Boston: Trader Joe’s Now Has 2 Stores In The Same Neighborhood

Over the past week, you may have noticed people lined up for about 100 yards deep in the Back Bay. This was because there's a new Trader Joe's in Boston that is now open. In fact, it's actually the second one in the Back Bay neighborhood.

The initial opening date was May 23. Now, the two stores in the area are located at 899 Boylston Street and 500 Boylston Street. The third Trader Joe's in the city (not including Allston) is in the Seaport district at 44 Thomson Place.

NBC Boston detailed that the new store is a 11,486-square-foot store. Aside from the massive size difference, 500 will be significantly larger than the 899 location which is one of the smaller Trader Joes, the new one sells something that the others in Boston-proper do not.

"This location of the grocery chain will also differ from the other Boylston location for another reason: the City of Boston approved its license to sell alcohol," Boston.com states. Beer variations and liquor will be sold, but the big question shoppers will have, is wondering if they can get the infamous "Two Buck Chuck" wines.

"The new store has been in the works since at least May 2023, when its liquor license was approved by the Licensing Board," Boston.com continued.

In an official press release about the new Trader Joe's in Boston, they explain, "Step inside and you'll find unconventional and interesting products in the Trader Joe's label like Mandarin Orange Chicken and Cold Brew Coffee Concentrate, as well as everyday basics like milk, eggs and fresh produce."

In addition, Trader Joe's recently published and distributed their monthly "Fearless Flyer." For May specifically, they say, "Each page is full-to-bursting with values on hot new hits like our Spicy Peanutty Noodle Bowl with Chicken, and Everything But the Bagel Cheddar Cheese—as well as stone cold classics like Organic Strawberry Lemonade and Korean Style Short Ribs."

Most Trader Joe's enthusiasts have something specific that they they go there to purchase. Personally, I don't walk out of a Trader Joe's without a cart full of their balsamic grilled chicken, the tomato dumpling soup, and a frozen bag or two of the fettuccini alfredo. Another under-the-radar score at Trader Joe's is a simple bag of almonds. These can be sneaky expensive at a standard grocery store. At Trader Joe's they are very reasonably priced, and even inexpensive at options for under $3.

Ben and Jerry's new flavors couldn't be more different from each other. The popular New England based ice cream brand has added three options to their creative family so far this year, and here I will rank them all.

Coincidentally, I tried each of these in one sitting. This was an unplanned taste test. With a house full of young kids, a visiting friend recently stopped by and knew the way to quickly win over the youngsters. Pints of ice cream.

Before I get into explaining which was best, I should note I am not an ice cream (or dessert) enthusiast by any means. Dare I say, I hardly seek out ice cream, even in the summer months. However, if it is put in front of me, I will eat it if it's one of my favorite varieties.

If I'm going for ice cream, though, Ben and Jerry's is easily my brand of choice. Being a New Englander, I have toured their Vermont location a handful of times. Their half-baked in a cone is my go-to choice.

If you are not familiar, these are the Ben and Jerry's new flavors that have rolled out in 2024. Impretzively Fudged, PB S'More, and Marshmallow Sky. Now, it's important to note that Marshmallow Sky is new just to pints. Meaning, it was available in their scoop shops only.

Another flavor entitled Strawberry Cheezecake was also unveiled earlier this year. This did not qualify here as a new flavor ranking because it had been an ice cream flavor (branded "cheesecake). The new "cheeze" version is a vegan dairy-free dessert.

Upon seeing these at my house, I realized they were new. So, instead of selecting one pint to scoop, I took one for the team and realized I needed one proper scoop of each.

My process was to try one at a time and not have all three in the same bowl. Blending flavors might compromise the intended taste.

As a result, there was a flavor where one bite was enough. Another where I couldn't get enough, and the third was somewhere in between.

Here is my official ice cream ranking of Ben and Jerry's new flavors.

It's chocolate ice cream with fudge covered pretzel pieces and pretzel swirl. The problem here is that I do not like chocolate covered pretzels. Oddly enough, I love pretzels alone. Dip them in sugar and ice cream and it either compromises the flavor or classifies as "too much." So, this was my least favorite.

Here we have toasted marshmallow ice cream with peanut butter cups, graham cracker pieces, and marshmallow swirl. The graham crackers are the star of this show. They pair better with the ice cream and chocolate than the typical marshmallow of a S'More. This was certainly a tasty delight, but I feel if the marshmallow swirl did not need to be invited to the party.

Admittedly, I was a little cautious about the blue ice cream color thinking it could suffer from cotton candy syndrome (where too much equals upset stomach city). That is not the case here. It's marshmallow ice cream with swirls, and then chocolate chip cookie dough and chocolate chocolate chip cookie dough. The latter of the cookie dough bites just brings this to another level. Some sweets get forced together and some just belong together and make each other better. That's the case here. It's no wonder Ben and Jerry's decided to promote this flavor. It tastes as cheerful as it looks.