3 Deli Meat Brands To Buy, And 4 To Avoid

Whether you're building a sandwich or a charcuterie board, you need to make sure you're working with quality deli meat brands. Low quality deli meat often tastes overly salty and otherwise lacks a lot of flavor; the best can deliver an umami flavor bomb to whatever you're eating them with. When you go to the deli section of your local grocery store, though, you might find yourself overwhelmed with deli meat options.

With that in mind, we did some digging into online comments — and some tasting ourselves — to determine which brands are worth buying, and which you can skip if you're seriously looking for quality. When you take a closer look at these deli meat brands, and you may discover some familiar names. Or you may find new and unfamiliar options that you decide to try in the future. The next time you're stocking your fridge with cold cuts, this info may help you make a better choice. May all of your charcuterie boards, snacks, and sandwiches be as delicious as possible with this deli meat guidance.

If you've ever been really strapped for cash and tried to make your cash stretch as far as possible at the grocery store before your next pay day, then chances are, you're well-acquainted with Buddig. This brand is known for selling some of the most affordably priced deli meats in many grocery stores, and we're grateful it's an option during those tough times. But if you're actually looking for quality deli meat, then it might be best to skip this brand whenever possible.

Out of 11 different packaged deli turkey brands we tasted here at Tasting Table, Buddig took the very lowest spot on the list. That's thanks to the rubbery texture of the meat and its intense saltiness. Of course, we're not the only ones who aren't huge fans of what Buddig has to offer. Reddit users have taken to the site specifically to urge people not to buy Buddig products, also citing its strange texture and overall low quality. Others consider it to be the bottom tier of store-bought deli meats. So while we love affordable food, other cheap brands have more to offer than Buddig does.

Out of all the deli meat brands we've ever tried, Brooklyn Cured might be the best. Not only does this brand provide its customers with especially high quality products, but it also offers a level of novelty you're not going to get with most other deli meat brands. If you're looking for an easy way to make a charcuterie board, go for the brand's pre-sliced charcuterie meats. You can't really go wrong with any of them, but the spicy bresaola is especially delicious (and appropriate for those who don't eat pork).

Perhaps the best part of this brand's lineup is the cocktail-inspired salamis. First of all, it's obvious that the meat is really high quality here, but it's the flavor combos that really blew us away. The pork salami with bourbon and sour cherries is truly unexpected — who knew that cherries could taste so incredible in salami? But it's a combo that really works. Perhaps our favorite, though, is the dirty martini salami. And yes: it pairs exceptionally well with a well-made dirty martini.

Sure: the song is catchy, and the Wienermobile (which introduced food trucks to the U.S.) is an undeniably fun marketing gimmick. But does that make up for the fact that you're not getting particularly high quality meat when you buy Oscar Mayer deli products? We don't think so, which is why we recommend skipping Oscar Mayer's offerings.

The deli meat tends to be super wet after taking it out of the package, and it features unnecessary extra ingredients like corn syrup and caramel coloring — probably not what you're looking for when you want quality. While the criticism for Oscar Mayer's deli products may not be as bad as it is for Buddig, it's still not an especially popular brand. While one Reddit user said that they used Oscar Mayer products to make sandwiches, they were looking for an alternative because they knew the brand's overall quality was so low. Another Redditor even commented that Oscar Mayer deli meats are the equivalent to "prison food," which isn't exactly a vote of confidence.

Columbus isn't quite as cheap as some other deli meat brands out there, but it actually delivers on quality, so we don't personally mind paying a bit more. And in a previous ranking of salami brands, Columbus' Calabrese Salami took the number two spot on the list. With its subtle spiciness and nuanced flavor profile that doesn't taste too fatty, it's clear that this brand sells some excellent quality deli meat.

We're not the only ones who appreciate what Columbus is serving up. On a Reddit post where a user asked about the best deli meat brands on the market, one commenter specifically called out Columbus. On another thread, a different user said when compared to other grocery store deli meat brands, Columbus is a good pick. Another Redditor mentioned the brand's reduced sodium turkey breast as a healthier-for-you option that still tastes good, and since this brand is available at Trader Joe's? It's easy to snag a pack of the stuff the next time you're doing your normal weekly grocery shopping.

Admittedly, Hillshire Farm offers a seemingly higher level of quality than some other, cheaper deli meat brands that you'll find at the grocery store. However, that doesn't mean it's a brand worth seeking out — especially when you compare it to some of the higher quality options on this list. The meat itself usually tastes fine, but we've noticed it can be overly salty, which ultimately makes it taste cheap. Plus, when it comes to milder-flavored meats, like turkey, there really isn't much flavor in Hillshire Farm's products at all (at least in our experience).

What really annoys us about this brand is the fact that so many of its products are sliced ultra thin. Don't get us wrong: sometimes, that extra thin slice is just what you need to make a perfectly layered sandwich. But there are other times when we're looking for a more substantial slice, and Hillshire Farm absolutely misses the mark on that front, so skip this one at the deli section.

If you're willing to spend a little extra on your deli meats, look no further than Olympia Provisions. The brand claims to have the most awarded charcuterie in America, and that definitely checks out when it comes to how this deli meat tastes. From salami cotto to mortadella, it has you covered with just about any fancy-feeling deli meat you could ever want. The catch? It comes in fairly large serving sizes, so you have to be willing to buy a lot at a time, and it's not cheap.

When you really want to treat yourself, though, it's an excellent option to consider. We've had delicious experiences with Olympia Provisions, as have several Redditors. It's mentioned in several threads discussing quality deli meats, and although it doesn't come up as much as some other, more accessible brands, it gets enough love that it only solidifies my opinion that it's a deli meat brand worth checking out.

If you grew up eating Pub Subs like we did, then you might have an impression that you're getting a solid product when you buy Boar's Head meat. After all, its marketing seems to be everywhere — that has to mean something, right? Well, not necessarily.

In 2024, its production facility pumped out listeria-contaminated deli meat that killed and sickened many. But before reopening the plant, it was found to have major sanitation issues. That's a huge reason to pause before buying any products from this company.

Even with the outbreak issues aside, a lot of Redditors have a pretty negative view of the brand. Posters say that despite the brand's excellent marketing strategy, the quality of the meats isn't actually that great. Some say it's still a solid option for deli meat, but considering the brand's questionable hygiene practices, we think it's a safe one to skip — there are more celebrated deli meat brands out there to try.

We used both personal experience and online reviews, particularly on Reddit and Static Media reviews, to categorize these brands into "buy" and "avoid" categories. The brands that we've had a good experience with and that got generally positive reviews on online forums fell into the "buy" category, while those that we've had bad experiences with and/or seemed to be disliked by online posters and reviewers landed in the "skip" category.