12 Discontinued Costco Food Court Items We're Probably Never Getting Back

Ever wonder why the pizza from Costco's food court is so downright delicious? A few things are going on here, starting with freshness guaranteed by a fast turnover and consistency. Place your order at the food court, and you know what you're going to get. Costco powers-that-be have been honest about how it's a way to keep customers happy. In 2009, Costco revealed (via CNN), "It's much like the warehouse: the most popular and best-quality items instead of a wide range of choices."

It makes sense, then, that some items will come and go. Tastes change, availability changes, and sometimes, even old favorites have to make way for new items. (But don't worry: If you're wondering how Costco's hot dogs are still only $1.50 while keeping their place on the menu, the company's CFO Richard Galanti has described this particular offering as "somewhat sacrosanct.")

Still, there are plenty of items that get quietly shuffled off the menu to be replaced by offerings that might be new favorites, but it's tough to overcome that sense of nostalgia. Let's talk about some of the items that have come and gone from Costco's food court menu, and while it's unlikely that we'll ever see them again, it's worth mentioning that there is a caveat here. Costco has brought some items — like the berry smoothie — back from retirement, so while these items are probably gone for good, a little hope never hurts.

It's no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic ruined many things for many people, and it was in the middle of the pandemic that Costco's food court said goodbye to the combo pizza. It didn't go over well, with some loyal Costco customers heading to Change.org to support a petition that appealed for the return of the toppings-laden pie. "The termination of the combo pizza from the Costco Food Courts nationwide is not only saddening, but total madness, and just straight up WRONG," the petition said, and it seemed to sum up the feelings of thousands of people.

An update to the petition claimed that Costco was rethinking its decision to remove the combo pizza, and it ultimately did — sort of. In 2024, rumors started circulating that it was going to be back in stores, which was exciting. Then, news broke that it was going to be returning not to the food court but as a Take & Bake pizza in the deli section. Suddenly, people were less excited. 

Customers took to Reddit to voice their displeasure and clarify that's not what anyone had in mind at all. One suggested, "Can I buy it, ask the food court to run it through the oven, and then pick it up on the way out?" The consensus was that it was an unlikely solution, but another added: "Probably not, but you sound like a problem solver."

There was a time when Costco shoppers looking for something a little more substantial than a hot dog could opt for ordering a carne asada bake. Sadly, this disappeared from the menu when it was replaced by another short-lived item (which we'll also be talking about). The carne asada bake seems to have vanished in 2012, after a two-year run that started when it replaced a turkey wrap. And it makes sense. Turkey wraps are easy to make at home, and a carne asada bake is just what you might need after hours of wandering Costco's aisles or in preparation for that.

Head over to Reddit, and there are two schools of thought regarding the long-gone bake. Some described it as less-than-stellar: Complaints included the weirdness of warm guacamole, meat that was more chewy than tender, and the "sour green sauce" not being very good, while others lamented the loss of their favorite (albeit short-lived) menu item.

"One of the best things that the food court came up with," one said, while another was thrilled to see it remembered at all. "Finally! That's the one thing I always bring up when people talk about discontinued food court items, and no one ever knows what I'm talking about." Given the complaints, the reactions, and how easily it was forgotten, perhaps it should stay a distant memory.

When Costco's food court ditched the carne asada bake, it was replaced with the hot turkey and provolone sandwich. It seemed like there was a lot to love about this one, including a roll that could hold up to all the grease served on it. But all good things must come to pass, and the hot turkey sandwich has since gone the way of the dodo. 

Redditors haven't been shy about lamenting the loss of this one. In a Reddit thread dedicated to fond memories of what seems to have been many customers' go-to sandwich, one said, "I saw this and thought it was coming back. What a roller coaster. I got excited and was then brought back down." Another simply said, "RIP. Please bring it back, Costco." 

However, we'd say that's unlikely for one big reason as another Redditor pointed out, "Best sandwich ever. [...] Luckily [Costco] sells the ingredients, so I can still make them at home." They weren't the only ones to say that they had simply just started making their sandwiches at home — and even upgrading them with bacon — so it makes sense that the food court isn't going to offer what people can very easily make at home.

Did you know that Costco used to sell Jack Daniel's by the barrel? It's true! It also used to sell soft pretzels in the food court, and the fact that they've faded into a distant memory is nothing short of tragic. And judging by Reddit, Costco's soft pretzels have become a distant memory. For those who do remember them, however, those memories come with fond affection. "I used to only want to go to Costco as a teen with my mom because she got me a cinn sugar pretzel. They were so good," wrote one Redditor. 

Another revealed that their teenage self had memories of pretzels, too — and they shed some light on what happened to them. "I miss them every day. And teenage me was so petty that churros replaced the pretzels, that I never tried them for the longest time because of it. I'd be so happy if [Costco] brought back [its] soft pretzels." Other Reddit threads are filled with chat about how soft pretzels would be a total win, while others wonder why the company would have gotten rid of such a delicious item in the first place. With no official answers forthcoming, we'll just have to speculate.

In 2018, Costco's food court overhauled the menu to swap old favorites for new items created to present consumers with healthier options. Did it work out? Not really. One of the items introduced to stores across the country was the acai bowl, and it's safe to say that the reception was mixed. When Business Insider went to Costco to sample every item on the menu, they called the acai bowl "by far the worst item on the menu." They cited an overwhelmingly artificial taste that was more sugar than fruit, and there was, indeed, a lot of sugar. Ordering this menu item meant customers were served a dessert with 30 grams of sugar, which is around the American Heart Association's recommendations for the entire day's sugar intake.

When Redditors discussed the acai bowl and the removal of this overly sweet treat from the menu, it quickly became a love-or-hate kind of thing. Some missed it; others called it "tart and overwhelming," and "the worst acai bowl I've ever had." 

Another Redditor pointed out that it was almost a guarantee that any city has a place with much better acai bowls, and this might explain why this was such a short-lived feature on Costco's food court menu. A relatively low price point of $4.99 was perhaps not enough to woo customers away from other options.

It was way back in 2013 that Costco's food court ditched its hand-dipped ice cream bars, and when they were taken off the menu, they were a major favorite. The move sparked not only a Change.org petition to bring the sweet treats back but also a community Facebook page. Almost seven years after the announcement, the page was updated with a confirmation that international Costco food courts didn't have the bars, either ... and according to many Redditors, that's a shame.

After the announcement that churros were being dropped in favor of cookies, plenty of people took to social media to say they wished the company would bring back the hand-dipped ice cream bars instead. Cookies are everywhere, but a hand-dipped ice cream bar? That's the sort of thing worth going out of your way for. Enough time had passed that it had faded into the sweet sadness of nostalgia, as one Redditor wrote. "I miss them more with every passing day. Hot dog and a hand dipped ice cream bar. The good ol' days." The good ol' days, indeed.

The difference between ice cream and gelato all comes down to fat content and creaminess, but there's another difference, too. While Costco's food court still sells ice cream cups and sundaes in 2024, gelato was discontinued. 

Like many corporate decisions made behind closed doors, it's never been explained, just what happened to get gelato removed from the menu. And that's a shame because, as one Redditor explained in a post lamenting the loss of Costco gelato, "In the history of Costco deals, NONE of them — and I'll repeat that NONE — of them parallel that of the now deceased Gelato." Apparently available at only a limited number of stores, those lucky customers could get a waffle cone loaded with three scoops of gelato for just $1.50. Photos of the menu boards were posted to prove it wasn't just a dream; others said, "I would plan my errands so that I would pass by Costco, stop, grab a cone, and live my happy life."

The decade that started with 2020 has just kept on giving, and not in a good way — at least, not as far as many Costco customers were concerned. The company kicked off 2024 with a shocking announcement confirming that it would be discontinuing churros. Employees had already claimed the discontinuation was a done deal, but details varied. Some claimed it was based on what warehouse products were coming out of, while others claimed it was nationwide, but it turned out that one food court employee was correct. Churros were out, and chocolate chip cookies were in. 

Customers did, of course, head to Reddit to voice what was largely displeasure. One observed that changes in Costco products were accompanied by increased prices, leading another Redditor to respond: "I think raising prices is the reason. New product, higher price point." That might be an incredibly cynical way of thinking, but plenty of Redditors had other theories, too. 

Some pointed out that the biggest problem with the churros was that the new version wasn't nearly as good or as popular as it had been in the past. "I've never gotten a fresh one. They always sat under a heat lamp," one person said, while another agreed, "I miss them too. I can get a cookie anywhere."

Costco sells a wild amount of hot dogs every year: In 2023, it sold around 200 million $1.50 dogs, which is a huge deal. A quality product and affordability are a winning combination, so it's perhaps not surprising that Costco confirmed that it was getting rid of its roast beef sandwich in 2024. It had been on the menu for just around a year, and one of the biggest complaints about it was the fact that it was a pricy $9.99.

And at the end of the day, customers said it was just an acceptable sandwich. For that price tag, it's not unheard of to expect something amazing, not something that's just sort of ... fine.

Customers took to Reddit to share pictures of their sandwiches, and the consensus was that it wasn't worth the price. "It tastes only of roast beef, cocktail sauce from one of those Costco shrimp platters, and Costco's artisan loaves. ... If you really wanted one of these, you can probably make a better one at home." Another summed up everyone's thoughts on the price point, "It's just so unaware. How [does Costco] not realize that people eat there primarily because it's cheap?"

Every so often, social media is gripped by a righteous outrage that the majority of people seem to be able to get behind, and that's exactly what happened when Costco discontinued its Polish dog. News broke in 2018, and at the time, official answers were few and far between. Aside from a confirmation that the $1.50 all-beef hot dog would remain on the menu, customers were left to try to figure things out for themselves. 

One person summed things up with a post to Twitter (now X): "#SaveThe PolishDog @Costco what in the world are you doing? Why would you even consider letting the dog out?" That wasn't the only social media platform filled with some serious outrage, and even national news outlets tried to figure out if it was true, and if it was, what the heck was going on. 

Costco eventually posted a statement on its customer service site stating that the Polish hot dog was dropped to "simplify our menu and make room for healthier options." Did it work? Eh. Some of those have also been discontinued, while the wistful pining for the return of the Polish dog lives on. 

Although the timeline is a little unclear, it seems as though Costco's BBQ beef brisket sandwich was one of the menu items dropped during the company's 2018 healthy-eating overhaul. (However, some stores still reportedly had the sandwich in 2023, when the $4.99 price point was compared to the outrageous $9.99 roast beef sandwich.) 

Whenever they disappeared, customers took to Reddit to make it clear that they were missed. Some pointed out that while they could make a hot dog or burger at home, a beef brisket sandwich was a rarer treat. Another confirmed, "The brisket was taken away quite a while ago from the stores I've been to along the East Coast... I'm incredibly sad too." 

Not everyone thought it was bad news, though, and one former food court employee explained that the brisket sandwiches had been incredibly labor-intensive. "That sandwich was more of a pain in the butt to prep and go through all the procedures for than making 50 chocolate nut-covered ice cream bars in a row," they explained. Still, the occasional thread lamenting the disappearance of the brisket sandwiches still pops up on Reddit, with one 2022 thread starting with, "I still miss them."

Not all Costco food courts are created equal, and just like there are food markets around the world that inspire wanderlust, Costco food courts might inspire the same in the most devoted of its customers. Other countries have menu items like ham and cheese croissants (France), clam chowder (Taiwan), and chicken teriyaki (South Korea). Some even have discontinued American favorites: Head to Iceland for that gelato or to Australia for a beef brisket sandwich. 

Other markets lament other items being discontinued, like Canadian customers who miss their Costco food court chicken wings. Those were discontinued in 2023, and it's safe to say that it didn't go over well.

"Such a staple for our friend group's potluck gathering, and now it's getting phased out," lamented one Redditor. One Instagram user suggested that it was Costco's loss: "It's crazy cuz I would go there for wings and leave with $400 oh well." The reasoning was unclear, but many Redditors suggested that with the rising price of chicken, particularly chicken wings, it was simply no longer sustainable for Costco. And that's too bad.