9 Groceries Costco Customers Say Aren't Worth It

There are nearly 650 Costco stores in the U.S. (at the time of writing), and each of them has its own eager and engaged membership base. In fact, every month, hundreds of thousands of shoppers flock to the warehouse retailer to stock up on their favorite products. So, if anyone is an expert on what to buy and what to skip, it's them.

For this list, we wanted to know more about the grocery items that Costco customers have tried and tested and, in their opinion, aren't worth the money. So, we scanned Reddit threads and Costco's own reviews to find out the products that prompt really strong feelings from customers (like, really, really strong ones), and we weren't disappointed.

We won't give away too many details, but here's an idea of some of the things these items have been compared to: Chemicals, dog food, motor oil, and battery acid. Yes, for real. Let's dive in.

Orange chicken is a Chinese-American classic, and it's all thanks to Panda Express. Back in the 1980s, Chef Andy Kao invented the dish while working as an executive chef at the chain. It was an instant hit and inspired countless copycat versions on Chinese takeout menus across the U.S. If you don't feel like ordering in, you can also buy orange chicken from grocery stores. Trader Joe's Mandarin Orange Chicken is one of its most popular items, while Costco stocks Crazy Cuizine Mandarin Orange Chicken. But as you likely already guessed due to the title of this list, many customers think you're better off sticking with Trader Joe's or Panda Express.

Many people are disappointed in the Crazy Cuisine Mandarin Orange Chicken, which claims to offer "restaurant quality at home," because once upon a time, it actually was pretty tasty. "Anyone remember these being incredibly delicious a few years ago?" wrote one Redditor. "It's still good, but the quality has definitely decreased over the years." Others have been slightly less generous, speculating that the product is a victim of shrinkflation and the quality has noticeably declined. "This used to be pretty good, it's mostly breading now and nasty af," said another Reddit user in the same thread.

The Kirkland Signature Breakfast Sandwich has been one of Costco's most popular products for a while. But recently, fans haven't been all that impressed with its quality. Croissants are supposed to be light and flaky, but the version in this sandwich is now dense and chewy, say fans. This might be passable if it were the only issue, but customers say the bacon isn't up to scratch either. In fact, customers say the meat is thin, and there is significantly less of it than there was before.

Many Redditors say that the sandwiches seem different. "Instead of the little pile of bacon, you get this thin little sheet of bacon. The sandwich is smaller, so small that my air fryer now blows the two halves around," says one Redditor. For others, it's not the bacon that's the problem, but the lack of cheese. Some have even resorted to adding their own cheese to make the whole thing more appealing. "Bacon and egg okay. Slither of cheese not so much," one Redditor wrote. "These were so good until a month or two ago. (Yes, i added cheese etc. before eating but these are sad as is)."

If you're in the mood for Latin American cuisine, you might be tempted by Costco's range of tamales in various flavors like pork, beef, and chicken, all from the Texas Tamale Co. But customers say that if you see them on the shelves, you're better off leaving them where they are, walking down the aisle, out the doors, and straight to your local Mexican restaurant instead.

It might sound harsh, but customers who have tried them say that these tamales are dry and lacking in flavor. In a comment that has more than 370 upvotes, one Redditor shares how they used to like the cheese and pork flavors: "They used to be soooo good back in 2018? Something like that. Both were stuffed with cheese or pork, and now they're 80% masa corn," they wrote.

Costco also stocks tamales from Del Real Foods, and unfortunately, customers aren't overly thrilled with these either. One review on Costco's website considers them grainy, while another reads: "No person who has ever participated in a [tamale] making session would ever eat these." Our previous point stands: Head to the Mexican restaurant, or maybe try making them from scratch by following our tried and tested tips.

On paper, Magic Spoon cereal ticks a lot of boxes. It's low in sugar, high in protein, and it's gluten-free, making it, in theory, a great option for celiacs or people with intolerances. But unfortunately, for many shoppers, the reality of Magic Spoon cereal doesn't live up to the hype.

Some people say it sticks to their teeth, while others say it's overpriced and leaves a strange texture in their mouth. According to a Redditor, Magic Spoon is "cereal made by people who hate cereal." Another Redditor said that they purchased a box on sale and found it to be "the most unpleasant cereal I've ever had the displeasure of eating."

And honestly, we weren't impressed with Magic Spoon either. When one of our taste testers ranked 13 gluten-free cereals in 2023, they gave Magic Spoon Grain-Free Cinnamon Roll Cereal the unenviable position of last place. They said the flavor was overly chemical-y and the "texture was disturbingly soft."

Bananas are the same, regardless of which store you buy them from, right? Well, you might think they're just as yellow, sweet, and versatile whether you buy them from Walmart, Aldi, Trader Joe's, or Costco, but actually, many say that's not the case. In a comment with nearly 180 upvotes, one Reddit user said that Costco bananas "go straight from dark green to brown." Many agreed, noting that they've also noticed a similar pattern with their Costco-bought bananas.

Others say they get the most out of the bananas by simply freezing them for smoothies or by baking them into banana bread, but that's no good if you're in the mood for a fresh banana snack (or if you're the kind of person who says they're going to bake and then never does). "Best I can do is my wife putting them in the fridge after they are already brown and SAYING she's gonna make banana bread until I throw them away," said another Redditor.

With its vibrant, aromatic combination of sweet, sour, and savory ingredients, chewy al dente noodles, and crunchy topping of peanuts, pad Thai is bursting with flavor, umami, and delicious texture. Well, it should be anyway, when it's made properly. Unfortunately, the opposite is true of Costco's Snapdragon Chicken Pad Thai, according to customers. Those who have tried it say it lacks traditional elements like peanuts, has no spice, and is bland.

In fact, one Redditor declared the product as "probably the worst rendition of pad [Thai] I've ever seen," in a comment that received more than 620 upvotes. Compared to other reviews, though, that's being generous. In a separate comment, someone else said that the product "tastes like someone described pad [Thai] over a cup and string kids telephone while drunk and craving Mexican food." The comment (which we have to say deserves top marks for creative imagery) received nearly 2,000 upvotes, so it's safe to say this probably isn't a unique opinion.

For many of us, when life gets busy, cooking is one of the first things to fall by the wayside. This is why it can be really helpful to keep the refrigerator stocked with easy, prepared meals that can be ready to eat in just a few minutes. Fortunately, Costco has many convenient, tasty options to choose from. But whatever you do, don't pick up Kevin's Natural Foods.

In fact, according to many customers, Kevin's is the one refrigerated meal brand that should be avoided at all costs. That might sound dramatic, but unless you want bland, flavorless, verging on inedible food, it might be advice that's worth following. One Redditor mentions that they could not make Kevin's Korean BBQ-style beef edible. "I gave my dog the 2nd package of beef and she even looked at with disappointment," the person wrote.

If you like to start your day with a cold brew, you're not alone. Many Americans prefer their coffee iced, and cold brew is a popular choice. Of course, you can make cold brew yourself, but if you're busy, you can easily grab some ready-made versions to keep in the fridge, too. There are many good cold brew coffee brands on the market to choose from, but according to many customers, Kirkland Signature is not one of them. 

People say this drink is overly watery with a strange, acidic taste, and some have even compared it to motor oil. In one comment with more than 420 upvotes, a Redditor said, "I'd rather drink boiling hot battery acid than ever put my lips on the Kirkland signature cold brew can again." Others weren't quite so searing in their commentary, but still claimed it was only drinkable at best.

So, we've established that Kevin's is a no-go. But what about another of Costco's quick and easy, prepared meal brands, Realgood Foods Co.? Unfortunately, this is also a brand that customers think we should all stay well away from. Criticisms include: The chicken in the nuggets is too woody, the flavor is too chemical-y, and the overall feeling you're left with is disappointment. "Seriously," said a Redditor. "I'm not picky in the slightest and I had to spit out my Real burrito." Another comment calling Realgood awful received nearly 500 upvotes, so this is definitely a pretty common opinion.

We've taste-tested Realgood's products a few times, and our reviewers haven't always had particularly positive things to say. In February 2025, one writer reviewed 15 frozen Chinese food meals and ranked Realgood's Orange Chicken Bowl at a middling seventh place. They said that overall it was fine, but it wasn't "the tastiest thing" they'd tried. That said, in another ranking of gluten-free frozen dinners, another taste tester placed the same bowl third out of eight. Maybe it's a try-it-see-for-yourself situation. 

While Costco is full of great deals, some of its products fall short. And let's be honest, there's nothing worse than feeling like you've wasted your money — especially in this economy. So, in a bid to help you avoid that horrible feeling of regret when you bite down into a product and realize it's just not that good, we scanned Reddit threads and Costco's own reviews.

We were looking for the Costco products that got the worst reactions — the ones that prompted people to really go to town with their complaints. On Reddit, we also considered upvotes, which, of course, indicate that hundreds (if not thousands) agree with the negativity. The result of that investigation is this list.

But, of course, taste is subjective. You might disagree. Heck, you might even like the taste of battery acid. We're not here to judge; we're just doing what we can to help you make informed purchases next time you head down the aisle of the popular warehouse retailer.