Product Review: Trader Joe's BBQ Baked Beans

BBQ beans is a must. When done right, it should be smoky, full of robust flavor, and be soul satisfying. When done right, it should be the ultimate comfort food sidekick for any BBQ meat dish -- whether it's ribs, brisket, or pulled pork. When done right, well... you and your closest friends and family WILL know that you ate, ahem, beans.

So naturally, when I saw that Trader Joe's put out their own version of classic BBQ Baked Beans, I was intrigued and wanted to give it a try. The label mentioned that it was flavored with bacon, and slow cooked with Kansas City BBQ sauce. As soon as I saw the word "bacon," I was sold. Plus, at $2.99 for a 16 oz portion, it wasn't too shabby of a deal. So, was it any good?

Sadly, no. The beans were bland. It needed more seasoning -- a kick in the pants. Anything. I could hardly taste any bacon nor smoky flavors. I'm not even sure why they mentioned Kansas City BBQ, because their Kansas City BBQ sauce is actually very good for the price. I actually had to pour some of that BBQ sauce into these beans to make it taste better!

I think Bush's baked beans even tasted better than these beans. I'm not kidding. But it's okay. Not every Trader Joe's item is a hit. I'm happy that they constantly put out new products on the shelves -- it's part of what makes Trader Joe's so fun to shop at. But your darn beans, sitting untouched in my fridge at this very moment. So I ask you Trader Joe's -- who spilled the beans?