The wedding cake cookie was my least favorite of the flavors I tried. I loved the little white-chocolate baubles that decorated the top, which made for crunchy little explosions of texture and flavor.

But the raspberry flavor in the frosting was so assertive that even my 4-year-old — who loves almost all sweet, sparkly, pink, frosted things — took half a bite and turned the cookie away.

My 7-year-old, however, had no such issues, declaring, "Nothing's too sweet for me."

The pistachio gelato cookie looked adorable in the store display, decorated with a miniature cone made out of a Muddy Bites snack.

The gelato-inspired frosting had a pudding-like texture and was extremely sweet with a strong pistachio flavor. In my opinion, it tasted like a concentrated form of pistachio ice cream. I also found the underlying cookie to be dense and bland.

Crumbl's chocolate covered strawberry cookie had a chocolatey, cookies and cream base with strawberry cream cheese frosting and a semi-sweet chocolate drizzle on top.

The cookie itself was delicious — soft, tasty, and a little crumbly. But no one in my family enjoyed the addition of the strawberry frosting, which had a fruity tang that didn't pair well with the chocolate cookie. We thought the aftertaste was a bit medicinal.

My 4-year-old, a lover of most pink things, was especially disappointed, saying, "I don't like the mushed strawberries," in reference to the frosting.

In my experience, some of Crumbl's best cookies are Oreo-inspired. That's why we were all excited to try the cookies and cream milkshake flavor, which was topped with a mini Oreo.

But unfortunately, most of us didn't love this one. The frosting tasted like the inside of an Oreo, but the cookie part was way too sweet.

My 4-year-old liked it, but it was too sweet even for my 7-year-old, which is never a good sign.

Crumbl's toffee cake sounded like something I'd like: chocolate cake with caramel sauce, whipped cream, and a crumbled chocolate toffee bar on top.

I liked the incorporation of the whipped cream, which helped keep the cake moist without being as densely sweet as most of Crumbl's other frostings.

But the caramel sauce between the cake and whipped cream made it a soggy mess, and it tasted more like something I'd find at the supermarket than a freshly made cake or cookie at this price point.

The lemon poppy flavor proved divisive in my household. My wife, who loves lemony desserts, ranked this cookie among her favorites.

For me, however, the glaze made it a touch too sweet, and the lemon flavor, while strong, wasn't quite as tart or as bright as I would've liked.

I did appreciate the noticeable poppy flavor, as poppy seeds usually seem like an afterthought in many muffins.

I feel a little bad ranking the cake batter blondie this low because my 4-year-old loved it so much. But she's 4 — rainbow sprinkles are her favorite food.

To be fair, the cookie tasted exactly as I expected it would — extremely sweet and uncomplicated, perfect for the 4-year-old palate. However, it was a bit one-note, even for my 7-year-old.

I had high hopes for the strawberry crumb cake cookie. Although I love strawberries, I can't remember ever eating a cookie with strawberries inside or on top.

However, even with white-chocolate chips and a strawberry streusel topping, I found this cookie unexpectedly bland. The strawberry flavor was definitely real, which I appreciated, but there wasn't very much of it.

The streusel also seemed like an afterthought and didn't add much texture to the cookie. Overall, it was fine but a little disappointing.

Crumbl's waffle cookie offered a neat twist — it came with a container of syrup to drizzle over the cookie before serving.

The cookie itself, criss-crossed with a waffle-like pattern, was fairly plain and tasted more or less like a sugar cookie. The dollop of buttercream frosting on top was powerfully sugary, and the addition of the syrup made the whole thing extremely sweet with maple flavor.

Unsurprisingly, it didn't keep very well after it had been drenched, and the leftover portion turned unpleasantly mushy.

Unsurprisingly, chocolate chip cookies are one of Crumbl's calling cards, and the menu alternates weekly between the milk chocolate chip version and the semi-sweet chocolate chunk.

The semi-sweet variety used lots of bulky chocolate chunks, making it a chocolate lover's dream. I found it met my expectations for a chocolate chip cookie without exceeding them.

A few bites of the crunchier outer portion of the cookie had a little chalkiness to the texture, but not nearly enough to make it unpleasant.

Crumbl's kitchen sink cookie is a semi-sweet chocolate chip cookie rolled in pretzels and potato chips. I love cookies that incorporate pretzels, but in my opinion, the execution of this flavor was lacking.

The one I got didn't have many pretzels or potato chips, and the potato chips did little to impact the flavor or texture of the cookie.

The pretzels added a nice crunch, and bites that included pretzel, chocolate, and cookie were excellent. However, these bites were few and far between.

A spruced-up take on the snickerdoodle, Crumbl's cinnamon crunch cookie was topped with a vanilla cream cheese glaze and "crunchy cinnamon cereal streusel."

The cookie itself was a bit puffier than most of Crumbl's offerings and had a little more crunch to its outer crust. However, I thought it was a touch dry in the center, the glaze was more sugary than the cookie called for, and the cereal pieces had a weirdly chewy texture.

My 7-year-old loves everything cinnamon sugar flavored, so I was surprised when he called this cookie his least favorite of that week's offerings.

Like the lemon poppy cookie, the lemon glaze flavor divided my household.

This one was so popular that it was sold out on my first visit of the week. Its simplicity — a lemon cookie with a sweet glaze — seemed appealing. However, my wife and I both felt the lemon flavor was a bit too strong, and it lacked the acidic bite of real lemons.

The glaze was good, though, and there was a nice bit of crunchy texture on the outer rim of the cookie. Both our kids loved it, with the 4-year-old briefly declaring it one of her favorites.

Notably, the cookie we received did not come with the slice of lemon I'd seen advertised in pictures.

During one of my visits to Crumbl, the company debuted its first cheesecake. It feels a little strange to rank it among cookies, as it was decidedly a cheesecake with a graham cracker crust, raspberry spread, and whipped cream.

As far as cheesecakes go, it was good but unspectacular. The custard portion had a nice, smooth texture, and the raspberry topping was more tangy than sweet.

However, the graham cracker crust didn't hold together at all and was fundamentally less portable than a cookie. However, it's a good option for when you need a break from eating too many cookies — which was applicable in my case.

Although the frosting got a little smudged on my ride home, Crumbl's brownie sundae had a nice presentation. It was essentially a large, square brownie topped with vanilla mousse and warm fudge.

The brownie itself was good, but my wife compared it to one you might bake from a boxed mix.

I also found the toppings made it messy to eat without adding much else. The brownie wouldn't have looked as appealing on its own, but none of the toppings really improved the flavor.

Crumbl's sea salt toffee is a variant of a chocolate chip cookie with toffee and milk-chocolate chips. I enjoyed it, but it was one of the plainest cookies I tried.

I found the toffee flavor presented itself more as a warm, caramel-y aftertaste than a strong, sticky Heath Bar. The milk-chocolate chips were also sparse.

This cookie wasn't particularly memorable, but I'd still choose it over the overly sweet flavors.

The blueberry pancake cookie, which was topped with a blueberry buttermilk glaze, was another divisive flavor in my house.

The menu and photos I'd seen suggested it was supposed to have a dollop of buttercream frosting on top, but the one I brought home did not.

I loved the actual cookie, which had plenty of fruity blueberry flavor from the berries baked inside. But to me, the glaze was too sweet and was sugary enough for it to taste grainy.

My 4-year-old was appalled by the blueberries in the cookie, but my 7-year-old loved every bit of this one. My wife liked it more than I did, but agreed it was too sweet and would be better with no glaze or frosting.

When having a chocolate chip cookie, I usually prefer semi-sweet chocolate chips over milk-chocolate chips.

However, since the milk-chocolate chip was Crumbl's first cookie, I knew I had to try it. It was a touch salty, with a soft, comforting texture. The cookie was so thick it was basically a blondie.

In my book, it beat out its semi-sweet chocolate chunk alternative, which I wouldn't have expected.

Both my kids loved the Nilla bean cupcake cookie, which was not surprising at all — they love frosting, and there was a lot of it.

I expected this to be overwhelmingly sweet, but the cream cheese frosting added a nice tangy component instead of one-note sweetness. The actual cookie was soft and cakey, with a warm vanilla flavor.

It's not just a clever name — this cookie tasted just like a slice of chocolate cake. In fact, I might have tried it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top if it weren't for the frosting.

The chocolate cake cookie was extremely rich, with a strong cocoa flavor to both the cookie and the frosting. It's definitely best for people who can't get enough chocolate — like my 7-year-old, who gave this one two enthusiastic thumbs up.

The frosting was a bit softer and thinner than I expected, but the chocolate swirls added nice little bites of texture.

The pink swirl of strawberry cream cheese frosting and a sprinkling of white-chocolate curls drew my 4-year-old's eyes straight to the stawberry cake cookie, and she was not disappointed.

However, the rest of us were less enthusiastic and found that it was very sugary and definitely best in small portions. I enjoyed the tangy strawberry flavor in the cookie itself, but the strawberry in the frosting tasted a little artificial.

I would've liked this better with only a thin layer of plain cream cheese frosting — or no frosting at all.

Crumbl's hazelnut sea salt cookie had a beguiling effect on my 7-year-old, who really loved it but couldn't quite put words to why (though he does love Nutella).

To me, it tasted like the most grown-up friendly cookie of the bunch — something my grandmother probably would've loved with her tea.

The sweet-and-salty brown-butter cookie tasted almost refined, and Crumbl took a light hand with the hazelnut spread and sea salt on top. My 7-year-old kept going back to it despite the more colorful, decorated cookies around it.

Banana pudding is one of the few desserts I regularly make at home. I use Magnolia Bakery's recipe and thought Crumbl's dessert tasted similar. It was on the lighter, fluffier side of banana puddings, topped with whipped cream and crumbled vanilla wafers.

It was a nice change of pace from the other Crumbl desserts we tried, with just enough bananas mixed in to give it flavor without being overpowering.

However, it seemed to offer a bit less bang for your buck than Crumbl's other desserts. The cookies are huge, and I usually divide them into four servings. The soup-sized cup of banana pudding, on the other hand, felt like enough for only two or three servings.

Crumbl's selection of chocolate chip cookie variants can get a bit hard to distinguish once you've tasted more than two of them.

But Crumbl's spin on the cookie included a touch of cinnamon, which was just enough to add some warmth and spice without overpowering the rest of the elements.

It had a nice crunchiness to the outer crust with a soft, blondie-like inside. The added texture and flavor from the oats were enough to put this among my favorites in Crumbl's vast chocolate chip cookie catalog.

Crumbl's French toast cookie grew on me. At first, I found it frustrating that the frosting was concentrated in the cookie's center, presumably making it look like French toast with a big dollop of butter.

However, I realized it was the frosting that was throwing me off. I found it to be a little dry and super sweet with a maple flavor. In fact, it gave the cloying effect of maple candy.

The cake part of the cookie, meanwhile, was excellent. It had a spongy, doughnut-like consistency and a lighter maple flavor.

Crumbl's double-fudge sandwich is — as the name suggests — made up of two chocolate cookies sandwiched around a dollop of fudge frosting. There was also a drizzle of milk chocolate on top, which seemed mostly decorative.

My 7-year-old almost always chooses the most chocolatey cookie first, and he was thrilled with this one. I liked the rich cocoa flavor, and the fudge filling made this cookie feel a lot like eating an underbaked brownie (in a good way).

My only qualm was that it was almost too soft and left my kids caked in chocolate.

Another variation on the traditional chocolate chip cookie, Mom's recipe is an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie with peanut butter and toffee chips.

It sounds like it might have too much going on, but there weren't too many of any one chip. It combined a variety of sweet, salty, and comforting flavors without any one flavor overwhelming the others.

The nutty oatmeal texture, appropriately enough, made it feel like something I'd be very excited to buy at an elementary school bake sale.

Although I don't typically like mint cookies and cream ice cream, I really liked this cookie. My wife was a little turned off by the color of the mint frosting, as she thought it should be more green.

However, the cookie did a strangely good job simulating its ice cream counterpoint. The creamy frosting, which had a pleasant cool-mint flavor complemented the crunch of the cookies and cream cookie.

My 4-year-old especially loved this one, declaring, "I love mint, I love frosting, and I love Oreos!"

I'm not normally a big fan of anything pumpkin spice flavored, so I wasn't overly excited to try Crumbl's pumpkin cake offering. However, I was surprised by how much I liked it.

The sweet, mild cream cheese frosting was a nice complement to the autumnal flavors, though I would've liked a tangier, more cream cheese heavy flavor.

The cookie I got seemed a bit underdone, which made the center feel a bit like pumpkin pie filling.

Crumbl's take on a peanut butter cookie included a melted peanut butter drizzle and a peanut butter core baked into the center.

I worried that the peanut butter filling might be overwhelming, but I appreciated that this cookie was a bit less sweet than the others.

The filling also helped keep the whole cookie soft and moist. This was one of the few flavors that all four members of my household really loved.

My family wasn't the only one that enjoyed Crumbl's cookies and cream cheesecake — it was sold out at every New York City location the first two times I tried to buy it.

The cheesecake had a nice fluffy texture and tangy flavor that perfectly complemented the cookie crust. The whipped cream topping seemed more like frosting — but it turns out cheesecake is good with a big blob of frosting on top.

My 7-year-old, who is extremely dedicated to eating with his hands, was shocked to declare this fork-necessitating cheesecake his favorite dessert of the week.

It's rare that all four members of my family agree on a food, but the peanut butter cookies and cream flavor was an all-around favorite in my household.

It wasn't as eye-catching as many of the other options, especially since the bits of chocolate sandwich cookies got camouflaged against the chocolate base.

However, they were unmistakable once I bit into it, punctuating the soft texture of Crumbl's chocolate cookie with the crumbly, crunchy texture of an Oreo. The peanut butter chips were mostly in the background, but they added a nice balance to the chocolate.

I always love a good cookie-flavored cookie.

Crumbl's Patriotic Fruit Pizza featured raspberries and blueberries atop a backdrop of white frosting. However, it didn't strike me as especially patriotic-looking — and it definitely didn't look like a pizza.

But unlike some New Yorkers, I'm agnostic about the definition of "pizza," so I sampled this one with an open mind. I'm glad I did because it was excellent.

The sugar cookie underneath the fruit and frosting was extremely moist and had a pleasant, shortbread-like flavor. The frosting had a bright hint of lemony tang and a nice, creamy texture. The inclusion of fresh fruit added juiciness and nuance.

I especially liked the way the acidic bite of raspberries paired with the mellow sweetness of the cookie.

No one in my household is especially familiar with Olivia Rodrigo's music — our tastes skew toward late-20th-century alt-rock and the "Encanto" soundtrack on repeat. However, we now endorse her taste in cookies.

Olivia Rodrigo's GUTS Cookie is a sandwich of two purple-colored vanilla cookies filled with vanilla buttercream, triple berry jam, and colorful sprinkles.

The tangy, sweet flavor of the jam, mixed with the mild sweetness of the cookies, gave it the familiar taste of a Linzer tart. Even my 4-year-old, who passionately dislikes jelly, enjoyed this cookie.

I liked all of the Oreo-inspired Crumbl cookies I tried, but the mallow sandwich was my favorite. It featured two chocolate cookies with Oreo pieces, sandwiched around creamy frosting.

The combination of soft chocolate cookies and marshmallow filling reminded me of a whoopie pie. The Oreo pieces that were baked into the cookie added a crunchy, crumbly texture.

Sadly, my kids didn't get a chance to sample this one because my wife and I ate the whole thing before they had a chance — it was one of her favorites, too.

Crumbl's caramel apple cookie was beautifully decorated with caramel cream cheese frosting, streusel, chopped apples, and a caramel drizzle.

We loved how the cookie's rich cinnamon flavor paired with the salty-sweet caramel and the acidic bite of fresh apples.

The apples gave this the most compelling combination of textures of any of the Crumbl cookies we've tried. It was very sweet, but the tang from the apple helped balance out the flavors.

Crumbl's pink velvet cookie earned my top spot with a caveat: I never ate more than a small portion in one sitting. I suspect that eating as much as half of this cookie at once might leave me less enthusiastic about it.

However, I happen to love cream cheese frosting, and this one had a nice, mild tartness to it that complements the sweet, soft cookie.

I tasted it before reading the flavor description, and the power of suggestion left me thinking it had a strawberry taste.

But eating more of the cookie revealed that the crunchy, sugary crumbles on top were extremely reminiscent of the outer coating of a classic strawberry shortcake ice cream bar. I happen to love those, so this had a nostalgic appeal.

This story was originally published on May 24, 2024, and most recently updated on March 20, 2025.

When I visited Wegmans, a 16-ounce tub of grilled chicken salad cost $15. Since that price seemed borderline outrageous, I hoped the chicken salad would be delicious.

However, I was disappointed. There wasn't much flavor to it at all — the prevailing taste was that of mayonnaise — and it had an oddly grainy texture that closely resembled tuna salad.

There was a good amount of chicken in the mix, which might help explain the price, but the meat lacked flavor and wasn't especially moist.

The price point, more than the chicken salad itself, earned Wegmans the bottom spot on my ranking.

Across multiple visits to three separate Trader Joe's in my area, the closest option I found to the others on this list was the Wine Country chicken salad. However, it differed slightly from the others as it incorporated sweetened dried cranberries and pecans.

At first, I thought that might give it an unfair advantage in the ranking, since I normally enjoy a chicken salad with dried cranberries. The $5 price also seemed like a good deal for a 12-ounce container.

However, this chicken salad was way too sweet for my taste and not quite hearty enough. It seemed like there was a lot more goopy liquid than chunks of chicken, and the cranberries tasted like candy.

Overall, I thought this tasted more like a salad dressing than a deli salad.

I found the Kirkland Signature chicken salad in Costco's prepared foods section. It was priced at $6 a pound, making it the least-expensive option I tried on a per-pound basis. The container I picked up contained about 2 pounds of chicken salad.

The salad had the biggest chunks of chicken of any I tried by far, but it practically shimmered with grease.

I also thought it was bland in terms of flavor. However, since I was already familiar with the Kirkland Signature rotisserie chicken, the briny, brothy flavor of the meat was easy to pick out.

There was celery in the mix, but it added more flavor than texture; ideally, I'd prefer that reversed.

The chicken salad was fine but not especially good, and it's hard to imagine a situation in which I'd want two pounds of it.

Of the four chicken salads I tried, the version from Whole Foods was the only one that was scooped fresh at a deli counter. It was also the only one I'd consider buying again.

At $14 per pound, it was significantly more expensive than the chicken salads from Costco and Trader Joe's but slightly less expensive than the one from Wegmans. I appreciated that I could order only as much as I needed — a half-pound, in this case.

It was easily the best-tasting of the four salads I tried. The chicken, chopped up into bite-sized pieces, was moist and tasted fresh. Although hardly bold in flavor, the salad was nuanced with the earthy sweetness of red onions, notes of rosemary, and a touch of mustardy bite.

Unlike the others, it tasted better than anything I could easily make at home.

My first stop was Moe's Southwest Grill, which has 573 locations across the US.

I ordered a burrito bowl with cilantro-lime rice, steak, black beans, sour cream, cheese, roasted-corn salsa, Kickin' Cayenne sauce, and fresh jalapeños. It cost just about $14, making it the most expensive of the burrito bowls I tried.

Overall, the meal from Moe's wasn't bad. However, the steak didn't taste especially fresh and had an overcooked, jerky-like texture. The rice was also a little mushier than I would've liked, and the beans didn't pack a ton of flavor.

The rest of it was pretty tasty, though. I especially liked the bursts of sweetness that came from the corn salsa.

My favorite part of the bowl was the fresh jalapeños, which added some juiciness, a crunchy texture, and lively spice. Although I later found out that fresh jalapeños weren't an option at Chipotle or Qdoba, they definitely upgraded the bowl from Moe's.

To top off the meal, I asked for "spicy red salsa," and the brand's Kickin' Cayenne looked and tasted more like hot sauce. However, it packed plenty of heat, which I appreciated.

At the end of the day, this turned out to be my least favorite of the bowls I tried. I wouldn't rule out eating at Moe's again, but I probably won't go out of my way to dine there, either.

Founded in Denver in 1993, Chipotle now has over 3,700 locations worldwide.

I ordered a burrito bowl with steak, white rice, black beans, roasted chile-corn salsa, sour cream, cheese, and tomatillo red-chile salsa. It cost $13.50, similar to the one at Moe's.

I've eaten at the restaurant enough times to know what to expect, but this comparison helped me appreciate how delicious a Chipotle meal can be.

Surprisingly, the rice jumped out at me — the texture was perfect, and the tangy acidity of the lime brightened the flavor of the entire bowl.

The steak had a hearty but tender texture, though not a ton of flavor, and the beans were pleasantly squishy with a hint of sweetness. The smoky, spicy red salsa made the whole thing fiery with heat.

I especially liked the diversity in temperatures — the cool sour cream and shredded cheese tasted great with the heat of the rice and steak.

It was a tasty, satisfying meal I feel confident I'll eat again.

For the last stop on my burrito bowl tour, I visited Qdoba. Founded in Denver in 1995 as Zuma Fresh Mexican Grill, the brand changed its name to Z-Teca in 1997 before settling on Qdoba in 1999.

I had eaten at Qdoba before but never ordered a burrito bowl. I got it with white rice, steak, black beans, corn, salsa, sour cream, and cheese.

While ordering, I didn't realize there would be multiple corn options, so I got the warm Mexican street corn topping instead of the chile corn salsa, which would've been closer to the options I tried at Moe's and Chipotle.

I also ordered the wrong red salsa and got the mild roasted-tomato salsa instead of the spicy salsa roja.

One thing to note is that Chipotle and Moe's both charge extra for queso, but Qdoba does not. Though my burrito bowl was otherwise very similar to the others in terms of constitution, I thought it was only fair to try the Queso Diablo since it was included in the price.

The meal at Qdoba cost $11.25, over $2 less expensive than the others.

I thought Qdoba had the best steak of any of the restaurants I tried — heavily seasoned chunks with lots of char flavor and the occasional crunchy charred edge.

The rice lacked the flavor of Chipotle's but had a better texture than the rice at Moe's. The corn didn't have much taste, but I loved the creaminess the bowl took on from the combination of sour cream, queso, and shredded cheese.

The queso also added more than enough kick to make up for my error in salsa choice.

It wasn't my favorite of the burrito bowls I tried, but given the lower price point and the wealth of topping options to explore, I could certainly imagine eating at Qdoba again.

Overall, the Chipotle bowl was my favorite. It offered a diversity of textures and flavors that its competitors could not match. Plus, I thought everything tasted a touch fresher.

Trader Joe's white Stilton cheese with apricots primarily tasted like the fruit, so it was cloyingly sweet.

I'd only pair the sweet cheese with a breakfast pastry. Still, I'd prefer to use jam or butter instead.

I didn't like the Comté cheese because I thought it had a deep, unpleasant earthiness.

This option could be a conversation starter on a cheese board, but I'd pair it with fig jam to take the edge off the strong flavor.

The Cotswold double Gloucester cheese had a smooth, almost Velveeta-like texture. The assertive cheese's onion and chive flavors, which reminded me of a loaded baked potato, grew on me after a few bites.

I'd add this cheese to a steaming hot baked potato, with or without sour cream.

Trader Joe's New Zealand sharp cheddar cheese had a subtle, Swiss-like aftertaste that I didn't love.

However, I liked it better when I tried it alongside pepperoni.

The fontina was soft, mild, and one of the most forgettable cheeses I tried. Its subtle flavor, milky texture, and red-wax coating reminded me of the Babybel cheeses I pack in my kids' lunches.

I used it to make a particularly creamy mac and cheese, which my family enjoyed.

The Manchego had a mild, buttery flavor with a hint of sweetness. I'd describe it as a refined Monterey Jack.

It didn't wow me, but it would probably be good on a burger.

The cheddar cheese with scotch bonnet chile and red peppers was one of the strongest options I tried. It was very sweet, fairly spicy, and soft like a classic pimento cheese.

I could see it serving as a great starter for a spicy cheese dip.

The Havarti had a creamy texture and mild flavor that could work in plenty of dishes.

It would probably be great on sandwiches, especially because Havarti tends to melt well.

Trader Joe's goat milk cheddar-style cheese was a great option. It had a sharp, familiar cheddar flavor and a tanginess from the goat milk.

It was surprisingly creamy for a firm cheese. I'd use it on a roasted-turkey sandwich with cranberry mayo.

Trader Joe's Camembert was silky and mildly earthy. It would be a great mild option on a cheese plate alongside bold flavors like salami or chorizo.

I might also spread some on a fresh baguette.

I didn't expect Trader Joe's Unexpected Cheddar to be the best cheddar I tried, but its dry, pleasantly grainy texture and sharp, tangy flavor were addictive.

Next time I make chili, I'll be grating this on top.

Trader Joe's Chiave d' Oro, which translates from Italian to "golden key," was a hard cheese that was surprisingly creamy in texture. It had a mild, nutty flavor and bitter rind.

I'd pair it with honey on a charcuterie board or add it to a salad with a sweet vinaigrette.

I love Gouda-style goat cheese, so I was excited to try this option from Trader Joe's.

I was initially disappointed that the goat's milk Gouda-style cheese tasted milder than expected. Still, it had a subtle earthy flavor and a delicious creamy texture on a cracker. It was especially tasty when paired with a slice of spicy soppressata.

This 4-month-old Spanish cheese made with cow, goat, and sheep's milk was hard and sharp, like a buttery Parmesan.

I could see it pairing well with red wine or fruit, like sliced pears. My Parmesan-loving kids liked this cheese the best.

The cave-aged Le Gruyère was especially tasty because of its hearty spiciness, earthiness, and delicately granular texture.

It was a powerful cheese that I'd imagine pairing well with whiskey. To serve, it doesn't need much more than a simple cracker.

Though Trader Joe's bucheron was the last cheese I tried, it was the one I ate the most of. The soft-ripened goat's milk cheese had an intense flavor that came on slowly.

It had a soft, creamy texture and pleasant tanginess. It would likely make a tasty, indulgent addition to a salad.

The creamy Toscano soaked in syrah was the clear-cut favorite for me and my wife. It was creamy and granular, sharp and sweet, with only a breath of wine flavor.

This cheese paired nicely with a sweet cracker — I'd recommend the Carr's whole-wheat variety or anything with dried fruit.

This story was originally published in April 2024 and most recently updated on March 3, 2025.

At first taste, my favorite was the Trader Joe's version. To me, it looked like it had the richest orange hue of the three brands and the creamiest, meltiest texture to the cheese sauce.

I thought it tasted like it had a hint more salt than the others, bringing out more of the cheese flavor.

My daughter liked the Wegmans version best, but personally, it was my second favorite.

The cheese powder didn't seem to dissolve as evenly in the Wegmans pasta as it did in the other two, which actually made it feel a little more like real cheese.

To me, it had a mellow, buttery taste that was a little less assertive than the Trader Joe's version.

Although neither of us chose the 365 by Whole Foods mac and cheese as our favorite, it wasn't bad.

However, the Wegmans and Trader Joe's recipes called for the same amount of butter and milk, while this version called for less of both.

That said, it was similar enough to the other two that it felt reasonable to wonder if the only difference was how it was prepared.

I thought it had a milky flavor, was a touch less cheesy than the other two, and had the smoothest sauce.

After tasting all the boxes of mac and cheese, my daughter and I conducted blind taste tests to see if we could correctly identify which was which. However, neither of us could identify them with any sort of consistency.

They were all incredibly similar and perfectly suitable for my boxed mac and cheese needs. Truthfully, I'd buy any of them again.

Yearwood's recipe called for more fresh ingredients than the others, which I appreciated.

However, this also meant the recipe was more labor-intensive, as it required dicing a whole onion and simmering chicken breasts in hot sauce for about an hour.

It also called for vegetable oil, garlic, hot sauce, sour cream, olive-oil mayonnaise, shredded cheddar cheese, green onions, and blue-cheese crumbles.

Yearwood also suggested cutting up celery and carrots to dip into the finished dish.

Per Yearwood's instructions, I cooked the onions in a pan and added the thinly sliced chicken breasts, garlic, a cup of water, and half a cup of hot sauce.

I simmered the chicken in hot sauce for about an hour, but after trying a piece, I didn't think this gave the meat that much flavor. All the work seemed a little redundant when the recipe called for adding more hot sauce to the mayo mixture anyway.

Once the chicken had simmered, I combined this mixture with the sour cream, mayo, cheddar, and a quarter cup of blue cheese.

I thought the directions took an odd turn when they said to serve the dip "with the chicken" in step four. I followed the comments-section consensus and mixed the chicken into the dip before topping it with the remaining blue cheese and green onions.

The mix of freshly cooked chicken and cold ingredients created a room-temperature dip.

The familiar flavor combo of Frank's RedHot sauce and blue cheese was present, but the dip wasn't spicy. I could see it working in a Buffalo-chicken-salad sandwich if it were a little less chunky.

Given all the demands of hosting a party, I think spending more than an hour on a dip that's supposed to be served immediately — but isn't even hot — would be inefficient.

Neely's recipe was the simplest of the three, relying on dried seasonings and canned chicken breast.

The recipe called for cream cheese, sour cream, dried parsley, Cajun seasoning, onion powder, hot sauce, canned chicken, and shredded cheddar cheese.

Neely's recipe also notes that the dip can be made ahead of time and stashed in the fridge, which seemed pretty convenient.

I started by adding the cream cheese, sour cream, hot sauce, and seasonings to my mixer. I used a stand mixer because Neely used one, though you could probably make the dip without this equipment.

When I was done mixing, I was hit with the unmistakable smell of onion dip.

Nevertheless, I continued to fold in the chicken and shredded cheese and spooned the mixture into casserole dishes. I sprinkled the rest of the cheese on top and baked the dip in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes.

Flavor-wise, this dip was the boldest of the three, but it strayed from the familiar Buffalo-wing taste I'm used to. The Cajun seasoning and hot sauce also made this the spiciest dip by a wide margin.

It was intense enough to risk numbing my guests' mouths before the main course, so I'd go lighter on the seasoning next time.

Neely's dip was also the loosest and least chicken-heavy of the three recipes, so it seemed like it would be best served alongside heartier dishes.

Robinson's recipe called for the fewest ingredients of the three, requiring only a rotisserie chicken (which I purchased from Costco), cream cheese, crumbled blue cheese, chopped celery, and hot sauce.

Preparing the chicken for this recipe was hardly the neatest. Outside the greasy process of pulling apart the chicken, though, it was a very straightforward recipe.

Like Neely's, the recipe said the dip could be prepared ahead of time.

Robinson's recipe called for softening the cream cheese on the stove over medium heat, but the cold block scalded at that temperature. I lowered the temperature so it could slowly melt, and from there, the process was easy.

I mixed in the chicken pieces, chopped celery, and hot sauce, transferred the dip to a casserole dish, covered it with crumbled blue cheese, and baked it at 425 degrees for 25 minutes.

The recipe made enough to fill a 9-inch pie pan, but I separated mine into smaller portions.

Robinson's chicken-heavy recipe was true to the classic flavor of Buffalo dip, with just enough spice to keep everyone happy.

The chopped celery, which I figured would get lost, provided a surprising amount of texture and a bit of color, and the moist, dark-chicken meat didn't dry out while baking.

This dip was so meaty that I think it could be served as an alternative to chicken wings.

Robinson's was the clear winner among the three dips. Though I could see myself dipping a crusty piece of bread into it, it was also hearty enough that it felt like a main dish.

Plus, there's something very football-friendly about being able to advertise a whole-chicken Buffalo dip to your guests.

Click to check out the other celebrity-chef recipes we've put head-to-head so far.

This story was originally published on February 7, 2024, and most recently updated on February 6, 2025.

Normally, I'm a fan of anything that's made Buffalo-style. However, the Appetitos Buffalo chicken dip was oddly heavy on onions — which isn't a flavor I typically associate with Buffalo wings.

When I pulled it from the microwave, the combination of earthiness from the onions and vinegar from the hot sauce produced an unpleasant aroma. It didn't look especially appetizing, either.

There was a respectable amount of chicken, and the peppery flavor of the hot sauce was good, but the onions tasted out of place, and the whole dip was a bit too tangy for my taste.

At $5 for a 12.5-ounce portion, it didn't seem like a great value relative to the other deals at Aldi.

Unfortunately, the Fusia chicken egg rolls fell apart a bit while cooking in my air fryer.

The outer crust was more dry and crumbly than the egg rolls I prefer. The stuffing was also heavy on cabbage, leaving a fairly strong aftertaste that I didn't love.

At $3.40 for a package of four, I'll probably skip these next time.

Mama Cozzi's mini pizza bagels looked exactly like the more familiar Bagel Bites brand appetizer.

They tasted a lot like them, too, but to me, they didn't stack up well against the other options I tried. I found the sauce a little too sweet, the bagel a bit too dry, and the pepperoni lacking in flavor.

At $7.10 for a pack of 36 bagel bites, these were less expensive than similar products I've seen at other grocery stores.

Wings are fairly easy to prepare from fresh or frozen chicken, and unfortunately, I didn't think the Kirkwood Buffalo-style chicken wings stood up to the version I make myself.

The wings came with sauce already on them, which likely prevented them from getting crispy in the air fryer. The chicken was a bit on the greasy side, but they packed more spice than I expected.

I thought $5.90 was a good deal for more than a pound of wings, but I would've preferred this product if the sauce came in a separate packet.

I steamed the Fusia mini wontons in the microwave, and given how many of the appetizers I tried were fried, I was happy about the change of pace.

The pork-and-vegetable stuffing was heavy on scallion flavor and a bit sweet.

At $6.90 for a 24-ounce bag, these were on the costlier side of Aldi's appetizer offerings. However, I'd buy these again because my 4-year-old daughter loved them — and she's particular about dumplings.

Like the pizza bagels I tried, Mama Cozzi's pepperoni pizza snacks closely resembled the brand-name product.

These didn't explode in the air fryer, which is an issue I've had with similar snacks in the past, and their outer shell took on a nice, crispy texture.

The $6.50 price tag seemed very reasonable for an enormous 45-ounce bag. However, I would've preferred a smaller option to keep in my freezer.

The Casa Mamita stuffed beef and cheese nachos looked like toasted ravioli, and the chewy-crunchy outer shell had the same texture.

Inside, the stuffed nachos were reminiscent of a convenience-store microwavable burrito, which is not meant as a knock. The filling was heavier on cheese than seasoned beef, and I could've gone for a bit more of the latter.

However, they had a nice peppery kick to them, and at $4, would make for a fine change of pace at a Super Bowl party.

Aldi had a wide selection of chicken nuggets and tenders. I chose the Kirkwood chicken fries because the $5.30 24-ounce bag was the smallest and least expensive option.

There wasn't much seasoning in the breading, and there was a high bread-to-chicken ratio, but they were great for dipping.

The Appetitos mac-and-cheese bites looked exactly like chicken nuggets but were stuffed with creamy, melty cheese and pasta.

They were salty but a little light on flavor and definitely tastier when dipped in a homemade cajun aioli. However, these blew my 4-year-old's mind, and she insisted on showing me that every bite had "real mac and cheese inside."

I thought $3.50 seemed well worth it for the 8-ounce package.

Since I prefer beef hot dogs to chicken ones, I had reservations about Bremer's mini corn dogs.

However, they cooked up nicely in the air fryer, with a nice crispness to the honey-tinged cornmeal crusts. The franks inside didn't taste like much, but they didn't detract from the snack, either.

Like most corn dogs, these were much better with mustard or ketchup. A huge 26.8-ounce box cost me $6.50.

I didn't realize it at the time, but the SeaPak wild-caught clam strips were the only appetizer I found at Aldi that didn't come from one of the supermarket's house brands.

The clam strips, which cost $5 for an 8-ounce box, took on a great crunch from my air fryer and packed a nice, mildly briny seafood flavor.

The Appetitos jalapeño poppers did not disappoint. At $2.90 for an 11-ounce package, they were the least expensive starters I found.

There wasn't a ton of kick from the jalapeños, but they were a nice, tender complement to the crunchy breading and molten cream cheese.

They weren't the best jalapeño poppers I've ever had, but if I paid for them at a local bar, I wouldn't complain.

Cauliflower is one of my least-favorite vegetables, but after eating so many breaded, fried, cheese-stuffed things, I was excited about a breaded, fried vegetable-stuffed thing.

Unlike the Buffalo wings I tried, the Season's Choice Buffalo cauliflower bites came with the sauce in a separate packet. Even after I tossed them in the sauce, they maintained a nice crunch, and the cauliflower had a nice, hearty texture.

I also thought $3.50 for a 13-ounce bag seemed like a good deal.

The Appetitos breaded cheese curds, which cost $4.40 for a 15-ounce package, were an absolute hit with my whole family.

They had a winning combination of hot, molten cheese and crunchy, salty breading.

I don't normally love potato skins or baked potatoes, so I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Aldi's cheddar-and-bacon-topped potato skins.

They were hardly "skins" at all — more like baked potato halves.

When cooked, they had more potato flavor than I expected, a smoother texture than I would've imagined possible from a frozen baked potato, and nice bits of salty crunch from the bacon.

They cost $3.50 for a package of four and were my wife's favorite of the appetizers we tried.

The Appetitos cream-cheese wontons had a crispy, flaky crust that I really enjoyed. They weren't overwhelmingly greasy, and the cream cheese inside was smooth and rich.

I tried them with a few different dips, but I liked them best on their own. However, there were only six wontons in the $3.70 package, so I'd need to buy multiple boxes if I were to serve them to guests.

Appetitos' cheese-stuffed pretzels were another family favorite. The warm, sweet, soft pretzels provided a great vehicle for the hot, creamy cheddar cheese inside.

I especially liked that they weren't overwhelmingly salty. A few of them lost some cheese in the cooking process, but I trust that I can make the necessary adjustments moving forward.

At $3 for a 10-ounce box, I'll absolutely buy these again.

Most of Aldi's cheese-stuffed appetizers were good, but in my opinion, the Fremont shrimp queso bites were the best.

At $5 for an 11-ounce bag, they were on the expensive side by Aldi standards. There was definitely a lot more queso than shrimp inside the golden-brown puffs, but I could definitely taste the seafood.

The cheese also had a sharp, peppery spice. Of the 18 appetizers I tried, these were a narrow favorite.

I have two young kids, so I've finished off plenty of tiny boxes of apple juice in the last few years.

I thought I knew what to expect from Snapple's apple flavor, but I found it tasted more like apple-flavored candy than apple juice. It lacked any sort of tang, and in my opinion, it wasn't refreshing.

Unsurprisingly, all the Snapple flavors I tried were sweet. However, a few of them were so syrupy that they almost felt thick. This was definitely the case with the fruit-punch flavor.

This one tasted very sugary, almost like someone had dumped the remnants of all the other juices into the same bottle.

I had high hopes for the grapeade, which had a color that almost resembled red wine. However, it had no tartness to it at all and tasted a bit like grape jelly.

After trying all the flavors, I realized I typically liked the lighter-colored beverages better than the darker ones. However, Snapple's orangeade proved to be an exception to that rule.

This one had no bite to it at all — almost like a creamsicle without the cream.

I remember Mango Madness being one of my favorite flavors during the 90s Snapple craze.

However, it was one of the flavors that was so sweet it had the viscosity of highly concentrated simple syrup — albeit with the pleasant and recognizable mango flavor I enjoyed in my youth.

Snapple's peach tea was another staple of my youth. It tasted exactly as I remembered, but this time around, I didn't like it as much. The peach flavor wasn't very subtle and drowned out most of the tea flavor.

I'm a big fan of iced-tea-lemonade drinks and typically enjoy the version from Arizona iced tea. However, I didn't remember ever trying Snapple's version before.

I didn't hate this flavor — but I didn't love it either. In my opinion, it was blandly sweet with some lemon flavor, and didn't have the earthiness of tea or the tartness of lemonade.

The assertive raspberry flavor in Snapple's raspberry tea was better than I remembered. It tasted more like candy than actual raspberries, but was fruity, tasty, and different.

Snapple's lemon tea always seemed a bit boring to me. However, I was surprised by how much I liked it. It had a nice sweet-tea flavor with just a hint of lemon, and none of the odd, dry-throat sensation that sometimes follows bottled iced teas.

I'm a sucker for pink lemonade, and Snapple's version got an added boost because it froze a bit in the back of my refrigerator, creating delightful pink-lemonade slush. However, I liked it even after it melted.

It was, of course, incredibly sweet, but I liked the lemon flavor and thought it would work well mixed with an unsweetened iced tea or seltzer.

Snapple's watermelon lemonade was a bit more muted in color than the pink lemonade, but it wasn't muted in flavor.

Watermelon was the prominent flavor here, and I thought it tasted just like a watermelon Jolly Rancher (which is my favorite).

When I first saw this flavor in the supermarket, I expected it to be my least favorite. Although I like bananas, I tend to dislike anything banana-flavored.

However, the Go Bananas flavor also contains pear-juice concentrate, which I could definitely taste when I took a sip. The banana flavor wasn't overwhelming and gave the drink a tropical vibe.

I could imagine myself throwing this in the blender with some ice cubes and rum.

Snapple's kiwi-strawberry flavor was another one that was better than I'd remembered. It was sweet with strawberry flavor and had some nice tanginess to it. This felt like a good potential cocktail mixer or a base for a punch.

I've eaten many dinners and lunches at Wendy's, but this was my first experience with its breakfast. The chain has tried to serve breakfast many times over the years without luck and most recently brought it back in 2020.

I chose a sausage-burrito combo with a side of seasoned potatoes. I opted for a cold-brew coffee with Frosty creamer for a $1.45 upcharge, bringing the total cost of my meal to $8.97.

The breakfast burrito with sausage from Wendy's seemed more substantial than it looked in the pictures I saw of it online.

It contained a square sausage patty split in two, two eggs, American cheese, cheese sauce, and some of the same seasoned potatoes that came on the side.

When I tried the cheese sauce in isolation, it had a nice, cheddar-like taste, but its flavor was lost when I bit into the whole burrito.

This was a fine fast-food breakfast burrito, but the sausage was a little dry, and I didn't love the texture of the eggs — these were the only ones I tried that didn't appear scrambled, and they felt unnaturally fluffy for fried eggs.

I liked that my burrito came with two packets of Cholula hot sauce, which made it much tastier.

Rating: 5/10

Every other fast-food chain I visited served hash browns in some form, but Wendy's has seasoned potatoes instead.

In my opinion, over-seasoned potatoes would be a better name for them. They were too salty for my liking and not as crunchy as I wanted them to be.

The smaller, crunchier potatoes tasted like seasoned curly fries, which was good. The larger, mushier ones were less exciting.

Rating: 3/10

Unfortunately, the Wendy's cold brew felt entirely punchless, like a weak coffee-flavored beverage instead of actual coffee, which is the light of my life.

To me, the Frosty creamer tasted pretty indistinguishable from the little vanilla-flavored creamer containers you find in big bowls next to the coffee station at chain hotels.

Rating: 2/10

I more closely associate McDonald's with breakfast than I do any of the other chains I visited. My McDonald's breakfast preferences were forged long before its burritos became available, though, so I'd never tried one before.

In the combo meal I ordered, I got two sausage burritos and a hash brown on the side. I paid a $0.40 upcharge to have my coffee iced instead of hot, which brought my total bill to $9.13

The McDonald's sausage burrito was my least favorite — and not because it was the smallest.

It contained scrambled egg, sausage, cheese, and bits of tomato and pepper. I thought it lacked flavor and that there wasn't enough sausage.

Plus, the tortilla itself was squishy and soft, almost like it had been steamed. The salsa packet this came with did add some sweetness and mild spice, but this seemed no better than a breakfast burrito I might microwave for myself at a convenience store.

Rating: 2/10

I'm sure I've eaten a thousand McDonald's hash browns before this one, and each has brought me some regret.

They're tasty for a few bites, but they tend to be quite greasy. This one was no exception, coating my fingers in oil as I ate it. Some of the edges still had a nice crunch from the fryer, but the middle was soft from the grease.

Rating: 3/10

Just when I was feeling pretty disappointed about the quality of my breakfast at McDonald's, I took a sip of my iced coffee.

I loved its smooth and surprisingly rich coffee flavor.

It was undoubtedly the best fast-food coffee drink I tried, even though it had maybe a touch more cream than I'd prefer.

Rating: 9/10

Chick-fil-A's chicken biscuit is one of my favorite fast-food breakfasts, but I'd never tried one of its burritos before.

It felt strange not ordering chicken at the chain that's famous for it, but for the sake of consistency, I ordered my hash-brown-scramble burrito with sausage.

The meal came with a side of hash browns. After a $1.16 upcharge for iced coffee, the bill came to $13.23.

This was the most expensive of the meals I tried, but it may have been partially because of prices at this specific location. The Chick-fil-A I visited was in Midtown Manhattan — which is famously expensive — and the other four restaurants I went to were in Queens (McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King) or Brooklyn (Taco Bell).

Chick-fil-A's burrito felt large, but the tortilla seemed almost too big for the eggs, sausage, cheese, and hash browns it contained.

I liked the mild peppery flavor of the sausage and the fluffy, moist texture of the scrambled eggs. But the hash browns that give the burrito its name seemed completely unnecessary — they'd lost all their crunch, so the flaky bits of potato felt almost like rice, adding bulk and grease but not much flavor.

I didn't love the tortilla itself, which didn't seem to have been heated in any way and had the taste and texture of a deli wrap.

Rating: 6/10

I'll say this for Chick-fil-A's hash browns: There were a lot of them. Otherwise, I was underwhelmed.

Like every fast-food hash brown, these were very greasy, but given the smaller individual pieces, I felt like these should've been crispier.

Plus, in my opinion, they fell short on flavor.

Rating: 4/10

Chick-fil-A's coffee was definitely among the better and stronger drinks I tried for this taste test. It had a bolder, darker flavor than the others, but some sips bordered on tasting burned.

Rating: 7/10

I visited Taco Bell a little after 10 a.m. — shortly before it began serving lunch — and there was no coffee available.

They might've brewed up a pot if I asked, but I didn't want to make a fuss, so I had my late breakfast with a Mountain Dew Baja Blast Zero and got a coffee at a later date.

With a hash brown for a side, the combo came to $8.05.

I've had breakfast burritos from Taco Bell before, and most of them had fresher-tasting tortillas.

Still, I like that Taco Bell uses the same grill press for its breakfast burritos as it does for the stuffed ones on its lunch and dinner menu. It makes the tortilla nicely toasty.

The diced tomatoes were a highlight of the burrito, a nice touch that added a juicy brightness none of the others I tried had.

Everything else inside was also good — the eggs were moist, the sausage was flavorful, and the cheese was melty and gooey. The burrito tasted surprisingly mild by Taco Bell standards, but a packet of Fire Sauce helped.

Rating: 7/10

I'm pretty sure this was my first experience with a Taco Bell hash brown, and I was pleasantly surprised.

It was greasy, of course, but not quite as unreasonably greasy as some of the others I ate. It had a strong crunch and a sneaky black-pepper spice that made it the most flavorful, best hash brown of all I tried.

Rating: 10/10

In the interest of fairness to Taco Bell, I went back to try its coffee.

A few days later, I went to the same location at an earlier time, but once again, it didn't have coffee. Eventually, I was able to find some at a different location in Queens.

This Taco Bell didn't have regular milk available for its iced coffee, just sweetened vanilla creamer.

Unfortunately, the coffee disappointed me. It tasted fairly strong, but it was also very acidic, and I didn't like the overwhelming sweetness of the creamer.

Rating: 3/10

Twenty years ago, I was in a band, and the only place to eat near our rehearsal space was a Burger King. It happened to be a terrible one where somehow everything took forever to cook but somehow never tasted particularly fresh.

This might have been the first time I'd visited a Burger King since I quit that band in 2006.

I ordered the Egg Normous burrito combo, which came with an iced coffee (no upcharge) and a side of hash browns for $7.61, the least expensive of the five combos I tried.

The name is no joke: Burger King's breakfast burrito was, in fact, egg-normous. Inside, it was stuffed with generous portions of scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, cheese, hash browns, and spicy sauce.

The spicy sauce had a sweet, spicy flavor that resembled hot honey or pancake syrup mixed with hot sauce.

Historically, I've found fast-food bacon is rarely crispy, yet Burger King's bacon was extremely crisp. The sausage had a nice kick of pepper, and the packets of salsa that came with the burrito added some spice and tomato flavor.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Burger King sold my favorite fast-food breakfast burrito.

Rating: 10/10

Burger King's coin-sized hash browns looked similar to Chick-fil-A's, but they were crunchier and not any greasier.

I wouldn't go out of the way to order them again, but they weren't bad.

Rating: 6/10

I appreciated that there was no upcharge for Burger King's iced coffee, but there wasn't a ton else about it that stood out.

It seemed to be adequately punchy, and it didn't taste bitter or stale. Still, the coffee wasn't especially good.

Rating: 5/10

Final breakdown:

• Wendy's: 10/30
• McDonald's: 14/30
• Chick-fil-A: 17/30
• Taco Bell: 20/30
• Burger King: 21/30

In last place is Wendy's, with an OK breakfast burrito and a meal I found to be disappointing overall. Coming in fourth is McDonald's, where a good cup of iced coffee was the saving grace of my otherwise disappointing meal

Chick-fil-A is in third for its good coffee, decent breakfast burrito, and disappointing hash browns. Fourth is Taco Bell: I was impressed by its breakfast burrito and loved its hash brown. If it had decent coffee, it could've won.

First place goes to Burger King, which I hadn't expected. Its superior burrito made its combo the most satisfying, even though its coffee and hash browns were middle-of-the-road.

Maybe it had an unfair advantage for having both sausage and bacon in its burrito, but no one's stopping the other chains from also doing that.

For the sake of this comparison, I chose Trader Joe's plain organic hummus over the Mediterranean-style and roasted-garlic options.

Out of all the hummus I tried, this one looked the driest and least vibrant in color.

The hummus wasn't unpleasant, but the texture was mealy rather than creamy. I thought there was too much cumin, and it needed a squeeze of lemon.

Overall, it was good, but the flavor wasn't all that exciting. I'd buy it again if I needed hummus and was at Trader Joe's, but I wouldn't go out of my way to get it.

Costco sells packs of snack-sized Kirkland Signature hummus, but I selected the 34-ounce organic roasted pine nut variety for this comparison.

The tub of hummus was rimmed with a layer of oil and topped with pine nuts, herbs, garlic, and roasted peppers.

Out of all the hummus brands I tried, this option tasted the most bland without mixing in the toppings. I also found it to be a bit grainy.

I thought mixing the toppings into the hummus made it look less appetizing, but the additional oil and prominent red peppers improved the flavor.

I enjoyed this hummus, but I could imagine it being divisive. For example, I already knew my kids wouldn't like it because of its red pepper flavor.

I'd opt for a more traditional hummus if I were serving others.

My local Whole Foods had a broad selection of hummus, including a handful of store-label 365 choices.

The 365 original hummus had a nice color, looked creamy, and came without toppings.

The 365 option was everything I could reasonably hope for in a grocery store hummus. It was flavorful and had the earthiness of tahini, distinct notes of cumin, and a velvety texture.

This hummus was good enough to buy again. In fact, I won't even bother perusing Whole Foods' other options.

The Wegmans I visited offered an overwhelming selection of store-brand hummus, including dill pickle, bagel, and jalapeño cilantro options.

Though all of them looked delicious, I decided to stick to the simplest-looking hummus for the sake of this taste test.

Wegmans' hummus was a cut above the competition from the first bite. Even before I mixed in the roasted-garlic and chickpea topping, this hummus stood out for its moist, creamy texture and bright, citrusy tang.

With the garlic mixed in, it was undoubtedly the best hummus I've ever found at a supermarket — and better than plenty of dips I've had at restaurants. I finished the container of Wegmans' hummus the same day I did this taste test.

My nearest Wegmans is a 40-minute bike ride away, but I'll make that trip for this hummus again.

This story was originally published on March 6, 2024, and most recently updated on March 28, 2025.

The Vlasic kosher dill baby pickles at my local supermarket cost about $6 for a 16-ounce container, making them the most expensive per ounce of the pickles I tried.

They had a nice crunch to them, and although they initially had a mild and pleasant briny flavor, there was an off-putting aftertaste. As a result, my entire family placed these at the bottom of the list.

The taste was so unpleasant that I bought a second jar from a different supermarket to see if the first one was an anomaly. It was not.

I grabbed a 16-ounce jar of 365 organic kosher baby dill pickles from Whole Foods for $5.

When I took a bite, however, I didn't think these pickles were as good as some of the others I tried. They weren't especially crunchy, and I didn't love the flavor. I thought they were heavy on garlic and lacked the crisp, vinegary bite I seek in good pickles.

I'd eat them again if someone served them to me, but I'd opt for other brands if I were shopping for my family.

To be fair, these were my 7-year-old's favorite, but he's by far the most averse to spicy foods in our family.

The Trader Joe's kosher dill pickles were the least expensive of the group, at $3 for a well-stuffed 24-ounce jar.

These pickles had a satisfying snap with each bite but a fairly mild vinegar flavor and some seasoning resembling caraway, which felt unfamiliar. They also didn't have the palate-cleansing zest I sometimes want.

Overall, they tasted like something you'd serve on a cheese board rather than with a cheeseburger.

I'd buy these again — especially considering the price — if I were shopping at Trader Joe's and needed pickles. However, they're not something I'd go out of my way for.

I took home a 24-ounce jar of Mt. Olive dill-pickle spears that was on sale for $4 (about $2 off the supermarket's usual price).

I wasn't sure if I'd ever bought a jar of Mt. Olive pickles before, but when I opened it, I recognized the smell immediately — these were the pickles that came with every sandwich at a popular and delicious deli near where I went to college.

They were a touch mushy and didn't have much crunch, but they won me over with their assertive, classic pickle flavor, which was so tangy it was almost spicy.

I might buy them again if I start feeling nostalgic for that sandwich shop or am looking for a budget-friendly option.

Claussen's kosher dill pickles cost $7 for a 32-ounce jar at my local supermarket. These pickles were the only of the five brands I tried that came from the grocer's refrigerated section.

Having to refrigerate the Claussen pickles made them slightly less convenient to store, but they were so much better than the other pickles we tasted. Vibrant with dill, they were crunchy without being heavy and had a bright vinegary tang.

My wife, our 4-year-old, and I all ranked this as the best pickle by far — so far superior to the others that the extra cost was easily justified.

I will seek out Claussen whenever I'm buying pickles at the supermarket in the future.

I was really excited about Olipop's watermelon lime flavor — until I took my first sip. Out of the 17 flavors I tried, this was the only one I found to be truly off-putting.

In my opinion, it tasted like watermelon that had been put in the fridge after sitting out in the sun all day. This flavor also overpowered any lime notes that may have been in there.

To be honest, I disliked it so much that I wondered if maybe I had gotten a bad batch. After trying another can from a different store, I found it tasted the same as the first one.

My wife tried both cans and didn't care for it either. Maybe this flavor is more of an acquired taste.

Anyone who chooses green apple when presented with a variety of lollipop flavors will enjoy this soda. I happen to dislike green apple candy, and that's mostly what Olipop's crisp apple tastes like.

Every can of Olipop has a description of the flavor, and this one claims to blend "sparkling apple juice and gummy apple rings." However, I tasted a lot more of the latter.

Throughout my taste test, I was surprised at how few of the sodas tasted medicinal. However, the cherry cola was an exception.

In my opinion, it had an unpleasant aftertaste and a cherry flavor that seemed more artificial than other Olipop varieties.

I expected to rank banana cream dead last — I love bananas, but I'm not sure I've ever liked anything banana flavored. In that context, the banana cream was surprisingly drinkable.

The banana flavor was definitely more reminiscent of Runts candy than an actual banana, but it wasn't too strong or sweet. It made for a soda that was at least interesting, if not particularly good.

Olipop's take on root beer definitely had some of the familiar, sweet, herbal taste. However, it didn't pack much of the spicy bite the best varieties offer.

In my opinion, root beer typically translates poorly into diet form — maybe because it's traditionally so sugary — and Olipop's decidedly tasted like a diet root beer. It wasn't unpleasant, but it didn't leave me wanting more.

The can says that Olipop's orange squeeze incorporates clementine, mandarin, and lemon juices. However, in my opinion, it tasted more like traditional orange soda.

I'm not particularly nostalgic for orange soda, and while this had plenty of citrus flavor, it didn't have much of the associated tartness.

Unlike the cherry cola flavor, the cherry taste that shined through in the cherry vanilla variety is tart with acidity. I found it to be closer to the flavor of real, fresh cherries than maraschinos.

However, the distinct cherry flavor was a little too assertive for my tastes, and I would've liked more of the familiar warmth of vanilla to balance it out.

At first sip, I thought Olipop's ginger ale might rank first on this list. It had the flavor of real ginger — just enough to give it just a touch of spice. It also had a nice, citrusy tartness, which made for a brighter and more nuanced flavor than you'd find in most mainstream ginger ales.

However, there was something oddly biotic about the aftertaste that brought this one down the list.

Based on the name and packaging, Doctor Goodwin is presumably Olipop's answer to Dr. Pepper. However, Olipop's version tasted nothing like it.

That being said, this soda wasn't bad at all in its own right. It had a more palatable dose of the same cherry flavor from the cherry vanilla variety. However, it was balanced out by an indistinct sweetness. To me, Doctor Goodwin might viably pass as a cherry cola.

At the first taste, I was impressed by how fizzy the vintage cola was. I was also surprised at how accurately it mimicked the flavor of familiar diet colas like Diet Pepsi.

It was sweet, had a touch of bite, and no noticeable aftertaste. If I lined it up with other diet colas in a blind test, I'm not sure I'd be able to tell which one had 9 grams of fiber.

Lemon lime seems pretty ho-hum as far as soda flavors go — so much so that this was the last of the 17 sodas I tried. However, I was surprised by how much I liked it.

Unlike any other lemon lime soda I can remember, I could taste the distinct flavors of lemon and lime instead of a vague citrusy sweetness. It was pleasantly sour and shockingly refreshing after I'd sampled 16 other flavors.

Strawberry vanilla was another flavor that surprised me. Based on the cherry vanilla variety, I thought this one would be too heavy on the strawberry flavor.

But while the sweet, tangy taste of strawberry was certainly present and obvious, this one had a much more noticeable hint of vanilla, which served as a warm counter to the strawberry.

I found Olipop's strawberry vanilla reminiscent of a flavored cream soda from an old-timey soda fountain.

Despite its name, Olipop's classic grape didn't taste much like a standard grape soda.

Instead, I found it tasted more like actual grapes. More specifically, it was reminiscent of the fancy sparkling grape juice that comes in glass bottles and is served to kids when the grown-ups are having cocktails. It was tart, not too sweet, and a little winey.

In 2024, Olipop's newest flavor, Ridge Rush, was introduced with an ad campaign that called it "A Can of Do" — positioning it as the brand's answer to Mountain Dew.

However, I liked it a bit more than actual Mountain Dew — it wasn't as sweet, and the citrus flavors were far more distinct.

It's a lighter yellow than its inspiration, and is one of only four Olipop flavors with caffeine.

The biggest shock of the taste test came when I poured some tropical punch into a glass. I expected the liquid inside to be red or pink, but instead, it was yellow.

This made a lot more sense once I discovered the most noticeable flavor in the soda was pineapple. However, it wasn't nearly as thick or cloying as straight pineapple juice, and the pineapple's sweet acidity tasted brighter and lighter from the carbonation.

This felt like it was begging for some rum, though I'm not certain prebiotic rum is the best idea.

The ginger lemon had even more ginger flavor than the ginger ale.

The flavor was strong enough to make the soda a bit spicy and taste like ginger beer, but it also had just enough sweetness to take the edge off the spice.

And most importantly, it didn't have the same unpleasant aftertaste as the ginger ale. I did find that the ginger flavor overpowered the lemon, but I liked this soda so much that I was OK with it.

In general, I typically find cream sodas to be bland. However, there was nothing bland or boring about Olipop's cream soda. It was rich with vanilla flavor but not too sweet.

It was definitely on the milder side of the flavors I tried, but it absolutely captured the nostalgic soda-shop taste of cream soda — without anything to indicate it's also loaded with fiber.

This story was originally published in May 2024 and most recently updated on March 28, 2025.

The 2-½ pound box of Kirkland Signature panko shrimp, which cost $19, was the most expensive meal I purchased. According to its packaging, each box comes with 40 to 50 shrimp that can be prepared in the oven.

The slightly peppery seasoning on the shrimp was tasty, but I thought there was too much breading, making the shellfish feel like an afterthought.

Next time, I'll make my own version with frozen uncooked shrimp, which is also quick and easy to prepare.

The Sandwich Bros. chicken-melt sandwiches, which I'd wanted to try for a while, looked enormous and delicious on the box. But when I opened the package, they were smaller than I'd expected.

A pack of 15 individually wrapped sandwiches cost $12.70, which seemed reasonable to me.

The pita got a little rubbery in the microwave, but no other cooking methods were listed on the box. I tried heating the sandwiches in the oven and air-fryer, but both methods essentially baked the pita into a cracker.

Taste-wise, the chicken had a mildly peppery seasoning. The strongest flavor was the American cheese, which never came out as beautifully melted as it looked on the packaging. The sandwiches tasted best when I added a condiment like spicy mayo or hot sauce.

My 3-year-old loved these sandwiches, which seemed appropriate for someone whose favorite foods are bread, cheese, and chicken nuggets.

I picked up a four-pack of the Kirkland Signature thin-crust pepperoni pizza for $13.70, which came out to just over $3.40 per pie.

I thought the price was reasonable, but I'd prefer to spend a little more money on Target's single Red Baron pie, which doesn't require nearly as much freezer space. 

Each Kirkland Signature pizza was individually wrapped in plastic. However, during transport, most of the pepperoni shifted to one side of the pizza, so I manually redistributed the slices before baking it for about 12 minutes. 

The finished pizza looked exactly how I expected. The cheese melted, the edges of the crust browned, and the pepperoni glimmered with grease.

In my opinion, this pizza was sort of bland — the thin, cracker-like crust had a nice texture but little flavor, the sauce was slightly sweet but light on seasoning, and the pepperoni didn't have much spice. 

It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great, either. I would probably serve one as a convenient appetizer if I needed to cook a more elaborate meal for guests, especially if kids were around.

But since this pizza wasn't better or cheaper than other frozen pies I've had, I don't expect to buy it again.

The Ajinomoto frozen ramen featured big chunks of chicken, noodles, dehydrated carrots, corn, red peppers, and green onions.

This pack came with six individual bowls, which required a decent amount of freezer space.

I added water and microwaved the ramen for four minutes per the instructions. The noodles were tender, the chicken was a bit spongy and sweet, and the salty soy-based broth was tasty without being overpowering.

They were a great size for a small but satisfying lunch, though far less portable than other forms of ramen. And at $18 for six bowls, they didn't seem like a very good value.

I'm somewhat particular about meatballs, but the deal on this Kirkland Signature product was hard to pass up. A 6-pound bag filled with 140 walnut-sized meatballs was only $18.

When I brought them home, the meatballs heated quickly in my air fryer and got a nice crust on the outside.

Unfortunately, the meatballs were a bit too spongy for my taste. Without sauce, they had a fairly strong garlic taste with some mild black-pepper spice. Still, they were neutral enough to take on the flavor of any sauce I paired them with.

I served my kids a few plain meatballs alongside some mac and cheese, and they seemed unimpressed.

When I tried the meatballs on a roll with cheese, barbecue sauce, and pickles, I thought the finished product tasted a bit like a McRib.

However, I liked them best as an appetizer, tossed in a sweet-and-sour sauce I made with ketchup, jelly, Sriracha, and Worcestershire sauce.

Overall, they seemed like a good value, but the 6-pound bag took up so much freezer space that I can't imagine buying these again.

On the day I went shopping, Costco offered samples of these dumplings, so I knew what to expect before I brought them home.

They seemed plain, but I was impressed by the price. The 3-pound bag was on sale for $7.50, though it normally costs $10.

When I opened the bag, I noticed some of the wontons fused in the freezer and didn't easily come apart without ripping. Though it didn't affect the flavor, this might make me less likely to use them as an appetizer while hosting.

I tried pan-frying them, but they took on a lot of the oil flavor. They were better when I steamed them in the microwave, as this cooking method allowed the filling's subtle sweetness and cilantro flavor to shine through.

The Kirkland Signature lasagna requires 65 minutes in the oven, so it's a little less convenient than many other frozen meals from Costco. That is, unless you risk the 24-minute microwave option suggested on the packaging.

But other than the baking time, the lasagna requires very little work. Each two-pack of lasagna was $16.70.

The finished meal looked appealing, covered with brown, bubbly mozzarella cheese. The lasagna was surprisingly spicy, with a black-pepper taste.

The sauce was subtly sweet but more seasoned than I'd like. The noodles came out perfectly tender, and the meaty sausage had a nice fennel flavor.

Each lasagna was enough to feed my family, with plenty left for the next day's lunch.

Red's turkey-sausage egg'wich caught my attention as a quick, protein-forward, low-carb breakfast option at the perfect time — I'm trying to eat lighter meals ahead of three family weddings.

The preparation was fast and simple. I microwaved the egg'wich for 50 seconds on each side, and I had a piping-hot turkey-sausage sandwich with eggs patties for bread. 

This eight-pack of egg'wiches cost $15, which didn't seem especially cost-efficient as far as Costco frozen meals go. 

I was a bit surprised I enjoyed these, as I don't usually like precooked egg patties. However, these were moist without being too greasy (though they were a little greasier than most foods I'd eat with my hands). The flavorful turkey sausage, which had a hint of black pepper, was good, too.

However, the egg'wich, which was only 190 calories and had 17 grams of protein, didn't fill me up. I usually like to spice up my egg breakfasts with some hot sauce, but I was worried it would spill out the sides or off the top of the sandwich.

After some consideration, I took a hamburger bun and put the entire egg'wich between the bread to better protect my hands from grease and condiments. I found the egg'wiches tasted much better and were more satisfying this way, though they were no longer keto-friendly.

I'll probably buy these again — along with more buns.

This was similar to a frozen orange-chicken meal I frequently buy at Trader Joe's. Both the Crazy Cuizine and Trader Joe's versions contain frozen chicken nuggets and pouches of sweet, brown, tangy sauce.

Without the sauce, the meat pieces' crispy, salty, outer breading reminded me of chicken nuggets.

The meal seemed tailor-made for preparation in an air fryer and was ready in about 20 minutes. The chicken pieces came out super crispy and were even tastier than some Chinese takeout meals I've had.

I'd buy this $16.50 box again, especially since the chicken was enough for four meals for my family when I served it with white rice and vegetables.

A box of eight individually wrapped Kirkland Signature breakfast sandwiches, made with bacon, egg, cheese, and a croissant, cost $16 at my Costco.

The sandwiches were extremely easy to prepare — after just six minutes in the air fryer, I had a quick, hot-breakfast option.

We enjoyed these sandwiches. The croissant (though a bit flimsy) had a nice hint of sweetness, the bacon was flavorful with a bit of crunch, and the melted cheese kept the sandwich from becoming too dry.

The sandwich also had enough flavor and moisture that it didn't need ketchup or hot sauce.

They reminded my wife and me of similar options from chain coffee shops. However, at about $2 per sandwich, they cost less than many of the options at my local Starbucks.

I'll likely repurchase the Kirkland Signature sandwiches when I need a break from my typical breakfast routine.

I picked up this 30-count box of the Kirkland Signature tempura shrimp on a week when I needed an easy dinner to make.

I thought I knew what to expect from the $18 box, as I'd previously bought this item for a holiday party. But I didn't try many, and though I remember my kids eating them, I wasn't sure if they'd still like this meal — that was over a year ago, and children can be fickle. 

The box contained a resealable bag of frozen shrimp and pouches of a soy-based dipping sauce.

The shrimp were extremely easy to prepare — I simply heated them in the air fryer at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

The shrimp were light on flavor yet hearty, so each piece felt substantial. When I tried them with the soy dipping sauce, they soaked up the sweet-salty taste.

All four of us liked this meal — which is a rarity. My 7-year-old deemed them "shrimp sticks" and delighted in the way the tails acted like little handles.

I was eager to try this staple of the Costco frozen section. The package came with two six-serving pizzas and was on sale for $10, though it normally costs $13.

It may be a deep-dish pizza, but the crust was nice and airy. Each pie had plenty of molten mozzarella and both sliced and diced pepperoni.

The pepperoni got shaken up in the package, but that allowed me to rearrange the pieces to leave a meat-free section for my 6-year-old, who doesn't like it.

The instructions called for baking the pizza directly on the oven rack in the tray it comes in. I tried this method, but I thought the buttery crust had more texture when I set the tray on top of a preheated cast-iron pizza pan.

A box of Kirkland Signature garlic-butter shrimp cost $16, which seemed like a good price for seafood that wasn't breaded.

The box contained two 1-pound bags of shrimp, which I found convenient — a pound of shrimp is usually just enough for a family dinner.

The meal couldn't have been easier to prepare. I opened the bag and dropped the shrimp into a skillet over medium heat. As the meal cooked, the buttery crust on the pieces of shrimp melted into a sauce.

With frequent stirring, the shrimp was ready to eat in about 10 minutes. 

The shrimp was surprisingly tender, considering it was cooked straight from the freezer. The buttery, rich sauce also burst with garlic and Parmesan flavors.

I served the shrimp over white rice, which was a perfect medium for soaking up the excess sauce. I sometimes make a similar shrimp meal from scratch, but it never goes over as well as this one did.

My only issue with the meal was that my kids wanted more shrimp than their usual share. I'll buy this again, but I'll cook both bags for future dinners.

I experimented a lot with preparing Red's turkey-sausage breakfast burritos. The tortillas tended to burst open when I cooked the burritos in the air fryer, and the microwave made them too chewy.

Eventually, I settled on a combination — 30 seconds on each side in the microwave, then 10 minutes in the air fryer at a low temperature.

I don't normally enjoy precooked frozen eggs in dishes like these. However, these burritos and their egg fillings tasted freshly made. The cheese was gooey, the sausage was tasty, and the flavor was spicy enough to be interesting without turning off my kids.

Don't let the name fool you — these do not have to be reserved for breakfast. Since this taste test, the turkey-sausage burritos have become my go-to lunch.

At $15.70 for 10 small burritos, they're a similar price to some convenience-store burritos, but these taste like premium versions.

This story was originally published on June 6, 2024, and most recently updated on December 19, 2024.

Trader Joe's eggplant parmigiana sfogliatelle was the first time I saw sfogliatelle, an Italian pastry, used in a savory dish.

I thought the delicate layered pastry would make for a phenomenal texture.

When I baked the appetizer, the exterior became crispy and flaky, and the interior was moist and chewy.

The eggplant pieces pulled apart easily, though the cheesy, saucy filling was a little messy.

They were simple to make in the air fryer, and I thought they looked more elegant than anything you'd expect to come from the freezer aisle.

I wasn't sure if I'd like Trader Joe's figgy cheddar because I usually prefer unadulterated cheeses. However, I decided to give it a try.

The fig flavor gave the cheese a subtle hint of sweetness, and the rum (in which the figs were marinated) contributed a light, pleasant spiced note.

The cheese paired well with the chili cracker from Trader Joe's scalloped cracker trio, as the sweetness of the fig complemented the spice.

This pack of Trader Joe's mini quiches comes with two flavors: uncured bacon with sweet onion and Swiss cheese with mushroom.

Out of the package, I thought they looked promising and perfectly portioned.

The mini quiches were surprisingly moist.

I especially liked the version with uncured bacon and sweet onion, because they had a nice smoky flavor.

My wife preferred the mushroom-and-Swiss option, but that one was a touch too mushroom-heavy for my taste.

Lasagna is a holiday staple for the Italian-American half of my family, so I had high expectations for Trader Joe's family-style meat lasagna.

At first glance, the components of the baked lasagna were oddly distributed — all the meat sauce was on top of the noodles and the bottom layers were solely pasta and ricotta.

Luckily, there was plenty of sauce to spread around.

I wouldn't be able to pass it off as homemade, but it was good enough to buy for my family of four again.

However, if the Italian side of my family finds out I'm praising a store-bought lasagna, I might not be welcome at the next party.

If there's one thing I could tell from Trader Joe's shrimp pouches of many colors, it's that food in various hues is always better than boring old monochromatic options.

My 3-year-old daughter squealed with delight and insisted on trying each color when she saw these festive dumplings.

I pan-fried my shrimp dumplings so they'd be crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.

The dumplings weren't anything super special, but they were still pretty good and fun to look at.

I'll likely serve these as an appetizer this holiday season.

The label for Trader Joe's Brie en croûte listed all sorts of ways to gussy the thing up — like dolloping raspberry preserves or red peppers and pine nuts on top.

I went for the most basic preparation.

On its own, the pastry-wrapped Brie didn't look like something I'd want to put out for guests.

But when I sliced into it, all the molten Brie came cascading out, and I was reminded that cheese is delicious.

I thought the Brie paired perfectly with the flaky bits of pastry.

Many people eat crackers straight from a box, but I usually prefer them crumbled into soup or used as a vessel for a spread.

Though these crackers come in rosemary, red-chili, and garlic flavors, my family wasn't exactly thrilled to try Trader Joe's scalloped cracker trio.

The crackers were a bit thicker and less crunchy than the kinds we usually like.

That being said, they were heartier, and I could see them holding up on a charcuterie tray, especially if dipped into an antipasto spread.

Trader Joe's fried olive bites looked like a simple variation of jalapeño poppers.

When I air-fried them, a lot of the cheese filling oozed out onto the appliance's tray.

I expected a full olive stuffed with cheese, but these were more like breaded and fried cheese-filled balls of olive tapenade.

If you truly love the flavor of olives, this is the appetizer for you.

The label on Trader Joe's holiday hash suggests using the mix of diced butternut squash, sweet potato, red onion, and celery in soups and stuffings.

I sautéed the hash to use as a side dish.

The holiday hash was tasty, thanks to the sage's assertive flavor and the squash's sweetness.

However, the slightly mushy hash didn't look the most appetizing, and it even turned off my squash-loving son.

Still, I could imagine it being a time-saver if I was making a wintertime stew.

As a porchetta lover, I had high hopes for Trader Joe's uncured bacon-wrapped porchetta pork roast.

Per the instructions, I roasted the pork at 500 degrees Fahrenheit until the bacon was browned and crispy.

This was supposed to take 25 minutes, but the bacon didn't seem that crispy even after 30 minutes in the oven.

I still followed the instructions and lowered the temperature to 325 degrees, as I feared I'd scorch the thing.

I enjoy rosemary, but, in my opinion, too much of the herb was stuffed into the pork.

The meat tasted best in a sandwich alongside the holiday vegetable hash, as the vegetables and bread helped cut the rosemary flavor.

I assumed Trader Joe's cranberry chevre would just be goat cheese rolled in sweetened, dried cranberries. However, it looked like the fruit was also whipped into the cheese.

I didn't find the chevre to have enough of a tangy edge.

It was OK on one of the rosemary crackers from the scalloped cracker trio, but I could also picture it on a sandwich with the porchetta and holiday hash.

I didn't know what to expect from Trader Joe's artichoke bread pudding.

Judging from the label, it seemed like a reconfiguration of stuffed artichokes.

The bread pudding also came in an oven-safe casserole dish.

The oven didn't fix the bread pudding's off-putting appearance, in my opinion.

Taste-wise, it was too heavy and had a strong black-pepper flavor.

It was the type of thing that tasted good on the first bite but was unpleasant by the third.

I wasn't certain if I'd like Trader Joe's Portuguese tarts, which had a filling of bechamel, egg yolks, diced potato, and salted cod.

I tried not to let the "cod custard tarts" label deter me.

We try pretty hard not to waste much food in my household but we didn't even come close to finishing the tarts.

These were a bit like a cream-based seafood chowder embedded in pastry, but they mostly tasted like goopy cod.

I figured the macaroni and cheese would be the safest bet of the meals I took home, and nothing about how it looked changed my mind.

It was bright yellow and seemed amply portioned. My kids usually love mac and cheese.

The prep was straightforward, as I covered the tray in foil and threw it in the oven for 45 minutes.

In my opinion, the mac and cheese was way too rich. There was a lot of cheese and a lot of sauce, and it was unpleasantly gooey and thick.

I ate a few bites before the grease started working on my stomach. Even my kids turned it away, deeming it "too cheesy."

It was the only Kirkland Signature meal we didn't eat to completion, and the sauce was so thick that I practically had to chisel out the refrigerated leftovers to recycle the tray. 

The Tuscan chicken wraps with sauce looked like something I might pack for an on-the-go lunch. The wraps, which came with a sun-dried-tomato spread, seemed like reasonably sized alternatives to similar options at a deli.  

There were a lot of different elements inside the yellow tortillas — Kirkland Signature rotisserie chicken, spinach, bell peppers, olives, cream cheese, and red-pepper pesto — but I was disappointed in how little chicken I found in the wraps I brought home.

The most prominent flavors in this wrap were the salty olives and oily red peppers. My first bite contained almost entirely olives, which turned me off slightly.

I thought the cream cheese and red-pepper pesto made the wrap a bit too soggy on the outside and goopy on the inside. The spinach inside the wrap was also wilted, so it didn't offer any crunch.

Though I ate the wraps the day I bought them, I thought they tasted like the flavors had started to meld together — like a meal that had been sitting in the refrigerator for a while. 

Still, I liked that the wrap was pleasantly sweet and didn't fall apart under the weight of its ingredients. The sun-dried-tomato spread also had a nice, almost cheesy tang and worked well when I repurposed it for other sandwiches. But overall, I'd skip this meal the next time I'm at Costco.

I'd seen raw, seasoned wings on previous Costco trips, but this was the first time I'd noticed a precooked version. The Kirkland Signature garlic-seasoned party wings came with a mix of 25 drums and flats and two containers of ranch dressing.

The instructions on the packaging said to heat the wings in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees or in the microwave for 10 to 20 minutes. Still, I found that my air fryer was the best method for heating them.

I experimented with temperatures, but even at the hottest settings, the chicken skin didn't crisp up the way I like it to when I make my own wings at home.

The garlic seasoning, though visible, didn't add much more than a touch of salt and a vague aroma to the wings.

On the bright side, the wings weren't spicy at all, so my kids were able to eat them. But I found myself constantly reaching for hot sauce.

The air-fried chicken was fairly moist, but the wings weren't quite tasty or convenient enough for me to buy them again. With only slightly more effort, I can make better wings myself.

This massive beef-and-pork meatball sandwich with marinara sauce was elegantly displayed in a long, narrow container.

I'm somewhat particular about meatballs, but this meal looked appealingly enormous. However, when I took it out of the container, I didn't think the bread looked thick or wide enough to hold the sandwich together while eating.

It was also difficult to transfer the sandwich to a baking sheet without the bread falling apart under the weight of its contents.

After 30 minutes in the oven, the meatballs were hot, the cheese was melted, and the bread was toasty. I also heated some of the included marinara sauce and poured it over the meatballs to serve. 

Just as I feared, the sandwich was a mess. The bottom half of the bread basically disappeared under the grease that seeped in while it heated in the oven.

Still, a messy sandwich isn't necessarily a bad thing. The provolone cheese gave the sandwich a hint of nuttiness that distinguished it from the meatball subs available at my local pizzerias, which all use mozzarella.

However, I thought the meatballs were bland. They were also so densely packed into the sandwich that they were more likely to fall out of the bread than scrunch inside when I squeezed it. Overall, I wouldn't buy this meal again.

The shepherd's pie was filled with meat and vegetables and topped with mashed potatoes. My family already loves pie, so the novelty of mashed potatoes and pastry immediately appealed to my kids.

I removed the pie from its plastic container, placed it onto a baking sheet, and put it in the oven for about 45 minutes until golden. Individual pieces of pie fell apart as I served them, which wasn't surprising.

I thought the mashed potatoes were mealy and dry, the vegetables were mushy, and the filling was overseasoned and too sweet.

The filling was stew-like, but the ground beef was dry and crumbly. I thought I noticed pieces of steak, but these were just hunks of ground beef resembling burger meat.

Overall, my family wasn't a fan of the meal.

The Kirkland Signature Southwest wraps were the only meal that required no prep whatsoever, making it a good option for on-the-go eating.

They came with a pinkish chipotle sauce. When I unwrapped a wrap to put the sauce inside, I saw that the employee who made the meal sealed the wrap with a tangy, creamy spread.

I thought the wraps were good because they tasted fresh, and the spread that glued them together helped prevent dryness.

There was ample chicken, and the seasoned mix of corn and beans reminded me of a burrito from Chipotle. The pinkish chipotle sauce tasted like a Buffalo sauce to me, but that's not something I'd ever complain about.

Each wrap made for a viable lunch, and at less than $4 each, they're way less expensive than takeout. I could imagine buying them again when I need a lunch that saves time and money.

At nearly 6 pounds, I thought the Kirkland Signature chicken pot pie was huge and surprisingly heavy.

Some of the latticework on top of the pie broke in transit, but it was only cosmetic damage.

The instructions called for at least an hour of baking time, which I thought sort of defeated the purpose of making it as a quick weeknight meal.

Nevertheless, I baked the pie until it was golden brown, which took about an hour and 10 minutes.

The first bite of the pie was great.

The pie crust was sweet, flaky, and crisp, the hunks of rotisserie chicken were huge, and the pea-heavy cream and vegetables were rich and salty without being mushy or overcooked, as they sometimes are in pot pie.

But in subsequent bites, the initial richness became a goopy sort of heaviness that didn't sit well, and the whole pot pie started to taste a little too salty.

At the very least, the crust was good enough to make me want to try one of Costco's dessert pies.

The Kirkland Signature beef bulgogi Korean BBQ is one of the more bare-bones options among the meal selections at my local Costco. The container had a large portion of thinly sliced raw beef and white onions drenched in brown bulgogi sauce.

My kids don't have much experience with Korean-inspired food, but I thought the meal would appeal to them because it's sweet, tender, and gooey.

I figured I'd cook the meal in a skillet over medium-high heat until the beef was browned. However, I quickly realized it was difficult to tell when the beef was cooked through because all sides of the meat were covered in a dark-brown sauce.

I went by instinct, stirring frequently to make sure it cooked evenly. Some slices fell apart due to the constant stirring, but the dish seemed fully cooked after five minutes.

Unfortunately, the small pieces of meat made the bulgogi look more like a stew, and its appearance alone turned off my kids.

We thought the meal was tasty but too sweet, as the sauce's flavor overwhelmed the beef. I'd prefer this dish if the beef came in thicker pieces that I could remove from the sauce before cooking.

This meal, which included rigatoni and six enormous meatballs, cost $20 and was enough to feed my entire family twice.

The meatballs were a little spongy in texture, and something about how the ground-beef-and-pork mixture was seasoned tasted more like sausage than I expected (though that's hardly a bad thing).

The rigatoni held up surprisingly well after 50 minutes in the oven — not quite al dente but not at all mushy. However, the sauce was a bit too sweet and seasoned for me.

My kids liked the pasta but not the meatballs. I also thought the shredded cheese on top seemed like an afterthought, and I could've gone for more.

The Kirkland Signature udon-noodle salad was extremely easy to assemble — it already came with a shredded-vegetable slaw, peanuts, lime wedges, and a miso sauce.

I tossed all the ingredients into a bowl and served the finished salad alongside some chicken wings. 

The dressing was sweet and tangy with a strong miso flavor, but I thought the udon noodles were a bit mushy. I also wished the vegetable mix of shredded bok choy, broccoli, cabbage, and carrots was crisper to balance out the noodles' softness.

Overall, the salad wasn't too heavy or saucy, so it would likely be a nice, no-cook option for a quick meal or picnic.

The Kirkland Signature butter chicken with naan came in a tray filled with a generous portion of meat, sauce, and bread. In total, I got eight pieces of naan with the meal. 

The butter sauce lived up to its name — it was thick, rich, and creamy. Still, it didn't have a ton of flavor, with garlic and tomato paste being its most prominent elements.

It got a lot better when I added jalapeño and Trader Joe's Green Dragon hot sauce to amplify the warm notes of spice.

However, I didn't love the texture of the chicken, which seemed a bit different than the meat I've had in other Kirkland Signature meals. In my opinion, it was moist in a way that almost felt unnatural. I don't see myself buying this meal again.

The Kirkland Signature quesadillas came with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole.

The instructions on the packaging called for heating them up in a frying pan with some oil, so my first batch got a chimichanga-esque crunchiness I don't always expect from quesadillas.

I thought it was a big portion, as there were eight wedges, and two of them felt like more than enough for an adult-sized meal.

It was sort of the perfect meal to suit my family's quesadilla needs.

The chicken was seasoned but not spicy, and there was tons of cheese without being too greasy.

The salsa, a sweet, fresh, restaurant-style dip with jalapeño, was the surprise star for me. The Kirkland Signature quesadillas were my wife's favorite of all the meals. 

The Kirkland Signature yakisoba stir fry was a fun and easy-to-prepare dinner.

I heated the meal in a Dutch oven because I didn't have a wok or a large enough frying pan. Per the instructions, I heated up oil and first added the vegetables, then chicken, then noodles, and then sauce.

It was ready in less than 10 minutes. And because there were plenty of vegetables, including broccoli, carrots, onions, peppers, and snow peas, I didn't have to prep a side or a salad.

We thought the yakisoba noodles were warm, comforting, and satisfying, with tender hunks of chicken and some nice texture from the fresh vegetables.

It was a bit sweeter than I usually like, but a hit of hot sauce helped balance out the sweetness.

If I bought this again (and I would buy this again) I'd use only one container of sauce. My kids liked the noodles, and we finished most of the portion in a single sitting.

I figured — correctly — that something called ravioli lasagna would appeal to my kids, who love a novelty.

The ravioli were stacked in twos and topped with a meaty Bolognese sauce and mozzarella. It was easy to prepare, as all I needed to do was cover it with foil and bake it for an hour.

At the end of the hour, I deviated from the instructions and gave it five more minutes uncovered in the oven to get the cheese nice and bubbly on top.

The lasagna was good. The Bolognese sauce was hearty and sweet and my kids appreciated that the ravioli were glued together with melted mozzarella.

It was about a dinner and a half's worth of food for my family, though it felt like a smaller portion than a traditional lasagna made in an equivalent pan size.

The Kirkland Signature chipotle-chicken bowl with cilantro-lime rice — nearly 3-½ pounds of food in a casserole tray — came with chicken pieces, cilantro-lime rice, fire-roasted corn, beans, shredded cheese, lime wedges, salsa, and Kirkland Signature guacamole.

The packaging had heating instructions for both the oven and the microwave, but I chose to prepare it in the former because I thought it seemed like the best way to judge the meal's quality. Still, it was nice to know I had Costco's blessing to quickly heat it in the microwave.

I removed the lid, lime wedges, salsa, and guacamole, mixed the rice, beans, cheese, and chicken, and heated the tray in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes.

When it was ready, the shredded cheese had fully melted, and the chicken, rice, and beans were piping hot. I squeezed the lime wedges over the whole dish and served it with the salsa and guacamole. 

I liked this meal a lot. Not surprisingly, the combination of rice, beans, cheese, and chipotle chicken reminded me of meals from fast-casual Mexican-food chains. The melted cheese gave the whole dish a pleasant creaminess. 

There was plenty of chicken, though some pieces seemed a little dry. The lime's lively citrus flavor amplified the rice and beans' heartiness. The guacamole helped make the dish extra creamy, and the salsa added sweetness and a spicy kick. 

My kids enjoyed the guacamole but thought the rest of the meal was too spicy. This meant my wife and I had plenty of leftovers for satisfying lunches.

This dish came with many components, which made me appreciate Costco's attention to detail and how much goes into prepping a gyro.

Only the gyro meat and the pitas needed to be heated, but the meal also came with a cucumber and tomato salad, red onions, feta cheese, and tzatziki.

Unfortunately, I needed to find my own hot sauce.

I thought the gyros were delicious. If there was a weak link in the sandwich, it was probably the gyro meat itself, which was a little heavy on the onion powder and heated up to a scrapple-like consistency.

That being said, the assertive seasoning on the meat was mellowed by the sweetness and crunch of the veggies and the tangy creaminess of the tzatziki and feta.

It wasn't better than a gyro I might get from a street cart, but the price was right, and there's no street cart inside my apartment.

My first impression of the chicken Alfredo was that it was heavy. The label said it was a little over 4 pounds, and though it might not sound like much, it was a lot of food for my family.

There was an impressive amount of chicken but I expected a higher ratio of noodle-to-meat. Like the macaroni and cheese, the whole tray was covered with foil and baked in the oven.

The chicken Alfredo was better than I expected.

Alfredo sauce is often a bit too indulgent for my tastes, but I thought Kirkland Signature's version of the creamy, cheesy sauce wasn't overwhelmingly heavy. The chicken was also moist and flavorful.

My kids liked it even though they normally prefer their chicken and their pasta separated. Alongside some steamed broccoli, the chicken Alfredo stretched to two full meals for my family with little effort on my part. 

The Kirkland Signature rotisserie chicken is a popular item at my local store. When staff members display a new batch of birds, customers veer their shopping carts toward the shelves to get the freshest roast chicken.

I'd been meaning to try it for a while, but I wanted to make sure I bought it when my whole family could eat it the same day, and our schedules never lined up until recently. 

The price was hard to believe — $5 for a large chicken — and it came in a microwave-safe bag, which seemed convenient even though I didn't use it. The chicken was still warm when I brought it home, so I reheated it in the oven for only a few minutes.

The skin was lightly seasoned, but it wasn't nearly as tasty as other grocery-store rotisserie chickens I've tried. The chicken itself was less salty than I expected, and despite its size, it was fairly moist, even in white-meat portions.

It had a noticeable poultry flavor but was otherwise neutral-tasting, making it easy to use the leftovers in other meals (like the store does for many of its prepared Kirkland Signature meals).

My family loves chicken, and one bird provided two full meals' worth of meat. Considering its price and versatility, we'll likely continue to buy rotisserie chicken on most Costco trips. 

For whatever reason, the chicken street tacos came in a longer container than the other meals.

I thought it was vaguely festive but difficult to fit into a shopping bag or a refrigerator. Like the gyros, the street tacos came as a kit.

I heated the chicken and tortillas and topped them with cheese, shredded veggies, salsa, cilantro-lime crema, and a squeeze of fresh lime.

The chicken street tacos were excellent. The chicken was smoky with a chipotle flavor but not too spicy for my kids, the veggies were fresh and crunchy, and the sauces were tasty. I think the salsa was the same kind that came with the quesadillas.

If I were at a restaurant and got these tacos, I'd be more than satisfied with my purchase. 

I'm normally not a big fan of meatloaf, and my kids' exposure to it has been limited. It's often grayish and covered in a dark red goo that looks like ketchup.

I'm also not much of a mashed potato guy and, in my experience, they never keep well.

By the time I put the Kirkland Signature meatloaf and mashed potatoes in the oven, they had been sitting in my fridge for a few days so I wasn't sure what to expect.

Like almost every one of these meals, the meatloaf and mashed Yukon potatoes were surprisingly good.

It was heavy (but of course, most meatloaf is), and I don't think I'd usually choose it over tacos. But my family ate the meatloaf on an unseasonably cold day when I was hungry, and the sweet, juicy, and beefy dinner hit the spot.

My son, who's normally hesitant about unfamiliar foods, took to it like he was a paid spokesperson. "I'm very happy with this," he said.

I thought the mashed potatoes were just a touch mealy, but overall, they weren't bad.

I normally cook for my family and, for whatever reason, prepared meals like those from Kirkland Signature have never been part of our dinner rotation.

But aside from the mac and cheese and rigatoni with meatballs, every one of the meals we tried was better than I expected it to be, and my kids enjoyed them more than I would've guessed.

Now, I'll likely regularly buy some of the Kirkland Signature meals when I don't have much time for meal prep.

This story was originally published on October 27, 2023, and most recently updated on December 11, 2024.

The broth looked a bit thicker than I usually expect from a minestrone — it really was "hearty." There were also a lot of flecks of what appeared to be seasoning and some big hunks of stewed tomato.

I could tell right out of the package there was less orzo and more carrots than I'd like.

There was a strong, sweet flavor of tomato, but not much to balance it out. It could've used something tangy or spicy, fragrant seasonings, or some more flavorful vegetables.

As I suspected, it also could've used more orzo.

I've noticed several Trader Joe's soups go heavy on the carrots, but this is the only place where the carrots are the best part of the soup.

I could list some things that this soup looks like, but I don't want to gross anybody out. I'll just say it looked very unappetizing gurgling out of the container.

The label said it's high in fiber — and it looked it.

However, it smelled lightly of nutmeg and cloves, which was a pleasant autumnal aroma. 

Like the minestrone, it had an assertive, tomato-y sweetness. Luckily, it was a bit more palatable here with the warm spices.

Unfortunately, lentils tend to be mealy, and the lumpy-grainy texture wasn't very appealing to me. It paired pretty well with the crusty bread — mostly because the bread masked the texture a bit.

I'm not eager to eat the soup again.

I'm not a fan of mushrooms, so off the bat, I didn't expect to like the organic creamy mushroom soup with carrots and kale. 

The soup was also a greyish-brownish color that wasn't necessarily appetizing.

Trader Joe's mushroom soup was a pleasant surprise, in that I didn't mind it all. It didn't taste much like mushrooms, and it had a nice, thick consistency.

It tasted like the most generic, basic version of soup imaginable — sort of vaguely salty and vegetal. If any flavor stood out, it was probably the hunks of carrot.

I wouldn't buy it again, but I wouldn't push it away if it were served to me.

It looked like chicken soup.

Until I filled up a bowl, I actually didn't realize it wasn't chicken-noodle soup, which seems like a far preferable and more filling meal option. There were also a lot of carrots again.

Before I even tried this, I could tell I'd like it better with noodles. 

It was very mild, even by the standards of chicken soup.

There was a good portion of chicken, which I appreciated, and the meat itself was tender. However, in my opinion, the broth was bland and the vegetables were mushy. With bread, I thought it tasted almost indistinguishable from warm, salty water.

It's good enough that it'd certainly do the trick when you're under the weather, but I can't imagine choosing it for a meal when I'm healthy.

Just from transferring the pumpkin-butternut squash bisque to a bowl, I could tell it was thinner and less creamy looking than similar bisques I've enjoyed. 

Nevertheless, the orangish-brown color was appetizing and appropriate for the fall, and the soup smelled autumnal, like nutmeg.

As I expected, the soup wasn't as thick as I hoped.

It was rich with flavor — sweet, with a mild kick of black pepper and some vinegary tang — but I would've liked something a bit more substantive. It almost overwhelmed my taste buds without doing much to fill my stomach.

Luckily, the bisque was better with a spoonful of sour cream stirred in, but I couldn't imagine buying it again.

It was a bit thinner than I want a broccoli-cheddar soup to be — I'm ideally looking for some cheesy goopiness.

However, I appreciated the reasonably large florets of broccoli. Sometimes, elsewhere, the soup feels like it's just made of broccoli scraps. 

The soup was cheesy, but not overpoweringly so. It was smooth and not too rich, which can be an issue for this style of soup. There was also a good texture to the vegetables, especially the broccoli.

However, I felt like it needed an extra kick of some sort, especially when I tried it with bread. A little bit of black pepper served it well.

Out of the container, the chowder was easily the thickest of the soups I tried. Luckily, it thinned out a bit once I heated it up.

There was a subtle seafood scent to it, but it also looked and smelled a bit like white gravy — something you might serve over biscuits for breakfast. 

The chowder wasn't extremely spicy, just surprisingly so from the cracks of black pepper.

There was some ambient clammy flavor in the soup, and the clams themselves were pleasantly tender and tasty, but I wanted more of them. The cubes of potato provided much of the bulk of the soup. 

I liked the look of the lobster bisque.

I could tell it was thicker than most of the Trader Joe's soups I tried, and the bright pinkish-orange color seemed right for the flavor. The visible bits of thyme and black pepper also boded well.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the $5 price tag, there's not much lobster in the lobster bisque — it's mostly there in tiny little shreds that add some texture to the soup.

Regardless, the bisque is very tasty. It's rich and buttery, with the sweet, delicate acidity of sherry wine and savory hints of thyme.

Sometimes, I find lobster bisques a little too heavy, but this one was hearty without feeling overindulgent. 

It was a little toward the pinkish side of the tomato-soup color spectrum, but not nearly as pink as most cream-heavy versions.

The soup was sort of lumpy in consistency, not blender-smooth, and there were small, dark-green bits of basil floating around. 

The tomato flavor was bright and tangy, and there was just enough cream to smooth out the acidity.

The taste of the feta was subtle, but the cheese came across in moist bursts of crumbly texture mixed in with bits of finely diced onion.

The herbs, though visible, weren't especially pungent, but there was a freshness to the flavor that made it the best of the bunch. Plus, it married perfectly with the toasty, crusty bread.

None of the Trader Joe's soups felt especially indulgent or adventurous, and that's OK. People looking for extravagant lunches probably aren't buying soup at Trader Joe's.

Although the taste of the minestrone and the texture of the lentils turned me off, the other seven ranged from fine to very good. 

The New England clam chowder, lobster bisque, and tomato feta will all probably find a place in my lunch rotation.

This story was originally published in October 2023 and most recently updated on December 5, 2024.