Day 344 - This Cranberry Walks into a Bar

Trader Joe’s has a series of “This ___ Walks into a Bar” bars.  J  I think they are some of the most cleverly named products that grace the shelves.  I mean really, doesn’t the name just make you smile?  (And doesn’t it make you want to tell a joke??)

One evening we were in a TJ’s and they were sampling this particular variety – This CRANBERRY Walks into a Bar.  We do not normally buy breakfast bars, but we sampled them, liked them, and bought a box.  

Isn't it a great name??

 There it is again – Trader Joe’s amazing sampling program results in SALES, folks.  Other grocery stores should take note.  (And if I might add a bit here:  TJ’s sampling program is different than, say, Sam’s Club or BJ’s.  At other stores, a company is contracted to supply demo people who come in, set up a little stand, and hand out samples.  At Trader Joe’s, it is REAL TJ’S EMPLOYEES doing the demo-ing.  And let me tell you, that makes all the difference!  The people you are talking to actually KNOW the product.  They have eaten it.  they can tell you things it will go well with.  They can offer you alternatives to it.  They care!  And that, my friends, is why I am such a fan of TJ’s sampling and why I think it works to drive up their sales.)  J

See???  They demo-ed this cereal bar, we tried it, we bought it.  Voila!

But I digress…  We sampled these in store, liked them, and bought them.

Then when it came time to review them, I thought, “Who can I ask to be a guest reviewer on this one?  OH YEAH – MY FRIENDS ANDY AND LAURA!!!!”.  They live in Indianapolis and are very, very fun (and funny).  They are cool peeps.  I asked if they would be willing and they were, so I sent them a short list of products I wanted to review for them to choose from, and Laura picked this one.

Oh, one more thing.  Andy is Deaf.  And Laura is an interpreter.  So here you have it – Trader Joe’s 365 first ever ASL (American Sign Language) REVIEW!!!!  Andy is signing the review in ASL and Laura is interpreting (for all of you signing impaired people J ) into English.  Take it away Andy and Laura!!  (Note:  apparently the video will not play on mobile devices.  But check it out on your computer!  Andy is funny in his Army helmet.)

David also reviewed This Cranberry Walks into a Bar, but he did his only in English. :) 

David – “These bars are very good.  I don’t have any complaints.  I like them.  I am not a Fig Newton man, but this cranberry bar has the juiciness and sweetness like a JAM that makes the biscuit on the whole delicious.

It is very portable, so I throw one in the car.  That way, if you are late for work and you need something for breakfast you can eat it.  (Editor’s note:  David is often running late in the mornings.  He enjoys hot showers a little too much and it is hard for him to get moving in the mornings.  I asked him if he was “Often running late for work?” and he replied, “Well if I didn’t have to work I would be on time…”)

If you need a little snack for delightfulness this bar serves that purpose, too, because it is nicely sweet.  There is a lot of cranberry goo.  I give this a 4.5.”

The sign is for "This Blueberry Walks into a Bar", but the series is all the same price :).

 I will consider Andy and Laura’s score (which he forgot to mention in the video, but was a 4.25) with David’s (4.5), and add in my vote (4.25) for the final score.

Price – $1.99

Rating – 4.25