We just love this TJs. The hours are super convenient, the selection for groceries always gives us ideas for recipes and they have some great chocolates and snacks! The only downside: avoid the tomatoes (even the heirloom). For some reason, they just never taste that great. Otherwise though, brilliant. read more

Let's face it, Trader Joe's is plagued by poorly planned, small spaces that result in endurance-defying cluster-fucks throughout cramped, congested aisles packed with their trademark well-intentioned but totally spaced-out clientele. The other new Trader Joe's on Lakeshore is a prime example of this. But the Rockridge location benefits from being a bit more spacious. I realize Trader Joe's has many flaws and is far from being the kind of model, corporate-trappings-free grocery store like Berkeley Bowl, but still, doesn't it feel good inside to know that both new Oakland locations have taken up residence in the hollowed-out corpses of failed Albertsons/Lucky chains? A small but definitely notable victory, I'd say. read more

I love TJ's stuff. Especially this one. Very fresh veggies, cheeses, eggs, pastries and cookies, and about the most friendly staff you will ever encounter. Granted, i used to walk to it almost everyday when I lived in the neighborhood, and they all know me and greet me by name, but that was how they were when they first opened their doors. In fact, whenever I'm in the area, which is abt twice a month, I still stop by to shop, because i know they have fresher produce and fruit selections than the TJ's in walnut creek. And they still greet me by name. You just don't get service like this anymore. Their return policy is solid. I purchased their brand of stevia, opened it, tried it in my tea and didn't like the taste of it, and they took it back without a receipt, and most importantly without scowls and dirty looks. I know they don't stock a lot of the stuff that a larger grocery store would stock, Ike foil and baking pans, but that doesn't bother me so much. Their parking lot can be quite crowded depending on the time of day, and I've seen a few people park and run off to the BART station across the street. No bueno. They've tried to enforce a 1 hr parking policy by marking tires, but that lasted only for a few wks. Not sure why they stopped, but it's a huge problem for them to have people leave their cars parked there for BART. I sure hope that issue gets better for them. read more

This location tends to have everything in stock, including seasonal items. I know some of the locations in more populated areas can run out of things faster, and this one is no exception, but for the most part not as fast. A pro-tip of mine is to come on a Monday. They restock Sunday's, so more likely to have what you're looking for the next day. You don't want to go on a Sunday due to it being the busiest day, along with maybe not having everything on the shelves already. Parking can be difficult to find, and it's a bit crazy at times with pedestrians and cars backing out of spots. I would drive at a glacier pace as to avoid possibly hitting something, or someone. Lastly, for the most part the customer service is spot on, however, I've had not so friendly encounters as well. I'd like to think it's the one-offs where folks are just having a bad day, because it happens. 90% I can't complain. It's just a mix of stock, parking, and that 10% customer service I had to give it a 3/5 stars. It'll still be my go-to TJ's, and love the location. Truly a beautiful area. read more

Wonderful employees and amazing food that's affordable. Thank you TJ's for saving my budget! Wine section folks are extremely helpful. Everyone seems happy to work there! It makes a difference as a customer. They are always smiling. read more

very friendly, helpful, laid back staff. perfect size to give me access to most everything I need for the week (outside of my veggies, which I get in a local CSA). Big fan of the sample station. Popular place but the lines never seem to get too burdensome. My only beefs: it's not uncommon for them to discontinue some item I've grown to love; their packaging of veggies makes me sad-- too much plastic, though I think I've noted some improvement with this over the years. read more

I love this place! I feel that the always have what I'm looking for. The staff is very friendly and eager to show me where I can find things. I also feel that the layout gives me enough room to maneuver my cart through the store. I also like their organic selection. They have an organic option for almost every vegetable. But there are some notable absent ones. For example there are no organic egg plants. read more

This is my grocery store-for the most part....actually I kinda piece meal my food stock but what I like about Trader Joe's besides their good juju employees is that I'm not overwhelmed by 50 choices of one item. They have one or two selections of each thing...and that's all I can deal with. I don't wanna spend 1/2 my day trying to figure which of the 50 brands of tuna I should get; spending the other 1/2 wondering if I made the right choice. No, keep it simple. I'm not a big fan of their produce * but I have Monte Vista for that* and I cautiously shop their meat isle **had one awful experience, I'll spare the details**however, nothing else disappoints This is my favorite location despite the parking challenge, second Emeryville and last would be Berkeley-All have great staff. read more

I'm a Trader Joe's fan...they are affordable & all of their products are pretty healthy (or at least not unhealthy.) *Fairly good variety of vegetarian foods. This particular store is smaller than most but it is super conveniently located (across the street from Rockridge Bart.) All of the employees that I have interacted with have been friendly and knowledgeable about specific product locations. SOME of the customers at this local are pretentious snobs & the parking lot can be a problem because of that. read more

I am here more often than I'd like to admit but this is my neighborhood market and I have no shame. The staff here is amazing, I finally figured out which hours are Rockridge mom (and baby) free, and if you walk rather than drive it is easy like Sunday morning. There have been issues in the past with the fresh chicken being not so fresh (I could have returned it but the prospect of toting a pound of rotting chicken carcass back was not appealing) but as long as you mind the packed by date on the salads and such you should be fine. Keep up the good work! read more

This Trader Joe's is always very busy, but it's surprisingly cheap; considering that it is located in an expensive area of Oakland. My only complaint about this particular location is the rather small beer selection that they offer, I wish they had more craft beers and less of the mass produced Trader Joe brands. I think that I will continue to visit the Alameda Trader Joe's for my future beer needs. read more

Trader Joe's - I had my 6 year old convinced that these Brussel Sprouts were tiny heads of lettuce - Grocery Near Me - Oakland, California

This store is like a that perfect date you fantasize about...Knowing TJ's was going to be so close was just a tease. I thought about how great it would be, only to have my fantasies cast aside for reality. Reality bites: The store is too small and the fact that Elephant Pharmacy shares the space makes it painfully obvious that TJs could and should have taken the whole space. The buyers have not figured out what the local market wants and therefore the merchandise selection is rather bland. Picture Safeway with TJ's packaging. Oh, and the woefully small parking lot....don't get me started. As a whole this store is just average...as most of those dates that I spent way too much time fantasizing about...some times reality bites! read more

I've been shopping at this Trader Joe's since it opened and have always loved it. Over the weekend, we were having some people over so I picked up some Baby Back Ribs to make our favorite rib dish. As soon as I opened it, I realized that this was some funky rack! I looked on the expiration date and it expired the day I bought it! I took the funky rack back and the manager was so nice. She took the receipt, plus the funky rack, and told me to go pick out another one; which I did. Long story short, the Giants lost, but the ribs turned out great! read more

Very well run Trader Joe's with kind staff. Tom was very kind, personable, and helpful at the checkout line

People are super friendly & since the new TJ opened up in Berkeley, the lines have been much more manageable. Although it still can be tricky to find parking in the lot sometimes. My favorite place to get groceries! read more

I have been shopping at Trader Joes since they opened in Fremont as long as I can remember, which is about a day and a half. Since moving out of Fremont, I can offload from BART, walk across the street, complete my grocery shopping, and walk home. Always sample the coffee, and they have Cuties for sampling! read more

I've been to many a Trader Joes in my time, and this one is definitely my favorite. They are so understanding here, even when I want to return a salad that is 2 days past the expiration date (whoops!). It's also in the most convenient location - right next to the Rockridge bart station, so as I'm walking home each day, I can just pop in for whatever it may be that I'm craving that day. read more

I had a great experience today thanks to the checker who was so nice and didn't judge me for the insane amount of yogurt I bought. I didn't catch her name but she had blond hair and tattoos I came in right before closing today and she deserves recognition for her great customer service! read more

We buy everything there, it offers both high quality and affordable prices, and the stores are small enough so you don't have to walk back and forth miles to find an item, as you do in Safeway stores. read more

TJs has done an AMAZING job adapting to all the social distancing changes. Even though they're necessary, those lines are lame. Don't get stuck in line! Use http://www.rockridgetjsline.com to check the line before leaving your home. Also please donate! read more

Big shout out to Trader Joes for not only providing free bottled water in front of their store yesterday for the BLM demonstration yesterday, but for marching with a wagon full of water, too. That is community spirit. Compare that with Safeway... read more

Again, like the In N Out review, this is a Trader Joe's review overall, not this specific store which I go to the most. First off, the return policy. This is my main reason for 5 stars. The no hassle "process" of it. When I bring a T.J.s brand or other product I got from the store in, I usually get asked one question. "Are you buying something else today or do you want your money back". The quality of the food is great, and like many of you know, a much larger chain store (for example) Safeway (They have improved this issue but still) has a product like a cereal out next to the name brand at 20 or 30 cents less and you buy it and tastes like dry cat food. T.J.'s products are 9 out of 10 times really high quality and I don't have that issue about a T.J.'s product. Prices are very reasonable. My only "complaint" with T.J.'s is the produce section. I wish they would expand it and have less stuff shink wrapped in plastic and more like a farmer's market display. Good customer service at the register. Great at the return/manager counter. As often as I bring my own bag in, I like the "raffle" idea for 25 bucks in T.J.'s credit and if there was no inventive I would bring my own bag in. 5 cent credit is more immediate I guess... I know 5 lousy cents. I'm js. Look, I am a very no nonsense shopper. When I see that stand of "samples" and I hear the women.....Yentas....Yentering it up, I feel sorry for the person behind the stand having to listen to if they like a product or if they don't. I couldn't do that job for 5 minutes. I'd be like: "Just shove it in your mouth, eat it, buy some and leave me alone". Parking lot is filled most of the time, but hardly worth mentioning here. However, the issue of parking & Zachary's? I would have a 5 minute rule. Use the honor system Ok people? If you are just picking up a "To Go" pie and stand in line/pay for it, Ok, I'd let that slide. But if you go there to sit down and have a pizza? I say your car should be towed or booted. Just park down the street in between T.J.'s and Zach's (Oak Grove) and walk some of that loaf of doughy cheese off your ass. Update: even better, take BART and waddle to and from home. read more

IN LOVE WITH TRADER JOE'S!! I am from Italy and I've been living here in the bay area since January and ALWAYS go there for grocery shopping! Quality, service and choice!!! :) LOVE. read more

I mean, TJ's will always reign supreme. When I got inside, the layout of this place is so wacky and convoluted I think I wanted to just leave and go to a different TJ's. The beer and alcohol "aisle" is like a mouse maze except there was no cheese at the end of it. The dairy and fresh veggies didn't have hardly enough space between them so only one person could really fit through there...I found myself saying "excuse me, excuse me" more times than I could count-- and honestly, it was just so camped in some parts of the store that if someone sneezed I probably would have thought that it was me. If you value your personal space, I would advise going to another TJ's...but if you like to say "excuse me," this is your world. read more

Much better prices than Safeway for the essentials. Shorter quicker checkout than Safeway on Broadway!

This is my local TJs and it's solid. Stay away during peak hours (after 5 and on the weekends) because parking is tight. The Mediterranean hummus is The Best, and if you buy some lavash to go with it you can make the most delicious wraps...use your imagination and add things like pepperoncini, roasted peppers, turkey...mmmmm. read more

My One Word: Typical. Fact #1: Parking experience during the afternoon is equivalent to trying to find a parking spot in San Francisco. read more

Yes my namesake. In rockridge...this and Napa are the only TJ's that I've been able to find this Greens Energy bar which is the most delicious and healthy bar I've ever ate! Are all TJ's perpetually crowded? Anyways..this is walking distance to bart. read more

I liiiiikeeee this one!!!! The aisles are spacious, even when the parking lot seems full. Although it does seem to have a high number of children pushing their siblings in carts....which can have disastrous consequences. The selection is decent, but I get so frustrated sometimes, because two items that I wanted, which are TJ house brand items, weren't here. It's still fall, why don't they have any Pumpkin Butter??????? UGH. Apparently they just got one shipment of Pumpkin butter. The next time I see some, I will be like Elaine on Seinfeld when she found Today Sponges....I will just get a case and then determine if certain foods are Pumpkin Butter worthy. Steel Cut oatmeal, you get Pumpkin Butter. Whole wheat bread..... you may have to prove your self. read more

REALLY LOUD! The Trader Joe store on College avenue in Rockridge music is always too loud. I went up to a person wearing the gahuna beads and said that the music is so loud that it makes me angry. He felt afraid of a smart strong woman so went to another boss and his associate. I will call them Bully and Thug. I hope that you care about customers comfort and will send me an apology. Other wise why would I want to ever again give you my business? I am a very nice person. Your store is not customer friendly. By the time those two came up to me I had taken out my ear plugs. I never want to see or talk with any of the three staff. The Music IS Too Loud and I am made to feel as though I did not speak to the right person or in the way those men believe is right. REALLY? Time to post on YELP! Corporate needs to soften the Loud Music and train staff in Non Violent Communication... Do I need to be a trader joes customer? read more

Better just drive to another nearby Trader Joes. I went to this Trader Joes even though there are two that are closer to me because I don't have a car and this one is somewhat more accessible because it's close to a Bart station which means I don't have to walk very far. But I think I'll just walk further next time or get a basket attached to my bicycle... First of all, this is one of the smallest Trader Joes I've seen, and while I'd like to say that despite its size it has just as many offerings...that's simply not the case. This Trader Joes's has significantly less offerings than most of the ones I've been to. Also, I don't think they are too serious about inspecting their food. I don't look at expiration dates because I usually just trust that the store will take away expired or about-to-expire food, but I bought some bagels and noticed that they were moldy when I got back home. It was dreadful! I really wanted a bagel! I'm pissed. It has at least two stars because it's still a Trader Joes and I love Trader Joes. But next time I'll go to the one by Lake Merritt or in Emeryville. read more

2 STARS-location, location, location 1 STAR-spacious store layout 1 STAR-all your favorite TJs fare Why am I rating this Trader Joes? Someone actually gave this locale some thought before they put a store here. Way to go guys! LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION... This one is a little special; It is darn near convenient for everyone. For those of you lucky enough to live nearby, it is walking distance from both Elmwood and Rockridge, a short hike/or brief bus ride up College Ave. from Elmwood and South Berkeley, and it is about 1 block from the Rockridge BART station. If you drive, like me, it is right next to the 24, and the parking lot is easily accessed from College Avenue, even at peak traffic times. NOTE: I'm not saying you won't sit in traffic, just that you can still turn into the lot and park. The parking lot isn't huge, but ample, the actual spaces are generous by today's standards (read: you can park your mini or your SUV), and the lot is solely for Trader Joe's (unlike Emeryville or El Cerrito). It is also relatively easy to get into and out of the parking lot (especially if you were formerly an Emeryville TJs shopper). SPACIOUS STORE LAYOUT This store's design has a nice, spacious layout, making it almost effortless to navigate your cart around the store (and around other people's carts). Even at peak shopping times, the store doesn't feel overcrowded. Items are laid out similarly to other Trader Joe's in the area (i.e. El Cerrito)...it is the reverse of the Emeryville store. Both my shopping companion and I loved the extra room. We actually spent an hour and a half shopping one night, mostly because we had the opportunity to browse (leisurely) through the yummy holiday fare. I wouldn't go out of my way to shop here if I had a TJs closer to my house. Actually, that's a lie. I do have a TJs closer to my house, but the traffic in the Emeryville area and the parking at the location is a nightmare...so I drive all the way to El Cerrito from South Berkeley. So there you go~ read more

Once upon a time I was taken to task by the proprietor of a snooty shop regarding "those people who buy food from 'big box' stores...they should buy from farmers' markets!"...well, to that I responded when people are looking for good quality & have a few mouths to feed, you shop where you need to shop. To this end Trader Joe's has been my salvation! Let's face it, I have 3 growing boys, a husband with a healthy appetite, and I do not have a vast trust fund at my disposal. I used to go to the TJ's in Emeryville and it is a perfectly fine location. I know my way around, the parking is good, and the staff are friendly. But Emeryville is a trek. I came into the Yuppy-ville TJ's today and discovered that there are many more products (probably geared to a more yup-scale lifestyle) available here. The lay out is nice & open, there were no lines, and it was so easy! I like the basics like eggs, organic milk, yogurt, dried fruit & nuts...I like the agave syrup, peanut butter selections, and tortillas. The price on pasta is fantastic, and the quality is great. For the folks who poo-poo the grocery store model, I say, well if you can afford purchasing everything at specialty shops & farmers' markets, that's great. It's just not where my life is at these days. TJ's offers high quality, amazing value, and great service. I'm a fan! read more

This is definitely one of the nicer grocery stores, and specifically one of the nicer Trader Joes in the area. I would seriously like to marry Trader Joe.......whoever this man is, he is amazing! well anyways, on to the details...... LOCATION: it has a very convenient, accessible, and pleasant location. It is located on college avenue, in the rockridge area of oakland, which is definitely one of the nicer neighborhoods around here. It is located right next to the rockridge bart station, and there is a bus stop for the 7 and the 51 literally right in front of this Trader Joes. The Neighborhood is also soooo nice, I like to waste my time and walk around and go to all the shops and boutiques before buying my groceries. PARKING: Although I myself do not drive a car (yay for public transportation!) plenty of people do, and the parking lot is huge. There is a parking lot right in front of the Trader Joes that fills up pretty fast, but what most people don't know (but should know) is that this small parking lot is connected to a giant parking lot on the left side of Trader Joe's. This lot is almost always empty, and I think it's just because people don't realize it's there.....it's not like it's across the street or anything, you literally have to drive 15 feet down the driveway on the side of Trader Joe's to get from the main parking lot to this huge parking lot. Parking should not be an issue her, at all. PRICES: I have done some serious price comparisons (being the super-cheap college student that I am), and honestly Trader Joe's always wins. Their organic and non-organic produce is cheaper than safeway's, Whole Foods, and even Berkeley bowl (yes that's right, they have cheaper......and i daresay better quality produce than Berkeley Bowl). Some of the differences in price are actually ridiculous, I mean sometimes I'm baffled by how Trader Joe's is able to make a profit when I see how low their prices are in comparison to Safeway's prices. I normally find that even Trader joe's organic stuff is cheaper than the non-organic equivalent at Safeway.......and farrrr cheaper than the organic equivalent at Whole Foods. QUALITY: Yes, I'm sure after my intense discussion of Trader Joe's ridiculously low prices.....you are wondering about the quality.....but let me tell you my friend, that the quality of Trader Joe's stuff is far superior to that of Safeway, and probably just as good as that of Whole Foods or Berkeley Bowl. Their produce is always fresh, their dairy and other things with expiration dates are never, ever near expired, and the food itself is always high quality. This particular Trader Joe's location is very good about quality maintanence, I think most of the variation between different locations depends on the manager, and the manager here seems pretty intense (in a good way). example: They stopped having strawberries for a week, and I asked them why they weren't getting strawberries, and the person who I asked told me that they were not happy with the quality of the strawberries coming in so they were looking for a new person to get strawberries from, and I had been buying strawberries every week up till then from Trader Joe's and hadn't had any issues with the quality of the strawberries, so they obviously have very high quality standards. SERVICE: All of the people who work here are so helpful and happy. They are always nice, and seem to have great attitudes. Whenever I have a question about finding a product, or about "how good" something is that I haven't tried before, the person I ask for help is always really enthusiastic, and will not stop helping me until all of my questions have been answered or I have found the product I'm looking for. They people here are so eager to help, and have great attidues. They also always have a little booth where they give out free samples of something delicious, and trust me, not matter what, it's always delicious! this same booth also always has free coffee, and their coffee is always fresh and delicious. On a more customer-service related note, they have a great policy where if you try something, and don't like it, you can bring it back and get a full refund. Also, if you are looking for something that they don't carry, you can put in a request at the customer service area for them to start carrying this product. (i put in a request awhile ago for them to start carrying organic greek yogurt, and in 2 weeks....low and behold, there was organic greek yogurt on the shelves). FOOD/SELECTION/OTHER RANDOM THINGS: The only thing that is kinda a downer about this Trader Joe's is that they don't have as big of a selection as some other Trader Joes in the area. However, they still have an amazing selection of frozen foods (good organic options), drinks, chips/snacks, breads, dairy products, cheeses, fruits and veggies. Their produce a great value and great quality, they also have great premade soups and canned foods. i would say more, but i'm out of room!! read more

i wish i could visit here more often ("here" being trader joe's in general, not specifically this location), but minor issues such as money keep me away. i find that once you know one trader joe's, you pretty much know them all. the only thing that changes is the people. all of the parking lots are crowded, all of the aisles are crowded, and all for good reason. the prices are more than reasonable, of good quality (except the disgusting sweet potato bisque), and they have black licorice scottie dogs - which are pretty much my favorite candy right now. their IPA is one of the better beers i've had in a long while. overall, i'm happy with trader joe's in general, except the disgusting one in emeryville, but then again, there's not much about emeryville i like. read more

I'm familiar with the set up at this location, staff here are very helpful and nice. It's a small TJ but they have most of what people need. There's a small parking lot inside. It kind of hard to park inside but once you master it , then you'll be fine every time . Come visit them today ! read more

It is an honor to be in this parking lot, in the presence of so so many of these truly rare people, to whom the rules do not apply.

I almost wept with joy when this store opened several years ago. What is there not to love about Trader Joes? Good quality food at ridiculously low prices. read more

So obsessed with TJ's. The produce is fresh and in case, you bring home something you don't like? You return it. I questions asked. But really that is rare! They even have substitute Asian grocery store things! The team is good; it's staffed well so even though it gets crowded, the lines are not crazy! TJ is bae. read more

Totally BART accessible, this will hopefully help with the parking that usually plagues every Trader Joe's. This too will be my back-up location for the closer, also soon to open, Lakeshore local. read more