Best Deli Section Foods in Utah Markets

Best deli section foods in Utah markets
13 July 2018, rev 4 Jan 2021

YEAR ROUND ITEMS, by the food:
2017, November tests
MEATLOAF 
Sprouts C/C+
frozen Stouffers at markets C

FRIED CHICKEN
Harmons - the best in grocery stores, with their own seasonings B/B+
Maceys B
Smiths C-
Walmart C- -
Winco B 
Ridley (better than Winco) B
Market Fresh C+/B-
Target, crunchy C-
OUT OF BUSINESS: Allens C-

WINGS
Winco:
baked wings:
BBQ: B-/B
fried: 
salt and vinegar B/B+
bbq C-
spicy C-/C
lemon pepper D-

ROTISSERIE CHICKEN 
Smiths
BBQ baked chicken (not just wings) B/B+
savory baked, if room temp: C; if hot, it grades higher 

Market Fresh: baked chicken C/C+

Target
Plain rotisserie D

Winco
lemon pepper (strong fake lemon flavor but tender white meat) C-


Harmons
Southwest C
Lemon pepper (tough white meat, very little lemon) C-

Costco
plain C-

Sprouts 
plain B 

Macey's and Market Fresh use the same brand of rotisserie: :
rotisserie chickens: B

HARMON'S DELI CHEESES
Bellavitano raspberry (not good melted: D), cold: A
Wesleydale and blueberries from Somerdale, England (not good melted: D), cold B++
Landhaus, from Wisconsin B/B+
"Smoked Fully Loaded," will add brand name, B+
Defendi - from Italy B
Kaly Back Gruyere B
"Butter Kase Loaf," will add brand name B
"Promontory," will add brand name B-
Barely Buzzed (coffee and lavender, made in Heber at Wasatch Cheese) B - -
Cahill's Irish Porter C+
Seahive - Heber C+
Big John's Cajun C
Queso Fresco Verde C
Wasatch Back Jack - Heber C
Port Salut Wheel C-
Cheddar Tintern with chives C-
Fuego verde cheddar (spicy) C-

MISC. FOODS AT DELI SECTIONS, BOTH AT HARMONS:
Harmon's baked beans with ham and pineapple, cold or hot B+
Harmon's caramel apple salad C

SLAW AT THESE MARKET DELI'S
Smiths deli B
Macey's, very little liquid; only white cabbage and a few carrot pieces C
Smith's - pre-packaged D

SANDWICHES AT THESE MARKET DELI'S

Ridley's Croissants C
Ridley's Sandwich: deviled eggs, smoky bacon, on wheat D+/C-
Ridley's sandwich on crousant C=


Target - chicken salad on croissant C+
Target - chicken salad alone B/B+

Harmon's "chef prepared" sndwiches C, with croissant B

Winco sandwich C-, with croissant C-


KRAB SANDWICHES AND SALAD (fake seafood)

Ridley's krab sandwich on croissant C/C+
krab salad alone C

Harmo's imiage krab salad C-

winko krab salad alone C/C+
winko krab salad sandwich in croisssant C-
winko krab and shrimp salad alone C
winko krab and shrimp salad in crossant C

Target Thai style lober shrimp alone b/B+
ditto in croissant C+
Target croissant alone C

MASHED POTATOES 
Costco, no gravy with it B/B+
(Harvey's gravy, separate B+)

Market Fresh
mash: loaded B+

Ridley's
mash, Gerry's B
turkey gravy D
combo C-

Walmart 
mash and herbed gravy B/B+
herbed gravy alone C+/B-
Sprouts C - -

Harmons:
mashed potatoes alone B+
yellow gravy alone D+
mashed potatoes and yellow gravy combo C+
Macey's: 
mash and beef gravy B-
beef gravy alone C-
mash alone B

Smiths
mash C-
mash and gravy C+/B-

frozen Stouffers B-

BREADS at Harmon's deli
- all in-house made:
Hamburger bun A
Ciabatta bread A
Beehive dinner rolls B++
All natural wheat brown bun B+
Hotel Utah rolls B/B+
All natural wheat ciabatta rolls B-/B
Ranch dinner rolls B
all natural bratworst buns C

Best bun for hot dogs: Beehive mini dinner rolls, since hamburger buns are too thick 
hamburger bun bottoms, top: C-, bottom: cold: B, warm: B/B+
mini Beehive dinner rolls, top B-, bottom, cold: B-/B, warm: B-/B

Thanksgiving Holiday Foods
Turkey
2017, November
Costco, white meat C/C+
KFC, white meat, tough texture C-, flavor B
KFC, dark meat texture B, flavor B+


Thanksgiving sides
2017, November
STUFFING
Costco C+/B-
Harmons C-

GRAVY
Costco A-
Harmons C

DRESSING
Sprouts B-/B

SWEET POTATOES 
Costco C/C+

CRANBERRY SAUCE 
Costco A-
Harmons C-