4 Store-Bought Pita Bread Brands, Ranked

While a plain old loaf of white bread can come in handy for plenty of purposes in the kitchen, it just doesn't offer the structure or flavor that you can get from good pita bread. And since there are so many different creative ways to use pita bread, you have more than a few reasons to keep some in stock. Yes, you can make your own pita bread if you're feeling like an overachiever, but picking up a package at the grocery store is easier when you're pinched for time (or just don't feel like testing your baking capabilities).

I've tried and ranked four different brands of pita bread to help you choose which to grab at the store the next time you're there. I wasn't really looking for any kind of so-called authenticity here — rather, I was simply on the hunt for packaged pita that tastes fresh and flavorful and has a soft, supple texture. I also made note of the size of each of these pita brand varieties, as it really makes a difference for some recipes. So, head to the bakery section of your local grocery store and see if you can find any of these pita brands. You might just leave the store with everything you need to make this delicious red lentil falafel pita sandwich.

I am a huge fan of Market Basket for its affordability, so it pains me to admit that out of all the pita breads in this lineup, I thought the popular New England grocer's was the worst of them all. I tried both the white and wheat varieties, and I was unfortunately disappointed with both. The flavor of both varieties is exceptionally bland — it literally tastes like you're eating nothing in a kind of unpleasant way. The white pita is the worst offender on that front, while the wheat version at least offers a hint of flavor that makes things more interesting. Still, though, both had a subtle staleness to it that turned me off after the first bite.

That doesn't mean that Market Basket's pitas don't have something going for them. I appreciate how thin they are, since that really allows you to focus more on the fillings than the bread itself. Unfortunately, that seems especially important in this case since the flavor isn't that good. I also like how big these pitas are, allowing you to roll up plenty of fillings without having your pita overflow. Overall, I wouldn't say that this pita is bad, per se, but trying it next to other varieties, it became clear that it wasn't the best of the bunch.

While I was searching for different pita bread brands to try, I noticed there aren't many to be found. At the grocery stores in my area, it seemed like one brand dominated the pita aisle, and that's Joseph's. I found Joseph's pita at almost every store I visited, so I figured that its white and whole wheat varieties might be some of the best. After all, it has to be that ubiquitous for a reason, right? But while I enjoyed this pita and think it's a solid option, it's still not my favorite in the lineup.

Compared to Market Basket's pita, Joseph's pitas are a bit thicker but also smaller. It seems like you probably get the same amount of bread, just distributed in a slightly different way. Still, though, these are pretty large pitas that allow you to stuff a lot into them. I thought that they had a bit more flavor than the Market Basket variety, providing a subtle wheat-y note that's not exactly complex but that could still add a touch of complexity to your dish. That being said, there's still a slight stale-like flavor here, and I didn't find this brand to be quite as soft as some of its counterparts. This brand is great for convenience, but it may be worth to see if you can find some of the better-ranked brands on this list.

In my experience, Whole Foods' 365 brand can be really hit or miss. Sometimes, you find excellent products from the store brand, while other items might be really unappealing. When it comes to pita, though, it seems like Whole Foods knows what it's doing. Both the whole wheat and classic white versions of this brand of pita bread are much thicker than the lower-ranked selections that appear on this list, and while that may not be ideal for everyone, I like the soft texture this thickness provides. It creates a nice, sturdy base for whatever you want to stuff inside your pita, and it adds a chewiness to your meal that takes things to a new textural level. That thickness is welcome because the flavors of these two pita options are solid — they're sort of complex and wheat-forward, with a nice, bakery-fresh note.

To be fair, though, I think the white take on these pitas is much better than the whole wheat, which has a toughness to it that I don't love, along with some slight bitterness. These factors don't ruin it, and the whole wheat variety is still worth checking out even if you generally prefer white bread.

Want to try the best store-bought pita bread? If you ask me, that's Angel Bakeries' Pita Bread. I could only find the white version of this pita, so I can only compare that specific product to the other brands that appear on this list. But as soon as I took a bite, I immediately knew that it had to fall into the first slot on this list. I'm actually surprised that the pita tastes as flavorful as it does — I didn't know it was possible for packaged bread to pull off something like this and taste this good. Even though I didn't try this pita warm, it had freshness, certain complexity, and that just-baked character you only encounter in baked goods that are recently made.

Then there's the texture. This is definitely the softest and fluffiest of all the pitas on this list. In some cases that may not be a good thing (I think this pita wouldn't be great for following wrap recipes, for instance), but if you're just focusing on the flavor of the pita, it's great. The product's pillowy softness, enhanced by that surprising complexity, is what earns it the top spot in this ranking.

I went to several local grocery stores in my area to source as many different pita bread brands as I could find. I ranked these according to two main factors: flavor and texture. The best-ranked pitas have a more pronounced, complex flavor, while the worst-ranked taste more stale and bland. Softer, more supple pitas also rose to the top of the pack, with thinner pitas falling toward the bottom (despite their practicality for some dishes). I also considered the size of each pita brand, although that wasn't really a deciding factor in the end.