Grocery Store Sushi Ranked From Worst To Best, According To Reviews

When it comes to sushi, there are endless pros: It's delicious, relatively healthy, super satisfying, and there's a little something for everyone no matter your taste. Unfortunately, it also comes with a couple of major cons. Waiting upwards of an hour (if not more) for takeout or delivery can take hunger levels to the extreme, and paying sky-high sushi restaurant prices — especially for dishes you shouldn't order anyway — will eat into your budget fast.

Luckily, there's another, often-underrated option. Grocery store sushi is a fast, convenient, and delicious way to get your fix, all without the pesky downsides. But let's be real — not all grocery store sushi is created equal. It can be notorious for poor quality, less-than-fresh ingredients, and a lack of variety.

That's not always the case though, and some of it can hold its own with the top sushi restaurants out there. We've done some digging to rank grocery store sushi so you know the best way to satisfy your craving when it strikes. By comparing the quality of ingredients, variety, and price point as of the time of publication, we've determined which places are your best bet for grabbing your sushi on the go. Read on to discover who takes our top spot.

Read more: Ranking Grocery Store Rotisserie Chickens From Worst To Best

12. Walmart

Walmart is known for its bargain-basement prices, and its sushi is no different. For less than $5 per pack, you can get classics like California rolls, spicy crab rolls, or California cream cheese rolls. While Walmart is an ultra-convenient way to satisfy your sushi craving, the quality and freshness of the ingredients may not be as high as what you'll find at other grocery retailers — at least according to public opinion.

The online reviews of each roll are mixed and include a few stellar comments and several one-star reviews, with the average ranking for the sushi rolls falling around three out of five stars. Though it's clear there are better grocery store sushi options out there, Walmart will do in a pinch — especially since there are over 4,500 locations in the U.S., making this bargain sushi available almost anywhere in the country. With its affordable pricing, your wallet will thank you too.

11. Aldi

Since the first store opened in 1976, Aldi has been committed to offering high-quality food at affordable prices. The store's bare-bones approach helps keep costs low, and those savings are passed onto the consumer. Not surprisingly, the sushi options are equally as affordable as the other prepared foods.

Though U.S. locations don't offer fresh sushi rolls like many other grocers, Aldi has several types of frozen maki rolls that can help satisfy sushi cravings when they strike. The California roll and shrimp and avocado roll are the main attractions, with dumplings, egg rolls, and other Asian-inspired dishes available to round out the meal.

At $5.49 per roll, the price is nearly unbeatable, but the quality can't compete with rolls made fresh daily at other retailers. The frozen format, however, is ultra-convenient and allows you to always have sushi on hand when you want it, which in our opinion, makes it worth a try.

10. ShopRite

Supermarket chain ShopRite — the largest retailer-owned cooperative in the U.S. — has all of the sushi classics, including California rolls, spicy tuna rolls, shrimp tempura rolls, and many more options to satisfy every taste. There are also more unexpected options, like an inside-out salmon roll, or meat-free options, like veggie California rolls.

Despite the impressive variety, ShopRite's pricing still manages to walk the line between uber-cheap and expensive, making it a reasonable option for most budgets at $7 to $12 per roll (though more elaborate options, like the dragon roll, may cost a bit extra).

With nearly 300 stores nationwide, many people in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic are within a short drive of this large grocery chain, meaning this delicious sushi selection is often just minutes away. While some rolls include a spicy mayonnaise drizzle that is off-puttingly sweet to some, the majority of the options are authentic, flavorful, and fresh.

9. Sam's Club

While the hotdogs from Sam's Club concession stands have a cult-like following, there is another item you should always pick up when you visit: the sushi rolls. Whether you need a quick snack or a family dinner, this bulk retailer has sushi to meet your needs.

Sam's Club's sushi chefs — courtesy of FujiSan — make the sushi fresh daily, with a wide selection of different maki rolls and nigiri available depending on location, from rainbow rolls to poke bowls. FujiSan's sushi is exclusively made with sustainable seafood and top-quality fish to create fresh and flavorful bites. In addition to the 10-piece rolls, the grocer also offers combo party platters that can feed several people, making it the ideal place to pick up delicious food for a group.

The only downside? You need a Sam's Club membership to shop in-store and get your sushi fix. But at only $50 per year, the annual membership may save you money in the long run if you're an avid sushi eater, thanks to the affordable prices of the rolls that range from about $8 to $16.

8. H-E-B

H-E-B Supermarket, a Texas- and Mexico-based grocery chain, has a wide selection of fresh sushi rolls and other Japanese snacks like onigiri, egg rolls, dumplings, and poke bowls. Unique offerings like the Sushiya Tokyo Combo (with a tuna roll, rainbow roll, and tuna and salmon nigiri) or the San Antonio Roll (with spicy imitation crab salad and avocado topped with spicy mayo and sushi sauce) are made fresh daily with sustainable, sashimi-grade seafood. The result is sushi that's as delicious and fresh as anything you would get from a restaurant.

H-E-B is also our favorite option for groups thanks to its catering-sized party trays that come with 30 to 40 pieces of sushi. The major downside to this grocer, however, is the price. H-E-B's sushi is a bit more expensive than most other retailers, with some individual combo packs costing upwards of $15 and the most affordable items — a single onigiri or 2-piece egg roll appetizer — coming in at around $4. That said, you can still pick from various choices for about $10.

7. Costco

Costco, known for its bulk deals and discount prices, is an unexpected but delicious place for sushi. The warehouse first introduced sushi in its continental U.S. stores in the Issaquah, Washington, location in the summer of 2023. According to users on social media, Costco's sushi selection is varied, delicious, and made with fresh ingredients. California rolls, spicy tuna rolls, poke bowls, and a mixed selection of nigiri (including shrimp, tuna, and salmon) are all on offer, and the store aims to have between eight and 10 items available daily. Depending on location and what you're getting, prices range from about $8 to $30.

Costco's sushi is made fresh daily, with the sushi chefs in full view of customers behind glass counters. When preparing to launch the sushi offering, Costco even sent its culinary team to Japan to learn straight from the source, helping to boost the quality and authenticity of its ready-made sushi. While the Costco quality is undeniable, the sushi is not yet widely available. The company is actively adding sushi to its various locations, however, where exactly remains to be seen as the nationwide rollout proceeds.

6. Kroger

Kroger is the biggest sushi retailer in the U.S., selling over 40 million pieces a year — and for good reason. It has a wide range of options including maki rolls, nigiri, and other snacks like dumplings, along with several harder-to-find options like steamed pork buns or salmon and tuna sushi burritos. The prices are a steal, with certain rolls costing less than $7 for 10 pieces. If you stop by near the end of the day, you can also snag discounts on rolls close to the expiration dates.

Not only are existing Kroger customers picking up sushi during their weekly grocery shop, but the chain's consumer data shows that new customers are visiting Kroger just to pick up the famously fresh sushi rolls. With a couple of thousand locations nationwide, Kroger sushi is super accessible for most people. The full sushi selection is even available on Doordash and Uber Eats for added convenience.

5. H-Mart

As the largest Asian supermarket in the United States, it's no surprise that H-Mart is a contender for the best grocery store sushi. Its impressive selection of sushi rolls, including maki and nigiri ( and bento boxes with a combo of both) are made with high-quality, sushi-grade fish for a guaranteed fresh and delicious taste. From classic California rolls to unusual offerings like the Citi volcano roll, there's something for everyone. There's also a wide variety of sides and appetizers like dumplings, shumai, goya, and summer rolls to complete the meal.

The H-Mart prices, however, are a bit higher than other high-quality grocers, with basic rolls starting around $8 and more elaborate nigiri bento boxes costing upwards of $20. Unsurprisingly, the nigiri-heavy options cost a bit more because of the larger quantity of fresh fish. H-Mart also has fewer locations than larger grocery chains like Whole Foods, so the sushi can be harder to come by depending on where you live.

4. The Fresh Market

The Fresh Market has an entire gourmet lunch to-go offering, with its delicious sushi rolls as a highlight. Expert sushi chefs make a wide range of rolls every day — and they'll even make you something special if you don't see anything you like in the ready-made selection.

For those with classic tastes, The Fresh Market offers the usual suspects like California rolls, spicy tuna rolls, and veggie rolls. If you're a more adventurous eater, there are also Philadelphia rolls with imitation crab, salmon cado rolls, or spicy cucumber and crab rolls without rice. Brown rice alternatives are available as well.

The pricing also strikes the perfect middle ground, falling between $7 and $11 for most sushi items. And while The Fresh Market has 161 store locations across 22 states, none of them are on the West Coast, making this delicious sushi option only available for those living in the eastern half of the U.S.

3. Sprouts

Spouts' goal is to make natural food accessible to all. All the items it stocks, from prepackaged foods on the shelf to freshly prepared dishes, are healthy offerings. So it's no surprise that like all of our top picks, Sprouts' sushi is made daily from all-natural, delicious, and responsibly sourced ingredients.

The major downside to Sprouts' sushi is its lack of variety. While it has a lot of classics, like California rolls, spicy tuna rolls, and shrimp tempura, unfortunately, Sprouts doesn't have much to offer for more adventurous eaters. It's also seriously low on sides and apps to round out the meal, like dumplings, noodles, and other accouterments.

What Sprouts lacks in variety, however, it makes up for in price. Its amazing Sushi Wednesday deal discounts certain Oumi sushi rolls to $5, making it an option that's equally delicious and budget-friendly. Even at full price, Sprouts' sushi rolls are between $8 and $10, which is fairly affordable compared to some other grocery chains — and definitely cheaper than a restaurant.

2. Whole Foods

Whole Foods is known for its organic selection of produce and meat, along with its strict quality standards. So you'd only expect it to sell delicious sushi, too. This mega-grocery retailer partners with Genji sushi products to stock its sushi bar. As Whole Foods' sushi partner since 1997, Genji has over 900 highly trained sushi chefs who prepare high-quality, mouth-watering sushi daily.

The pro-prepared sushi variety at Whole Foods is unbeatable. With a wide range of maki, nigiri, dumplings, and sushi bowls, it's the next best thing to sitting down at your favorite Japanese restaurant. Every item is also expertly crafted from responsibly sourced fish, seaweed, and other ingredients to add to the superb quality and delectable taste.

The reason Whole Foods doesn't snag our number one spot? Price. There's a reason it's jokingly nicknamed "Whole Paycheck." While the sushi is delicious, it's only slightly more affordable than takeout from a restaurant. Most of the classic, eight-piece maki rolls run between $11 and $13, so even if you only want one tray, you won't save much compared to a restaurant. And if you want multiple? You'll run up a high total fast. But we've got to admit, you still can't beat the convenience.

1. Wegmans

While there is some great grocery store sushi out there, Wegmans tops them all. This national grocery chain is widely known for its high-quality and tasty prepared foods, and the sushi is no different. All the handmade rolls are free of artificial color, flavor, gluten, and preservatives and made with high-quality, super-fresh ingredients — but that's not even the best part.

Along with typical sushi rolls like California rolls and spicy tuna rolls, Wegmans also has a wide variety of harder-to-find, more exclusive, and often-sought-after bites like uni or sea urchin nigiri. And if you don't see what you're looking for, the sushi chef can make any roll you want on the spot (as long as they have the ingredients), so the variety is nearly limitless.

While the quality and selection reign supreme, Wegmans' price is also unbeatable, creating the grocery store sushi trifecta. Its simple maki rolls, like cucumber and avocado, will run you anywhere between $6.50 and $9, and you'll also score a major deal when you buy family packs. This bargain includes eight nigiri and 14 maki rolls (plus all the pickled ginger and wasabi you could want) for less than $30, making it a super affordable way to get your sushi fix.

Our Methodology

Many factors influence the quality of sushi. To determine the best grocery store sushi, we first assessed each retailer's variety and quality of ingredients to determine freshness and taste. We also factored in price and convenience — based on the specific retailer's locations — through extensive online research, customer reviews, and social media. After analyzing and weighing these factors against one another, we ranked each retailer based on their overall average performance.

Read the original article on Mashed