Costco's New Prepared Meal Brings Back A Fan-Favorite Bakery Item, But One Ingredient Is Overshadowing It

When a new dish joins the lineup of Costco's popular prepared meals, shoppers usually scramble to try it ––but the chain's latest release comes with good news and bad. As of August 4, 2026, a tasty-looking chicken sandwich has hit Costco's deli, featuring a fan-favorite bakery item that hasn't been seen in years: pretzel rolls. However, the sandwich also comes with lettuce, drawing ire from customers worried about the national Cyclospora outbreak linked to leafy greens.

Costco's Chicken Sandwich on Pretzel Buns is sold in a 6-count pack for around $14. The new item features chicken lunch meat, lettuce, cheddar and Swiss cheeses, a packet of Dijon mustard sauce, and of course, the prized pretzel roll. Shoppers have wanted this Costco bakery item back in stores since it was discontinued around 2018. On the other hand, the included lettuce has caused some Costco members to swear off of it.

"Dang, I would be messing these up if it wasn't for the lettuce," one Facebook commenter said, while other users implored Costco (and fellow customers) to "leave the lettuce off" and "don't eat the lettuce." While the ongoing Cyclospora outbreak doesn't necessarily make all lettuce from all retailers unsafe to eat, and Costco's use of lettuce on its latest prepared food isn't flagrant customer endangerment, but it's certainly ill-timed and puts a damper on the pretzel bun's return.

At the time of writing, six Cyclospora outbreaks have resulted in confirmed cases of Cyclosporiasis in 47 U.S. states. The Food and Drug Administration has identified a source for only one of these outbreaks: Taylor Farms, a lettuce brand no stranger to controversy. Iceberg lettuce from the company's Mexico-based operation has been linked to the overwhelming majority of recent Cyclosporiasis cases. While Costco gets its lettuce from several suppliers, Taylor Farms is unfortunately on that list.

Costco sells many Taylor Farms-branded salad kits that are an obvious pass if you're worried about Cyclospora, even though Taylor Farms itself stated that its kits are unaffected. What really worries consumers is the fact that the controversial brand also supplies restaurants and other sellers of prepared foods — and there's no way to tell where the lettuce on your premade sandwich or salad came from, unless you ask the vendor.

If you really want to try the new Chicken Sandwich on Pretzel Buns, you could ask the deli staff at your local Costco about the origin of the lettuce, but they may or may not know. Unless you can get your lunch tested at a lab, there's no way to be 100% sure it's free from Cyclospora; thus, many shoppers would rather be safe than sorry. To further help you protect yourself and your loved ones, get familiar with essential facts and myths about Cyclosporiasis.