Walmart’s Deli Has Affordable Meals That Are Surprisingly Delicious

Estimated read time 4 min read



The bevy of food information available on social media is vast, ranging from high end restaurant reviews to easy recipes for home cooks, and one of the most common themes is hacks. Tips, tricks, insider information — people always appreciate an idea that will make getting good food easier. And the latest piece of delicious intel that TikTok is sharing with us? That we should all be eating more food from the Walmart deli hot case.

Over the past year content creators have started sharing videos of themselves reviewing the hot, prepared food from Walmart. They’ll show off the clear plastic containers they purchase from the major grocery store, filled with fried chicken and their sides of choice, ranging from mac and cheese and corn to mashed potatoes. Some influencers show the deli case itself, where you can select the cut and flavor of chicken you want, as well as pick out your sides. The overall consensus as people share their reviews is that the food is actually tasty and very affordable.

Before scrolling through my TikTok feed, I’d never heard of a hot bar at Walmart before, so I decided to dig into it. A Walmart spokesperson told me there are 3,500 Walmart locations that have a deli hot case — the official term for the setup, which most people might typically refer to as a hot food bar. I also asked if there’s a way to tell which locations have a hot deli case, but they did not confirm if there’s a simple method for that. The Walmart store locator online does give information about the amenities provided at a specific location, including whether or not there is a “deli” on site, but it’s unclear if that means a deli hot case, or a standard deli for sliced meats and cheeses.

Part of the appeal of hot food from Walmart is its price. Some content creators refer to it as the “$5 Walmart Meal,” and although it’s very affordable, this title is slightly misleading. If you take a closer look, most of the to-go boxes being shown on screen have stickers that place their price in the range of $5.47–$7.47. 

Walmart confirmed that the hot bar food is sold by the count, with the exception of sides, which are sold in 4-ounce and 6-ounce quantities. They also clarified that there is “a 3-piece chicken tender meal or 8-piece boneless wing meal for $5.47 that includes a small side.” So if you want more than one side, it’ll cost you (just a very small amount) extra.

Even if it’s not an exact $5, this is an affordable meal. It’s also an easy way to feed a family or crowd on a budget, because you can purchase a higher count of chicken or family-sized sides, still at very reasonable prices. For example, a family size side of mac and cheese, which is 16 ounces, is listed at $3.94 on the supermarket’s website. (A single side serving of mac and cheese is four ounces, according to the store’s website, so this larger option would feed about four people.)

Alongside Walmart’s recent announcement that the brand plans to lower prices on more than 7,000 products, it seems clear that they’re one of the best places to shop at if you’re looking to circumvent the high grocery and restaurant costs caused by inflation.

The items sold at the hot deli case may vary slightly depending on the location, but they will always feature chicken, most likely chicken tenders, bone-in wings, and boneless wings. The chicken comes with a variety of seasonings and flavors — one creator shared ranch seasoned wings, which sound great to me, and the General Tso’s breaded boneless wings are especially popular in social media content.

Side options include mashed potatoes, fried jalapeño bites, corn, and a mac and cheese that people rave about. Potato wedges are also a fan favorite of online reviews, and I’m personally eyeing the “cheese stick bites,” aka nugget-sized fried mozzarella sticks.

The only issue I have with the promise of the Walmart deli hot case is its lack of fresh vegetables. I asked a spokesperson what the vegetable offerings included, and they only listed corn — for a meal that’s so affordable and accessible to many, I think it’s important to include options that are nutritionally diverse.

That said, the next time I need to supply a tailgate party with some wings and potato wedges, I know where I’ll be going.





Source link

You May Also Like

More From Author

+ There are no comments

Add yours