Customers Are Calling This Special Sam's Club Bacon 'Perfect Every Time'

Brunch lovers know that grocery store bacon varies significantly. How can you decide which package will give you the BLT of your dreams and which will have you scrubbing charred bits of pork off a pan? Take it from these wholesale shoppers: There's no tastier option than this Sam's Club copycat that's better than the real thing.

Member's Mark double-smoked thick-cut bacon comes in a 4-pound pack for $16.47; customers say the product is a dupe of Wright Brand's hickory wood-smoked thick-cut bacon, which is slightly pricier. The Sam's Club version is similarly smoked over hickory wood (twice) for a richer, more savory scent and flavor. Its thickness offers chewy, tender meat and crispy edges alike, and its size aids in fat retention, so you won't lose flavor as it cooks. The label recommends baking it, but consumers use the air fryer and stove, too.

The product has racked up more than 2,300 ratings, most of them glowing. "My elderly parents are ... particular about their bacon — thick cut, even slices, not too smoky ... This one is their favorite! And if I take time to cook it in the toaster oven ... it turns out perfectly crisp and delicate every single time," one Sam's Club shopper wrote. "Good meat-to-fat ratio ... Not quite the Wright, but dang close and a great deal!" another reviewer added. "I love this bacon. It's really thick, not too salty, and tastes great. I'm allergic to nitrates ... but I don't have a problem with this bacon!" expressed a third.

Sam's Club customers love its Member's Mark double-smoked thick-cut bacon for the item's affordability. The average price for 1 pound of bacon is $6.56 as of this writing (via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis), but Sam's is $4.12. Also unique is that this bacon is double-smoked, which imparts a bolder, richer taste. This process also removes moisture — less water helps the bacon crisp up and hold its shape.

Although, while many shoppers think it's a fine Wright substitute, some disagree. "I always go to Sam's for ... Wright's bacon ... To say I am disappointed in the quality and taste is an understatement," one shopper admitted. "Member's Mark ... was cheaper than Wright bacon ... My first meal portion ... had hard pieces on the ends of several slices. It looked like fat, but was hard. The next ... had the same problem," another reviewer lamented. "Bacon had very little lean and an abundance of fat. Packaging was less than desirable with the bacon being twisted and smashed together," wrote another.

Luckily, subpar bacon can be revived. There are several ways to cook bacon, from grilling to broiling to microwaving. Traditionalists should start with a cold, dry pan on the stove so the fat has time to render before the lean cooks. But consider making bacon in the oven on parchment or foil — there's minimal babysitting required, it's great for large quantities, and it cooks evenly.