I received this text tonight: "How long should I wait OUTSIDE of trader joes before calling it a loss"
Trader Joe's is not a place to get hot concert tickets or the secret location of a sample sale - it's a grocery store.
Photo taken in line at Trader Joe's line: April 2010
Trader Joe's on 14th street is the outpost of California's genius idea to offer foods with their "Trader Joe" brand name to cut out the middle man, therefore cutting your costs. BARGAIN ALERT! In a sea of specialty grocery stores - seriously, I don't care if the sheep were hugged while giving the milk for this cheese - it's refreshing to find a grocery store that can be affordable, and dare I say cheap. Best of the other world is that the food is healthy, fresh, and tasty - I love their frozen veggies, snack size-packed almonds, and bags of mixed greens for salads. I am not an organic fanatic, but turns out most of what is available at Trader Joe's is organic - and at the lowest price available.
So to the lines - is it worth it? Is it worth walking over 15 minutes home carrying your bags of groceries? Is it worth standing in line for half an hour waiting for the cashier scooting your basket? With the "Grand Sampling Station", cheerful workers in Hawaiian shirts, and paying for a week's worth of groceries under $50, then yeah, I'd say it is worth it.
And don't forget to visit the Trader Joe Wine Shop next door - great wine on the chizzeap.
142 E. 14th St. New York, NY 10003
Trading Hours: 8 am - 10 pm
Phone: 212.529.4612
