If you’ve ever lived in Texas, you know about H-E-B.
(And also probably Buc-ee’s – which, unlike H-E-B, is expanding rapidly…)
The food, the groceries, the Texas-shaped tchotchkes…
It is truly the Texas of grocery stores, and it’s been a beloved fixture in the Lone Star state for over a century.
There’s only one problem:
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Competition is rapidly intensifying.
All kinds of competitors have stepped up their game, and each of them has a big fan base that would convincingly argue that they’re now better than H-E-B.
Are they right?
Well, that’s for you to decide.
Starting with another famed Texas grocery chain…
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Where you’ll find them: Whole Foods is pretty much everywhere there are a lot of people in the US. If it’s a big city (or even a medium-sized one) with people with disposable income…chances are good it has a Whole Foods or three.
What makes them great: Whole Foods has always had a solid selection of high-quality organic food…and in the last couple of years they’ve really improved their pricing, too. I no longer see things at Whole Foods costing a couple bucks more than the exact same thing elsewhere. (In fact, sometimes it’s even cheaper!)
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Where you’ll find them: TJ’s is in 43 out of 50 states with about 600 stores…roughly a third of which are in California alone.
What makes them great: TJ’s will never win on selection (the store footprint is too small) or on having the most organic food. Where they win is that their products are just…really good.
Especially their frozen foods. Try the chicken tikka masala, the beef tacos, the beef and broccoli, even the riced cauliflower – all of them are clearly elevated vs what you’d expect from grocery store frozen aisles and even from many restaurants.
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Where you’ll find them: The Fresh Market is mostly on the East Coast, but they have a few outposts as far west as Oklahoma and Illinois.
What makes them great: The Fresh Market does a great job of serving up all kinds of sustainably farmed, fresh foods, and mostly not at totally unreasonable prices.
But where Fresh Market really shines is in its baked goods. Their bakery section is just incredible – from the bread, to the pastries, to the cookies, to the cakes (especially the cakes), and everything in between. Go just for that.
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Where you’ll find them: Mostly in New York (where they were founded) and in surrounding states, but Wegmans has been gradually creeping down the East Coast and now has stores as far south as North Carolina. (They have over 100 grocery stores and gradually growing!)
What makes them great: People love lots of things about Wegmans. For me, it’s their cheese section (best selection I’ve ever seen outside a specialty cheese shop – and better than some of them, too!) and their made-to-order foods (sure, the sandwiches are good, but so are the sushi, poke bowls, pizzas, and so much more…).
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Where you’ll find them: Most states, and plenty of international locations too! There are about 900 Costcos worldwide.
What makes them great: I know Costco isn’t “technically” a grocery store, but they sell lots of food items, and you get amazing prices because they buy (and sell) in bulk. The warehouse model is a great way to get tons of good-quality food at rock-bottom prices. Oh, and their pizzas are pretty good, too.
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Where you’ll find them: There are over 1,400 Publix stores in the USA, all of them in the Southeast. (And heavy concentrations in Florida.)
What makes them great: Great pub subs (seriously, get the buffalo chicken tender sub), friendly staff and great customer service, and I’ve heard good things about their spicy wings. Aside from that, produce looks good, baked goods are solid, it’s just generally a good grocery store.
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Where you’ll find them: Sprouts is on both coasts and has about 400 locations total across 23 states.
What makes them great: Sprouts is great in general, but their produce is truly top-notch – lots of sustainable, organic, and zero-waste options. The price is generally a little higher in my experience, but you’re paying up for superb quality.
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• For fun lists, healthy living tips, and bar conversation topics, make sure to follow The Coconut Mama. Click here to access The Coconut Mama’s profile page and be sure to hit the Follow button here or at the top of this article!
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Where you’ll find them: Only in Texas and Mexico (and mostly in southern Texas).
What makes them great: I couldn’t leave without giving H-E-B its due! After all, it’s famed for its delicious and unique foods (hatch chile cookies as just one lovely example), amazing customer service, and dedicated, lifelong employees.
There’s something special about H-E-B, and you’ll only get it if you visit one. (And probably only fully get it if you live in Texas first.)
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So there you have it – seven grocery stores that have a reasonable argument to make that they’re better than H-E-B.
Or at least, they have fans who think they’re better!
Each has a niche, for sure, but the real question is…
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Are they right?
Is one of these competitors better?
Or is H-E-B the best?
Let us know in the comments!
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