14 BBQ Staples Worth Getting At Publix

Publix may be best known for the Pub Sub, which could well be the ultimate grocery store deli item, but it has far more to offer than sandwiches alone. In fact, up until recently, it was ranked as America's top grocery store. Because Publix is based in Florida and operates exclusively out of the Southeastern states (Virginia is its northernmost outpost), it's firmly rooted in warm weather territory where backyard barbecues are possible for six to nine months out of the year. (Or quite possibly rear-round, if you're in southern Florida.) Needless to say, it carries a wide variety of barbecue staples, of which this list is only a small selection.

Our picks are mostly focused on popular store brand products you can find only at Publix, not Walmart (or anywhere else, for that matter). To round things out, we've included a few name brand items such as grill-ready vegan burgers, a regional favorite barbecue sauce, and a Cold War treat-turned-Fourth of July staple that's equally appropriate for any type of cookout. We didn't forget summer's favorite fruit, either, since Publix carries watermelons in a variety of shapes and colors.

When it comes to the best ribs for grilling, we have it on good authority that well-marbled, meaty back ribs make for the best barbecue. Publix offers a variety of these ribs: pork loin ribs (aka baby back ribs), square-cut St. Louis-style pork ribs, antibiotic-free pork back ribs sold under the store's Greenwise label, and antibiotic-free beef back ribs (these are also the Greenwise brand).

If you want to spend more time outdoors grilling instead of prepping in the kitchen, you can begin your backyard barbecue by buying pre-formed burger patties; preferably ones that are already full of flavor, like Publix's steakhouse seasoned ground chuck burgers or bacon and cheddar gourmet burgers. Apart from the convenience and great taste, the best thing about these burgers is that you can throw the package in the freezer and take them out when you're ready to grill. There's no need to thaw them first. In fact, burgers taste better when cooked from frozen since the centers remain juicy as the outside browns.

Publix's butcher department hasn't branched out into creating plant-based meat substitutes, but there's no need to reinvent the wheel when it can (and does) carry well-established products from brands like Beyond Meat. The most barbecue-friendly of the Beyond items is Beyond Meat Cookout Classic Plant-Based Patties, which come in boxes of eight ¼-pound burgers. Redditors say they taste just like the regular Beyond burgers but are priced a little lower to facilitate feeding a crowd.

Hot dogs may be one of the cheapest proteins to serve at a cookout, but they still vary in terms of quality and price point. On the cheaper end, Publix carries Stahl-Meyer hot dogs. The store's website doesn't usually list prices even when a location is selected, but one Redditor said they picked up these chicken-pork-beef-blend dogs for $1.59 last year and found the taste to be pretty decent. Glizzy gourmands, however, prefer the taste of Sahlen's hotdogs. The brand is based in Buffalo, New York, and Publix imports two varieties: Sahlen's original pork and beef and Sahlen's original beef.

Of course you'll need some mustard for those hot dogs, and Publix yellow mustard will certainly do the job. If you'd prefer something organic, you can opt for the store's higher-end, more health-conscious Greenwise yellow mustard. To really dress up that dog, though, you might want to try Publix deli-style mustard with horseradish. It's sharp, it's snappy, and it stands up alongside name brand products with confidence.

You'll also need some ketchup to go with those burgers (and the wieners, unless you're from Chicago where ketchup on hot dogs is seen as sacrilege). There's no need to look at name brands when shopping at Publix, though, since both of its store brands are highly regarded. One Redditor says, "Publix ketchup is every bit as good as Heinz and way cheaper, like way cheaper." Meanwhile, a Facebook commenter says, "Publix's Greenwise Organic Tomato Ketchup is superb. Also, very low in sugar. Win-Win!"

For reasons known only to itself, Publix does not make a private label barbecue sauce, but it does carry a regional small batch brand worth checking out: Hot Wachula's, which is available in Southern Smoky and Sweet Peach for $5.97 per 15-ounce bottle. Hot Wachula's is based out of Bartow, Florida and at one time the state's Publix supermarkets used to feature it in a special Florida products section. This section was discontinued, but the sauces remain and they're available at Publix stores outside Florida, too. Reddit's barbecue enthusiasts have high praise for both varieties, with one commenter opining, "hot wachulas peach bbq sauce is delicious." Another person listed the Southern Smoky among their go-to sauces.

Buns are also a barbecue necessity, and of course Publix offers a selection of these. For hamburgers, the store brand offers a choice of plain or sesame seed buns. For more elevated burgers, the bakery carries brioche buns in a four-pack. Publix hot dog buns are also available, and the bakery follows them up with brioche hot dog buns.

Potato salad is a traditional barbecue side, and you usually can't go wrong by outsourcing it to a supermarket deli. There's nothing wrong with homemade potato salad if you feel like putting in the effort, but we're all about conveniencemaxing. Publix offers two such salads, a Southern-style one with celery, hard-boiled eggs, and pickle relish, and a homestyle red potato salad with celery and hard-boiled eggs but no pickles.

If there's one area in which Publix store brands have really excelled, it's with its potato chips. There are just so many of them! If you want something rippled, there are both Dipstyle and Wavystyle. One Redditor calls the latter, "THE BEST Potato Chip of all the potato chips out there." Publix-branded kettle chips are available in original, black truffle, buffalo-style chicken dip, cheddar sour cream, creamy dill pickle, stuffed jalapeño, three cheese Texas toast, and baby back ribs. A store worker tried the last-named variety along with their colleagues and said, " The unanimous opinion was that the bbq ribs chip was not only the best flavor, but was an 11/10 chip in general." This snack also sounds like a no-brainer for a barbecue.

Soda from two-liter bottles is a pretty economic way to serve a crowd, and Publix offers even more soda varieties than it does chip flavors. In the cola family, there's regular, diet, caffeine-free diet, cherry cola, and zero sugar cherry cola. There's also cream soda, ginger ale, and root beer available, as well as lemon-lime, diet lemon-lime, and orange soda. There are even a few obvious name brand knockoffs: Mountain Splash and Dr Publix. Many of these generic sodas are Reddit-approved, with one commenter saying, "Dr Publix and their cream soda are my absolute favorite ... it might be my favorite cream soda I have ever had."

Watermelon is a must-have for any outdoor summertime get-together. You might even want to throw a few slices on the grill for an impressive cookout side or thread star-shaped chunks on skewers with blueberries to make watermelon sparklers. Whatever your watermelon plans, Publix has something that's sure to fit in. You can buy a whole seedless watermelon, watermelon pre-cut into wedges, or watermelon chunks. If your goal is to surprise your guests, though, opt for a watermelon that's yellow inside.

The traditional cookout dessert is s'mores, and of course Publix sells all of the necessary ingredients. You can start with a package of Publix cinnamon or honey graham crackers, then toss a bag of Jet-Puffed marshmallows in the shopping cart. Finally, add a bag of Hershey's milk chocolate bars and you're all set to add a sweet treat to your BBQ get-together.

What barbecue would be complete without patriotic popsicles? Publix carries the The Original Bomb Pop in all its red, white, and blue glory in a box of twelve, but sugar-shunners can get a sugar-free version for the same price. There's also a third alternative: Nerds Bomb Pops, which are striped with pink (strawberry), green (watermelon), and purple (grape). They may not be quite as flag-themed, but they're equally tasty and fun to eat.