About – The Blog, The Author
Eat At Joes is a blog all about the stuff you find at Trader Joes. The stuff that makes you go, “Man, I wonder if that’s any good or what?” I will buy those things for you. I will eat them for you and tell you. That is the service I will provide. No thanks will be necessary, although I probably will accept them anyway.
This blog is written by an anonymous figure who seeks only to make shopping at Trader Joe’s a better experience for all humanity. The author is not a hoity-toity food critic – the author is just a normal person with a normal home, a limited kitchen and a slightly above normal sweet tooth.
Is the blog’s author actually a woman – a strong woman of color?!?! No, he’s not. He’s just another white guy with a blog, and so shall stay anonymous for all time. “No need for another self-aggrandizing white guy in the blogosphere”, that’s his motto, and he will live by it, fiercely.
Thank you for reading this. I like you.
– D.C.
Eating At Joes 
DC, are you cold and on hiatus? The first thing I thought was ‘man, I wonder what he thought of the Fig Butter and the Pumpkin Butter’ and I searched….lots of great reviews and still going through them but it looks as though your life will not be complete without giving the fruit butters a whirl (a whirl on a whole wheat TJ’s English muffin is a great start) and then wax poetic on the virtues of these luscious offerings. Sweet and rich, all flavor….but, you can find out for yourself. Hurry, hurry!
I love the Fig Butter
Love, love, love this! Your reviews are insight and humorous! Please keep it up!
Hey anonymous! I live in Denver and the big news here is that Trader Joe’s is finally coming to town! In honor of the occasion I made a music video entitled, “I’m Camping Out at Trader Joe’s.” If you want to have a good laugh, please check it out. Here’s the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZanPK09eneQ
Enjoy!
Julie Geller
Huzzah, Trader Joe’s in Colorado at last! Tell you what, Julie, I’ll make a special trip out to Colorado just to try out something from the new store when it opens.
Deal!
How do the Olive Oils at Joes compare to other stores?
Excellent question, Mr. T Davis. Not one I have an answer for, unfortunately. I have not yet tried any of Trader Joe’s olive oils. Maybe try checking out the TJ page on the issue: http://www.traderjoes.com/how-to/olive-oil.asp, and/or this blog that focuses specifically on supermarket olive oils: http://www.truthinoliveoil.com/2013/08/trader-joes-extravirgins-and-floozies
Let us know if you find out anything meaningful!
The organic olive oil is really good!
about a year ago, i heard somebody who seemed reputable (sorry i forget who) deemed TJ’s extra virgin oilive oil as the only excellent quality “cheap olive oil.” hope that helps. obviously they have several different olive oils, so i don’t quite know what that referred to specifically. for myself, i’m only familiar with the garlic-infused organic spanish one, which i like, but be warned that the flavor is very strong.
Ask the store manager. Apparently one of the olive oil is award-winning.
I absolutely love your writing style and your amazing, thorough reviews. I will have to double check with your blog when it comes to buying ambiguous TJ products… please keep doing what you do, D.C. Carry on, carry on. 🙂
I’m just one man… one man, making a difference.
Thanks Melanie, that’s really nice to hear!
Dude, Sir. I anxiously await every new entry. I am the Demo Coordinator at TJ’s in Bailey’s Crossroads, VA, five miles from the Nations Capitol. Thought it would be cool to sport your decal on my car, so I bought one through PayPal on 10/15, but have never received it. Help!!
Thanks–Ken
Oh. My. God. Ken, thank you for your support! I wasn’t sent notice of your payment for some reason. I’ll have your decal sent out immediately, plus a second decal by way of apology!
Great blog! First landed here after searching TJ’s Super Spinach Salad. Wondered just how healthy it actually was, and you answered (for good or bad). Liked the recent post on TJ’s Poutine, so that got me to go out and buy it. Not too bad, but I think it’s still better from scratch. I recently posted about the TJ’s Grilled Pickled Dubliner on my blog. That’s been one of the most popular TJ’s recipes I’ve made, and very easy.
As you can tell from my deluge of comments, I just read your blog from beginning to end. Thank you so much for all your time and attention to detail on the topic of my favorite food store!
Glad you liked it, Carolina! Great comments about great food!
[…] My Trader Joe’s video (and subsequent concert) was all over the local Denver press and in Trader Joe’s blogs around the country. I am working now on a song about the craziness of working and raising children […]
This blog is exactly what I need in my life. As a Trader Joe’s junkie who suffers from overwhelming food optimism, I have been burned too many times by exotic new offerings, and I love that I can just hop on this website and figure out a plan of attack before my next shopping spree. Thanks a lot, anonymous blogger, you are the best!
Anonymous blogger thanks you.
I love this blog! Thank you for your service to humanity!
Anonymous blogger thanks you.
You show nutrition-information panels; would you consider also showing the ingredients list? This info would help those of us with food allergies and sensitivities.
Thanks for the writing the blog, I love the content.
I love Trader Joe’s . Been shopping there for awhile.
I’ve been obsessively reading your reviews for the past 24 hours. Thank you for trying dehydrated kimchi, and allowing me to never ever try it. Many disasters have been averted, thanks to your posts, and even more cookie-butter products purchased.
Ha ha – thanks Jinie!
If you’re a mushroom fan and want a “two-fer,” the sauteed mushrooms in the freezer section are REALLY good over the brown-rice-and-quinoa pasta. The pasta in and of itself is the best GF pasta I’ve ever had as long as it doesn’t get overcooked: it’s got a really chewy, wonderful texture.
Hi D.C.
I wanted to reach out to you to see if you had the opportunity to check out Trader Joe’s new Portobello Mushroom Fries! I have and I know you LOVE TRADER JOE’S as much as I do and hope that you will do a review on them!
Here are my thoughts on them!
I picked up Portobella Mushroom fries from Trader Joe’s and if I were to give one word to describe this product it is “AWESOME”. I had never tried Portobella Mushrooms in the shape of fries and must say Trader Joe’s has come up with a great, unique idea in creating this excellent product. On opening the package, I instantly noticed nice looking firm pieces of Portabella mushrooms which were coated very lightly. The aroma and flavor was that of a typical Fresh Portobella Mushroom. I cooked a few pieces in my oven and did a little different technique in heating than what is suggested on the bag – I turned the fries over after 7 minutes and cooked them for another 8 minutes. The result? Crisp fries which were moist inside as mushrooms have lot of water! I could not resist and finished the entire bag in one sitting! The best is that there is no grease and it was crispy all around.
I give this product FIVE STARS not only they are amazing but all the ingredients are natural products, no fillers and no gums as we often see in other similar products.
The only negative side is that product is truly addictive!! Trader Joe’s offers an amazing price point of $3.99 for a 12 ounce bag. Way to go Trader Joe’s!!
…. these Trader Joe’s portobello mushroom fries could be the start of a trend to reverse our walk toward the edge of the industrial food cliff. These mushroom fries are truly something good for us, and not something against us.
I never knew mushrooms had such positive health qualities. You hear so much about garlic and oregano, and these are very beneficial, but portobello mushrooms match them in almost every category. And I never really knew how healthy portobello mushrooms are. Rich in Fiber and anti-oxidants they are a great immune system defense. And I never knew they contained so much water, making them low in energy density. Foods that are low in energy density can help you lose weight or maintain a healthy weight.
Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, these portobello mushroom fries are harvested and frozen on the very same day. If Trader Joe’s has success with these mushroom fries. it means that more food will be brought to us in this most respectful and life-centered manner.
And the same day harvesting and freezing is key to why these lightly battered Portobello mushroom fries are so rich in taste, (and so inexpensive at $3.99 a bag). They could be a snacks side dish or appetizer.
Trader Joe’s must be commended for offering such low price quality for this dish that could be an appetizer or snack for children and adults. Small things add up to big things. Simple mushrooms bring us back to what is of real value.
I recently started shopping at Trader Joe’s, This blog is great, thank you! I recently also tried Trader Joe’s new Portobella Mushroom Fries, and they were so good!!
I have another great mushroom choice. Trader Joe’s Portobello Mushroom Fries. Brand new and in the Flyer this week, They are some of the best mushrooms I have ever had. Just heat them in the oven, turn them over once and you will see how delicious they are. Crispy, full and juicy all at the same time. Lightly battered, they might be the future of fries, though I love potatoes.
And by the way, mushrooms are 95 percent water, so as you bake them there will be a little bit of water on the cooking sheet.
I think this is the best frozen food item I’ve had a Trader Joe’s. And I’ve been shopping at TJ’s since the beginning. (When they first opened in the Boston area)
What a great blog idea..I’m always staring for way too long at the strange and intriguing items I see at T.J.’s now I will scan your blog before I delve into a blind food commitment! Thank you!
Thank you, Norma!
Hiya! In case you feel like taking a break from the Pumpkin theme, I’d love your take on 2 items: the sriracha ranch dressing, and the ghost pepper potato chips. I had a bit of a confusing time with them, as I thought the chips would blow my doors off since ghost pepper is ostensibly the spiciest of the spicy (they taste like slightly spicy barbecue chips), whereas I think when I breathed in while eating the ranch dressing, I burned off some of my nose hairs. It’s pretty daring for TJ’s – I wonder if it will last. Thanks for this blog – I look forward to new posts!
Hey Mara – I actually covered the Sriracha Ranch already. I agree – I think it’s actually spicier than their straight Sriracha! And I have a bag of the Ghost Pepper Potato Chips sitting on my counter. Couldn’t agree more – completely underwhelming.
I found it – sorry about that! Thank you for responding: sorry I didn’t see it before this, but I came by to write a long post about all the underwhelming chocolate offerings this holiday season has brought…since I’ve now tried almost all of them. All my best, Mara
Hi
Has anyone ever tried the TRADER JOE’S SPARKLING CUCUMBER BEVERAGE?
It was in the Boca Raton store and disappeared never to be seen again.
It was unbelievable.
LETS DEMAND for its return.
I would like to say hello, and thank you so much for creating this blog!
When I was still in college, I relied heavily on Trader Joe’s for food that was actually edible, not bad for me (relatively speaking), and wouldn’t drain my wallet. Reading your guide and the Fearless Flyer together was a boon in helping me find new products and figure out whether or not I wanted to try them, and even now that I’ve graduated and I’m (almost) on my own, I still shop at Trader Joe’s, and I still enjoy reading the blog and hearing your opinions on TJ’s products as they arrive.
Thanks again, and keep up the good work!
Hi! Can you include the current prices of all the items too? I find myself tempted by your reviews, but am sadly constrained by a grad student budget.
Hi there,
Actually I’ve already started doing that! Every reviews since June 2015 lists the price in the right-hand sidebar (just below the 5-star ranking grade).
The better news is that Trader Joe’s is extremely affordable – almost everything I’ve reviewed from TJ’s has been under $4.99.
This ain’t no Whole Foods – this is good food for the common man!
Just in case you have a yearning to try and review any of the season’s chocolate-involved fare, I thought I’d give you a quick run-down of what I’ve tried so far and what I thought:
Chocolate marbles: better used as real marbles. They have that awful waxy coating that makes getting to the center much more unenjoyable. And they’re small enough that getting them open and scooping out the middle would be a royal pain. Oh, and they’re set in a plastic mold that makes them impossible to remove unless you flip them out with a spoon, in which case you risk losing them under the oven (not that that happened).
Chocolate-covered peppermint Joe-Joes: the best of the holiday lot. Little crunchy bits of peppermint atop real dark chocolate-enrobed Joe-Joes. A little saltier and they’d be a 10/10.
Dark chocolate sea-salt caramels: great for anyone who wants salt rocks on their sea-salt caramels instead of a few little grains. For me, entirely overwhelming. Plus, the chocolate is very hard (i.e. not at all melty in the mouth) and the caramel is very soft (almost pours out when you bite into it).
Dark-chocolate caramel mystery taster box thing: I tried to get one of these last year and was too late, so I was pretty excited to grab one this season. Truth is, it’s the same very hard dark-chocolate with flavored caramels that are just not that great. The caramel itself is quite sandy/gritty in some of the choices, and in others the flavor just presents as something cloyingly sweet.
Chocolate Brooklyn Babka (will they even carry this in your store, I wonder?): I would never have bought this, but they were serving samples of it. Damn them. It’s mushy and pliant and exceedingly chocolaty. It’s dangerous and I will never have it in my home because it will be gone, and I will be sick.
I think that about rounds up my experiments. If I missed anything that involves chocolate and you want me to be your pre-review guinea pig, I’m likely game. Happy holidays and thanks for being a consistent source of cheer.
Wow -great reviews, thanks!
I’ve heard a lot about the babka, but I have yet to see it out here on the West Coast.
Great blog! I love your reviews. They are hilarious and accurate. I agree with nearly every one, and you have a great reviewing system! 🙂
Thank you, so glad you’re enjoying it!
I would love to see a review of the four formaggio frozen pizza and the new sticky toffee pudding and peppermint cheesecake! Love your blog!
In my quest for a feasible way to work Burdock into my life, it appears I’ve gotten myself sidetracked here at your blog. Newly-discovering items i’ve been overlooking in the aisles, apparently, I’m finding the experience of perusing your blog highly enjoyable. You are informative AND amusing (Dried Kimchi, dodged a bullet there…see, this truly is a service you provide;-).
You okay? Haven’t seen a post in awhile. The “no-stir” peanut butter may not be review-worthy, but it’s pretty good…
Am missing you!
Nice site! I like your sense of humor! However, I knew you must be a dude since there is no button for me to share anything here on Pinterest!
[…] spoke to one of my best best friends after years. I can’t remember when we last spoke on the phone before this, and it’s […]
The author of this blog simply doesn’t know food. This is a normal person with limited kitchen, he/she described themselves. People like that go to fast food places, like it and DON”T know food. After reading a few items reviewed here by the author, I realized these reviews are not worth reading and believing.
Thanks for taking the time to post that…
Don’t forget the great background image. Well worth a visit for many who feel the same.
To Anonymous:
I do hope you will continue to believe that PJ’s reviews are not worthy of your attention, and thus will never be back! One has to wonder why you didn’t just click off instead of leaving gratuitous unpleasantness in a place where we all find so much quirky, delicious delight!
Thanks for reading the blog, Lynn! Glad you like it!
Rest easy – I’ve made a note to myself to stop reviewing PJ’s products. Good suggestion!
Thank you for taking the time to spit vitriol in the face of someone you don’t know.
It all started withbgoogling bacon jam which led me here and now it’s 1am and I’ve scrolled through multiple pages of this blog and I’m wondering what I’m doing with my life, and yet I feel so wildly amused and satisfied from reading your posts. What a trip
That’s nice to hear. Thank you for reading, Ed!
First time l’ve ever binge-read an ENTIRE blog. Great job! Highly entertaining, and I won’t deny it, rather inspiring. I feel like maybe I have not been using my Trader Joe’s to it’s fullest potential and I intend to remedy that in all haste. I hope you still enjoy posting and will continue to do so in the future. And I thank you for your efforts in bringing us this fun read.
I also have not been using TJ’s to its fullest potential and am now exploring the heck out of my local store.. I’ve been reading review blogs a lot lately and really like the way products are described here, even if I might somewhat disagree with the final word of the blogger..
Great blog…Thank you for presenting it… :O)
Just stumbled across this blog, and it’s been highly entertaining so far! Such a shame you appear to have stopped posting, please come back!
Thank you!
Some day, I shall return.