7 Publix Hacks That Make It The Elite Grocery Store

Including how to get the best Pub sub ever.

From fried chicken to Pub Subs, Southerners know Publix is the elite grocery chain. But if you really want to take advantage of how great Publix is, then you need to know about these awesome hacks that make shopping there even more of a pleasure.

Here are 7 hacks that will change the way you shop at Publix:

Related:Publix Will Take Your Groceries To The Car: Just Another Reason We Love This Southern Grocery Chain

1) Really Customize Your Pub Sub

Southerners know and love a Pub sub, but when it comes to making the sandwich you’re really craving, the possibilities are limitless.

While ordering your sub you can ask for any meat or cheese offering you find at the deli. You can also use any condiment or topping found throughout the store—I personally like having my chicken tenders tossed in sauce.

Want a different kind of bread? Grab what you’re looking for from the bakery or the bread aisle, and they will make it happen for you.

If you order your Pub Sub on sliced sandwich bread, most stores will make you two whole sandwiches and still charge you for the price of one regular whole sub.

2) Have Your Fresh Seafood Steamed While You Shop

This is a trick that really blew my mind when I first discovered it: Head to the seafood department, order a cut of fish, shrimp, or crab legs, and you can ask someone behind the counter to season and steam for you.

They have a variety of seasonings to choose from like lemon pepper, Old Bay, Cajun, and more. There’s no extra charge and it only takes about 3 minutes, giving you a ready-to-eat delicious order of seafood.

3) Buy Packaged Produce in the Quantity You’re Actually Going To Use

If you’re making a stir-fry or a salad and only need one zucchini or cucumber or whatever packaged veggie that comes already wrapped, you can separate the package yourself to include just what you need, or you can ask an associate to repackage it for you.

4) Have Whole Fruit Cut to Your Liking

Sometimes you want a whole watermelon, but you’re no good at cutting it yourself. Don’t worry, Publix will make those dreams come true for you.

If there’s a whole fruit you need cut (think pineapple or melons), a produce associate can always assist you with that at no extra cost.

5) Get the Exact Amount of Meat You're Going To Cook

People who cook for one know that having to buy an entire pound of ground beef when you only need half a pound—and the other half will end up in the freezer until the end of time—is a waste. If you’re anything like me, you know the chances of remembering to thaw it ahead of time, or even having the desire to use frozen meat lessens your likeliness to cook.

But I’ve found that you can just as easily ask someone in the meat department to give you half a package or a specific amount like half a pound of any Publix branded meat you want, and they will happily measure it and package it for you.

6) The Deli Will Break Down a Rotisserie Chicken

That’s right, not only do they make one of the best rotisserie chickens in the game, but if you ask a deli associate to break it down for you, they will. You just might need to wait a few minutes (especially if they are busy), so I suggest asking at the start of your shopping trip and coming back around when you’re finished.

7) Buy Pre-Made and Colored Frosting for Your At-Home Baking Projects

Want to make cupcakes, but you don’t want to deal with the hassle of making the frosting from scratch? You can actually walk right up to the bakery counter and ask for a container of icing already colored to whatever color you’re looking for.

While you’re at it, you can also order undecorated sheet and round cakes to decorate in any way you want. Throwing your child an art themed party? A plain white sheet cake from Publix’s bakery makes for a perfect “paint-your-own-canvas” style cake.

Extra bakery bonus: You can purchase any of the toppers or toy rings seen in the bakery lookbook, too! You may need to place the order ahead of time, but they will often have them available right on the spot.

Use these "hacks" with consideration

Of course when making these requests, I’m always mindful of how busy the store is—especially when it comes to the deli counter—though any time I’ve ever asked about one of these hacks I’ve gotten nothing but smiles and great service from the team at Publix.

One more tip—and this one I like to do as often as I can: If an associate has been extra helpful and wonderful, I like to leave a compliment with the service desk who will relay it to the general manager on duty, and that employee is rewarded with a free sub or order of popcorn chicken as a thank you.

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Read the original article on Southern Living.