Prices, quality, selection, samples, and the snack aisle. I'm not sure why anyone would ever shop at another grocery store. If I need 20# of flour, or a more ample produce selection, I venture to the Fred Meyer nearby for those items, but come back to Trader Joe's for the rest. The biggest hassle is always the parking lot, or maybe it's the impatient people waiting to park... Either way, I feel like this and other TJ's parking lots are constantly on the verge of a massive fist fight because the lanes are narrow, and full of one-way arrows. I've found avoiding shopping 5-8pm on weeknights, or mid-day on weekends, and the store is much easier to navigate. read more

I'm glad Trader Joe's has moved into Ballard. They offer some nice options that you cannot find at the big chain grocery stores. You can find some nice wine selections here as well for a great price. Although there is a new parking lot at this location, it can be difficult sometimes to get into or out of. Staff is always friendly and helpful. read more

A HAIKU REVIEW! Go shopping for stuff Look for the stuffed animals Found 'em! Free sucker! read more

Great store, always parking on bottom level of the garage. Friendly employees, as always. read more

I have, without shame, came here multiple times in one day. The store is always stocked with anything you need and clean, employees are personable and helpful, and you can't beat the prices or free parking. I always fill up my basket full of goodies and once I'm in line I always think, "Dang Abby, you're gonna go broke with this Trader Joe's addiction" but then my total is always unbelievably cheaper then what I thought it was going to be. So my addiction continues. No shame. read more

Been shopping here every week for years and love the place. First off, they know how to bag. Damn magicians. Staff's always friendly, helpful and very knowledgeable. The store is clean, stocked easy to navigate around. Something actually out of stock? They'll find out in a jiffy when it'll be back. As with all TJ's, you gotta really check your produce, but the few times I've bought something that'd already spoiled, they exchanged it - no problemo. You can't beat the prices and their sweets selection is dangerous. Also, who isn't jazzed about free parking? My only gripe, which isn't worthy of knocking them down a star, is that sometimes they'll have up to 4+ different solicitors hovering around the entrance. Supposedly, they take turns so you're only hit up once on the way in and again on the way out, but it's still something I think most people try to avoid. I was once reminded that a particular fundraiser was "for children" after declining to make a donation. As it was hollered for everyone to hear, I left embarrassed and a bit pissed because we'd already made holiday donations to a different organization. Did I need to explain that to him to decline? On another note, the REAL CHANGE regulars are awesome and I'm in no way or shape complaining about them. read more

I love this store, and all of its employees! I live in Fremont (have for awhile) and drive here to do almost all of my grocery shopping. The produce is always top-notch, everything is reasonably priced, and best of all are the employees who are a complete mode of efficiency in a crowded, busy store. I appreciate the warm attitudes from everyone who works there; any time I can't find something I need it's easy to flag down someone who will know where it is. The employees working the sample counter are always friendly and engaging and I appreciate a nice, small pick me up when shopping. read more

Its a great place to find really tasty healthy food. If you haven't you should. read more

Trader Joe's - Grocery Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I use to hate grocery shopping. It was always just another errand that I had to find time to fit in my busy schedule. Well, that was until I met Trader Joe. Now I'll stop by just to pass time or buy myself a special treat. Their easily-identified staff wearing Hawaiian shirts is almost always friendly, no matter how busy or chaotic it gets. They carry the reputation of hiring staff without discrimination or biases, and providing good benefits to their employees. If you don't enjoy what you purchase, you can easily return it without a hassle. After going grocery shopping, I often am unsure of what recipes to make with what I buy. Their website provides great recipes, although it's not necessary with many pre-made creations that you simply throw in the oven or microwave. Their products always have healthier, organic and reasonable prices in mind. TJ's vegetables, fruits and other produce appear to always be fresh--choose from organic or non-organic Not to mention, they have fun product lines like "Trader Jose's" for Latino cuisine and "Trader Giotto's" for Italian. They have a large variety of Asian cuisine and I think that should be called "Trader Cho's" but it remains boring "Trader Joes." They often add new items to their inventory to keep it new and fun. Whenever you buy something with the Trader Joe's label, you can be sure it follows the same standards of: NO artificial flavors or preservatives NO synthetic colors NO MSG NO genetically modified ingredients NO partially hydrogenated oils (artificial trans-fats) NO "marketing" costs YES tasting panel approval TJ's always has many delicious [Gluten Free] snacks that I regularly buy and recommend to others: -TJ's Instant Oatmeal Multigrain Triple Berry with Flax & Chia Seeds -TJ's Sweet, Savory & Tart Trail Mix Granola Bars -TJ's Gluten Free Granola with Loaded Fruit & Nut and Cranberry Maple Nut -Organic Brown Rice Penne Pasta -TJ's Garlic Hummus -TJ's Spanish Cheese Sampler -Savory Thin Crackers (pairs great with any charcuterie) -All TJ's Thai & Indian Microwave Meals (particularly Chicken & Paneer Tiki Masala) -TJ's Gluten-Free Mac N Cheese with Rice Pasta (available frozen or dry) -TJ's Cilantro Salad Dressing -TJ's Baked Cheese Crunchies (similar to Cheetos but healthier) -Gluten-Free Par-Baked Flatbread & Pizza Crusts (make your own pizzas) -TJ's Handcrafted Cheese & Green Curry or Beef Tamales -TJ's Gluten-Free Toaster Waffles and Pancakes -Three Minute Microwave Brown or Jasmine Rice -TJ's Dark Chocolate Nutty Bits -TJ's Dark Chocolate Gluten-Free Cake -TJ's Dark Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes with Buttermilk Frosting -TJ's Dark Chocolate Bar: Caramel with Black Sea Salt (Best cool & refrigerated) -Their large selection of reasonably priced red/white wines, including local wines I do wish they made it a bit easier to identify gluten-free items other than the little teal blue paper label, but it gives me the opportunity to read product labels more closely. Their stores are kept fairly intimate, which can lead to chaos at prime grocery shopping times like Sundays after 10 am. Wish they would open up more locations, but perhaps with time. Since I shop there so often, I wish they had a preferred card for money back or gas rewards, yet they don't do this to always keep prices low. So I'm game! If you hear a bell ring, this is their morse code: 1 Ring: Lets them know when to open another register. 2 Rings: Additional questions that need to be answered at the checkout. 3 Rings: A manager is needed. Easy peasy! read more

Some of my favorite animal encounters are when I come across nonchalant (untied) dogs patiently waiting for their mom/dad outside a store. The kind of dogs that are so loyal they are deaf to all non-owner coo's. Any stranger-attempted love pats are coolly deflected by these babies so as not to break their fixed, stoic gaze into the store's window. This TJ's has the most imperturbable pups which is relevant to this review because it means their rad owners are shopping inside. That and I once bought pink champagne here (which i hate) solely because the staff made a funny advertisement for it that had a woman tossing her head back mid-cackle with a speech bubble that said: "Finally a champagne that fits my personality!" Oh TJ's YOU'RE a store that fits my personality. read more

Easily the best Trader Joe's in the area. The parking lot is huge and this is the biggest store. My most comprehensive TJ's review is my review of the U-Dist one but I'll summarize it real quick here: As usual, excellent cheese and wine selections. Love the frozen and prepared food and since, this store is bigger, I feel like there's a better chance they'll have the more rare stuff. With that said, I haven't found anything here besides gardening stuff I haven't found at U-Dist but hey, that one's a 5 star store too! The outdoor section here is def bigger. Like others have mentioned, the aisles here are wide. Also, once they were out of $1 grocery bags so the guy sold my friend a $5 one for $1 which I thought was nice of them. They were also great about calling other stores to put some items on hold for me. I love this TJ's. I'd probably go more if it weren't so hard to get to since it's in Ballard! read more

Okay. Let me qualify this review by saying that I like a lot of things at Trader Joe's, and frequently come here for many things (frozen entrees, cereal, snacks, various staples). My gripe against Trader Joe's is for the quality of the produce and meats. On several occasions, I have bought veggies and found them to be moldy or rotten after I got home. It is not always easy to tell until you start prepping/cutting up and looking at things more closely. The one time I bought salmon from Trader Joe's, it was putrifying piece of crap upon arrival at home. It is hard to tell this through a saran wrapped package. To be fair, every time I come back to the store to ask for a refund/exchange (with our without the item brought back) I have never been refused. The problem lies with attention to detail in the meat and produce departments. These items need to be regularly inspected and tested to ensure freshness. Apparently no one is doing that here. This kind of lack of attention would make any other grocery store embarrassed. So hopefully, "Mr. Joe" will see this review and actually do something about it. Until then, proceed with caution when buying anything at Trader Joe's that is not processed or preserved somehow. read more

My life is complete. I can now buy all of my groceries at either Ballard Market or Trader Joe's. I can remove Safeway and QFC from my shopping list. Hell I can remove them from my lexicon. Booyah! read more

Convenience is king! This TJ's shares a parking structure with my gym (LA Fitness) and is crazy convenient for me to use. I can hit it before a workout and toss my goodies into my car (assuming nonperishable) until I head home... or I can go in after a workout and clear the joint out like the horrible sweat zombie I can be. I'll just apologize to all of you now. As is the case with all Trade Joe's you can find all sorts of inexpensive healthier foods, snacks and beverages here. The staffers are super nice, helpful and fun. The store itself is clean and well lit so there are no excuses for not seeing what you're looking for. There's been a few times I've been looking for something like a WLC compliant sausage or roasted plantain chips that they've been out of and the employee has happily gone into the back, found out when the next shipment is arriving and told me when to get my jolly ass back to TJ's to get my hands on my desired product. That, my friends, is great customer service right there. If they only gave me a cookie upon their return from the back... sigh. Being a more recent shopper at TJ's I wonder how I survived so long without them... the world may never know. I'm a huge fan! read more

Now that I live in Greenwood with a boyfriend who's got wheels, I am happily making weekly trips to this bigger, newer version of my beloved U District TJ's. Not only is this place much bigger, but -- you might want to sit down for this -- a decent produce selection, the lack of which was arguably the biggest downfall of any other TJ's I had previously been to. The bananas I bought here easily rivaled QFC's and maybe even Greenwood Market's, for all I know. I might be just imagining this, but it seems that with bigger size comes a bigger selection of merchandise in general. I feel like there are a few things here that I hadn't seen before, and my beloved eggplant spread that woefully disappeared from the U District store has reappeared here. Last, but not least, it's great to live within a 10-minute drive of a store where I can get an overstuffed bag full of groceries for $30. If I could walk here, I'd probably never shop anywhere else again. read more

Found everything I need! Love Trader Joe's and all the products. Very fresh and healthy.

This location seems like they run out of stock of products less frequently than other locations. It seems smaller than some other TJs but organized well. They're usually busy without being overwhelmingly crowded and the lines are reasonable. I try to avoid the underground parking lot like the plague, but there usually is street parking on the adjacent streets. Staff are friendly and helpful without going overboard. Most of the TJs I've been to are managed well, as specialty groceries go, and this one is no exception. read more

I recently went to Trader Joes in Ballard because a friend of mine gave me a gift card. I never been to Trader Joes before and I was excited to be there. I really needed the money so I went to the customer service desk on the far left wall of the store as you walk in. I asked the older gentleman if I could cash my gift card in. I have my drivers license if you need it. He explained to me I could not. Ok. That's fine. It was ok that I was the only black guy in the store. Im good with that. As I walked around the store looking around for prices and deals I noticed the older guy from the customer service desk following me around the store. I ran into a friend and she gave me some tips as to what I should buy, since I never been to Trader Joes before. I told her the guy is watching me. She told me to stop it. I said ok. Nevertheless.There he is again. I became furious at that time. I told my friend to walk with me to another isle and see what happens. We did. Low and behold, there he was again. At the end of the isle acting as if he was organizing items on the shelf. My friend asked me why is he acting weird? I told her I talked to him at the customer service desk when I first came into the store and I asked him if I could cash my gift card in. He said I could not and I said ok. I started walking around the store looking at items and prices, and that's when I saw my friend. He keeps lurking around as if he's going to see me steal something. My friend said, "Oh my gosh" This is such a nice place. I'm sorry Stanley. I told her it's not her fault. At that time I felt out of place. I have a feeling of sadness as I'm writing this review. I was in my work clothes. Im a valued employee where I have worked for the last five years. My customers like me alot because of my personality. People like me every where I go. Never again will I step another foot inside Trader Joes in Ballard again. My friend was upset at what she saw. She had a sad look on her face. I bought a gallon of milk and got the hell out of there. Shame on you Mr.?. You need to be re trained. read more

No better/worse than any Trader Joe's. Still sells 15 of 22 red-listed (critically endangered) fish varieties at prices so low you'll be depleting saltwater fisheries....like a fox! read more

Great store! Largest one in Seattle. Insider tip, don't go on Sunday afternoon or Monday evenings. Other times are all great - aisles are big enough for 2 carts! read more

My first time ever to Trader Joe's. I bought the dill pickle popcorn. It was sooo good. I bought a few other things and was impressed that the prices were so reasonable. Will definitely be going back. read more

This TJ's is my favorite! Thankfully, it's in my 'hood. The TJ's in the U-District is too crowded. The one in Queen Anne is ridiculously small (their aisles are so narrow). The Ballard Trader Joe's has wide aisles. Parking is super simple with street parking and a garage. They are always fully stocked with a wide variety of goodies, and the people who work there are always in a good mood. The staff is super helpful and very courteous. The prices are awesome! For the most part, you can be in and out of TJ's with everything you need in a matter of minutes. I would highly recommend against going on Sunday during church hours... Mars Hill Church is across the street. If you attempt going to TJ's on a Sunday between the hours of 9am and 1pm, prepare to stand in the checkout line for 20-30 minutes (even with all registers open). read more

We can bring in our own liquor to our wedding venue. Shaw methinks?

By far the best Trader Joe's in Seattle! Before this opened up, I used to shop at the U-District location and absolutely dreaded the parking garage. This new location has plenty of parking (street and a nice parking garage adjacent to the store) and the store is spacious! I love it! read more

A few weeks ago I was parking in front of this Trader Joe's in Ballard and was blindsided by a hit and run driver. The accident totaled my car, but luckily I was OK and he didn't hurt anyone else. After nearly two hours of filing a police report, talking to insurance, taking down witness names and getting my car towed away, I proceeded into the store to purchase my groceries and Uber home. After explaining what had happened, my cashier called over the manager. They whispered for a while and I waited. Then, the manager walked away. As I proceeded to pull out my credit card, my cashier let me know Trader Joe's would cover the bill. Then, to my left came the manager back with a bouquet of flowers. I cried. We hugged. They fist bumped. I went on my way knowing there might be one bad guy out there but there are so many more good people in the world. read more

I haven't read any of the other reviews here, but what's not to like about this place? Okay, their creamer sucks and I have to make a special trip to the "other" grocery store to get the kinds I like. But, other than that, what's not to like (scratch that, "love") about Trader Joe's. I became a fan after first trying it a year ago. Affordable, selection, fun and busy crowd, active environment, unique foods, quality. Highlight? Buying treats there for our dogs. They love them. The treats are cheap. And they all go COMPLETELY silent as soon as they get their Trader Joe bones - which is a treat for me. read more

Aside from being the Duchess of Jack in the Box, my ultimate goal on Yelp is to tell the Single Ladies of Seattle where all the cute boys work.. Or at least the ones that laugh at my "pulling out" jokes at the credit card machine. And let me tell you, this Trader Joes is serving them up on a sample platter! (But seriously, check out that sample station near the back of the store. LIT!) This is a Trader Joes. Whatever. They're all the same. Good groceries, good prices, and good stickers if you're nice (or have a child with you.. JEEZ!). But my joy in coming here is 99% dictated by if Stephen is working. The other one percent is if they have my favorite nuts in stock, which 100% of the time they do, so thanks TJs! Stephen is a whimsical ball of joy with hair like Rapunzel and the smile of a Disney Princess to match. He dances around the store making my daughter laugh & helping me find groceries that I totally know where are, I'm just trying to shmooze for an extra two minutes. I was heartbroken to hear from almost-as-cute check out boy Peter that Stephen had moved to California (& been replaced by a stunt double... I see you, newly hired long haired imposter!!), only to be overjoyed when I ran into him outside before awkwardly driving off because I'm much better at writing Yelp reviews than flirting in public. Moral of the story: Don't trust Peter, go see Stephen before he moves to California, ask for extra stickers & hit up the sample bar for a sweet shopping adventure to jazz up your typically boring 11am on a Hump Day in Ballard. read more

While I love Trader Joe's in general, the Ballard branch is just flat-out amazing. They are always helpful without being pushy, genuinely kind & fast. My groceries are always bagged perfectly & I leave with a smile on my face. I've almost considered applying for a job just because I enjoy the staff there so much! You make a good store great! read more

Thank TJ's, you just cost a bunch of your loyal customers hundreds of dollars! I really like this company and most of their products but there is a big problem in regard to parking at this location. There's no room to get their trucks in and out so they petitioned the city to make all of the parking spots across the street illegal to park in after 6pm - in Ballard! No on expects this of course so people park there and this evening I was one of at least 10 cars that got ticketed. I called the manager, which is where I got all the information above, and let them know it needs to much more prominently signed otherwise people just aren't expecting that in this neighborhood and who knows how much this has cost their customers! At the Queen Anne location it actually specifically says no parking in this area for truck unloading and it is commonly also cordoned off. Really disappointed in this TJ's for not coming up with a better solution, and will definitely be taking some of my purchases elsewhere because of it. read more

Don't mess around with the parking at the Trader Joe's in Queen Anne or the traffic to get to the one in Cap Hill. Make the drive to Ballard and park in the spacious parking garage, enjoy the wide aisles in the store and a quality produce section. read more

LOVE this place! It's not too big, not too small. Never crowded and the staff is always so nice. I love everything from the produce to the wine! :) read more

It's Trader Joe's and Trader Joe's is awesome! Good selection, quality items, and low prices. The staff is always friendly and upbeat as well. It's my favorite place to get groceries. The Ballard location comes with lots of free parking and it's not too tightly packed inside, making for easier navigating. read more

Finally a bigger store! kinda disappointed the store isn't bigger looking from the outside. oh well better than the other ones! love there plants and flowers! I have been here a few times and I noticed people know what they want and get out quick! read more

TJ's higlights: great frozen food, cheese and nuts section. They have excellent jars of sauces and marinades as well. Prepared food in the freezer section is super nice. Lots of options to cut down on cooking prep time. Also, you can get good salads for the work week and pick up fresh flowers. During the holidays they do sell amazing liquor chocolates and Danish Kringles that are fantastic. Bonus for a dizzying assortment of crack-like chips. Lowlights: shelf life issues. They turnover their stock more quickly, so many good units aren't designed to sit in your house like some big box grocery store units. Avoid this place like the bubonic plague on Sunday evenings. It's a maddening circus. Everybody and they momma be up in here competing witchoo for everything and supplies run low by evening. I also find that generally. the produce quality disappoints. The staff, however, is always adorable and friendly. read more

Trader Joe's - Kringles. They disappear as soon as I get home. - Grocery Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Well. This company has blown all of my expectations. There are a few weirdos (the short girl with glasses and the pale girl with blue eyes) but they made my experience one of a kind. I will definitely go back. I'm happy to call Trader Joe's of Ballard the best Trader Joe's in all of seattle read more

Today, for the second time in 6 months, I called Trader Joe's in Ballard to tell them how impressed I was with their cashier. Today, I had the pleasure of Bella helping me. She's amazing....fast, efficient, and she knows how to pack grocery bags not only correctly, but exceptionally well. The last time it was a young man who "wowed" me, but I unfortunately cannot remember his name, nor did I think to write a review. Anyway, clearly the Store Manager for this location KNOWS what he or she is doing, and said person excels at their job! Well done, and thank you all! read more

It's a Trader Joe's, much like any other TJ, but with two important differences. First of all, it's a lot bigger. And second of all, I can walk to it. read more

So I am a fan of Joes because of all the great things they offer that the chains do not. The store is very easy to navigate and the staff very friendly and take time to help answer any questions you have. Great looking produce, new interesting items and decent prices keep me coming back. This is really probably a 4 star review but because I find watching people trying to back in and angle park across the street this amuses me and makes this a spectator sport which made me give them 5 stars. read more

Trader Joe's needs no review for it's products. They have great good food and great prices. Right in line with other locations, this store has a helpful and friendly staff. They kindly answer questions and offer suggestions on great or new items. They shelves are always stocked with fresh items. The only thing I'm not the biggest fan of are the people who are always by the entrance selling real change (although they are usually very kind, and I frequently donate a buck). Also, i love the location and I usually stop in after a workout next door. read more

As much I I love Trader Joe's, this one leaves me less then enthusiastic. Mostly because I usually have to make a second trip to a different one to get the things I need. Especially the Chicken Dry Dog Food and 80% of the time the Meringues. I've even voiced my annoyance that they never have the Meringues in. I mean how many times to you have to bring it up before they make a point to be better and always have them stocked. Keep an extra pallet in the back for crying out loud. Besides that the veggies are often moldy there. I'll stick to the one in the University District and hope for one up by Green Lake soon. read more