I Tried 11 Store-Bought Coleslaws & the Best Was Equally Creamy & Crunchy

Among the many BBQ side dishes you may choose to bring to your next summer cookout, few are simpler or more iconic than coleslaw. Its combination of a refreshing crunch and craveable creaminess make it both light and hearty at the same time. Above all, you'll be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn't enjoy it on the side of their sauced-up ribs or wings.

While excellent coleslaw can easily be found at many restaurant chains, the pre-made options from the grocery store are usually just as tasty, if not better. As long as you know what to look for. This side dish can take on plenty of different appearances. The cabbage can come in large pieces or smaller diced-up bits. It may be green, purple, or even white. Most coleslaws will also contain carrots. Then it's all covered in a mayonnaise-based dressing with seasonings. The sauce, in fact, will usually dictate how tasty the end-product ends up being.

To find the very best store-bought coleslaw options, I decided to try 11 varieties from my local grocery stores. I picked some of the most popular options, tasted each, and ranked them based on flavor and freshness from my least favorite to the absolute best. Here's which ones you should pick up and which ones you should leave behind.

Reser's Cole Slaw

Reser's products can be found at a number of your favorite grocery stores — and the brand can stock you up on all your dishes for your next summer picnic. I grabbed this small container of coleslaw from my local Stop & Shop for $4.99.

The look: The coleslaw was more white than green with just a few little carrot shred. The cabbage pieces were so fine that they almost looked minced, and they were thoroughly covered in dressing.

The taste: My mouth actually puckered after taking a bite of this coleslaw because it was so sour and bitter. Though it was really fresh and crunchy and had a nice amount of dressing on it, the dressing had a really off-putting flavor that lingered in my mouth long after I stopped eating.

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Stop & Shop Deli Coleslaw

Stop & Shop offers a few of its own coleslaw options, including this prepackaged selection in the deli case. Some stores will also allow you to buy it from the deli counter in the specific weight you're looking for, which means you can really stock up if you're shopping for the family or for a picnic full of friends. This portioned-out container cost me $3.35.

The look: While this coleslaw was beautifully colorful, it looked a little less dressed than some of the others on the list. What I loved about it was how fresh it looked—the cabbage pieces were big and so were the carrot pieces.

The taste: It had a great crunch from the big, fresh cabbage pieces. However, it definitely did lack dressing. The dressing also didn't have a lot of seasoning, so there wasn't really much flavor to it.

Whole Foods Deli Coleslaw

Whole Foods sells its own coleslaw in the prepared foods section. It's made fresh daily, which is what you'd expect from Whole Foods. I got a container for $2.31.

The look: There were so many carrots in this coleslaw, which added a lot of color. The cabbage pieces were also pretty hefty, but in a good way. It made me feel like I was eating something fresh.

The taste: Unfortunately, this coleslaw looked a lot better than it tasted. While it was really crunchy and crisp to bite into, it seemed like it needed more dressing, because it just didn't have a lot of flavor to it. However, if you're looking for a lighter, brighter coleslaw, this could be perfect for you.

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Signature Select Southern Coleslaw

Signature Select store brand can be found at a number of stores in the Albertsons family, including Safeway, Jewel-Osco, Vons, Pavilions, and Acme, which is where I got this Southern-style coleslaw. I paid $4.99 for the small container.

The look: There were some hearty chunks of cabbage in this coleslaw with bright green pieces and carrots. It also looked to be well-dressed, though not necessarily creamy.

The taste: While I enjoyed the crunch of this coleslaw, it was a bit heavy on the vinegar and pepper. It felt like a bit of a kick in the mouth. It's less sweet than some others, though, and lower in sugar than most, so if you want a low-sugar option, this could be great for you.

Aldi Coleslaw

Though Aldi's shelves are always changing, there are some regular products that have staying power. Coleslaw is one that is often right there in Aldi's refrigerator section, especially during the summer months, aka prime picnicking season. This 30-ounce container cost $3.75.

The look: The cabbage in this coleslaw was finely diced, and it's easy to see the chop, because it was pretty light on dressing. There weren't a lot of carrots, but there were a few dots of dark green cabbage leaves, which I thought were a nice touch of color.

The taste: Aldi's coleslaw was creamy but could have used more dressing and a little more flavor. The seasoning was very mild, and I kept taking more bites and stirring around in the container digging for more dressing, but it just lacked dressing and seasoning.

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Häns Kissle Cole Slaw

Häns Kissle's coleslaw can be found at a few of your local grocery stores. I found mine at my local Stop & Shop for $3.99. What's nice about these containers is that they're small enough that you can throw it in your lunch bag to take to work — the whole container is only 280 calories (though it is 2 ½ servings, with quite a bit of sodium and sugar, so you'll probably want to stick to the serving suggestion).

The look: Surprisingly, this coleslaw looked a bit yellow, even though the ingredient list didn't contain anything that should turn it yellow. It had some chunks of cabbage, as well as shreds, with just a few carrots. It was moderately dressed — not too heavy, not too little.

The taste: The cabbage was nice and crunchy and well-dressed. Häns Kissle's coleslaw was a bit on the sweet side, which surprised me, because it didn't have the highest sugar content of all the ones listed here. However, the sugar really shined through, here. The dressing also had a bit of a bite to it, but it was inoffensive. It helped balance out the sugar a little bit.

Wegmans Coleslaw

I love picking up the essentials at Wegmans, especially from the store brand. Wegmans makes plenty of things you can bring to a dinner party or a summer picnic, including coleslaw. These side dishes come in small and large containers, too. I got this small container for $5.99.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

The look: The Wegmans coleslaw's appearance is a middle ground between all of the others — it's got a ton of dressing but it's also got large pieces of cabbage and carrots. It's also a bit on the pale side.

The taste: Much like the appearance, the taste is also a bit mid-range as well. The coleslaw had a hearty crunch from the big pieces of cabbage and the carrots, but the seasoning in the dressing just needed to be punched up a bit more. There was enough dressing, just not enough flavor in it.

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Golden Taste Cole Slaw

You never know what you might find in the aisles of Costco. Tucked away in the refrigerator aisle of my local store was this 44-ounce container of Golden Taste coleslaw. It's the perfect pick for a summer barbecue, because it has 15 servings. This one cost me $7.99.

The look: This is one of the creamiest coleslaws on the list, and it actually resembles white mush. There are a few tiny carrot flecks in it, but it's mostly just very small cabbage pieces drowning in dressing.

The taste: Though the description of how this coleslaw looks may sound negative, it's the sign of a well-dressed side dish. The Costco coleslaw was creamy, super flavorful, and crunchy. It wasn't actually mushy at all.

Meijer Classic Coleslaw

Your local Meijer has a lot to offer in the prepared foods section. There's everything from main dishes to side dishes and dessert. That's where I found this store-brand coleslaw, which I bought for $3.45.

The look: Meijer's coleslaw had a really thick and creamy texture. The cabbage was chopped up into small pieces, making the texture almost like a tapenade.

The taste: There's a lot of crunch to this coleslaw, even with how finely the cabbage is chopped up. And even though it's mixed up with a hefty amount of dressing, the cabbage stayed really crunchy. The mayonnaise dressing is seasoned really well, and the coleslaw had a crisp, bright flavor perfect for a summer picnic.

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Grandma's Kitchen Cole Slaw

It's pretty bold to name your brand Grandma's Kitchen, if you ask me, because it promises a certain level of home-cooked quality. The Ohio-made brand can be found in some local grocery stores as well as chains. I found it in Giant Eagle, as well as my local grocery store. Some Giant Eagles also sell it in the deli case by weight, so you can customize how much you buy. I got the packaged container at my local grocer for $4.99.

The look: There was a fine dice on this coleslaw, with the small pieces of cabbage and carrots slathered in dressing. There were carrots throughout, as well as some green cabbage leaves.

The taste: Dare I say, this might be close to tasting like grandma made it? Though the dice on the cabbage is probably more uniform than grandma might have done, the creaminess and heartiness of the dressing has a comforting taste to it. It's really well seasoned and has more sugar than any of the others, so it certainly has that sweetness to it to balance out the vinegar and mustard. It's very, very rich, so you might want to enjoy it in small servings! But it was certainly a runner-up for the top spot in this taste test.

Walmart Homestyle Coleslaw

In Walmart's produce and deli section, you'll find plenty of premade salads, including coleslaw. The containers come in a couple of sizes so you can stock up for lunch or dinner or pick something up for a party. I chose the smallest size — 15 ounces — for $2.92.

The look: This was so creamy with such fine chunks of cabbage (that were nearly white), that it almost looked like cottage cheese. There were just a few dots of carrots and green cabbage chunks nestled in the abundant dressing.

The taste: Despite looking a bit mushy, this coleslaw had a great mouthfeel. It was really crunchy, and the little bits of cabbage made for a great bite. There was a lot of dressing on the slaw, but not so much that it felt like the cabbage was drowning — and not so much that it made the cabbage soggy. While I felt like there could be a few more carrots in the mix, there were at least enough that you could get a few in every bite. The dressing complemented the cabbage and carrots well and had just enough of a bite to it with a hint of sweetness. It was well-seasoned with no one seasoning trying to outshine another. I'd absolutely go out of my way to pick this up again!