Product profile · Coffee, garlic, sugar and sea salt barbecue rub · Updated 2026-10-28
Trader Joe’s BBQ Rub and Seasoning with Coffee & Garlic
A coffee-first barbecue rub with roasted garlic, sugars, sea salt, smoked paprika and mandarin orange peel in a 3.5 oz (100 g) tin. The package says Product of South Africa; the matching shelf sign shows $2.49.
About Trader Joe’s →
The product at a glance
- Brand
- Trader Joe’s
- Category
- Coffee, garlic, sugar and sea salt barbecue rub
- Net weight
- 100 g / 3.5 oz
- UPC
- Not verified; package SKU 52348
- Origin / packing information
- Product of South Africa is printed on the tin. Trader Joe’s is named as distributor and exclusive seller in Monrovia, California; that address is not the manufacturing location. The physical producer and packing facility are not identified.
- Cooking test
- Not yet recorded
$2.49 photographed shelf price
Trader Joe’s; branch unconfirmed · Distinctive product name matches the sign and adjacent 3.5 oz (100 g) tins. The sign does not show size or item identifier. Recorded October 28 from supplied photos; capture date, current availability and payment unconfirmed.
Who is behind the product?
Trader Joe’s is a US grocery retailer selling products under its own label. The documented Coffee & Garlic BBQ Rub names Trader Joe’s as distributor and exclusive seller and states Product of South Africa. The retail brand and California address do not identify the physical manufacturer. Read the brand profile.
| Brand | Trader Joe’sBrand on tin and lid; linked to the company profile. Original evidence retained privately |
|---|---|
| Distributor / exclusive seller | Trader Joe’s, Monrovia, CA 91016The label says distributed and sold exclusively by Trader Joe’s. No separate legal suffix is printed. Original evidence retained privately |
| Physical manufacturer / packer | Not identifiedSouth Africa is the stated product country; no factory name or location is established. Original evidence retained privately |
| Ingredient suppliers / importer | Not establishedThe label names ingredients and distributor, but does not identify ingredient suppliers or a separate importer. Original evidence retained privately |
| Retailer | Trader Joe’s; exact branch unconfirmedThe product-specific sign is photographed beneath matching tins. No receipt or branch details supplied. Photo / owner evidence |
Ingredients, origin & label information
Ground coffee beans, brown sugar, sea salt, cane sugar, dried roasted garlic, dried roasted onion, smoked paprika, dried red bell pepper, dried mandarin orange peel, paprika oleoresin (color).
Transcribed in package order. Coffee is the first listed ingredient; brown sugar and cane sugar are separately listed. No ingredient percentages or caffeine quantity are given. Original evidence retained privately
Origins and suppliers of the coffee, sea salt, garlic and other ingredients are not established. The finished-product country statement does not establish where each ingredient was grown or harvested.
| Package size | Net weight 3.5 oz (100 g).Original evidence retained privately |
|---|---|
| Serving and calories | About 7 servings per container; serving size 1½ Tbsp (15 g); 45 calories.Original evidence retained privately |
| Sodium and carbohydrates | Sodium 990 mg (43% DV); total carbohydrate 8 g (3% DV); dietary fiber 2 g (7% DV); total sugars 6 g, including 5 g added sugars (10% DV), per 15 g serving.Original evidence retained privately |
| Other nutrition | Total fat 0 g (0% DV), saturated fat 0 g (0% DV), trans fat 0 g; cholesterol 0 mg (0% DV); protein less than 1 g. Vitamin D 0% DV, calcium 2% DV, iron 0% DV and potassium 4% DV.Original evidence retained privately |
| Kosher marking | Diamond-shaped kosher mark and Parev wording appear on the tin. Current product-specific certification has not been independently verified.Original evidence retained privately |
| Identifiers | SKU 52348 is clearly printed. The curved barcode panel does not establish a verified full GTIN; no GTIN is emitted in structured data. Inkjet markings need a clearer reading before assigning lot or date meaning.Original evidence retained privately |
| Storage | Store in a cool, dry place.Original evidence retained privately |
| Allergen information | No allergen declaration is visible in the supplied views; no allergen-free or cross-contact assurance is inferred.Original evidence retained privately |
Prices & where to buy
| Seller / evidence | Price | Date / basis |
|---|---|---|
| Trader Joe’s; branch unconfirmedPhotographed shelf price | $2.49$2.49 / 100 g, calculated | Recorded 2026-10-28; observation date unknownDistinctive product name matches the sign and adjacent 3.5 oz (100 g) tins. The sign does not show size or item identifier. Recorded October 28 from supplied photos; capture date, current availability and payment unconfirmed. Photo / owner evidence |
These observations concern the 100 g package. They are not current offers or a ranking; shipping, tax, seller and timing can differ.
Cooking with it
The package recommends generously coating steaks, other meat or poultry at least an hour before cooking. This is the maker’s direction; no specific quantity is supplied.
Our kitchen notes
No Gaucho cooking or tasting test recorded. A future test should record the cut, rub quantity, rest time and cooking method. The blend contains both sugars and sea salt; caffeine content is not stated.
The photographed package
The front presentation removes the hand and store background using image generation. Four handheld originals are preserved privately; the shelf photograph is unchanged. All label facts come from original photographs, not reconstructed presentation pixels.
Still to establish
- Confirm exact store branch, photograph date and price paid.
- Identify the physical South African manufacturer or packer and ingredient origins.
- Obtain a straight-on barcode and clear inkjet-code photograph before assigning a GTIN, lot or best-before date.
- Record a cooking test and obtain any needed product-specific certification evidence.
Profile history
- 2026-10-28
Added from five supplied photographs with private originals, cleaned presentation, unchanged $2.49 shelf evidence, package origin/nutrition and new Trader Joe’s brand profile. Historical official mention is kept separate from current availability.
Future purchases and label changes will be recorded here rather than replacing earlier observations.
Sources & evidence
- Original front photograph, Photo 1Checked 2026-10-28 · Private original: Trader Joe’s BBQ Rub and Seasoning with Coffee & Garlic, net wt. 3.5 oz (100 g), brown cylindrical tin.
- Original nutrition, ingredients, origin and distributor photograph, Photo 2Checked 2026-10-28 · Private original: about 7 servings, 1½ Tbsp (15 g), 45 calories, sodium 990 mg (43% DV), full ingredient list, Product of South Africa, distributed and sold exclusively by Trader Joe’s, Monrovia CA 91016; SKU 52348; diamond kosher mark and Parev wording. Full barcode identity is not established.
- Original directions and lid photographs, Photos 3–4Checked 2026-10-28 · Private originals preserve directions to coat meat or poultry an hour or longer before cooking and the Trader Joe’s lid. Inkjet markings are not fully verified as lot/date codes.
- Unchanged shelf photograph, Photo 5Checked 2026-10-28 · Sign names BBQ Rub and Seasoning with Coffee & Garlic and shows $2.49 directly below matching 3.5 oz (100 g) tins. Sign has no visible size, SKU or barcode; match is by distinctive name and shelf context. Branch, capture date and actual payment unconfirmed.
- Trader Joe’s — About UsChecked 2026-10-28 · Official company page describes a US grocery chain and products carrying its own label. Does not identify this rub’s manufacturer.
- Trader Joe’s — Inside Trader Joe’s, Episode 38 transcriptChecked 2026-10-28 · Historical official transcript, page 8, mentions BBQ Rub and Seasoning with Coffee & Garlic as a returning product. It does not establish current availability, price, formula or manufacturing identity.
Gaucho Provisions develops its own salts and seasonings. This is a researched profile of another brand’s product, not a Gaucho offer for sale. No rating or tasting verdict is assigned.