Fans demand Costco bring back nine discontinued food court items they 'still remember' after years

Publish date: 2024-05-06

CUSTOMERS have issued a desperate plea for the return of their nine food court favorites at Costco.

Fans of the wholesale giant took to social media in a passionate discussion about which food items they miss the most.

The conversation unfolded on Reddit, where one user put forth a detailed list of items the customer base has lost over the years.

The post, titled Which food court item do you miss the most?, saw more than 500 comments from fans of the retailer.

Hand-dipped ice cream

The person who created the poll said that the giant hand-dipped ice cream bar was among the two items they miss dearly.

Ice cream lovers were left heartbroken after Costco discontinued their hand-dipped ice cream. The sweet treat was a simple ice cream cone dipped in chocolate, with the added option of almonds.

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"I still check every time I go to the store to see if they brought it back. It was a Haagen-Dazs bar hand dipped with chocolate 10x as thick with or without nuts, I used to get bags from the meat department, fill them up with ice from the food court and take 5 home packed in ice. Sooo good," one user recounted.

"It was like a Haagen-Dazs bar, but better. I loved how smooth and creamy the chocolate was," wrote another user.

While Costco has never put out a formal statement, Victor Valley News Group reported that the rise in food costs led the retailer to cut the fan favorite.

Chicken bakes

Chicken bakes were temporarily discontinued during the 2020 pandemic. When the food court item was brought back, customers noticed a huge difference.

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"The current ones are frozen and pre-made and merely heated up," said one Reddit user.

"They used to be made on-site with pizza dough. The Caesar dressing was brushed on after it was cooked, so you could get it on the side or not at all (my preference). They were MUCH fluffier, crispier on the outside, and the chicken was juicier," wrote another user.

Fans could easily taste the difference in quality and have been pining for the original chicken bake ever since.

Caesar salad 

Like the chicken bake, the Caesar salad was another item that was temporarily discontinued and then brought back.

Immediately after trying their favorite salad, many complained that it was not nearly as good as it was before.

"All the ingredients are of lesser quality but no tomatoes or crotons. It’s just romaine lettuce, some Parmesan, and some of the pre-separated rotisserie chicken chunks they sell in those vacuum-sealed bags. It just no longer tastes fresh and the lettuce was even wilted," one person wrote.

Fans also complained that the salad was more expensive.

Carne Asada bake

Costco's Carne Asada bake was only around for two years, but customers remember it dearly.

"I was starting to think I'd hallucinated it," said a Redditor. "I loved it so much."

"We had them all across Washington state, my mouth is watering thinking about them. I can’t remember if they ditched them because of the pandemic or before" recalled another user.

The food item was discontinued in 2012 and later replaced with the turkey and provolone bake.

Chili

Costco's chili was removed this year, and fans already miss it.

The meal consisted of beef, kidney beans, pinto beans, peppers, and onion to create the customer favorite.

Some customers would pair it with a Costco hot dog for an enjoyable combination.

"Our Costco had a bowl of chili, that with a hotdog is sorely missed," a Reddit user said.

According to Mashed, it is believed that this was another food item that became too expensive to make, causing Costco to cut it from its menu.

Berry Smoothie

The berry smoothie was introduced in 2007 and served as an option for those who wanted something healthier at the food court.

The drink consisted of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries.

"It's so hot where I live," one person said. "I had [the Berry Smoothie] a lot for lunch or dinner."

The berry smoothie was discontinued and replaced with Costco's mango smoothie, which was not as well received.

Luckily, the retailer decided to listen to fans and announced they are bringing the Berry Smoothie back to Costco.

Polish Dog 

The Polish dog was discontinued in 2018. Due to outrage, Costco released a statement on why they decided to remove the food court item.

"In order to simplify our menu and make room for healthier options, we have decided to offer only the all-beef hot tog," the company wrote.

"Sales show this is what the majority of members prefer. Though we understand many members loved the Polish Dog, we hope you enjoy our new offerings."

However, some fans aren't convinced the regular hot dog competes.

"Polish Dog because the hot dogs have no flavor," wrote a fan. 

Hot Dog Condiments

Not only did Costco remove the Polish Dog, but also many of its condiment options.

"Polish Dog with sauerkraut, onions and brown mustard," wrote one person.

"Am I imagining things, or didn’t they have more than just yellow mustard?"

Other Redditors were quick to confirm the loss of condiments.

"Deli mustard was in the dispenser," said one.

"Onions and Dijon mustard for the dogs," wrote another. "They disappeared around the pandemic and never returned."

"Why must you remind me of what we lost?" cried a third. 

Combo Pizza

Finally, the combo pizza is among items that were discontinued during the pandemic, and fans are still hurt by the loss.

The slice of pizza featured a multitude of toppings including peppers, onions, pepperoni, sausage, and mushrooms.

"Hot take: The pandemic isn't over until the Combo Pizza is back," one fan wrote.

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"I didn't even care that I had to pull about half the olives off," commented another. "The pepperoni and the cheese just don't cut it."

According to Eat Pallet, the decision to get rid of the Combo Pizza mainly had to do with profitability for the company.

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