I shop here several times a week. This TJ's is convenient located across the street from my work. I drop in for prepared salads and soups, yogurt and fresh fruit for breakfast and wine and a variety of delicious foods to take home for dinner. Even if the line is absurdly long, it moves very, very quickly. The cashiers are always super friendly and I feel like I get a great deal on unique grocery items that are healthy and delicious. read more

I love Trader Joe's. The produce is fresh and inexpensive, the staff are friendly and chatty, and the prices are affordable for a yuppie like me. I also drive, so I like that they have an underground garage with free parking. I would avoid going there during the weekend because it gets a bit cutthroat in terms of parking and maneuvering a cart around others also trying to load up for the week. read more

I work about 1/2 mile away and I make it a point to shop here at least once a month. I absolutely adore this place. The prices seem reasonable to me, not just for the city but for groceries in general. I will say that I don't ever come here intending on doing my weekly grocery shopping. I agree with some of the other reviewers that their produce selection is limited. I usually come in for the wine--they have a wide array to choose from, at all price points. I usually pick up nuts, dried fruit, EVOO and honey, too. You just can't beat the prices for these products, which can really add up at traditional grocery stores. At the end of they day, they have what I'm looking for and the staff are always extremely helpful and friendly. I don't think I've ever left without a smile on my face. Kudos to you, Joe! read more

I will not be coming back to this location. It's really small, and to congested for my liking... I went on a Sunday afternoon, and the line was way around the corner. You had to push pass people to get what you want, and also make sure you were not cutting the line to check out as well... Great customer service, just a crowded place with not enough room to breath... read more

Trader Joe's is my jam. I love the healthy options, unique treats, and the glorious feeling when I'm rung up and my total is dirt cheap. This TJ's happens to get very crowded and requires some navigation skillz through busy isles. The check out line often looks absurdly long but moves at an incredible rate. Things I've learned during my Trader Joe's love affair: 1. Produce goes bad FAST, especially fruit, so buy it to use it within a day or two 2. Buy your wine here. It is SO CHEAP. $3 Charles Shaw---it's tasty and so crazy affordable. Forget ever spending over ten bucks on a bottle again. 3. Parking, navigating the store, and maintaining calm & sanity may be tricky but keep calm, breathe, and grab an extra box of chocolate covered marshmallows. 4. Bonus points for : FREE 1 hour parking without needing validation; FREE coffee; always churning out samples in the back; helpful staff read more

This is my favorite local Trader Joes - coming from CA I almost can't function without one anymore. I always find parking even though the lot is seemingly small and when I go upstairs the line is super long! I am hooked on TJ brand items - like the jalapeno cilantro hummus, goat cheese slices, salt & pepper rice crackers, whole roasted bell peppers, frozen wild blueberries, gluten free oats. You can't beat the price of some name brand staple items like - - Yogi Green Tea Super Antioxidant - Kind bars - Almond Breeze - Udi's Gluten Free Whole Grain Bread - Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread - Columbus Meats The produce is reasonably priced, particularly in bulk - I get my sweet onions, shallots, yukon gold potatoes and avocados in a bag. And if I feel like making fresh pesto - I will get that here as well. The layout is great for me, I first do a walk around the outside and then enter the isles to find the shelf stable staples and frozen items and finish in the wine section. If I dare go on a weekend or monday after work I make sure to take a buddy who can stand in line for me while I gather some last items. But I have to be quick because the line moves fast! The store is always clean and someone is always available to answer my questions! read more

Trader Joe's is my favorite grocery store, without a doubt. I love the mix of prepared foods, fresh ingredients, and the sample coffee never disappoints. I've heard that a new location is opening nearby this one, so hopefully that'll help with some of the problems at this one. The line is always ridiculous, so I sometimes grab a basket, hop in line and shop while I'm waiting to check out. It's better to go early in the day because they will sometimes run out of certain produce late in the day. read more

I'm an organic/non-processed food junkie. I like to make everything from scratch, from whole grain pita to rye sourdough to veggie burgers and beyond. But I find it painful to see how much I spend at Whole Foods. My only experience with Trader Joe's before was the one in Old Town, which had mediocre produce and the essentials, but I was extremely underwhelmed. This Trader Joe's sparkles, sure, but it is also underwhelming. I work in the West End, so I got excited to think that I might be able to kick out some grocery shopping at lunchtime since I am one of those 4-5 time a week grocery shoppers (a remant of my days in Europe, I suppose ... or I'm always trying a new recipe for dinner). So I walked over the other, it was sunny and beautiful. Life was good. I walk into the Trader Joe's and head towards the baking aisle. Hmmmmm. Baking shelf is more like it. I needed gluten and some rye flour. Nix on both. I'm not even sure they had just whole wheat flour. The reason why this gets three stars rather than two stars is because the produce section was surprisingly good and affordable. I bought a four pack of some of the juiciest organic asian pears ever. This is probably the first time I have gotten truly quality asian pears outside of an asian grocer (Lotte, Hanareum, Super H, I looove you for that). They also made it easy to buy just one or two pieces of fruit rather than a bag of 20. The convenience food looked interesting, but I never delve into it. I think for the average DC-ite, this is a good addition. Especially since Trader Joe's always has great wines at good prices. But I probably won't go back since the selection at Whole Foods makes it a one stop kind of shopping trip ... unless I get a hankering for asian pears. That alone might make it worth a return trip. But for serious cooks, it doesn't measure up. read more

I really feel like this place is a bit over-rated. The lines are always ridiculous. The produce section is pretty tiny, even for a Trader Joes. The parking lot is so tiny its almost non-existent. On the plus side, they have a great frozen-food section, like all TJs, and the prices are pretty good a lot of items (Olive Oil is about 50% cheaper here than at Safeway). So I usually come here when I need just a few select items that I know they have a good deal on, when its in the middle of a weekday so it won't be too crowded. Otherwise, I'm not sure its worth the effort. read more

While the lines are usually long here I love this Joe's! Most of the time I go here after ordering flowers through their florist department. Grace is so easy to work with and I'll continue to use her for all my flower needs! The pricing for flowers is some of the cheapest in the city! read more

TJ's!!! It's a great alternative option to Whole Foods in Foggy Bottom due to the fact that you can pretty much buy twice as much at TJ's based on how affordable it is. Not to mention, I often find the quality of the products at TJ's are often better than what I can get at Whole Foods (other than veggies and meat). The other thing I appreciate about this TJ's in particular is the fact that while it is always busy and often you can find a line wrapping around the store for checkout the cashiers are always pleasant and efficient making the wait not so long. Even more, the store layout makes sense - I always find myself working in an orderly fashion to grab my groceries. I definitely love Trader Joe's and think that it is a benefit of living in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood to be so close! read more

I live in Petworth, but this is my now go-to grocery store. The atmosphere and service is preferable to the nightmare that is the Columbia Heights Giant, while it's easier on my wallet than Yes! or Whole Foods. I regularly get in and out of here for $25-$30 with all my staples for the week, including deli meat, dinners, spinach, yogurt, bread, cereal, fruit and some snacks. I do manage to resist the desserts near the checkout (devious!). There is room for improvement. I'd like a bigger store (it could fill twice the space, easily) and more options for produce and quick-fix meals and a wider variety of bread. I can only really come here about once a week (it's out of my way so I have to make a special trip), but if I lived closer I'd probably take more advantage of the ready-made lunches like salads and sushi platters. There's also a really broad selection of wine, beer and soda. The advantages are more plentiful for people who live in the immediate area, but the prices, quality and service make this a very attractive option to anyone sick of bigger chains or pricier "health food" stores. read more

Just got back from Trader Joe's tonight and once again, the experience was incredible. The food there is sooooo good and CHEAP! I'm constantly amazed by the amount of quality food (and wine, let's be honest) we get for so little money. And yes, the line was atrocious but it was very orderly and moved quickly. Those people complaining about the long line should take a little field trip to the Giant in Columbia Heights sometime. Pure chaos. read more

I hear TJ's soooo much! Can you please come to Columbia Heights/Petworth area por feevs? Be sure to time your TJ adventure as to escape the rush hour of TJ-nites. Or, go with a PIC (partner in crime) to take turns standing in line because sometimes, that bitch can wrap the whole perimeter of TJ and if you're lucky, snake through the aisles as well. The line moves pretty fast though so don't be scurrrred. I heart TJ! read more

There are no Trader Joe's where I live, so I love stopping at this location while in DC. So many interesting foods to try. I will be back.

IMPORTANT: Do not be frightened by the line! If you go between 4pm and 9pm M-F, expect the checkout line to stretch around the store. Weekends are just as bad. They have a very efficient and quick checkout system, and the line moves MUCH quicker than a normal grocery store. If you are in a rush, bring a friend and take turns waiting in line while the other goes to pick out stuff. Trader Joes has excellent prices, friendly and knowledgeable employees, and amazing products. What more could you ask for? Must-Try Products: - Mochi Ice Cream (Chocolate, Strawberry, or Mango) - Frozen Penne Arrabiata - Breaded Chicken Breasts - Cinnamon Chocolate-Chocolate chip cookies - New York Cheesecake - Italian Starter Tomato Sauce - Unfiltered Apple Juice - Chocolate Lava Cake Always make sure to check out their daily samples in the back of the store. They almost always have free freshly brewed coffee samples as well. read more

This location can be frightening during busy hours, and it's especially jarring to walk in and see the end of the checkout line that has wrapped around the entire store. If you can get past that and allow yourself time to stand in line (which actually moves pretty quickly) you'll be okay. If not, go early. I wish there were other inexpensive options in the Dupont/FogBot area, but I suppose it comes with the territory. Two-Buck Chuck is always a good decision (except the Shiraz, unless I just got a bad bottle of it) and you can often find beer bargains as well. TJ's carries most of the groceries I need and the employees are super friendly so I'll continue to come here. read more

I like trader joes, but this location is pretty much always out of everything good. You'd think that they could handle their ordering and stocking better. It isn't like this is a recent development. read more

1) Free Parking 2) Dogfish Head beer $8.99 a six pack. Cheaper than anywhere else in DC. read more

This store is very convenient for me living one block away. They have recently expanded their hours from 8AM-10PM, which is terrifically helpful. An early morning run this week at 8:15 found the store completely stock, free of customers and downright pleasant to be in. The best deals to be had, for me are: -The incredibly cheap coffee prices - $9.99 for 26 oz. of beans sure beats Safeway's $9.99 for 10oz. of Peet's Coffee. -The wine. Try the Cellier du Rhone White Wine- $5.99, Perrin Reserve Wines for $10.99 or the Sebastian Roux Chassagne-Montrachet for an astonishing $19.99. All great values. read more

Love Trader Joes. This location is a convenient ten minute bike ride form my office. Two large bike racks for parking right in front of the store and a CaBi station at the corner, too, make this place very bike-friendly. Store is large and has a good selection; it's larger than the Old Town Alexandria TJs. I've picked up stuff here for occasional office potlucks and more often just a few convenience meals or snacks if I didn't pack a lunch from home, but its selection of meats and produce mean this could easily be a primary grocery stop for most anyone. Service is good. Don't let the line scare you. It moves quickly and in my experience they have LOTS of cashiers on hand to handle the surges. read more

Random guy walking through store was rude to me and so was cashier. What place that you know sells sushi but doesn't provide chopsticks? My favorite Trader Joe's is on Florida everyone is super nice there and willing to go above and beyond for what you need. This store needs better management and kinder employees. read more

It's Trader Joe's and therefore awesome. It's crowded, but I can't deduct stars for that. It's a confirmation of their awesomeness. The usual long line to the check out snakes around the entire store. It's like a tour of the periphery aisles where you can chat or see-and-be-seen. Many people come in pairs. One person immediately gets in line with an empty cart. The other member of the team quickly darts through the store grabbing delicious supplies and shuttling them back to the cart as it edges closer to the check out. The wine section is always good. TJ's carries plenty of decent, inexpensive wine. Really, if this was a highly evolved culture, we could drink wine and eat pretzel cookies while we waited in the long line around the store. The food is always interesting and unusual, if sometimes unavailable. Everyone has a story of a favorite Trader Joe's item they don't sell anymore. All part of the charm. read more

This Trader Joe's in particular is such a relief from the high prices of other nearby organic supermarkets. Shelves are well stocked, employees are very friendly, and of course the prices are very reasonable. The selection of healthy alternative snacks is one of my favorite aspects of the store; there is a large variety of dried fruit, trail mix, and whole grain chips that are all really yummy. Only downside is many others feel the same way. There are long lines that snake around a large portion of the store. Although the line is HUGE, they seem to get through the line fairly quickly. My experience with a line of around 30 people in front of me took around 10 minutes to get to the front. Bottom line: Cheaper groceries healthy snacks, long line goes pretty fast. read more

We frequently trek across town on the Circulator for TJ's. Two words Orange Chicken. It's in the frozen section now, but later it should be in your belly. Add a little bit of crushed red pepper to the sauce after microwaving to give it a nice kick. Beats order in for the price and matches it for the taste. Aside from the Trader Ming's Orange Chicken (that's really the name) there are a bunch of other amazing deals at TJ's. My Mom even loves them and she lives in Mid-Michigan! Needless to say if you have to read all these shining reviews shouldn't you just be in there already seeing how great the staff, product and prices are for yourself? read more

I love Trader Joe's. It makes me feel like I live in a village. I don't care that they repackage brand-name food and sell it under their own cute label. I am personally thankful I can eat Ritz Crackers without thinking I am just another American schmo eating Ritz Crackers...now I can feel like I am enlightened 20-something in DC eating Trader Joe's Crackers. Also, their little comments under the produce make me laugh...out loud. I want to take pictures of them with my iPhone but still have this fear that I am not allowed to take pictures in stores (probably residual fear from now not being able to take pictures in airports). And I know you are saying, why are you giving them 5 stars? Their line wraps around the whole store 87% of the time! Sometimes they are out of things! Obnoxious students speak too loudly about really inane stuff! But you know what? The line is great. It forces me to stop and think about life as I wind around the store. And when they are out of things I improvise. And when people are loud I listen to NPR on my iPhone. But mostly the people who work there are just so nice and friendly. I went to the new Whole Foods yesterday. Yes, I am THRILLED I can now buy fresh fish and things like that...but the people who are at the registers are just so cold and mechanical compared to my friends at Trader Joe's...at Trader Joe's they ask you how far you are walking and make sure to try to pack things just so...they joke and sing and ring bells. Not so at Whole Foods... So yes, much love for TJs. read more

TJ's has consistently been a symbol of quality and reasonable pricing for over six years of my residence in the district. I love the variety of options they carry and reasonable everyday prices. The store also has an upbeat ambiance that makes it fun to shop at. Nothing pretentious and over-the-top fancy, just plain approachable and reliable. A few highlights that never fail to make my meal better: shaved brussels sprouts, frozen brown rice, dijon herb salmon that's significantly cheaper than salmon found at Whole Foods, frozen breaded chicken tenderloin breasts, apple and almond crusted pork chops, peppercorn chicken, and a garlic marinade that goes great with a whole chicken when baked in the oven. Inexpensive cheeses and wines are also great. Even the long lines move pretty fast. There's one-hour free parking, and food samples at the back of the store. I can't wait for a closer location to open on 14th Street. read more

Great grocery store chain. The prices are reasonable and the food is quality and well-sourced. Located just outside the Foggy Bottom neighborhood of DC, this store gets pretty hectic come Sunday and Monday late afternoon/early evening. Keep that in mind when you plan your weekly trip. read more

I ABSOLUTELY love this place. I wish it was more convenient for me to get to but I make the trek when possible. The store is well laid out and great for finding exotic or unusual items if you don't have a Whole Foods budget. I am writing this review to speak about the TJ brand tofu burgers. I took the burgers camping and they grill up so well. The texture is a little softer than a meat burger but they are so tasty. Veggie or not, holla at this burger y'all! read more

I need to update this. Today the woman at the cash register noticed that one of my canned latte packs was missing a can, which I had not noticed, and made sure to quickly get me a new pack. This kind of attention to the quality of the customer's products is key. Also, I checked out much that frozen garlic naan bread that I'm hooked on costs.....$1.99! It has four big pieces, which I break in half and just stick in the toaster for instant Indian fare an home with any of my saucy rice dishes (often also Trader Joe's frozen meal staples). Anyway, today was also nice because I went when there wasn't the long line a lot of the reviews on here rightly point out... I do think the solution to that is opening another location, maybe closer to Adams Morgan and Columbia Heights. I also was able to talk to one of the managers about two products I NEED them to restock (they haven't been carrying them lately) which are their Lazy Bones wine and their french smoked salmon crepes (they are frozen and become pure deliciousness in minutes). Hopefully she will take my feedback into account. (crossing my fingers here) read more

If I lived near here, I would go here a lot over Whole Foods. Yes, it's true they don't have everything you'll find at WF, but the prices! They can't be beat. That said, the Trader Joe's shopping experience is a bit strange. This store is small and the lines are LOOOOOOOOOOOOONG. Plus, it's organized weirdly and feels like you're shopping at an Aldi's discount store, but for hipsters that like organic food. read more

It feels a bit silly to review this grocery store. I mean, It would never occur to me to review the Safeway near my mom's house or the Giant on H St. But Trader Joe's... it's different. It's more than a grocery store. It's my kind of grocery store. Legitimately, I didn't know how awesome TJ's was until I went in one for the first time. My life changed on that day. The selection is awesome. So much of it is healthy and/or organic, which I very much appreciate. It's also effing AFFORDABLE, especially when compared to other stores with similar items (Whole Foods, YES, etc.). They don't have absolutely everything (like a regular grocery store might), so it can be difficult to go in there with a very complicated recipe, but my goodness. For the basics, for fresh produce, organic and free range meats, healthy snacks, and a ton more, it's perfect. Did I mention the ridiculously affordable wine and beer selection? No? What about the healthy frozen foods? Or the free samples? Just go. It's the best. Minus one star because the line is always unGodly long. Like, wrapped around to the back of the store. But it moves. And I really do love TJ's so if I'm in the right mood, it's easy enough to ignore. Love. This. Place. read more

i love this place. Go here daily, sometimes just to peruse the aisles. Definitely skip the weekends as this place gets packed like a bar at happy hour. -H read more

Trader Joe's is one of the best grocery stores. I became a regular of Trader Joe's when I lived in NYC. The reason it's among the best is because although it has a wide variety of items it's not overwhelming and it does have a limited but GREAT choices. Also Trader Joe's Staff is super friendly and helpful at every step. The food is affordable and they have a great selection of ready made meals. The only thing that is a little off about the whole place is the produce. read more

On the weekends, you need to be ready to smack down a yuppie to get your grocery shopping done. But this is a Trader Joe's; I don't even need to tell you that it's all worth it. read more

The line may be long, but it moves really fast. Like it. BTW, avoid weekends. I can not find what I want because they sold out pretty quickly. Never had this issue when I came here on weekdays. read more

Being from California, I was really excited when a TJs arrived in NW DC. I wouldn't eat some days if it weren't for Trader Joe's prepared foods. It isn't the biggest TJs nor does it have the biggest selection, and yes, it is often crowded, but I've never found it a hassle to shop there. There is free underground parking and the lines, while long, move quickly. The only thing I dislike is the hit-or-miss produce. Sometimes I feel like their produce spoils in under 24 hours. Then again, I've had this problem at the big name chain stores as well. I am always amazed at how much cheaper some staples are here (nuts, spices, frozen berries, to name a few). It would be great if they had a bigger selection of things, but I don't think that is the point of the store. Also, how can you not love a place with free coffee shots and food samples? read more

This is a fantastic TJ location. They have a wonderful selection of groceries, including salads and premade wraps/sandwiches. I also like the vegetarian options - I recommend the soyrizo! read more

When I was visiting from out of town, I knew I had to make a pilgrimage out to TJ's, as my aunt (who lives in Hawaii) had always raved about what a great store it was. Since I was a FL resident at the time, and therefore had never experienced TJ's I mapped it out on my iPhone, pulled up walking directions and set forth. Upon my arrival, I was greeted with what appeared to be a tiny yet packed to the brim store that evoked my "I never knew I needed" - itis! Seriously. Habanero Chili Spiced Mango, chocolate covered edamame, lemon infused pasta...wow. And a gander at the prices made me smile...they weren't totally exorbiant! After securing a basket, I threw in a few fun items and bought a reusable tote as well, for a souvenier. The check-out line looked pretty long, but it moved very efficiently, and I left with a satisfied feeling - knowing I'd be back as soon as I could! read more

I returned in the middle of the week in the middle of the day and it really isn't as crowded then as it is on weekends. The line still double-backed on itself along the front of the store, but the checkers were efficient and the line moved quickly. Great produce, great prepared foods, great prices. Huzzah, TJoe's! Please open more DC locations! read more