I feel confident in saying that if you ask pretty much anyone what the best jarred tomato sauce is, they’ll answer, “Rao’s.” The product originated out of the elusive East Harlem–based restaurant that opened in 1896, hitting shelves in 1992 (it was acquired by Campbell Soup Company in 2023). The point: It’s been around and has stayed consistently good, even through widespread growth, the introduction of nearly two dozen flavors, and said acquisition. It’s a pantry staple for more than ten of my colleagues.
But over the last several years, quite a few tomato sauces have hit shelves — including ones from other New York restaurants. I was curious to know how they stacked up against Rao’s. Is the brand’s popularity a case of blind loyalty or ease of purchasing (it’s readily available in most grocery stores, as well as at Costco, whereas newer ones tend to be more difficult to buy in person)? Or does it really still stand out as the best?
To figure this out, I tapped two of my most discerning, food-loving colleagues: senior editor Winnie Yang and senior writer Michael Zhao. They came over to my Brooklyn apartment, where we taste-tested five other sauces I had picked out: Carbone, Rubirosa, Monte’s, Ciao Pappy, and Alison Roman’s A Very Good Tomato Sauce, all of which have been released at some point in the last six years. I suppose I should state the obvious, which is that this is not an exhaustive lineup of every jarred tomato sauce on the market but rather one selected by researching newer brands and picking out a handful with a good reputation.
