32 parking spots. Common to many TJ's the parking here might give you heart palpitations. They are located right next Walgreens, and share a similar parking lot size. Once inside, this TJ's offers one of my favorites layouts. The cheese selection is amazing. The staff is helpful and ready to answer your questions. If only TJ's had better parking. read more

See all

I had a very disappointing experience at Trader Joe's in San Carlos. I promised this bag to my girlfriend as her birthday gift, so I stopped by this store many times hoping to find it. During my last visit, I asked an employee if they had the bag, and he told me they didn't. However, I could clearly see the bag sitting on top of a box on the floor behind him. A few moments later, another employee, who may have been a manager, moved the bag behind another box to hide it. This made me feel like they intentionally didn't want to sell me the item. If the bag wasn't available for sale, they should have explained why instead of saying they didn't have it. After visiting the store so many times, I can't help but wonder if I've been given the same answer every time. I hope Trader Joe's looks into this situation and provides more honest and respectful customer service. read more

T.J's is my second home, I camp out here, buy pretty much everything here and accost strangers on the street to shop here. I'm a diehard T.J's freaking superfan. I have universally one hundred percent positive experiences here. So when something not so great happens, it surprises me and leaves a bitter taste. We popped in briefly to buy bread, yogurt, and a specific type "bread cheese," which despite searching for, I couldn't find. I saw a guy with a purple shirt "CREW," on the front and "Trader Joes" on the back. He was holding an empty hand shopping cart and though I knew he was an employee, I couldn't tell exactly what he was doing, whether he was shopping, stocking stuff, deshelving expired stuff .... I asked if he knew where the "bread cheese" was. He said, "I'm off duty, so I can't help you." More than his message, it was his tone and attitude that rankled. It just didn't pass the vibe check. He could've said it in a hundred different ways more positive warm friendly joking whatever and it would've been fine but this ... not what they're known for. Too bad. read more

See all

M Ivan is Rude, made me feel not welcome and gave me change wrong. Left the store, checked out the recipe and change, it was 50 cents less. Did not want to go back and see his unfriendly face, please teach him that Trader Joe is not his shop and has no right to be rude to clients. I felt like I did something wrong to him, but I did not. Get ride of him please, he is unhappy working seems/looks like. read more

Trader Joe's - 50 cents short - Grocery Near Me - San Carlos, California

See all

To the Cashier who coughed all over my groceries while checking me out yesterday, thanks for getting me sick! Don't come to work if you're going to infect customers! read more

Trader Joe's - Flowers - Grocery Near Me - San Carlos, California

Nice Trader Joe's.Nice selection and neatly stoked Plenty of parking n wonderful employees.I recommend this Trader Joe's read more

See all

Customer service, inventory management, and the overall atmosphere are not what we expect from this location. The recent experience with a packaged chicken was especially concerning: inside the sealed container, I found multiple feather shafts ("hairs") and part of the black rear area of the bird, which should never appear in a properly processed product. This is a serious quality-control issue and extremely disappointing for a store known for high standards. I truly hope management addresses this immediately -- customers deserve better. read more

Lovely trader joes but the culture & people in this specific location could take a chill pill. We're not saving lives! I think what sucked was when a woman was impatient with a clearly disabled elderly person. Please be kind. read more

I love their food. They have 3 cheeses there. That I love. I wish u could door dash Trader Joes. Its hard for me to get around sometimes so it be perfect if they would do Doordash, all if their food is so good. It's convenient its near my hime. read more

They are so rude. It's as if everyone was ignoring me! I was looking for someone to help me find an item I walked up to two employees one completely ignored me after I asking repeatedly. I turned to the other and he goes "I'm helping someone else" ( I was the only person standing there) how does that makes sense?? That is truly embarrassing and disrespectful. Then the first person I tried to ask turn and said "okok I'll help you" umm I'm not sure why everyone was so groggy but it was gross. read more

This isn't my regular go to TJ's but while I was in today I see a big ass dog in the store. Uhg, why is this allowed? I asked my cashier if dogs are allowed and after hesitating a while he says ,"no, but people bring them in any way." I just say that's too bad because I personally don't like it. I don't see any managers behind the counter so I leave it that. I think dogs are great and love the bully breeds, but some dog owners are entitled AF. I saw the owner walk back to their apartment around the block by coincidence so no excuse for this. read more

Just before the dinner hour, the parking lot is full, with cars driving around in circles waiting for an opening. Even the overflow parking at Walgreens is full. read more

Love the variety and the prices. They have things you can't find at the supermarket. The quality is great too.

Kelvin and his team are really professional. They were extremely helpful and responsive in not only helping us obtain a loan that was beneficial for us but also in meeting a tight deadline for close. Would absolutely recommend them and use them again in the future for any loan needs! read more

Shopping in San Carlos, California... My friend knows that we don't have Trader Joe's in Hawaii, so, she brought me here... uhg! Now I have to buy gifts for my family! Haha! Well, I should at least get something for my clerk... LOL! I went up and down the aisles, refusing to get a wagon so I can limit myself! I eventually had to get a basket because everything was falling out of my arms! Shucks! I got my nieces their favorite Butter Waffle cookies and I got my clerk those chocolate covered pretzels that are filled with peanut butter... uh huh! Later, I found out that my clerk prefers the Chocolate filled Batons (which have a cylindrical, sturdy container that can survive the check through luggage process)! Next time! Gosh... I need to hand carry these snacks so they don't crack in my suitcase! Aiyah! read more

See all

Love this place , the coffee and beer selection is great. I love the prices and how clean the place is. One thing I love is the restroom. It's the cleanest in San Carlos. read more

Unbelievable! Absolutely had enough of playing roulette with the freshness of their bagged vegetables with today's episode - opening a box of squash to find black mold on the squash right below the label!! As a busy mom who buys cut veggies to save time, this totally did the opposite and I almost dumped it without looking into something halfway cooked. I thought it bad produce here is due to buying later in the day, or used too many days later. Nope nope! I went early yesterday, meal planned to use it today, and this is what I find. * half cooked soup thrown in the air * Other episodes: July 2018 - butternut squash chunks - had some condensation and smelled slightly off, rinsed and seemed fine; food poisoning for 3 weeks. Never bought this particular item again. November 2019 - bagged green beans: made thanksgiving green bean casserole taste off / sour Multiple occasions: cut broccoli with rotten stems, slimy cut mushrooms that may need to be thrown out for safety. Also see other previous review for general gripes about this branch. read more

See all

Flowers here are on point.. super affordable, good quality overall, and they last. Their tulips seem to last for weeks when I buy them. Was also pleasantly surprised to see the quality of their artichokes this week. Don't try to park here unless it's on the street because it's the worst lot around. Stay away from the avocados as well, they're always bad here. read more

This TJ location is pretty tragic...they had almost bare shelves (especially on the produce) at 6pm on a Wednesday, and the cashier didn't say a word to me. Parking sucks. I thought it was a normal thing from the post 9-5 rush but went to the San Mateo location (since I was missing half of my grocery list still) and found fully stocked shelves and lovely employees. It's a bummer because this location is much closer but I'll make the drive for a proper TJ experience. read more

I love shopping at this Trader Joe's location. The employees are always helpful and friendly. I am a grandmother who babysits her grandchildren while the parents work. The grandkids love to go to this Trader Joe's location because they receive stickers and there is a treasure chest with suckers. The 23 month old loves to carefully pick out her sucker. I just found out that not ALL Trader Joe's are this kind and generous to their customers little ones. It is these touches that make shopping here that much better. Thank you. read more

If you want to see happy people at their day job - Trader Joe is your place (but then you might feel envy so maybe avoid TJ). It's also great for all kinds of unexpected products. If you have a sweet tooth - avoid the amazing treats isle. read more

It is hard to write this. I like Trader Joes, but today was not so good. I left feeling very hurt and slighted. When I asked for help finding a product that was moved, one of the staff who I've never seen before abruptly said "Yeah, what do ya need help with." It wasn't what she said, it was how it was said in such an aggressive manner. When I talked to management who saw the whole thing, he apologized and said "What can I say." I'm tired of attitude by the children who work there. I wish management would take it more seriously. My asking for help may have been annoying to her because I realize that it interrupted their conversation. Sorry--I thought you work there to help customers--no, it must be to socialize. Normally, I'm understanding--not today. Like I said, usually the people are okay to good and sometimes great--today--not so much at all! Having been in the food service industry in the past, if I talked to a customer in the tone that this kid talked to me, I would have probably been let go. Or at least there would have been a consequence. There I said my peace. Hopefully management will care. read more

This is as good a TJs as any! Always enjoy coming in. Had a nice experience today. The employee who checked us out, Tony, was super friendly and efficient. read more

I like this TJs because they seem to have the acai packets that I love however I am not a fan of their parking lot. There's always some sort of cluster or weird parking going on and when it's packed it's hard to circle around and takes forever. They also didn't wipe down the carts or baskets for use... which I guess I assumed every grocery store would be doing because at least that's what I had experienced at other TJ locations. read more

This Trader Joe's is awesome. I rarely shop at TJ's anymore but went yesterday and remember why it's so great! The food, the prices, the people. Just wanna give a shout out because the people here are so kind and patient. They even had free samples they were giving out (They were soooo yummy and we ended up buying the cheese and crackers ). Great job to Staff and Managers at this location- it's difficult to work in customer service but they're doing it RIGHT here. Everything is neat and tidy in the store and just overall makes the shopping experience great. Thank you San Carlos Trader Joe's! read more

This TJ's is not my preferred one, compared to the one at Hillsdale Mall or near Delaware St. The parking lot is often packed here, and there's usually a few itinerant folks in the lot (combined with Walgreens) for purposes other than shopping. This location often feels more crowded than other locations too....it could be that it's walking distance to Laurel St neighborhood. read more

This is more of a review of Trader Joe's in general. Trader Joe's seems to be lacking a lot compared to regular grocery stores. They don't really have paper products or cleaning products, etc. There's no bakery or meat department. You have a little bit of everything and a lot of frozen foods and wine. I've tried some of their frozen dishes and they just don't taste that great for some reason although they're pretty cheap. They tasted under seasoned. Their produce is okay. They price by the individual item many times so it's a bit unusual. I've had good luck with their mangoes and oranges. They also have the unpasteurized orange juice. It's quite pricey. I thought it tasted fresh but not as sweet and I would like. Their cookie spread is pretty delicious. I've had some success with their cookies as well. read more

Trader Joe's - Grocery Near Me - San Carlos, California

Their is no baskets AT ALL, I was offered a cart but didn't want it cause I notice the people here don't spray down or wipe down their carts. I used my shopping bag to hold my items. When I went to pay the Rude cashier was so condescending about me using my own bag to shop, then rang me out with out even bagging my stuff. This will be the last time I come to this location. Everyone is just talking to each other, no one offers help. Worst experience at Trader Joe's. read more

Literally my happy place. I look forward to shopping here and literally is often the highlight of my day because TJ's has all my favorite things and the employees are the nicest humans. It's easy to park on the street behind the store if you don't want to deal with the parking lot. read more

This was my first trip to one of my favorite stores post shelter-in-place and I was impressed by the staff. The total time spent there was 1.5 hrs (including waiting in line for ~20 min). It's a great way to make sure only a few people shop and wait in line to pay. I got there a bit past 2:00pm on Friday 4/24 and stood in the hot HOT sun. I was so pleasantly surprised that a staff person began handing out water bottles to those of us in line! :) Thank you! Then it was my turn to enter and I was asked if I wanted a newly sanitized cart or basket. Again, awesome! I found most products, lots of fresh fruits and veggies, eggs, milk and non-dairy items, even Miyokos. The only items they didn't have were paper towels or chocolate chips, to make the dozens and dozens of baked goods I'm planning on making as part of my self care and to make sure I roll out my home after all this is over :0 TIP to senior shoppers: you may shop at Traders between 8:00am and 9:00am. Only seniors and people at higher risk, ok? Don't be sneaky! read more

See all

Awesome staff and selection. Only downside is the meat, it is not fresh even thought the freeze by date is weeks away. Steak and lambchop especially, the smell is awful. read more

I usually like this place a lot, but the last time I was there, I walked up to the register and said hello cashier didn't said anything I put my stuff on the counter. She rang it up no big deal and I'm looking at her and she's like not looking at me she's staring at the window, I was like that's odd. She's just staring out the window and she didn't say anything I paid for my groceries told her thank you and she just kind of handed me the receipt and off handed way like she'd rather be anyplace lease, I try not to take a place, but I don't know what her problem was, maybe it was just me maybe she's having a bad day. She was acting very odd. White blonde girl late twenties maybe. I was very surprised by her attitude. It was like don't talk to me I only work here, I'm not here to be your friend. Which is fine but I would like you to act like a human being if that too much trouble maybe you need to find another job. It was an odd hateful interaction I won't be going to her again. She just stared out the window like I wasn't there. I usually love this place. It was in the morning. read more

This grocery store chain is a permanent and frequent destination for my food shopping. There are some items that I tend not to buy anywhere else. In general, the quality is good. I get my everyday extra virgin olive oil at Trader Joe's and lots of cheeses. Their potato chips are good and not exorbitantly priced like in many stores when not on sale. I also like their ice cream, fennel, arugula, nuts, tuna in olive oil, and yogurt (when I don't make it myself). The only product I will never buy again at Trader Joe's is their milk. It consistently sours before the expiration date. I've complained about it, but I'm always told that they haven't heard that complaint before, which seems odd to me because it happens every time for me and never happens with milk bought elsewhere. Oh well, find the products you like and avoid those you don't like. Typically whatever you buy will be of fairly good quality. read more

I have never been disappointed with any other location. this location is the worst one I have ever been. You can see almost all Frozen food are all defrosted and refrozen, or still melt. Probably they are not handling food right. Also very dirty. Always so much empty shelves and spaces infilled. Maybe short of staff? Hope improves in the future because this is the closest one. I drive far to better ones. read more

I like trader joe mostly because their snacks, ice cream and beverage are usually Trader Joe's. I can't find it anywhere else. One of my favorite yogurt it's their strawberry mix, also mango peach mix. Also they have some Yuzu sparkling water and coconut sparkling water that are super tasty although a bit pricy. Their spicy dried Mango slices are unbeatable. But trader joe has less grocery selection. So I don't usually come here for week grocery shopping, but mostly just for snacks. Two things I don't like about this trader joe store are that, it's hard to find parking here, also they place the shelves in a weird way and angle so it's hard to find things. read more

I WISH Redwood City had a TJ's, but we don't! SoOoOOo when I'm ready to shop at TJ's I'll go the Menlo Park location or here (San Carlos). I've never had a bad experience. The shelves are stocked, the produce is fresh, the store is clean, and the cashiers are efficient. The staff could be a bit more helpful or friendly, though. For example, at Whole Foods, the employees will ask you if you need help and actually point you in the direction of items or walk you to the item. During my most recent visit and walked up and down the refrigerated produced section four times looking for zucchini noodles. A produce clerk saw me. He looked right in my eyes. He didn't look ready to help, so I didn't even ask. My Top Notch Trader Joe's Purchases: 1. Cookie Butter -- sweet, sinful, sensationally delicious 2. Riced cauliflower -- omg! I will never rice cauliflower again! TJ's even has broccoli slaw and sweet potato chips 3. Everything But the Bagel Seasoning --- yummmmm! I put this on deviled eggs, avocados, rice cakes, salads, anything and everything 4. pork belly -- I came back from Tokyo and tried my hand at making ramen, and I got some pork belly from TJ's and it was G R E A T. Not bad at all--way better than I expected. 5. Nacho Cheese tortilla chips -- a healthier and cheesier version of Doritos Parking can be a bit of nightmare, so be prepared! Happy Shopping! read more

Wow, the children running this place are pretty ridiculous. I came in to grab a couple items before heading home. I asked for two bags, and paid for the reusable bags because I didnt want them to be too heavy, since I live on a second story and my toddler is always underfoot. My cashier was nice enough, she told the guy who came to assist bagging to distribute the items so they're not too heavy. He then said, "if people dont want heavy bag, buy less stuff." Um, it was like $40 worth of groceries at most, and no, I wont stop buying things my child and I need. Like wtf, who even thinks that way. I asked for and paid for more bags to compensate for the extra weight. Management, please look into attitude adjustments for your staff. Fucking ridiculous, I'll stick to sprouts read more

Employee gets upset by being given $8 in change. Losing ability to count and almost loses mind. Money is money.

Has anyone ever proposed marriage in a Yelp review before? If not, let me be the first. I'll back up a bit. Grocery shopping with a youngster can be less efficient than going alone. Sometimes one ends up with items one never intended to buy, including many more snack foods and sweets. Recently I shopped with my 7-year-old at TJ's, and lucky for me, he's on a health kick. We selected some uncured organic beef hot dogs, which he got very excited about (and while this may not sound "healthy" to some, I was thrilled to see him eat something other than carbs). We even picked out some organic carrots, since he said he wanted us to make carrot soup I asked him to select a bread, and Little L (LL) kept picking out white breads, asking, "Is this healthy?" I pointed out some whole grain breads that would be healthier. He never fails to surprise me. He selected a honey whole wheat TJ's bread that I never noticed and never would've chosen. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/trader-joes-san-carlos?select=itrqSoY0R8GTFu2LcBFo7g#itrqSoY0R8GTFu2LcBFo7g I was completely blown away when I tried it. It tasted a lot like Arizmendi Bakery's honey whole wheat bread (which is my favorite), minus the drive to San Francisco. Woo-hoo! I told my son, "I really LOVE this bread. I'm so glad you chose it. I wouldn't have picked it in a million years." LL: "A million years?" ME: "Yes, a million years." This bread isn't my usual "type." I typically go for the organic, multigrain, sprouted, cracked wheat, or wheatberry breads - this is none of those things. Totally not my type, so I thought. I just never noticed it in the crowded bread section, and never thought much of TJ's breads. That is, until now. In true 7-year-old fashion, he said, "If you love it so much, why don't you marry it?" ME: "I will." http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/trader-joes-san-carlos?select=itrqSoY0R8GTFu2LcBFo7g#thwI6jr52XOOnUEHIdYuYw I cringe inside at the thought that someday TJ's may discontinue making this bread. So, let's make it official. Trader Joe's Honey Whole Wheat bread, whaddya say? Will you marry me? read more

Trader Joe's - All kinds of awesome - Grocery Near Me - San Carlos, California

See all

Originally I really liked this Trader Joe's but it wasn't my favorite. Now I think it might be my favorite! The store seems a little bit smaller than others but the employees are even nicer than other TJ's employees (which is a challenge because TJ's employees always seem to be pretty great!). I came specifically looking for soba noodle bowls because I'd heard they were back and couldn't wait to get my hands on some of them. Unfortunately, they did not have any! I explained my love for soba noodle bowls (these are frozen bowls of noodles, mushrooms, egg, etc which are an easy meal and AMAZING by the way) to one of the employees and he promised to order CASES of them for me so they'd have them the next time I came in. The next time I came in, at first I was nervous that they didn't have any again because I didn't immediately find them. Then, I found a cute special sign and section full of soba noodle bowls. Yay!!! Now everyone else can enjoy them too :) Also, the lines are usually very short here, parking is easy, Walgreen's is right next store, and the samples are bigger portions than at other TJ's. What more could a girl want?! read more