The best coleslaw is made with a tangy, creamy dressing and crisp veggies that deliver a satisfying crunch. It should never be soggy, blandly seasoned, or overly sour. Most importantly, the best coleslaw should bring a palate-cleansing “cooling” factor to your meal that contrasts with your tender BBQ meats and hot sides.
Oh, how does one describe coleslaw? From “kimchi for white people” to “yummy yummy cabbage goop,” it goes by many names. Personally, I see coleslaw as that one quiet friend who’s easy to overlook in a crowd but always nice to have around. A good listener who adds to the conversation (i.e. your food) and doesn’t need to be the center of attention. And you know what, friends like that are hard to come by—just like the best store bought coleslaw. Because not every grocery store is sellin’ the slaw, as it turns out. We even had to ship one of our writers off (me, it was me) to Florida for the sole purpose of tasting Publix coleslaw, just to see how it measured up. (Spoiler: Like most Publix deli items, it’s delicious. Shocking, I know.) Luckily, we found three slaw-fully great options, depending on what you like. From the best creamy coleslaw to the best coleslaw for BBQ, here’s the best coleslaw we found.
- Freshness Guaranteed Coleslaw
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With its nice, thick dressing, Walmart’s deli coleslaw is the best creamy coleslaw of the bunch. The dressing is heavy on the mayo, which makes it the best coleslaw to slather on a burger or pulled pork sandwich, and the copious amounts of shredded carrot will contribute some crunch, too. Since the flavor leans more sweet than tangy, this might not be the best coleslaw for those looking for a more sour tang, but it’s still a good store bought coleslaw.
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Whole Foods Coleslaw
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When you’re standing under the blazing hot sun next to a smoking grill, nothing hits quite like a cool, crunchy, homemade slaw. And if Whole Foods understands anything, it’s the importance of fresh, quality veggies to really provide that signature crunch. The cabbage and carrots are so crisp, you could munch on this stuff all on its own. The dressing is beautifully light, and while a creamier coleslaw might be easier to spread on a bun loaded with meat, the best barbeque coleslaw is all about texture and versatility. Since Whole Foods slaw is not too sweet or mayo heavy, it goes great with grilled meats, fish tacos, or, hey, even flying solo. This is the best coleslaw to pair with just about anything, for just about anyone.
Credit: Merc / Whole Foods
- Publix Deli Sweet Coleslaw
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Publix coleslaw is very sweet (it’s called “deli sweet” for a reason), which won’t suit everyone’s preferences—but as the current Sporked team member with the absolute lowest tolerance for sweet foods, I still really enjoyed this. While it’s definitely creamier than Whole Foods coleslaw, the mayo dressing here isn’t too heavy, so it tastes quite light and bright overall. The cabbage has the perfect crunch level, like it was freshly cut. I’m not surprised I loved Publix coleslaw, but I am a little sad to know it’s this yummy, and I can’t order it on the reg. I mean, imagine having this on the side with some Publix fried chicken?! Ugh. I’m actually salivating a little. (Come to California, Publix, please!!)
Credit: Liv Averett / Publix
- Reser’s Coleslaw
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Look, if we were going by ingredients alone, it would be easy to say Whole Foods makes the best coleslaw. But we simply couldn’t ignore the X factor that Reser’s Coleslaw brought to this competition. This stuff has a mustardy, deviled-egg tang that’s similar to what we loved about their macaroni salad. Our forks just kept coming back to this tub of creamy goodness. The slaw is extra tangy, well salted, and still packs a satisfying crunch. If you want to give all the dads at the potluck something to gossip about, you have to serve up Reser’s coleslaw. Flavor-wise, it’s the best coleslaw we tried.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
Best Creamy Coleslaw
Best Barbeque Coleslaw
Runner Up
Best Barbeque Coleslaw
Other grocery store coleslaw we tried: First Street Coleslaw, Signature Select Coleslaw
I think it would be interesting to see what you all would find better, a bucket of pre-made coleslaw, or a bag of store bought coleslaw mix with Marie’s Coleslaw Dressing. I would rather go with the later as I tend to stay away from the massive amount of preservatives and sugar found in the premade versions.
Do you think there isn’t a massive amount or preservatives in Marie’s dressing?