# What's good at Trader Joes **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 11, 2014, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-good-at-trader-joes/701049 "2014-10-11T16:59:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Licentious\_Ectomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@Licentious\_Ectomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Licentious_Ectomorph)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2014, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-good-at-trader-joes/701049/21 "2014-10-11T21:33:44Z")
I really like much of their frozen/pre-cooked fare. They have several varieties of Chinese chicken (sweet & sour, orange, kung pao, etc.) that come in bags and take a minimum of preparation - I keep my freezer stocked with them. I also like their frozen fish nuggets, with tartar sauce that should be found on a shelf right above the freezer case. I adore a couple of their boxed soups - tomato & roasted red pepper, and creamy corn with roasted red pepper. TJ’s is also a good place to find tasty and unusual appetizers for parties. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2014, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-good-at-trader-joes/701049/22 "2014-10-11T21:40:27Z")
Almost everything! (The frozen falafel was kind of disappointing.) Everything else I’ve tried has been good to great. The pre-marinated sirloin with chimichurri sauce is sooo good. I do it in the oven, then slice it thin against the grain. Have it over rice the first night and then get some of their Chimichurri Fried Rice and have it with that as leftovers. Awesome. Somehow their grapes are always better than Publix. Don’t know why, but they are. Every fresh salsa I’ve tried has been very good. I’m not really a fan of the Two Buck Chuck, but there are a few vinho verdes that they sell for, like, 4 bucks? Something like that. And that are totally good. And all the snacking stuff. God, never go there hungry. You’ll spend a hundred bucks on snacks. The natural spice drops are a standout. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2014, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-good-at-trader-joes/701049/23 "2014-10-11T23:17:14Z")
Ha! > [@faithfool](#): > > Oh, and everyone loves the cookie butter. Echo? > [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > Try the [cookie butter](http://www.traderjoes.com/fearless-flyer/article.asp?article_id=1647). Echo? Echo? > [@Quimby](#): > > The Cookie Butter. Which you will end up just eating straight out of the jar with a spoon. So, has anyone suggested the cookie butter yet? ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2014, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-good-at-trader-joes/701049/24 "2014-10-12T00:19:09Z")
All year, I’ve been eagerly waiting for fall to swing around just to buy up a ton of their pumpkin ice cream. Seriously, I’m not a pumpkin person, but that stuff is incredible. It’s very strongly flavored, but somehow pumpkin just _works_ as an ice cream flavor. It’s like really, really good pumpkin pie filling. And now because of the number of times I’ve typed “pumpkin,” it’s stopped sounding like a real word . . . ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2014, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-good-at-trader-joes/701049/25 "2014-10-12T00:49:34Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > You can make a helluva cheese platter. Did I forget to mention the triple-cream brie? 😃 Also pic up some prosciutto, gravlax, pepperoni, salami, etc. > > Trader Joe’s will have a demo counter where the staff use things from the store to put together a ‘dish’. Sometimes it’s sweet, sometimes it’s savoury. Usually it’s good. One thing they demoed was their meatballs cooked in a slow cooker with some of their salsa. Everyone’s had ‘party meatballs’ in BBQ sauce. The salsa was a nice twist. (First time I had it, actually.) Better than BBQ meatballs, and would be good for your party. > > TJ’s has their own brand of ‘Ritz’ crackers that are the same as the national brand. Serve those (and other crackers) with the cheese platter, and also pick up some salmon dip and spinach dip. > > Definitely try the [cheesecake](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nLG8supu8QM/Uc9KlEiN94I/AAAAAAAADzQ/kMxU4gmmmME/s1600/DSC_0734.jpg) in the blue box. ([Here](http://www.partiesbykaci.com/2013/06/trader-joes-trip.html) is the page I took the image from. Nice looking caprese salad there.) I was thinking about putting together a cheese platter there, based on some earlier comments. Sounds like a good plan! ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2014, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-good-at-trader-joes/701049/26 "2014-10-12T00:53:46Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Whatever you find that you like, don’t. they will discontinue it next week and you’ll never find it anywhere for the rest of your life. The pesto (with broccoli and tomatoes) and spinach pizzas that I’ve been buying for years and years have recently disappeared. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2014, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-good-at-trader-joes/701049/27 "2014-10-12T01:14:36Z")
Dark Chocolate Almonds with sea salt & turbinado sugar. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2014, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-good-at-trader-joes/701049/28 "2014-10-12T01:25:06Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Whatever you find that you like, don’t. they will discontinue it next week and you’ll never find it anywhere for the rest of your life. we’re not talking about Costco. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2014, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-good-at-trader-joes/701049/29 "2014-10-12T01:37:58Z")
Almost everything. Particularly: The bruschetta. The artichoke dip. The bolognese and four cheese tomato sauces. The salsa. The tzatziki. The cheese section is excellent – the variety and prices are both much better than anywhere else. The challah rolls. The produce is often amazing – try the Tuscan melons if you can find them. The almond butter. The basic frozen shrimp bag for about five bucks is often amazing. The flourless chocolate cake, the fourteen karat cake and pumpkin pie are all fabulous. It’s a place for treats rather than basic groceries. Due to particularities with NJ laws, they don’t offer alcohol so I haven’t had any. ---
**Author:** ![LVBoPeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/858c86/32.png) [@LVBoPeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVBoPeep)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2014, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-good-at-trader-joes/701049/30 "2014-10-12T02:02:54Z")
My favorites are the Thai Citrus Chicken salad, the herb/salad mix, Champagne pear dressing, and a LOT of their frozen items like the fried rice, eggplant mélange, roasted veggies with balsamic, jasmine rice, potato crusted fish, etc. There’s a stinky Dubliner cheddar that is not easy to look at but is delicious (name escapes me but it’s streaked with brown). Their reduced guilt mac & cheese is very good and I love love love their hummus. I’m not a big fan of their meat or fish except their rack of lamb and boneless leg of lamb. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2014, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-good-at-trader-joes/701049/31 "2014-10-12T02:10:31Z")
> [@jasg](#): > > Dark Chocolate Almonds with sea salt & turbinado sugar. The best thing was the Cocoa Almonds. Bastards! :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2014, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-good-at-trader-joes/701049/32 "2014-10-12T02:13:33Z")
> [@LVBoPeep](#): > > boneless leg of lamb. That’s discontinued too. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2014, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-good-at-trader-joes/701049/33 "2014-10-12T03:04:21Z")
> [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](#): > > Hmm. I’m throwing a big party in a few weeks, too. I wonder if there is anything snacky that’s special, and that my friends from down here wouldn’t be familiar with. Just as a warning, I’ve never been to a Trader Joes that sells cold beer. So if you’re stocking up for a party, make sure to go far enough in advance to chill the beer yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2014, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-good-at-trader-joes/701049/34 "2014-10-12T03:20:07Z")
> [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](#): > > Just as a warning, I’ve never been to a Trader Joes that sells cold beer. So if you’re stocking up for a party, make sure to go far enough in advance to chill the beer yourself. Good warning, but I actually have two kegs on tap in my bar/game room…so I’ve got that much covered. 🙂 Still, it’s good to know in case of emergencies…not to go there, I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![turner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/22d042/32.png) [@turner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/turner)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2014, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-good-at-trader-joes/701049/35 "2014-10-12T04:52:31Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > That’s discontinued too. :mad: Actually, that WAS something I saw in the meat section–the afore mentioned checkout line went right past the meat counter and they had both the leg of lamb and boneless leg of lamb. I’m looking for some cheaper lamb because I make a great gyro sausage. Most of the grocery stores around me usually only have LOL around Easter and just carry chops year round ---
**Author:** ![turner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/22d042/32.png) [@turner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/turner)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2014, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-good-at-trader-joes/701049/36 "2014-10-12T04:57:12Z")
Also, inform me on this concept of cookie butter. Do you spread it on cookies? Does it taste like cookies? What exactly is it? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2014, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-good-at-trader-joes/701049/37 "2014-10-12T05:06:04Z")
> [@turner](#): > > Actually, that WAS something I saw in the meat section–the afore mentioned checkout line went right past the meat counter and they had both the leg of lamb and boneless leg of lamb. I’m looking for some cheaper lamb because I make a great gyro sausage. Most of the grocery stores around me usually only have LOL around Easter and just carry chops year round Haven’t been able to get it at any TJ’s around here for years. ---
**Author:** ![MagicEyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@MagicEyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MagicEyes)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2014, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-good-at-trader-joes/701049/38 "2014-10-12T18:01:51Z")
Right now, they have the pumpkin caramel kringle. That stuff is soooooo good. Every time I go in there I have to fight the urge to buy one and eat it all by myself. I’m also a huge fan of the apple blossoms–they’re much better if you heat them up in the oven instead of the microwave, but when they reach the right stage of toasty done-ness they’re sublime. And they’re just $1.99 for two, so you can’t beat the price. Other desserts I like–the mochi ice cream (especially the green tea, but mango and chocolate are good too); flourless chocolate cake, whoopie pies, lemon tart, pumpkin cheesecake, key lime pie. I’m picky about hummus, but I like their Mediterranean hummus. And I eat a lot of the cheddar rocket crackers. I like the Welsh cheddar (I don’t have a wrapper right now, but I think they call it Collier’s cheese). \*\*turner, \*\*the cookie butter is a soft spread like peanut butter, but it’s made of mashed-up cookies, so it’s sweet and spicy. It’s really good on bananas. They also have a cookie butter/nutella swirl. It would be really good on waffles or apples or pretty much anything. In general I love Trader Joe’s, but it’s just too pumpkin-y this fall. Everywhere you look, it’s all pumpkin spice as far as the eye can see. I don’t mind pumpkin spice, but I don’t really want it in everything. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2014, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-good-at-trader-joes/701049/39 "2014-10-12T18:09:14Z")
> [@MagicEyes](#): > > In general I love Trader Joe’s, but it’s just too pumpkin-y this fall. Everywhere you look, it’s all pumpkin spice as far as the eye can see. I don’t mind pumpkin spice, but I don’t really want it in everything. I grabbed a bag of the pumpkin spiced pumpkin seeds, which are really good, except that I didn’t even realize they were going to be sweet. ---
**Author:** ![nani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/58956e/32.png) [@nani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nani)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2014, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-good-at-trader-joes/701049/40 "2014-10-12T19:33:29Z")
I love their pesto tortellini. I cook it in a sauce of tomato and chicken boullion plus some other things. My comfort food. I really like their Syrah-crusted Tuscan cheese. More than their Brie even. Of their Indian food my favorite is the lamb vindaloo. Nicely spicy and filling, even though it’s a small portion. Better than any other frozen Indian food I’ve had, by a long shot. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-good-at-trader-joes/701049.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-good-at-trader-joes/701049.md?page=3)