Best fast and inexpensive meals and the candy/deserts are off the chart! Friendly staff and plenty of them.

The manager Lisa and employee Astin were very unprofessional and rude. They made fun of me right in front of my face for me to hear. I have never been one to complain but to have a MANAGER treat me as such was so disappointing and made it such an uncomfortable shopping experience for me. If that's how they treat customers here, I will be doing my shopping elsewhere. read more

During the Covid-19 pandemic I have visited several grocery stores in Evanston. My trip to Trader Joe's was the first time I felt that I was in a safe, secure environment both for the shoppers and employees. Their selection was great. They even had TP. While visiting other local stores incl. Valli, Whole Foods and Sam's Club there was always the sense that a number of shoppers and even employees were not mindful of maintaining social distancing. Trader Joe's has this all figured out. The trade offs are that you have to wait in line because they don't want to invite a crowd that would compromise social distancing. If you can tolerate a little bit of waiting in order to be safe while shopping then I highly recommend Trader Joe's. read more

Trader Joe's has an awful habit of building stores at which 150 people want to shop at once, but in which only 100 can fit, and at which only 50 can park. This new Evanston location finally solves this problem by simple geometrical multiplication. At 10:45 on a Saturday morning, I found plenty of open parking, and an embarrassment of luxurious elbow room inside the store. This location features the exact same setup as every other, but with 50% more space vertically between the aisles, as well as horizontally between the front end of the aisles and the checkout area. ALL THEY DID WAS ADD MORE SPACE and instantly my opinion of the entire chain is redeemed. For ten years, this has been the store with oodles of great products at good prices, but at which it was infuriating to shop. Why didn't they figure this out sooner? It was so obvious. Also, the employees here are really cool and nice, and not in the manic and/or treacly way that one must usually endure at TJ's. And I found a couple of favorite products here that have been missing recently from my work-proximate TJ's in Glenview. From now on, I will detour here instead of hitting up the Glenview location. Big thumbs up. read more

I trade at Trader Joes! I trade at TJ bc the service is awesome! I trade at TJ bc they have the most amazing foods! I trade at TJ bc their employees are friendly and fun! I trade at TJ bc there is always parking! I trade at TJ bc the person who bags my groceries smiles and actually likes their job! I trade at TJ bc the employee actually slowed down when she went out of the way to show me where their apple bars are-so I wouldn't trip! I trade at TJ bc of the yummy free samples! I trade at TJ bc of the cool packaging! I trade at TJ bc of kale chips and salsa and other fresh foods without preservatives! I love TJ and will continue to trade there! Thanks for opening one in my backyard! read more

So one time in Ohio... I got a Pacific foods soymilk at Trader Joe's just to complete my summer of smoothies detox last summer. It was always fancier and I didn't shop for groceries at stores like this back then. I decided to give a try here and every food item I got here was quality, quality, quality! I thought Heinens was fancy this place sells food for God's and goddesses forget kings and queens! Organic, premade, frozen, just a vastness of freshness. Much more affordable than say that Whole Foods store next door where asking me to pay $3.99 for some not even organic hotdog buns was just a bad buy.. Macarons are $2 a piece at whole foods but a pack of 12 is $3 here! Mochi ice creams for less than at Sea Ranch up the street. Best grocery store grade sushi I have ever had. The best thing here are the sliced bananas dipped in dark chocolate called Gone Bananas.. sigh. Two words food heaven. It is even better than Costco. Got some mussels to try and just wanted to sample everything. Spent $50 for a good amount of food! This place is cool. One day, when I'm deep in the wealth, I'll be frequenting TJ's all the time. Hooray for first real shopping trip here! read more

See all

I go to Trader Joe's frequently back at home in SoCal, and I'm ecstatic (not an overstatement) that it has finally moved into Evanston. Whoever thought that having Whole Foods as the only major grocery store close to a college campus is absolutely nuts - literally turns me into a hobo with every visit. Example: 1lb box of organic green grapes for $2.99 at TJ's, 1lb of organic green grapes at Whole Foods is $3.99. 'Nuff said. Fresh produce, wonderful selection of food, drinks, etc, and everything is at a fraction of the price you would pay at Whole Foods. Store isn't too big, but pretty much has everything you need. Do wish there was a bigger selection of fresh fruits and vegetables though. People at the cash register have been immensely friendly so far. Only complaint is I wish it were closer to Northwestern campus (Do us all a favor and swap places with Whole Foods) read more

I love Trader Joe's. This store is clean, workers are so nice and accommodating, and my products are always stocked. I am here at least once a week. My only concern....and this happened to me as I was exiting the store a couple weekends back. I understand there are people stationed at the front door always asking for money. I don't mind of course, but on this particular occasion....I didn't have any cash what so ever, this man followed me to my car, yelled at me....it was scary. He told me since I didn't have cash, to give him anything out of my cart. He said I owed him because I was "white". I know I need to tell management. I hope it doesn't happen again, because I really do love this store. read more

There's some things I really need and can only get from Trader Joe's, but I'm not willing to stand outside in line for them. I haven't been since the pandemic started and look forward to the time where they feel that's not necessary. And I am glad for people who really appreciate and feel safe that they do the line thing. For me though, it's not worth it. I can get my things elsewhere until then. read more

Trader Joe's is always a constant high quality visit. No matter which location I find the staff always willing to find an item or answer a where is question. It's one of those stores where the staff is selected and trained to value each and every customers visit. read more

Trader Joe's - Grocery Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

I recently visited this location out of necessity, after swearing off of it a couple years ago over bad experiences. The staff and service have improved dramatically, and now it's as positive an experience as I've had in other local Trader Joe's locations. Clearly I wasn't the only one who had noticed the previous problems with the staff. Given this I'm now once again willing to shop at this location. read more

Deja is the absolute best! She's an incredible human being and made my day today. Trader Joe's is lucky to have her and I hope they know it!

Friendliest people working here ever. Everyone I've encountered is super warm and nice. Even the most withdrawn employee person there is at least very polite and courteous. Smiles all around :) I've never bothered to step into a Trader Joe's - they're always just barely out of the range I consider convenient, but finally one next to campus! I love it here, so much that I haven't made a bulk grocery run since coming back to campus. Instead, I've dropped by here everyday for about 10 minutes everyday and pick up ingredients the day. It's quick, fresh, healthy, and economical. I enjoy their $4 pizzas, which can feed 2 for dinner (and i'm not even really a pizza person) + cheap veg toppings to throw on = ~$3 per person dinner. Also, $4 wine. Also, mochi ice cream. The only thing I don't quite like is that the store is a bit small, so some selection is limited. But at least many of the things they carry are good, so it's not like we're stuck choosing between crappy vs crappier or whatever. Except... DON'T get the sushi :( Sure, it's cheap, but the rice is horribly mushy and the packaged wasabi is a questionable puke green :/ Surprisingly, parking has never been difficult, for car or bike, even at ~rush hour/when people get off work near campus in a busyish part of town. read more

I like this location. It's not crowded, there's always parking and people are nice. Also they finally got a new goat milk kefir that really good. Much better than the other kefir they offer. read more

Trader Joe's - Grocery Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Mrs. Carolyn She's the most wonderful cashier I have ever see really really nice lady and I will come shop here a lot from now on she is a very helpful give you a lot of opinion on grocery stuffs. read more

I am a dedicated fan of Trader Joe's. Shop there frequently and have many favourites.

I'm a Whole Foods girl but every now and then I venture into Trader Joe's to see what I've been missing. Prices are cheaper but it's also lower quality. A few things I recommend, really all the frozen foods I've tried are great but my faves are: Pigs in a blanket, Kung Pao Chicken, Korean Short Ribs, Garlic Naan, & Edamame. I'm not a fan of their beauty products and they don't have a great selection. Where this place really fails is in the quality of their meats. They don't have a butcher and every thing is prepackaged. I purchased a pack of grass fed rib eye and decided to do a taste test and also cook a non grass fed but antibiotic free ribeye I purchased from Whole Foods for much more. While I prefer Whole Foods I also don't want to pay more for something if I don't have too. I seasoned them both the same. Salt, pepper, and a dousing of Worcestershire and in the oven they went. I wish I had taken a picture of when I took them out the oven. The steaks from Trader Joe's immediately looked off. They didn't turn brown like the Whole Foods steak. They were a weird mix of red, brown, and pink. I took one bite of it and immediately spit it out. It just tasted off. My boyfriend who literally eats anything also couldn't take more than one bite. The package date had not expired so I'm not sure what it was but I'll stick to only frozen foods at Trader Joe's. read more

Trader Joe's has yummy, quirky things that you won't be able to find anywhere else. Produce is fresh and a good variety.Clean and well stocked, shop early for the best selection. My favorite place to go. Highly Recommend. Thanks read more

Perks of staying close to trader Joe's. Absolutely love the service and the wide range of products there. The people working there are always friendly great at giving suggestions when asked. They have great selection of wines, sauces, dips, produce and vegan products at affordable price. read more

I've gotten actual hatemail about my last review. Seriously. Yelp hatemail. Hahaha. It's fine. This isn't a response to that hatemail. I refuse to negotiate with terrorists. It seems like a lot of the more ornery employees don't work here anymore... or at the very least I don't encounter them. Most everybody here now is super duper nice and I love that it's my neighborhood grocery store. It's Trader Joe's... it's awesome by design. What else is there to say? read more

Loyal Trader Joe's customer here! As always, they have a great selection of affordable groceries that are of good quality and freshness. Most of the products are by the Trader Joe's brand, so even organic products are offered at reasonable prices. Service is wonderful as well. During my most recent visit, we noticed a TJ employee waiting outside with a customer's dog. Cute! And our cashier struck up some friendly conversation with us, joking about the impending snow. Even when it's a busy Sunday afternoon, parking is still relatively easy to find, much easier than the other TJ's in Chicago. read more

This is the only Trader Joe's I've been in that has kid carts, making this by far my least favorite Trader Joe's. (**see footnote) Maybe I've just been lucky enough to have previously only shopped at Trader Joe's that are patronized by parents who know better than to give their toddler who can barely walk a peewee cart, but as far as I can recall, this is my first time seeing them here. What a terrible idea. I don't know about you guys, but I can't think of anything less cute than a child ramming my sh*t with a kiddie cart. And that's what happens 300% of the time kiddie carts are thrown into any scenario, FYI. If you're a parent who allows your child a kiddie cart and thinks that your kid doesn't do that, you might be more of a type-B parent who uses the kiddie cart as a babysitter while you shop the store and talk on your phone. There's also the type-A parent who lovingly looks on while their child tries to learn how to walk in the middle of an insanely crowded store, knocking and running over products, hitting people in shins, just clogging the whole place up. It's messed up, man. Even before the seeing the 101 kids bottle-necking the aisles, this TJs is a mad house. The parking lot: Mad House Inside Store: Mad House Checkout Lanes: Mad House It looked like in the movies when they show people looting grocery stores on the day before the planned apocalypse... as if there weren't a Jewel right across the street and a Whole Foods 40 paces back down Chicago Ave. I saw a woman driving in the parking lot, which has kind of a horseshoe in/out pattern so you can get in and out no matter which way your car is facing when you pull out, who pulled across two open spaces horizontally then repeatedly backed forwards and backwards going across those 2 spaces for about 3 minutes, so she could turn around and go out the same we she came in. Why couldn't she just go out the way she was headed? Why didn't she just pull into one spot the way god intended and reverse out just one time from there, instead of trying to jam her way out like Austin Powers scene in a golf cart in a skinny hallway? The store seemed on the smaller side, so maybe that's where half the problem lies (the other half obviously being the existence of kiddie carts). This store had less aisles and janky check-out counters that make it even hard to estimate the pace of the line because you can't see if the persona already at the register is buying just some Joe-Joes or an entire cart of produce and wine that will then need to be either wrapped or fitted to a box that will hardly fit the varied bottle sizes. The staff are friendly and the pre-made TJ's wraps in the cooler section by the guac were pretty terrible, despite looking decent, so those two things are consistent with every other Trader Joe's I've been to, but otherwise this store was well beyond the level of mayhem I like in my life. *** It has come to my attention that most, if not all, Trader Joe's now have kiddie carts. I know Trader Joe's is supposed to be a "fun" grocery store, but there's a difference between being fun and being a playground for people not old enough to actually patronize the store. I'll be sticking to Valli Produce where the customers are just plain crazy and not give-your-kid-a-kiddie-cart crazy. read more

This review has more to do with the location of the new Evanston TJ's, which IMHO bites. OK, TJ corporate grand pooh-bahs, did you REALLY have to pick the spot right by the Whole Foods AND the Jewel? Does anyone in your organization scout out places or do they just throw darts at a map? There is an abandoned/vacant old Osco drugstore at the corner of Oakton and Asbury that would have been much better at drawing in North city dweller traffic than the location on Chicago, right by 2 other major grocery stores. Ugh. Maybe since all the Dominicks stores are folding, TJ corporate will catch a clue (it's called google maps, it's really user friendly) and open up a store that is not next to 2 other major stores. Whew, I feel much better. read more

The employees at this location really, really, really need additional training. I've never been greeted with a smile and when I do encounter or interact with staff, they all seem to share an utter disinterest in being asked a question or providing any assistance. It seems as if a lack of couth is the only requirement for working at this location. The store itself is clean and well maintained and parking lot is actually pretty large for a TJs this size but just don't expect quality customer service. read more

I've been going here for years for several select items. I greatly appreciate that the prices don't fluctuate much. I can go in, buy what I usually buy, and leave, without needing to worry about sales/coupons/other gimmicks. The same is true of their sister store, Aldis. The staff are usually helpful and easy to find. Store is clean and brightly lit. Checkout is fast. Items are typically well stocked. My main con is that TJ's suddenly stops carrying some of my staple goods, so I have fewer reasons to come. This has included flavors of vegan ice cream and vegan proteins. When I ask what happened, the employees say something about the distributor changing. There doesn't ever seem to be a replacement/similar product. The item I regularly bought is just gone. Darn. Their vegan ice creams are cheaper than anywhere else I've found and their canned cat food is decent quality while being priced lower than Whole Foods and pet shops. At 79 cents for a 5.5oz can, I highly recommend their cat food. read more

I moved here years ago from the west coast and was so excited when Trader Joes was announced to open here in Evanston....SO EXCITED! Such a disappointment. Customers new to TJs will never know. Believe me, I wanted to love this place! I loved it before it opened!! I'm actually only posting this review in hopes that someone in corporate sees it along with other disappointed reviews and is inspired to do what it takes to bring this store up to Trader Joe standards and customer service that was originally intended for TJs patrons. THINGS THAT (at other locations) SET TJs apart and above most other grocery chains - CUSTOMER SERVICE - being greeted, acknowledged and appreciated as a customer. (very inconsistent here) Honestly, I do not go to tbe store to be validated and socialize, but its worth a strong mention that this store has only a few employees that follow the original, upbeat and helpful guidelines that are consistent in other stores. As a business owner that focuses on quality and customer service, I truly understand the challenges of hiring, training and monitoring staff conduct and interactions...TJs WAS known for excellent customer service! SELECTION - somewhat limited at this location. Like all chain stores, our local store selection is limited to what is deemed popular, or accessible in our area. or region. There are just so many (more) cool options at west coast stores..its irritating. I mean, whats up with the honey selection? Various baked goods that don't exist at this store and other selections that are clearly shipped in from very far away - even to California. QUALITY - Just awful. Produce and bread have issues. I always take care in selecting my produce to assure its freshness and edibility in 2-4 days, but produce gets rotten faster and organic bread often molds by the 2nd day if on the counter or in a dry cupboard. One of the workers told me I need to refrigerate it because its organic with no preservatives. Funny, cuz I dont seem to need to do that with other organic breads ever. Sliced bread usually keeps a week in my house - or at least 4-5 days... I was so happy to learn that TJs was opening at the old Blockbuster site. Just want to put this out there to hopefully alert the powers that be at TJs (beyond the customer service desk) so they can focus a bit on bringing this site up to speed with their branded reputation. Today I will be returning my LAST loaf of organic bread and heading to WFM for some fresh stuff. read more

Here is my take on this Trader Joe's. Let's break it down to be fair. Excitement: Everything that reviewers below me have said about excited for the grand opening of this place, is TRUE. Come on, the Northwestern Newspaper has talked about this establishment on so many occasions that even for an out of towner like me, I have been counting down for this location to open. Exterior: From the outside the store is pretty cool looking. It definitely stands out from the boxy looking Jewel Losco and Whole Foods next door. It has a spacious enough parking lot, about the same size as Whole Food's, the entrance to the store is well light and transparent, it's like grocery haven welcoming you! Store Clerks: Soo out of this world friendly. I have noticed this to be true at every Trader Joe's I've shopped at. Even in this polar vortex winter and as I was checking out 15 minute before the store closes, the girl who was scanning my grocery at the checkout line still manages to pull a genuine smile on and asks me what my plans are for New Year. I admire this kind of energy. Layout: Consistent with most Trader Joe's. Some might think that the set up is hard to navigate, I personally think it's not a big deal. Trader Joes like to be nontraditional and eclectic, so why not? Plus as long as their aisle space is large enough, I frankly do not care. I did not come here to for go-cartting. Price/Convenience/Variety: In between Whole Foods and Jewel Losco. But, the plus is this place has great convenient items, like 3.99 wraps, sandwiches and sushi. Hello! Pre-diced celery, bell pepper, carrots and onion. Nicely packaged frozen international entrees, though not super authentic but hey. You win on the convenience point! Trader Joes does offer a lot of options that Jewel Losco is not able to offer, like a large can of grade A honey. And, the produce is fresher and in better condition than Jewel Losco. I personally try not to enter Whole Foods unless I absolutely have no choice, I am just not that "Whole Paycheck" kinda gal. I feel like I can eat well and fresh without killing my whole wallet. I suppose go to Whole Foods if you need super specialty item. Oh, and come on, 2 $$ not 1 as indicated on the top of this page. The verdict. You have my support! I wonder since the opening of Trader Joes, if Whole Food's business has staggered? Hmmmm, you be the judge! read more

I am pissed off at them. I walked all the way over here, came at like 9:02 pm and the guy wouldn't let me in. All I wanted was one sandwich & told him so. There were other people shopping with way more stuff than me. I totally thought they closed the same hour as some of the other ones. You were an ass! read more

For the first time since COVID started shutting things down in 2020, I returned to this store yesterday. Oh how I've missed this store, the food and the people. I hadn't been here because there were always long lines to get in due to COVID. To be here yesterday, was almost like going back precovid. These employees are just the best. Trader Joe's is a gem. read more

I have been busy counting down as we live right across the street and must have forgotten to review TJ since we stop by at least bi-weekly. Our home is now located in the Grocery Trifecta of Evanston. I love Trader Joe's - where else can I grab multiple bottles of wine for $10? And cards and flowers to boot? Fresh and delicious produce and fruit and probably the cheapest tastiest salads and lunches to go around! It's been perfect for snacks and grabbing those great dinners. My son is not a fan of spinach but whatever you put in your spinach tortellini has him eating him with seconds and thirds! Speaking of kids stuff - kids, find Ozzie and you get an organic lollipop. Help with the groceries and get a sticker. Go on the weekdays and you'll get a kids shopping cart to help out the parents. Fantastic! read more

I am absolutely in love with Trader Joe's. I especially love their frozen dinners, fresh bread, and super cheap wine. It's about a fifth the size of Jewel, so you'd think that it wouldn't have as much food to offer, and it's true that they don't have any brand variety given that they only sell their own brand. However, I think a big part of the size difference is just that they don't stock as much of everything. I've found that I can actually buy all the groceries I need for a usual week without having to go to Jewel. There are a few exceptions: Trader Joe's is not so good with cleaning products, pet foods, and medicine. They have good fruit, but you should plan to eat them within a day or two of purchase, because they go bad really quickly. On the whole though, I'd highly recommend it. read more

When you think of a Trader Joe's location that lives up to its storied reputation, this is one that comes to mind. It's a bit on the smaller side, but still impresses with its friendly staff, clean aisles, and wide selection of goods. The parking lot can get a little tricky to navigate when it gets crowded, but still a great overall experience. read more

I shop here all the time. And I do mean at least twice a week, sometimes more. First, the staff is top notch! They're great. I know TJ's trains them well, though in addition to that, they're just good people. You can't buy that. You really can't! Second - they have the best prices on most of the things I buy. Their wine selection and prices are well known as the best around. They also have great frozen foods and organic selections that just aren't available anywhere else. The produce section admittedly has ups and downs, though I find that it is consistent for the foundational items, and fresh produce is a difficult product to assure quality for. Bring it back! They'll refund it if it isn't up to par. Best of all, their parking lot is plenty big. I truly appreciate it. Thanks Trader Joe's! read more

Normally I love Trader Joe's. But, during this covid19 thing they have you stand in a line outside because they only allow a few people in at a time. For a seventy year old guy with bad knees and feet, standing outside in cold weather, in a line that stretches all the way across the parking lot is not feasible. All I wanted was to stop and get one item for my dogs. They are running out of glucosamin tablets, but I couldn't see standing in line for that long just for one item. Although, I never get out of there with only one item. read more

Bought some sandwhiches, which contained wilted lettuce, the bread was soggy, and if smell-a-vision were possible, you would not be reading this right now. How awful! I was starving, but I would not even taste this health hazard! Do better. read more

This the best grocery store I have ever been here in Evanston. They have a large variety of produce. So big selection of food. You can find anything you need here and so many varieties to choose from. Wide selection of meats, fresh fruits, delicious veggies, and other quality food. You can also find here some imported or international products. Such a perfect store. The staff members here are so amazing! They work so fast, they are so friendly, nice, and very helpful. They are willing to assist all of their customers especially when there is something need to find, when a customer looking for a specific department, and also when customers has some heavy things to carry. The staff members also made the experience of many of their customer much better and happy. No wonder why lot of people keep coming back to their place and really love their service. Trader's Joe is the best! I would really love to go back again when I am nearby. Can't wait to shop some quality products and food again. I am really impressed with your associates. Thank you Trader's Joe! It was a pleasure to shop at your store. 5-star for your outstanding customer service! Thank you and keep it up guys! read more

Was welcomed with leis and cheers from the store staff. It's a larger store and has a lot of parking available. Hours are 8am - 9pm. It has the great alcohol selection and samples you can expect from a Trader Joe's. The manager of the store was going around talking to each customer making sure they were welcome. No complaints here and I'm excited to have a TJs so close to Rogers Park! read more

Trader Joe's - The lei from today. Our cat highly enjoyed it! - Grocery Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Plain and simple, there is no place I feel safer shopping during Covid-19 than Trader Joe's in Evanston. They limit the number of customers in the store. One customer comes out and one goes in. You see them clean the carts, they offer hand sanitizer when you enter and leave and there is a sign where you wait with clear "rules" for shopping. The floor is clearly marked with 6ft+ increments and the cashier takes your cart and rings your items while you wait 6ft away. Kudos for a job well done! read more

I like Trader Joe's well enough; they have some great products and their baguette is so good. I just hate that I can't get everything I want there, and I prefer to make as few stops as possible because I hate grocery shopping. Staff are always friendly and willing to help. read more

This location, as with their other locations, promote friendly customer service and just overall cleanliness and predictable grocery shopping experience. I like that familiarity. This was my first visit to this location, but I knew exactly where to go to get what I wanted. Why? Because their store layout is similar to the one I often go to (it's in Milwaukee). Inexpensive healthy food with friendly and quick service has always make Trader Joe's stand out from the rest. They do have a parking lot with decent amount of spaces as well. They keep their shelves stocked and clean which never is an easy job. Basically... low price and great service from Hawaiian-shirt-wearing employees are what makes this (and all) Trader Joe's a great place for grocery shopping. read more