I've Been Traveling The US For 5 Years. This Is Hands-Down The Country's Best Grocery Store

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For going on five-and-a-half years now, I have traveled this country full-time in a short bus that my wife and I converted into our tiny home on wheels. Over those years of gallivanting through wild country I have worked as a recipe developer and food writer, penning two cookbooks for fellow campers and nomads sold under the title "The Buslife Kitchen." Traveling and cooking my way across the U.S., I have probably shopped at just about every grocery chain that this country has to offer, developing deep preferences along the way. While I know that everyone above a certain age is startled to realize that they too have a favorite grocery store, I am here to tell you from my ample experience that there is just one best option — there can be only one — and that one is WinCo Foods.

If you have never heard of WinCo, well, neither had I before I hit the road in that old bus. The chain is based out of Boise, Idaho, and only operates around 144 stores across 10 states, mostly scattered throughout the Western U.S. I can't remember now where I was when I first encountered a WinCo — not realizing at the time how the experience would change me — but the West is the part of the country with the most beautiful public land on which to park our little bus, so that is where we tend to be. With so few stores spread around so much country, WinCo isn't something that you can expect to find in every town, but, when I can, I will always choose it for my weekly shop.

Stepping foot into this pinnacle of grocery stores might feel strangely familiar. Inside, it looks similar to the other warehouse chains, but WinCo is actually cheaper than Costco and Sam's Club, and it has another huge advantage: You aren't buying in bulk.

As you might imagine, with two adult humans and a dog crammed into a roughly 90-square-foot bus, there isn't a whole lot of extra room to store bulk foods — or anything, really. We can't afford the space required to buy our mayonnaise by the gallon or pick up paper towels 75 rolls at a time. At WinCo, you get those same discounts, but you are buying products in normal, everyday sizes, so you can save money without needing to turn your pantry into its own warehouse. Of course, as a culinarian, my opinions about WinCo extend well beyond the prices; the selection is also excellent.

Often grocery stores seem to specialize in either good fresh products or good packaged products. You might stop by one store to pick up your meats and produce, but need to visit another for the pantry staples. WinCo does both exceptionally well. I know that I can always find startlingly inexpensive tuna cubes in the frozen seafood section to whip up ahi shoyu poke bowls, and in the produce department I can grab daikon and carrots to quick-pickle before grilling up a batch of banh mi burgers — both road-friendly recipes from my cookbooks, in case you're getting hungry. But once the meat and produce are in the cart, I know I'll also be able to score an excellent deal on packaged items like the rice, oyster sauce, and turmeric I need to put the finishing touches on that leftover chicken pastil recipe.

At this point, I can only imagine that you are beginning to feel the allegiance to your local grocery chain fading — but I'm not finished. There is even more to love about WinCo than low prices and excellent food. It is also a place where you can feel good about shopping.

Back in 1985, when there were only 17 stores and they weren't yet known as WinCo, this grocery chain was facing an uncertain future. The owner had passed, and things were looking dire. But the then-president of the company, a man named Bill Long, had an idea for how to move forward. He organized the employees to invest together, establishing the WinCo Foods' Employee Stock Ownership Plan and buying a controlling stake in the company. Since then, WinCo has been employee-owned.

WinCo is not just one of the most affordable grocery stores around, by all metrics it also seems to be a very good employer. Employees report high wages and good benefits, and those that stick with the company for a few years also begin to earn stock options, taking ownership of their little piece of the workplace that their labor helps to grow and improve.

There is, however, one downside to Winco, and I've saved it for the very end. Unfortunately, you cannot pay for your groceries with a credit card at this chain. Cash and debit are king at WinCo, a tactic that helps the company to keep prices low by eliminating hefty transaction fees. But don't let this one small inconvenience discourage you. Stop by the ATM before your visit or write your debit PIN on your hand if you need to — a better grocery experience is calling.