The 7 Absolute Best Grocery Store Chains For Buying Seafood

Funky seafood is not something to mess around with. Unfortunately, not every grocery store is going to have the highest quality seafood that you can get your hands on. Still, grocery stores are much more convenient and within reach for shoppers around the United States than specialty fish mongers. They get the job done, typically at a more affordable price than some specialty stores. 

There's nothing worse than suddenly feeling ill after taking a bite of a questionable piece of tuna. Not every major grocer will have the freshest seafood imaginable, so it's important to stake out which markets you can rely on for the freshest and tastiest fish. Regardless of if you're surrounded by historic seafood restaurants in California or living in the middle of a landlocked state, there's a grocery store near you that stocks reliable and delicious seafood. Based on personal experience and online reviews, this list compiles the very best grocery store chains for buying seafood. 

While Sprouts Farmers Market markets itself as a specialty health food store, it admittedly has all the makings of a large-grocery chain. That means shoppers get the best of both worlds: a wide selection of fresh and high-quality food. That's maybe most evident in the seafood department, where Sprouts touts a "responsibly sourced" selection.

You can find everything from snow crab legs to salmon sushi rolls at Sprouts, and it's all some of the best of the best. Come for good quality and good deals on Wednesdays, when Sprouts runs its weekly $5 grab-and-go sushi special. It's hard to find a better deal than that, even among Los Angeles's great value sushi spots. Regardless of what city you're in, Sprouts can guarantee sushi made and packaged fresh daily. "We have Sprouts here in Florida and the sushi is tasty and delicious," says one shopper. 

Sprouts is abundant — with locations in 25 states — everywhere from Alabama to Kansas to New York. There are over 150 Sprouts in California alone, with new locations "sprouting" up all the time. This makes Sprouts a convenient and conscientious solution for all of your seafood necessities. "We source from fisheries who are committed to preserving and protecting the health of our marine and freshwater ecosystems," the Sprouts website claims, "in order to become a certified sustainable fishery, our vendors must undergo a rigorous verification process with third-party partners to ensure 100% traceability, safe working conditions, minimal environmental impact and many other strict regulations." 

New England is known for its quality seafood. It's no wonder that Market Basket — a grocery chain that spans from Maine to Rhode Island — has some of the best around. Most seafood from Market Basket is caught and sourced locally by Atlantic fisheries, like its lobsters. They are kept in live tanks across stores and can be steamed by a professional working at the seafood counter for no additional cost. 

Market Basket has a wide selection of seafood, some of which can be difficult to find elsewhere. Swordfish filets, for example, are a hit amongst the store's everyday shoppers. It also sells tuna steaks, sushi rolls, and eastern "sweetheart" oysters. While most of Market Basket's seafood hails from East Coast waters, customers can also find fresh seafood swiftly imported from the Pacific Ocean as well, like West Coast Dover Sole filets. 

There's only about 100 stores across the United States; Market Basket is a small but mighty grocery chain. In 2022, it was named the third-best grocery chain in America, only behind two industry giants: Amazon and H-E-B. You'll find great seafood at any of the stores across New England, but the one in Chelsea, Massachusetts, in particular, gets rave reviews for its massive seafood selection. 

You can get lost within H-Mart's massive seafood department, and you probably wouldn't be in a major rush to find your way out. Each aisle offers some new aquatic treat that you likely won't find in any of the other grocery stores on our list. 

One unique quality of H-Mart is the series of live tanks that can be found in most of the brand's stores, temporarily homing live crabs, lobsters, fish, clams, and oysters. Customers can choose their fish and have it filleted in a number of different ways for no extra cost. Tried-and-true shoppers swear by the butterfly cut for either the salmon or mackerel before frying or grilling it at home. H-Mart also has an incredible section of sushi grade tuna and salmon, so you never have to worry about making mistakes at a sushi restaurant ever again. 

No matter what seafood you're looking for, you're likely to find it at a local H-Mart: tuna steaks, massive crab legs sold by the bunch, or dried, grilled, or shredded squid. With stores in 13 states across America, this Asian grocer is unmatched when it comes to fish. 

The tinned fish trend hit the United States hard recently. And while the traditionally Iberian snack can be found in Spanish and Portuguese restaurants around the country, grocery store selections certainly shouldn't be overlooked. That goes especially for Meijer, which carries a vast variety of tinned fish as part of it's even larger seafood department. 

Meijer's repertoire includes popular brands and flavors, like King Oscar's mackerel in a sweet Thai chili sauce. As well as stocking international brands like the Norwegian King Oscar and Portuguese Santo Amaro, Meijer also has its own line of affordable and highly-rated packaged seafood. The store's sardines, in particular, stick out amongst tinned fish aficionados. For a cheaper price, you can pick up Meijer's tinned sardines that "taste the same" as other, slightly more expensive brands, according to shoppers. Meijer's sardines in a Louisiana-style hot sauce are delicate and spicy, without too much of a strong fishy taste. 

Tinned fish is just a small portion of the grocer's seafood, which also includes fresh salmon and Meijer's affordable bags of frozen fish cutlets. The Frederik's by Meijer brand of frozen fish has an array of options, like the wild caught snapper that comes in "thick and generously sized" pre-portioned pieces. 

Albertson's is a large grocery chain operating in 16 states throughout the continental United States. With dozens of locations in Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Texas, Nevada and more, it's a safe haven when the seafood options are otherwise slim. 

Admittedly, the fresh fish selection at Albertson's isn't the largest of the grocery stores on this list, but the store excels in what it does best. Albertson's Open Nature brand of seafood products covers a wide range of different frozen fishes like cod, salmon, and even bay scallops. Reviews are pretty stellar across the board, including one for the frozen halibut that claims it "tastes like it was just caught." 

Every single one of Albertson's Open Nature brand products is rated at least 4.5 out of 5 stars, which is no small feat for a grocery store's comment section. One review for Albertson's sockeye salmon comes from a shopper who claims they used to live in Alaska. "I know good salmon," they wrote alongside their five-star review for the frozen Open Nature filet.  

Wegmans is another great option for fresh, high-quality seafood along the east coast. It's particularly populous in New York, where it has about 50 locations throughout the state. You'll also find branches in other Atlantic-adjacent states like Virginia, Maryland, and Massachusetts.

Wegmans maintains strict standards for its fish and seafood, adhering to the Global Food Safety Initiative and ensuring that the farms and fisheries it sources from follow the same guidelines. This makes for fresh, quality, ready-to-eat seafood. Wegmans stocks an impressive selection, including red snapper, lobster tails and Chesapeake Bay oysters. One shopper goes as far as to say that Wegman's shrimp are "the best tasting prepared shrimp I've ever had." 

Any summertime fish fry is made easy with Wegmans's selection of ready-to-grill meals. These include the cedar-plank salmon marinated in a brown sugar and black pepper blend, as well as the Cajun shrimp skewers that are highly rated by returning customers. 

Whole Foods's reputation precedes it, known for having higher quality meat and seafood than your average Kroger. The Amazon-owned grocer sets its standards high with strict regulations for the fish that it sells, leading to fresh seafood that still doesn't break the bank. 

Whole Foods typically has an abundantly stocked seafood case full of fresh shrimp, cod, lobster tails, and more. The store's 365 brand of frozen fish is just as good, with one shopper agreeing that "Whole Foods frozen salmon is noticeably better quality than most other grocery stores." The frozen foods section offers choices like the farm-raised Atlantic salmon filets and the wild-caught sockeye salmon filets. Each comes in a large 32-ounce bag that is perfect for serving a crowd or breaking up into multiple meals.

Shoppers, myself included, can't get over the store's $1 oyster Fridays. Grab a dozen for just $12 and enjoy a perfect summer snack for cheaper than you'll find at any restaurant around. The oysters at Whole Foods are incredibly fresh, but just make sure to eat them shortly after purchase.