The Dollar Tree Chips Some Shoppers Say Are Better Than Fritos

The range of yummy snacks at Dollar Tree includes candy, chocolates, cookies, and trail mix. However, the discount store also carries several savory options, which rival the flavors and textures of the best name brands. According to customers, there's one brand of Dollar Tree chips in particular that's even better than Frito's: El Sabroso barbecue flavored corn chips.

On a Reddit thread praising the taste of these smoky nibbles, the original poster said, "must try!!! $1.25 and 10x better than Fritos Honey BBQ flavor twists," while another Redditor, who appears to be a DT employee, concurred and said, "yeah these are really good, better than the other BBQ Corn chips we carry. Taste just as good as Frito's at a much lower price (5.5oz $1.25 vs 3.37oz $2.75 and up)."  A third commenter said, "Two bags almost satisfies the craving."

Manufactured by Snak King, El Sabroso barbecue corn chips contain similar ingredients to Honey BBQ Fritos, such as corn, vegetable oil, and seasonings. The only thing that sets them apart is that the chips have a rectangular shape (like a regular bag of Fritos) instead of a corkscrew appearance, which makes them great for scooping up salsa and creamy dips.

According to the Snak King website, the El Sabroso brand was created to "bring the flavors of Mexico to the consumer". Aside from barbecue flavor, there are several other varieties of El Sabroso corn tortilla chips that have a Mexican vibe and are available at Dollar Tree, such as Salsitas (spicy salsa-flavored tortilla rounds), Baja Limón (made with chile and lime), and classic plain tortilla chips in both triangular and round shapes.

A longstanding food myth about Dollar Tree is that its snack prices are lower simply because it stocks low-quality products and generic items. In fact, these off-brand bites are often just as good as the more expensive name brands and are made in a similar fashion with identical ingredients. In an interview with Just Food, the CEO of Snak King, Michael Axelrod, said, "[W]hat you have usually seen historically is a private-label manufacturer would just knock off a brand for a lower price. That was the strategy for a long time. In fact, our retail partners have created separate departments to manage their private-label business." He explained that when these products begin to make a significant profit, these partners create their own store brand; "if it's an authentic product, they'll want a brand on it, which is why we have something like El Sabroso."

Another Dollar Tree salty snack that shoppers prefer over the name brand is Brim's onion-flavored rings, which are touted by fans as being equally as good as Funyuns.