Trader Joe’s is one of the most popular grocery store chains in the nation today, but like every brand that creates original food items, there are sometimes items that don’t go over very well with fans.
On Reddit, Trader Joe’s customers and superfans took a moment to list the items sold by the grocery store chain that they did not like and consider to be “the absolute worst” products sold there. Some of these items are still on shelves or are no longer available, which could be due to their lack of popularity. Check out 7 of the Trader Joe’s products superfans found to be “disgusting,” among other things, below, and maybe you’ll agree with their opinions.
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1. Crispy Dried Watermelon
TJ's Crispy Dried Watermelon, which was once also sold as Watermelon Jerky, is not popular among numerous customers, as many of them found it to be quite gross.
"It had the strangest foul smell when opening the bag," wrote a Reddit user, while others added that it was "so bad."
The product includes vacuum-dried pieces of watermelon that almost mimic beef jerky and are supposed to give fans of the fruit the taste and flavor of natural watermelon in a crispy, crunchy snack form. The grocery store also encouraged their customers to try it on other dishes, like crumbled on top of yogurt, besides eaten straight from the bag, but either way, it did not have enough fans to make it last, as it is no longer available.
2. Pizza Flavored Pillow Crisps
The 'pillow crisps,' which were supposed to provide a light, delicate, crunchy, tomato, and herb-flavored snack, did not go over well with Trader Joe's superfans. Many weight loss influencers chose to purchase the product when it first came out, as it was also a great low-calorie option, given a serving of 30 crisps was only 130 calories.
However, they did not last long in stores, as numerous TJ's customers declared them the "worst snack" food item the store had sold in a while.
"I ate a few and threw out the bag," a Reddit customer wrote. "They were bad."
Another TJ's customer on the Reddit thread compared the texture of the crisps to the "texture of eating glass," which could be why they are no longer available.
3. 5-Cheese Greek Cheese Spiral
The 5-Cheese Greek Cheese Sprial is a flaky, frozen Greek-inspired pie filled with gouda, kasseri, kefalotyri, semi-hard cheese, and blue cheese. Formed into a spiral shape, it's marketed as a fun appetizer or part of a larger meal. Despite how easy it may be to prepare the frozen dish, it's still not beloved amongst many TJ's fans, who claim it's "surprisingly bad."
"Took one bite and had to throw it away," recalled a Reddit user. "The dough was flavorless and not crunchy. The cheese had a strong smoked flavor. I was so excited for it, too."
4. Ranch Dressing
Trader Joe's sells two different kinds of ranch dressing, a beloved condiment and salad topping in the United States. One is a buttermilk ranch dressing that is kept refrigerated, and the other is an unrefrigerated bottle of organic ranch dressing. The latter is not a hit with superfans of the store, although they continue to sell it.
One Reddit user called it the "worst ranch" they'd ever had, while another added that the team who chose to sell it had "never tasted ranch before."
Unfortunately, other Reddit users felt the refrigerated buttermilk ranch was not much better.
5. Kringles
The California-founded store is famous for selling Danish Kringles, which are large pastry rings that contain different fillings. The store tends to sell Kringles with seasonal flavors, but typically always sells almond and pecan-flavored versions. The kringles are one of the few items that aren't made explicitly by Trader Joe's and are baked by O & H Danish Bakery. While some customers find them a holiday staple, others aren't that into them.
"The Kringle is disgustingly sweet and fake tasting," wrote a disappointed TJ's customer on Reddit.
"It has so many heavily processed hydrogenated oils [that] it leaves a strange film in your mouth [like] a layer of plastic gunk."
6. Kimbap
Kimbap is a Korean dish similar to sushi, and the frozen Trader Joe's version contains an assortment of greens, root vegetables, pickles, and braised tofu wrapped in a layer of rice and seaweed. The frozen kimbap is sliced into several pieces and can be warmed on the stovetop or in a microwave. Some customers are very happy with their rendition of the Korean dish, but others are not so impressed, finding it "not worth the price tag."
"I was so excited to try it, and it was disgusting," wrote a Reddit user, who also claimed it gave them bad gas. Yikes!
7. Chocolate Almond Protein Smoothie
Buying premade protein shakes is a popular move for so many people, especially those who are passionate about health and fitness. Given that Trader Joe's is known for their healthy food options, one would think that their protein shakes are amazing, but several customers beg to differ.
One Reddit user called their chocolate almond protein smoothie "absolutely foul," while another wrote that it was "disgusting."
Despite the complaints about some of the "worst" items found at Trader Joe's, there are still many choices of food products that customers can't see themselves living without.
Do you agree with any of the items on this list?
