I went shopping at Wegmans and Whole Foods in New York City, and Wegmans’ new Brooklyn store blew me away

• Wegmans, a family-owned grocery store chain on the East Coast, recently opened its first location in Brooklyn, New York.
• As an LA native, I’d never heard of Wegmans before, so I was excited to see what all the hype was about.
• I went to a Whole Foods and Wegmans location in Brooklyn to see which store had a better overall shopping experience, taking each store’s layout, variety of foods, and prices into account.
• Whole Foods had a decent selection of affordable items for the health-concious shopper, but the large open space and high-quality prepared food items at Wegmans ultimately gave it the edge.
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First, I visited the new Wegmans located at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York, which opened on October 27.

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I later walked 10 minutes down the street to Whole Foods 365.

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At Wegmans, my first impression was that I loved how the store had a large and bright outdoor dining space.

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Whole Foods’ dining area was a bit smaller, and packed with people. And unlike Wegmans, it didn’t have an outdoor section.

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Wegmans offered a variety of prepared-food options. The prepared-food section takes up half of the store.

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I couldn’t resist the aromas coming from the Asian food section, so I bought a plate and found a cozy spot in the upstairs dining area.

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Wegmans had so many prepared options, it was hard to choose. There was even a chicken-wing bar, which I thought was unique.

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Wegmans also had a pizza bar, where you could grab a slice with toppings or create your own.

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The hot-food bar at Whole Foods offered items like mac and cheese and mashed potatoes, but had less of a variety of cuisines.

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One of the Whole Foods employees told me that the hot-food bar rotates weekly with various cuisines like Italian or Mexican. The week I visited, it was classic Indian, which included chicken tikka masala.

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As I continued to walk through Wegmans, I was blown away by the little things that seemed to have been taken into consideration — like the endless amount of single entrée food options.

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In my opinion, they were decently priced. For example, a ready-to-cook meal like coconut shrimp with sweet chili sauce cost $6.50.

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I also appreciated Wegmans’ wide assortment of bagels and cream cheese, which were conveniently placed next to each other.

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In comparison, Whole Foods’ bagel selection was minimal, and I personally didn’t like how the cream cheese was on the other side of the store.

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Wegmans had little touches throughout that added personality to the store, like a train track that circled above the dairy section.

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And free food samples at every turn.

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I tried a sample of the lobster mac and cheese at the seafood station, and found it had a gourmet taste. I was surprised to learn that it only took 15 minutes in the oven to prepare at home.

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Whole Foods also offered a single-serve entrée of mac and cheese, which was a lot cheaper at $5.99 — compared to the one at Wegmans which was $13 — but didn’t come with lobster.

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Not only was Wegmans’ seafood displayed beautifully, but it looked fresh and workers constantly came by to refill the ice.

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While there were no samples available at this Whole Foods location during the time I visited, I thought it would have been helpful in some sections.

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For example, being able to sample the cheese at Whole Foods would have been helpful in making a selection.

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Wegmans’ cheese selection was one of my favorite things about the store, with cheese imported from around the world. In addition to offering samples, one employee told me Wegmans also make its own cheese.

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While Wegmans dedicated a whole section of its store to cheese, the cheese collection at Whole Foods included a small selection of various types. Though, to be fair, other Whole Foods stores have larger selections than this one did.

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One convenient thing about Wegmans was that it had a self-checkout option available, which I appreciated since sometimes I shop in a hurry and only need one thing.

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The Whole Foods I went to didn’t have a self-checkout option. At the time of my visit, there wasn’t much of a line but I could see it being busy at rush hour.

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While Whole Foods had a lot of space in the main section when you first walk in …

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… some of its aisles felt cramped.

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The aisles at Wegmans, on the other hand, were larger and felt more spacious.

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And its produce section felt bright, colorful, and even more spacious than the one at Whole Foods. The fruits also smelled fresh.

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The produce section at Whole Foods did have many of the same fruits and vegetables, but not as many were placed out on the shelves, making Wegmans’ selection seem more abundant.

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Another thing I liked about Wegmans was its selection of healthy — and unhealthy — food items that included larger-name brands.

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In comparison, Whole Foods sold healthier alternatives to some of the big-name chip brands. Although this was a Whole Foods 365 store, its collection still mainly included options for health-conscious shoppers.

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Another personal touch at Wegmans was its coffee shop, The Buzz.

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I ordered a signature “buzz” latte, which the barista told me was made from fresh Brazilian coffee beans.

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While Whole Foods didn’t have an area to grab coffee, it did have a juice press bar which sold various freshly-made juices.

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Another major difference between the two was that Wegmans had a large selection of beer, allowing customers to craft their own six-pack.

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Whole Foods’ beer selection felt limited in comparison.

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The upstairs bar at Wegmans also set it apart from Whole Foods. Happy-hour specials were from Monday to Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. This is convenient for the average shopper like me, who goes grocery shopping after work.

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Wegmans’ affordable price points and high-quality food selections ultimately gave it the edge over Whole Foods.

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Overall, Wegmans was one of the best shopping experiences I’ve ever had. Wegmans’ selection of produce, meats, baked goods, and prepared foods would make it convenient to go there for anything you need.