It’s hard to deny that Trader Joe’s thrives on hype, but its fans are also honest when something doesn’t quite hit the mark. While the cult-favorite grocer is widely loved for its low prices, friendly shopping experience, and quirky products, many shoppers say that same hype is exactly why certain items end up overrated, carried more by internet fame than by how good they actually are.
Here are nine TJ’s product that shoppers say are wildly overrated.
Mandarin Orange Chicken
When a product gets hyped as much as Trader Joe’s Mandarin Orange Chicken — to the point where it becomes synonymous with the store itself — people start questioning whether the praise is worth it. Apparently, for some it’s not. Several shoppers have turned to Reddit to voice their disappointment with the much-talked-about frozen dinner and ask what they missed.
“I’ve seen so many posts about the Trader Joe’s Mandarin Orange Chicken, so I finally decided to go and pick some up,” wrote one shopper. “I don’t know if it was just the batch I got, but every other piece was dark, chewy meat. The flavor of the breading and the sauce was decent, but I don’t know—it just grossed me out, and I threw it all away.
“One bite of gnarly, chewy meat and I’m OUT,” another added.
“I also was not impressed. I wondered if I got a bad bag because I have heard good things, but I had the same experience as you,” shared a third.
Frequent shoppers tried to defend it, saying the quality went downhill after the pandemic. “It really went downhill during COVID, I think. Around then the quality decreased, and it has not been good since,” explained one Redditor.
Honey Walnut Shrimp
Honey Walnut Shrimp is yet another Joe’s frozen meal marketed as a Chinese-American banger — and it’s proving just as polarizing as the orange chicken. The $6.99 bag includes battered shrimp, a honey sauce with a hint of pineapple, and a packet of candied walnuts, all packed separately and meant to be tossed together after cooking. It’s supposed to emulate the classic restaurant version of the dish, but shoppers say it’s not even close.
“That thing is foul and expensive,” said one Redditor. “It feels like you’re eating baby food. Even ignoring the texture, it doesn’t come close to what honey walnut shrimp is supposed to taste like.”
“I read good reviews, but I couldn’t even finish half of my serving. Maybe the sauce reminded me too much of the icing that comes with toaster strudels or something,”said another.
A third one added, “I got this about a month ago and hated it. I couldn’t finish it. I read the ingredients and saw they added pineapple juice—traditional recipes only have honey, condensed milk, and mayo. The mayo they use also has lemon juice and mustard in it. The pineapple juice gave the Trader Joe’s shrimp a super weird, fake piña colada candy essence to me.”
Speculoos Cookie Butter Spread
Plenty of shoppers have nothing but praise for Trader Joe’s spin on the cookie butter made famous by Lotus Biscoff. Others, however, are firmly in the “nah, not seeing it” camp. More than most products, this one gets dragged — by food critics as well — for being overly sweet and just … mid.
“I tried Speculoos and was very underwhelmed. They just taste like a generic spice cookie with a slightly burnt taste. I don’t get the hype,” complained one shopper on Reddit.
“I was SO disappointed by the cookie butter. It was very ‘meh’ to me. I very rarely throw things out, because I hate wasting food, but this one ended up in the trash,” another shopper concurred.
Cauliflower Gnocchi
Products meant to replace something you love — but can’t have — need to be really good to earn the hype. Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Gnocchi, according to many shoppers, doesn’t quite clear that bar.
The 12-ounce bag includes a gluten-free version of traditional gnocchi made with 75% cauliflower, cassava flour, and potato starch. But are the clean ingredients and lack of gluten enough to justify the hype? Nah, say shoppers.
“I bought three bags because I got so excited. Then I made it and gagged,”shared one shopper.
“It is so gross. I have never regretted a meal more,” said another.
Everything But the Bagel Seasoning
Few Trader Joe’s products have reached cult status quite like Everything But the Bagel Seasoning. Inspired by the classic everything bagel topping, the $1.99 shaker includes a blend of sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried garlic, dried onion, and salt. But some shoppers say it’s less of a flavor upgrade and more of a salt bomb riding on internet fame.
“It’s pretty bland and doesn’t add much interesting flavor,” shared one shopper on Reddit. “On top of that, most people just put a pinch of it on their food, which is kind of useless since you don’t actually get to taste it. I also don’t think it blends well with anything — all you get are quick hits of flavor when you bite into flakes of salt or onion pieces. I feel like people mainly like the aesthetic it gives to their dishes.”
“Bird seed,” wrote another. “I get such bird-seed vibes from it. Literal bird seed.”
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Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Trader Joe’s Cauliflower Pizza Crust is supposed to be a guilt-free swap for the real thing. But to pull that off, it actually has to work, and for many shoppers, it doesn’t. The gluten-free crust comes frozen in a 10.6-ounce pack and is made primarily with cauliflower, rice flour, cornstarch, and cheese, meant to mimic a classic thin pizza base without the carbs.
“I’ve bought these three times and they always arrive soggy, stuck together, and crumbling out of the bag. Cooking them according to the instructions, they come out soggy as well,” one shopper wrote. “Pre-baking the crusts helps crisp the edges, but ultimately there’s no structure or texture that resembles a pizza crust. Too bad. I wanted to like these.”
Chili Onion Crunch
If Chili Onion Crunch is your first intro to chili crunch, TJ’s version might seem fine. But if you’ve had the real deal before, shoppers say don’t bother. The $4.99 jar blends chili flakes, dried onion, garlic, and oil, aiming for heat, crunch, and umami — though some say it never quite gets there.
“I have heard so many amazing reviews of this product! But I am sad to say that I am super underwhelmed,” shared one shopper. “Yes, it’s crunchy. Yes, it’s spicy. But it’s just not… flavorful.”
Another one agreed saying, “I expected it to be like the chili oil you get in Asian restaurants and was disappointed.”
Frozen Hashbrowns
Trader Joe’s frozen hash browns — once very much hyped — are allegedly declining in quality with every restock. Shoppers complain that no matter how long you cook them, they never really crisp up and just sit there in that limp, not-quite-done zone.
“It started to taste awfully stale and bland,” shared one Redditor.
“Yes they are so soggy now I thought it was just me! They used to taste just like McDonald’s and now I can’t even get them to be crispy,” agreed another.
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Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese
Trader Joe’s Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese got a lot of hype as peak fall comfort food, but not everyone’s buying the hype. The seasonal frozen bowl includes pasta with a squash-forward cheese sauce that’s meant to feel cozy, but plenty of shoppers say it lands in an awkward meh ground. “It’s not good. The butternut squash in it is lovely, but the huge chunks of nutmeg and black pepper make it inedible for me personally,” shared one Redditor.
“It’s bland for how much sodium is in it,” added another.
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