11 Discontinued Costco Food Court Items That Customers Miss The Most

Not far from the aisles of bulk toilet paper, olive oil, beer, and oversized containers of cleaning supplies lies the Costco food court: a post-shopping ritual with bargains aplenty. It's a reward for some and simply a great deal for others, offering shoppers a number of cheap meal options to choose from.

Over the years, Costco has both added and removed many items from its food court menu. The reasons why the dishes were removed vary, from changes in ingredient availability and streamlined operations to poor sales. Costco does sometimes warn customers, but at other times, menu items simply disappear to be replaced by something else. While some removals were welcomed, many were not. Today, you'll find a plethora of Reddit threads and petitions dedicated to remembering and bringing back some of the most beloved Costco food court favorites. Here are some of the discontinued Costco food court items that customers wish would make a comeback.

Before modern soft serve cups ruled the Costco food court, shoppers could get a Hand-Dipped Ice Cream Bar for a low $1.50. It was a spectacularly popular treat, one that was savored by customers across the U.S. It disappeared in 2013, much to the dismay of many of its fans. Some people have called it the best dessert the Costco food court ever had, with some customers saying they went to Costco just for it. 

It was simple in form but incredibly delicious, comprising a chocolate- and almond-coated vanilla ice cream bar on a stick. When news spread that the item was removed from food courts across the country, people were not happy. Several online petitions were created in an effort to try and bring it back. The petitions didn't exactly rack up millions of signatures, so they made little impact in influencing Costco to rethink its unthinkable decision.

If it was so loved, why did Costco remove the Hand-Dipped Ice Cream Bars from its food court? While there hasn't been an official statement from Costco on the matter, the speculations are centered around the cost to make the item, specifically the almonds. The price of the nut had started to increase around 2010, and by 2013, it had only continued to climb. Sadly, this is one nostalgic Costco food court treat that may be nothing more than a thing of the past.

The great debate on whether the Polish Dog or Classic Hot Dog is better might still be undecided, but something that is most definitely decided is the disappointment from fans when Costco removed the Polish Dog from its food courts. For years, you'd find this popular food court item on the Costco menu, but around 2018, this all changed when the chain stopped offering the item. While it continued in Canada for a while thereafter, it was eventually removed from its locations.

Some people have described the removal of the Polish Dog from the Costco food court as a heartbreak, while others have said it was an item they loved. Some users on Reddit have gone as far as to say they're still disheartened about it, with the Polish Dog often featured on lists of the items fans miss most from its food courts.

Costco didn't shy away from disclosing the reason why this hot dog was discontinued and placed a notice on its website to give shoppers a bit of clarity. The chain said that it wanted to bring in healthier options to the food court, which apparently the Polish Dog was not. Instead, Costco said it was offering all-beef hot dogs in the food court instead, claiming that their sales showed more people wanted this option anyway. Obviously, the thousands of people who signed up to the online petition to bring it back disagree.

The Costco hot dog has long been a savored treat for shoppers after they'd worked up a sweat shopping in the aisles. For the chain's shoppers, the ultimate addition to its Hot Dogs, whether the beef or the Polish Dog, was the variety of condiments that used to be on offer within its food court. Depending on your taste, you could mix up the flavors to make your own perfect hot dog. This used to be the case, at least. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, one of the casualties was the food court, along with the condiment spread, which featured sweet pickles, raw diced onion, ketchup, and yellow mustard.

After the food courts reopened, though, the traditional condiment station was nowhere to be found, with the self-serve setups never making a complete return. Instead, some stores added touchless condiment stations, featuring ketchup, mustard, and relish, but the true condiment fans were not fooled. On Reddit, plenty of users said they weren't satisfied with the substitution, with the missing onions becoming a major talking point. While there was evidence of the original condiment station returning to some locations, it was never something that was officially rolled out nationally. Unfortunately, for many, the original condiment station is another item that now lives in the Costco memory vault. Out of all the options that were available, it's the onions that still bring up most of the complaints today.

Of all the discontinued items to disappear from the Costco food court menu, few have generated as much outrage as the much-loved Combo Pizza. When it was removed from the menu, it was a loss that broke the hearts of countless shoppers. It was praised for its meat and vegetable toppings, which included mushrooms, onion, olives, bell peppers, sausage, and pepperoni. The outcry of its discontinuation reverberated across the country, so much so that one petition to bring it back received almost 20,000 signatures. In the petition, the creator ranted that Costco was only concerned about profit and that had they simply increased the price of the pizza, fans would gladly have paid for it.

Costco didn't budge, though, offering no official reason as to why it was taken off the menu. It may have been about the cost, though, as it didn't set you back much. You could get a slice of the pizza for $1.99 or an entire pizza for $9.95. The combo pizza disappeared from the Costco food court menu in early 2020 as the chain set about culling various items, which many believe had to do with profits for the company.

The chain did replace the Combo Pizza with the Combo Calzone, but shoppers weren't impressed. The calzone didn't last either; it was later replaced with Chicken Strips. There have been rumblings in some parts of the U.S. that there may be a return of the Combo Pizza, but as of the time of publication, there's been nothing official released.

There was an item on the Costco food court menu that went far beyond just traditional fast food: the BBQ Beef Brisket Sandwich – and it had a seriously loyal following. It hit the Costco menu around 2013 and featured tender, slow-cooked shredded beef topped with a sweet and tangy barbecue sauce. To finish it off, you'd also get coleslaw to add a good crunch. It wasn't the cheapest item on the Costco food court menu, coming in at $4.99 at most locations, but according to the devotees, it was definitely worth it.

It's been described by some as the best sandwich they've ever had, and, looking at the plethora of rave customer reviews, it seems that quite a few people felt that way. It's another Costco food court menu item that was discontinued around 2020. As has been the case with many discontinued Costco items, the chain never gave an official statement as to why it was culled. Brisket sandwich fans arrived and simply left empty-handed.

They didn't leave without making a big fuss about it, though. Reddit and social media platforms were awash with complaints and questions about why it was taken off the menu. While the warehouse giant replaced it with other hot sandwich concepts over the years, none have managed to match the decadent, meat-packed legacy of the original BBQ Beef Brisket Sandwich. As one Reddit user said, "Costco may giveth and Costco may taketh away." This is one item that Costco took away that is still sorely missed today.

Long before Churros became the food court's favorite sweet pastry, Costco shoppers could get their hands on a massive, freshly baked soft pretzel. It was sweet, warm, and chewy, but most of all, it was big. That's not really surprising, considering Costco's reputation for offering large items and great value. It was taken off the food court menu not long before the Churro made its grand entrance.

While there was a massive following behind the Churro, a lot of people preferred the Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel. It was coated with sugar, cinnamon, and butter, making it one of the more decadent Costco food court menu items. The fact that it was a sweet treat is what made it incredibly popular, and one that brings back memories for shoppers who savored them as an after-shopping reward. The pretzel disappeared in the 2000s and never made a return.

As to why it was removed, a lot of people believe it's because of the health factor as well as the fact that it wasn't exactly easy for Costco to make them. If you think about how big they were, the latter claim is easy enough to believe, but being replaced by churros doesn't exactly tie up with the health angle. Whatever the reason, you'll find plenty of Reddit threads and other social pleas for Costco to bring this food court item back. For those who did prefer the churro, or at least were happy with it as a replacement, they too were disappointed when it was also removed in 2024.

Costco members from a few years ago might remember the Carne Asada Bake, a savory item on the food court menu that was a hit. It was launched in 2010 and sold for around $3.80. Some Costco staff said it was the best thing the food court had on its menu at the time. Some people compared it to Costco's Chicken Bake, while others said it looked more like a burrito. However it was viewed, it was made up of beef, guacamole, and pico de gallo, with a scattering of cheese for a bit of gooeyness.

While some people weren't sold on the item, calling it bland or just simply nasty, there were plenty of people that took to it like a moth to flame. Long after it was removed from the menu, people were still calling for its return, with the item being called one of the best things Costco ever added to the food court menu. It survived the menu until 2012 when it was replaced by the Hot Turkey and Provolone Sandwich, which sold for just under $4.

The Carne Asada Bake gave shoppers a bold, flavorful bite that quickly earned a loyal following with those looking for more than just the standard food court staples. While the classic Chicken Bake remains a menu mainstay today, the Carne Asada Bake is another Costco food court item that is nothing more than a memory.

The Costco food court used to have a drink that appealed to health-conscious shoppers and hit the spot: the original Berry Smoothie. The cold, refreshing beverage quickly became a classic. Sweaty shoppers would descend upon the food court after loading up their carts to sit back and sip on one. The original Berry Smoothie seems to have disappeared around 2017, causing shoppers to vent their frustration online about arriving at their local Costco to find that the item was no longer available.

When the original was removed, it was replaced by the Fruit Smoothie, and the reactions were mixed. First, there was a significant price bump. The original Berry Smoothie went for $1.45, but the new option was $2.99. Even though the Berry Smoothie, as the name suggests, contained fruit, it seems the change was health-related. The Costco menu claimed that the new Fruit Smoothie had no added sugar, artificial flavors, or colors, but plenty of shoppers weren't buying it and just complained about the massive price increase.

In 2025, the Fruit Smoothie was also given the axe, with a lot of fans angry about that change as well. It was replaced by the Strawberry Banana Smoothie, which had a higher sugar content. It seems they did actually listen to the consumer complaints, partly at least. Still, even with more sugar, a lot of shoppers weren't happy. Some customers described it as yucky, while others complained about the sugar content. Costco couldn't win with this one.

The Costco food court menu once included the Original Caesar Salad. It was priced at only $3.99 and was packed with chicken, romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, croutons, Caesar dressing, and more. Shoppers loved the size of it, as it could be split between two people with more than enough to go around. The salad vanished from the menu thanks to the pandemic, causing a bit of a stir online.

For quite a few people, the salad was one of the only reasons they would even visit Costco. For one Reddit user, the menu change was called the "death of the food court salad." While some comments said you could just make it yourself at home by buying the ingredients from the chain, others argued it was simply not the same.

The salad made a return in 2023, but there were quite a few changes that weren't well received. First of all, the price had jumped to $6.99. While the chicken had changed from chicken strips to rotisserie chicken, what frustrated some people was the removal of the cherry tomatoes. For a lot of Costco shoppers, it was the Original Caesar Salad that they still missed. Not everyone was put off by the price, though, with some actually preferring the new style of chicken, including some staff.

The Chocolate Frozen Yogurt was there for shoppers who needed something sweet post-shopping spree. Some shoppers took it personally when it was taken off the food court menu. Across multiple petitions, disgruntled customers shared their dismay and called for its return. It was called a "crisis," and some Costco shoppers even threatened to cancel their membership if it didn't find its way back onto the food court menu. When it was removed in 2018, the Açaí Bowl took its place, but that just wasn't enough for the frozen yogurt loyalists.

In the wake of the removal, some Reddit users called out Costco for not wanting to be the most affordable place to get a bite to eat. They said that while there were still bargains to be had at the food court, what was now on the menu wasn't exactly cheap. The petitions didn't get much traction, but it's still a pretty clear indication of how shoppers felt when they could no longer get their favorite chocolate fro-yo.

One Reddit user said they felt like they had lost an old friend, while another customer ranted that Costco has simply replaced traditional food court favorites with healthy ones. As a whole, the fans of the Chocolate Frozen Yogurt were not happy about this one.

The Costco Açaí Bowl that followed the Chocolate Frozen Yogurt may have initially come with questions around its price, but it quickly became another popular Costco dessert that built up a massive following. While it entered the food court scene in 2018, it didn't last long, as it was removed from the menu in 2020 and never made its way back. 

This Costco dessert was a fruit medley, featuring frozen açaí, fresh strawberries, dried banana, blueberries, and Kirkland Signature granola with almonds. It was described as the perfect fuel for a Costco run, but some people questioned how healthy it actually was. Whether it was enjoyed as a more nutrient-dense alternative to other sweet treats or just savored for all that it was, the Açaí Bowl spawned a lot of complaints online about its removal.

Reddit threads were awash with fans saying RIP to their Costco food court favorite. People seemed to love it, with plenty of shoppers amazed that they even considered removing it from the menu. Some fans used to level it up by getting it vanilla swirled, while others just enjoyed it for the beautiful treat that it was. Questions were raised about why so many food court items were discontinued around that time. "Costco is just [Walmart] now with a coat of red paint," said one Reddit user on a post about the Açaí Bowls.