The best Trader Joe's store in the Seattle area is the one on 17th & Madison: wide aisles, pleasant staff, relaxed atmosphere, very wide selection of groceries. Wish this one were on Queen Anne... More

The best Trader Joe's store in the Seattle area is the one on 17th & Madison: wide aisles, pleasant staff, relaxed atmosphere, very wide selection of groceries. Wish this one were on Queen Anne instead of on Capitol Hill. The selection of breakfast cereals is very good, unlike the kiddy stuff found in your typical supermarket. Trays of combo hummus, sushi. Bags of pre-washed collard and mustards greens. Very nice boxes of fresh basil, all-year-round I believe. Beer and wine. Pet food/litter. In other words, basically everything you could find in a supermarket. Some sub-standard groceries like the all-purpose Italian salad dressing (plenty of sugar, could be used as a topping for ice cream) but half the price. The store on Queen Anne is FREQUENTLY out of stock of certain products. In other words, what you found two weeks earlier, you may not find again for a while, which may lead to a certain "hoard" mentality. If you see it once, go for it! One can never be sure if the national management is going to decide to "cut" a particular product because it is not selling well enough--no advance warning given at all. Quite a disappearing trick.. If you don't see something that you see two weeks ago it may not only be NOT on the shelves, it may have been discontinued completely. Ask at the customer service desk just to be sure!. (I was crestfallen when their wonderful buttermilk, not Ranch, salad dressing was discontinued). But the staff is as hardworking and friendly as one could possibly hope for (I don't know how they do it, but they frequently rotate jobs). There is nary a let-up in the aisles, whatever the time of day. Going to the one on QA is like going to a Friends of the Seattle Public Library semi-annual book sale: you rush into a crush of people and hope to get out as soon as you grab your groceries and get through the line at the cash register. But in an era of airplane-hangar supermarkets like the Harvard Market QFC. any Trader Joe's is somewhat of a victory for the consumer.
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Okay, after much perusal, grocery shopping and years of patronage, here are my official declarations on what's good and what's not at your neighborhood TJ's. Good: Marinara in a Can; Spanish... More

Okay, after much perusal, grocery shopping and years of patronage, here are my official declarations on what's good and what's not at your neighborhood TJ's. Good: Marinara in a Can; Spanish Chicken Stew; Mint Chocolate UFO disks; Caramel Popcorn Mix; TLC Crackers; Sesame Sticks; Teriyaki Sauce; Wet Cat Food; Pizza Dough, and most things that would cost dollars more at a specialty grocery store. Plus they're fun. Not Good: Most soups and sauces are pretty low in any kind of flavor; toiletries don't seem to be particularly effective; and most things from the deli seem to go bad before I can eat them (hummus, guacamole, fruit, etc). Plus, they are almost always out of stock of something I'm looking for.
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I love Trader Joes because I can count on them for having fresh products, low prices and nice workers. Their produce prices are low to start with, but they are organic on top of that. The general... More

I love Trader Joes because I can count on them for having fresh products, low prices and nice workers. Their produce prices are low to start with, but they are organic on top of that. The general grocery prices are low and the Trader Joe brand products are downright cheap. I have found the quality of all the Trader Joes brand products to be exceptional. In addition to groceries, they also stock pet products, lots of wine and beer, supplements and health and beauty products. The workers are knowledgeable and always friendly. I have found all the Trader Joe stores to be clean and well kept.
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So happy to hear that Trader Joe's is looking for space in West Seattle, but do like their Mad Ave location. Try for street parking as the garage can be insane. I totally thrilled my brunch pals... More

So happy to hear that Trader Joe's is looking for space in West Seattle, but do like their Mad Ave location. Try for street parking as the garage can be insane. I totally thrilled my brunch pals by bringing dates, Chevre, and prosciutto that I picked up on the way. For less than $15 we were feasting on appetizers that fit in well with my friend's country-club home on the 8th green. Two quick dinner favorites: bagged salad and Tarte D'Alsace or Quattro Formaggio ( don't stop at the 3-cheese version - it's not at all good) frozen pizzas or the frozen barbecue teriyaki chicken paired with a sliced english cuke drizzled with the Spicy Thai Peanut salad dressing and some Shu Mai. My husband starts over 80% of his days with their Vanilla Almond Clusters cereal, and I like their fat free half and half as well as their great selection of soy milk, rice milk, yogurt and organic dairy. It's just a great place for reasonable prices on good-quality items. The only warning I have is that although some cheap wines are OK ("$3 Chuck") others are terrible (the Bull's blood wine and some of the TJ Labels are just not good at all to my taste). Enjoy the discovery.
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Things I love about Trader Joe's: * All-Natural Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits: All-natural and very well-loved puppy cookies in fun--although large--shapes. * Lindeman's Framboise Lambic Ale: They... More

Things I love about Trader Joe's: * All-Natural Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits: All-natural and very well-loved puppy cookies in fun--although large--shapes. * Lindeman's Framboise Lambic Ale: They carry the lambic regularly and in the larger bottle. Take that, QFC. * Mango mochi: Mango mochi. * Happy employees: Smiles and friendly service all around. Also, I like that they wear Hawaiian shirts for their uniform. * Cinnamon & sugar pita chips: Like Cinnamon Toast Crunch, but in chip form. * Molasses ginger cookies: They're delicious, soft and not too ginger-y. I forgot I bought some once and dove in even though it had been awhile (probably too long for me to not think twice before popping one in my mouth). The cookies were still soft (a few seconds in the microwave could have taken care of that if not) and tasty, AND I didn't get sick. * Two-buck Chuck: You can't really beat TJ-brand Charles Shaw for an inexpensive "everyday" wine. Points off for: * Awful parking structure: The last few times I've gone, a police officer has been stationed in the garage to help direct traffic and parking. Having parked there and watched others park sans officer, that's a positive and almost necessary development. * Awful bags: Their bags, while paper and useful for collecting shredded paper recycling, have fake handles. Sure they're there, but they tear away within two minutes of attempting to use them. * Raising the price of tamari almonds by almost $2, making the cost comparable to grocery store bulk areas. * Difficulty keeping popular products in stock. Despite the fact they restock shelves a few times a week, it can be hard to nearly impossible to find certain products, tamari almonds and chocolate-covered sunflower seeds included. Even with those few points off, I walk in to Trader Joe's and find items I would pick up at a regular grocery store--at comparable prices--as well as specialty items. And then I leave with about 15 other things I didn't expect but that delight me, and I go home happy. Lather, rinse, repeat.
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If there's something you suspect you can't get at Safeway, go to Trader Joe's first. Or, if you want to save a bundle on gourmet cheese or like dried fruits, nuts, or trail mixes, come here. None of... More

If there's something you suspect you can't get at Safeway, go to Trader Joe's first. Or, if you want to save a bundle on gourmet cheese or like dried fruits, nuts, or trail mixes, come here. None of the Trader Joe's I've been to in Seattle have as good a selection as the ones I visit when I see family in California or Reno, so I was hoping this new one would be an improved experience. It turned out to be too small a store, but you'll still find the most popular Trader Joe's far. This location is very popular, so be strategic about when you shop if you don't want to confront empty shelves and throngs of people. The parking garage when they opened had the worst design ever. They repainted the lines soon after to create angled parking. They also changed the traffic circulation to reduce accidents, but the garage is still horrid. Compact cars are a tight fit in the angled spots!! Walk here, park on the street, or try to score one of the spots along the southside of the garage.
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I agree, this store is wonderful particularly if you live in Madison Park as we do. It has really great niche items that are hard to find. Having lived in LA, it is nice for this institution to be... More

I agree, this store is wonderful particularly if you live in Madison Park as we do. It has really great niche items that are hard to find. Having lived in LA, it is nice for this institution to be here. The main thing is that they have hard to find and unusual stuff, so when you go there, don't expect the Safeway experience. Here are some things we love to get there: 1. Their special Italian sodas and things. Not sweet and hard to find elsewhere. The grapefruit (really!) and lemon are wonderful. 2. Their various snacks. They have flavored popcorn for instance that is terrific. I actually find their truffles to be too sweet. 3. Their wines. OK, there are more wonderful wine places, but they usual have a good quick selection. As folks mentioned, their parking is very tight, so go there for the quick surgical strike :-)
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And I LOVE them. If I had a car, I would shop Trader Joe's every week, but, sadly, I do not. What amazes me is that all of the Trader Joe's products, form their bread to their cookies are... More

And I LOVE them. If I had a car, I would shop Trader Joe's every week, but, sadly, I do not. What amazes me is that all of the Trader Joe's products, form their bread to their cookies are amazingly well made. The wine selection in The Capitol Hill store is one of the best in Seattle.
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Greek yogurt (the real thing), italian pasta, thai side dishes, excellent and cheap sandwiches and salads for lunch, organic milk by the gallon, reasonably priced and GOOD wine.... the list goes on... More

Greek yogurt (the real thing), italian pasta, thai side dishes, excellent and cheap sandwiches and salads for lunch, organic milk by the gallon, reasonably priced and GOOD wine.... the list goes on and on. I love Trader Joe's and have been a fan since before moving here 15 years ago. Now there is one on Capitol Hill and I am happy as can be. My only beef: the garages at this store and the Univesity District store must have been designed by the architecturally-challenged (lame lame lame). Otherwise, love this place!
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Trader Joes is a West Coast institution. It's selection of groceries is particularly unique. This branch also has a great Wine selection. The parking lot is incredibly tight to get into however.... More

Trader Joes is a West Coast institution. It's selection of groceries is particularly unique. This branch also has a great Wine selection. The parking lot is incredibly tight to get into however. It's also not a huge store. While they have all the necessities and an eclectic selection of always delicious frozen foods, the fresh meat and produce section is smaller than I'd like.
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