Critic's Review
I go to Walmart once a week, usually to buy the same things; today I decide to buy a Rotisserie Chicken. Every supermarket has them now; they're only $4.98 at Walmart.
THIS is why I mock restaurants that offer a 1/2 rotisserie chicken for $20, which costs about $1.50. Plus these supermarket chickens are usually pretty good.
When I got home, the chicken was still piping hot, which is something different.
Not a bad haul for $5.
Despite the black skin around the edges, there was nothing overcooked about the chicken. No fork or knife required to eat this; it just pulled it apart.
The chicken seemed to be completely unseasoned, so salt was required. One strange thing was that the neck was included; I'm not sure I remember finding a neck in a rotisserie chicken.
Conclusion
On one trip to Walmart I figured I saved about $20 on $50 worth of stuff, which is staggering. Not everything is a great deal, but some things are much less expensive than Publix or Winn Dixie. I get my Cascade here; the super large size is cheaper than the smaller size at Publix. One thing to consider is that there's no fish department in this store; everything is packaged or frozen. They do have "Fresh never Frozen" fish; they always seem to have salmon and Talapia and occasionally have Fresh Cod or Trout.
The $4.98 Rotisserie Chicken is as good as anyplace else, and it's held at a much higher temperature so it's actually still hot when you get home.
Review 12/20/16
If you don't know about the new Walmart on W Broward Blvd (just west of 95), then you're missing out. With Publix no longer a consumer friendly option, it's a welcome addition to the area.
Publix has even dumped the Salvation Army, one of my favorite Christmastime charities. Walmart has the familiar red kettle.
Walmart caters to a lower income crowd; you won't find a lot of high end brand options here. But for generic items and produce, you can save a bundle here. And we're not talking like a dime less; many items are 30% less. There are no sales at Walmart; it's every day low pricing. No BOGOs here. But their everyday prices on many items are as good as sales at the other places.
The produce dept is substantial, with all of the usual suspects. You won't find Broccoli Rabe or Savoy Cabbage, but they have most of everything most people eat. 69 cents for green pepper, 98 cents for parsley, 50 cents for lemons. 98 cents for iceberg lettuce. Cheap.
One thing I like is the spices. $1.99 for a good size package. $2.99 at Publix. 33% less. Of course they're often out of things, so if you need something there's a good chance they'll be out of it. Their product dept isn't as professionally stocked as the other supermarkets. Sometimes it looks like one of those Odd Lot places.
Another "deal" is the bread. $1 for a big loaf of Italian or French Bread. Publix is charging $2.95 for Italian; it's just ridiculous. Like $4 at fresh market. $1 is more like it.
Another item I buy is heavy cream; It's $1 less here than at Publix. Cream is Cream, people. Walmart doesn't have their own cows.
They have a large self-checkout area, which I really miss from Winn Dixie. The first time you use it its a bit hokey; very finicky about putting items in the bag, but after a few times you get the hang of the idiosyncrasies.
They have checkers at the door to check your receipts, but they've never asked for mine. Racial profiling if the checkers were white.