This East Valley grocery store was named one of America's best

Not all grocery stores are created equal. One Valley supermarket was ranked No. 4 in the nation.

May 5, 2025

Image: Trader Joe's is America's favorite grocery chain, and one of its best locations is in Gilbert.

Trader Joe's is America's favorite grocery chain, and one of its best locations is in Gilbert. Refrina/Adobe

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Last summer, we asked our readers which Fry's store is the worst in Phoenix. It quickly became clear that not all grocery stores are created equal.

On the flip side, some stores are worth driving out of your way for.

A national study published on May 1 ranked the top grocery stores in the country. The study "analyzed over 7 million Google reviews from 3,000 individual grocery stores across 100 cities to uncover which stand out in customer service, food, quality, prices, and yes, even the speed of checkout lines," according to solitaired.com.

The results found that the Trader Joe's in Gilbert is the fourth-best grocery store in America.

This top-notch store is located on Williams Field Road just east of Val Vista Drive. The study ranked stores based on their star rating and the number of reviews. The Gilbert Trader Joe's got 4.8 stars and 1,903 reviews total.

The Gilbert location is also one of only two TJ's stores in the Valley that sell liquor. All Arizona locations sell beer and wine, but if you're after that affordable bottle of Trader Joe's Kentucky Bourbon, Gilbert's got you covered. (The uptown Phoenix store at the Town & Country shopping center on 20th Street also sells the hard stuff.) The Gilbert store is also one of the larger locations in the Valley.

Contrary to how our readers may feel about certain Fry's locations, Arizona doesn't have any stores in the running for the worst grocery store in the U.S. But the study did rank one Arizona market for its high prices. In a list of the top 10 grocery stores with the worst prices, Whole Foods on the southwest corner of Mayo Boulevard and Scottsdale Road came in at No. 9.

Overall, Trader Joe's is the nation's favorite grocery chain, according to the study. Publix came in second, and WinCo was third. King Soopers, Walmart and Kroger were ranked the top three worst chains.

So, do you agree? Is Gilbert's Trader Joe's the best spot to shop? If not, what's your favorite grocery store in the Valley? Let us know in the comments or at [email protected].

Tirion Boan is the Food Editor of Phoenix New Times where she’s worked since May 2022. Tirion keeps a close eye on restaurant openings and closings, offers dining recommendations and reports on metro Phoenix food news and trends. She also publishes major annual lists like Top 100 Bars and Top 100 Restaurants, and contributes to the Best of Phoenix project. Tirion previously worked for publications including The Arizona Republic and The Tucson Weekly. She holds a bachelor’s of arts in journalism from the University of Arizona.

A message from Tirion Boan: If you value independent journalism, please consider making a contribution to support our continued coverage of Phoenix's evolving dining scene and the chefs and restaurants that serve our community.

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