We Tested 8 Different Caesar Dressings, and 1 Came Out on Top

In many circles, you’re either a ranch person or a blue cheese person. But some of us are Caesar people. Call it point C. With its garlicky, peppery composition, often enhanced with the explosively umami combination of aged cheese and anchovies, Caesar dressing can be a little polarizing. But if you love it, you likely turn your nose up at the less complex points A and B.

A newer addition to American diets, the Caesar salad was invented exactly 100 years ago by Italian immigrant Cesare Cardini (better known as Caesar). Cardini was a restaurateur in Tijuana, which was an especially popular destination during Prohibition thanks to its free-flowing alcohol not too far across the border. The invention was originally called Aviator Salad because many of his wealthy customers flew to their destination. Prepared tableside, his dressing was made by whipping up eggs with olive oil, lemon juice, and odds and ends found in his eponymous restaurant’s kitchen.

As much fun as it is to make your own Caesar dressing, it can be labor-intensive and expensive, given the glut of ingredients. In a pinch, there’s no shame in buying a bottle. To find the very best, I sampled eight of America’s most popular brands, including the in-store brands from a few beloved grocery chains. These are the bottles that stood out from the pack.

Store-Bought Caesar Dressing Taste Test Results

Best Overall: Brianna’s Asiago Caesar Dressing

Most of the Caesar dressings I tried had cheese shreds in them, but I found that the Asiago in this one gives the bottle a sweeter, nuttier flavor than the rest. The balance of acid and tongue-coating umami is complemented by a wash of pleasant spice thanks to the cracked black pepper suspended in the mix. A combination of rice vinegar and balsamic lends the whole dressing a richness that makes it the most appealing of the bunch, especially if you’re avoiding anchovies.

For the Garlic Lover: Cardini’s The Original Caesar Dressing

Vampires beware: Chunky pieces of crunchy garlic punctuate this ultra-creamy specimen, named for the dressing’s progenitor. Though I was taken with the allium funk of the flavor, Caesar’s dressing lost points with me for its overly thick texture. In fact, in the future, I’ll more likely use this one as a dip or spread, rather than trying to get its gloppy body to dress a salad.

If You Like It Creamy: Ken’s Creamy Caesar Dressing

A rounded, slightly eggy flavor defines the smoothest, silkiest bottle I tried. It’s no surprise that, at 170 calories per two tablespoons, it’s among the two fattiest, too. (The other was Aldi’s overwhelmingly sweet Tuscan Garden brand.) I appreciate the hint of anchovy and sweet-and-sour tamarind that, while not at the top of the ingredients list, still make their presence known.

Best Lower-Calorie: Wish-Bone Creamy Caesar Dressing

Online critics hate the new recipe for Wish-Bone’s entry into the category, giving it 1.3 stars on the brand’s website. But I’m a dissenter. With only 100 calories in two tablespoons, I love the profile of the aged Parmesan and how it interweaves with the anchovy. It’s a little thinner in texture than the others on my best list, but when it comes to coating leafy greens, I actually appreciate that.