJ's is fabulous, especially the guy in the back who unloads the trucks. He knows where everything is and although he is shy, if you ask him something he will gladly help you. He knows everything about the place!!! The ladies in the back who serve up the samples are great. They give advice on what to do with things and are always in a good mood, even if they aren't. The full timers seem to not care. They act like they are just passing through. They seem bothered when people ask them questions. The biggest problem is that the store always seems to be out of things. I go there and I can never get everything I want. But if I ask the guy in the back he finds things for me. I usually go the Starbucks next to the store and get my latte then I go shopping. I usually bring my labra-doodle Muffy into the store and everyone seems happy to see her when we come in. There is a worker named Jose who always opens up the dog food and gives it to her. He isn't there all the time though, he goes to Central America an awful lot. Don't know what that's all about :/ Anyway, if you want to relax and poke around a neighborhood feel grocery store...this is the place. But the parking IS terrible!!! read more

Convenient location, tons of parking, really great staff. Don't expect a ton of special things here like seasonal items or limited edition things, the space is limited so they stock the essentials, but it's all good. Even still, great location. read more

My everyday grocery store! It's not too big, but it has just enough. Great staff. The produce section is amazing, and the frozen food is there, ready to help you out on your lazy, i-can't-cook-tonight days. I enjoy coming to this place so much, I come in even when I don't need and groceries, and end up buying something. It gives me the same joy i feel while buying makeup or clothes! read more

I'm really excited to be moving right across from this Trader Joe's soon (it's actually the view out my new kitchen window)! The staff at this store seem to be particularly friendly and fun. The store is small, which means there are some holes in the inventory, but this just helps me discover new things. Don't have the particular salsa I was hoping for? Great, I'll try a new one! read more

Eh, not my favorite TJ's location. The parking lot is horribly designed and it's difficult to find a spot w/o driving around for a few minutes first. The store itself is small and cramped. I usually frequent the location on Boylston St which is in a basement, yet this location feels far smaller and more cramped. Decent selection of produce. read more

Well organized and well stocked Trader Joe's. Arlington is a dry town, so no 2 buck chuck here. Yes, it's a little small, but if you go at off times, it's no problemo. Employees are EXTREMELY helpful. In fact, today, I was interested in something but mentioned I wish it were $2 cheaper. They gave it to me. How's that for confidence in your product and customer service? FANTASTIC! Also, bonus for pre-cleaning and cutting the fresh brussell sprouts for me. Much appreciated. Love it. Will return. read more

Great staff at this location, which helps because otherwise it's very small with a brutal parking situation at times. Try to shop here at off peak times and you will find it far more enjoyable. It's more a place to go if you live in the area because you can finder a larger trader joe's or a whole foods in all the surrounding towns. read more

I was happy to find out how close to my home this Trader Joe's was, but grew disappointed with time. The products that supposed to last longer often have expiration dates on the same day or couple of days later. Few times , the food was not fresh, once I returned it, but then next few times just did not bother to return. Really have to watch every product you buy there.. I wish it was different. read more

The greatest part of this Trader Joe's is that it's only a mile away-- I can walk there easily and don't need to "park" anywhere! It's small but I know where everything is and I love the people who work there. TJ's is better than any store I know about doing everything they can so you don't have to wait in lines to check out. That said, I wish this store had one "express" line like they do at Fresh Pond. It's small, but conversely I know just what's there and don't feel the need for a ton more choices. Everyone says there's not beer & wine because Arlington's a dry town -- but there's a Giles Wine in E. Arlington across from the diner- so what's up with that... I expect it's as much because of the size of the store and the # of licenses, etc. read more

I just moved to the area and Trader Joe's is walking distance from my house. I bought a couple Asian frozen packages and Sushi's from Trader Joe's. I'm so disappointed. The worst Asian food I had picked-up. Trader Joe's really need to improve their Asian food skills. read more

We moved to the Boston area five years ago, and finding a town with 2 music stores, a couple of art supply stores, 2 organic farms and a Trader Joe's filled the bill for us. ( Put on enough layers of thermal clothing and we can pretend we are still in Palo Alto). Honestly, this TJ's is a lifesaver. All in all, the products are healthy for the planet and for our wallets. Check out the frozen cubes of garlic, basil and cilantro! Instant yummmm! The bags of almond meal (which I substitute for whole wheat in waffles, pancakes, muffins, pie crusts) is way less expensive than what I can get at Whole Foods. All the products are on a par with Whole Foods except for the fruits and veggies, which are often encased in plastic. read more

Okay so I absolutely love this place. Its like a little neighborhood market. The only downside is that they really dont have much of a selection. They dont even have lunch meat. However, its defiantly worth stopping at! Their fruit and vegetables are relatively inexpensive (compared to shaws) and great quality. I can always find healthy yummy food here. read more

I do love my neighborhood TJs. The pre-made meals have saved me more than a few times, and they are tasty and a little healthier than the regular store options. The produce is meh, but the staff couldn't be nicer. All-in-all a pleasant experience. read more

Enjoy shopping here, great selection and helpful staff. Reasonably priced and lots of ready cooked meals. Parking is a challenge.

Small but friendly! It offers whatever you want for the day and customer service is awfully great. If you find anything bad with their products, they will return the money or exchange with the same products. Parking could be tough sometimes but if you live close by, take a walk to the store and enjoy their quality products. read more

The staff is great - they go above and beyond. Make recommendations and are very friendly. The typically grocery store attitude doesn't exist at TJs Arlington. The street parking is better than the lot and the food is in line with TJs high quality affordable price. You can't go wrong. read more

As much as I love Trader Joe's, I'm not fond of this location. It's smaller so they carry less items. The parking lot is small and doesn't make a whole lot of sense. It's also next to an annoying intersection. You're better off going to the Burlington or the Cambridge locations, if you can. read more

I'm a fan of all things Trader Joe. I like the products, prices, quality, and service. This TJ is close to the bike path, and that's a huge plus. Parking does stink b/c the lot is crowed and shared with Walgreens and Starbucks. Compared to other TJ's, I think this one is lacking in customer service. I know how much TJ prides itself on friendly service, so I don't make this comment lightly. For starters, on my most recent visit the gentleman who checked me out did not bag my groceries. I thought that was standard procedure. I've never been to TJ's before and not had the clerk put my groceries in my re-usable bags. Bagging my own groceries wasn't a huge deal, though it was awkward because the clerk had the person behind me rung up and I was still struggling to get my goods in bags. Second, the folks who man the free sample area are not friendly. In my opinion, the free sample person has the most important job in the whole store. Everyone stops for a sample, so that employee should be smiling, chatting, and extremely helpful. The past few times I've visited, the employee at the sample counter has not looked up as I took a sample and said thank you. if I didn't stay thank you and take the time to check out the product, I could understand the clerk ignoring me, but that wasn't the case here. read more

Hi there! I just wanted to let everyone know about Trader Joes in Arlington. I've lived in this burb for six years!! I love shopping at TJ, just not here!! I love the following: Alewife/Cambridge and Coolidge Corner. Let me say that overrall the customer service sucks!! I had gone for a walk and was planning to have my parents over for dinner! To save time I figured that I would just head to TJ down the street!! Big mistake-should have went to Alewife!! I got three bags of groceries!! I decided to go in the shortest line, another big mistake on my part! Let's just say the cashier had no customer service and a bad attitude on him!! Usually I find it's the HS kids at Stop n Shop (occassional visits). This was a guy of mid 40s to early 50s!! Not friendly at all-it didn't start off good!! I said to him, " Hi, how are you?" There was no response. I specified that I wanted my frozen food in a plastic bag and the rest of the grocery in a double paper bag!! He continued with the nasty attitude!! The guy behind me had a 12pk of water and asked if I was done with the cart I was using. "Yes" I replied with a smile. The cashier said, "I need to use this cart!" He proceeded to take the other customer's water out and place it on the floor. He loaded up the cart with my groceries and handed me my Whole Foods recyclable. " Are you going to use this?" I said, " No." Once again the attitude remained hurried and unfriendly. Inpatient with my overrall experience I asked for my total. I was totally ignored a couple of times!! I was now annoyed!! "Are you using your credit card?" he asked. "No, sixty dollars cash, thank you!" I waited for my receipt! "No receipt!" He never said anything before hand about running out of registrar paper. Nor was there a sign or the replacement of tape. I couldn't wait to get out of there!! I said thank you as I rolled the cart out. I proceeded to the customer service and explained my awful experience!! To make a long story short, got my receipt, but same awful experience from the "supervisors".. read more

Lucky to have this TJ in Arlington. Staff has amazing morale and are friendly and helpful. One complaint is they tend to run out of a lot of items on a regular basis. Not sure if that is because it is small or what but I find it happens frequently. Otherwise an easy and pleasant experience. read more

They may not always have everything I'm looking for, and the parking lot can sometimes leave me spaceless and looping around for a bit, but man the staff here is always so damn friendly I just can't give them anything less than 4 stars! read more

Great location hours and products. I really like this place. Sometimes it is hard to find a parking spot.

I love Trader Joes! The employees are ALWAYS so helpful and they actually really do want to help you! The store can be a little crowded if you go on a Saturday or Sunday morning but you can get in and out very quickly if you go an hour or two before they close. I wish other stores would model themselves after Trader Joes for how they train their employees. It is a pleasure to shop here. read more

Fantastic crew - they really make shopping fun! And the food's good too.

Not a great Trader Joe's, but okay. No alcohol, due to the remnants of Arlington's ridiculous blue laws, and don't even try to park here. But if you live in the neighborhood and have a need for curry sauce or cheese, it's convenient. If you're driving, go to a larger one. read more

Just like parking in the rest of Arlington, it's really bad in the parking lot at Trader Joe's. But I've found that although the lot isn't laid out the best, it's the people who create most of the problems. My two least favorite things are when people stop in the entrance to the parking lot and when they park where there is no parking. If there's no parking available on the street, I park at the public lot at Hurd Field behind the store. it's a short walk across the bike path and up the stairs. As far as the liquor thing, Arlington was a dry town until recently, but it's that dumb state law limiting chains to only 3 liquor licenses. Too bad the voters didn't overturn that when they had the chance a few years ago. read more

I used to live a long drive from Trader Joe's so would go infrequently and buy huge amounts of my favorite things. Now I've moved to within walking distance of this one, so I go frequently and have tried a lot of new things. The cheese selection is wonderful and nicely priced. Many of the frozen and jarred ethnic foods are staples in our house. But the bagged carrots & potatoes have that slightly musty taste and and the meat is not very tender. My brined T'Giving turkey ("Always fresh, never frozen") was still frozen in the middle after 2 days of thawing in the fridge. It didn't come with a pop-up thermometer, and even tho I took it out early, it was tough and dry. Twice this week I've had the experience of buying a fresh product (cheese ravioli once and Kosher ground beef another time) only to find, when I opened it the next day, that the expiration day was the day I bought it. My fault for not paying attention, TJ's fault for putting out products so close to expiration. Overall, I'm a fan and love living nearby, but I shop more carefully now. read more