The Best Grocery Store Sides for Your Memorial Day BBQs

Everyone says Memorial Day celebrations set the tone for the rest of the summer. Okay, I just made that up, but it’s sort of true. Summer is special. I may be biased because I like warm weather and I’m a July 4th baby, but most people are looking forward to summer’s arrival for one reason or another. And it all starts with Memorial Day BBQs. We’ve found the best burgers and the best hot dogs, but the sides gotta sparkle, too. Don’t grab the first thing you see in the deli case, because our team of taste testers found all the best stuff. Am I saying summer will be better because you bought the right potato salad? Yeah. Yeah, I am.

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Best Macaroni Salad: Signature Select Classic Macaroni Salad

If you shop at an Albertsons-owned grocery store, hey, good news! You have access to the very best macaroni salad. It’s light and bright. It has a touch of sweetness, but it doesn’t contain high fructose corn syrup. And we love the crunchy little bits of celery and bell pepper.

Read the full ranking of the best macaroni salad

Best Potato Salad: Publix New York Style Potato Salad

Yep, a Southern grocery chain is selling “New York style” potato salad that absolutely rocks our world. The dressing is creamy and has just the right amount of sweetness and tang, but, truly, the best part might be the potatoes themselves. They’re just so fluffy and soft. This potato salad is a great Memorial Day BBQ side (obviously), but you’re kind of missing out if you’re not using it as a hot dog condiment, too.

Read the full ranking of the best potato salad

Best Coleslaw: Reser’s Fine Foods Cole Slaw

A lot of premade coleslaw lacks crunch—it’s just soupy slop. Reser’s managed to keep that crunch intact and we love it. The dressing has a mustardy tang that’s kind of giving deviled egg. It’s extremely well seasoned and tasty (and honestly, this will be really good on a hot dog, too!).

Read the full ranking of the best coleslaw

Best Mac and Cheese: Reser’s Main St. Bistro Baked Macaroni & Cheese

Hot sides are welcome at the BBQ, too. We’ve ranked the best boxed mac and cheese and the best frozen mac and cheese, but this was all about the best mac and cheese at the grocery store deli, and once again, Reser’s nailed it. This is thick and creamy without being gluey. If you’re serving smoked meats or ribs, this is the side to get.

Read the full ranking of the best premade mac and cheese

Best Baked Beans: Bush’s Southern Pit BBQ Grillin’ Beans

Okay, we’re leaving the deli section for this one and heading to the canned foods aisle for some Bush’s baked beans for the party. So many store-bought baked beans are so, so sweet, but these are actually balanced. The beans are soft and creamy, and they have a pronounced smokiness that really makes you think of a charcoal grill (in a good way).

Read the full ranking of the best baked beans

About the Author

Howdy! I’m Gwynedd, Sporked’s managing editor. I live in Los Angeles and have access to the best tacos the U.S. has to offer—but I’m a sucker for a crunchy Old El Paso taco night every now and then. I’ve been at Sporked since 2022 and I’m still searching frozen mozzarella sticks that can hold a candle to restaurant sticks. Why you should trust me: I’ve been a journalist for 20 years (yikes), a consumer of food for 40-plus years, and I’m truly hard pressed to think of foods I don’t like (or that I can’t tolerate at the very least). Oh and one time I cooked my way through Guy Fieri’s cookbook and wrote about the journey through Flavortown. What I buy every week: Trader Joe’s Original Savory Thins. Fat free plain yogurt (usually Fage or Nancy’s). Honeycrisp apples. Sweet cream coffee creamer for my at-home Americanos. A frozen cauliflower crust pizza and some jarred mushrooms to top it with. Old El Paso Stand ‘N Stuff taco shells and Gardein Ground Be’f, even though I think “be’f” is a nightmarish contraction. Favorite ranking: Stouffer’s frozen dinners. I don’t own a microwave (I get my cancers the old fashioned way!), so I love taste testing things that I don’t really buy to eat at home. Least favorite ranking: Soy sauce. Don’t get me wrong, I love soy sauce—but consuming that much sodium in one sitting is probably illegal in some countries. Our frozen enchilada taste test was a close second; the smell of microwaved corn tortillas still haunts me.