We Tasted 6 Store-Bought Potato Salads And Found A New Favorite

Can you guess which we one we loved the most?

We have debated the merits of store-bought prepared foods many times at Southern Living. Is it okay to pass off a store-bought item as homemade? We concluded that the lies will only catch up with you.

That said, our editors love a store-bought shortcut, especially when it comes to entertaining and the effortless appetizers you can buy ready to go from the grocery store.

Now, when it comes to potato salad, we have always been advocates for homemade. But if there's one exception to the "homemade is best" rule, Travel and Culture Editor Tara Massouleh McCay found it was Publix potato salad (read her reasons why.)

And that got us thinking: What grocery store makes the best potato salad? We all love Publix deli, but how does it compare to other chains, like Walmart? We decided to do a taste test to find out which store-bought potato salad is best.

How We Tested For The Best Store-Bought Potato Salad

We selected six potato salads from four grocery stores in the Birmingham area, where Southern Living is based. Many of the local retailers we visited carry multiple styles (Publix in particular has quite a few), so in a couple cases, we selected two flavors from the same store that seemed most applicable (like Southern-Style or Baked Potato).

Editors sampled each of the six potato salads without knowing which was which. During the blind taste test, each editor anonymously ranked the potato salads on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest. They all selected a best overall winner as well.

The Potato Salads We Tried

• Publix Deli Southern-Style Potato Salad

• Publix Deli Baked Potato Salad

• Walmart Freshness Guaranteed Original Potato Salad

• The Fresh Market Baked Potato Salad

• SE Grocers (Winn Dixie) Southern-Style Potato Salad

• SE Grocers (Winn Dixie) Mustard Potato Salad

How The Contenders Scored

Here's how the different potato salads stacked up according to our editors.

Publix Deli Southern-Style Potato Salad

There were some mixed reactions to this potato salad. One editor thought it had an artificial flavor, while a different editor didn't like how large the pieces of egg in it were.

On the other end of the spectrum, a few editors loved this salad, saying it was the "most similar to classic Southern potato salad, with a good balance of flavor." One editor selected it as their overall winner, citing its perfect amount of mustard and mayo.

Publix Deli Baked Potato Salad

This potato salad fell somewhere in the middle of the pack, with several editors picking up on its baked potato flavor profile, but not necessarily loving it. Although a few thought it was creamy, most found it was a little bland, lacking enough mustard or acid. One editor said it was overly smoky, and a little mayo heavy too.

Walmart Freshness Guaranteed Original Potato Salad

Walmart was a strong contender in this lineup. Editors liked the texture, citing a good crunch from the celery pieces. One editor liked the strong pickle flavor, and said the potato-to-dressing ratio was spot on.

The biggest criticism seemed to be that a few editors found the mixture gloppy, with one person complaining that it "sticks to the roof of your mouth."

The Fresh Market Baked Potato Salad

The most noted quality of this potato salad was the tangy sour cream flavor it had. Some editors were partial to that flavor, while others felt it wasn't traditional or what they would prefer in their potato salad. One editor liked that The Fresh Market used red potatoes instead of russets, even if the salad lacked a classic mustard flavor. A few editors were also bothered by the addition of shredded cheese.

SE Grocers (Winn Dixie) Southern-Style Potato Salad

This potato salad was described by one editor as a "very classic church potluck potato salad." That said, most editors ranked it towards the bottom of the bunch, finding it watery, mushy, and the potatoes a little grainy. Most found it lacked flavor too, and could use a little more mustard.

SE Grocers (Winn Dixie) Mustard Potato Salad

As this variety promises in the name, editors found this potato salad to be the most mustard-forward. For some, it was too much mustard, with one editor remarking that, "all I can taste is mustard."

The minority of tasters that liked the tang, also liked the potato texture of this salad, and suspected that while it might not be for everyone, those who love mustard will like this salad.

And The Winner Is...

Walmart's Freshness Guaranteed Original Potato Salad

After tabulating the feedback, the potato salad that was selected as the overall favorite by the majority of Southern Living editors is Walmart's Freshness Guaranteed Original Potato Salad, with the Publix Deli Southern-Style Potato Salad coming in second place. Editors thought Walmart's potato salad was the most classic of the bunch, with the best flavor that nicely balances tang and sweetness. People also enjoyed its texture better than most.

In the end, the best potato salad is still highly subjective. As one editor wrote, "Potato salads are like fried chicken, nothing will beat the recipe you grew up eating. You like what you like and nothing else will do."

Related: 24 Tasty Potato Salad Recipes That Complete Any Menu

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