I'll give it five-stars when one comes to my town! I took the 80 minute jaunt and $20 in gas just to relive my northern past. Tj's is the place you come when you want to spice up your menu with a change of scenery without breaking the bank. It is a great stop for vegans and vegetarians (who know how to read labels, not all is for them). They have some divine cheeses for under $4 a "brick" ( my max cheese rule). Some asiago, sage and parmesan cheeses jumped in my cart. They have tons of gluten-free options (yum gingersnaps) and are the KING of grains, both bargains and expensive. You'll enjoy their selctions of bulgur, falafel, hummus. They have lovely box soups, great egg noodles, tasty salsa and cheap natural spaghetti sauce. They provide many "odd" nuts in bulk including sesame dredged cashews or toasted whole hazelnuts. Got some well-priced gummy vitamins. They have a great assortment of seedy baked chips and some great jalapeno cheese curls. I avoided their sweets, though I grazed by their peanut butter stuffed chocolate cupcakes twice. Being from out of town and not preparing for freezer/fridge items, I even avoided these crowded and popular areas. I was there on a Sunday at noon and had zero parking or register problems or waits. I bought a ginger peanut noodle pre-made that was delicious. Supper tonight? Their fine refried black beans warmed, layered with their heirloom tomatoes and tasty shallots, my own jalapenos and shredded cheese and their wonderful natural salsa, scooped by their guilt-free white corn chips. Quoting Arnold Schwarznegger, "I'll be back." read more

I've spent almost 40 years in senior management positions within the hospitality industry at some of the world's highest rated resorts. I understand service and expect to receive good service wherever I shop, but I have to say that when I visited Trader Joe's recently I was "blown" away. Receiving great service in a restaurant, the gratuity may be indicative of service received received, but in a grocery store where tipping is not allowed your expectations tend to be less. Not so at Trader Joe's. I was standing in an aisle and I'm sure looking lost or overwhelmed (not to be sexist but my wife usually makes this trip), when I was approached by Camille. She asked if she could help. I asked for the location of a specific item and she said "follow me, please" and she placed it in my cart. She stated "What else do you have?" and I showed her my list. She laughed, snatched it from my hand and said "Let's go!" Fifteen minutes later my cart was full and what would have been an hour long nightmare was finished with a smile on Camille's face that matched the one on mine. What can I say? WOW!!! Not wanting to get into the ethics of cloning, I'll just say this young lady is a positive argument for it. I would be proud to have her on the team of any property I managed in my past. The store was clean, well-stocked, provided great value and the staff was happy which speaks well to the store's management and the culture of the company. Way to go, Trader Joe! Gary R. Sarasota, FL read more

Trader Joes has a lot of great buys for the price. They brand a lot of their own products from coffee to wine and their prices are much cheaper than their organic competitor Whole Foods, which I love for their Crostini crackers. Anyways, Trader Joes is a much smaller that Publix or Whole Foods but they still have a large selection of for example pastas. Because the store is smaller than a Publix, it usually takes less time to get the same products I would at Publix or Whole Foods. Trader Joes also have quite a bit of organic foods available to purchase and they are much cheaper than Whole Foods. The staff at Trader Joes is pleasant and hard working. They have a bell system at the registers, when the cashier needs help; they ring the ship type bell one, two or three times depending on what they need. A couple of other nice features about Trader Joes, they are environmental conscience and only use brown paper bags to bag the groceries; and when you get your groceries up to the register, the cashier (who is usually smiling) takes your cart and unloads your basket. For me it's hard to say what my favorite part of the store is, but I would have to say it's the very modest wine prices. Their brand is only $2.99 per bottle! Salute! read more

I Love TJ :) This location is very spacious and has enough parking lot. Customer service is always friendly and I love their shopping bags. Make sure to try their peanut butter cookies and organic beef jerky. read more

Excellent grocery store with organic food, reasonable prices compared to other similar stores. Parking isn't the best but the produce makes up for it. read more

Great Selection of beers! Busy place on the weekends. Good selection of Cheeses. and salami. Plenty of goodies here to try out. They have flowers, fruit juices and a great selection of wines. It is certainly worth the visit. Make sure you try something new if you go :) read more

TRADER JOES on Tamiami Trail in Sarasota is an excellent store! A great selection of healthy fresh food at very reasonable prices! No matter how crowded the store may be Ive never had to wait to check out as they are constantly opening new registers to ring up customers if even 1 person is waiting!All the staff are very friendly and eager to assist you! Their ready made dishes are easy to prepare and most items may be made in conventional method or microwave! A large selection of entrees, produce, fresh fruit, cheeses and wine! Open till 9 PM 7 days a week be sure to check them out! All the substance of Whole Foods or Mortons without the high prices! read more

We just moved in the area, first time at this location. Sabrina P made my shopping experience perfect! She is very kind and professional. I will go back again. read more

I am an avid TJ's fan... have been since I first discovered them in my hometown of Eugene, OR years ago. I was so thrilled when they came to SRQ and while they will always rate a 5 star review with me, the Sarasota location has serious parking issues that should be addressed. With that said... wonderful staff, unique, reasonably priced goods and I highly recommend the Mango/Pineapple Salsa... fabulous over seared tuna! read more

Please open a store near UTC or anywhere near! Price wise, I find TJ's the lowest and always get everything I can there first (even though it's a 45 min drive for me) then I supplement from other stores after. The prices are fantastic! The employees are SUPER! the very many times I've been there, I'd give it a A+++ read more

Friendliest staff here! It's a smaller TJ's compared to the ones in Los Angeles, but it has a great variety of foods. It's usually always crowded except for late in the evening, so go around 8 PM and you won't feel like you're in the Hunger Games trying to get to the bagged salads. read more

Love their frozen organic brown rice! Microwave it for 3 minutes in its own bag & boom rice is done & perfect!

Does anyone else get absolutely PUMPED to go grocery shopping at Trader Joe's!?! I cannot be the only fan of this store and the amazing employees that work here. I'm always so blown away by the selection of fresh products and how helpful the staff is. Anytime I can't find something or the item seems to be out, the staff goes out of their way to look for me. AND the employees genuinely seem to love their jobs - it certainly seems like it. Keep it up!! read more

Loooooove Trader Joe's! It's truly one of my happy places. Staff is always so friendly & courteous, and such a wonderful array of foods both ethnic & domestic. And wine...beautiuful, luscious, $6 wine *swoon* read more

Love this place. Fresh, wonderful and great people. Just so thankful it is here in Sarasota. Sure I wish there was one in Venice, but I don't think I'll see that any time soon. Thank you TJ's for having a location here! read more

Fantabulous, orgasmic, euphoric, to-die-for and astonishing. That's how I describe almost any Trader Joe's, and the Sarasota location, which opened yesterday (9/7/12) and is actually rather large for a TJ's store, is no exception. How do I love Trader Joe's? Let us count the ways: Individually packaged organic chicken breasts for 7 bucks a pound, Chinese chicken salad cold and ready to eat, frozen sliced leeks, Spanish Serrano ham, the best chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich you will ever put in your mouth, peanut satay sauce, huge bottle of Italian EVOO for 7 bucks, chocolate covered potato chips, squash gnocchi, a bottle of wine for 3 bucks, fresh (not dried) rice noodles, 52,000 flavors of hummus, frozen seafood of every kind, vegan pad thai, cream scones fresh-baked, whole wheat water crackers, organic mango lemonade, high fiber trail mix granola bars, fresh pineapple juice, curried turkey burgers, double fire roasted salsa, organic + fresh butternut squash ravioli, caramelized onion and ham pizza, spinach and kale greek yogurt dip, freshly churned coconut juice, asparagus risotto and every kind of deliciously inventive cookie or chocolate confection you can think of. Please tell me where else you can buy this kind of delectable stuff for a delectable price in Florida? Oh yeah, that's right: NOWHERE EXCEPT HERE. Don't marinate on the idea of going to TJ's: JUST GO. (Clearly the people who have complained about crowding and selection in the reviews below just don't GET IT. And that's OK. Those people are not the kind of customers who TJ's wants to attract anyway.) Yes it will be mobbed, and yes it's worth it, and yes they will have plenty of shopping carts and no, don't come from far away unless you have a cooler with you because if you are driving from afar (like me, from Tampa), your amazing ice cream sandwiches will melt unless you put them in a cooler with ice. The hype is true. Trader Joe's is freaking awesome. And it's not expensive (unless you are buying saffron or some crazy item like that). And the customer service rocks (hate their peanut butter pretzels? return them anytime, no questions asked). And they better open a store in Tampa soon or I will be seriously pissed off. FYI this is the second store in Florida. Gainesville and Tallahassee are next. Hopefully Tampa will be No. 5 in the state. MONROVIA!!!!!!! (TJ's headquarters in California). ARE YOU READING THIS?????? WE NEED TRADER JOE'S IN TAMPA!!!!! SOONER RATHER THAN LATER!!!!!!! HOW LONG MUST WE SUFFER? read more

Best little grocery store in the city. Great prices on table wines.....excellent prices on cheese: and generally better produce than publix. I am lightly addicted to their olive oil and sea salt popcorn. $1.99 a bag! So glad they are here! read more

Love the organic selection, prices seem less then the standard grocery stores... and if you have a sweet tooth - this is the place

I do not really get all the fuss about Trader Joes. It is ok. I like a few things there. The prices are ok. BUT why on earth Sarasota County let them get away with the parking problem? Hmmm typical Sarasota. Glad you are here Trader Joes. Nice to pick up some easy frozen roasted corn or roasted mixed vegetables. But got to say...the parking keeps me away most of the time. And if I want prepared to go food I would rather go and support Local and shop at Mortons Market anyway. I don't drink so I don't save on the wine prices. And yes..your prices are good. In reading the other reviews I will have to give it some time as I do not "get it" yet. But I am willing to be open minded. read more

It was less expensive than going to our regular Publix, but the store is small and crowded. This was probably the most stressful grocery shopping experience I've ever had. From the crowded parking lot where people aren't paying attention to the other cars who are also trying to find a spot to people leaving their shopping carts in the middle of the narrow aisle to grab something across the way, it was just overwhelming. I'd never want to make this my regular grocery store, but might come back for some of the specialty items like their cold brewed coffee concentrate. read more

Absolutely love Trader Joe's. the store is nice although every time I'm there it's so busy. Staff are friendly as well

Horrible parking,and rude customers,,very fond of produce section,wine section, , dairy section,but the people who shop there are so damn rude! (MAYBE ITS THE PARKING CONDITIONS?) read more

Visited the SRQ TJ's today! Loved the size, location and staff - my only negative was the cramped parking lot.

Great quality foods and you can always find something unique and delicious here. I am so obsessed with the cookie butter! It goes great with almost any snack. They have great produce,snacks,and frozen entrees. Everyone that works here is very friendly and helpful. I live past university,so I just wish they would put another one somewhere over there so I don't have to drive so far,but at least it's worth it read more

Made the poor decision to go on opening weekend, that's on me. Place is great! pretty much it is whole foods but it is cheaper and has a few better items such as COOKIE BUTTER! a must if you go! Very clean and a great veriety of groceries, also great wines! read more

This is Mecca. This weekend a group of girlfriends/girlcousins loaded up the truck with coolers and coffees and headed south to Sarasota. Last week we finally got something that northerners are oh so lucky to have- TRADER JOE'S. I had been once before, but never actually shopped. I was more than excited to plan this "fieldtrip" and excited to try some specialty items that I've seen bloggers and people on the Twitterverse rave about for years. It only took about an hour to get there from Tampa, and only a minute to find a parking! (it WAS packed... we just lucked out). I was even surprised to see carts out front, as I thought they'd be all taken by the time we arrived. I knew it would be busy, but I had NO idea just how busy. I really had no rhyme or reason to my shopping, nor did I have a "list". I figured I'd walk the store 5, or 6 or 20 times and grab as I peruse. The deals were EVERYWHERE, and I put some items in my cart that I had never even heard of! The lines were L-O-N-G, but fast moving. We really only waited about 15 minutes. I've been back twice since, and cannot get enough of this place! read more

This place has it all. Friendly employees. Cheap beer and wine. Good selection of produce. Novelty items like pumpkin biscotti and dark chocolate whatever are always abound. And close enough to the beach to make for a perfect road trip from any place in Florida. My kids enjoy looking for the store pet (a stuffed manatee) which earns them a lollipop from the treasure chest. The only down sides are parking and crowds which may only be an issue on the weekends. Trader Joes may need to keep rolling out locations in Florida since conversation at the checkout quickly becomes a discussion of "where did you drive in from?" People walk out of TJ with a winning smile having found treats and more each time. read more

I don't even know where to start!!! I finally made it out here and it did not disappoint. I have been to a couple Trader Joe's in California so I knew what I was in for. I was excited to buy foods and such to cook in my own home. I bought so many delicious items, I'm set for a bit. The store is great and everyone was very helpful. I can't wait to go back again! read more

Not the upscale experience I was anticipating. Store is much too small without room for a wide selection of items. Way too many store brand items for me - but apparently others like it because it was busy as all hell. Aisles are way overcrowded with customers - very difficult to move around - a real pain in the neck - not a pleasant shopping experience at all. And they really have to do something about parking - there are about 1/2 the spots they need and the customers are arguing over parking spots. I don't get the attraction of this place at all. I'll stick with Publix, Morton's and Whole Foods. read more

Drives me crazy that there are no Trader Joes locations in the Tampa area. It's almost worth the drive to Sarasota... but not quite. But if you are passing through Sarasota, it's definitely worth a visit. I made my first stop in to the new store when I went to see a concert at the Ringling Museum. Store has all the good snacks, wines and odd foodie items that I missed after living in Boston and California. Sampling area, the store isn't big but it's got a nice layout. It's super busy since it's still new to the area, but hopefully more locations will pop up over the next few years. read more

First trip to Trader Joe's today! It's definitly crazy busy on a Saturday afternoon but worth the trip! Great prices for quality products! I picked up easy frozen meals, pizza dough and ingredients to make home-made pizza, pastas, bread, trail mix, dog treats, and snacks. I got a good amoutn of groceries and the best part is that I only spent $50! I'm sure me and my friends will make the trip back read more

I find it somewhat ridiculous that people give poor reviews based on overcrowding, at a store that has been open for less than a week, is only the second in the entire state, and has a HUGE cult following. Of COURSE its crowded. That being said... this place is fantastic!! Only been once so far (to this chain at least), but its spot on as per usual. Great selection of interesting, different, and INEXPENSIVE (WOO!) items. While they might not be a run of the mill grocery store, I still left with only one item not checked off on my grocery list. And that could possibly be because I overlooked it in my "ohmigosh, HONEY APPLE BUTTER?! CINNAMON CRUMPETS?? THROW 'EM IN THE CART!" mad rush through the store. Both the cashier and the woman bagging our items were super friendly and engaged us in conversation during the entire checkout experience. I noticed helpful employees in almost every aisle throughout the store, answering questions and finding items for shoppers. Overall, great items, great prices, great employees. 4 stars only because of a somewhat small parking lot, which is going to be a nuisance for awhile I'm sure. However... worth it! read more

I love trader joe's. This one is huge compared to what I'm used to in Boston so I love the optoins that they have and the organization is great. read more

Cheap wine, nice selection of sides, and always pleasant cashiers.... but man, why'd you make those aisles so darn narrow. I will say the Trader Joes Lasagna is the best lasagna you can get from a box. read more

Great location. Great atmosphere. Great selection. We got tofu, Romane lettuce And some veggies. Solid pricing and good service. I'll be back! read more

Had to return a product and the two clerks at the customer service counter were Absolutely the rudest people I've ever dealt with in service business.. read more

I do all my grocery shopping here. Publix prices have gotten ridiculous. Everyone here is always very friendly and the one time I told the manager I wasn't satisfied with something I bought (a watermelon that wasn't ripe) I had no trouble getting a new one without charge. If you go in the afternoon it gets crowded. read more

Here's a hint-- go early in the morning before the hordes of the walking dead come in and clog up the aisles. Fantastic ready-made salads with ingredients you won't see other places. Also had some great luck with some of the frozen foods like the chicken fried rice and the feta olive pizza. Trader Joe's is not your typical supermarket so don't expect everything you might get at a larger chain, but they do have some great exotic things and store brand things at very reasonable prices that will allow you to try new things without the sticker shock. Most of the fruit is priced per piece, not per pound. Parking can be challenging so be prepared to have to park in the shopping center lot next door to Trader Joe's and hoof it a little. It is worth the trip. read more

We have shopped at TJ in Ohio for many years. The Sarasota store is a cut above. Interesting selections in every category. One small complaint - if they kept it any colder you'd need a winter coat to shop here. We probably left a bit sooner than we would have liked just to get outside and warm up. Otherwise a great place to shop if you like interesting food items you'll never find in Publix. read more

Wow, this place is busy, busy, busy.... But it worth it. Wine is tasty, organic veggies reasonably priced, some of the frozen food is hit and miss. read more