The Prepared Foods You Should Definitely Avoid At Wegmans

If you've ever driven past a Wegmans before, you probably don't give it too much thought. On the outside, it seems like just another ordinary grocery store. It's also not as big as places like Walmart, so you may have just considered it another regional grocer like Kroger. But just because Wegmans may not look all that impressive on the outside, it doesn't mean this grocery chain doesn't have an impressive following. According to Insider, people love Wegmans for two main reasons: atmosphere and selection. 

Not only is the store's atmosphere influenced by friendly, supportive workers and an "eye-catching" but simple layout, "Wegmaniacs" also love the store's wide selection of unique, cheap products. Thrillist further elaborates on Wegmans' "unique" approach to grocery shopping, noting that the store enjoys livening up the regular day-to-day shopping experience with live bands, model trains, and even culinary tasting events that encourage people to idle in the store and explore its many products. 

It's not too dissimilar to Trader Joe's, which also encourages an unorthodox approach to grocery shopping alongside offering exclusive, reasonably-priced, and fantastical products meant to please even the most discerning customer. But while Wegmans does excel in many things, not all products on its shelves may be as popular as you may think. In fact, as it turns out, certain "prepared foods" at Wegmans aren't for everyone and may be worth skipping.

In 2017, David Landsel of Food & Wine decided to spend nearly an entire day scouting out his local Wegmans. The purpose? To try and see just what it was that makes Wegmans such a popular place and perhaps learn the tricks that these "Wegmaniacs' know that makes them keep coming back over and over again. Although Landsel's review of the store was mostly positive, he did caution that one could wind up paying an absurd amount of money on prepared foods that may not be as good as you think.

Specifically, Landsel mentions mini-layer cakes and in-house, pre-made burgers. The cakes, priced at the time at around $8, were described by Landsel as tasting like "box mix," while very nearby, "terribly good" mini-pies were selling for only $6. The burgers, prepared at the burger bar, were said to be "lousy" at a price above $10 or more. The frozen custard, however, not only cost less, but was far better than the burgers sold at the same place.

It would seem that others agree with Landsel on the topic of the in-house burger bar. Some customers on Facebook claim that the bar is suffering from a noticeable decline in quality, noting their burgers were either "bloody," were getting smaller buns, and suffering from a general lack of care.

While David Landsel notes that it may be better if you avoid buying mini-layer cakes or burgers from the in-house burger bar, could there be any prepared foods that you should definitely put in your cart the next time you visit Wegmans?

According to Reader's Digest, if you're looking for prepared meals, it's recommended that you try out Wegmans' subs. The sandwiches, costing from $4.50 to $10, are widely praised for their freshness and quality, with Insider's review of grocery store sub sandwiches listing it as a winner, thanks largely to the store's use of freshly baked bread. New York Upstate claims that the best cold sandwich you can order is the roast beef, while the Italian chicken finger sandwich is the best warm sandwich. 

Real Simple also suggests that you should pick up a rotisserie chicken. Wegmans' rotisserie chickens not only cost the same as Costco's famous chicken at $4.99, Real Simple explains, but they also supposedly have a much better flavor selection than Costco, with BBQ, lemon pepper, and plain. 

Of course, at the end of the day, it's all up to the customer's personal taste and preferences. You may like something on here that others don't and vice-versa. It certainly doesn't hurt to explore different options the next time you're shopping at Wegmans.