Every Condiment From Glen Powell's Smash Kitchen, Ranked Worst To Best

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If you've seen a splashy Hollywood film in theaters in the past few years, you've probably seen popular rising star Glen Powell. From high-profile reboots like "Twisters" and "Top Gun: Maverick" or more quirky romcoms including "Hit Man," "Anyone But You," and "Set It Up," Powell has been determined to conquer every genre. And now, he's set his sights, along with co-founders Sameer Mehta and Sean Kane, on the food space.

Going from acting and producing to building a brand is not a new concept. Many celebrities have put their names on everything from alcohol (George Clooney's Casamigos, for example) to lifestyle empires (Meghan Markle's whole thing). Perhaps following in the model of fellow All American icon Paul Newman and his Newman's Own, Powell's newly launched line of condiments under the name Smash Kitchen is promoting healthy and organic ingredients.

There are eight sauces currently in the Smash Kitchen portfolio, all available exclusively at Walmart: American Style BBQ Sauce, Hot Honey BBQ Sauce, Classic Tomato Ketchup, Hot Honey Ketchup, Dijon Mustard, Yellow Mustard, Real Mayonnaise, and Spicy Mayonnaise. One hot summer afternoon I was determined to take a batch of chicken tenders on a ride through the Smash Kitchen dipping and dunking train to see if Powell's flavors were as strong as his performances.

Some recommendations are based on first-hand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

I admit it: I love ketchup. (Sorry, President Obama.) In fact, it's my favorite flavor to use on my chicken tenders, with french fries, and on my fresh-off-the-grill hamburger or hot dog. Which is why I'm sorry to say the Smash Kitchen Classic Tomato Ketchup just didn't hit for me. It tastes closer to a barbecue sauce than a traditional ketchup, in my opinion — it's tangy, and it tastes more like a natural tomato paste than the sugary version of ketchup that many of us grew up on. It's by no means something I would reject if it was the only option available; however, I personally prefer more sweetness to balance out the savory notes.

In truth, this is a much healthier version of the conventional condiment, made with organic tomatoes and spices, such as clove powder, allspice powder, and paprika powder. In one tablespoon you have just 20 calories, zero grams of fat, and 140 milligrams of sodium. If you're looking for a more natural alternative, this might be a great choice — it just wasn't for me.

As someone raised in the Midwest who has been based on the East Coast for the last twenty years, I admittedly am not a barbeque sauce expert, which is why this sauce is lower on the list — it's just not my go-to. However, having traveled across the South and into Texas more than once, I've at least been able to sample different BBQ sauces. The American Style BBQ Sauce from Smash Kitchen is a bit thinner than some other BBQs I've tried, and I had to take a couple dunks to uncover the exact sweetness that was in the flavor profile. There was something almost tropical, even citrus mixed in.

After looking at the ingredient list, it became clear — pineapple juice and tamarind are both in the mix, which certainly creates a unique taste. I'm not sure barbecue purists would agree they belong there, but as someone newer to the BBQ world, I thought it gave the dip a distinct flavor I haven't found elsewhere. In a serving size of two tablespoons, there are 60 calories, zero grams of fat, and 260 milligrams of sodium.

Overall I'm not sure that I would reach for the American Style BBQ over other condiments on this list, although I appreciated the Smash Kitchen swing at it, and it might be tasty as a marinade.

Mayo is something I'm a more frequent user of, being a picnic lover. Give me a potato salad, macaroni salad, or tuna salad — really, any item mixed with mayonnaise can become a delicious side dish. Mayo is sometimes unfortunately maligned for its goopy quality and higher fat content. However, I found the Smash Kitchen version relatively smooth and a nice blend of salty and flavorful. Utilizing organic, cage-free eggs and organic lemon juice and rosemary extract, there are a few interesting flavors here that elevate what might be a more bland condiment. I would absolutely try this out on a turkey sandwich, whipped into deviled eggs, or yes, mixed into a deli salad.

It doesn't quite work for me as a dipping sauce with my chicken tenders, which were the control item for this taste test, but for my mayo-and-french-fries-loving friends, this might be a simple, delicious upgrade. Keep in mind, though, that this sauce has a serving size of one tablespoon with 110 calories, 12 grams of fat, and 85 milligrams of sodium.

Truthfully, to my palate, the Spicy Mayonnaise doesn't taste drastically different from the Regular Mayonnaise, aside from a bit of spice. It's getting a bump up the list, however, because of the addition of two kinds of jalapeños, which make it more interesting to add to a sandwich or as a low-maintenance aioli (and a slightly more sensible dipping option for chicken tenders). While I don't need spice in my mayo, necessarily, I know plenty of spicy sauce lovers who would want every opportunity to add some kick to whatever they're enjoying. It still retains the smooth texture of the Regular Mayonnaise, and you can observe the red peppers giving it a bit of colorful flair.

The Spicy Mayonnaise is interestingly just a tad lighter than the Regular (although a bit saltier): it has 100 calories in one tablespoon, with 11 grams of fat and 120 milligrams of sodium. For just under $5 at Walmart, it might be worth adding to your spicy rotation.

The good news is that we have a ketchup entry that has moved up the list in front of the Mayonnaise. It did take adding that honey, the sweetness I was missing before, to have it come closer to the flavor I crave. However, of the spicy options on this list, I actually found the Hot Honey Ketchup to be one of the spiciest — there's a real kick at the end of a taste! The red jalapeño is back here, combined with habanero pepper, which really kicks things up a notch — almost too much for me, as a casual dipper. I wonder if this condiment might be best used as a hot sauce on eggs or potatoes. Although again, given the choice of the two Ketchups from Smash Kitchen, this one certainly has more personality and is a bit closer to what I'm looking for.

In one tablespoon of the Hot Honey Ketchup, there are 25 calories, with zero grams of fat and 135 mg of sodium, making it a pretty solid healthy sauce option.

Mustard is one of my most-used condiments as a topping, so I suspected this sauce might be high on the list. I use it on everything from turkey sandwiches to hot dogs, so I've tried my share of traditional yellow mustards. I noticed right away that although this is meant to be the "regular" mustard, it's still got a bit of a tangy kick. Some mustards can be too watery or not flavorful enough, but the Smash Kitchen brand is thick and creamy, and the mustard seed mixed with vinegar gives it the right amount of bite. I found myself wishing I had a soft pretzel for dipping! If you're a mustard superfan, the Smash Kitchen bottles come in a 20-ounce size in addition to the standard eight ounces.

This mustard is a healthy eater's dream, in terms of nutrition: in one teaspoon, there are zero calories and zero grams of fat, with also zero added sugars and only 80 milligrams of sodium. The ingredients list turmeric and paprika as well, which both have been used as anti-inflamatories.

Given my mustard love, already documented, it should be no surprise that the Smash Kitchen Dijon Mustard landed high on this list. It's the perfect blend of zesty and tangy, and it contains just a bit more of a bite than the Yellow Mustard. Generally, I like seeded Dijons (the same way I like crunchy peanut butter — give me texture!), although this Dijon Mustard is thick and creamy enough to overlook that detail. This sauce could be great in a salad dressing, as part of a marinade, or Smash Kitchen even recommends adding it to a charcuterie board, which could be interesting. It's also not so overpowering that you couldn't just use it on a deli sandwich or mix it with the Regular Mayonnaise in deviled eggs to provide an added peppery element.

The Dijon Mustard, similar to its cousin, the Yellow Mustard, is one of the healthiest Smash Kitchen offerings, with zero calories, zero fat, and 45 milligrams of sodium. It's a far more guiltless (and affordable — under $4 at Walmart) way to fill your kitchen with French flavors, besides rosé and croissants.

In a surprise come-from-behind move, the Hot Honey BBQ totally took me by surprise — in a great way! Perhaps because I was somewhat underwhelmed by the American Style BBQ, this twist on the format was a pleasant addition to the roster. Blending sweetness and spice in equal measure from organic honey and organic red jalapeño pepper puree, the spice isn't overwhelming. In fact, as a self-described heat baby, I decidedly can't do too spicy with sauces, or I won't be able to enjoy the food. This condiment, however, I would gladly add to the chicken tender rotation. The organic pineapple juice and spices reappear here too, so while it might seem there's almost too much going on, it all works together for a smoky, zesty treat.

The Hot Honey BBQ Sauce has 60 calories in a two-tablespoon serving, with zero grams of fat and 250 milligrams of sodium. I'm already thinking about the ways I can integrate this condiment into my weekly meal planning.

As mentioned throughout, my primary test subjects for this tasting were my trusty chicken tenders, which provided some crunch and salt to weigh against the dipping sauces. In general, I took a tiny taste raw with my pinky finger (the original dipping apparatus) off the cap when removed. I then poured a small amount into a dipping cup that I could use a piece of chicken to sop up.

I first tried the "regular" condiments to be able to weigh them against each other, then did a round of the spicy sauces. I took at least two to three bites of everything to make sure that one bite didn't have a disproportionate amount of spice, for example. Everything was consumed at room temperature, served from the bottle.

In between each sauce tasting, I had a swig of water to cleanse the palate, and tried to wait 5-10 minutes between each sampling to really start fresh with no lingering notes from the previous condiment. I'd just like to re-emphasize that although this list is meant to be a ranking, of course this is only based on my own personal preferences, and other consumers might feel differently — frankly, all of these sauces seem to be highly ranked by reviewers, so it's worth trying for yourself!