10 Trader Joe's Items That Look Great But Taste Terrible, According to Customers
When it comes to cult-favorite private labels, few grocery retailers can rival Trader Joe's. Known for its fearless approach to flavors, textures, and creative cuisine combinations, the brand has cultivated a loyal following by consistently delivering both bold innovations and masterfully refined classics. Every grocery run feels like a culinary treasure hunt, offering new discoveries and fresh creations nearly every week.
With so many intriguing products lining the shelves, it's tough to know which ones truly live up to the hype. Are they as good as they look on the box—or are they just another flash in the pan? Not every recipe is a winner, and Trader Joe's has cooked up a few duds. Often, low sales indicate to the private-label that the item should be discontinued, but these 10 unsuspecting disasters have survived the hammer…for now.
Chicken Shawarma Bowl
Usually the Trader Joe's frozen aisle has a near-flawless track record for ready-to-heat bowls that are more cost-effective than and equally delicious to takeout. This Mediterranean dish, however, falls short. Shoppers were disappointed to find that the chicken lacked the flavor of typical shawarma, with some saying that it smelled of curry and did not work well with the heated up yogurt sauce. "Most disappointing item I've ever had from TJs. It tasted like a bowl of cumin," commented one Reddit user on the subreddit r/traderjoes. "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 a top-notch frozen pasta from the island-themed grocer instead.
Cacio e Pepe Pasta Sauce
After the Cacio e Pepe entree garnered rave reviews all over social media in 2020, the food retailer may have thought selling the jarred sauce from its sumptuous spaghetti would be an instant bestseller. However, many customers found that this new Cacio e Pepe sauce is nothing like the one they fell in love with.
"Just tried the Cacio e Pepe sauce and it was very underwhelming. I've heard about how great this sauce is for a while now, but personally I found it watery and somewhat bland/flavorless," one Reddit user posted, receiving 37 upvotes. "It definitely wasn't awful, but seems to be missing something aside from being mostly salt-forward. My boyfriend said 'it tastes like someone tried to make a roux out of water' and I fully agree."
For a top-to-bottom ranking of all of Trader Joe's pasta sauces, read more here.
Shiitake Mushroom Chicken
TJ's fans know that there are a lot of good finds in the Asian cuisine section of the frozen aisle – such as Mandarin Orange Chicken, Chicken Soup Dumplings, and Kimbap – but many say this Chinese-inspired meal is a definite skip.
"This was not only the worst thing I've ever had from [Trader Joe's] but one of the worst things I've ever eaten in my life. I got one mushroom and it left a horrible flavor in my mouth for the rest of the night. The chicken was spongy. I can't even find it on [Trader Joe's] site to warn other people," wrote one concerned Redditor.
"It. Is. Disgusting. Revolting. Nasty. It's by far the [worst] thing I've EVER tried at TJ's. I don't think I've ever had a reaction to anything from TJ's like I've had to this," another replied.
Others added in the comment thread that they weren't sure why the off-putting entree was still being sold, especially given the grocer's tendency to discontinue certain items.
Honey Walnut Shrimp
The Cantonese-inspired entree promises a flavorful blend of sweetness and nuttiness over lightly battered shrimp. However, the general reception of Honey Walnut Shrimp has been overwhelmingly negative for one key reason – the odd texture and funky taste of the honey pineapple sauce it comes with.
"[W]hat is up with the honey walnut shrimp?" one Redditor posted to the subreddit. "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. Weird consistency too."
"[T]hat was the nastiest sauce I've ever tasted. 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. It really makes my stomach turn," wrote a third commenter. If you're stuck with a box of this miss in your freezer, you can still enjoy the shrimp, but skip the sauce packet.
Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese
This beloved TJ's seasonal exclusive is highly sought for its comforting mix of cheeses with the distinctly autumnal flavor of butternut squash. Fans would flock each fall to grab a box before the popular frozen pasta sold out.
However, some customers have reported that this familiar favorite had become a stranger over the past two years. "I feel betrayed by the butternut squash Mac and cheese," posted a Reddit user in December 2024. "This butternut squash mac and cheese has received so much praise I felt it necessary to buy two. I tried it tonight and was severely underwhelmed."
Others echoed the sentiment that the product was more soupy and was missing the original flavor in recent releases. One commenter offered a potential explanation: "I read another thread that said there are two different distributors making it. The products apparently taste different. I used to love this stuff. But, the last two years I too have been disappointed."
If you're missing the old days of Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese, it never hurts to submit your feedback to Trader Joe's directly.
Beef Shepherd's Pie
It's hard to go wrong with pre-made comfort food like shepherd's pie. The package depicts a warm, balanced blend of soft mashed potatoes, hearty pieces of beef, and a colorful mix of vegetables. 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. "The tiny amount of stringy, yet soggy, flavorless beef, and sad vegetables was covered in mostly grainy watery fake mashed potatoes."
"It was super strange and liquidous, and had all of three pieces of meat in the entire package," another Reddit user posted. "Wouldn't recommend."
According to customers, this dish was a delight when it first came out, but the quality allegedly dipped over the years. "The first time I had it I loved it. Big chunks of meat and flavorful. The next time I bought it there was no flavor, weird stringy meat and the mashed potatoes literally stuck to my teeth like glue," a third user commented. "Never again."
Organic Sri Lankan Curry & Seasoned Rice with Cashews
While expanding the international catalogue at Trader Joe's is an exciting prospect, not every attempt hits the mark. The best curries are loved for the complexity of flavors and spices, to eat alongside rice or fluffy bread. 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. This product also comes stocked on the shelf, rather than the refrigerator or freezer – a red flag for some shoppers. "I learned my lesson with the shelf stable noodle bowls," a commenter wrote.
The conclusion? If you're hunting for the best staple store-bought curry to have on hand, this is not the curry you're looking for.
Vegetable Pad Thai
The frozen section at Trader Joe's features many classics that are worth every penny. However, this vegetarian pad thai is not one of them. In-the-know shoppers tend to stay away from this underperformer – notorious for having a scant amount of noodles, a heaping pile of mushy bean sprouts, and an unappetizing sauce to top it all off.
"Vegetable Pad Thai is a let down," one shopper posted on the subreddit. "The smell is kind of bitter and I believe it is because of the frozen then thawed bean sprouts. The bean sprouts became soggy and squishy which was unfortunate because it seems half of the dish is bean sprouts. 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."
"The sauce is what ruins the dish for me, nevermind the abundance of bean sprouts (which I love fresh)," a commenter added. "It tastes like vomit!"
Finding an affordable and tasty takeout alternative is always a win, but if you were hoping these premade noodles could replace your go-to Thai spot, you may want to reconsider.
Papas Rellenas
These crunchy, fried Cuban balls of potato with ground beef filling look scrumptious on the box, but many TJs fans found this grocery store version did not match up.
"I personally thought they were pretty bland. I liked the texture of the mashed potatoes but no taste. Didn't care for the texture of the beef and again absolutely no taste," wrote one Reddit user in a post. "They aren't that great. Good idea but the ratio of meat to potato isn't to my liking," a commenter replied.
Some countered that the flavorless taste made a perfect backdrop to pair with your favorite salsa, mole, or queso. So if you're stuck with a box of Papas Rellenas, there's one idea on how to salvage your snack.
Chocolate Almond Protein Smoothie Beverage
This drinkable meal-on-the-go popped up on refrigerator shelves for the first time in January 2024, and it's been controversial ever since. Many who bought this later warned the Trader Joe's community to avoid it, due to its unpleasant flavor and texture.
"It tastes like someone put ground chalk in a third of a cup of chocolate milk and filled the rest with water," commented a Reddit user. "One sip is all I could take! Sorry TJ's…this is really, really bad!" another Reddit user wrote. Other shoppers say that the Vanilla Almond Chai flavor is more tolerable, if you absolutely must pick up a protein beverage from this food retailer.
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