Store-Bought Potato Salads, Ranked From Worst To Best

Potato salad dates as far back as the 16th century, most likely originating in Germany. With the addition of mayo in the 1920s and '30s, potato salad saw a rise in popularity in the United States. Today, what we call potato salad usually consists of boiled potato, egg, mustard, vinegar, mayo, and a mix of herbs and spices. It's a popular and classic summer picnic treat that you can find at most grocery stores. But not all are created equal. So, one Thursday afternoon, I visited the most popular and frequented grocery stores in Southern California, ranging from cheap to bougie, and asked for their homemade potato salad. I was on the hunt for creamy, flavorful potato salad with good ingredients that is tangy and not in the least bit dry. Because there is nothing worse than picking up some potato salad on the way to a family picnic, only to find out it isn't fresh, has a weird aftertaste, or worst of all, is bone dry. 

After multiple taste tests, here are my findings. I am saving the best for last, so enjoy the climb as I rank these store-bought salads, worst to best. Or, if you simply can't stand the suspense, scroll to the end for my number one pick.

Coming in last on the list, this potato salad was from one of two grocery stores that didn't have an onsite deli with freshly made potato salad. The most disappointing aspect of Smart & Final's First Street Deviled Egg Potato Salad was the ingredient list: It was long and riddled with questionable ingredients such as corn syrup and fructose. Along with preservatives like EDTA calcium disodium and potassium sorbate, the salad had an overall artificial taste and was not what I wanted for a picnic salad. Aesthetically, the potato salad did not look natural or fresh, and really stood out like a sore thumb next to the other salads.

While I was not able to find one in my vicinity, some Smart & Finals do have fresh deli sections. If this is something you are looking for, make sure to call before you head to your location of choice. Most Smart & Finals are located in California, although there are a few in Nevada and Arizona.

Gelson's Homemade Potato Salad had one of the highest price points, at almost $12 per pound. Gelson's Market is considered a premier grocery chain in Southern California, with prices akin to Whole Foods Market and Bristol Farms. You can find locations as far north as Santa Barbara, east as Palm Springs, and south as Pacific Beach in San Diego. According to their website, the first Gelson's store opened in July of 1951. It is now owned by Japanese retailer PPIH (Pan Pacific International Holdings), which bought the company in 2021.

One bite was enough to tell me all I needed to know about the Homemade Potato Salad from Gelson's. It was relatively dry, the potatoes were mushy, and the taste was less than pleasant. In the name of research and being thorough, I ate multiple spoonfuls to confirm my opinion. Afterward, my taste buds were overwhelmed by a strong oniony aftertaste. I attributed this to extra large chunks of green onion in the dish. I was also disappointed to find that the Homemade Potato Salad did not have an ingredient list anywhere on the packaging. 

I really wanted to like Lazy Acres' Natural Potato Salad. Lazy Acres is one of our most expensive grocery markets here in Southern California, but it's a place you can really trust to have fresh, healthy, and natural food that's good for you. Most of what they sell is organic and sustainable. Plus, they seem to always have fun, unique items you can't find at any other grocery store. 

However, it was not meant to be. The overall flavor of their Natural Potato Salad was disappointing, and the aftertaste made me think it might not have been fresh. Like Gelson's Homemade Potato Salad, it had an overwhelming taste of green onion. Thankfully, it was not dry; however, it did not have the creaminess I was looking for in a good potato salad. It is ranked slightly higher on this list only because of its stellar, non-GMO ingredient list.

Also from Gelson's Market, the Picnic Potato Salad is next on the list. While being even more expensive than their Homemade Potato Salad, it's only marginally better tasting. The Picnic Potato Salad was mostly bland except for being overly spiced with black pepper, leading to an unpleasant aftertaste. Thankfully, however, it was not dry and had a pleasantly creamy texture.

This potato salad came pre-packaged from a refrigerator near the salad bar and not from the deli case like the Homemade Potato Salad, which could account for why it wasn't as dry. The other plus was the ingredient list. The first few ingredients listed were potatoes, mayonnaise, water, eggs, and vinegar. Overall, it was a fresh and short list without many alarming additives. The Picnic Potato Salad had some elements that showed there is potential for it to become a great potato salad. If I were to make a recommendation to Gelson's, I would suggest focusing on making the Picnic Potato Salad really amazing and to forget about their Homemade Potato Salad.

Vons is sort of middle of the road when it comes to pricing. It's not quite as expensive as Gelson's Market or Bristol Farms, but not as budget-friendly as, say, Ralphs' or Smart & Final. With 180 locations all over California and a few in Nevada, Vons first opened its doors in 1906 and is now a banner under the Albertsons Companies. 

Vons' Classic Potato Salad was from their onsite deli and was pretty basic. While not as flavorful as some higher up on our list, it was still a decent-tasting recipe. With an overall pleasant flavor, it didn't leave a heavy or suspicious taste in the mouth. I was also surprised to find the price was very affordable at $4.99 per pound. Something I didn't love seeing was a super long ingredient list, which is why it didn't receive a higher ranking on this list.

True to its name, the Frankly Fresh Salad Wine Rose Potato Salad from Pavilions Grocery was indeed fresh. The creaminess of the mayo and eggs was not the star of the show with this potato salad. Mild in flavor, you mostly taste the cold potato. Not heavy or rich, you could handle a large scoop or two of the Frankly Fresh Salad Wine Rose Potato Salad without becoming tired of the taste. If light and fresh is what you're looking for in a potato salad, this is the choice for you.

Also part of the Albertsons Companies, Pavilions first opened in 1985, and is a smaller chain with about 30 locations in Southern California. On the whole, Pavilions is similarly priced to Sprouts, with their potato salad coming in at $7.99 per pound. Unfortunately, both corn syrup and fructose were on the Frankly Fresh Salad Wine Rose Potato Salad's ingredient list.

Bristol Farms' Potato Salad was slightly disappointing at $10.99 per pound. It was less appetizing than Vons' Classic Potato Salad (two below in rank), but due to a short and simple ingredient list with no preservatives, it was able to jump a little further up in our ranking. Taste-wise, it had a vinegary taste with a weirdly salty finish. After taking a look at the ingredient list, I believe this is due to the addition of brine. While a great way to add flavor to turkey, adding it to potato salad is not the way to go. Still, it had a nice consistency, and overall, I didn't mind the experience. 

Bristol Farms is similar in price to Gelson's Market and is considered an upscale, premier grocery store. Originally an independent store founded by Irv Gronsky and Mike Burbank in Rolling Hills, CA, it's now an independent operator within Good Food Holdings and has been serving Southern California for 43 years.

The next potato salad on our list comes from a grocery store chain that has amassed a cult following thanks to its low prices and whimsical store layout. Trader Joe's Old Fashioned Potato Salad is not fresh from an onsite deli; however, it does not contain any preservatives. Still, I was a little suspicious of the few ingredients labeled "natural flavor" on the ingredient label.

This potato salad was the most eggy of the bunch. It contained chunks of diced hard-boiled eggs and was more similar in taste to egg salad. If you love both egg salad and potato salad, this might be your perfect match. It contained large chunks of green onion, but this did not overpower the dish, like with Gelson's Homemade Potato Salad. Like most egg salads, it had a strong smell. This slightly dominated the eating experience, given the taste was somewhat fresh and delicate.

Sprouts' Red Potato Salad with Dill was fairly fresh-tasting and light, with large chunks of red potato. The skin was left on and, while not adding anything taste-wise, gave the salad a fresh and rustic look. In fact, at first glance, this potato salad looked the most appetizing of the group. Turmeric was not an ingredient in this recipe, and so the red skin from the potato and green from the dill were what gave it visual interest. Besides aesthetic appeal, I questioned the addition of dill. The flavor didn't seem to fit with the creamy mixture of potato, egg, and mayo. I found the flavors fought rather than complemented one another.

Sprouts Farmers Market is a specialty food market that provides organic, natural, and healthy food. While not the cheapest on our list, this potato salad was reasonably priced at $6.99 per pound. Sprouts can be found in 24 states and is still rapidly expanding across the U.S.

Whole Foods Market is my personal grocery store of choice, but unfortunately, their Red Bliss Potato Salad was a little lacking. With hardly any sort of tanginess, it was mostly sweet in flavor, which is ultimately why it is coming in at 5th on this list. However, the taste was still fresh and didn't leave an unpleasant aftertaste. A major plus is it's our first potato salad that really packs a creamy punch. It also features some unique ingredients, like sour cream and brown sugar, which I didn't see on any other ingredient list. Frankly, they could have left the brown sugar out, as it is probably what is causing the overall sweetness. It features relatively good ingredients and uses cultured dextrose as a natural preservative.

Whole Foods Market is known for having strict quality guidelines and is a higher-end natural, organic grocery store. The company has stores all across the U.S. and has gone international, with 14 in Canada and 6 in the U.K.

Lazy Acres certainly redeems itself with its Vegan Potato Salad. For a vegan recipe, let alone one attempting a dish known for its creaminess, this was very impressive. Even without any sort of dairy or egg, there was still a slight creaminess overall, which balanced well with the other dominant flavors in the recipe. It was not mashed in the slightest, unusual for potato salad, but I found the very chunky texture satisfying. With a pleasant, light flavor and a definite tang from a mixture of apple cider vinegar, mustard, and lemon, Lazy Acres' Vegan Potato Salad was a pleasant surprise.

The ingredient list was fairly clean, simple, and short. Another pricey option, the unit price on this vegan creation is $10.99 per pound. Lazy Acres is a smaller chain in California, only reaching as far north as Santa Barbara. You can find the Vegan Potato Salad at most locations.

The oldest chain in the west half of the United States, Ralphs was founded by George S. Ralphs in 1873. While Los Angeles is its birthplace, now it has expanded across California and is owned by the supermarket chain Kroger. It is the most budget-friendly grocery store on our list and also one of the most popular.

The Potato Salad from Ralphs was sweet and creamy and a steal at $4.99 per pound. It's the most traditional of the potato salads on this list, and had a great creamy-to-tangy-to-spices ratio. Plus, it was not in the least bit dry. Its one drawback was the fact that there was no ingredient list on the packaging. This also happened with Gelson's Homemade Potato Salad, but unlike Gelson's, this potato salad hit the mark on all other criteria. When asked, the deli confirmed that their potato salad is made fresh daily, and so I am hoping this means they don't use many, if any, preservatives.

Our runner-up for best store-bought potato salad is Sprout's Potato Salad. Creamy and sweet mixed with the perfect amount of tangy vinegar thanks to the addition of pickled radish made from cucumber, sugar, distilled vinegar, mustard seed, celery seed, turmeric, and minced onion. The pickled onions also add a little crunch to the dish. Where Sprouts really hit the mark with this one was the creaminess. It was almost near perfect, making it a wonderful choice for second place, as it was one of the most flavor-packed potato salads I tried.

While this is made fresh daily by the in-store deli, Sprout's Potato Salad is prepacked in 15 oz. containers at about $4.50 a pop. However, it was still one of the most fresh-tasting potato salads on this list. It would be my top choice if I were taking it to a family picnic, as it is more traditional in taste than my number one.

Finally, let's talk about my number one pick, also from Sprouts Farmer Market, the Deviled Egg Potato Salad! To be honest, this was an easy winner. Although our runner-up is the best traditional potato salad, this recipe still blew Sprouts' Potato Salad one out of the park.

Incredibly flavorful with a truly delicious blend of spices and the perfect amount of tanginess, this was one I couldn't stop eating. It really played on the flavors of a deviled egg — tangy mustard and sharp vinegar — without losing its integrity or becoming more of an egg salad. And with hard cooked eggs as the second ingredient on the list, that is quite the feat. It also wins "most creamy" by a mile, and while it looks to have more of a liquid consistency, it is not watery at all. It also features the same pickled onions as its Sprouts counterpart. Sprout's Deviled Egg Potato Salad, I salute you.

An avid picnic-goer with years of eating subpar potato salad, I have since resorted to making my own from scratch at home. I have tried innumerable ingredients, both traditional like mayo and innovative like chicken stock, and have found no matter what, creamy, tangy, and well-spiced potato salad is always the best. When it came to selecting grocery stores, I chose ones that were both popular and provided a wide spectrum of price points. Whenever possible, fresh potato salad from an onsite deli was purchased and critiqued. Natural and healthy ingredients were also prioritized.