I must be living under a rock, because I just discovered Aldi’s supermarkets about a month ago. I was running some errands in East Rutherford and stumbled upon it.

I enjoy hitting up new food stores I have never been to. Some have the power to scare me, like Hackensack Market on Passaic Street here in Hackensack, while others, like the International Foods Warehouse at National Wholesale Liquidators in Lodi, is a pleasant surprise. I also love a good bargain that doesn’t require me to spend hours poring over circulars and/or clipping coupons. Aldi fell into the pleasant surprise category.

When I walked in the first time, I was taken by how no-frills the layout is. There is little to no advertising and most items are just on palettes and sold straight out of cases. Then I looked at the items and felt like this was the place that 80’s sitcoms used to shop for generic anti product placement goods.

The quality is surprisingly good, though. It is an excellent store for stocking up your pantry with pastas, rices, spices, cereals, crackers, etc. There are some fresh items, too, but they make me a bit more wary.

If you decide to check these stores out, a few things to be wary of. To keep overhead low, they charge for shopping bags and there is a system in place to bag your groceries, so it’s best to bring your own bags. Bring cash if you do not have a debit card, as credit cards are not accepted. You’ll also need a quarter to secure a deposit and unlock a shopping cart.

The German based company is also the parent company to Trader Joe’s, another favorite of mine. They have been operating stores in the United States since 1976. Who knew? Overall, I’m a fan, and look forward to going back.