6 Frequent Customer Complaints About Dollar Tree's Freezer Section

Dollar Tree has many good qualities. Every day, shoppers head to the discount store in droves, and while many are, of course, in search of bargains, others just enjoy the unique selection of goods the store has to offer. It is a treasure trove of hidden gems, that's for sure. But Dollar Tree, which has more than 9,000 locations across North America, isn't perfect. For some customers, the chain's freezer section is a sticking point.

We get it. When one of our reviewers scoured the frozen shelves, they found some of the items to be, let's say, questionable. While they thought eight items were worth buying, they declared that seven frozen food items were best left on the shelf (including "strangely foamy" dips and disintegrating nuggets).

Many customers, it seems, would agree with our reviewer. We pored through social media threads to find the frequent complaints that shoppers make about Dollar Tree's freezer section, and you can find the results below. Unless you have a penchant for freezer-burned, expired food, some of this might seriously put you off your next Dollar Tree trip.

If your Dollar Tree has a freezer section (and they don't all have one), you can fill your cart with everything from pizza to breaded chicken sandwiches to fruits and vegetables. But be warned, some of the chain's frozen items might not taste exactly how you'd expect.

"How come the freezer items at Dollar Tree taste funny?" asked one Reddit user in the r/DollarTree subreddit. Several people agreed, and offered up various theories, proposing that some of the food might have been thawed and refrozen (more on that later) or even past its expiry date (more on that later, too). 

Others suspect it's a quality issue. Of course, Dollar Tree's business model is all about value and affordability, but sometimes, this comes at the expense of flavor. "I'd stay away from the Dollar Tree steaks (yep, that's a thing)," wrote another Redditor in r/Frugal. "They taste just like the plastic they're packaged in, lol." That's why frozen steaks are just one of the items on our list of foods to avoid at Dollar Tree.

As mentioned above, some customers say that some of Dollar Tree's items taste slightly off because they've been frozen, thawed, and then refrozen again. When one shopper posted an image in the r/DollarTree subreddit showing the inside of an ice cream tub with most of the ice cream on one side and a large gap on the other, many were quick to point out the issue. "Ew, don't consume it," said one Redditor. "It got melted then refrozen. Better get another one." Another added: "Ice cream from Dollar Tree ... You get what you pay for."

Other shoppers have noticed carts full of food for the refrigerator and freezer sitting out in the store, waiting to be unpacked. "I always double check any frozen goods to make sure it's not frozen into a complete brick as that is a sign that it's been defrosted and refrozen," noted another customer in the r/DollarTree subreddit.

Employees have confirmed that thawing and refreezing is an issue in Dollar Tree stores. Sometimes, it's because frozen items haven't been unloaded and unpacked from trucks quickly enough. On other occasions, it might be due to faulty freezers or even freezers set to the incorrect temperature.

Buying frozen food at Dollar Tree can save you a decent amount of money. Often, items are 50% off, or even more, meaning you can stock your own freezer without having to part with too much of your hard-earned cash. But before you get too carried away, make sure to double-check the expiry dates first. Some shoppers have been burned before.

"I bought some half off freezer hot dog thingies and halfway through my second one noticed they had expired [two] years previous," said one Redditor in r/DollarTree. Another shopper posted they were "disgusted" after finding expired frozen Uncrustables in their local Dollar Tree. "I understand them being off by a day or two," they wrote in a group for the citizens of Presque Isle, Maine, in March 2026. "But no — they expired November of 2025." Employees have also spotted the issue. One Dollar Tree worker noted in the r/DollarTree subreddit that their manager had found "close to $100 in expired product" in their store's freezer section.

Fortunately, eating expired frozen food, even if it's meat, isn't usually a health risk — freezing food is a very safe storage method, as the very low temperature prevents bacteria from growing. However, the quality of the frozen food will likely start to deteriorate over time, impacting the overall taste and texture.

Another explanation put forward by some Redditors for Dollar Tree's strange-tasting frozen food is freezer burn. Again, freezer burn isn't dangerous, but it can impact the overall quality of an item. It's basically a sign of moisture loss and dehydration, and it usually occurs when food has been frozen for a long time. Severely freezer-burned foods have a pretty noticeably odd taste; they can be dry, flavorless, and almost metallic-tasting. In the r/AskCulinary thread, one Redditor explained it like this: "Freezer burn tastes like the freezer smells sometimes." Grim.

Some Dollar Tree shoppers have noticed telltale signs of freezer burn, such as heavy ice buildup on the outside of products. In simple terms, this happens as the food dehydrates, and the moisture builds up on the outside of the packaging. 

Employees have noticed freezer burn in Dollar Tree's frozen section, too. "Having worked in [three] different stores now, I would say [I would never buy] the microwave frozen meals," said one worker in r/DollarTree. "They are usually freezer burned."

For some customers, the most annoying thing about Dollar Tree's freezer section is that they can't shop in it because it's empty. When one Redditor posted about empty freezers in r/DollarTree, many responded saying that it's probably because they are broken or waiting to be replaced. "It is possible the shop is waiting for a delivery of new freezer parts to update their units," one person offered. "When the machines are not at the right temperature, they cannot sell any frozen meals to the public."

However, others are frustrated that Dollar Tree stores are actually still selling frozen items, despite the fact that the freezers aren't working properly and the food has thawed. In fact, some customers have even reported stores to their local health department for selling thawed frozen foods from broken freezers.

Eating thawed food that has been left out for too long is a health risk. Bacteria multiply at room temperature, increasing the risk of foodborne illnesses if the food is consumed. To be on the safe side, if you suspect food has thawed and been left sitting out for over two hours, steer clear.

Sometimes, if you're in the right Dollar Tree at the right time, you can actually buy frozen foods for a penny each. Yes, one single cent. However, finding these discounts can be tricky. Dollar Tree doesn't often advertise these deals publicly (which are usually on discontinued items), so you have to physically go to the store to try to hunt them down.

The unpredictable, inconsistent nature of penny deals is one common customer complaint. "Anyone else finding that the penny freezer food from a few weeks ago seems to have reset back to the sale price?" asked one shopper on Facebook in a group dedicated to penny shopping at Dollar Tree. Others say they have been told by some stores that they never offer penny deals, despite many shoppers frequently finding them on frozen foods (and other items) in many other locations.

Some customers do get lucky on penny discounts, though. One shopper even managed to fill two freezers with penny deals from Dollar Tree. Impressive.