The Most Popular Pickle Brand In The US Is An Old-School Favorite

There's no doubt in any of our minds that we love our pickles. (Except for a few of you haters; I see you, too.) Instacart released a report earlier this year by sifting through its own data to see which brands reigned as top champions and the answer may indeed, in internet parlance, shock you. It wasn't Claussen, nor was it my personal favorite brand, Grillo's; it was a brand of pickle you can find stored at room temperature. Any guesses? Drumroll please — Mt. Olive took the number one spot followed by Vlasic and then the refrigerated brand Claussen. This shouldn't be entirely surprising. Mt. Olive was established nearly 100 years ago, in 1926, so it's been at this whole pickle thing for a long time now. 

As you might imagine, some parts of the country are more brand-loyal to certain companies over others. In this case, Instacart indicated it's the Southeast that truly loves its Mt. Olive (except for Florida, which prefers Grillo's). Its regional popularity could partially be due to a point of pride since Mt. Olive was founded in North Carolina where it's still headquartered today.

We once ranked 15 brands of store-bought pickle brands to see which one reigned supreme in our vinegar-soaked hearts. Unfortunately, Mt. Olive came in toward the bottom, landing in 12th place. The main issue our taste tester had was that Mt. Olive pickles are so tart they almost hit a sour note. Plus, the pickle texture was a little on the mushier side.

There is, however, one major selling point that explains a lot about the brand's popularity. Our tester noted the nostalgia of the pickle transporting them back to their childhood when they would enjoy a slice alongside a burger or hot dog. That feeling, at least to me, is sometimes what drives me to get the same brand of something on a regular basis — that sense of good old comfort. 

The pickles themselves are still somewhat contentious with other people (it's not just us). Entire Reddit threads discuss the Mt. Olive texture issue, with users saying things like, "The pickles were so off-putting because they were very soft and mushy." Others agreed, saying, "Mt. Olive are my least favorite brand. I don't ever buy them. They are not crunchy. They are mushy and sour in all the wrong ways." Despite the mixed feelings on the pickles themselves, according to sales, this doesn't seem to matter. People have loved them for a century, and if those enduring numbers are any indication, Mt. Olive is still going strong.