Is it just that I've drawn the short straw on locations, or is pain-in-the-ass parking part of Trader Joe's marketing schtick? I don't even have to be going to TJ's for it to make me angry. People dropping passengers off at the main door, just off Monroe, often backs up traffic on this major city street. If you do pull in, you wait for the drop-off driver, you wait for someone to pull out of a narrow spot, you get dirty looks for waiting while they back out, pull back in, back up, pull forward, straighten their car, yada yada yada. Parking. Such a to-do. It's the same way at the Minneapolis and St. Paul locations. \n\nIt might all be worth it if there were enough things inside to make you want to go through the hassle. But the produce is average at best. The meats? Fresh? Frozen? Forget it. The packaged baked goods? Not bad but not great for you. \n\nSo, what makes it worth the hassle? I like their sparkling lemonades. The staff is usually friendly. Other customers seem happy to be in the store if not the parking ramp. Finally, there is enough variety that coming here is an adventure. I usually find a new item or two take home and try. The fact that they keep me sharp and trying new products means that every now and then, I'll suck it up and pull in.