This location has the best employees hands down! Everyone who works at the Hillcrest store is amazing, friendly, helpful, and kind!

I have a love for all things Trader Joe's and today even more which I didn't think was possible. Yesterday went for my usual shopping and saw someone filling carts with all sorts of goodies. He was marking the top of the items. I asked him if it was for food distribution. He said yes it is something TJ has been doing for years and they give items totaling in the millions annually. So good! read more

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This is a rather small Trader Joe's. Located in Hillcrest, it shares a small parking lot with other stores in a strip shopping center. The Crew Members here are personable and very helpful. read more

TRADER JOE'S @ HILLCREST Parking here is honestly a massacre. It's extremely busy and incredibly packed, and with so many different stores and restaurants around, there just isn't much parking available. It's genuinely hard to find a spot. Luckily, my friend and I managed to grab one pretty quickly after seeing a family get into their car, we caught it right in time. We ended up going to this Trader Joe's, and the first thing I noticed was how all the floral items are displayed outside. I actually love that because it's the first thing you see when you walk up. One thing I don't love is the placement of the carts. It's annoying they're kind of hidden behind the flowers, off to the side near Ralphs, which doesn't feel intuitive at all. Once you walk in, the store itself is definitely small. I usually come in with a grocery list, and bananas were the first thing I saw. All the snacks are also immediately to your right by the entrance. This Hillcrest location is just really tiny, and compared to other Trader Joe's I've been to, the aisles here are way smaller. There are so many people, and you constantly have people on your left and right, squeezing through. Their produce, however, is great. We ended up getting their crisp apples, and they were huge. The size was amazing, and overall the products were fresh fruit, veggies, snacks, everything you'd expect. We also had to return some lemonade we didn't like, and the staff was super nice about it. Their return policy is definitely a plus. Overall, the experience inside was great, but I'd recommend only stopping by this location if you absolutely need to. Parking is a nightmare and it's extremely busy, so this isn't a Trader Joe's I'd choose unless it's an emergency. read more

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Shopping in Hillcrest, San Diego, California... I saw an Instagram post for the new olive-colored insulated tote and checked the nearest Trader Joe's... Visiting my favorite departments at this cozy, busy location, I browsed through produce, fresh flowers, greeting cards, snacks, new products, and orchid plants. I didn't see any greenish-colored insulated totes. I did see the sign for the store's mascot, Pickles, the panda... I looked all over for her, but couldn't find her. I saw a little panda at Customer Service and asked if that was Pickles. The nice managers said that this was Pickles' baby... and that Pickles is about six times bigger than her baby. Since I was there, I asked about the new olive-colored insulated tote... it will appear on Wednesday (October 1, 2025). Ahhh... I went up and down the aisles again to search for Pickles. I picked up more snacks and a box of treats for my sister's dogs. I eventually found Pickles (I knew she was the mascot because of her nametag) and that viral frozen Kimbap that I wasn't able to obtain in the past! Ha! Oh, well... I still enjoyed my visit and will check out another location of Trader Joe's later... LOL! read more

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I prefer this one over the one closer to me because service is ALWAYS good! Well today was no exception. I came in to restock on citrus but I left with so much more than what was in my basket. While I was 3rd in line, the guy checking out didn't have enough to cover his groceries so he was going to put back some bananas. Before I could offer to pay for them, the cashier Shawn paid the difference and didn't make a big fuss. When it was my turn to check out I acknowledged him for his kindness and how much it made my heart smile. Humanity still exists. We need more Shawns please! read more

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

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Decent size. Plenty of parking even tho this area gets quite busy. Staff is nice. Have whatever I need there.

Honestly my favorite Trader Joe's in San Diego!!!! Although I just moved here a year ago and some change the customer service is prime time! Obviously I was here last month for Halloween festivities. I was unsure of when these Halloween tote bags would come back in stock, so I called them and got the info I needed to get these bags the next day. We had a good conversation and everything worked out. I highly recommend the Charles Shaw wine for $3.50 per bottle. LOVE LOVE LOVE read more

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Top notch five star service. The parking lot is a little challenging, but that's not their fault. The staff was very helpful and everybody was happy to be there! read more

They have an excellent selection of frozen foods that are a great place to stock up on in an addition to good produce items and a nice selection of adult beverages. I go often, the only bummer is parking can be hard. Most of the time employees are always kind except when I mentioned "Pickles" and instead of the kindness the establishment is usually known for, the lady basically yelled at me "It only for children!" I was just trying to be fun, but now I stickily avoid her because she doesn't embody the kind behaviour of the establishment. The place has their classic Hawaiian ambiance, with their bell, and the lines move a lot quicker than most grocery stores. read more

Forever my Trader Joe's! When I moved to Dan Diego I was living in Cortez hill, this TJs was the closest to me. I live in Kearny now and boy do I come back here always. I love this location, awesome staff, always with the products I use and love, and in the heart of Hillcrest! I love it here. read more

Trader Joe's flowers never cease to amaze me! Today was a particularly busy day with all cashiers working but the lines were super long. That said, the staff didn't skip a beat; they were still as pleasant and friendly as usual. This location had all of the new items I was looking for, especially the new French Onion Soup Popcorn and the Gingerbread Oat Milk Creamer. I never thought of myself as an "oat milk" kind of user, but Trader Joe's changed the game for me! read more

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Your typical Trader Joe's, just with super narrow aisles. Highly recommend trying to go here in the morning or middle of the day--any other time you are generally stuck behind other people's carts trying to squeeze by, coupled with several "excuse me's" and "sorry's" hahah. They don't run out of produce as quickly as other locations which is nice. Eggs go extremely quick. Other than that, staff is always great & kind, and Ralph's is right next door to get your actual items that Trader Joe's doesn't carry. Very helpful to be placed right next to a classic grocery store. Recommend parking underneath in the garage, as parking is extremely difficult. Love their well-priced flower selection as a typical Trader Joe's has :) read more

Love the selection of cheeses and frozen produce for smoothies. This location can get a little busy and will require patience around rush hour. read more

I just finished a workout 12/11 and moseyed on over to this TJ's and it sure didn't disappoint. My preggo friend had a whole list of new things for me to snag for her and I was lost as this is not my regular TJ's location. Anyways as I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off some lovely man working heard what I was looking for and pointed me in the right direction - thank you kind sir for helping me find 'Betard bread' lol. I loved how clean and organized everything was, and everyone is so helpful! I just wanted to drop a quick note to the two peeps that checked me out - I didn't catch their names but I wanna say the manager's name was MK or something? Anyways they listened to my unemployment story and how sad I was I just got let go from my job before the holidays and I was shopping for my preggo homie and she threw in TWO big chocolate rice crispy bars and even some cute stickers for us. It's the small things that mean so much, little gestures that make your day when you're down. I think that's what Trader Joe's is all about - celebrating the small things in life even when things are hard. Thank you to you two beautiful souls, wish I was in the right head space to look at your name tags but Joey over at Cyclebar worked our butts off right before I came in and I couldn't even remember my own name. Cheers! read more

Lowdy this Trader Joe's is always busy for a small Trader Joe's. I do not think I have ever seen this place slow. They seem to have an abundance of workers that keep the shelves stocked and clean. Also, they happen to do it with a smile. There's always a fresh selection of quick already prepared salads and items to grab for a quick lunch or dinner. read more

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going grocery shopping is always an experience, i'm unsure why trader joe's are always built small asf, but anyways .... shoutout MJ for helping my friend and I. Mj was stocking while my friend and I mindlessly stared and the shelves of wine, ignorant as to what wine would compliment our dinner. Mj took it upon themselves to help us, which was kind and incredibly informative. We bought a wine that was recommend to us, it was perfect, killed the bottle. Thank you Mj for your kindness and knowledge read more

I've been going to this Trader Joe's for the past three years, and honestly, I've always loved how nice everyone is. The staff is great. But I've officially had it with the produce. This is now the fourth time I've brought something home that was either moldy or went bad almost immediately. Most recently it was the bell pepper trio--one of them was moldy and another one had the top completely ripped open and was leaking. I didn't even realize because they were all stacked in the bag. It's just super frustrating, especially being pregnant--having to lug groceries home and then go all the way back to deal with returns is exhausting. It also feels like a bit of a health risk at this point. I've tried to be patient and even reached out after the third time, but they just said to bring things back to exchange. I've given them the benefit of the doubt, but I can't keep doing this. The produce is just not reliable anymore. I'm going to start going to a different location, even though it's further--at least I'll feel like I can trust what I'm buying. read more

Alright coming at you with another Trader Joe's review because BREAKING NEWS I got my hands on the mini cooler bag! Not just one but 4. And no I wasn't being selfish and taking as many as I could, they had them in green and red and I got a pair for my mom as well since we have been looking for them since they came out. I will say this Trader Joe's is doing it the right way by putting batches out through out the day so people don't come in and sell them out right when doors open. I am a huge Trader Joe's fan and I literally have every bag they have come out with so there were happy tears when I found these and they are the perfect lunch box size! read more

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

I don't remember a Trader Joe's with a space this small, I remember a big Trader Joe's full with stuffs, especially the dried fruits and nuts, jerky with a big section filled up with different jars, now I think for some reasons it shrunk, maybe I was wrong, maybe it's just the location here, too hard to find parking, Ralphs is bigger than this and it's next door, I was lucky enough to find some dried strawberries, but then that's it, I had to ask for help from an employee, that means how unfamiliar it looked to me read more

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The staff here was fun. Everyone I passed by had something quirky and fun about them. And some of them asked me if I had found the panda, which is a promotion happening in the store in order to get a treat! I found it and earned me some stickers and a lollipop. :) Because I was searching for the panda I walked down more aisles and ended up purchasing more things than what I anticipated which is brilliant marketing on their side. This is my 3rd time visiting this store and first time it wasn't packed. I came here on a Saturday evening. Before I came on a Sunday morning and Thursday after work. I found some new seasonal products which was awesome. I saw a section where they had new recipes printed out which was a nice touch. It's located in a very busy village and there's a Ralph next to it so it looks and feels very busy. Not ideal for those who don't like being people. Parking is also a nightmare. The store feels a bit smaller than the others but on the bright side it didn't feel like they packed items in here. Because they are situated next to another grocery outlet, I feel like they have just enough unique products compared to their neighbors that makes it a nice alternative. read more

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Trader Joe's in Hillcrest is serving the community with fresh fruits and veggies, along with other grocery store essentials. Traders Joe's is located in the Heart of Hillcrest right off University Avenue. The parking lot here offers many parking spaces due to it sharing parking with a lot of other small business and grocery stores. This particular store offers many items to choose from for a great deal. I really like there alcohol section here where they offer many fine wines, craft beer, and many spirits. They have a great snack aisle providing many unique different styles of chips along with a nice frozen food section that has pre-made meals for your convenience. My favorite part of the store is their pints of ice cream. They have all amazing flavors for such a great price. For the majority, the store is always full, but the staff really knows how to get them in and get them out provided customer service with a smile. All the workers and staff are extremely helpful and will answer any questions you have. This Trader Joe's offers everything you absolutely need at a traditional grocery store and more. The ambiance and setting is your regular grocery store environment. Come out and check this store out for great seasonings and snacks. They have something for anyone here at this location. read more

I'm a sucker for Trader Joe's so say what you wish. This store is one of my favorites (sans the horrible parking situation). Since there's nothing TJ's can do about the parking, I won't hold it against them. Great customer service!!! This Trader's is on the smaller side so they may not have everything that you're used to, so keep that in mind. Rather than make a bunch of hodge podge about stuff you probably already know, let me tell you about some of my favorite TJ items. Dark Russet Chips 5/5 -however this store is not currently stocking them- (-5 stars...lol) Organic White Truffle chips 5/5- I'm not a chip guy but these are a must, always keep these on deck. Ube I've Cream 5/5- I can't get enough When Life Gives You Lemons Ice Cream 5/5- everything I dreamed it would be. Elote salad 4/5- Was 4.5/5 but they upped the price from $3.99 to $4.99. I don't think it's worth the $1 uptick. Black Pepper Bbq Toscano salad 4.5/5- Better than I thought it would be. Would be great with pulled pork on top. Bbquey but not overwhelming. Cards- The cards are cheap and are great for any occasion. Thanks to the excellent TJ'S staff, you always make shopping here a breeze! read more

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THE GO-TO I'm a regular. Let's talk about Trader Joe's. I have been a "Frequent Flyer" of this Trader Joe's since I relocated to SD back in 2016. But I have been a "Frequent Flyer" of Trader Joe's since 2007'ish when it wasn't very trendy and just a healthier but more expensive than Von's kind of store where the brands looked like knock offs and you weren't yet use to it. I've seen so many different products and seasonal products - some I'm glad left and some I can't wait and hope they restock. This is my prime location. I just know the feel and space of the store. Where is what and see familiar staff faces. As much as I buy and love shopping here some of my apps (that grade food base on healthiness) show many products (that we assume are healthier) aren't that much healthier. You'd think buying anything here is healthy, maybe a healthier to some degree. The snacks here I love but I've reduced purchasing. THINGS I DO LOVE - salads - green beans (the non-organic one) - the freeze dried chicken dog treats (for my dog not me) - some seasonal items - drink (non-alcoholic) selection THINGS THAT MAKE ME GAG - honey walnut shrimp: smells and taste like as5 - mee krob: what kind of nasty snack is that - watermelon jerky: absolutely not satisfying - Italian wedding soup: bland as f. - ube cookies: that ain't ube that's trashy ube Yet, here I am! Still a customer. CARRY ON... read more

Love the staff at this store! This has been my local Trader Joe's for the past 3 years and am so sad to move away! Special shout out for the following team members who were always so friendly: Ashlynn & Andy - thank you for making my day to day shopping so enjoyable! read more

It seems weird to review a grocery store, especially a branch of one that literally EVERYONE has been to. But this location is... well let's just say special. Inside you'll find the usual Trader Joe's stuff at the usual Trader Joe's prices, but this one gets four, rather than five, stars, because holy lord it can be a total and complain pain in the ass! You know those stock footage videos they always show of a sea of people in some random city in China or India when discussing how the country has something like 1.4 billion people? This Trader Joe's is the grocery store version of that. Why, you may ask? Well, three reasons. First, the store sits smack in the middle of a very busy part of Hillcrest and, product-wise, caters very well to the surrounding market. As popular as any Trader Joe's is, this creates a problem, regardless of reasons number two and three. But making things worse, this store is tiny. Really, really tiny. Seriously, I'd be surprised if it has half the square footage of most other Trader Joe's. (Trader Joe'ses? What the hell is the plural of Trader Joe's?) And inside that tiny foot print are all of the products, employees, registers, and customers that you would find in any other location, just squished together like one of those billion people videos. It gets so crowded that the fact of it being crowded turns into an inevitable topic of conversation between shoppers, which is how I met one of my ex-girlfriends in the cheese aisle. (Yes, seriously. We dated for a year.) OK, so it's crowded, I'm sure you get it. Well so what, you might ask -- you park, you deal with the store, and you leave, right? Oh no, because then there is reason number three -- the parking lot. It's just terrible. Both coming and going can be a complete flip of the coin as to whether it will be easy or a royal pain in your ass. Avoiding the busiest hours always helps, but the ingress and egress can be brutal. Its location in the very back corner of a very busy strip mall, right next door to a Ralphs, does not help, nor does the fractured design of the parking lot. In the end, it always feels good to make that left turn on University Ave., knowing that you've left the chaos behind you. OK, so that was a lot to write about a chain grocery store, but I thought it best to give fair warning that, while the products, prices, etc. are what you would expect, this is not your usual Trader Joes. You've been warned. Happy Shopping. read more

I absolutely love Trader Joe's. I will go out of my way to go to a Trader Joe's because the vibes are just great! They don't have everything you'd find in a traditional grocery store, but the benefit of this location is that it's right next to a Ralph's so you can supplement your trip with what you need. I do have to say that this location is one of the most difficult to get to in San Diego! The parking is always a mess in this little shopping center and the layout of this one is so tight that it can feel a bit overwhelming. But, I'll always pick Trader Joe's over anything else thanks to the happy crew members and the ever changing new seasonal products to explore! read more

Love this store! their products are excellent and they have lots of organic options which I love! The service there is excellent and when it's busy, they always put more people on to check you out. I love the store because they have a lot of their own products and they're not full of resilient chemicals which I really appreciate because I eat organic. The ambience of the store is OK it's actually kind of a small store but it's right down the street for me so super convenient! read more

This Trader Joe's has culture and soul. I feel like there's more ethnic choices at this location. The grocers are friendly and they give out good samples. This is my go to traders in SD! read more

Trader Joe's - The masterpiece I made with their frozen cauliflower crust. Chef's kiss - Grocery Near Me - San Diego, California

My Trader Joe's list is simple: *Ultrachocolate ice cream *100% Ginger packets *Chile lime seasoning *Pineapple juice (not concentrated) *3 packs of fresh Lily's weekly read more

I'm a HUGE Trader Joe's fan and I have to say that this location is one of my favorites! What made this location stand out to me was how super helpful the employees were. The store was clean and well stocked with all my favorite (and some new tries) food. Plus they were super friendly! Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever encountered a grumpy employee at any TJ's!!! Thanks Trader Joe's for hiring happy people! read more

A store with fantastical holiday goodies , wonderful healthy food options , fair trade & great customer service . Who doesn't absolutely value great food at well below today's average food prices ? I am so grateful to live near Trader Joe's so I can afford my groceries. Thank you for doing an amazing job at customer service & cashiering Today Marianne , you rock!! 5 stars today and for all the years i've shopped at a multitude of their store locations . read more

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

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I asked the Rep Eloise where the berries were and her comment back to me was find someone else I'm busy. I went to the service counter where i talked to a nice man. who pointed out what area the berries were in. I saw Eloise again so i could get her name, and she said i have nothing to say to you. Get away. Bad Customer Service. But the guy at the front counter was awesome read more

I absolutely love this store. Yes, it can get crowded, but you can avoid the crowds by not coming in the late afternoon. The employees are personable and nearly every one I've encountered has been great at making friendly small talk with me. This is a much appreciated contrast to the employees at most other grocery stores. To those who complain about the parking, well, why are you driving here anyway? Most of the customers live in the area and could easily ride a bike here. I've been doing it for years. You can too. read more

This Trader Joe's is in the heart of Hillcrest and in a small shopping center. Parking can be difficult but it's because of limited spaces. Probably the most eclectic mix of customers that include LGBTQ customers with their little dogs, young women with their Yoga outfits on, families and singles. Great selection of produce, meats, cheeses, dairy and all the great Trader Joe's items. read more

The staff here is not very friendly which is surprising for a Trader Joe's. The extra star because it's Trader Joe's and we typically love Trader Joe's. read more

Gotta have my Trader Joe's! Even when I'm out of town it's no exception. I love Hillcrest Trader Joe's, however this time of year it is SUPER crowded and parkIng is close to impossible. I know that due to the holiday they are working overtime to keep items stocked but having so many staff on the floor can be kind of inconvenient. Also, this store is small compared to the Mission Valley location. Still, I love the vibe in Hillcrest and this store is the most convenient for us so I prefer to shop here. Staff is super friendly and they carry all my essentials. Happy shopping! read more

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

I have to say first off that all Trader Joe's are wonderful, with all the workers genuinely happy and friendly. Every single time I go to one, I was greeted warmly by at least one person. The products are always on point as well, and totally deserve the cult following. I have yet to find white truffle chips that are as tasty anywhere else. If I want to make an epic charcuterie board, this is the place to come to, because the variety is amazing, and the curated products are the best. Not hit or miss like some other bargain grocery stores. While pricey, I do like that the portions are smaller, so I am wasting less. I can never finish the whole chunk of Costco cheese, so whatever savings per once I had just eventually went in the trash. So why did I take a star off? Mainly because this particular location is extremely busy, but there is barely any parking, especially because they are located in a busy plaza and just right next to Ralph's. During the height of the pandemic, I even saw a line around the block to get into the store due to limited capacity allowed in the store. Just this week, I came at 12:30pm on a week day and had to circle the lot at least 20 minutes before I found a parking spot. read more

I have had a bad incident before, but I like the TJ at Hilcrest. They have proved to me that they are worth trying again. One of the cashiers there got out of her way to make sure I had bottled water in a case in my cart during the rush when we were all shopping before the "storm." It really meant so much to me. So sweet. Thank you. read more

A friendly staff but this location is so frequently understocked, I had to find a new one!