Trader Joe's, a popular grocery store famous for its unique snack options, often sees its products receive mixed customer reviews. A dedicated Trader Joe's shopper recently shared a list of their favorite snacks and some items they recommend avoiding.
Trader Joe's Lemon Cake Sparks Mixed Reactions
Trader Joe's recently featured a lemon-flavored mini sheet cake, priced at just $5.49, in a TikTok video where they tagged products as a "yes" or a "no." The cake was initially recommended by the account @traderjoesnew, who assured shoppers it was worth buying.
Despite this endorsement, customer reviews were sharply divided. One dissatisfied customer said, "I threw away most of that lemon cake. I knew it would be sweet, but it was excessively over-the-top." Another added, "Lemon cake was dry."
Further skepticism came from an insider, a former bakery worker, who advised, "From someone who worked at the bakery that Trader Joe's buys from...never buy the cakes. That goes for chocolate, lemon, and vanilla."
On the other hand, some shoppers were thrilled with the lemon cake. "That lemon cake is AMAZING," a fan exclaimed. Echoing this enthusiasm, another said, "That lemon cake is deadly! I could kill a whole one. So good. I love the sprinkles cookies too, though."
Despite the creator's negative review of the sprinkle cookies and cookies and crème pretzels, fans of Trader Joe's were quick to express their differing opinions online.
One enthusiastic comment came from a store employee stating, "Coming from a crew member."
Another shopper fervently supported the cookies and crème pretzels, exclaiming, "The cookies and crème pretzel thins are a big YES for me!!!!"
Adding to the positive feedback, a third fan declared, "Actually hard YES on those sprinkle cookies!!!"
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Pineberries Stir Debate Among Trader Joe's Shoppers
One of Trader Joe's most controversial items is the pineberry, a unique fruit that looks like a white strawberry with red seeds and typically tastes like pineapples.
The social media content creator advised their followers to avoid buying this exotic fruit, sparking mixed reactions from customers. One shopper responded, "Respectfully disagree on the pineberries; you must have gotten some that weren't quite ripe."
Another chimed in, countering the advice, "I disagree with some of your no's. Especially the pineberries. They should taste like pineapple, so if they tasted bitter, they weren't ripe yet."
Conversely, a third customer shared a less favorable review: "I agree with the pineberries; they're not worth it and not better than strawberries."
According to a concerned shopper on Reddit, the main issue is that these fruits are often picked too early. "The challenge is these are hard to tell when they're ripe, so often they are picked too early. The sweet pineapple flavor/aroma doesn't develop until fully ripe," explained the shopper.
They noted that ripe pineberries should have all-red seeds and sometimes a light pink blush at the top.
Many customers are unhappy because the unripe fruit doesn't deliver the expected flavor, potentially turning people away from what could be a delightful treat.
"It's driving me crazy that they are being sold so under-ripe, so of course people are disappointed because they're so meh," lamented another Redditor, who insists that ripe pineberries are significantly better. This growing concern highlights a gap in Trader Joe's product handling, particularly the challenge of providing ripe, flavorful pineberries to its customers.
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