Grocery Store Sushi: A Cheaper Alternative That Stacks Up

The loaded spicy tuna roll from Lowes Foods, the roll that I rate highest for flavor. The roll is topped with spicy sauce, extra pieces of tuna, sesame seeds, and spicy seasoning. 

 Photo Credits: Isaac James 

Isaac James, Staff Writer for The Powderhorn

Sushi is a food that’s really in its own lane. It’s unique from other foods,  almost like its own cuisine entirely. It’s for that reason that I tend to mentally separate sushi from the rest of Japanese food. I won't order sushi at a Japanese restaurant, but I will look for sushi wherever else it may be found. While they may not sound like the best option, grocery stores offer a surprisingly good outlet for your sushi needs. They have a wide variety of options, whether you’re looking for a California roll, a yuzu-covered roll, or just a veggie roll; the grocery stores usually have it. Out of the stores in Boone that offer sushi, I would consider the big three to be Publix, Harris Teeter, and Lowes Foods. 

Publix is the store that, of these three, people most associate with the idea of grocery store sushi. Publix runs a $5 sushi deal on Wednesdays, half the price of what rolls usually cost, which is about $10 across not only Publix but also Lowes and Harris Teeter as well. Despite this, I actually never get sushi on Wednesdays. I’ve had the sushi from Publix on enough Wednesdays as well as other days of the week to notice that the Wednesday rolls are far inferior to the rolls every other day of the week. The number of pieces stays the same, but the size of these pieces is noticeably reduced. Additionally, the rolls don’t come with the supplementary wasabi, ginger, and soy sauce that usually come inside the packages. I’ve also more generally noticed that the quality on Wednesdays just doesn’t stack up. With all of that said, I think Publix has the best consistency and overall offerings of the three stores. I usually opt for the spicy shrimp roll, and I think they do it best. They’re generous with the spicy sauce, the shrimp flavor isn’t overpowering, and using the provided soy sauce packet mixes perfectly with the other flavors to make it a really tasty roll. The roll stacks up well, and while it’s obviously not on the level of a fancy restaurant sushi roll, it does its job perfectly and is absolutely worth trying. 

Up next in the ranking is Lowes Foods. While it’s probably one of the last places I’d think of when I think of a spot for grocery store sushi, it’s actually very good. The main thing holding Lowes Foods back is that they don’t have as strong a selection as Publix. As such, I was unable to find my favorite, the spicy shrimp roll, for this review. In some ways, though, this ended up being a huge boost to Lowes’ rating. I ended up getting a loaded spicy tuna roll, and it was one of the best experiences I’ve had with a grocery store roll. It really felt like something you could actually get at a higher-end sushi place. It was complex, had great flavor, and was overall highly enjoyable. With all that praise aside, the only thing holding Lowes Foods back from the top spot is the very fact that they didn’t have the spicy shrimp roll. To me, the absence of that option represents a slightly lacking variety and quantity of choices at Lowes. Additionally, the Lowes rolls don’t come with soy sauce packaged in, so if you want soy sauce you’ll have to get it separately. 

Last, and unfortunately, least on the list is Harris Teeter. Inherently, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the Harris Teeter sushi. I got the spicy shrimp roll, and noticed a decent few differences between this roll and Publix’s offering. It tastes fine, it comes with plenty of sauce, and there’s a good array of selections. But this is also exactly where Harris Teeter fails: it’s too average. Whereas both Publix and Lowes have something about their rolls that brings them to a higher level, even making them a competitor to a restaurant’s offerings, Harris Teeter’s sushi truly does feel like a grocery store option. The roll ultimately feels like it’s been sitting in a refrigerator all day. The rice is a bit firm, the shrimp flavor is stronger, and it all just feels a little cheaper. Additionally, Harris Teeter doesn’t include soy sauce, ginger, or wasabi. However, all this is not to say that Harris Teeter doesn’t offer sushi worth trying. I chose all of these grocery stores on the very premise that they had sushi offerings that were of good quality, and Harris Teeter is no different. Instead, Harris Teeter just fails to stand out, lacking a punch that would help it stand out next to the other two stores. 

While grocery store sushi won’t provide you with the same experience as a restaurant, there’s no denying that they make enjoying sushi more affordable and accessible. Boone is lucky enough to have at least three stores that you can rely on to have consistent rolls and good quality. Publix stands out for its variety and quality, Lowes stands out for its flavor, and Harris Teeter makes a good alternative to either. Next time you’re in the mood for sushi, consider giving Boone’s grocery stores a try. You might be surprised.