I have been in the neighborhood since '94 and always a TJ's customer. Been cautious to share a recurring issue, but you have an employee who does not share the ethos of TJ's and is surly and curt (at best), particularly to those of a lighter skin shade. I'm sure others have noticed but are afraid to share lest they be labeled. The employee is Boze and we try to avoid his line on purpose. Today we experienced his "customer service". He needs to be reminded what TJ's stands for. read more

Yelp sent me this today: "You had good reason to check out Trader Joe's. There's a lot more you can do like read their reviews and ask them a question. Or just head out there this weekend!" ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? I didn't just "check out" this Trader Joe's location, I shop here once a week! Don't need to read their reviews or ask a question. I shop here once a week! My check-ins confirm my loyalty! Parking is easy. Staff is GREAT! Merchandise I want is always there. If not, staff is more than willing to go the extra mile to check on availability. Like I said, I shop here once a week. Spent $100 last week. read more

Solid Trader Joe's location. This location has a parking lot with limited spots during busy times, but I was able to get one when I visited. The interior was nice and clean. The selection was pretty good and they kept up to date with the new products the Trader Joe's brand releases. I wish they had more Dubai chocolate though, they were sold out when I visited - probably due to it's worldwide popularity at this time. The staff were also pretty nice. I appreciated when the cashier warned me about some beef I was purchasing which was bloody. I didn't mind the blood, but she mentioned some people are. read more

We arrived around 5:30pm on a Saturday, there was plenty of parking. When entering Trader Joe's, the place looks spacious. When approaching 3 Trader Joe's employees for the passcode for the restroom, they do not bother to look up from their conversation. One provides the code; however, since the employee is not facing me it was difficult to hear the code. After asking 3 times to verify the code, the employee finally faced me and I can clearly hear the code. When entering the restroom, you can see a layer of dirt on the floor. When walking on the floor, you can hear the scrapping of dirt between my shoes and the restroom floor tile. It is one of the few places where there is a huge supply of frozen kimbap and green onion pancake. When checking out, we didn't hear from the employee the usual greeting or any questions if we found everything we needed that other Trader Joe's locations employees will do. At this location, it was complete silence while checking out. There are so many other Trader Joe's locations so we probably will not come to this location again even though there are beautiful dogs visiting and there is a supply of frozen kimbap and green onion pancake. read more

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Great location. I had gone to the location closest to me for a specific item but they didn't have it so I decided to try my luck here and was able to get what I needed. I haven't seen a TJ's with the standing freezers like other grocery stores have but I saw them here and it was cool to see something new. read more

Trader Joe's - Grocery Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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The staff is friendly. Products are great. Just a typical parking lot situation is packed.

This has always been my favorite Trader Joe's. It's small compared to most, but has a full selection of items and has a snug, cozy vibe. Parking lot is small but I've never had a problem finding a spot. An attendant helps keep things moving. Well lit and safe, with a friendly and helpful staff. read more

I've been apprehensive about going to any Trader Joe's since moving to LA, because I always thought TJ parking lots were supposed to be awful (I realize now that that might just have been a Florida problem!) Parking is never an issue here, no matter what time of day. In fact, I have not had any problems with parking at any TJs in the west side. Whenever I feel jaded and disappointed in people and society in general, my faith is renewed when I shop at Trader Joe's. It's always been like that for me from NYC to South Florida to Los Angeles. I love going to Trader Joe's and having small talk with the cashiers! Prices are great, selection is pretty good. This store usually has everything I need/want in stock. Thank you!! read more

Like other locations a great selection of food items. Service is always with a smile. Very consistent layout. Easy to navigate in all but the busiest of times. Parking is a bit of a hassle during peak times. read more

I'm shocked to see a rating of 3.5 stars for my neighborhood Trader Joe's. This place is great! The customer service is amazing. It's in a nice location in Santa Monica off Pico with a small parking lot but that's pretty standard for Trader Joe's. It's tight inside but I'm always able to find everything I need. There are certain vegan items that only TJ's has and the prices are reasonable. Items are usually well-stocked so this is our go to location. read more

All the Trader Joe's of Santa Monica are great! This is a more popular community store because it's near more apartments. so it's always busy and sell out things a lot faster. I still love this place and it has a nice selection. read more

Trader Joe's - Frozen goods - Grocery Near Me - Santa Monica, California

They pulled a sneaky one. They switched out the 1.25 litre sparkling water, for a 1 litre sized water. SAME price. Gotta make up for the loss on other items I guess? Thing is where else are they increasing the cost of stuff? In a sneaky manner. read more

Trader Joe's - They switched out the 1.25 litre for a 1 litre size. Same price though. - Grocery Near Me - Santa Monica, California

I never went into this Trader Joe's because from the street it looks like there'd be little parking. I was wrong! They do a great job of displaying seasonal stuff near the registers, like incredibly authentic-smelling Honeycrisp Apple candle and lotions. I do not need another candle yet I had to have this one! They also had a nice end cap of frozen Italian meals. It's autumn which means a whole lotta pumpkin flavored stuff. I think pumpkin pasta sauce is a bit much but if you love pumpkin, the next month here will be nirvana. Tried pumpkin waffles but like some products, there's the smell but not taste of pumpkin. Trader Joe's has great snacks for amazing deals. Try the Maple Leaf sandwich cookies!! As usual, friendly employees with great service. A better selection of resusable grocery bags here, too, including LA-themed. The floral section is also better displayed and maybe larger than my regular Trader Joe's. Won't hesitate to stop by hear the next time I'm in the area. read more

Weekly stop, organic apple juice (the absolute best I have ever had) never without. Great selection of veggies, cheeses, speciality items (always check on what's new). The people are always nice,friendly and very helpful. Store is always clean and well organized, look around your going to find something new and worth trying....hint at Christmas time their eggnog is fantastic! read more

If you've never been to Trader Joe's, it's definitely worth a visit! Being that I live in Miami Beach, there's none close to me since I'm dead center in between the one down south and the one up north. The only one I've been to was the one recently in Santa Monica and what a cool location; obviously, anything is cooler when it's in Cali and wow, so many amazing things to see and buy here, it's too bad I was just stopping by. Service here from everyone I encountered was super friendly and eager to help you if you had a question. They're like a Whole Foods but on a smaller scale with nearly everything private labeled, plus they also sell alcohol in case that LA traffic got you a little cray cray. Just like Whole Foods, you enter and there's a ton of flowers just outside and on the inside too. The produce, meats and fish selections all look so good, it motivates you to want to buy something even if you don't have a means to cook it. I seriously they open one on the Beach one day soon... read more

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Always great service. Sometime produce goes bad quickly but No issue returning things.

This location is just great. I've been coming here for the past two and a half years. The staff here is SUPER nice and the store is always clean and organized. Great selection of healthy food. Plenty of Vegan options like Vegan shredder cheese, Vegan Mayo, Vegan cream cheese and milk, Vegan pasta sauce, and more. The fruits and vegetables are always fresh. Great wine selection. Parking is convenient. read more

The prices are reasonable and I like what they come up with. The mini ice cream cones are my favorite along with the chocolate covered bananas read more

My love-love relationship with TJ's will never end. Particularly when TJ keeps surprising me with new deeelicious products, keeping this buying-eating-interaction full of happy and refreshing daily starts. Here, let me list the reasons why: * TJ keeps me cool on warm LA days with frozen desserts * TJ keeps me well-fed with their ridiculously easy-to-prep entrees * TJ keeps my life interesting with all dem spices * TJ keeps me fit with all their protein-rich snacks * TJ keeps me joyous with their decadent sweets * TJ keeps me healthy with organic fruits & veggies * TJ keeps me at a happy-buzzed state with their liquor selection (ok, not perpetually) Are those enough reasons? read more

Trader Joe's - Perfect breakfast for St. Patty's day ~ - Grocery Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Trader Joe's is simply the best neighborhood grocery store with such special seasonal items along with their staple snacks I always come back for. Staff is always super friendly and helpful! The store is always clean and the ambiance is always pleasant. read more

You've never been to a better Trader Joe's that is so welcoming and classic. Never too busy or loud and the crew is always friendly and helpful. I've been shopping at this location for years and there are so many familiar faces I'll probably end up writing about each one individually. But I will start with the best of the best. Boze has been there as long as I've been alive and walking and his laugh always cheers me up. I look forward to seeing him when I shop and calling back to jokes we've been making for years. His passion for good food and good fun always make my experience great. When I come in and he's serving up samples it's even better. His joy radiates and I always catch myself in conversation. Get this man a raise! read more

Big shout out to Cashier Lauren! I didn't have my debit card I left in another purse. I felt flustered! She was so helpful & creative on what I could manage with my limited cash! I wound up with all I needed! Thank You for such understanding & kindness! read more

Trader Joe's - Grocery Near Me - Santa Monica, California

I come to this store many times , I found in salad hair and other things , wowo shock , and i got very sick , i went to doctor and it was bad , then i come and shop for flowers alot and the guy yesterday accused me i took the flower what i bad things un friendly people not helping , but this is what happend after pandamic every thing expensive , and not friendly people there no body smile to say hi to you read more

INSIDER TIP FROM DOREEN (AKA AZN PERSUASION): On the way out, there are also 3 small buckets to grab plastic silverware for your lunch. *** This TJ has easier parking that the one at Olympic and Bundy. They sell Chia seeds here in the cereal aisle. This location is a bit smaller than some of the other TJs, but they carry all the staples! read more

Trader Joe's - Grocery Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Parking lot is small and has a bad layout - I park on 32nd St so I don't have to deal with it. Most employees are very nice and friendly, while a few are unfriendly and reluctant to help when asked. Some of the customers are the worst - heard one man ask "Do you sell coronavirus here?" Check the expiration dates of foods and check for moldy fruits/vegetables when buying prepacked bags here. read more

PROPS TO THE STAFF FOR MAKING COVID SHOPPING SO EASY, AND ESP HENRY. This comes from a grumpy girl who makes fun of Trader Joe's and everyone who shops there every chance I get. But I had such a great experience this week I have to eat crow! One of the most delightful shopping experiences of my life! Hate to say it, but I think they converted me! I signed up w/ a LA org to help people in my neighborhood who need help during the quarantine and got paired w/ this neighbor who needed me to go shop for a huge stockpile of food. She couldn't go into a store herself b/c her husband is immunosupressed (sp?), and she can't use Instacart b/c she is a diehard TJ addict and REALLY needed her TJ stuff and ONLY TJ stuff! I was all like, cool, whatever, I can shop for groceries, Strange Neighbor one block from me I don't know. But when I got to Trader Joe's my neighbor handed me this list of 80 VERY SPECIFIC ITEMS, like "red potatoes - not in a bag but SINGLES" and "frozen waffles in the RED box"...then I entered TJ's and they had this crazy IKEA like maze of yellow arrows you had to follow where you start at produce, and once you get to frozen foods you can't go back to produce, and I was all like what the hell? How am I supposed to know where all this stuff is??? I was flummoxed. But instantly, the young guy who was squirting the disinfectant at the front door sorted it. He called a guy who called a guy who rang that damn bell and suddenly I was assigned a personal shopper - HENRY - who snatched my neighbor's 80 item list from me and headed down that IKEA yellow arrow path and items were flying off the shelves and into the cart. What would have taken me probably 90 min took Henry only about 20 min. Henry knew every single item on my neighbor's list and exactly where it was. Every staffer I came into contact with was a delight, from that first disinfectant squirter guy who got me Henry, to Henry, to the cheerful cashier who rang up the 80 items, then back to Henry who loaded everything into my neighbor's waiting car outside. It was all so easy and so delightful, with all those silly cheerful island shirts, I was cracking up the whole time. I've never had so much fun grocery shopping. Props to that whole crew! I've attached a pic of personal shopper Henry with the 80 item list for my neighbor. I hate to say it, but I am now a Trader Joe's groupie! Thanks SO MUCH you guys for working during Covid 19 and keeping that store in such fantastic shape, and thanks so much for having such a great attitude! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdB7GDZY3Pk read more

Trader Joe's - Grocery Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Stopped by here on our way to the beach, got some cheese and some wine. This was not your usual grocery run, had a nice conversation on wines with the people working in the store. It's nice talking with people in the store that know what they're selling. read more

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Trader Joe's is the only store in the galaxy that can make grocery shopping a fun experience. I drive 20 minutes out of the way to make it happen! Trader Joe's just makes eating and entertaining so much more fun. - I love that each store employs a local artist to design the product signs and murals - I love their kitschy branding and clever product captions - I love how the crew engages you in fun, quirky conversations - I love how affordable flowers and window herbs are - THE CHEESE SECTION. THE 99 cent CARDS. Speedy check-out, beautiful shopping experience and always the best prices on premium groceries! read more

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Remember when this used to be the only Trader Joe's in Santa Monica? Parking was insane and the store was always jammed. Now it's become my go to spot (as they opened another one less than a mile away). Of course, they don't have quite the selection some of the bigger TJ's have -- but I do like the quick in and out experience. You know the products - you know the good customer service -- what more can be said? They seem to do everything right (except go public so we can invest and buy their stock!) read more

I haven't gone in to a market for quite some time due to the pandemic, but I miss some of my staples from Trader Joe's! So I called up my local market and asked if someone could meet me out front with a few containers of Almond Butter and Allison, who answered the phone, was more than willing to oblige. Really appreciate it and I miss my local market! read more

Just pulled two cans of anchovies off my shelf and open them up and I thought they smelled awful so I called Trader Joe's and they told me indeed these cans of anchovies were pulled off the shelves. So I asked why weren't your customers notified? And they said they have no way of notifying customers but they did pull everything off their shelves. I was appalled that A company like Trader Joe's has no way of notifying their customers of tainted merchandise that is putting their customers at risk of eating. The smell is so disgusting. read more

I read the reviews and having gone there, still to this very day, does not surprise me as to why such low ratings. But I'm giving it an extra 2 stars because I like their alcohol selection and how organized it was (for being small, it was an extra plus!) I hate going into the other TJ's and having to search for the wines I like, I'm picky and have my mood swings when it comes to wine - some days bitter and dry and others sweet and dry - I know, so anal! And almost all of them it's like a treasure hunt and me always coming up short. I don't like asking them and I don't like the pesky sales people (Whittier comes to mind) forcing their selections to earn brownie points or commission (Do they earn commission there??). Anywho..... I like the wine selection and how they have the shelves clearly labeled (sweet/desert wines, Cabs, Zinfy's, etc) As for the rest of the store, it's about the average, so you know you'll find the items your use to. Sales people were friendly - again as most of them are in other their other locations. Parking: ClusterFlook! If I lived there, I would definitely avoid the parking lot at all costs!!! There's another location close by on Olympic, but I didn't like their parking set up - drive up a winding ramp to roof top parking and worse everyone there's hauling ass - this with a security guard trying to monitor traffic, un-effn believable! Luckily for us, we parked outside on the meters, only gets tricky when your trying to get out during rush hours, but it was doable for us, since it was on our way home after work. I wouldn't make a special trip out there though. Since we have business out there, I'll be back to this one, it meets my needs and worked out convenient for us too. read more

Came to this TJs with BFF as it was in her neighborhood. I thought the parking situation was completely ridiculous, I couldn't believe the aggressive old people that fly through this parking lot fighting for a parking spot. I mean they're seriously aggressive! The interior of this TJs was very cramped as well, but on the plus side, they carried some things which my TJs did not have. I don't know why every TJs carries different products but that's the case. At least when it came time to pay the cashier was very friendly. read more

I'm a regular at this Trader Joe's, since it's located walking distance from my work. The best time to visit this location is either first thing in the morning (at 8AM when they open) or between the hours of 9 and 10PM (right before they close). During these hours, the store is generally a ghost town, and it's easy to find a parking spot, maneuver throughout the store with a shopping cart, and checkout without standing in too long of a line. Be warned if you visit here during the middle of the day or lunch hours, as it tends to get extremely crowded. Parking's a madhouse during peak hours, but they always have one or two security guards outside to direct traffic. Unlike other Trader Joe's in LA, this location does have a large and convenient parking lot; however, it still gets super crowded and congested with traffic. If you live in the neighborhood or work in the business parks off of Ocean Park, it's easiest to walk over here during the middle of the day. This location is smaller than the store on Olympic and Barrington, but it still has all of the essentials. Everyone who works here is super friendly, and you can't beat free coffee and samples! read more

Trader Joe's - Lunch! - Grocery Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Trader Joe's is generally good, but this review pertains specifically to the "crunchy no stir" peanut butter. It's basically a jar of coarsely chopped peanuts. Of course it's no-stir because it'll bend the damn spoon you're using. Maybe check your nut grinders, TJ's. Otherwise, this store is our local spot...because...convenience. read more

Trader Joe's - Jar full of nuts - Grocery Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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This local TJ's is recently remodeled and the aisles are now slightly wider (especially in the front where it used to be so crowded) you can get almost anything here . . . they have great products like their shower wash (omg its fabulous-oatmeal and lime?) the parking lot still sucks though read more

Based on the parking arrangment, this Trader Joe's would get 1 star. It's kinda maze-like with 2 entrances and 2 exits and 3 different sections that intersect in a hellish way and the aisles are narrow and if you don't watch out WHOOPS you're back out on the street and now have to come back in the entrance again. Oh, and forget about coming from the east on Pico during rush - there's no left turn lane and you'll have a bajillion cars riding and honking on your ass if you dare try it. But somehow, the store layout inside makes up for it. I can't put my finger on it- it's one of the smaller ones I've been to, but rather than feeling cramped, it feels ... cozy. Maybe it's the lighting. Maybe it's the music. If I were a better critic, I would've paid more attention to these things. But I'm not, and I didn't, and I can only say once I've parked, I like this Trader Joe's more than most. read more

Trader Joe's - Entrance - Grocery Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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OMG whats up with TJs??!!! no tofu last night and last week! Out of stock? *___* Booh. So disappointing! read more

Trader Joe's - Fruits!!! - Grocery Near Me - Santa Monica, California

I love Trader Joe's! But this location, especially on the weekends, gets hetic! I would suggest coming during the week to avoid the weekend crowd. The staff if very friend and helpful and (for how busy it is) keeps all the produce and other items well-stocked. And they sell liquor?! Whaaa. I've only been a fan of Trader Joe's wine selection like any other wino, but Trader Joe's has the best prices for wine, beer and hard liquor around. I normally stock up a few times a few to avoid paying over-price-mid-level-vodka - I like my White Russians - okay?! :) The reason why I'm giving it three stars and not five is the crowd and the parking. People push and shove, abandon their carts since it's easier to leave your cart and grab things rather than trying to maneuver your cart through the masses. And the worst part is, I don't think they feel sorry for cutting in front of you or pushing you around - but I'm a southern girl! I only drove once to get groceries and parking was a nightmare. Now, I either walk or take the bus. The only downside is you have to be mindful of what you buy. All those things aside, I'm still a fan of Trader Joe's. read more

Trader Joe's - They sell hard liquor - best prices around! - Grocery Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Just walked out of this branch after waiting patiently in line at cashier, only to have her not make eye contact I was next inline and just walked away. I am wearing a back brace from a car accident so having waited patiently inline for 20 mins, I could not stand the discomfort any more. All the other registers were 2 -3 person deep. So I saved $80 and shopped at Speedy Ralohs instead. Also this TJ's the aisles are very narrow, and some cluttered with produce. Never again. read more