A classic Reuben sandwich, piled high with corned beef and Swiss, isn’t complete without a drizzle of Thousand Island dressing on top. While it doesn’t have nearly the same reputation as a standout salad dressing, especially compared with heavy hitters like Caesar, balsamic, Italian, and ranch, it makes for a refreshing flavor when your greens are looking a little uninspired. This creamy, mayo-based dressing is often flavored with pickle relish, ketchup, lemon juice, and paprika, which give it a very unique flavor, a slightly sweet bite, and savory undertones.
I used to be a big fan of Thousand Island dressing, and at one point, it was even my go-to. While I would much rather reach for a vinaigrette, I definitely can appreciate the unique flavors that Thousand Island brings to the table. And because there are so many different flavors at play, it’s safe to say that every brand of Thousand Island dressing is going to have a different interpretation.
I set out to see which brand of Thousand Island dressing tasted the best. To do so, I took to tasting as many brands of Thousand Island dressing as I could find, including some of the condiment aisle staples and more niche brands, to see which one boasted the most balanced flavor, creamiest texture, and overall best eating experience. Then, I ranked each of the brands from worst to best.
Read more: 11 Apple Cider Vinegars, Ranked Worst To Best
9. Stonewall Kitchen
Bottle and small bowl of Stonewall Kitchen Thousand Island Dressing on black countertop – Sara Klimek/Chowhound
There is only so much reinvention of the wheel that a salad dressing brand can do, and it appears that Stonewall Kitchen has certifiably pushed the limit as much as possible. On looks alone, this dressing appears to resemble carrot juice more than salad dressing. And it kind of pours like carrot juice, too. Instead of coming out of the glass container in glops, it streamed out like a liquid. When I think of the texture of a creamy dressing, this is not what I think of.
The flavor of this dressing is also too far off base for a Thousand Island dressing. When a company labels a dressing, condiment, or really any food product as one thing, it needs to sell consumers on the fact that it looks, tastes, and is in line with said dressing. Stonewall Kitchen’s “Thousand Island” (inspired) dressing doesn’t look, quack, or take on any of these qualities. When I tasted it, I was hit immediately by the strong taste of Dijon, honey, and some sort of sooty ground mustard. It was very sweet, very savory, and very aromatic, which is not what I want from a mild Thousand Island dressing.
After looking at the label, I identified some possible culprits for this off-base flavor: Worcestershire sauce, anchovies, and sweet relish. These are all very bold components, and they very clearly fight for attention in this dressing. If you put it on a simple salad or sandwich, it would steal the spotlight and overwhelm the palate, thus limiting its versatility.
8. Briannas
Bottle and small bowl of Briannas Thousand Island Dressing on black countertop – Sara Klimek/Chowhound
Briannas’ Thousand Island dressing touts that it’s a new addition to its lineup. This is a brand that I have long seen lining the walls of my local Walmart, and I have tried some of its dressings in the past, including its poppy seed dressing, which doesn’t have peaches in it but reportedly tastes good on them, hence why there is a ripe and juicy one on the label. Similarly, this Thousand Island dressing had a tomato on its label and touts that it’s a great pairing for the summer fruit. After trying it, though, I have my doubts.
The color of this dressing is more on par with what I expect from a Thousand Island than what its premium dressing competitor Stonewall Kitchen had. This color is less orange and instead takes on a darker, more muted hue. The smell is very acidic, though the taste is dominated by an ingredient I didn’t entirely expect to encounter in a Thousand Island dressing: horseradish. I normally hate horseradish, but it was nice to see that this flavor dissipated from my palate within a few seconds of tasting the dressing. However, after I read the label, I didn’t find any horseradish listed. There is, however, mustard flour, and I suspect that it contributes to this almost borderline-bitter bite. This dressing is very sharp and very bold, and I’m starting to think that these premium brands are just working too hard to reinvent the wheel. While it was more palatable than Stonewall Kitchen’s dressing, all Briannas needed to do well in this ranking was make a decent, classic Thousand Island dressing without coloring too far outside the lines, and it just couldn’t manage that.
7. Annie’s Organic
Bottle and small bowl of Annie’s Organic Thousand Island Dressing on black countertop – Sara Klimek/Chowhound
Should you have to pay $6 for a salad dressing? Probably not, and I think if you bought this one thinking that the high price was indicative of high quality, you’d feel a little swindled. Here’s the good news: It’s much more approachable than Stonewall Kitchen’s and Briannas’ products. The flavor is less bitter and harsh, though there was a mustard aftertaste on the back end that, frankly, caught me by surprise. And I don’t think that I would be as surprised by its flavor if my taste buds weren’t being assaulted by the sweetness of this dressing. It was probably the most outright sweet dressing that I tried for this ranking, and it was so cloying that it completely distracted me from the other flavors at play. Another reason why I had to place it so low was because of how watery it was. I don’t want my salad dressing to have the consistency of toothpaste, but I also don’t want it to completely flop off my lettuce or drip back into the salad bowl when I try to scoop it up on a piece of cucumber.
If you don’t absolutely despise the taste of a super sweet salad dressing (like some sort of fruity vinaigrette), you probably won’t hate this one. But when I look for a salad dressing, I’m after something a little more savory with just enough sweetness to prevent it from being too heavy on the palate. This one just wasn’t it.
6. Great Value
Bottle and small bowl of Great Value Thousand Island Dressing on black countertop – Sara Klimek/Chowhound
Great Value was the first brand that I tasted for this ranking because, simply put, I didn’t have very high expectations for it. I’ve had so many bad Great Value products over the years, dressings included, that I wouldn’t want to buy again and was falsely lured into on the premise of price alone. This Great Value Thousand Island dressing was relatively cheap, though its color was far more pallid than some of the others that I sampled. When I tried it on a spoon, I immediately noticed that its texture was very loose and oily, though not so oily that I would classify it as a vinaigrette. When I think of Thousand Island dressing, I think of something creamier than Great Value’s offering.
The taste of this dressing wasn’t particularly umami or savory. Instead, it was eggy and acidic with a subtle vinegar tang that hung on my taste buds. There were pieces of something red in the bottle, as well as small pieces of what I assumed to be onion, but these didn’t impact the taste of the dressing at all.
If you are looking for a less offensive alternative to some of the other Thousand Island dressings on this list, I suppose that Great Value would be a good place to turn. But if you’re after a dressing that’s punchy, creamy, and bold, you’d be better off looking elsewhere.
5. Kraft
Bottle and small bowl of Kraft Thousand Island Dressing on black countertop – Sara Klimek/Chowhound
Kraft is a big name in the dressing and condiment space (it makes a store-bought chipotle sauce that I am particularly fond of), so I had high hopes for what its Thousand Island dressing would taste like. When I tried to squeeze some of the dressing out of the plastic container, I couldn’t help but notice that it had a texture more akin to Thousand Island mayonnaise than Thousand Island salad dressing. It was thick and gloopy, and this texture was immediately obvious on my tongue. In short, you’re probably better off using it on a sandwich than a bowl of greens, though I highly doubt after trying the options that ranked above it, you’d still want to put it on your Reuben anyway.
This dressing was, luckily, not eggy, which helped it edge out Great Value. However, its flavor was very sweet, and it tasted like it used high-fructose corn syrup instead of cane sugar (even though the label says that this is not the case). A little bit of sweetness is to be expected, as it can balance out the savoriness of a salad dressing. But not only did this Kraft dressing lack any sort of savory body, but that sweetness really drowned out any other flavor that tried to make its presence known. While it has a lot in common with the store brand that I ranked above it, in terms of sweetness, the heavy, rich consistency was the nail in its coffin. It’s in line with the profile I expect from a Thousand Island dressing — just not the flavor I expect from a good Thousand Island dressing.
4. Stop & Shop
Bottle and small bowl of Stop & Shop Thousand Island Dressing on black countertop – Sara Klimek/Chowhound
Stop & Shop’s products tend to have a better rap than Walmart’s, except when it comes to condiments. Its ketchup pales in comparison to its competitors, and its yellow mustard is at the bottom of the barrel for me. So, it made sense that its Thousand Island dressing wouldn’t stand a chance against more premium, name-brand competitors. Texture-wise, it’s a good dressing — creamy but not annoyingly so — with little specks of herbs and tomato (possibly pepper) that actually have flavor. Since there were actual pieces of veggie in this dressing that did something for its flavor, it won the upper hand against Great Value.
However, I wasn’t entirely sold on its flavor. There was definitely an eggy flavor present, but it wasn’t as one-note as Great Value’s Thousand Island dressing. Instead, there was more sweetness at play, which gave the dressing some added complexity and made it even tastier to eat. I think that it could be a pretty good dressing for a ham and cheese sandwich, though I doubt that its sweetness would really do it any favors on a classic Reuben sandwich or something saltier and beefier. My taste buds eventually started to focus more and more on the sweetness and less and less on the savoriness of the dressing in subsequent taste tests, which meant that I couldn’t really focus on its creamy texture and other positive attributes. It’s not a bad dressing to keep in the fridge for when company visits, but there are just far more flavorful options worth buying.
3. Wish-Bone
Bottle and small bowl of Wish-Bone Thousand Island Dressing on black countertop – Sara Klimek/Chowhound
I already knew that Wish-Bone was going to place above Kraft in this ranking because of its texture. It didn’t pour with a mayo-like glug from the container, but it still wasn’t as thin as some of the lower-ranked dressings on this list, namely Stonewall Kitchen. It’s the perfect consistency for a salad dressing: not so watery that it would pool at the bottom of a salad bowl, but not so creamy that it could be passed off as aioli.
There were some flavor elements that also pushed it above Kraft, mainly that its sweetness was a little more in check. It wasn’t as syrupy, which makes it a more versatile choice for all of your dressing needs. However, I do need to warn you about something: This dressing is very, very acidic. It’s almost like a furrow-your-brow kind of acidity that makes your eyes water. It could be a great flavoring for a bland salad where you want a contrast between blander or sweeter elements, like dried fruit, candied nuts, roasted root veggies, and the like. However, this puckeriness goes hand-in-hand with a sinus-tinglingly strong mustard. These bold flavors are not reason enough to rank them low on this list. In fact, it means that Wish-Bone brought something to the table that was still familiar to Thousand Island dressing lovers and wasn’t so out of left field that it would turn the casual salad dressing user off to it entirely. It’s not as broadly likable as my top choices on this list, but if I absolutely had to stock a salad dressing in my fridge, I might consider Wish-Bone.
2. Ken’s Steak House
Bottle and small bowl of Ken’s Steak House Thousand Island Dressing on black countertop – Sara Klimek/Chowhound
Ken’s is a pretty reputable dressing brand, running the gamut of everything from Caesar and honey mustard to apple cider vinaigrette and Sweet Vidalia Onion. Considering it makes more than 60 types of dressing, including Thousand Island, it should really know what it’s doing. And for the most part, Ken’s Steak House delivers.
The texture of this dressing was an immediate winner. It’s a Goldilocks texture that toes the line of being not too thick but also not too thin. At no point did I think it was mayo-like, nor did I really find that its texture was so rich that I could only use a drizzle of it. I also liked that it had a less obvious vinegar flavor than Wish-Bone, though it’s still acidic enough to be refreshing and a welcome addition to a salad or bowl of veggies. The toothsome pieces of veggie inside of the dressing break up the monotony of the mouthfeel a little bit, and it was quite lovely to get a little fleck of pepper on my molars as I ate this dressing.
This dressing is a classic and versatile Thousand Island. If you wanted something punchier or more exciting, you would be better off choosing another brand. But if you want a flavor that is reliable, this is the brand I would recommend buying. The mouthfeel wasn’t as clean and light as my top option, though it’s clear that Ken’s Steak House is a force to be reckoned with in the dressing world.
1. Nature’s Promise
Bottle and small bowl of Nature’s Promise Thousand Island Dressing on black countertop – Sara Klimek/Chowhound
Nature’s Promise, like Briannas, features tomatoes on its label. The difference? I would actually put this one on tomatoes. Despite being made and sold under the same umbrella as Stop & Shop’s Thousand Island dressing, this organic option is far more flavorful and punchy. Whereas Stop & Shop’s dressing was overtly sugary, this Nature’s Promise was a little more neutral-tasting, with a better balance of sweetness and savoriness. I could actually taste the tomato base of this dressing on my tongue, though the small red and herby specks don’t do much for its flavor or texture. The flavor is still quite bold, and there is just enough acidity to liven up a salad, roasted veggies, or really anything you toss with it. I could even see myself dipping fries into this dressing, which isn’t something that I often say about creamy salad dressings.
One of the things that I really liked about this dressing is that its flavor wasn’t eggy, nor did it have a corn syrup-like sweetness to it. The use of cane sugar means it’s very clean-tasting, despite the fact that it is creamy and luscious. While you won’t get any fishy undertones because it doesn’t contain anchovies or Worcestershire sauce, I doubt you’ll miss them. It’s a dressing that’s very safe because it doesn’t try to introduce or force flavors that don’t belong. Some might call it boring, but I just call it pretty darn good.
Methodology
Pouring Wish-Bone Thousand Island Dressing on bowl of lettuce – Sara Klimek/Chowhound
I tasted each of these salad dressings on the same day I opened the container to ensure peak freshness. While salad dressing should be refrigerated after being opened — especially egg-containing dressings like Thousand Island — I wanted to try them at room temperature so that I could experience the fullest expression of their flavors. I also opted to eat them without any sort of dipping utensil so that I could get the most objective assessment of their flavor.
I looked at two main areas: texture and flavor. Thousand Island is a creamy dressing, so it shouldn’t be too thin nor too mayo-like. Salad dressings that leaned thick, but not heavy, ranked higher than those that were watery. Flavor was also crucial. Although I didn’t automatically nix brands for bringing in punchier ingredients like anchovies or mustard, the flavor had to make sense within the context of the dressing. There had to be a great balance of sweetness, saltiness, and savoriness, with common Thousand Island elements like tomato and vinegar making an appearance. While the “winner” is really up to personal dressing preferences, my top three picks are ones that any creamy salad dressing lover — or Reuben enthusiast — should try.
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