I likely have never given a grocery a 5 star review before, but yet here it is. Trader Joe's has been growing on me, although I only shop them sparingly in Virginia Beach. My daughter loves and introduced us. So with UVA move-in inexperienced a new store and was impressed. They offer nearby surface parking, but at peak times it's challenging. The lot is a bit tight and weekends congested. All good though and no debris. My Saturday experience on a UVA move-in would not be typical. So in my opinion it really tested them. It was crazy full, but still stocked. The staff was working hard to ensure customers had the products they needed. Many of the staff i encountered said hello and was working hard! Although Trader Joe's stores are smaller than traditional types of groceries like say Kroger they pack a ton into their space. TJ's is best known for their frozen foods and there has not been a single item I have been disappointed with. However like any product from Trader Joe's if you are not saturated shied bring it back for a refund, just keep the container and receipt. Checkout was smooth and cashier friendly. Bring your own bags and save some. My daughter will be a regular. read more

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This is a decent-sized TJ's. I am perpetually amazed by how efficient the checkout process is; despite constant traffic in the aisles, I waited not a minute to begin my exit when I was ready. I have my favorite Trader Joe's items, and I was surprised how many of them were absent. But I certainly found things worth buying at a decent price. Their oat milk chocolate is really an excellent entry into the non-dairy scene, and I like having steamed lentils to add protein to my dishes. Even when I don't find everything I want due to limited selection, I don't find visiting one of these stores to be a bad decision. read more

Trader Joe's - Grocery Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

Always a great time! Excellent selection! Great service. Never disappointed! Repeat customer!

Hands down best service of any grocery store I have been to! Also their prices are not too outrageous, and in many cases, they are quite reasonable. Love the frozen food choices! The only part that I have felt disappointed in, is it seems that all the Tex-Mex inspired frozen meals, appetizers (and side dishes) all have Cilantro, which I absolutely cannot eat! But that is no reflection on Trader Joe's! It's just that, it seems, like prepared meals have been on a cilantro craze in the last few years...cilantro in everything! Trader Joe's also has delicious coffees and baked goods. When it comes to Thanksgiving and Christmas, they have so many great options to make holiday meals not only easy, but absolutely delicious! Trader Joes is definitely one of my favorite food stores for so many reasons ! read more

The staff are usually very friendly and nice here. so always love TJs food and so glad there's one in Charlottesville. My only complaint is that they're not always too well stocked and don't have all the items of a regular trader joe's but it doesn't seem like its their fault. I just wish they were a bigger location! read more

Trader Joe's - Grocery Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

I like Trader Joe's. I stopped by the Charlottesville location while traveling. The store was prepared for lines and safe distancing. There is a nice selection of produce, plant based "meats", beverages, breads and frozen items. The alcohol section is huge. There were lots of meat items. Many of the items are cheaper than Whole Foods, just down the street. I am obsessed with the fake chicken seasoning. I use it in soups, gravy & roasts. My second favorite seasoning is the "Everything Bagel." The employees were nice. They are proactive at the registers. There were wreathes, candles and holiday decorations. I like the layout of the store better than the one closest to me at Union Market. read more

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This is a great Trader Joe's. They moved the line very quickly even with COVID restrictions and made sure people got everything they needed. Once they even replaced a package I'd gotten where they found old fruit. Very nice staff! It does get really packed, which makes shopping a bit less fun. However, still a great place to grab groceries! read more

December 2019 During a trip to C-Ville I couldn't pass up the opportunity to shop at TJ's. Settled amongst the UVA college scene, this store was fully loaded with their normal inventory & happy go lucky students too boot. In addition to my favorite items - fresh squeezed OJ, ready made salads, chips, hummus & popcorn, the wine (as if) area was a littler bigger than other locations, giving me the perfect opportunity to stock up on wine for the holidays. Overall, the store was in tip top shape, the seasonal products were in full effect with the Hawaiian shirts buzzing around handing out friendly customer service. I was here on a Saturday night around 8P & I think the presence of the college babies made it fun. Same great service checking out as I declined help with my box/bag. That was until I got to the door where a young man cladded in UVA gear wouldn't take no for an answer & kindly helped me out...another quality visit. read more

Our family has shopped at Trader Joe's in Centreville, VA and Springfield, VA every two weeks and have always experience excellent customer service at those locations. However, when we stopped by the store in Charlottesville earlier this morning, we encountered the rudest manager name Gordon. Right at the beginning, he had an attitude when we asked him to put our groceries in two different bags. We had already separated the groceries so all he had to do was placed them in different bags. This is a part of his job since he was working the register at the time and he acted like he was above doing this. Also, I had to scan my credit cards four different time because he did not clear his register correctly which caused the transactions to not go through the first three time. When I pointed this out to him, he tried to blame it on me even though he had asked me to scan my cards each time. He also talked down to another worker there when she tried to help with the transaction. I don't know how Gordon becomes a manager. He has absolutely zero customer service skill. He does not even possess the basic ability to communicate with the customers or his own staff appropriately. Trader Joe's is known for outstanding customer service and this person will ruin it's reputation. I suggest for the company to consider putting him through basic training again so he will understand how to properly communicate with his customers and staff. read more

Honestly one of the biggest boasts of uva students - that we have a tj's It's a little further from Grounds than our usual Barracks, but Stonefield is also growing a lot so the location isn't "bad" at all. I'd say, considering we're denoted a "small town", we get a good amount of products in! Prices resonable and workers are all extremely hard working & friendly!! If anyone is new to tj's in general: orange chicken, frozen tikka masaala, and sweet potato gnocchi. That is all. read more

This TJs has a pretty good selection of produce and the things that you would normally come to TJs to find. Surprisingly they don't have as many organic options on veggies like the one closest to me. However there are "regional" options for produce which is great. The store was pretty busy but the layout was efficient with wide aisles for easy navigation. Employees here are friendly and helpful. There's even a little area outside if you wanted to sit and eat. If you haven't already, try the TJs branded Dijon Mustard. It's amazing, and inexpensive. read more

Trader Joe's - Grocery Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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Specialty food without high price tag. Unique very tasty items best service, nicest people and efficient customer experience

This is long overdue, all the employees there work together stocking, organizing and making this a great store. Its all fresh, they check if they out of something and all really nice people. They make me feel valued which is better than whole foods! read more

This was my first time visiting a Trader Joe's and it was so great. They have such a good selection of easy frozen meals and their produce is so affordable. Also, the man who checked me out (I wish got his name) was really kind! He gave me a free reusable bag after I told him it was my first time there. Overall a great experience and I would totally recommend to anyone! read more

Always amazing! This is my favorite spot for groceries. I only wish they had delivery. That would be icing on the top.

Great Trader Joe's! I was able to easily find a box of one of my favorite seasonal teas and would've bought other random groceries but I had to restrain myself. My friend informed me that she avoids this TJ's on the weekends since it's a madhouse. Indeed, we drove by on a Saturday or Sunday, and it did seem to be quite insane. It's fun to just browse and see what's new/funky. The particular location was well-kept and clean, with friendly folks. I guess that pretty much goes for all TJ locations. An asset to Charlottesville! read more

I am a Trader Joe's groupie and try to visit one whenever I am nearby. I was in town to visit Monticello so when I saw there was a Trader Joes in Charlottesville, I had to go. This is the first Trader Joe's I have visited that shared a parking lot with a bunch of other stores. This was a pleasant change from the other Trader Joe's I have been to that have a parking lot that always seems to be too small. Well stocked and easy to move around. Love me some TJ's! read more

Trader Joe's - Grocery Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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I was devastated to see there was no organic applesauce on the shelf. From a distance beyond I saw a man who might be able to solve my dilemma. Big thanks to Dave on the restocking crew last night 4/30. He stopped what he was doing to check the pallet in the back. He came back with what I needed. Thanks to him I will have my homemade cookies. Appreciate Dave going the extra mile to make this customer happy. read more

I was in town and decided to take a look at the local Trader Joe's to see how it might compare to the one in my town. A bit larger and they also carried some things that mine either used to and no longer does, or things they don't at all, which was fun. Otherwise it's pretty much the same. I was surprised that it was in such an upscale shopping center and a very congested one at that. Customer service could swing from the stock people and cashier's being fantastic to the sample person being not friendly at all. Go figure! read more

Trader Joe's - Grocery Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

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This is a really good store. Why is it so small? I don't know how anyone can fulfill all their produce needs with this selection but that seems to be a feature of American grocery stores generally. In an ideal world you could do your fresh shop at Whole Foods and your dry and packaged goods at Trader Joe's and whatdoyaknow the two are kitty corner to each other! read more

I love stopping by Trader Joe's when I'm in Charlottesville. The people that work here are really nice. Their food selection is great and I hope they never stop selling their cauliflower gnocchi. read more

This is the only Trader Joe's I go to that I am consistently unimpressed with their customer service. I've been to ones in California and one in Atlanta and the staff were so friendly and easygoing it makes me wonder what they did wrong in Charlottesville. The people who have been staffing the front of the store have not been friendly or warm at all and have immediately made me feel unwelcome. I went to ask for help in the wine section, and the woman groaned and rolled her eyes before coming over. I sat and politely waited for her to finish a conversation with a coworker and when she was done she acted irritated the entire interaction. I asked for help finding a moscato that I had bought from there before, and she quickly whisked me to the back of the wine section where there were Pinots - not moscatos. I politely pointed this out to her and gave a more clear description of the one I was looking for, and she cut me off mid conversation and snapped "I don't know go look around" and then immediately walked away to rejoin her conversation with her coworker. I actually just left the store entirely after that because the woman was completely rude and unhelpful. I had attempted to look myself first and would not have asked for help otherwise. I've come back maybe once since then only to buy things I know I already like. Really disappointed with their customer service and do not feel like being berated for asking employees to do the bare minimum read more

Trader Joe's in Charlottesville is possibly my favorite grocery store that I've ever encountered. The staff is extremely helpful and wonderful, but not "too helpful," if you know what I mean. They are always present throughout the store and willing to offer help! I even finally made up my undecided mind about what loaf of bread I wanted to try because of the help of a staff member that just happened to be re-stocking the bread area! Overall, I love all of the Trader Joe's specific products. Some of my favorites would be the variety of frozen pizzas, the chicken burgers, the cracker cut cheeses, their sweet potato tortillas, inner peas, and the list goes on and on. I also love shopping here because most of the produce is there as it is seasonal, and the prices are lower as it is seasonal as well. You can find a selection of local produce in the summer/fall (and sometimes other seasons), and the store is just the right size so you aren't overwhelmed by the vast selection of food. At this point, I know where everything is, and I can shop on a tight budget pretty easily with their prices! I would highly suggest TJs for a fantastic grocery shopping experience! read more

Love love love Trader Joe's. Even if it's not the most convenient place to shop for me. Even if they don't have the best prices on all things, so I have to visit multiple stores for a full grocery shop. Even if they do use WAY too much plastic in their produce section (and their packaging in general). Why? Because they have lots of unique things that you can't find easily other places. Because even with higher prices on certain items, they have GREAT deals on other items that I always want/need (peanut butter, salsa, table wine and cheap beer, etc). Because the staff is always super friendly and helpful, on a level that isn't even on par with other grocery store staffs. Other things to note about TJ's: 1) Their cheese section is spectacular, with classics always present and also rotating varieties with seasonal flavors or more uncommon types. 2) They've always got something fun to sample PLUS a coffee sample. 3) You can try anything before buying, just ask a sales associate and they'll help you! This is especially helpful regarding some of their more specialized stock, because there are things that I've honestly never heard of that sound interesting when I see them on the shelf, but I don't want to buy in case I don't like it. 4) They do have lots of tasty own-brand snacks that are unique to TJ's (which I try to avoid being tempted by, but every once in a while, it's nice to give in). read more

Groceries I love Trader Joe's and it is one of the few things missing in my hometown of Lynchburg - so I was happy to learn that there is one in Charlottesville, about an hour away. I took an early ride up and got there just as it opened - which gave me plenty of time to roam and load up on items I love from T.J.'s and also to find new and interesting things. Helpful people and great prices on quality products - I think most people are familiar with what they have so I won't go crazy going into that here. All I can say is that it is worth the trip for me and I will be making it as often as possible. Parking in front read more

This Trader Joe's is a happy, bright, and relaxing place to shop for light groceries. I say light because while they do have a nice produce selection, their meat options are rather limited, as are their general non-food products such as cleaning supplies, etc. However, they do boast a great selection of beer, wine, and greeting cards which for 99 cents a pop, are 5 stars in themselves. Those greeting cards are so darn affordable and charmingly illustrated its hard to not walk away with one, or ten by the fist full. Let me just continue on my tangent by introducing a non sequitur: their flower selection is surprisingly lovely. On any given day you're bound to find bouquets that range from $5.99 and onward, many of which are seasonally appropriate and beautifully arranged. If you're looking for an affordable bunch for your sweetie, yourself, or hey, your mum, this is one of the first places I look. Customer service is consistently friendly and warm as they are helpful. The shelves are neatly stocked, well organized, and well kept. While there are a limited amount of aisles I always find myself spending more time here than expected due to the hidden gems items such as Lavender hand soap, or that new spicy Trader Joe's green sauce. Yep, I can say I'm a huge fan of this place! read more

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This is a nice-looking, larger-than-normal, well-stocked Trader Joe's with all of the products that you know and love and the same confusing checkout -- do you go right or left? The problem with any TJ's are the customers who act like they're the only people on the planet. Show some courtesy to other shoppers! read more

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS. Butternut squash risotto, chicken wontons, cranberry chevre, soy chorizo, pasta peperonata, vegetable pad thai, butter chicken, cream of corn and red pepper soup, several kinds of Greek yogurt, red curry, Mandarin chicken, and for the love of all that is good and holy, the COOKIE BUTTER. They were passing these out as samples, and I went back and got three spoons from the very nice man, and he was kind enough to put up with my disguises - a ponytail the first time, hair down the second time, and sunglasses the third time. I am without shame. I also learned that as long as you paste the shiniest happiest smile ever on your face, you can get away quite blatantly with cutting small children and little old ladies in line for the cookie butter. Just kidding. Wait your turn! (-1) imaginary point for being located at the worst intersection in the world. Traffic up on Route 29 near Hydraulic will be absolutely unbearable now. Whatever. There's finally a Trader Joe's in town! Hurrah! read more

Went to Trader Joe's about 5 days ago. I was pleasantly surprised the way they held the line at about 6 feet apart. They also only allowed about 20 people in the store at a time. As you approached the entrance they actively wiped the carts as you got them. Thanks so much for the caution and care of your customers! read more

We go out of our way anytime there is a Trader Joe's in the area. This location did not disappoint. If you're thinking about going... definitely go on an empty stomach.. they will let you sample just about everything read more

Trader Joe's - Grocery Near Me - Charlottesville, Virginia

I'm really happy that there's a Trader Joe's in C'ville! I shop here maybe 35% of the time when I do groceries. I love the free samples and the friendliness of the staff. They really go above and beyond to help you. I remember trying to look for condensed milk once and when the store didn't have it, one of the staff members looked up ways to make condensed milk for me to try to find the ingredients at Trader Joe's. Trader Joe's has the widest selection of cheeses, as well as the lowest prices for them, compared to Wegmans or Krogers. The wine selection is decent (good prices, too!), though the beer selection is mostly limited to ales. Fresh meat and vegetables are definitely more expensive here (except for the 96% lean ground beef!). Avocados and berries are also more pricey at Trader Joe's, so those I usually get at Krogers. Other fruits are around the same prices as other stores, but bananas, apples, and oranges are a lot cheaper. The dessert and snack selection is great here! I always come here when I want to find some unique snacks for my colleagues. Definitely a greater variety of frozen foods, too. Overall, Trader Joe's here is a pretty decent place to do groceries. Parking is easy. It does get a little crowded, especially on Sunday afternoons. But I do enjoy shopping for out-of-the-ordinary foods here, especially when they have their specials! read more

Love me some Trader Joe's! And this location is a good one. I was in a unique position to need a Lyft since I was visiting from another city, and it was easy to get picked up right out front. read more

Really nice people here. The store is clean, well-stocked and the staff is really friendly. It's great they have a TJ's in Charlottesville. Pretty lit store read more

I completely agree with Robin S. -- the employees are a little too friendly. Especially in the checkout line; I don't need you to comment on every item I'm purchasing! I appreciate a friendly greeting, but after that, the joking and commentary is definitely exhausting. Other than that, it's definitely the smallest Trader Joe's I've been to. Some things are very cheap and worth the trip (nuts, dried fruit, peanut butter) but I have found some of the produce to be lacking in quality (sliced butternut squash was mushy and slimy). read more

We've been Trader Joe's fans for many years now, & yesterday we finally had a chance to stop in at this relatively new one in Charlottesville. For starters, this is the largest Trader Joe's we've been in. Everything was bright, clean, & well-organized, & we're surprised at all the naysayers posting here about both cloying service & high prices, because not only we were only asked once if we needed help finding anything, weren't accosted by the cashiers at all, or see/hear anyone else suffering, but prices were frankly right in line with what we've always paid at TJ's. That said, we didn't look at the fresh produce at all, since we don't really consider that Trader Joe's forte. We did, however, accept samples of both their raw seedless Concord grapes, as well as their "Eggplant Parmigian". Both were delicious. The grapes in particular were very sweet & intensely grapey. But since we've been Trader Joe's fans for so long, we pretty much already knew what staples we wanted/needed to pick up, & weren't disappointed. For starters, I couldn't leave without 2 bottles of TJ's Feta salad dressing, especially since I haven't been able to find Feta salad dressing anywhere else lately (& yes, I know I CAN make my own - lol! - it's just nice to not have to sometimes). TJ's Feta Salad Dressing makes goat &/or lamb burgers extra special, & also makes a nice dipping sauce for stuffed grape leaves. Also decided to try a jar of TJ's own Arrabiatta pasta sauce & their Habanero Salsa, along with our usual favorites of Green Olive Tapenade, Masala Indian Curry Simmer Sauce, blue corn tortilla chips, roasted almonds, etc., etc. Unfortunately, as is common with TJ's, they have discontinued a few of our favorites, including a number of the other "simmer sauces" they used to carry which made terrific bases for tweaking into excellent quick Indian meals. But c'est la vie. Was pleased to find Chicken Andouille sausages, which will go into a gumbo in the near future, as well as a container of Burrata cheese for 1/2 of what I pay to other vendors. Burrata (basically a fresh mozzarella with an extremely soft, creamy, oozy center) is a MUST HAVE for when garden tomatoes are in season. Brings a Caprese Salad to new heights. We also couldn't resist an iconic raffia-wrapped bottle of Chianti that, after we slug the wine down, I hope to turn into a traditional Italian-bistro-type candle (if I can keep my darn cats from shredding the raffia first - lol!). And last but not least, dear hubby insisted I treat myself to an absolutely beautiful, healthy 2'-high in-full-bloom Oncidium orchid (I'm an amateur orchid fancier) that was only $7.99 (would normally have been around $20 elsewhere). All in all, we spent around $50 for products that will make or add to several nice meals. Bottom Line: Very nice experience at a very nice store - especially if you're already a Trader Joe's fan. Even if you're not, worth a visit to see if this store might make you one. read more

I really, really love the staff here. I also really like their free samples in the back. I generally feel like I'm getting a good deal here, especially on pantry staples and cheeses! Avocados have typically been on the cheaper side too, compared to other places. I'd also say that everyone should start buying wine from here because it's so cheap and actually tastes good. Basically every Trader Joe's adult beverage is super reasonably priced but still great quality. read more

My new favorite place!! The staff, is amazing. They are so helpful. They never act like what they're doing is actually their job. They seem genuinely happy to be there and to help you, and they know their product really well. I always taste the samples as i have been surprised a few times that I liked something that I never thought I would. Another thing I was surprised about was the price. I assumed it was going to be another over priced specialty store - it is the exact opposite. The prices are completely reasonable especially for the food portions and freshness of their products. read more

If you're a Trader Joe's fan, this one will not disappoint. Great location, easy shopping, great selection, friendly staff. Never too crowded to the point where you're running into people down the aisles. Good prices, great selection. My favorite grocery store. read more

Best trader joes. It is so spacious. We are used to our DC Trader Joe's being jam packed with people in the tiniest of spaces. But I still love Trader Joe's.. All of them, but this one is just the bees knees. The people, (like at all the Trader's I have ever shopped at) are super nice. Lucky for us, this one is one our way down to Greensboro NC, so every time we pass through, we can stop in! read more

This is the biggestTrader Joe's I have been to in Virginia!! The staff is SO friendly and the selection is wonderful. Whenever we come this way to visit our college student we will be sure to drop in. :-) We also love the new shopping center. read more