This Trader Joes has the same product and general layout as the stores in St. Louis Park and Woodbury, only with more overall space. You can actually navigate a cart through the store, though for some reason people still stack up in front of the cheese area. Oddly, the inventory in the wine/beer store was a bit different than that found in SLP. On my visit, the St. Paul store was heavy on the 3 buck chuck at the expense of some of the solid Italian/Argentinian offerings at the other store. Perhaps this will balance out over time. I hope so, because I don't do 3 buck chuck (for another $0.99 you can score a decent bottle of Primitivo). In keeping with tradition, there is an unusual parking area, this one is partly underground. Elevator service is available from the store down to the parking area, and the whole thing actually works pretty well (I liked the fact that the ground floor elevator button is marked with a "1" and the lower area is marked with a "-1"). This review is written during opening week with Police in attendance directing traffic. I bet once the PD leaves it will be interesting getting in and out of here during busy times, especially weekends. On the plus side, the store is RIGHT ON the Randolph bus line. If you like TJs you will like this store. If you live in St. Paul you will like it all the more since you no longer have to drive to SLP or Woodbury. read more

I do my shopping at three places: Target, my Co-op and Trader Joe's. I love the atmosphere and the friendly staff. My kids love coming with me for a number of reasons: They like to park "underneath", they like "Bunny Hunting" for Lexi and Randolph the resident stuffed rabbits and they like their treasured reward at the end of the shopping trip. This is one place where you rarely hear any parent's kids screaming because they don't get what they want. The staff is outstanding in their customer service. They are always at the ready to help you out. I enjoy the variety of unique products TJ's has. We have added so much to our family menu because of TJ's variety. We have a lot of favorites: The only OJ we will buy is from TJ's. We love the high fiber Joe's O's, the raisin bran, the trail mixes and the teeny tiny potatoes. As a vegetarian family, we also really enjoy their brand of sprouted tofu and the seasonal meatless roasts. This year I bought around ten of them for serving through the whole year :D We enjoy using a number of TJ's personal care items. I am a big fan of the face soap and my preteen daughter loves the cleansing pads and the face cream. We always have a number of bottles of Midsummer Night's Cream around the house and I have recently become a big fan of the super thick hand cream. There are some things we won't buy at TJ's. After a few bad rounds of purchasing cottage cheese that was moldy, I stopped buying it. I also stopped buying a few of the bricks of cheese for the same reason. Unless we are going to use them within two days time, we do not buy produce at TJ's... even organics. They tend to spoil rather quickly, which is pretty upsetting. I would like to buy organic produce there at the lower cost compared to my co-op, but it just goes bad too quickly. Two minor complaints I have are that the parking garage, while convenient in a Minnesota winter, is pretty hard to park a minivan in and can become a traffic jam pretty easily. Sometimes, in their super efficiency of constant shelf stocking, the TJ's staff create more congestion in the aisles of the store than is necessary... it's especially challenging during high traffic shopping times. Take a break TJ's! Help where you can instead of being in the way! I have enjoyed buying fresh flowers at TJ's! In fact, just after my fourth child was born, I was shopping with only him in tow ( a few weeks old, strapped to my body in a baby wrap ) The cashier and I were chatting about babies and she was shocked that this was my fourth (apparently I look pretty good for having had four children and only being a few weeks post partum!) and then she rang the bell, and one of the crew members came over. They had a little whisper and he came back with a bouquet of flowers for me! It made me cry! They are just far too sweet. Makes me want to work there! Being very aware as a family about where our money goes, we have done the research (what one can do) on Trader Joe's and we like their fair treatment of employees and their over all model. We like knowing that the same company who owns Aldi(we do not shop there) owns TJs. We are aware they are a foreign company, but we like the roots of TJ's. TJ's is a favorite of our family and we recommend their products, service and store very often to friends and family. read more

If you know me, you know I love Trader Joe's. I usually don't go for the food - sometimes the pita chips, a peruse of the cheese selection, or a last-minute ingredient stock-up for a dinner from scratch. I love that they have indie brand labels and most of the food seems to be a mix of healthy selection, organic, and local options. But why I really come here is for their amazing wine selection with truly unbeatable pricing. It's a wonder why you don't see bums bellying up to the automatic doors here like you would at Chicago & Lake or Big Top (well I guess because they don't sell Everclear or Colt 45). Anyway, let's be a little classier about this. TJ's has a wonderful variety of wines, their staff really knows what they're talking about when you ask something about wine or what to pair with what, and they're always smiling :) . The selection ebbs and flows with availability and demand, but they seem to have a permanent stock of the legendary Charles Shaw - aka 3 Buck Chuck [2 Buck Chuck in the state of California still I believe]. A word of caution - don't even bother with the surface parking lot. Drive down into the underbelly parking garage for some available spaces and less neck jerking to get out of there when you're leaving. The parking is NOTHING like it is at the SLP location (however Woodbury still has the largest suburban parking expanse one could ask for). read more

I just really really love this place. I'm a big fan of Aldi's, too, because I'm cheap, but TJ fulfills my foodie-snobbie side while still keeping my grocery bill out of Kowalski's territory. Chicken sausage? YUM! Banana prices? CHEAP. Pumpkin everything? IN SEASON. The workers are generally helpful and EVERYWHERE and so damn happy. Who's that happy at work, seriously. -This location is crazy busy all the time, so try to go before the working folks are heading home and never on the weekend. -There's parking in a little ramp under the store, which is way easier than trying to park by the front door. -If kids find the stuffed animal (is it always an eagle?) hidden somewhere in the store, they get a sucker, so give those munchkins a tiny-sized shopping cart (TINY-SIZED SHOPPING CARTS!), and set them on the hunt. read more

This is my grocery shopping place. We're members at Seward Co op and I never ever go anymore, unless I need bulk stuff that I just can't get at TJs. I suppose I should feel bad about not frequenting my local co op, but for real....a girl cannot afford to spend $8 on asparagus. I can get organic free range meat, excellent produce and you know....cookie butter ice cream. Don't judge. You know that shiz is the bomb. The employees are so very kind. I don't care if it's all an elaborate ruse and they secretly hate all the customers. They're nice to me and my spawn and a couple even remember my baby's names. Don't go on the weekends if you can avoid it. And if you can't avoid the weekends, arrive the moment the doors open. Only then will you be assured a pain free shopping experience. It gets crazy here with the swarms. Produce runs out on the weekends. Never park above ground. It's a major cluster. Did I mention cookie butter ice cream? read more

TJ's has become my go-to grocery store as its closest to us now that we moved. Everyone working here is so friendly and helpful. Did you know if you do not like something, you can return it? They encourage you to try things and remind you of this policy as you buy new items. Lines move quickly, produce is fresh and organic, and there is underground parking!! Try the inexpensive pot stickers, TJ's salsa, and the wide variety of nuts. read more

Not impressed at all. The Woodbury location seems better organized, staffed and cleaner. This location was messy, stock levels seemed low, and I thought, generally they are expensive. If you get their proprietary products or their frozen fish fillets, the prices are ok. For deli meats and fresh meats they are way high. Imported cheeses appear to be inline. I consider this a condiment store and not much else. For the money, I'll go to Byerlys and enjoy nicer staff, a cleaner store and brand name products that I trust., or at least am familiar with. Typical of this neighborhood, parking and access is a mess, so I expected that- though they do have a huge lot. Maybe once the cuteness and novelty wears off, this store will be better. read more

Of the three Trader Joe's in the Twin Cities area, I like this one second best. It's not the best mostly because of the weird location/parking situation. Honestly, I've been caught driving in circles in the underground parking. While everyone who came in after me gets a spot, I am usually screwed out of easy parking. Once inside though. I love the employees. They are pretty laid back and friendly. The store itself isn't laid out well. The check out lanes are kind of cramped and close to the aisles. Carts kind of get in the way as you try to peruse the chips. Oh well, at least the liquor store has plenty of room! read more

I really appreciate having a Trader J's nearby. They have a good selection and some of the prices are very good (some others are not). It's a little frustrating that you can get *almost* everything here...but once you appreciate that they are not a "full service" grocery store and, rather, they focus on unique, interesting products, you might become comfortable with the fact that your shopping trip will have to include a stop at a full service grocery store to get staples like baking soda/power. read more

Trader Joe's - Grocery Near Me - St. Paul, Minnesota

How can everyone seem so friendly? Weird. Park under the building (almost always empty) instead of in the lot. People line up to be in the lot but it's almost a shorter walk from downstairs! read more

I go to TJ's for mainly one thing and that's the Charles Shaw wine, AKA "Two Buck Chuck." It's actually three bucks outside of CA. I'll admit that I'm not a wine connoisseur (I can barely spell the word), but the Shaw tastes great to me. It's easy to pass off as a fancy wine at most parties. Turns out that most people really can't tell the subtle difference between wines of drastically different prices. Good luck finding a parking spot. read more

Trader Joe's - Grocery Near Me - St. Paul, Minnesota

This is the one grocery store chain in the TC that actually makes me excited to grocery shop. Everything in the store is so aesthetically appealing-- I love the product packaging, cute hand-made signs on shelves, and bright colors. This location in particular is always SUPER busy-- whether I go on a week-day afternoon or sunday night, the isles are flooded with hungry tj fans. favorite tj products: frozen chicken tikka masala, frozen chicken samosas, frozen chicken pot pie bites, frozen chaat (are we seeing a pattern here?), white shells and cheddar mac and cheese (it's actually annie's!), butter (cheaper here than anywhere else), tomato basil pasta sauce, tator tots, and their fancy cheese selection. Their liquor store is also really worth checking out! I love their three buck chucks, hard cider, and vodka of the god's (this is the smoothest vodka I've ever tasted, and ti's only 8 bucks per bottle). YAY FOR TRADER JOE'S! read more

I truly love Trader Joe's because of their selection of organic, sustainable, foods. They make it easier to get the things I need for my family when I can't find them at the co-op or farmers' markets. Their staff is also very helpful when require assistance. Despite being a big company, they don't feel corporate. read more

This is one of my favorite grocery stores. There are so many positives with so few negatives for this Trader Joe's. First off, the prices are incredible. And it's not just that the prices are incredible, it's also that the quality is incredible. The offer so many natural or organic options along with "regular" ones with only a small price increase or difference between them all. Secondly, the customer service is so much better than any other grocery store in the area. The employees actually seem to like working there and they seem like they want to be there. They are all friendly and warm to the customers and make small-talk with them while ringing up their groceries or helping them with something else. Third, this is a good sized Joe's! Bigger than other one I've gone to and definitely designed for a better overall flow. I can actually do my shopping in here without perpetually feeling like I'm in someones way. It's a great feeling. I only have two cons, but they are related . . . The parking always seems very limited here and it's usually really hard to get out of the lot and back on the road because it's a busy intersection. Also, check out their wine and beer shop - it's wonderful and has a lot of great options for wine without breaking the bank and some really unique beers. Other than that, this place is wonderful. I need to get back into the swing of going weekly . . . read more

This is bar none my favorite trader joes! The employees and super nice and the space is always clean. Parking could be better but the neighborhood is busy - not much they can do about that. The fresh produce is always priced right! My favorite feature of TJ's is their commitment to customer satisfaction. If you aren't satisfied with something, they are happy to exchange it or give a refund. Bonus - adorable & festive window art! read more

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh That's the sound of a city-dweller happy to FINALLY FINALLY have a TJs in the actual city. I still have not really gotten the point of staying out of MPLS or Saint Paul proper, but whatever, we East-siders got ours now, woohoo. That said, I told myself to stay away for the first month, or the rest of the summer really, but of course I ran out of some staples and had to make a run. 'Twas a bad idea since they were out of everything I set out to get, like Israeli couscous and almond meal, but I did manage to snag the last of the Mac-n-Cheeses from the freezer (and boy did I feel guilty about that!). I'm ambivalent about its location, so easily accessible by bus and highway but in kind of a cluster of an intersection. The underground parking will be a major bonus in the winter, I'm sure. As for the elevator...well, I take the stairs. read more

Overall, Trader Joe's is awesome if you know what to buy. Love: 1) Tarte de'Alsace 2) Gingerly macadamia trail mix 3) Greek nonfat yogurt 4) Barbeque chicken pizza with gouda 5) Chicken tenders in curry Here's the bad. Trader Joe's is so popular that parking at one (regardless of location) is something akin to finding a Wonka golden ticket. Best such success is had when going early morning, but any other time no go. read more

Parking sucks. The location on Randolph and Lexington doesn't help. BUT the staff is great! New, fun food. The cookie butter is awesome! Great wine! And now they have liquor. $8.99 Stoli Apple and Chocolate Kokonut. SO good and so cheap! read more

New to Yelp, but a customer since opening... Everyone quite rightly adores some/many/all of TJ's product offerings. Given! What's truly special about this location is that although the staff is widely diverse, the trait they all share is attentiveness/helpfulness! There isn't a single disappointing staff member in the bunch. I cannot count the number of times I received first-rate recommendations from their wine shop staff. We are so fortunate to have this crew aiding and assisting me, and my Highland Park. neiighbors. read more

I'm working through it.... I gotta say, this place has impressed me more each time I go. My last couple of trips to the Woodbury location have been quite disappointing, so I've headed here. They seem to have everything I need in stock, took back some rice I bought that tasted like dirt, and the crowd seems to have dissipated. Or maybe I'm hitting it at the right time? read more

I don't exactly live in this area... But it is the closest location to me... And I do have friends that live off of the Grand Ave region, so when I'm out and about I always make it a point to stop here on my way home! I love the raspberry lemonade... I always walk away with at least 2 bottles. Ohh, and I never leave without two boxes of lemon bars... This is a standard theme for me. I am a big fan of the products in their bakery. Everything is always fresh and prices are incredibly reasonable. I also love their Fresh flower selection, and the wine section. I'm an overall fan of what this store has to offer! Not a fan of the store layout.... Very small and tight. Grandmas are always trying to run me over because they apparently own the aisles! Don't like the parking situation, again small and tight... If you have a compact car, you're fine! Anything bigger, like an SUV, GOOD LUCK! Ha Employees are always super friendly and knowledgeable here. read more

Trader Joe's is always a great experience, no matter what location you visit nationwide. Having lived in two cities loaded with TJ locations, I've become very spoiled by the level of cheery, fun-loving service you receive. And the deals. Oh, the deals... Best of all,this location has underground parking, which I have not experienced at any other location. Is it just me, or is the underground parking often overlooked by shoppers? I feel like I'm the only one parking there much of the time.... read more

i have been to several trader joes in a few states now and at least four different locations in Minnesota alone and this is the best of the best in my eyes. I like the location--the layout---the other shoppers--and the friendly staff. It is a perfect size and they have a large area just for the liquor and you can go in there and grab and go if you are in a hurry---it does get busy in there too though. They always have decent samples at this store and it really gives me ideas on how best to use the products and actually try somethings out that I was hesitant to buy....They have a parking garage but I typically like to try and find a spot up top. Just a nice neighborhood grocery with good products, good prices, and tucked into a quaint little hood in st paul... read more

I stopped in tonight for a special friends and family pre-grand opening event. Yay for free samples! I love the layout of this new store. It feels bigger than the Woodbury location, but maybe that's because some of the shelves hadn't been filled yet. So far, it's getting a 5-star rating - as good as it gets!!! I'm nervous about how the parking lot/underground ramp is going to be once the store is open to the public. read more

I always enjoy coming here and it's only a few times a year because there isn't one in my neck of the woods. The parking lot is always too small, maybe that's why I don't make a point of coming here? But maybe that's what makes it so good? Maybe when I get into the parking lot almost everyone has their own grocery bags made up of some recycled bamboo fiber and plastic unpolitically correct kids toys? When I wait for my parking spot and finally park my mid-sized SUV between a Swatch car and a Nissan Leaf, I smile because I'm going to get some nice, mostly healthy, groceries. As I walk down the isles I notice that quite a few items are organic in nature, some brand names that I've never heard of or the Trader Joe's brand or a combination of. Every Trader Joe's product that I've ever had has been wonderful. All the produce looks nice and fresh but unfortunately I have to make a dinner stop and I didn't bring my negative carbon footprint cooler. Employees are all super friendly and seem happy to assist you in any way possible. I'll be back in six or so months, when I'm in the neighborhood. read more

Always a treat to go to TJs. Although, wouldn't it be great if Minnesota got its act together to allow the combo of grocery and wine -- and even on Sundays? But anyhow, our first stop was the adult beverage side. Wine tasting revealed a few little white gems under $6. Friendly staff. Then onto the more sustaining side of the store. There's just a more atmosphere in a TJs. The staff tends to be pretty cool, but not overly coop hipsters. Sometimes they sing along with the radio while they're stocking shelves. Always friendly. Love the candied pecans. What a litle treat, along with other trail mixey items. They have a fine selection of organic produce, although not exclusively organic. TJs is definitely worth a wander through. We generally don't do our "staple" food shopping here, but there are some items we love that only TJs does at a decent price. Try the sparkling blueberry juice, for example. Maybe with some vodka. I'm just sayin'. read more

I really love Trader Joe's. I've been coming to this location once/week for about 5 months now. After shopping there today, I realized my desire to go has gotten less and less. It's always jam packed - carts everywhere, people bumping into you every turn you make. Not to mention the parking lot.... it truly brings out the worst in me. It's a nightmare 2/3 of the time. I continue coming back for the select items and good prices, but really wish they would do something about the parking lot situation and store layout. read more

GREAT STORE + FRIENDLY STAFF Everyone is so helpful here! If they're sold out of the item you want, they'll gladly check when it'll be shipped in again. The checkout staff are friendly and outgoing, which is refreshing. TERRIBLE PARKING. Avoid during rush hour (4-6pm) at all costs! The Lexington/Randolph intersection speaks for itself, the Trader Joe's parking lot and ramp are on a whole different level. read more

Friendly staff, the store is more on the small side and product selection reflects that, has an attached liquor store subject to Minnesota's awful liquor laws. Parking here is terrible, terri-ble a combination of not enough spaces and tight quarters. read more

I don't get the hype. Don't get me wrong, no major gripes with TJ's, but it ain't all that. Decent food (some items unique to TJs are are OUTSTANDING, while others are bland or gross) but not much different than a typical grocery store - just the brands are generally different. My kids love to hunt for the rabbits and get a prize at check out. The check out peps are quite friendly. (The booze from the liquor store is awful, I have not consumed one item that I have purchased there that I enjoyed.) Being able to park under the upper level is pretty sweet when it is raining. In general its okay, but people RAVE about the place. I must be missing something. read more

Absolutely love this grocery store! It's petite, but very affordable and has everything I need when I shop and all of it is very good quality. The hand lotion, soap and body products are amazing! The parking lot is pretty crazy because it's tight and this location is always very busy, but overall it's my favorite grocery store to shop at. The staff are always very friendly too. I hope they open a shop south of the Minnesota river so my family in savage and Prior lake can shop there too. I also hope they get low sugar dairy free ice cream, that would be awesome! The ice cream they have has 18-26 grams of sugar per serving, yikes! read more

The staff at this location are great. I always end up having such nice conversations with who is assisting me, and they go out of their way to make sure you are helped. I called to see if they had a certain kind of eucalyptus in stock (for Christmas decorating), and the gentleman I talked to not only set what they had in stock aside for me, he told me when their next shipment would be in the following day, and made sure to take my name and number down so that they could call me once they knew if the kind of eucalyptus I wanted had been in the shipment. So courteous, and so helpful! read more

We've been trying out some new dinner options and Trader Joe's let's us experiment without breaking the bank. I've been wanting to try some stir-fry recipes and Trader Joe's frozen shrimp and fresh snow peas make it fun and cheap. Things I always buy: almonds, TJ's wheat tortillas, SALSA--- So good! read more

We had the best experience and customer service today that I have to write about it! Stopped at Trader Joe's in St. Paul and was immediately impressed with the underground parking option. Score 1! Super friendly people working, and when we checked out and my son asked if they had candy, they offered a lollipop and sticker. Score 2! I thanked them and explained we recently moved and our old local store used to have treats, and they sent me home with a free bouquet of flowers. Score 3! After service like that, this will be hard to beat. Thanks for a great start to our weekend! read more

Trader Joe's - Thanks for the free flowers! Super friendly customer service! - Grocery Near Me - St. Paul, Minnesota

I used to come before work or well after rough hour to avoid the crazy parking lot - welp they changed to limited hours a couple of months ago. I was a Trader Joe's junky in DC, so this is disappointing! Seems like everything in St Paul closes before 10. This location's staff is pretty nice but the produce isn't that great, for example the onions are always soft. And when I'm popping over for something specific like multigrain waffles or molten chocolate cakes of course it will be out of stock. I'll be shopping at Fresh Thyme or Whole Foods instead - they have regular grocery hours and a better selection while still keeping pricing reasonable and parking comfortable. read more

I really LOVE Trader Joe's!!!!! I think the staff, the varieties, prices, etc. are absolutely the BEST!!! I just returned from shopping @ the St. Paul store & immediately tried the Lemon Kitchen Hand Soap...It is Fantabulous!! I've purchased just about every item @ TJ's but this is the first personal one..It will not be the last. TJ's is a fun experience...The flowers, colorful produce, tons of new things to try....&, especially, the helpful, cheery staff... If ever you are having a down day - just take yourself to TJ's &, I promise, you'll feel ever-so-much better & you'll come away singing!!! read more

Opening day around noon. It felt like the scene in DIE HARD 2 where John MacLaine is standing in the middle of the airport and everyone is running around chaotically, after they find out its been taken over by terrorists. Then there were the areas where it was a total standstill of about six shopping carts. I don't think many were there to do their regular grocery shopping. Just want to grab the Trader Joe's staples and be part of the spectacle. I agree with Sal, its bigger, beautiful, and I'll add brighter. If you get the blues, this is gonna put you in a much better frame of mind. I felt great coming out, and it was nuts. I did get stuck behind someone actually returning something. That's a big production. I wonder what this will do to Whole Foods business. There is no comparison. I'll still go to Lund's, unfortunately one place doesn't have everything. I picked up my favorites, cold lemonade, mayo, hummus, mozzarella in herbs and oil. Some things were hard to find with all the people around.I only ended up spending $32 for that and a few extras, including flowers. Cool giveaway bags. Lots of staff, a great, handy bathroom. The flowers were gorgeous. You'll want to leave with a bunch of these each time. For 4-12 bucks, why not. I'll comment on parking after the dust settles. If you're making a special trip to the area, don't forget to stop at P.J. Murphy's. read more

One of my favorite places to get groceries. Although they don't have as many options as the major supermarkets they have lots of ready-to-eat options and Vegan options that you can't find at any other store. Great prices on fruit&berries, great seasonal sale prices on produce. Great prices on wine as well. read more

Great place to shop. Price is right and the fruits and vegetables are always fresh The employees are always so willing to help. I do wish that they would carry more vegan food options. read more

Love it for the samples, the employees, the location. The parking is usually a nightmare, but manageable. My only complaint...BRING BACK THE PICKLE POPCORN!! It is apparently seasonal and they are already out for the season - Trader Joe's, you need to sell this year round. Consider it read more

Trader Joe's - Grocery Near Me - St. Paul, Minnesota