15 Walmart Great Value Groceries To Avoid At All Costs, According To Customers

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Walmart has captivated shoppers for decades with unbelievably low prices and sundry offerings. The company's private-label Great Value products add to its allure, as these grocery items tend to feature even lower prices than brand-name equivalents. That said, while we've certainly had our fair share of delicious Great Value offerings, there are times when this popular store brand doesn't seem deserving of its name. Consumers feel like some of Great Value's products are far from high-quality and tasty, leaving them unsatisfied.

So, which Walmart Great Value groceries should you avoid? In the upcoming post, we're revealing some of the worst selections of the supermarket's store brand according to customers. Whether it be odd texture, weird flavor, or poor packaging, we're pulling back the curtain on these depressing Great Value finds in hopes of providing you with a better grocery shopping experience. 

Sound interesting? Join us as we uncover Walmart Great Value grocery picks you should avoid.

It's not entirely clear what happened here, but according to customers, purchasing Great Value Organic Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce could be a bad move. Name-brand options like this store-bought pasta sauce that Ina Garten recommends can cost more than expected, making Walmart's inexpensive private-label selection even more tempting. Nevertheless, patrons insist that this particular flavor has an abhorrent taste similar to over-potent garlic. A shopper on Walmart.com states, "[This sauce] ruined dinner. Smelled like it had gone bad, but couldn't tell if it was just the amount of garlic or what. Absolutely disgusting. Made sure it wasn't expired too (expires next year, 2026)."

 Thus, though a jar of this overpowering product is available for the fair price of $2 to $3 per 24 ounces in our area at the time of publication, there are undoubtedly other higher-quality store-bought pasta sauces more worthy of your dollar.

Priced at $8 to $9 for four sandwiches in a pack, Great Value's frozen cheeseburgers seem like the perfect solution for days when the drive-thru feels a little too far away from home. Unfortunately, customers aren't holding back when it comes to this Walmart-brand option, making it yet another Great Value grocery item to avoid.

"Do not buy," a customer warns. "Horrible odor and terrible taste. Threw them in the garbage, waste of money." Others concur. Another reviewer writes, "these tasted like throw up." In addition to these, er, less-than-appetizing descriptions, there are several patrons taking issue with the portion size. Apparently, Great Value is pretty stingy when it comes to the patty; customers describe the sandwiches as mostly bread, causing us to wonder if the $2 to $3 per burger is actually worth it. 

All things considered, it's safe to say that these Walmart frozen cheeseburgers probably aren't the best option for satisfying your fast food cravings. You're better off spending the extra money than throwing these in your cart.

​A warm, melty breakfast wrap can be hard to resist, but when it comes to Great Value Frozen Bacon Egg and Cheese Breakfast Burritos, don't count on them to satisfy your cravings. Shoppers claim that the taste is awful, but a sorry flavor isn't the only thing ruining this morning meal; it's also nearly impossible to cook. Several customers complain that, despite their best efforts, there's no middle ground with these store-brand burritos. They either stay frozen in the center or get so hot that the fillings burst and the ends are irredeemably hard. 

"I'm extremely disappointed in these," an annoyed customer states. "After reading the other reviews, I have to completely agree that these are trash. I should've read reviews first. I made them exactly as instructed, even cooked them first longer. The inside is MUSH. Inedible. Gross."​ Say what you will, but paying nearly $9 for eight underwhelming burritos doesn't seem like a great deal. The next time you see Great Value's frozen breakfast burritos in Walmart stores, it might be best to keep walking. Despite the promising title, it seems you're better off skipping this breakfast pick.

What better way to start the day than with a bowl of cinnamon-dusted cereal, right? Not when it comes to Great Value Crunchy Cinnamon Filled Cereal Bites, sadly. This Walmart store-brand pick has been accused of disintegrating as soon as it hits milk, leaving nothing but mush in its wake. "Absolutely disgusting!" a Walmart customer grumbles. "The outside shell had turned completely soggy by the time I walked from the kitchen to the dining room. It then fell off the pieces of cereal into the milk." 

As if gloopy cereal pieces weren't bad enough, some shoppers have also taken issue with the general taste of this breakfast item. For a product that should be toasty and sweet, it apparently lacks any flavor, evidenced by patrons using words like "gross" and "horrible" to describe their experiences. Given that a box of this Great Value cereal costs a little over $4 for 18 ounces in some areas, it might be best to place other, more deserving cinnamon-flavored options in your cart instead.

Similar to the previously mentioned breakfast bowl disaster, Great Value Crunchy Hazelnut & Cocoa Filled Cereal Bites costs between $4 and $5 per 18-ounce box. Looking at the images featured on the label, it seems as though this cereal would serve as a delicious chocolatey treat for breakfast; in actuality, it's a mess that shoppers are warning others to skip. 

Though advertising hazelnut flavor, customers insist that this store-brand product tastes like anything but. The cereal scarcely possesses any of the rich cocoa essence embodied by the store-bought hazelnut spreads we all know and love and instead features a "dense" and difficult-to-chew texture that should never characterize a proper morning meal. 

A scathing review found on Walmart.com further exemplifies the issues customers are experiencing with the breakfast option: "This cereal has absolutely zero hazelnut taste at all. It was also so rock hard that I couldn't even chew it. Left it soaking in a bowl of milk for 15 minutes and it was still rock hard! Absolute waste of money, I ended up throwing out 3/4 of the bowl, as it was inedible. The remaining amount at home is going in the trash." We're giving this one a hard pass.

Great Value Premium Shells & Cheese Microwavable Cups is a Walmart grocery item that many shoppers suggest you avoid, though for reasons that aren't exactly what you'd expect when compared to other offerings on the list. Customers claim that these mini microwave meals are sold with lids that won't stay put, resulting in a loss of both dried pasta and sauce. The product page is littered with comments from customers complaining that most of their mac and cheese had to be tossed due to improper packaging by the manufacturer. And though $3 to $4 per four cups might seem like a decent enough price, purchasing this combo of shells and cheesy sauce from Great Value runs the risk of wasting food and cash, making it an undesirable deal. The bright side is that many people think the product itself tastes great — but we aren't sure that good flavor alone makes potential food waste worth the cost.

Popping a pizza into the oven from the freezer can be a lifesaver on lazy nights, but underwhelming store-bought frozen pizzas may leave you with no other option than to order takeout. Great Value Thin Crust Pepperoni Frozen Pizza is sold for $4 to $5 per 16-ounce pie, but according to patrons, it delivers the exact opposite of what it promises on the package. Customers insist its "extra crispy" claims are hogwash; in reality, the crust is doughy and unenjoyable. As one shopper rants: "The box [...] should have said 'extra soggy'. After the recommended directions for cooking. I even pan toasted it so the crust would firm up. Nothing helped, still limp and soggy. Overall bland taste. The pepperoni was the only highlight, but barely."

In addition to its chewy base, this freezer-aisle pizza from Walmart gets flak from reviewers for a few other undesirable characteristics, including a "rancid" taste and "rubbery" cheese. How's that sound for a delicious and quick dinner? Yeah, not great. 

Great Value Whole Pepperoncinis cost $2 or $3 per 12 fluid ounces and come a bit spicier than other pickled products on the market, according to some tongue-burned customer reviews. Nevertheless, it isn't really the heat level of these pepperoncinis causing customer complaints — it's the overall quality. 

Negative comments surrounding this jar of pickled peppers vary drastically, though the consensus is that it's another disappointing find from Walmart's brand. Claims include that the pepperoncinis are too small and can be difficult to chew, not to mention an overwhelming amount of skins and stems. Other gripes found on Walmart's webpage for the product include unsecured lids, rottenness, and poor flavor. One shopper even writes, "There is a gnat or some flying bug in the jar." Needless to say, Great Value's pepperoncinis may not be the best pick for your spicy pepper cravings — you're better off choosing another brand to help you amp up the flavor of your snacks, salads, and cold sammies. 

​Any fan of taco night should beware of this Walmart pick, especially if you prefer pillowy soft, pliable wraps. Great Value Whole Wheat Soft Taco Flour Tortillas will only set you back around $2 to $3 for 10 tortillas, but this approachable price point shouldn't serve as inspiration to buy them. Shoppers reviewing the whole wheat shells describe them as "chewy," "firm," and "stale." 

That's not all. Several customer complaints center around the fact that the wraps stick together, making for a shredded shells that can barely hold any of your delectable taco fillings. One patron shared their experience, stating, "tortillas were very sticky. they would not come out in one piece. should by chance one would come out, with enough to put something in, it would break completely when trying to fold. next time i will pay a little more for a product that is actually useful." Point taken. We'll cross this one off the shopping list. 

Great Value Premium White Chicken Salad Pouches are sold for $1 to $2 per 2.6-ounce pack and look like a tasty way to enjoy a quick lunch but take caution. Apparently, this Walmart brand grocery item is one to avoid. 

According to consumer reviews, this "ready-to-eat" chicken salad is highly unappetizing. Though customer complaints vary, criticisms detail that the texture is similar to puree and that it features a "stinky" sauce. Some even go as far as calling the chicken salad downright "nasty," among other unflattering names. As one reviewer puts it: "I had never tried this before but bought one to try as a quick, somewhat healthier lunch option at work. It was so bad it gave me the shivers. Would not recommend."​

Shivers? Yeah, no thanks. Based on comments like these, it's safe to say that this goopy chicken salad won't find its way into our shopping carts at Walmart anytime soon.

You may find yourself tempted to believe Great Value French Fry Dipping Sauce is a great deal, considering it's only a couple of bucks per 12-ounce bottle. However, shoppers insist something has changed. Many state that the mustard and tomato paste based condiment was once a great option but has since been altered by the manufacturer for the worse. Customer accusations are plentiful, but the overwhelming majority seem to think the sauce is watery with little to no flavor. Former fans state that the dip they once loved is now darker, thinner, and tastes much different than before. 

So, how exactly does this Great Value fry dip taste? It's hard to say since the descriptions of reviewers differ so wildly. Some would say it's cloyingly sweet or vinegary, while others feel it's just bland. Either way, one thing's for certain: Walmart's saucy solution for your fries probably won't satisfy that specific flavor you crave. Consider making fry sauce at home instead!

If you're a fan of Japanese steakhouses, you probably adore yum yum sauce as much as we do. Sadly, Great Value Yum Yum Sauce –– sold for $2 to $3 per 16.5 ounces –– fails to bring the satisfying flavor customers expect, with some buyers on the product page begging you to save your money instead. 

​Walmart's take on the condiment doesn't do justice to the origins of a real yum yum sauce. One patron states that it tastes like "watered down" ketchup combined with mayonnaise, while another claims it has virtually the same flavor as Thousand Island dressing. Some even go as far as to say the concoction will ruin your dish, which you'll definitely want to avoid if you're pairing it with some delicious seared beef.

Oh, well. We're sure there's a store-bought yum yum sauce worthy of your next homemade Japanese entree, but as it stands, Great Value's option isn't quite it.

Does dusty, crunchy cardboard sound like what you'd associate with potato chips? Unfortunately, this is the type of verbiage utilized by customers expressing their disappointment with Great Value Stack Attack Cheddar Cheese Potato Crisps. Presumably made to mimic Pringles in shape and texture, this salty Walmart snack is sold in cylindrical packaging at only $1 to $2 per container. And though a great deal, shoppers complain the chips aren't quite what they seem, with disparaging comments popping up on the product page that demonstrate just how displeased customers are.

Oddly, one reviewer likens the taste of the chips to almost underbaked, stating, "horrible, I regret not spending the extra buck on original pringles....the texture is awful like having a piece of horrible tasting dough in your mouth." Many also prefer thinner Pringles chips over this Walmart knockoff, citing its cardboard-like thickness as a source of agitation. All things considered, it's safe to say we've found another Great Value product that's not worth buying.

Lovers of Quaker likely already know the warm, fuzzy feelings associated with maple and brown sugar instant oatmeal. While it's seemingly a cheaper and protein-rich replacement, Great Value Maple & Brown Sugar Instant Oatmeal may not quite deliver on all of the feels of the original. A customer on Walmart's website shares their unfiltered opinion on the breakfast packets: "Disgusting. I assume they added some type of protein powder to the regular recipe? Whatever they did, it makes the cooked oatmeal taste gritty, even after I added milk and butter to help smooth out the texture. Guess I'll be making an egg and toast this morning – LOL!"

It's easy to see why this instant oats product doesn't exactly meet our standards for a rich, hearty, and satisfying breakfast. Instead, shoppers may be better off saving the cash this oatmeal costs in favor of other muscle-building morning choices, such as three-ingredient protein coffee or this easy high-protein breakfast that you can meal prep.

The sweet and sour flavor of gummy worms has dazzled the masses for years, but somehow Walmart manages to ruin a good thing by delivering customers a poor excuse for good candy. According to many, this tart and chewy treat misses the mark when it comes to taste and texture. Comments from customers indicate that the worms taste "stale" with little to no satisfying acidic spark. On top of that, the sweets allegedly gave some shoppers stomachaches, prompting them to toss the bag altogether. 

"I rarely complain about food. If I don't love something, I can usually endure it," one review with a verified purchase label explains. "These are horrible. Not only are they not sour, but they have the strangest taste. If I could imagine what day-old dish water would taste like, it would be the taste of these. I thought it was just one flavor, so I tried to avoid that one, but they all have the same odd flavor component."

In short, avoid the gummy sour worms from Great Value at all costs. Their odd texture, lackluster taste, and potential to cause tummy troubles aren't worth the headache, even for the low price of $1 to $2 per 6 ounces.