9 Grocery Store Chains With The Best Delis, According To Customers

Long gone are the days of bologna and mayonnaise on white bread for lunch. As variety has increased at deli counters across the country, customers can now easily find international flavors, nuanced seasonings, delectable sandwiches, and wraps all from local supermarkets. While grocery store prepared food offerings seem to garner more praise — from the chicken wing selection at East Coast darling Wegmans to the best hot food deal at Whole Foods — don't skip the humble but mighty deli counter.

You can browse the selection in person or, at some chains, even skip the queue and order online. Whether it's thin-sliced wagyu beef, imported French cheese, or health-conscious wraps that don't skimp on flavor, grocery store delis have stepped up their game in a major way. Here are the U.S. grocery store chains with the best delis, which provide both convenience and big flavor. For more on our selection process, check out our methodology at the end.

All hail the mighty Pub subs from Publix, which have captured the attention of sandwich lovers far from the Florida-founded supermarket chain. The brand has over 1,400 locations throughout the Southeast, from Alabama to Virginia. Reddit users have high praise for the chain's deli counter sandwiches, such as the Boar's Head French onion London broil sub, which features top round beef, Swiss cheese, and French onion mayonnaise on your choice of bread, all topped with fried onions. Though online fans referred to it as a limited-edition sandwich in early 2025, it's still listed on the Publix website for ordering.

That's not the only Boar's Head sandwich on the menu, either. The supermarket chain offers around 30 sandwiches with the deli meat brand, from Italian subs to BLTs. The most popular sub at the grocery store, however, is hands down the Publix chicken tender sub. It's made with hand-breaded chicken tenders, which are breaded twice for complete coverage. Add your choice of cheese, vegetables, and condiments. If you'd like the tenders tossed in a sauce, you can choose from flavors like buffalo or BBQ.

Apart from the famous Pub subs, customers also appreciate the attention to detail at Publix deli counters. It's the small things that count, and online customers note that the deli staff inserts paper between each slice of cheese purchased at the counter.

Artisanal cheese choices abound at the small but mighty Wegmans, which has an outsized reputation for quality at its deli counter despite its small footprint of over 100 stores on the East Coast. In fact, the grocery chain is so devoted to providing high-quality cheese to shoppers that, over a decade ago, it opened its own cheese caves in Rochester, New York, where both washed-rind and soft cheeses are aged.

The process starts with dedicated cheese sourcing led by Wegmans' affineur, Mathieu Callol. It continues in Rochester, where cheese is placed in one of seven ripening rooms for optimal aging, and is finally sent to stores at its peak. This results in offerings like rich bries, fruity, nutty Taleggio, and Wegmans' award-winning sake-washed cow's milk cheese, Sake 2 Me. Other standout deli offerings include a 24-month-aged prosciutto di Parma. The cured ham product has a perfect five-star rating from customer reviews on the supermarket's website for its authentic taste and subtle salt levels. Another favorite is the Citterio imported mortadella with pistachios, which customers say is simultaneously light and flavorful.

Efficiency is king at Harris Teeter, where customers can optimize their shopping experience by ordering ahead from the deli counter to have meats and cheeses ready for pick up. That means no need to wait in line behind other customers who are hemming and hawing over lunchmeat decisions! Depending on what you're ordering, deli counter items like cheeses and meats can be ready in as little as 15 minutes. This also includes sandwiches and wraps from the sandwich shop. Larger items, such as deli trays or platters, can take at least 24 hours to complete.

Speaking of Harris Teeter's sandwiches, customers on Reddit rave about the prices. One enthusiastic Redditor from Maryland writes, "A HALF (8 inches!!) sub at Harris Teeter beats Jersey Mike's, Subway, Paisano's, Potbelly, and any other sub shop in terms of amount of ingredients, flavor, etc. and it's only $4.99!!!"

Harris Teeter carries national meat brands, such as Boar's Head and Applegate, as well as popular cheese brands like Boursin, Tillamook, and BelGioioso. This is in addition to the brand's in-house Private Selection line, which features products like Parmesan cheese wedges, oven-roasted turkey slices, and cracker-cut pepperoni.

Owned by popular Texas-based grocery chain H-E-B, Central Market brings high-end grocery options to customers in cities like Austin, Dallas, and Houston. When it comes to deli offerings, the chain definitely does not skimp on luxury. You'll find unique cheeses like buttery Molkerei Ammerland butterkase, Claddagh Bo Irish cheddar cheese marbled with porter beer, and a Somerdale white stilton dotted with pieces of ginger and mango. Deli meats are sliced fresh to order, from the in-house brand's smoked garlic pepper turkey and garlic rosemary wagyu beef to meats from natural food brands like DaBecca. You can also pick up pre-sliced H-E-B deli meats like honey turkey breast and mesquite-smoked uncured ham.

Social media users love Central Market's build-your-own sandwich bar, where you can select from a wide variety of meats, cheeses, spreads, and toppings, including unique offerings you won't see at most sandwich shops like capers, grilled asparagus, and caramelized onions. Local news outlets report that the most popular signature sandwich is the California Connection, which is stacked high with sliced turkey, provolone, tomatoes, caramelized onions, and avocado on toasted sourdough bread spread with chipotle mayonnaise and both basil and salsa pestos. Other notable options include a meatloaf sandwich, a falafel wrap, and a grilled chicken ciabatta with pesto and parmesan.

With over 1,200 stores in 16 states, Kroger is a behemoth in the supermarket space, allowing the chain to tap into big brands for creative partnerships. In 2025, Kroger and sister supermarket chain Ralphs announced a collaboration with Hormel to feature Spam musubi and Spam norimaki in the prepared foods section alongside more traditional sushi. Customers can also try Cheetos Flamin' Hot loaded dumplings at the grocery store, which is part of a larger Kroger and PepsiCo collaboration that previously included Cheetos Flamin' Hot sushi rolls.

Those big brand partnerships continue in the deli space, with around 40 fresh deli meats from Boar's Head to choose from at select locations, such as Kroger's biggest deli in Edgewood, Kentucky. At most locations, the chain also offers over 30 fresh deli meats from its in-house brand, Private Selection. The cheese selection is similarly robust, with both domestic and imported Boar's Head cheeses, including lower-sodium versions of popular varieties like provolone. Just like Harris Teeter, which Kroger owns, customers can order deli items ahead of time to streamline their grocery shopping.

While it operates as a grocery store, Sprouts Farmers Market stays true to its roots, leaning into a farm-stand mentality with curated food items that are often organic or emphasize sustainability and responsible sourcing. That philosophy extends to the store's deli offerings, where customers can find meats from brands like Applegate, Volpi, Columbus, and True Story. The same goes for cheese, with brands like Président, Organic Valley, and Kerrygold. Sprouts carries over 80 Boar's Head products, from pre-sliced meats and cheeses to sausages, bacon, condiments for sandwiches, and even sauerkraut. A wide selection of store-brand meats and cheeses completes the deli counter.

Sprouts offers a wide selection of freshly prepared food, from pasta dishes to wraps, and even has kids meals that come with a sandwich, potato chips, applesauce, and a cookie. The chain's deli sandwiches garner high praise on social media, with Redditors noting that the store's fresh sandwiches are top-notch in taste and come piled high with toppings.

One of the latest iterations of paper bags at Whole Foods Market sports the logo, "It's what's not in the bag." That pretty much sums up the ethos at the Amazon-owned grocery chain, where a laundry list of over 300 banned items implies higher-quality ingredients and products. The banned items list runs the gamut from artificial sweeteners like sucralose to hydrogenated fats and synthetic nitrites.

For customers looking to enjoy classic deli staples, this means organic offerings from meat brands like Applegate and True Story, and cheese from brands like Organic Valley, Tillamook, and Kerrygold. There's a wide selection from the in-house brand 365, including classics like oven-roasted turkey breast and Swiss cheese. The chain also features items that would be harder to find at traditional grocery stores, such as sliced goat cheese. You may even score a deal by buying some of these cheeses as "scraps," one of the best things to buy at Whole Foods.

You can pick up breakfast wraps and premade burritos, or if you want a sandwich made to order, you can stop by the market sandwich section of the store, typically near the hot bar. Customers can build their own sandwiches, stacking them high with a selection of toppings, or choose from curated sandwiches. The French Hen, for example, features grilled chicken breast and brie with sour cherry preserves, arugula, and grain mustard, while the Purple Falafel is a vegetarian protein powerhouse with hummus and falafel, topped with shaved red onion, shredded raw beets, cucumber, and spicy aioli.

With 11 current locations in the Los Angeles area, Erewhon is one of the chains on this list with a smaller footprint. Fewer locations don't mean a reduced profile, however, as evidenced by Erewhon's viral offerings like the Coconut Cloud smoothie. When it comes to deli selections, you can find organic sliced meats from brands like True Story, Applegate, and Diestel. Sliced cheese from Organic Valley and Horizon is also available, as are blocks from Kerrygold and Graze & Co., which partners with Amish farms in western Pennsylvania to distribute artisanal and sustainable cheeses. You'll also find options from the award-winning California-based Sierra Nevada Cheese Company.

Erewhon's prepared food offerings are not your typical supermarket fare, with an expansive sushi selection, smashburgers at the hot bar, and a beef combo plate that costs an average of $34 a pound. There's a Korean BBQ short rib burrito made with grass-fed beef and jasmine rice in a spinach tortilla, and a sushi sandwich made with crispy rice, wild tuna, salmon, cucumber, and avocado. You can also order wraps, from salmon banh mi and tuna tabbouleh to more traditional combinations like chicken caesar. In a classic Erewhon twist, however, you can substitute the tortilla exteriors of most wraps for carb-friendly collard green leaves.

Though Trader Joe's doesn't have a traditional deli counter like the other supermarket chains on this list, it gets an honorable mention for its wide variety of deli meats and cheeses. Whether it's your first time at Trader Joe's or you're a regular, customers will find items at the store that are of the same caliber as those in other grocery chains. Since around 80% of products available at the chain are private label, don't expect to stumble across brand names. Instead, shoppers can delight in classic Trader Joe's cheeses like the popular Unexpected Cheddar, imports like Parmigiano Reggiano Stravecchio, and TJ's takes on trends like hot honey goat milk cheese. The same goes for deli meats: you can find sliced mortadella, roast beef, turkey breast, and uncured salami and bresaola, all under Trader Joe's brand.

Customers gush about the wide selection, taking to Reddit to rave about the gourmet deli trios, prosciutto, and rosemary ham. Redditors also like to use Trader Joe's products for charcuterie boards, particularly the blueberry goat cheese, taco-seasoned gouda, and peppered salami.

The supermarket deli counters featured in this article were selected through a combination of customer reviews, social media posts, and the author's analysis of current product offerings. For consumer interest and relevancy, we gathered recent shopper opinions from sites like Reddit and TikTok and cross-referenced them with the most current selections listed on the supermarkets' websites.