Supermarket BBQ Sauce

Best supermarket barbeque sauce brands

If there is indeed, as the editors of Cook's Illustrated believe, a generic "all-American" supermarket style of barbecue sauce that crosses regional lines, this flavor does seem to be encapsulated in Sweet Baby Ray's Original barbecue sauce (*Est. $5 for 18 oz.). According to Brian Henderson at BBQ Sauce Reviews, it's "a very plain, safe sauce for everyone. It's like BBQ sauce for kids and families – the mass market product of choice for quite a few people." He adds, however, that it's super sweet, like a mix of candy and BBQ sauce. Apparently, this sweetness is what makes Sweet Baby Ray's so appealing.

On his Amazing Ribs website, Craig "Meathead" Goldwyn agrees that Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce has "everything the public loves. It is smoky, sweet, tangy but not too tangy, spicy but not too spicy," and the liquid smoke flavor makes it taste "outdoorsy." At foodie site Epicurious, Sweet Baby Ray's wins the nod as Best Overall BBQ sauce, thanks to its "full-bodied smokiness," grains of pepper and thickness (although one judge deems it to be too thick). Barbecue guru Richard Wachtel goes a step further; on his site Grilling with Rich, he devotes a whole page to reviewing the different varieties of Sweet Baby Ray's (Original, Sweet Vidalia Onion, Sweet and Spicy, Hickory & Brown Sugar). The winner? Hickory & Brown Sugar, he says, because of the robust combination of these two flavors.

Among supermarket brands, Sweet Baby Ray's also generates a good number of enthusiastic posts from user generated foodie sites such as Road Food and Chowhound. However, Sweet Baby Ray's does contain artificial ingredients, preservatives and fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Because of this, some BBQ fans prefer to use a more expensive, all-natural gourmet sauce, such as Bone Suckin' sauce. Some reviewers also mention that they find Sweet Baby Ray's a bit too sweet for their taste (although other reviewers rave about this sweetness), and prefer to use a less-sweet sauce, such as Bull's Eye Original Barbecue Sauce (*Est. $2 for 18 oz.).

Barbecue fans are often faithful to a supermarket brand they've known for years, and it's hard to ignore the loyalty that many reviewers show for Bull's Eye. BBQ Sauce Reviews editor Brian Henderson writes of his fondness for "Bull's Eye Burgers" back in high school, and the appeal still holds after all these years. "It just tastes great," he says, adding that its natural smoke flavor ties in well with its sweet molasses scent. That dollop of molasses also wins praise from foodie site Serious Eats; in a taste test of 16 national brands, they give Bull's Eye the nod (in a tie with Trader Joe's Bold & Smoky) as best Kansas City-style (sweet) barbecue sauce, thanks to the molasses sweetness and smoky/heat balance. Bull's Eye also comes out on top in a BBQ test from a major review source, with testers praising its fresh, smoky, tomato taste and balance of smoky and sweet flavors. Enthusiasm like this makes Bull's Eye a strong second-place finisher and runner up as best supermarket brand.

KC Masterpiece Original Barbecue Sauce (*Est. $2.50 for 18 oz.) also deserves mention as a runner-up. One major publication gives it a high rating for its thick, spicy/sweet flavor and lingering heat, and foodie website Epicurious names it their runner-up in a taste test of 22 BBQ sauces, saying that it's versatile enough to go on anything from pork to salmon. Bon Appétit calls it "addictive," and another major review source recommends it for its sweet/tangy flavor and pleasant kick, but adds that some members of its tasting panel detect unpleasant flavor notes of raisins and prunes. KC Masterpiece doesn't generate quite the enthusiasm that reviewers show for Sweet Baby Ray's and Bull's Eye, but there's still a core of faithful followers for KC Masterpiece among foodie message board posters.

Reviewers are divided about Stubb's Original BBQ Sauce ( *Est. $7 for 18 oz.); they either love it for its vinegary tanginess, or dislike it for the same reason. One major review site ranks it highly for its tangy spiciness, but adds that because of its thin consistency, it's better to use Stubb's barbecue sauce as an end-of-cooking baste or table condiment. In another major review site, tasters say that it's too peppery, too acidic, and more like a spicy ketchup or marinara sauce. However, Serious Eats names Stubb's as the best "vinegar-based" sauce, noting its deep tomato flavor and visible specks of black pepper and garlic, and Bon Appétit praises Stubb's for its sweetness and good balance of heat. Posters on foodie message boards agree, with several well-written raves about Stubb's, making it worthy of runner-up status as best supermarket brand.