Costco Just Brought $6.99 Chicken Tenders To Food Courts In This Major US City

Despite the fact that chicken tenders are typically a staple menu item at most food courts, Costco has never offered them at its United States cafes. Customers in Canada and other international locations, including Australia, can order chicken tenders and fries alongside other iconic Costco food court menu items like hot dogs and pizza. Envious American shoppers have long claimed that tenders are the Costco Canada food court item they would love to see in the States. That wish may finally be coming true with the sudden appearance of a $6.99 chicken strips option at a major U.S. Costco location.

TikTok user Mikey Around Chicago posted a video to the platform on May 4, 2026, showing the food court menu at his local Schaumburg, Illinois, warehouse. This location, in the suburbs of Chicago, now offers a chicken dish that includes five pieces of breaded chicken breast strips and a dipping sauce. The tenders, which look like they are baked from frozen, are crispy and golden brown. The specific type of dipping sauce included isn't named; however, the photo on the menu looks like it could be a type of Thousand Island dressing, or a combination of mustard, mayonnaise, and ketchup.

Tenders were introduced at Canadian Costco food courts in approximately 2023 and came to Australian locations in 2024. Both Canadian and Australian food court visitors have mostly positive things to say about the chicken strips, highlighting the quality of the chicken, crispiness of the breading, and flavor of the seasonings. If the U.S. version is of comparable quality, we may need to revisit our ranking of Costco food court items.

Despite the discovery of chicken tenders at a Chicago Costco food court, there has been no official confirmation from the retailer that a nationwide release is next, and even employees aren't sure what the plan is. The first hint that the tenders were coming was in a March 2026 post to r/CostcoEmployee. A Redditor said, "I heard food courts in the US are getting chicken tenders, yet there has been no further information communicated about them."

A few commenters responded that the tenders were going to replace the calzone on the menu. The combo calzone, which was introduced in May of 2025, got mixed reviews from diners, so it wouldn't be surprising if it is being replaced a year later. However, one Redditor suggested that the rollout had been delayed, saying on Reddit, "We were told we'd be getting them late Jan/early Feb and then mid Feb our manager said it's been postponed indefinitely for now. So we have no estimate on if or when they're coming."

The new chicken tender dish isn't the first Costco menu shakeup of 2026. The retailer announced its first new hot dog combo in 40 years, which includes a bottle of water instead of fountain soda (a move that shoppers find disappointing and a waste of money). It also introduced a new Caramel Churro Sundae and a Double Chocolate Mint Sundae to food court menus.