Unwritten Rules To Know Before Visiting Publix

If you like shopping at grocery stores with great customer service that offer excellent store brand products alongside your name brand favorites, then Publix is the place to go. This grocery chain can be found throughout several states in the Southeast and promises an excellent bakery, legendary deli sandwiches, and an ultra-clean shopping environment. But before you shop at Publix, there are a few unwritten rules you should probably know if you want to have the best possible shopping experience.

As someone who's spent the majority of their life in the South, I've done a lot of shopping at Publix, and at several points in my life, it was my closest — and therefore my go-to — grocery store. And although I'm now glad to live in the Northeast, where I can find truly incredible deals shopping at Market Basket, there are many times that I still pine for a good Pub Sub. Therefore, I'm qualified to outline some of the unwritten rules I've gleaned from my time shopping at the chain.

While the idea of following specific rules at a grocery store (beyond the general rules of being in polite society) may cause the more authority-averse among us to balk, these rules are more about getting the most out of your shopping experience there — not limiting what you should buy or do at the store. These are the unwritten rules you need to know before visiting Publix.

Grocery prices are on the rise, and many of us feel it when we're at the grocery store checkout. This means that a lot of shoppers are trying to save money any way they can when it comes to the food staples they're buying on a weekly basis. If you're already doing your grocery shopping at Publix, one of the best ways to get better prices is to take advantage of the store's BOGO (buy one, get one) deals. I loved checking out these deals each week when the store rolled out new BOGO deals to encourage customers to stock up on specific items. If those items are products that I intended to buy anyway, then I could save a decent amount of money by taking advantage of them.

Often, I've found that these deals are centered around relatively shelf-stable products, so you don't have to worry about them going bad before you can use them up. I've found BOGO items like mayonnaise, ground coffee, spice blends, or chicken broth in these weekly lineups. Just make sure you browse all of the store's BOGO deals online before you do your shopping so you can make sure you snag those excellent savings yourself.

Although I've done my fair share of shopping at Publix, I have to admit that it's not my favorite grocery store. In fact, I think there are a lot of things that are mildly annoying about the chain. But if there's one reason I keep going back, it's because of Publix's Pub Subs. As a self-proclaimed Italian sub aficionado, I've eaten a lot of grocery store subs in my life. I can attest that Publix's is one of the best.

Perhaps the main appeal is the delicious, freshly baked bread the deli uses — it's arguably the most important part of the sandwich, and at Publix's deli, it doesn't just function as a structural element. Rather, the flavor of the bread is just as important as the other ingredients in the mix. Whenever I order an Italian Pub Sub, it comes absolutely packed with meat, perfectly (thinly) sliced and layered. The condiments are all excellent quality, and the added veggies are crisp and fresh to boot.

But don't think that the Italian sub is the only variety to order at Publix, since you can grab a ton of other delicious sandwiches there too. In Tasting Table's ranking of Publix subs, the grocery's homestyle beef meatball sub took the top spot, while the roast beef and ultimate deli subs got honorable mentions. This deliciousness is precisely why I consider it a rule to order one of these sandwiches whenever I shop at Publix.

Although there are glorious things about Publix's deli (the sandwiches), it also has some not-so-great traits (the lines). At least partially because Publix's subs are so beloved, there is often quite a long line at Publix's deli. Whether you're grabbing a sandwich yourself or just want to get yourself some lunch meat, there's a good chance you'll be standing there a long time – especially during lunch or right after work when people are picking up sandwiches. Although there was once a time you could take a number and come back when you were called, this policy ended, so standing in line is a must.

My solution to Publix deli's long wait times? Well, I time my visit when it's likely to be less busy. This means picking up my afternoon sandwich in the morning instead of waiting when everyone else is on their lunch break. Alternatively, I just tell myself that good things take time and amuse myself by people-watching while I wait until it's my turn. Budgeting some extra time into your grocery run is a good, unwritten rule to follow the next time you shop at Publix.

I know, I know. Nobody wants to download yet another app they have to scroll through when they're looking for something simple on their phone. But I do think that downloading Publix's app is worth it, for a few different reasons. To me, the most appealing part of the app is that it gives you the ability to order ahead — yes, even at the deli. This means that you can just pop into the store, pick up your sub (or whatever else you ordered), and get on with your day. It's a feature that obviously has huge appeal for those who, like me, always seem to be running on a tight schedule.

But there are other benefits of using Publix's app as well. For instance, you can check those BOGO deals for the week directly on your phone, which negates the need to view them in person. And I also like taking advantage of other deals and promotions within the app that I wouldn't otherwise know about. Since Publix's prices can sometimes be a bit steep, those deals can make a big difference at this chain. Although some complain about issues with the chain's app, I've always found it to work smoothly.

One of the unusual things about Publix is that it still hires baggers (something you don't see at many grocery stores now), which Publix refers to as front service clerks. These aren't cashiers — rather, they're people who stand at the end of the checkout station organizing and sorting your groceries into bags so you don't have to wait for the cashier to do it or do it yourself. In my experience, the front service clerks aren't there every time you check out, but they often are, and they're happy to help you with your bags.

If you're not used to going to a grocery store that works like this, you might be wondering if the bagger helping you is another cashier who stepped away from their station to bag. In reality, that's their job, so you can let them assist you without feeling bad. Of course, if you'd prefer to bag your own groceries, you can certainly let them know — they shouldn't have a problem with that. Although it doesn't typically bother me to bag my own groceries, I have to admit that having someone help me is a really nice touch, and I really appreciate these workers when I'm checking out with a large order or otherwise feel flustered from the shopping experience. The presence of these front service clerks is one of the reasons Publix is known for its customer service.

Yes, the front service clerks bagging your groceries and being there to help you check out is a really nice touch, but the excellent customer service doesn't end there. Publix also offers carryout service, which means that the front service clerk can actually help you take your bags out to the car and load them into your trunk. Generally, when I was going to Publix, I wasn't buying all that much — I would only have a few bags at a time, so I often declined the help. However, there were a few instances where I took advantage of the carryout service when I wasn't feeling well and was carrying a particularly large load of groceries.

Technically, Publix provides the service for free, and the store specifically states that you shouldn't tip the front service clerk who's helping you. Still, though, I think it's a good idea to offer that person a tip since they're going out of their way to help you. In my experience, the employee will sometimes take the tip, and sometimes they won't. Either way, I think this is a good rule to follow, since the gesture is bound to be appreciated.

We go to different grocery stores for various things. Some of us go to a grocery store because it offers excellent customer service. Others are seeking out the best places for budget grocery shopping because they're trying to make their dollars stretch as far as possible. If you're looking for the former, then Publix is an excellent choice — I've already dug into how great the customer service is there. But when you want the latter, Publix might not be the best place to shop. This grocery store is known to be more expensive than a lot of popular chains out there, including grocery stores ranging from big box bulk stores like Costco to comparable chains like Kroger and Safeway, according to Consumer Reports. In fact, one of the main reasons I started going to Publix less when I lived in the South was simply because of how high the prices were compared to the other grocery stores in my area.

So, one rule to keep in mind when you're shopping at Publix is not to expect prices to be very low, even for the chain's store brand. This may mean that you buy less from Publix, only going there for certain specific items you need (like that Pub Sub or a good bakery cake). Perhaps it means that you avoid shopping there altogether. Either way, don't be shocked when you go there and find some steep prices.

It's true that Publix's prices aren't as competitive as they could be, which is a bummer when you want to shop at a nicer grocery store but don't want to pay an exorbitant amount to do so. But that doesn't mean there aren't ways to cut down on your costs if you still decide to shop at Publix. Perhaps one of the best ways to do so is by looking for coupons and then bringing them with you to the store. Publix generally allows you to stack coupons, which means you can use two at a time, both from the store itself and from the manufacturer. I'm not a big couponer myself, but if I come across one, I'll use it if it's something I was planning on buying anyway. And every time I've done so at Publix, it's been a really easy process. And in some cases, it's saved me enough money to make a difference on my final receipt.

However, you should keep in mind that there are a few restrictions on coupons, generous as Publix's policy may be. You can only use two coupons per product, so don't go overboard. You'll also have to use physical coupons — you can't just show your cashier a digital coupon on your phone (although you can use the store's digital coupons through the app).

Now, I've already waxed poetic about how delicious Publix's subs are, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that the grocery chain has excellent prepared foods in general. Yes, the sandwiches are a must-try worth getting the first time you go to Publix. But once you're ready to branch out and try something new, there are a few really solid options to choose from.

The store's fried chicken, for example, has no business being so incredibly tasty. Whether you snag yourself some of the grocer's chicken fingers or the bone-in fried chicken, you're in for a real treat. Personally, I prefer the bone-in variety, since I think it's a bit juicier than the white meat stuff, but you can't go wrong with either. And if you really want to go all out, grab yourself some wings too — they're probably better than your favorite fast food chicken wings.

I also think that Publix has some really solid sushi by grocery store standards. Do I think it's as good as my favorite Japanese spot? Of course not. It's still grocery store sushi. But to me, it is significantly better than most grocery store sushi out there (with the exception of Whole Foods', which is one of the best grocery stores for sushi). That's why I think it should be a rule to check out Publix's prepared foods when you're doing your grocery shopping there.

All of the Publix grocery stores I've been to have been of a pretty decent size, and they're usually well-stocked. This means that the store should ostensibly have a pretty wide array of different products. Publix carries a lot compared to some smaller chains, like Trader Joe's or Aldi. However, I've still noticed that Publix falls short when it comes to a lot of "international" products. Now, this isn't a term I especially like using in the context of grocery categories, because the definition of "international" is a pretty slippery one. Why would a store put soy sauce, for example, in the international food section but place pasta elsewhere?

That being said, I've generally found Publix to be lacking when it comes to ingredients that aren't super common in American and Western European food. The fish sauce selection at the last Publix I went to, for instance, was extremely limited — more so than at other, similar mainstream grocery stores in the area. This doesn't mean that you won't find ingredients that are less common in American cuisine there, but don't assume you'll find them either.