Hawaiian shirts, Fearless Flyers, the happiest cashiers on the planet and affordable food offerings you are unlikely to find anywhere else. Obviously, we are talking about Trader Joe’s.
Unlike California cities that seem to have a TJ’s on every corner, the Dallas area only has a handful. Fortunately for Trinity Falls residents, one of them is just minutes away in McKinney.
The grocer's 11,600-square-foot store at 2851 Craig Drive in Eldorado Plaza is a veritable Disneyland of inexpensive coffees, delicious and easy to prepare frozen entrees, snack foods (running the gamut from healthy to extremely unhealthy) and, of course, an incredible selection of wines, beers and spirits — many of them local.
Some of the items shoppers crave are seasonal like the Peppermint Jo-Jos and Spiced Pumpkin Seeds. People wait all year for them and stock up when they hit the shelves, so be prepared to make a grocery run as soon as the Fearless Flyer hits your inbox.
What’s a Fearless Flyer? Only the best food catalogues of all time. It will make you laugh. It will make you hungry. And it will let you know what’s new and worth putting in your shopping cart.
Other TJ favorites include the extremely popular Cookie Butter, an addictive combination of Belgium’s famed Speculoos biscuits reimagined in spreadable form. Make sure to try the tiny dark chocolate peanut butter cups (we dare you to try to eat just one).
Despite the lure of one-of-a-kind junk food, there a number of healthy options available as well, such as gluten-free baking mixes and vegetarian options. Recent favorites include a meatless riff on the chain’s popular Mandarin Orange Chicken and gluten-free Mac & Cheese.
You can even find non-food items including toothpaste, body lotion, dish soap and face creams.
As far as the liquor goes, Trader Joe’s is famous for its inexpensive and surprisingly tasty Two Buck Chuck but you’ll also discover a fine selection of international wines at bargain basement prices. Beer is also on tap — well in bottles but the variety is astonishing.
We could go on and on but it’s something you have to see to believe. Make plans to visit and to shop, it won’t be long before you are one of Trader Joe’s many devoted fans.
