Rebekah L.
Yelp
I have not been to a Trader Joe's in ages, so when my husband asked if I wanted to tag along on his business trip to Dallas, I immediately said yes and started looking up the closest Trader Joe's location to our hotel, which just so happened to be in Southlake. Since my husband would be working for the majority of the trip, I suggested we visit after we had checked-in (our only "free" day together) so that we could get some basics: beverages, to-go meals, omiyage ("souvenirs"), and whatever else we may need for our short trip and to take home for loved ones.
By the time we checked-in a little after 1:00pm on Halloween, we were so beat that I think we both sat down on the bed and just stared at the Denny's across the street through our room window before my husband snapped us out of our trance and suggested we get a move on before it got too late. So we called a Lyft and were on our merry way.
Since the only other Trader Joe's I have been to was in Los Angeles (and even then, it was so new to me that I did not realize just how many TJ's there were in that area alone), I did not know what to expect but this location in Southlake was cute and quaint befitting of the residential area it is in. It is also near the Shops of Southlake (possibly part of?) and Central Market, the latter of which, came highly recommended by a handful of our Lyft drivers.
Since it was Halloween, there were a variety of different pumpkins big and small for sale that decorated the exterior of TJ's, and once you entered the establishment, you were then greeted by fresh flowers, produce, and just a whole lot of TJ's goodies. Since my husband was being a trooper, I did not want to take up too much time, so I remembered just quickly doing a skim of their interior before grabbing a bunch of snacks, salads and sandwiches, and alcohol. My husband also picked up a few beers and a six-pack. Since this location is on the smaller side, it did not take long for us to do a full run around and Kirk, one of their employees at the check-out aisles, must have sensed my confusion (on what else I could fit into our basket) and my husband's exhaustion (on when we could head back to the hotel) and asked if we were ready to check-out to which both my husband and I said yes.
While Kirk was ringing up our items, I apologized for the extra work since I had purchased a bunch of tiny items to take back home for my boss and work moms. Kirk said that it was not a problem and asked where we were from to which we replied Hawaii. Kirk then told us that had previously been stationed at Pearl Harbor back in the day and used to live in Downtown Honolulu, so we got to talking about how much the area has changed. Kirk also told my husband that he had good taste in beers (I wish I had gotten the names of it but I believe both were from a local Texas brewery--one had a dystopian Ninja Turtle on it and the other one had a cowboy motif with red designs). Before we knew it, Kirk had managed to get all of our items in two neat bags and wished us well during our time in Dallas.
Overall, I would highly recommend visiting the Trader Joe's in Southlake if you happen to be in the area. Kirk was a shining example of customer service and embodied the welcoming spirit everyone we met seemed to have in Dallas (including the other Trader Joe's employees we happened to come by). The interior was nicely organized and clean so it was easy for customers new and old alike to navigate. I was a little sad that I was not able to get any pumpkin items at the time of my visit (it is possible I may have missed them since we were in a rush) but the Cornbread Crisps and Oat Chocolate Bars? If you ever see these at a Trader Joe's, you best stock up!