Top Lox Brands for Gourmet Delights

Lox, a beloved delicacy often enjoyed on bagels, has garnered a loyal following for its rich flavor and velvety texture. With the increasing popularity of this cured salmon, a wide array of brands have emerged, offering everything from traditional to innovative flavors. Whether you're a lox aficionado or a newcomer looking to explore this savory delight, choosing the right brand can transform your culinary experience. Read below to discover a curated list of the best lox brands to elevate your taste buds.

Illustration of lox

Best brands of lox in 2025

Acme Smoked Fish

Acme Smoked Fish Corp. is renowned as the largest producer of smoked salmon in North America, supplying top-quality lox to prominent retailers like Zabar's, Russ & Daughters, and Barney Greengrass. Founded in 1906 by Harry Brownstein, the company has grown significantly, with its Brooklyn facility processing 30,000 pounds of seafood daily. Acme's products include cold-smoked salmon, hot-smoked brook trout, and pickled herring, with the majority of revenues coming from cold-smoked salmon. The company has expanded its operations, opening a 100,000-square-foot facility in Wilmington, North Carolina, capable of producing 10 million pounds of cold-smoked salmon annually. Despite a 7.2% decline in smoked salmon sales in 2023, Acme continues to innovate with products like "Lox in a Box" snack kits. For more detailed information, visit Acme Smoked Fish Corp.'s Wikipedia page.

Ducktrap River of Maine

Ducktrap River of Maine is renowned for its high-quality smoked seafood, particularly its lox, which has been perfected over 45 years using traditional European smoking methods. The company, affiliated with Mowi USA, LLC, utilizes a unique blend of hardwoods and fruitwoods such as cherry, apple, oak, and maple to create distinctly mild and delicate smoked products. With a history dating back to 1978, Ducktrap River of Maine has grown from a small trout farm to a full-scale 125,000 sq. ft. smoked seafood campus, employing over 100 workers. Their products are certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and Best Aquaculture Practices, ensuring sustainability and quality. Despite some controversies over sourcing, Ducktrap remains a leading brand in the U.S. seafood market.

Russ & Daughters

Russ & Daughters is a renowned New York culinary and cultural icon, celebrated for its high-quality appetizing foods, particularly its smoked fish and lox. Established in 1914, the brand has maintained its tradition for over a century, with the fourth-generation owners, Niki Russ Federman and Josh Russ Tupper, continuing the legacy. Russ & Daughters produces half-a-million bagels annually at its Brooklyn Navy Yard facility, adhering to traditional methods. The company is known for its commitment to quality, using no sugar or additives in their bagels, and sourcing sustainable fish for their lox. Despite challenges in supply and pricing, Russ & Daughters remains a favorite among a diverse and loyal customer base. For more information about their offerings, visit their website.

Sable's Smoked Fish

Sable's Smoked Fish is renowned for its high-quality lox, adhering strictly to FDA guidelines to ensure food safety. Their lox is made from fresh salmon, salt-cured for approximately 90 days to achieve the desired texture and flavor. Unlike Nova smoked salmon, which is both salt-cured and smoked, Sable's lox is purely salt-cured, maintaining a traditional approach. The company's commitment to using 100% salt brine solution and adhering to a precise curing process sets it apart. With a focus on quality and consistency, Sable's Smoked Fish has established itself as a top producer in the industry.

Mt. Cook Alpine Salmon

Mt. Cook Alpine Salmon is renowned as one of the best producers of lox, leveraging its unique location in New Zealand's Southern Alps to harness pure glacial water, rich in minerals, which passes through their farms at a rate of over 2 million gallons per minute. This environment, combined with low stocking densities and hand-fed sustainable feed, results in salmon that are lean, non-oily, and rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. The company's commitment to sustainability is evident in their Best Aquaculture Practice certification by the Global Aquaculture Alliance and a "Best Choice" green rating from Monterey Bay's Seafood Watch. Their salmon are free from growth hormones, vaccines, pesticides, or antibiotics, ensuring a naturally healthy product. With a vertical integration model that includes their own hatchery and processing plant, Mt. Cook Alpine Salmon ensures top-quality lox.

Catsmo Artisan Smokehouse

Catsmo Artisan Smokehouse is renowned as one of the best producers of lox, known for its high-quality, sustainably-raised Atlantic salmon smoked onsite every day. Founded in 1994 by Robert Simon, the company has undergone significant growth, including a $3 million expansion in 2019 that added 10,000 SF to their production facility and created 10-15 new jobs. Catsmo's Lean Process Improvement project increased their production capacity by 25%, allowing their smoker to produce 1440 fillets a day, up from 960. The company sources its salmon from certified aquaculture centers in Norway, Scotland, Chile, and the Faroe Islands, ensuring freshness and sustainability. Their Gold Label smoked salmon, smoked with apple and cherry woods, is particularly praised for its delicate flavor and silky texture.

Brooklyn Smoked Fish

Brooklyn-based Acme Smoked Fish Corporation is a leading producer of high-quality lox, operating from its state-of-the-art 100,000-square-foot facility in Wilmington, North Carolina, which can produce up to 10 million pounds of cold smoked salmon annually. Despite a 7.2 percent year-over-year decline in smoked salmon sales in the fourth quarter of 2023, Acme continues to innovate with products like "Lox in a Box" snack kits to regain market volume. The company adheres to stringent food safety standards, including Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) and Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) requirements. Acme's commitment to quality and sustainability is further enhanced by its facility in Chile, ensuring control over raw materials. With a long history rooted in Brooklyn, Acme remains an industry leader in the smoked seafood category. Discover more about their operations at the largest smoked salmon facility in the U.S..

Blue Hill Bay

Blue Hill Bay, a brand under Acme Smoked Fish Corporation, is renowned for its high-quality lox and smoked seafood products. The brand benefits from Acme's state-of-the-art facilities, including a 100,000-square-foot cold smoked salmon facility in Wilmington, North Carolina, which produces 10 million pounds of cold smoked salmon annually. This facility adheres to the highest food safety standards, including Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) and Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) requirements. The company's commitment to quality and safety, along with its proprietary food safety and processing techniques, ensures that Blue Hill Bay products maintain exceptional taste and safety. Additionally, Acme's expansion into Chile allows for complete control over raw materials, further enhancing the quality of Blue Hill Bay's offerings. For more information, you can visit their largest smoked salmon facility in the U.S..

Scottish Salmon Company

Scottish salmon, particularly from companies like those represented by the Scottish Salmon Producers Organization (SSPO), is renowned for its high quality and nutritional benefits, making it an excellent choice for lox. In 2023, Scottish salmon production totaled 150,949 tonnes, with a focus on sustainable and humane farming practices that ensure the salmon are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, often exceeding the levels found in wild salmon. These farms adhere to strict guidelines that prioritize animal welfare, environmental sustainability, and local community impact. The salmon are raised in pristine waters and fed a diet free from antibiotics and hormones, enhancing their health and quality. This commitment to sustainability and quality makes Scottish salmon a preferred option for those seeking premium lox.

Vita Food Products

Vita Food Products, established in 1898, is renowned as the number one brand of smoked salmon and a leading producer of high-quality lox and other seafood products. Under the Vita(r), Elf(r), and Grand Isle(r) brand names, the company offers a wide range of seafood items, including lox, smoked, and cured salmon, as well as pickled herring in various sauces. Vita Food Products is committed to providing exceptional taste and quality, making it a staple in many US supermarkets, wholesale clubs, and foodservice operations. The company's products are distributed across multiple regions in the USA and are also available online. With over 125 years of experience, Vita Food Products continues to set industry standards for culinary excellence.