Visiting this Trader Joe's at the right time is very important. For some reason this place is always chaotically busy! Crowded aisles, yelling employees, so on. The staff is nice although some cashiers can be hit or miss. The selection is decent, it's not a huge store and they were out of a number of things on my last visit (granted it was after the holiday). I do love that they have gluten free, dairy free, and other dietary specific foods. The vibe of this place is very hustle and bustle. Typically a lot of chatter and other shoppers unless you're visiting on an off day. Overall they tend to have what i need, likely will be true for you!

I love Trader Joe's. I really do. The service is always amazing: folks are friendly, helpful, and genuinely seem to enjoy helping and delivering a little extra joy (I somehow always leave happier than when I came in). It's a little bit of balm for the spirit along with your groceries. The selection is also amazing--along with your regular groceries and sundries, you can find unique items available both seasonally and year-round. I am especially partial to shopping their perimeter: excellent produce at a great price, including items that you can't always find elsewhere, a great ready-to-eat section with items for everyone (carnivores, vegans, gluten-lovers, and gluten-free folks: they've got something you'll love), and a highly respectable cheese case with the basics and some fancies, all at appealing prices. Trader Joe's has a homey and welcoming vibe. You definitely feel welcome, and there's a feeling of abundance but not excess. The parking lot is a little on the small side, but spots are usually available at all but the most peak hours.

It is a great location with all of the products and customer service you know and love. It is also such a wonderful place for flowers... I often come here for that aspect alone. My only complaint is the parking lot, which always seems to be pure chaos. I would opt for street parking on Excelsior or in the free parking garage about a half block down the street.

Before I get into my overall impression of Trader Joe's [TJ's] I want to go on a fairly lengthy review of TJ's Smoked Ghost Chiles. The grinder makes a rare (once a year - seasonally?) appearance in the spice section. I'm told that when it does it sells out fairly quickly. As a fan myself I get it. However please take it from me that a very little goes a long way. I'm a person who enjoys hot (spicy) food [I empty a container of Kill 'em Wid It sauce at Pimento, add generous dollops of Harry Singh's bottled hot sauce, have sampled (and liked) some of the spicy hottest local wings, etc]. However there is something about the smoked, dried chiles that makes the accompanying grinder virtually superfluous. Better the spice "came with a tweezer" as friend suggested. I was warned several times in advance but of course I thought that I knew better. I put a couple of twists into some chili I was preparing. Yikes!!! Only after diluting it by adding a cup of Mission Salsa (which in contrast tasted like ketchup) and a generous amount of shredded CoJack cheese did the concoction go from being so hot as to be inedible (for all but the most adventurous among us) to consumable (barely). I have learned (I hope) from my cooking hubris. A pinch of the spice is all that is needed. BTW, don't place your hands anywhere near your eyes until they have been thoroughly washed. In fact you might not want to store the grinder anywhere near anything remotely flammable, (just sayin'). I was fortunate to have avoided self immolation myself and remain grateful that TJ's offers the chiles. I only want to share this cautionary tale with others to prevent possible suffering ;-). Anyway, I have been shopping at TJ's for years (usually at this location or the one north of 394 in Minnetonka). It took me a while to figure out how the store worked for me but now I think that I understand what it is and what it is not. It is not a buy all groceries kind of place and frankly not everything appeals to me. The bulk nuts can occasionally taste stale and the the dried fruit can be tough and desiccated. That said I do have a near addiction to their Chili Spiced Mango. An assortment of other favorites (I'm thinking they come as no surprise to veteran shoppers) include: Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, Dark Chocolate Almonds, Cold Brew concentrate, "Everything But" seasoning, frozen Breaded Chicken Breast, frozen Hashed Brown patties (they look like something you might get elsewhere but these are much better), frozen Jasmine Rice, frozen Chicken Tikka Masala, frozen Tiramisu, assorted salsas, assorted juices and a fairly wide variety of what strikes me as flavorful while wandering the aisles. Free samples are a frequent offering and I have subsequently purchased some real unexpected treats that way (after all, isn't that what samples are for). Parking at this particular location can be challenging (try parking on the street or in the free ramp nearby). The lot at the Mtka location is much easier and the store is larger than its SLP counterpart. I have found that I don't go to TJ's for routine stuff. But it has selections that you don't often find elsewhere and purveys some pretty amazing items at a decent value. Look around TJ's if you are so inclined and I wouldn't be at all surprised if you run across something(s) irresistible.

I love a good Trader Joe's run! This SLP location is centrally located off of Excelsior. Park can be tough, especially on the weekends. TJs doesn't have everything you need, but a great freezer section. Also samples came back!

10/4/22: Came here a couple of times during my visit to Minnesooootttaaahhh. I'm always a fan of TJ's and whenever we're in this part of the city, this is the location we come to (but my fave is Woodbury: huge parking lot). Great products, prices & service! Pretty much all TJ's are alike, 5 stars. The only reason I gave this location 4 stars is because of their tiny, horrid parking lot. It's a fender bender always waiting to happen. We never park in their lot. PRO TIP: park in the Excelsior & Grand parking garage that's just down the street. It's free, and it'll hopefully lessen your chances of your car getting dinged. They also have apartments above their store, so I can only imagine the rent there! But what convenience for those residents!

I love this TJ's - I come here all the time for most of my groceries. As we all know, TJs doesn't have everything so I usually have to stop at a Cub or Lunds on the way home, but the prices and quality at TJs are just unbeatable. The staff at this location are super friendly, it even has a joined liquor store, and they have some surprisingly good meat prices - especially the drumsticks, shaved beef (for sandwiches), leg of lamb, and salmon. And if you've never had their chocolate peanut butter pretzels before, they are a must!

I can't believe this, I'm so excited I'm shaking. I just stepped into and shopped in the first Trader Joe's in MN This is what I was told, and if you heard otherwise please don't ruin this for me. Because of its pretty urban location, the parking lot may struggle to accommodate everyone. I parked on the street. As far as products and service, my very attentive cashier noticed an egg that was a bit on the brittle side and had a co-worker bring me a 'better' carton. So all and all I'm pretty happy with my shopping experience.