One of the worst TJ's as of date. Layout is horrendous. The drinks are all over the place , not in one section but spread out. There is no method to the madness. Not even their workers know where products are located. I was sent to three different corners of the store looking for the Hansen's carbonated beverage. Forth person at the register was the only person that knew and directed me in the right direction. As I carried my purchases in my hand I pulled up to the fast lane placed my items down, glanced down at my wet shirt to discover the boxed lemonade was opened! Too many fails! The attendant was nice to point out where I can get napkins to dry myself off but it was a silk outfit that now needs dry cleaning. read more

Trader Joe's - Trader Joe's: Frozen Food - Grocery Near Me - Oakland, California

I just fell in love with this place and Trader Joes for that matter. If you go here then you know what to expect. Small(er) and cozier store compared to other chained grocery stores. Great friendly knowledgeable staff. Always open to help and with a friendly conversation - as advertised. Ha. I love it. I was in here for a quick bit. Bought some strawberries, blue berries, granola, vanilla yogurt, and some fruit juices. All for under $20.00. Not bad. Cool thing was, as I was entering the store there were these two cute girls that had just bought a "veggie platter" and they were eating it on their way out of the store. And one of the girls offered me some of her yummy carrots and tossed me a few. Cute interaction. Never would this happen at Safeway or Raleys. Maybe at Costco. ;-) Enjoy! read more

Holy crap!!! A TJ's where you can actually take a cart down the aisle without a second thought? No effing way. But dude, WAY. I still don't know where anything is in this new and foreign wonderland, but I'll find the beef jerky in due time, and all will be right with the world. read more

Very crowded store with lousy parking, but the staff get people in and out quickly and the store is well stocked. We stopped on the way to the hospital, to get cookies and flowers for our friend, and we were in and out in 15 minutes. read more

(I'm pretty sure a lot of you reading this review already know what a Trader Joe's store has in store. The rest of my review is me salivating over their products and cheap prices, so if you're looking for a summary, here it is: clean, spacious, crowded at peak hours but fast check out, helpful employees.) TIP: Head to the back of the store for a little sample bite of their products. They'll often showcase new products and different ways to prepare them. TIP #2: I noticed this recently--they sell singles of beer (that were probably from six packs that were separated) for more or less $1. Awesome if you're just looking for one bottle! TIP #3: Simpler times lager, ~$3 for a 6-pack. Two buck chuck. $.79 2 lb bag of carrots. $1.29 organic firm tofu. $.19 for one banana. $1.99 half gallon of milk. $1.49 for a dozen eggs. These are the prices I have been paying in 2011--so cheap! I come here for the good quality cheap produce (though I avoid the veggies that are shrink-wrapped or pre-cut), delicious preservative-free bread (their $1.99 whole wheat sandwich bread is a winner, as well as the cranberry walnut loaf in Trader Joe's packaging but actually from Acme!), and their specialty products (Trader Joe's brand frozen meals are THE BEST of all frozen meals, hands down. They also make great nut butters, trail mixes, cereal, coffee). I could seriously go on and on and on because I'm pretty sure I've been through every aisle. Come see for yourself. read more

This particular TJ's is the best. It's funny, because I avoid Rockridge & College Ave at almost all costs - but the employees who work here are just great. The store is laid out well in a non-shopping-cart-accident-prone way, the workers usually seem happy and/or helpful (Kenn in wine & bev, Andrew, and Marcus all have spot-on recommendations), and the selection is pretty good. During the after-work rush in the parking lot, you can always park at BART. I'm not reviewing Trader Joe's as a company here - that I would give 3 or 4 stars - because it seems more useful to just review the location. read more

Why are the flowers here so much better than the TJ's in Emeryville? I wonder... This store is so much better than the wasted, lonely, grocery store that preceded it. Much better use of space! read more

Trader Joes are great. But the parking at this one sucks. Mostly the parking situation during rush hour. Don't go in the back! It becomes a vortex of one way streets. You either have to drive through the BART parking lot or a maze of streets to make it back to the store. read more

This is the best and cleanest to Trader Joe's I have ever shopped at. Nice crew as well. Hope they Keep it up ! read more

As a non-native californian resident, I'm still reeling from how awesome trader joe's is. every time I come here, it's like I'm playing a hide and seek treasure hunt game. There are so many gems waiting to be discovered, packed away in the aisles. Not an average grocery store, tj's specialises more in snack foods and pre-prepared foods. I saw lots of stuff that someone could just bring with them for lunch--healthy (not frozen!) microwavable meals like breakfast burritos. convenient for your average SUPER BUSY SUCK-BUSTING HERO. (other things of the same vein include salmon patties, fancy raviolis, etc.) TJ has the healthy semi-hippy vibe about it, and it does stock plenty of vegetarian/vegan options, if that's your thing. I see lots of healthy and organic choices as well. Unfortunately, they don't do so well with produce. the selection is much smaller than I would like (albeit fresh). a lot of stuff comes packaged. I guess you can't win it all. their thai lime cashews: never a day goes by without me thinking about them. or eating them. or buying more of them. read more

My first visit to TJ's was not very pleasant. It was PACKED and the lines were insanely long. Recently though, I've been falling out of love with Safeway and things are getting pretty serious between TJ and I. I've been trying to hit up TJ's during their non-peak hours and that's helped me enjoy my shopping experience without bumping into people. They have such a great selection of TJ's brand products that are reasonably priced. Also, their organics are much cheaper than Safeway's. Be sure to stop by their sampling station in the back. Free and delicious! Oh and they're like the only place I can find Larabars in Oakland! read more

Trader Joe's are remarkably consistent in their selection and experience (long lines, anyone?). This one's in Rockridge, just north of the Rockridge BART. The parking lot is a decent size, plus there's plenty of bike racks. The 51A drops off nearby too. So here's a short list of my favorite foods in case anyone is looking for new ideas: 1. Sugarsnap peas (great for taking to the movies; healthier than popcorn but just as satisfying) 2. Raviolis (esp. the arugula and bolognese) 3. Organic pop tarts (TJ's version) 4. Cherry/chocolate chip soy ice cream 5. Chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches 6. TJ Scotch (I know, but it's actually good; the bite doesn't linger like some scotch) 7. Chicken pot pie (high in sodium though, so I don't get it that often) 8. TJ cheese puffs 9. Tea Leaf shampoo 10. Did I mention the chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches? (Truly my kryptonite) read more

This location has larger isles than the one in El Cerrito, which I like. Also parking has not been an issue here for me, which I also like. The folks working here also seem friendly. read more

I like to come to Trader Joe's to do grocery shopping at. It may not have all the groceries that I need, but it does have the majority. I especially love their selection of frozen food. The staff here are always friendly and may start up a conversation with you. The lines here are always generally long, so make sure if you are in a hurry you take into consideration the wait in line when checking out. Plus my favorite part about this Trader Joe's is that it is easily accessible by bus. read more

I don't know why you need a review of a grocery store. If you haven't been to a trader joe's then you are probably not reading a review of it either. Parking is a pain in the ass at this location so try to get there when it opens or when it is about to close. I love TJ's and would recommend it to anyone. read more

Mmm......Trader Joe's. Now just a few miles from my home with LOTS of parking, WIDE aisles, NEW carts, NICE people.....very nice. I couldn't find some things I was looking for because they had either sold out of them, or hadn't full stocked for the grand opening, but that's OK. I'm just grateful that TJ's is finally in my hood - well, near enough anyway. Oh,and I brought in the postcard they had mailed to me about the grand opening and I scored a free TJ shopping bag that is really cool! I heart free stuff! read more

Dear Mr. Trader Joe Incorporated, Thank you for planting roots here on College Ave. You are a huge, huge, huge plus to the neighborhood. I love the rotating variety of yummy treats, the affordable meats and fresh baked goods. No one can do it all, so locals know to skip the produce and head to Yasai. My only request - please ask your staff to refrain from smoking the ganga in Pedestrian Alley. The neighborhood toddlers just don't understand why the nice man who gave them the balloon is now hiding in the bushes with smoke coming out his ears making that "funny campfire smell"... Thanks, read more

I really just don't like how these supermarkets are organized. Everything is everywhere and there just is no system to it! Why are the cookies stocked over the frozen food?? Why don't they sell like ANY bottled on-the-go drinks? Why is the entire left quarter of the store just wine?? Also...I'm not sure if true, but I feel that things here are more expensive than in other stores...$5 for a small bag of trail mix? DIE. I could never see myself trying to do food shopping at Trader Joe's, but if I needed something in particular (and wanted it to be ORGANIC/HIPPIE/HEALTHY/ETC) then I could come here. They make good triple gingersnaps. Last plus is that they have like..a corner in the back where they serve food samples sometimes and have water/coffee out to drink. read more

Pros: - Affordable for basic shopping. - The food labels are full of cute drawings and puns (I'm looking at you, "AVOCADO'S NUMBER GUACAMOLE" !!!!), along with some recipe ideas. - Parking available and location close to Rockridge BART. Cons: - They sometimes run out of the most basic ingredients, like ONIONS, which can be annoying... - A lot of their products are seasonal, so you won't find everything your heart desires... You can't go wrong with TJ. If you like to cook, you will find (most of) the ingredients you need at a reasonable price. If you don't like to cook, there is plenty of microwavable options and such. For me, this is the ultimate American grocery shopping experience, and everybody working there is super nice. I just wish they would sell RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS!!! Then my life would be complete! read more

My Trader Joe's kicks ass! I love that it's in walking distance to my house and it's a much better use of space than Albertsons (TJ's is different enough so that it's not in direct competition with Safeway). I also love that I don't have to drive to Emery-VILE to get my 2 buck Chuck. This location is a dream come true....welcome to the neighborhood Trader Joe! sidenote: I went to a halloween party as Magnum P.I. (I wore khaki shorts, a hawaiian shirt, and I drew on a moustache and chest hair with a marker) and people kept asking if I was a Trader Joe's worker......haha, you gotta love those hawaiian shirts! read more

Just wanted to mention P.Jenday customer service was quick,friendly,and upbeat. Great Hire Trader Joe's corp. read more

Best Trader Joe's in the Berkeley area as there's ample parking and a good staff:customer ratio at the checkout. Also, the staff is quite friendly and talkative, unlike the downtown Berkeley and El Cerrito ones. I just wish they'd keep a steady supply of bananas out, as the three times I've been here, there are only a few broken bunches available. read more

I love the Ginger People's ginger chews..only $1.69!

For Bay Area TJs, this one is a real winner. The parking is super easy and plentiful, and I love the easy access to swing by the neighboring pharmacy or grab a pizza at Zachary's to go. Interior seems nicely laid out and falls under the norms for TJs. read more

This is my favorite Trader Joe's ever. It has been open for quite awhile now and I never frequented it until recently because I was scared of how crowded it might be as well as the lack of parking, which are the main reasons I rarely go to the one just a few blocks from my own home. But this location has incredibly wide aisles and very short lines even though it is always a Saturday afternoon when I stop in. i was stunned the first time and thought it was an anomaly but it was the same great experience the second time. The added bonus is the availability of the BART parking lot which is next door and freeon weekends. read more

Always nice employees at every Trader Joe's. I'll come to this location when I don't feel like going to the same Trader Joe's. It's in a nice part of Oakland. Today was my 2nd check-in. I was craving a meat ball wrap but to my surprise. They were all out :( I did end up buying the new "Turkey Gobble Wrap" which has Roast Turkey, Stuffing, Cranberries and Cream Cheese. SO GOOD! Not sure if every Trader Joe's will carry it. Best staff and nice as always. Parking is a bit small and will be full if you shop in the afternoon. I think its because they share the lot with the pharmacy/vitamin store which is next door. I'll try to come to this TJ's more often. read more

I really enjoy coming to this trader joes! It's right next to the rockridge Bart station and there is a bus stop right in front of the store which is really convenient. Everytime I come here it's pretty busy no matter the hour but everyone both the shoppers and staff are really friendly! Everything is well organized and I love picking up some of my favorite snacks. I recommend getting the dark chocolate pretzels (thin), the cinanmon twists, the Australian licorice, kettle corn and/or the sour cream and onion pirates booty. All are really delicious snacks! I never get fruits, veggies, meat here..it's a little on the pricier side in comparison to places like Berkeley bowl. A reminder for everyone to bring their own shopping bags or you'll be paying a small fee for one! Happy shopping read more

Who doesn't love TJ? They have such fun/adventurous items to try out! Some of their canned items are wonderful and cheaper than most other places too (e.g., thick and creamy coconut milk). They have soooo many lunch options ready to go too, so I love picking stuff out for a busy school/work week. read more

This is the busy Trader Joe's in the Rockridge area. I was super lucky to snag a spot in the main parking lot on a rainy Saturday afternoon. That would never happen at my local Trader Joe's. We found everything we wanted but for the first time in forever, one of the clerks suggested some other products(she mentioned the cold salad dressings in the refrigerated section). I like that there are three hand basket express lines so my daughter and I were in and out within 15 minutes and that included a bathroom pit stop. read more

WOW! This by far is the best Trader Joe's I have EVER been to! I literally grabbed something from every isle. Their veggies were the freshest ever. The lines were long but went extremely fast. The flowers were GREAT! Love this place! read more

I'm so happy they opened this place up. It's in a good spot, and there's a parking lot. What else could you ask for on College Ave!? I really love their selection of fresh produce, and their pancake mix is TO DIE FOR. Mochi ice cream is also one of my favorite things there. Lines weren't too long, and staff were friendly. 5 stars! read more

Let's just say this: If I came in anymore often, I would expect to have my own parking space and a product named after me. Or an aisle at least. TJ's is the best. Just pure in simple. I'm addicted to more of their food products than I'd like to admit to...and won't because I'm a closet foodie. THE ONLY thing about this TJs is parking an itchy bee sometimes, and sometimes they are out of stock because, I'm assuming supply and demand is just not possible to maintain because they rock. So, if that's the case I understand. Rock on TJs. Rock on. read more

My preferred grocery for packaged and processed foods. It's small enough that everything is easy to find, and I can get what I need and leave quickly. They also always seem to offer a free tasting of something good, with free cups of lemonade, cucumber water, or something even more unusual. Excellent dips (can't beat their 5-layer mexican dip for $4!), and a surprisingly good selection of inexpensive organic cheeses. Produce is pretty much a no-go here. Most of it is just WAY too overpackaged, and the choices are too limited, especially when Berkeley Bowl isn't that far away. read more

You can probably tell by the many many checkins I have here, that I love Trader Joe's. "Love" is a strong word. I'm not about to throw off my clothes and say "Trader Joe's, I want your babies!". But yeah... I like this place. I happen to live 10 walking minutes away from three grocery stores - Safeway, Yasai, and Trader Joe's. A good thing, because as everyone else has attested to already, parking is a shark pool. I come almost weekly and buy no more than two bags of groceries every time. Milk is pretty cheap here. In fact, a lot of items here are pretty cheap, except maybe the candies and cookies. Some of my favorites include Force Primeval bars (not always available), the yuzu tisane, multi-grain croissants... okay, I have too many. Somehow, Trader Joe's makes me happy to shop there. Maybe it's the music, the brightly lit, sunny-ish interior, the sampling counter in the back, the ding-ding of assistance bells. Going to Safeway just feels so depressing in comparison. I only go to Safeway for bulk items like paper towels. read more

This is the chain supermarket I frequent most often for my groceries. It's pretty typical of many others I've been to, which means it's pretty good. In the past for vegan options, TJ's has been a bit poor, but they seem to have ramped things up. Still, I see things in the frozen section which really don't need eggs/milk in them. My favorite however, is the grilled eggplant wraps with tahini sauce, and it's also a great place for produce. They've also stepped up the game beer wise, with more options than ever, and ones you might not see elsewhere, although I'm not a big fan of their own brand beer. Avoid this place in the early evening. It's way too busy, and parking is difficult. You want to go when they open on the weekend; sometimes I'll go after the Temescal Farmers' market on Sunday to get more "regular" stuff. Make sure you try the sample coffee too. It's always good. read more

I feel kinda lame to review multiple locations of a chain grocery store, but hell... here I go. I like this location. in comparison to the others it seems to be a bit less crowded (thank f-ing GOD)... and I got a parking spot at around 111.m. -noon hour, which is a bonus. What I like about this store is that in comparison to the other stores in the area (el cerrito, e-ville, lakeshore) the produce section is HUGE.... I wanted to do a little happy dance for the sheer mass of produce! I'm pretty much a TJs beliver, although only for certain items. I know I can get cans of tomato paste and pasta cheaper at the safeway near my house, so I do. Plus... if I want cheaper organic veggies, (and I'm feeling masochistic) I'll hit up the 'bowl or hell foods. read more

Love it! It's pretty big for a TJ and has a great selection of fruits and veggies. It's really easy to stop by after getting off BART, so you don't even need to think about dinner any sooner than when you're riding the escalator down to college ave. But then, you do need time to debate between the couscous-stuffed salmon and the chicken flautas. Ah, decisions, decision...of the best kind. The only down side is that the parking lot is always crazy and you sometimes have to take your life in your hands weaving around the cars just to make it inside. read more

I love Trader Joe's. As a lazy student, I tend to microwave instead of cook and oftentimes my meals are actually made up of various snack food items. Trader Joe's definitely makes my life tastier. For their frozen food aisle, I usually get a few of the paneer tikka masalas, some frozen macaroni and cheese (it is so deliciously cheesy), and maybe some butter chicken. Their molten lava cakes are really really good with ice cream. Snack food wise, their white cheddar corn puffs are awesome. I have driven to Trader Joe's a few times with the anticipation of purchasing some white cheddar corn puffs only to find it sold out from the shelves. :( The only downside is that parking can get a little hectic during busy hours. I usually come at around 8ish and there are usually spots open in the lot. read more

Trader Joe's are pretty much universally the same. It feels like they are all setup almost exactly the same, which makes it easy to find your favorites. A lot of products at Trader Joe's are surprising affordable. They have a good cheese selection, eggs are cheap, and they have some great deals on wine. My current Trader Joe's favorite is their dark chocolate covered pretzel slims. SO GOOD. A little expensive for the size of the bag, but definitely worth it. The downfall to this location is the parking lot. It's almost always full and and it's pretty hard to get back out onto the main street during peak driving times. read more

I must admit I come here almost everyday. They are sooo friendly here, you feel like part of the family (which I guess is the point, but it works!) We always go straight for the mini coffee and snack and then work our way around the store. Huge box of Joe's O's for 1.99$ beats cheerios anyday, plus the unsweetened almond milk is oh so yummy. Can't beat the wine selection and prices. period. I've had people tell me that costco has great wine for $10, laugh, TJs will knock them out of the water for a 4.99 or 5.99 or even 6.99 bottle. It's funny when all the sudden the 6.99$ bottle because your high end choice. read more