This Wegmans Brand Frozen Seafood Has Mixed Reviews

Shoppers like grocery stores' in-house brands because they can often get good-quality products for less money. Wegmans, one of America's oldest grocery chains still in business, sells its own private-label goods at its more than 110 stores in Mid-Atlantic states. Thousands of items carry the Wegmans name, but not all of them are a home run with customers; for example, its frozen Crunchy Coconut Shrimp ($5.99 for a 10-ounce box) has received mixed reviews online.

The shrimp carry the chain's "Food You Feel Good About" label, indicating items that do not contain unnecessary artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, or sweeteners, or high fructose corn syrup and trans fats. The chain began the initiative back in 1991, and more than 2,000 of its products now display the yellow label. Reflecting this, the coconut shrimp's ingredient list is relatively short, and nearly everything is recognizable, like coconut flakes, flour, coconut milk powder, soybean oil, sugar, and yeast.

But that was not enough to earn good feedback across the board, as it notched 3.5 stars out of 5 on Wegmans' website. One positive review read, "They were crispy on the outside, and the shrimp was tender." Another mentioned they always keep the crustaceans on hand for a quick dinner, while a third called them "addictive." But negative reviews included, "The coating has a decent flavor, but the shrimp are tiny. It's mostly breading," and the slam "all around terribly disappointing." One critic even declared they "should not be able to have the title of coconut shrimp." A few people also noted the product does not come with any sauce.

The good news for Wegmans is that it also sells another coconut shrimp product, with a 4.6-star customer rating. It is one of the chain's Gold Pan refrigerated prepared meals that customers heat up in the oven at home, and it comes in containers that are colored gold inside, the inspiration for the line's name. The premade dishes include entrees, sides such as potato gratin, and appetizers, including the shrimp, which comes with a sweet chili dipping sauce. Priced at $11.00 for the 10-ounce container at a Connecticut location, it is nearly double the cost of its more poorly reviewed frozen counterpart.

Of course, if you want to ditch the pre-packaged options, coconut shrimp is made by coating the crustaceans with dried shredded coconut or flakes, and sometimes panko breadcrumbs, and deep-frying them. They turn out crispy and crunchy, with tropical sweetness layered on top of the fried flavor. How much depends on whether sweetened or unsweetened coconut is used, but it can be either based on individual preference.

Although there isn't one standard dipper for them, the shrimp are often served with Thai sweet chili sauce. Some other versions combine the sweet chili with ingredients like apricot preserves; mayo and lime juice; and orange marmalade, lime juice, and soy sauce. And anyone who has ordered the dish at Red Lobster knows it comes with a special creamy piña colada dipper.