We live in walking distance of this Trader Joe's so we go here a few times a week, it's become our new 'corner store'. I've always been a fan of the brand but this particular location is special to me because they are SO SO SO SO nice to me and my family. My toddler has befriended Damien and every time she seems him there is an unparalleled level of excitement that everyone in the store can feel because she exclaims loudly how happy she is to see him. He is always warm, friendly, nice, polite and patient with her. He even remembers both of our names! The customer service is great and the employees are super nice. My only 'gripe' if I had one would be the parking lot, it is an absolute nightmare. Luckily we are close enough to walk and usually do that when we visit. read more

Trader Joe's - Grocery Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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Trader Joe's .anything with the Carrie they have their logo on it Trader Joe's I like that. They have good quality of everything food munchies vegan Great customer service friendly vegan life read more

Trader Joe's - Grocery Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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I love shopping at Trader Joe's. It is close to my home and work - super convenient. My problem is with how long it takes to check out. I seriously wonder if moving as slowly as humanly possible is part of the employee training. While I appreciate the friendliness of all their employees, if they are so engaged in conversation that they pause between bagging each item to laugh and chat as if we all have nowhere else to be, I'd almost rather they be rude! This has been bothering me for a very long time, but today just put me over the edge, and I felt like I had to air my grievance. I don't know if Trader Joe's checks these reviews, but I hope they do and encourage their employees to speed it up. read more

Racism cannot be tolerated at trade joes redwood rd. A tall white female checker assigned operated the "items and less lane" which is the checkout lane closest to managers kiosk This lady had served a customer in front of me. It took but 20 seconds for her to behave as if she had not serviced a customer in front of me. She was still open in her lane prior to me being there. There was no mistake to this fact. It was about 7:40pm 12/8/2022 Yet she turned around looking the other register operated by her Trader Joe's female white employee. Something made her want to send me there but I didn't budge. She said aloud to me that I should go there. But stopped short of that idea when I didn't reply. I placed food items on the pullout table available for the tall lady to scan, she scanned the ice cream, facial oil, popcorn, and bread. I had my wine and yogurt in my arm. I brought out my id. And as she read the id she was silent, but after she reached out to me to hand the id she let out a fussy noise about eight times as she handed the I.d back. My id was valid no comment was needed. A proper thank you sir was what I needed! Clearly this lady had further problems viewing a legitimate identification and a heavy spender. Did I mention as if she didn't notice I black man and had a black teen with me? I come to the store so frequently at different times I'm familiar with the hidden discrimination at Trader Joe's and will continue to expose it. read more

I often shop trader Joe in Castro valley. I rarely purchase a gallon of milk for myself, but I have one. Today I'm looking for an expiration date to my surprise I noticed there wasn't one on either side of the gallon bottle. I have plenty milk but am afraid of tasting it and being sour. Do most of their milk products don't have dates stamped on them? read more

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Customer service needs some work! Not very friendly. I went a few times prior did not have any issues, but this last time we had some grinch

Updating to about 2.5 - 3. It's hit-and-miss with the food. It's really annoying when you find an item you like and then it's not available after a few months or they stop producing it. Also, recently I bought a frozen food item and it tasted a little off from all the times I bought it. Ended up getting food poisoning from it. Spent a fair amount of time in the restroom because of it. Wonder if you can get a refund since it was labeled with "Trader Joe's" name on the package. But I don't have the receipt so I'm out of luck. I'm also fed up with standing in line to get in the store, for over a year, because of covid. It doesn't matter when I go, there is alway a line to get in. All the other grocery stores don't have a line. read more

I like this location of TJ's, it's very convenient, plenty of parking, great prices, and always new things to try. It can get very busy and crowded. During this pandemic times, there is a line to get in, with social distancing in place. They wipe down the carts once its returned. The lines move pretty quickly. I purchase a variety of items and then some.... the kids love all the snack that they have. The one item that my special needs kid love was their oatmeal chocolate chip cookies but they discontinued the item! I need to find something else to replace that item. Definitely love this place! read more

Went to Trader Joe's to stock up today Sat 9/19/09. Open daily 9a-9p Multi-grain bread $2.29 artichokes $2.29 a pk of 4 small ones 1/2 salt cashew pcs $3.99 Clif Black cherry almond 99c x 5 = $4.95 Hummus dip $3.49 x 2 = $6.98 Olives Kalamata pitted $3.29 Potbelly lentil soup $2.99 x 2 = $5.98 Total $29.77. Credit cards taken. read more

I've got dreams of living life just like Kramer from Seinfeld. That means living in a high rise with levels and no furniture, fake wood shelf paper completely covering the interior so it looks like a cabin and most importantly - no refrigerator - eating everything fresh. This would be the perfect to place to have next door if you would want everything fresh. It would be a dream to live next door to here or the small city Safeway, The Market. If you had either of these one wouldn't need a fridge. Just come down every time you need something. It really is an unpleasant experience to go to a regular Safeway - any from the one down the street in Castro Valley to one in any nearby city. Parking lots are always full and require a time consuming walk. Then another 10 minutes in line at the register. Normal large grocery stores are in fact set up so that you typically must walk the whole long perimeter to get what you need and the things you are most likely to need are the furthest from the front door (think dairy always in the far back corner). Who has time for this nonsense? And Costco is the worst. What a drag. This Trader Joes is about as pleasant an experience as one could ask for. Almost everything you would ever need will be in here and no fist fights necessary. Friendly cashiers and they move things along fast. Be like Kramer. Eat fresh and grocery shop every day. Set up camp next to a Trader Joes - you won't mind shopping here every day because its so pleasant. read more

Best little grocery chain in the biz. High quality products at affordable price points for the average consumer. They have specialty food products that you just can't get anywhere else. Really glad we have a Trader Joe's local to the Castro Valley area. Safeway is OK. However Trader Joe's is awesome :) read more

Great service and lots of parking at this location. Was bummed they didn't have a couple items that I typically get recently. Huge TJ's Salad fan and there are a lot to choose form here is my thoughts and tiers over time. Tier 1 - I'll take 1 of these each week Crunch Slaw with Chicken Breast , Crispy Noodles & Peanut Dressing (thai)- The undisputed Queen/King Peanut Udon Salad- What took me so long to discover this? Five Spice Chicken and Asian Style Noodle Salad - Always strong Field Fresh Chopped Salad with Grilled Chicken - A new discovery thanks to a friend Tier 2- Sure why not ? Cobb salad - Was in top tier for awhile for just recently dropped it down to the 2ndtier Lemon Chicken & Arugula Salad - See Cobb Salad Middle Eastern Style Fattoush Salad - Pretty Tasty Southwest Salad - Solid as well Mexicali Salad with Chili lime Chicken - Like to mix this one in every now and then Trader Giotto's Caesar Salad - Towards the bottom of this tier for sure Roasted Butternut Squash, Red Quinoa and Wheatberry Salad - Not bad Tier 3 - I'll pass but ty for offering Harvest Salad with Grilled chicken- almost almost in tier 2 but just couldn't do it... Waldorf Salad with grilled white chicken meat - Looked appetizing but fell flat Chinese Style Salad with Chicken- Not all Asian salad are in tier 1 ! Mozzarella & Tomato Salad- The cellar dweller for me at least for sure If you like my reviews, consider "following" my profile for reviews all across the SF Bay Area . Why "follow" someone? It causes the person you follow's reviews to tier to top when you pull up a business. I find this very handy when researching venues. Rod's Review grading scale explained. Essentially I personally base it on the likelihood of a return visit and I try to be stingy with 5 star reviews since they should be "special" in my eyes. Price/Value also play a role obviously but there are $ and $$$$ littered across my grading scale. 5 stars - "I'll go out of my way" (approx 6 % of my reviews) 4 stars- "If I was in the area I'd go here and would recommend", (approx 38% of my reviews) 3 stars "Maybe if was nearby", (approx 37% of my reviews) 2 stars -"Would likely not return, Only if you want to go", (approx 16% of my reviews) 1 star -"No thanks, even if I was hungry", (approx. 3 % of my reviews) read more

Today I was feeling blue, so, I came here to shop. I looked at different ingredients to get inspiration on what to make. The first thing I see...ahhhh...vine ripened tomatoes. I know what to make! RECIPE TO CHASE THE BLUES AWAY: 1. Ground beef 80/20 lean/fat 2. Spicy Italian sausages 3. A bag of Hawaiian onions 4. 1 green bell pepper 5. Shredded Parmesan with asiago cheese 6. A box of thin spaghetti 7. Basil tomatoes pasta sauce 8. Vine ripened tomatoes Other items needed found in my own pantry - onion powder, dry oregano, garlic sea salt, egg, italian blend bread crumb CHOP CHOP PREP: - Chop small onion and bell pepper. Sweat onions and add bell peppers. Add into basil tomato sauce in a separate pan. - Mix beef and decased spicy Italian sausages, onion powder, dry oregano, egg, Italian bread crumb and garlic sea salt. Roll into balls and and pan fry halfway. Add balls into sauce and simmer in. - Boil thin noodles to al dente TJ INSPIRED MENU: 1st course - pre-made gourmet lemon chicken salad. 2nd course - Thin spaghetti with meatballs and a side of asparagus 3rd course - Chocolate mochi ice cream DRINK: Dunk a TJ jasmine green tea bag into hot water The entire preparation took about 30 minutes. Cooking is an excellent way to chase away the blues. And when it taste great and you get compliments from your efforts, blues be gone and sunshine comes through... NOTES: Cult friendly staff. Ample parking. Wish they had my favorite frozen asiago cheese cream corn. Always bring your own bags. Great therapy... read more

Trader Joe's - Dinner so simple! TJ Greek salad. Grilled Pork loin cooked for 5 minutes with fav rub. - Grocery Near Me - Castro Valley, California

This is my favorite (and closest) Trader Joe's. Even with the pandemic lines, it's always smooth sailing and I'm never stuck in one spot. The staff is very friendly and attentive, and careful about the visitors. Once there was someone with no mask and an employee kindly told him to wear one. This location usually has everything you need - I do recommend going on the earlier side. If you go after 7 PM on a weekday, some of the shelves start to empty out. read more

What a racial discriminated store!! I just went grocery at Trader Joe's at Castro valley this morning at 8:30am (7/14/2022). I saw the young white woman cashier. I said good morning. She ignored me. After giving me receipt, I said thanks. She ignored me. The next white woman behind me, she quickly said good morning to her. Stay away!!! read more

Staff is always helpful and friendly here. They take really good Covid-19 precautions by providing sanitizing wipes, station, social distancing, and limiting capacity all throughout the pandemic. The cashier's will wipe and clean their stations when there's a break or pause. Prior to the pandemic my son would always love coming to get a lollipop when he finds the mascot/stuffed animal. read more

My primary TJ's since I moved here. Has the same high quality selections, great value, friendly employees, and unique Trader Joe's feel and energy. Can get VERY busy and crowded; but that is also consistent with most other Trader Joe's. read more

I was looking for champagne and they had champagne. I mean that's a straight forward 5 stars to me. Also for anyone who has found parking here during rush, you are now eligible for veteran status. It battles you mentally, physically, emotionally, and for some spiritually. The patience and strength it takes to wait for a spot. inching your car around at 2mph, sun blaring in your face, slowly getting irritated at the playlist you chose. Bless your heart. read more

I liked this Trader Joes coming here in 2022. I just recently went back and it is severely and hazardously crowded in here. People are buying lots of food looks like on EBT. I consider Trader joes a specialty item grocery store. The parking lot Is overcrowded. I found the inside of the store and parking lot to be dirtier than the last time I was here; some parts nasty. There was no other soap in the bathroom that they normally provide on the side. The first bathroom was gross and unclean. And the people or patrons: no disrespect to the Hispanic but rude and unpolite; nasty attitudes and prejudice. There was just too many people here and overcrowded. I seen one staff stamping labels on the bread upset and aggressive with something so soft. cursing the food. The food is cursed in here. Someone put her purse on the sandwhich wrap, and salads shelf, disgusting and dont know where her purse has been. The alcohol is not the same products but less quality. I was so mad. Something looked haunted about the food. Food that looks like you would give to a animal or monster; chips, nuts, check out lane snacks and sweets like your muffins and brownies cookies. The look of it was disgusting and gross, even smelled like roaches. But The new staff i seen here was unfriendly and lifeless. i was uncomfortable! I never seen these Orange County looking people before. They look suspect. Somebody is lieing about the food and service here. It sucks now! Id rather have the old Trader joes any day. Go to whole foods. Raged customer. Dont come here. read more

I have lived in Istanbul, Turkey for 5 years. And I love their food! Tasty and healthy! Yesterday I discovered ' Mideast Feast' . Soooo close to the real Turkish food. Delicious! Thank you, Trades Joe's! read more

Trader Joe's - Stuffed grape leaves, hummus, lentil salad, tomato cracked bulgur wheat salad. - Grocery Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Every single time I need any type of assistance in this TJs I experience the nicest interactions. It's especially important to have kindness and a heart after standing in lines and contending with reduced hours. Although it's rather small there's usually a decent amount of inventory and the place is always clean. As is true in every TJs I'm particularly glad their produce is wrapped in sealed plastic bags (even though I understand it is being phased out), because I can have less concern about Covid19 contamination. So even if you normally go elsewhere this may be an essential stop for those of us who are extra concerned about having worrisome vegetation end up in our fridges. Last, this busy location likely turns over stock fast and therefore has really fresh food throughout the store. It's worth dealing with the parking lot busyness. read more

Some of the veggies and fruits are getting bad. There was mold on the cucumber and the onion tasted bitter. I bought oranges yesterday and they were not sweet and dry. I won't eat them. read more

I have always been a mega fan of Trader Joe's. It's just such a wonderful place :) And this Castro Valley location is no different. I go there on a weekly basis. The staff is helpful, and friendly. I look forward to eating a little bite of whatever they have at their tasting station. You find such interesting things, which more often than not I land up buying haha. Best times to shop here - Saturday morning (8-9am) when they have freshly stocked all the items and the weekend crowd is not coming in hoards. Weekdays are generally good too. Parking is usually not as issue, even if you may have to wait for a few minutes spots open up fairly quickly. Love that TJs has such a great variety of snacks, baked goods, and frozen goodies. Some of my favorite items from the frozen section are butter chicken, palak paneer, naan, lemongrass chicken sticks, raw shrimp, guilt free Mac n cheese. I always have these handy in my freezer. read more

Never buy flowers from trader Joe's. They die within a day or two of getting them. I'm talking about their potted bulbs. Idk how they manage to treat the plants the way they are treated. They don't water the plants from the minute they arrive at the store. They just leave them to stress and once I get any of the plants home, they literally die within a day or two... And I'm not talking about stalks of flowers... I'm talking about flowers planted in a pot and are living bulbs.... They aren't supposed to just die in a day or two. Don't buy plants from trader Joe's unless you want to liberate a stressed out plant and be patient and wait a year for the bulb to bloom again in a less stressed state. read more

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Product & food = 5 stars Helpful and friendly staff = 5 stars Parking = 1 star Crowdedness = negative stars I was in there yesterday (Sunday evening) and it was grossly crowded. They need to have a policy that sets a certain limit of people allowed to be in the store, while others wait in line outside like the outlet stores that have high traffic. With people coughing and sneezing in a small space, and now the threat of coronavirus, I walked out thinking this is not publicly safe and simply irresponsible. What good is it to buy good products if you have a high chance of catching something? It doesn't make any sense in trying to pay less in grocery, yet paying more and high for sickness (missing work, medical expenses, etc). Nope. No thank you. Don't boast about selling organic food when you can't be sanitary organically. read more

Five-star simply because I have never been to a bad Trader Joe's! If you want something to drink or dessert, get the sipping chocolate. It's a very thick chocolate drink which is not overly sweet. If you like rice, get a frozen nag or chimichurri rice, it's really good! Like a decent restaurant seat down meal quality. It's vegetarian, and sometimes I add maybe 3, 4 ounces of ground beef for some extra protein. These two are my favorites of the month, maybe I will write an update next time! read more

I love my Trader Joe's this place is my go to shopping. I love the Matcha powder they have here omg just like Starbucks seriously delicious I give it a ten... read more

This little store always amazes me and I would do all of my grocery shopping here if I could. The staff is amazing and even though you have to stand in line to get into the store (other people know how great this place is) there is a staff member standing outside with music. The lady that was keeping watch and dancing for us was a hoot and she said that she had been dancing before she was born (her mother worked at the studio Fred Astaire went to). All this entertainment even before we get into the store and honestly, it's as close to Disneyland we will get this Summer. The store didn't have that crowded feeling since they were watching carefully how many went into the store at once. The shelves were well stocked and everything was really clean. Every staff member I walked by greeted me and it still had that wonderful Trader Joe's feeling. In closing, this is my favorite store to the point that standing in line doesn't even phase me and I will happily do it again. read more

We bought 4 ears of corn and after cooking them we removed the husks and found the smallest most rubbery corn I have ever eaten. As I tried to eat the corn you could not tell where the cornels ended and where the corns cob was so you ended up with a mouthful of what I could only hope was cob. read more

Quality Selection of food, service is excellent and value for the prices. TJ's brands are worth trying too!

Not too happy from what I see on these bananas. I thought it was just one of it but all of it were like this. read more

Trader Joe's - Grocery Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Excellent location regarding store cleanliness, items available, and staff friendliness. If this is your only option. For Trader Joe's, you're in luck. It's a solid location For those of us who live between Trader Joe's locations, avoid this location on weekends if possible. The parking lot is a disaster zone, probably designed to accommodate half the traffic that this store generates. Throw in one below average driver during peak shopping hours and poof, suddenly you're blocked in on all directions. It's it's not too much out of your way, avoid this parking lot during peak hours. read more

Oh yeah ! Small Place with a great variety Friendly staff and absolutely great quality read more

This is one of my favorite Trader Joe's to go to. All the produce are always in stock and everything is quite easy to find. All the staffs are friendly and helpful. Did I mention free coffee and other goodies sampling? Those are always a big plus. I mean who doesn't love free Trader Joe's coffee? By the way, I recommend TJ's orange chicken. This is coming from a Chinese guy. If the Chinese guy approves the orange chicken then you know it's legit. The only frustration is the parking lot during the weekends. They have a decent size lot but it gets packed over the weekends and during rush hour. I've seen people park over at the Church's parking lot but I'm unsure if those are reserved for Church goers only. read more

4 stars only because it is impossible to find parking here on the weekends and it is so packed it's hard to navigate their carts inside the store. They often come out with new items, my recent favorite is their Jalepeno sauce. It feels like I'm going on a treasure hunt every time I shop, never know what they'll come out with next! Customer service is always stellar, and they have a large wine selection that has yet to disappoint. read more

I was with my service animal and a clerk told me no animals allowed. I informed her it was a service animal and she made a snarky, ignorant remark. I finished shopping as quickly as possible since I was so uncomfortable. When I called later to express my concern it turns out that the clerk who made the comment was one of the managers. Do better, Trader Joe's and please educate your employees. Not going back to this location. I guess I'll be going to Alameda now read more

I love TJ. I find neally everything I am looking for and in appropriate quantity plus good quality. The customer service is good and people are ready and willing to help if you need help. Love it. read more

Excellent snacks, as well as customer service! They did a great job helping us pick out flowers. Very welcoming place, good vibes. Eric from Customer service was a godsend read more

Stopped in for some last minute groceries before the second shelter in place. The line was very short to get in and moved quickly. Staff were all wearing masks and the shelves were stocked up. We were in and out in under 30 minutes and we're able to find everything we needed and then some. I can't wait to dig into these frozen chocolate covered banana slices read more

Dont come here very often, but its the one closest to us. Came this time, line was wrapped around the store (Saturday). But line moved pretty quick. Mask required to enter. They have a table next to the carts for you to sanitize and they are spraying the carts as it comes back. Inside is clean, not much social distancing enforced tho. Came in, got the things I needed. Every register was open. Staff is nice and helpful. read more