LMK if you find any secrets there. I love the potential convenience factor if they can edge just a bit further into “good” territory!
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Yeah, I recall having similar problems. I didn’t think that they were worth the trouble, especially as the taste/texture is just okay. I do love combining shopping trips though!
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Yea for the guacasalsa and bubbly Honeycrisp apple juice. Would definitely buy both again.
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This is a review of the Papas Rellenas with advisory warning.
I finally found them In my local store today and air fried a couple for lunch. I’d give them a YEA (pretty tasty; creamy potatoes, crunchy coating, filling tasty) with one proviso. It may just be the box I bought but, unlike the picture on the label, the potato/filling ratio of mine was around 80/20, not the maybe 50/50 pictured. More disappointing that anything else.
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Yea: mango cream bars, basically creamsicles, but with a mango exterior rather than orange, which has very good mango flavor.
Yea: seasonal cranberry ginger brew. Nice hit of ginger for those (like me) who like a strong ginger beer. It’s really not sweet, which suits me fine but might disappoint folks more into sodas. It’d probably make a nice dark 'n stormy variation.
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I think i like the Costco ones better. These are dry, brittle. Not quite from last year but not fresh.
Will share with my work friends. 
That was exactly my experience: astonishingly little meat inside of a lot of potato. I like potato so I ate them all but Never Again.
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Disappointing for a Trader Joe’s product. Hopefully others have different experiences with it.
They have tangerine ones now and then which are tasty (I have them in the freezer)
These were a YEA for me but I only bought them once because they’re deep fried and I only need to eat so much of that 
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What was your filling ratio experience. Asking to decide if I should buy more.
I never expect a picture to be representative of what is inside a box (jaded or experienced, take your pick) but I recollect the filing to be sufficient and flavorful for the potato to be balanced. It was very tasty, reminded me pretty directly of indian potato “chops” that are stuffed with Kheema / spiced ground red meat.
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That’s probably appropriate, but I guess I expect more from Trader Joe’s. I’ve never gotten a burger at most chain fast food places that looks much like what’s shown in their TV ads. In-n-Out and Carl’s Jr. are usually exceptions.
in this case I think the product would have been better with more filling. There was really very little. Barely enough to taste.
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MEH/YEA: the tinned calamari in olive oil. Could have used some kind of seasoning, but I could have remedied that.
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just realized this topic is in “culture, media, feneral,’ not chains — took me forever to find.
anyhoo — picked up a can of italian whole peeled tomatoes. not san marzano, of course — but there are no preservatives.
at $2.99/28 ounces a big YAY! just made some soup that turned out great.
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tried the mini-croissants hot from the oven, my wife, with far the better palate, declared them yay but it’s just possible, after all my pizza and bread expirements, that I understand croissants a little better, and called them meh. Still, if I lived somewhere without great croissants and didn’t feel like making them myself, I’d absolutely keep these on hand.
best,
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If you search trader 2025 (as is, or specifying in title) it’s the first result.
NAY for the jarred Basil Pesto.
I hate jarred pesto in general, but was lulled into this by the lemon pesto, which is good.
(The refrigerated pesto is good, but I haven’t looked for it in a while because a jar of Costco pesto lasts seemingly forever.)
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How did you use it? I’ve been thinking over toast or pasta (aside from straight out of the can).
If heating it at all, I’d do it very gently. You definitely want to avoid cooking it further; it’s not rubbery, but firm and not super tender like freshly cooked.
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