6 Store-Bought Garlic Breads, Ranked Worst To Best

Bread is a blank canvas waiting to be transformed, while garlic is a powerhouse ingredient that transforms everything it touches. Naturally, then, you put the two together, and you find that something as simple and unassuming yet delicious as garlic bread is overwhelmingly popular around the world for a reason. As such, you can find some form of it at most major grocery stores.

Whether it's found in the freezer aisle or among the other sliced breads on the shelf, store-bought garlic bread is an easy and convenient way to bring the fan-favorite side dish to your own home rather than having to make a trip to an eatery (although there's a reason garlic bread tastes so much better at restaurants). As someone who enjoys it both as a standalone snack and alongside a bowl of pasta, I was eager to learn which names could deliver a product perfect for either scenario. After trying a handful of options, I've learned and am sharing which of those brands to pick up and which to steer clear of the next time you're in need of this herby carb.

It's very rare that I'd suggest avoiding a Trader Joe's item, but after trying the store's Bake at Home Organic Garlic Bread, it just wasn't what I was expecting. The texture threw me off the most, as it was tough and left my jaw tired from all the work I had to put into chewing. While this personally docked major points off for me, I was surprised to learn that Trader Joe's actually boasts this quality in the product description, saying it has a "firm, chewy, almost ciabatta-like texture." Well, good on the team for nailing that — it's just not for me, and I suspect that would be the case for plenty of other people, too, when it comes to what should be an effortless, simple side of garlic bread.

If that consistency doesn't phase you, the interesting flavor likely will. It wasn't outwardly garlicky and instead tasted largely of olive oil. That's not listed as an ingredient on its label (it's actually organic sunflower oil), but it's the best way to describe its noticeable herby tanginess. The mouthfeel wasn't any better, with the garlic Parmesan spread thinly slathered between the bread halves creating an unpleasantly oily, greasy element that squelches when you bite into it. (You can easily spot it in the above picture.) From taste to texture, nothing was working for Trader Joe's Organic Garlic Bread.

Little did I know until this article that Target carries Izzio Artisan Bakery Take & Bake Roasted Garlic Sourdough. I actually didn't know Target carried sourdough at all, even though it's one of the most common types of bread. I'm all for gut-friendly food, though, which made me particularly excited for — and then particularly let down by — this product.

To be clear, this option would certainly be up there in a ranking of plain grocery store sourdough breads. The crust had a very delicate, brittle crispness that surrounded a super-soft center. Even better, right on the packaging, this vegan, plant-based loaf is said to have several great characteristics that any customer can appreciate, from consisting of only three ingredients to being made with small-batch baking techniques.

Also advertised on the product's packaging, however, are three bold words: "savory, "aromatic," and most important of all, "garlic." The use of "savory" is a bit generous; it feels more accurate to say it was simply smoky with little else going for it flavor-wise. As far as scent goes, there was absolutely nothing on the nose, so "aromatic" is just flat-out wrong. And lastly, where was all that roasted garlic? I couldn't taste the slightest hint of it. This loaf, as nice as it was texturally, was more of a blank slate that could have benefited from generous amounts of butter or jam, but it wouldn't do for anyone looking for a garlic-heavy bread.

L'Oven Fresh, one of Aldi's many in-house brands, made a commendable try of its Parmesan Romano Garlic Bread. As you could guess by its name, this bread was topped with shredded Parmesan cheese, which should have given it a bit of an edge over the other items on this list. And it technically did, as it imparted a sharper flavor that wasn't bad on its own and put it over the last two brands. The problem is that that's all you get (plus a slightly charred taste that, for the first time, I don't mean in a good way). I didn't get much garlic because the cheese overpowered it.

I'll also blame the cheese, along with ingredients like vegetable oil, for the greasy film my lips were left with. The oil accumulated quite a bit at the bottom of the bread, which disrupted what otherwise could've been pretty decent bites. It's especially a shame considering the texture pleasantly stood out in this ranking, with an extremely light, fluffy, and airy feel comparable to a croissant. So, while I can appreciate all that Aldi tried to do to spruce up its bread, the extra ingredients ended up being a bit much, while the garlic, on the other hand, wasn't enough.

Knowing the household name's success with cookies and sliced bread, you'd think Pepperidge Farm Garlic Bread would be a shoo-in for first place (or even second, at least). But, similar to the previously discussed L'Oven Fresh Parmesan Romano Garlic Bread, this frozen bread encountered issues with greasiness and flavor. It lacked the taste of garlic, so much so that it feels misleading to even label it garlic bread.

What stood out most about this item, however, was the amount of oil it dripped after heating. I shouldn't have been surprised, seeing as when I took it out of the bag while still frozen, I could already see the middle of the loaf was loaded in a thick, yellow layer of margarine. Still, nothing could have prepared me for the grease that pooled at the bottom of the bread.

I was able to wipe off the excess from most of my bites, and once I did, I was able to enjoy the lovely texture. The slices had a divine golden crust, with some edges of the crumb even browning up the way I like it. This, along with its simplicity, ultimately gave Pepperidge Farm a leg up over L'Oven Fresh, but it still wasn't enough to beat out the top-ranking choices, especially since this was the most expensive bread at $3.99.

In second place, we have Bowl & Basket Italian Style Garlic Bread. Disclaimer: This runner-up is far behind the top-ranking brand, largely due to the chewy pull I got when taking bites and how faint the garlic taste still was. We have yet to find a bread that fully lives up to its moniker, and that includes this ShopRite-branded option, where the herb's flavor was inconsistent from bite to bite. I'll give it points for having it at all, though, compared to the previously mentioned products. But this whole ranking has taught me that for ultra-flavorful garlic bread, you really have to double down on that garlic, and if Bowl & Basket had done that just a tad more here, it would've been a worthy contestant for first place.

Still, it will definitely do in a jiffy, especially since this frozen, 10-ounce loaf was fairly priced at $2.99. It's among the most visually appealing breads, too, thanks to that beautiful golden-brown exterior and the flaky, dried herbs on top. Even if it wasn't chock-full of seasoning, the bread tasted just fine, and some genius dip pairings could turn it into a next-level garlic bread in the future.

I am proud to announce that the cheapest bread on the entire list is also the best product overall. Even without its beautifully low price tag of $2.89, Wegmans' Frozen Garlic Bread was already a winner in every other way. It's a whopping one-pound loaf, for starters, so talk about bang for your buck.

In terms of appearance, this bread looked very bare coming straight out of the bag, with only a few specks of garlic visible against the loaf's otherwise plain, almost bland-looking body. However, it tasted of the herb far more than any of the other brands I had taste-tested. It was a potent flavor in every bite, but a nice one. The edges also browned up wonderfully, offering a satisfyingly soft crisp while still having a soft crumb. For the best taste and value, Wegmans blows the competition out of the water, and it'd be a no-brainer to reach for this store brand time and time again in the future, whether you're craving some strong garlic bread on its own or want to pair it with an entrée.

When preparing these store-bought garlic breads for the taste test, I sliced off small portions rather than baking the whole loaf in order to prevent food waste. From there, the main factors I kept in mind were how prominent the garlic was, any other accompanying flavors, and texture. Any breads that tasted strongly of the spice were ranked more favorably, while those that didn't have it at all were placed toward the bottom of the list. I also noted what other notes may have been present and if they were pleasant, whether that meant sharpness from cheese or a lingering smoky essence.

Texturally and visually, I preferred the brands that became golden at the crust and had an audible crunch while still retaining a pillowy crumble. Price was the final consideration. For example, the top-ranked breads not only had good qualities in either taste or texture (or both), but they also had good value.