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When it comes tocult-favorite private labels, few grocery retailers can rival Trader Joe’s.
Photo: Shutterstock. Design: Eat This, Not That!
Every grocery run feels like a culinary treasure hunt, offering new discoveries and fresh creations nearly every week.
Are they as good as they look on the boxor are they just another flash in the pan?
Not every recipe is a winner, and Trader Joe’s has cooked up a few duds.
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This Mediterranean dish, however, falls short.
“Most disappointing item I’ve ever had from TJs.
It tasted like a bowl of cumin,” commentedone Reddit useron the subreddit r/traderjoes.
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“I’m a firm believer of not wasting food, but I couldn’t finish it.
“Another added, “I tried this once and regretted it immediately.”
Save that freezer space for atop-notch frozen pastafrom the island-themed grocer instead.
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“Just tried the Cacio e Pepe sauce and it was very underwhelming.
“It definitely wasn’t awful, but seems to be missing something aside from being mostly salt-forward.
For a top-to-bottom ranking of all of Trader Joe’s pasta sauces,read more here.
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I got one mushroom and it left a horrible flavor in my mouth for the rest of the night.
The chicken was spongy.
It’s by far the [worst] thing I’ve EVER tried at TJ’s.
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“[W]hat is up with the honey walnut shrimp?
“one Redditor postedto the subreddit.
“I read good reviews, but I couldn’t even finish half of my serving.
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Maybe the sauce reminded me too much of the icing that comes with toaster strudels or something.
Weird consistency too.”
“[T]hat was the nastiest sauce I’ve ever tasted.
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it smelt so bad, and I had to hold my nose while eating it.
[D]o not purchase this omg,“posted another shopper.
“The texture of the sauce doesn’t bother me as much as the smell.
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It really makes my stomach turn,“wrote a third commenter.
“I feel betrayed by the butternut squash Mac and cheese,“posted a Reddit userin December 2024.
“This butternut squash mac and cheese has received so much praise I felt it necessary to buy two.
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I tried it tonight and was severely underwhelmed.”
The products apparently taste different.
I used to love this stuff.
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But, the last two years I too have been disappointed.”
The reality is much more bleak, according to customers who say that the picture is deceiving.
“Why didn’t anyone warn me about the beef shepherd’s pie?!
“posted one on r/traderjoes.
“Wouldn’t recommend.”
“The first time I had it I loved it.
Big chunks of meat and flavorful.
“Never again.”
Sadly, this Sri Lankan curry is one note, and shoppers say it’s not good.
“Worst thing I’ve ever had from TJs,“posted one Reddit user.
“[I]t’s flavorless, artificial, and the rice texture is awful.
I love curry and eat most [things] but actually threw this in the trash.”
Other commenters chimed in that it was either tasteless or had too much salt.
“I learned my lesson with the shelf stable noodle bowls,“a commenter wrote.
However, this vegetarian pad thai is not one of them.
“Vegetable Pad Thai is a let down,“one shopper postedon the subreddit.
The sour tamarind and the peanut flavor became one in a not very good way.
There were about 4 nibblets of tofu.
Would not recommend.”
“It tastes like vomit!”
“I personally thought they were pretty bland.
I liked the texture of the mashed potatoes but no taste.
“They aren’t that great.
Good idea but the ratio of meat to potato isn’t to my liking,“a commenter replied.
“One sip is all I could take!
Sorry TJ’s…this is really, really bad!
“another Reddit user wrote.
