Trader Joe's Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips Were Dethroned As Favorite Snack By This Newcomer

Think the festive season is over on January 1st? Think again: The end of January signals the return of the Trader Joe's Customer Choice Awards, which has been going strong for 17 years. Customers vote on their favorite product across 10 categories, as well as an overall winner. And if you're a real TJ's head, the snack category is the one to watch. 

The grocery store is well known for its snack selection, but despite competition from the likes of Jalapeño-Seasoned Corn and Rice Puffs, their Chili & Lime Flavored Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips have been an overall favorite at the awards for years. Until now, that is. Garlic Butter Irish Potato Chips arrived at TJ's in 2024, and the pungent, ridged crisps (as they call them in Ireland) were immediately crowned the chain's top new product. This year, they became customers' favorite snack.

Runners-up in the snack section this year were a mixed bag: Organic Elote Corn Chip Dippers proved that Mexican-inspired corn chips aren't down and out, while seasonal potato chips in Horseradish & Chives and Patio Potato flavors and World's Puffiest White Cheddar Corn Puffs took the remaining three spots on the list. It should be noted that the snack section doesn't involve sweet snacks, as these are classed as sweet treats for the awards. If it did, competition would have been even more fierce.

At first glance, it looks as if Trader Joe's Garlic Butter Irish Potato Chips completely obliterated the reigning champion, Chili & Lime Flavored Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips. This wouldn't be all that surprising, as customers filled their carts with the Irish-inspired chips when they appeared in stores. They're salty, garlicky, rich, and cut so thick that they're almost obnoxiously crunchy. And yet, they didn't actually beat those rolled tortilla chips in a traditional sense, and it's all because of Trader Joe's Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame is the store's way of keeping the Customer Choice Awards interesting and making sure there's variety. Any product that wins a category five years in a row is automatically entered into the Hall of Fame, and removed from contention for future awards. Chili & Lime Flavored Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips made it to the Hall of Fame last year after a seven-year stretch without new entrants. This year, Spiced Cider and Teeny Tiny Avocadoes are No. 1 in their respective categories, so clearly, the tortilla chips ended some kind of curse.

Unfortunately, while the two-tier set-up makes sense for keeping Trader Joe's awards announcements interesting, it also means we'll always be left with questions. Would Garlic Butter Irish Potato Chips really be able to hold its own against Chili & Lime Flavored Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips? There's only one way to find out, and it involves you going to TJ's right now, buying too many snacks, and creating your own scoring system.