s/o: 2012 worst Trader Joe's products....

[AnnieW625]

The Speculoos cookie butter tops my list. I don't get why people like it. Plus there is now a crunchy verson (saw it last night). Isn't it crunchy enough? I mean I think the crunchy bits were the reason I didn't like it.

Vanilla Almond milk. I tried to get DD1 to drink it (BBB guilt had me feeling self concious about giving her soy milk, even though it was non GMO) and she hated it. I think DH may have used it for his creamer, but I don't recall. We bought the TJ's store brand.

Turkey hotdogs. These were fine the first couple of times I had them, but then I started getting horrible gas pains after eating them.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Low sodium cream of tomato soup.

[bisous]

I don't like their frozen pizzas. I love their tarte d'alsace but the pizzas are really not good. Pizza dough is fantastic though!

I'm not a super fan of their produce. Sometimes it is good and I really like shopping at TJs so I will just buy produce there because it is easier. But I really need to stop. Fresh and Easy produce is just really much, much better.

[anonomom]

Sea Salt caramels. So disappointing!
Vanilla Jo-Joes. Not my cup of tea.
Frozen food, in general (with a few exceptions). This one's because my TJs habitually lets its freezers warm up and partially thaw the foods. It squicks me out and makes anything wrapped in pastry impossible to separate without ruining at least one or two pieces.

[alootikki]

We tried the frozen chicken satay as a party appetizer last week, and I thought it smelled awful!

[AnnieW625]

Pizza dough is fantastic though!
.

See this is on my all time refuse to buy any longer list from TJ's. I can't get it to cook right. I have tried a million tips and my oven just doesn't like it at all. It is always too doughy. I have let it sit out, I have preheated my Pampered Chef bar pan, I have used a regular cookie sheet, I have par baked it before putting topings on it, and the dough it still too chewy, like an uncooked chewy. I don't get why that product doesn't work for me.

I buy Bobili instead for when we have home made pizza, but in reality I really miss their 3 Cheese Pizza bread (think their three cheese breadsticks in a pre made pizza bread). That was heaven, and maybe I have an emotional attachment because I used to make it a lot in college too.

[daniele_ut]

The Speculoos cookie butter tops my list. I don't get why people like it. Plus there is now a crunchy verson (saw it last night). Isn't it crunchy enough? I mean I think the crunchy bits were the reason I didn't it.

Those words are heresy around here. DH lived in Holland for 2 years and Speculaas cookies are a favorite in this house over almost any other kind of cookie. Our First TJs just opened in November and we only bought a few treats for Christmas stockings but DH bought 4 jars of cookie butter:bag

[wellyes]

That's the cookie dough that is packaged like peanut butter? I loved it, but, it made me kinda ill. I am usually a ironed-stomached but that stuff, never again.

I think their produce is "eh" and I hated the flatbread pizza.

[boolady]

I realize that I am about to be pummeled with virtual stones, but I can't stand the smell or taste of their turkey meatballs. I don't buy produce there-- it never looks too hot at the store closest to our house.

[athompson]

^^^
Thank you, Boolady! I thought it was just me. The smell is pretty awful.

[brittone2]

I mostly dislike buying produce (have good luck with some things but have learned to be verrrry picky about what I buy) there, and locally, I won't buy fresh meat there.

WHen we were in my current state and shopped at a different TJs years ago, I regularly ran into expired (sometimes very expired!) meats, and at the time I was 40 mins from TJs, so it was a PITB to return in a timely fashion. Then we moved to a different state, and the meat was fine there. Moved back to same state we started out in, and a new TJs opened. That one has sometimes iffy meat too, IME. So, I'll buy deli/cured meats (bacon, sausage, deli meat) but I've had terrible luck with regular fresh meats. It must be regional distribution issue or something with how it is handled, because we didn't seem to encounter issues in NC.

Frozen food can be okay but have to triple check that seals are tight, etc. as they seem to have issues with that (read about this years ago and once I was on the lookout I noticed it a good bit).

[egoldber]

Low sodium cream of tomato soup.

Word. The regular is yummy, but this one is gross. I also think their butternut squash soup is gross.

I think a lot of their frozen Asian food is nasty. But I do like most of the frozen Mexican food I have tried.

I thought the frozen turkey meatballs were eh.


BBB guilt had me feeling self concious about giving her soy milk, even though it was non GMO

I love their vanilla soymilk and that is the only "milk" younger DD will drink.

[brittone2]

I realize that I am about to be pummeled with virtual stones, but I can't stand the smell or taste of their turkey meatballs. I don't buy produce there-- it never looks too hot at the store closest to our house.
I'm not a fan either.

[maydaymommy]

Funny how varied this is!

We always have Vanilla Joe Joes on hand, one of our favorites.

Did NOT like the Kale chips w/ nacho-type flavoring.
Bleck.

There a chocolate chip cookie, sold frozen, shaped like a little muffin & it was filled with molten chocolate. Called Journey to the Center of the Cookie, maybe.
Not a fan.

Did not care for the pumpkin oatmeal or pumpkin cereal bars.

[Twoboos]

I realize that I am about to be pummeled with virtual stones, but I can't stand the smell or taste of their turkey meatballs. I don't buy produce there-- it never looks too hot at the store closest to our house.


^^^
Thank you, Boolady! I thought it was just me. The smell is pretty awful.

:yeahthat: The turkey meatballs do not sit well with us. At all.

Produce is iffy. I have to really check it over/check dates.

[indigo99]

Just threw out a package of gingerbread cookies I got there (from Germany). DH took one bite. I managed about 3. The bottom layer was like cardboard (a ricecake I think). The middle was stale, and even the chocolate on top couldn't save it. Ick.

[chottumommy]

Their frozen Indian entrees - taste like sawdust. Don't like their produce either.

[YouAreTheFocus]

Turkey bacon. It was full of feathers and bone fragments. I still heave thinking about it.

[kara97210]

Did NOT like the Kale chips w/ nacho-type flavoring.
Bleck.


The cashier at my TJs talked me out of buying the nacho kale chips. She said they were awful and overpriced. She actually recommended going to WF or making my own. Glad I listened to her advice.

I don't like the turkey meatballs either.

[DrSally]

I thought I would like the gorditos, but did not like them at all-- too heavy and not very tasty

[cvanbrunt]

Another turkey meatball and produce hater here! And the chicken egg rolls; couldn't even finish one.

[brittone2]

Turkey bacon. It was full of feathers and bone fragments. I still heave thinking about it.
Oh my. Gag.

[Tondi G]

Turkey bacon. It was full of feathers and bone fragments. I still heave thinking about it.

ewww thank god we didn't have fragments and feathers in our package. I just thought it tasted like fried bologna so we never bought it again. My DH loves Jenny O turkey bacon.

[jammytoast]

Just threw out a package of gingerbread cookies I got there (from Germany). DH took one bite. I managed about 3. The bottom layer was like cardboard (a ricecake I think). The middle was stale, and even the chocolate on top couldn't save it. Ick.

Everyone in my house hates these but these are super authentic and I loooove them so more for me! The rice paper bottom is the best, but I'm nostalgic for them. (Lived in Germany from age 5-17)

[maestramommy]

Their brand of Cheetos. To paraphrase a friend. TJ's Cheetos taste like communism.

[maestramommy]

Turkey bacon. It was full of feathers and bone fragments. I still heave thinking about it.

That is disgusting. I hope you took it back!

[Seitvonzu]

i completely agree with whoever said "pumpkin oatmeal"-- bleck. gack. gross. and THIN (and i'm pretty sure i used less water than called for because i always do....)

i haven't actually tried the pumpkin cereal bars, but DD likes them okay (she takes them as a snack to preschool...of course, she liked the oatmeal too, but never asked for anymore after the first time)

i'm not a fan of the edamame hummus. the frozen edamame? yes. but the hummus is blecko to me.

and i don't like the kale/yogurt dip either. love kale.love yogurt. love dips....just something "off" about this one to me

[momtoonegirl]

Chicken sausage with spinach and fontina cheese. I think that by far was the worse smelling product. The odor was strong like rotten food, although the expiration was weeks away. Blech.

[oneplustwo]

The pumpkin butter. :duck: Tried it on the many BBB recommendations, and just did not like it at all. Too sweet, just yuck for me. The kids didn't particularly care for it either. Sat in the back of our fridge for close to a year before I finally threw it out.

At the two TJs I visit, the produce never looks enticing, so I've never bought any.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Their brand of Cheetos. To paraphrase a friend. TJ's Cheetos taste like communism.

No way! Of course, I haven't eaten real Cheetos in decades so maybe I just don't have an accurate comparison in my head. I think they are awesome...too awesome. We could eat a bag in a day here!

[rin]

This thread is cracking me up, since some of our family's favorite foods are on here! Another lover of the German gingerbread cookies; my family's German, and they taste just like the real thing from Germany. We also regularly buy the turkey meatballs and the turkey hot dogs, just to name a few others.

Stuff I don't like from there . . .their tortillas (super dry and weird tasting), and they seem to have questionable cheese-cutting-implement practices since their cheese always grows mold pretty quickly. Their produce isn't great, although I do get some things there regularly (their cremini mushrooms, their winter squash, their apples).

[american_mama]

I think everyone who spends too much at TJ, like me, should read this thread before every visit. It will totally turn you off to the store!

Seriously, consistently bad produce, unreliable meat and frozen food hygenie, stale/expired/putrid food? Why do we shop there?

I love sweets and ate a lot of speculoos in Belgium while living there, but I don't like the cookie butter. It's like the inside of an oreo ground with graham crackers. Speculoos are an institution in Belgium, but I never heard of speculoos butter. Also, I am pretty sure Biscoff spread is the same thing, and that's sold at Kroger.

I didn't like their Moshi frozen Japanese ice cream balls, covered in kind of a sweet rice paste fondant. The balls are big, so too much if you find them not so good. The rice fondant gets soft fast and reminds me of bubble gum in the summer. Just kind of yucky.

[KpbS]

Their brand of Cheetos. To paraphrase a friend. TJ's Cheetos taste like communism.

:ROTFLMAO::ROTFLMAO:

This thread is making me feel better that we don't have any TJ's in our state.

[TwinFoxes]

The pumpkin butter. :duck: Tried it on the many BBB recommendations, and just did not like it at all.

Them's fightin' words!:11:

;)
We eat it mixed into things, like oatmeal. Or I put a thin schmear on pancakes, at least there are vitamins, not like syrup. :)

But I hate those turkey meatballs too. Blech, greasy tasting.

Their soba noodle lunch had 40%+ of the recommended sodium. I couldn't bring myself to eat that even though I didn't notice until after it was at home.

The worst for me is those little frozen turkey meatloaf medallions. DISGUSTING!!!

[essnce629]

Chipotle Caesar Salad with Chicken-- bleh...I couldn't even finish it.

Turkey meatballs-- also gross, but I LOVE the Party Size Mini Meatballs which are great with BBQ sauce.

[maestramommy]

No way! Of course, I haven't eaten real Cheetos in decades so maybe I just don't have an accurate comparison in my head. I think they are awesome...too awesome. We could eat a bag in a day here!

They were extremely bland. My sister told me to try the cheese puffs instead, which I haven't gotten around to, and now won't be able to for a while, until I'm done with South Beach:p