The 12 Best Grocery Stores For Finding Quality Seafood

While there may be plenty of fish in the sea, it could do you some good to be picky when it comes to which ones you pick up at the grocery store. Filled with important nutrients, incorporating high-quality seafood into your diet is a great way to shake things up and increase your intake of vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids.

In today's day and age, seafood is available practically everywhere. But beware, as not all seafood is the same in terms of quality, freshness, and flavor. Eating seafood should be a great experience, but seafood from the wrong place could end up doing more harm than good. With so much variety to choose from, it can be daunting to try to find the right, high-quality seafood for you.

Taking into account the things that are important when it comes to buying seafood (flavor, freshness, sustainability, and more), we've compiled a list of the best grocery stores to buy your seafood so you don't have to worry about the wrong fish ending up on your plate.

If sustainability is a priority for you, Sprouts is a great choice. With a focus on prioritizing the protection and preservation of both marine and freshwater ecosystems, as well as fishery-dependent communities, Sprouts' sustainability efforts are nothing short of thorough. Sprouts' sustainability policy applies to all fresh, frozen, shelf-stable, and sushi seafood products. Guaranteeing that its products are purchased from traceable sources is one way Sprouts ensures its policy is being adhered to. Certified fisheries and farm operations must go through a verification process to guarantee safe working conditions and meet other strict regulations before working with Sprouts. Sprouts also prioritizes buying from fisheries and farm programs that are rated by Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch as a Best Choice or Good Alternative. These certifications and verifications are just some of the ways that Sprouts adheres to its Supplier Code of Conduct and Commitment to Human Rights.

Alongside its priority of sustainability, Sprouts also boasts incredibly high customer satisfaction in the seafood department. Sprouts' wide selection of seafood products has received hundreds of positive reviews. These positive reviews can be found for all types of fish. From perfectly rated canned fish to fresh salmon fillets with over 300 five-star reviews, Sprouts' offers a range of highly-rated seafood options for its customers. 

Whole Foods offers customers a way to buy seafood without feeling guilty. Everything from the seafood department at Whole Foods is either responsibly farmed or sustainably wild-caught. In addition, Whole Foods has also banned over 300 food ingredients from being used to treat its seafood. All of the canned seafood in the grocery department at Whole Foods meets the same quality standards for wild-caught seafood or farm-raised seafood as the products in the seafood department. Along with regular recognition from Greenpeace for its sustainability practices and policies, Whole Foods was also the first U.S. retailer to collaborate with the world's leading certification program for sustainable wild-caught seafood, The Marine Stewardship Council.

Whole Foods' quality standards don't stop at sustainability. With knowledgeable fishmongers behind the counter, Whole Foods provides customers with quality that goes further than the fish you purchase. The fishmongers at Whole Foods are there to take care of tedious, annoying, or sometimes overwhelming tasks and help make shopping easier for customers. From telling you the best way to cook your fish to actually prepping and sometimes even cooking it, Whole Foods adapts the shopping experience for each customer and provides them with what they need.

Founded in 1934, Meijer forever changed the world of retail with the introduction of the supercenter. Not only was Meijer the first to do supercenters, but according to customers, it is still "the best," offering low prices while still maintaining clean stores and friendly employees. Combining convenience and quality while also merging multiple kinds of retail, Meijer has become a one-stop shop where you can find anything and everything, including quality seafood.

Meijer prioritizes environmental stewardship and sustainability. For over a decade, Meijer has partnered with the Global Seafood Alliance (GSA), an organization that is dedicated to advancing responsible seafood practices. Through this partnership, Meijer helps its farmed seafood suppliers get Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certifications from GSA to achieve the best possible sustainable aquaculture standards. It also encourages all of its wild-caught seafood suppliers to become certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) or a Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative-approved certification program.

Today, Meijer has over 500 locations throughout the Midwest. Meijer also gives back to its customers and the communities it serves. Each year, Meijer donates more than 6% of its net profit to local organizations and sponsors hundreds of community events. If you want to get your seafood from a grocery store that cares for its customers, give Meijer a try.

Another grocery store that prioritizes sustainability when it comes to seafood is Safeway. Safeway has a high sustainability score and ranks among the top grocery stores for seafood sustainability according to Greenpeace. Safeway's Responsible Seafood Program works to improve seafood supply chain transparency and includes a comprehensive Responsible Seafood Policy. To make shopping sustainably easier for customers, Safeway displays its Responsible Choice logo to let customers know that the product adheres to Safeway's Responsible Seafood Policy. All of the seafood in Safeway's Waterfront Bistro and Open Nature brands, as well as all wild-caught and farm-raised salmon, shrimp, surimi, and tuna used in Safeway's prepared sushi adhere to the Responsible Seafood Policy.

Safeway has also partnered with FishWise, which is a nonprofit sustainable seafood consultancy. FishWise works with companies to focus on the conservation of marine resources by using socially and environmentally responsible business practices. The partnership with FishWise helps Safeway gather information about its vendors and ensures that its policy is being met by providing third-party verification.

If you are looking for budget-friendly, convenient seafood, Trader Joe's is the way to go. Known for its fun, festive, and sometimes seasonal treats, Trader Joe's also offers everyday grocery staples at a reasonable price, including a solid selection of seafood. While Trader Joe's has different kinds of canned and fresh seafood, its frozen seafood selection helps elevate its seafood department. Contrary to what many people believe, frozen fish can actually be fresher than fresh fish. One Reddit user enjoys Trader Joe's frozen fish so much that they have "been buying their fish for years." So the next time you are at a Trader Joe's, take a stroll down the freezer aisle and give one of its many frozen seafood items a shot. From raw shrimp to breaded fillets, customers have their pick of seafood that fits their needs (and their budget).

Alongside its variety, Trader Joe's also has plenty of seafood that is wild-caught. In 2013, Trader Joe's switched its sourcing methods for several products to help minimize the potential for bycatch. It also got a good score from Greenpeace in the Red List category for selling the fewest Red List species. With satisfied customers to testify, Trader Joe's offers a good selection of seafood at a reasonable price.

Wegmans offers customers a selection of fresh, sustainably sourced seafood. Wegmans' seafood sourcing policy focuses on safety, environmental impact, and social impact. To ensure safety, Wegmans gets its seafood from facilities that are certified to the standards of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). Wegmans sources its seafood from farms and fisheries that meet the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative's standards, or that follow similar responsible practices to reduce environmental impact.

With the variety of sustainable and fresh seafood that Wegmans has to offer comes a higher price tag. With high prices similar to Whole Foods, a grocery run to Wegmans to pick up seafood won't be cheap. However, many customers can attest that the quality is what you pay for at Wegmans, and they are more than happy to splurge if it means getting great seafood. One customer even wrote, "When it comes to seafood ... pay more, get fresh, and good quality. They are expensive ... but just save somewhere else and live life!"

If you are lucky enough to take a trip to Manhattan, it may be worthwhile to check out Wegmans' Astor Place location. Unlike any other Wegmans location, this one offers a unique seafood experience inspired by traditional Japanese fish markets. The seafood department offers some of the most unique, freshest, and highest-quality seafood in the world. According to Wegmans, this location is the only place in the United States where customers can get fresh seafood shipped directly from the famous Toyosu Fish Market in Japan.

When shopping for seafood, it can get repetitive to see the same kinds of fish everywhere you go. If you are looking to spice up your seafood endeavors, look no further than The Fresh Market. Along with the standard fish options, The Fresh Market prides itself on its shellfish collection. Tip: If you are looking to take advantage of the shellfish options (specifically the shrimp), make sure you know what to look for to ensure you get the freshest, sweetest, and juiciest shrimp every time. The Fresh Market also offers a variety of canned fish, with one Reddit user sharing it has a "quality" selection with "many excellent options."

While The Fresh Market offers a variety of raw, unseasoned seafood, what truly sets it apart from other seafood sellers is its prepped seafood selection. Offering a wide range of not only seafood species, but also flavors, The Fresh Market's prepped seafood offers customers unique flavors not always found in other stores. With pecan-crusted trout, sweet chili marinated salmon, and even bacon-wrapped scallop skewers, The Fresh Market's options offer unique variations in a department that can sometimes get monotonous.

Known for its low prices and bulk sizes, Costco is an affordable option for groceries. This is especially true if you are looking to feed a family or a large group of people. Costco offers a range of fresh, frozen, and canned seafood for customers to choose from.

The price and taste of Costco's seafood options have customers raving. One popular seafood item from Costco is the Kirkland Wild Caught Alaskan Sockeye Salmon. With about eight servings per bag and mostly five-star ratings, this salmon is a great choice to whip up for your next dinner party, according to one satisfied customer whose dinner guests were all "big fan[s]." If you are looking for an option that's a little more ready to be served, try the Kirkland Breaded Panko Shrimp. There's no prep needed for the shrimp; simply throw the seafood in the oven, and it's ready to go.

Costco's seafood quality doesn't stop at large sizes and cheap prices. Costco takes into account many different factors when sourcing seafood to provide high-quality and more sustainable products for its customers. If a wild fish species has been identified as being at great risk, Costco won't sell them unless the sources they come from are certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). Another way Costco practices sustainability is by supporting fishery improvement projects (FIPs). These projects help local fisheries work toward meeting MSC requirements. Costco also partners directly with World Wildlife Fund and its suppliers to support FIPs.

Kroger has been part of the sustainable seafood movement since 2009. Since partnering with World Wildlife Fund and launching its seafood sustainability policy that year, Kroger has been identifying health and environmental impacts of fisheries, which has helped drive improvements in the seafood supply chain. Another way Kroger practices seafood sustainability is by supporting Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs), which help fisheries get certified by the Marine Stewardship Council. Kroger is one of the largest supporters of FIPs in the United States, having helped over 65 FIPs since 2009. In 2023, Over 96% of Kroger's seafood department products aligned with its seafood sustainability policy.

Aside from sustainability, Kroger also provides customers with a unique way to make cooking seafood significantly more convenient. At Kroger's seafood counter, customers can ask to have their seafood seasoned and garnished before having it put in an oven bag, significantly reducing the time it takes to prep and cook the seafood. Seasoning options include BBQ, Cajun, lemon pepper, and more. The oven bag has easy-to-follow instructions for how to cook your seafood when you're ready. Another popular and convenient seafood product from Kroger is its sushi. Kroger runs regular promotions online for its sushi, and some locations even have weekly, in-store deals. 

H Mart is a sizable Asian supermarket chain with stores located across the U.S.Carrying traditional ingredients found in Asian cuisine, as well as Asian snacks and fresh seafood, H Mart is a go-to grocer for those who want to learn more about or simply enjoy Asian food. Because H Mart is an Asian supermarket, it provides customers with products that are essential to Asian cooking, including fresh seafood. Asian grocery stores tend to have live seafood tanks, and H Mart is no different. Most H Mart locations have a live tank system where customers can expect to find crab, lobster, fish, clams, and oysters. 

As far as freshness goes, customers agree that H Mart has fresh, quality seafood at a reasonable price. Aside from the seafood from the live tanks, the rest of the fish selection at H Mart provides customers with a wide variety of options, including fish that are not commonly found at other grocery stores. From jellyfish to eel, and even filefish, H Mart offers customers fresh fish or seafood that may push you out of your comfort zone.

As far as sustainability goes, Hy-Vee is an industry leader. With many practices and policies in place, Hy-Vee works to ensure its seafood promotes the well-being of not only its customers, but also its employees and the environment. If a seafood product at Hy-Vee is sporting a Responsible Choice symbol, that means the product meets Hy-Vee's Seafood Procurement Policy and is caught or farmed responsibly. As the first Midwest retailer to source all of its fresh and frozen seafood from environmentally responsible sources, Hy-Vee promotes and supports sustainable seafood that is responsibly farmed or harvested. Hy-Vee has also extended its sustainable seafood endeavors to include different conservation initiatives, including not purchasing or selling genetically modified or genetically engineered seafood and supporting Fishery Improvement Projects.

One popular seafood product from Hy-Vee that showcases the quality of its sustainability efforts is its sushi. According to Facebook users, Hy-Vee's sushi offers a balance of quality and convenience. With different grab-and-go options to choose from, Hy-Vee offers customers a quick and convenient way to get flavorful sushi made with sustainable ingredients.

If you are looking for a store that sells seafood and also has incredibly high customer satisfaction, H-E-B is the place to go. The Texas-based grocery store tied for the best grocery store in the U.S. in 2023. It was also named number one in the fresh seafood category of BrandSpark International's Most Trusted Grocery Retailers in America study that same year. Customers love H-E-B, and according to Forbes, so do its employees. Named one of Forbes' 2025 Best Large Employers, H-E-B offers good benefits and pay, and respects and values its employees.

Alongside caring for its customers and employees, H-E-B also cares for the environment. Partnering with FishWise, H-E-B works to support high environmental standards, social accountability for labor and human rights, long-term health of species populations and ecosystems, and more. H-E-B also partners with the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) to meet sustainable sourcing standards and better understand Texas' unique ecosystems.

Similar to Kroger, H-E-B also offers customers free seasoning and steaming of the seafood they purchase. Alongside its fresh seafood counter, H-E-B also offers oven-ready seafood entrées and meals that come in trays and are ready to eat after cooking.