12 Discontinued Costco Food Court Items We Wish Would Make A Comeback

Costco's food court is famous for its fan-favorite items at modest prices. It's managed to keep its all-beef hot and soda combo at the low price of $1.50 for decades. In fact, it's the same price as when it debuted in the 1980s. From pizza to hot dogs to ice cream, the food court offers a limited, yet highly popular, array of fast food items. As famous as Costco is for its inexpensive hot dogs, it's also known to change out food court menu items, sometimes at a rapid pace. Of course, you can't please everyone and while some people get excited over the new offerings, others miss what has gone away. Sometimes people end up remembering a former favorite food for decades.

Occasionally a fan favorite will make its way back to the menu, although not always the same as the original. Whether Costco decides to axe a menu item due to poor sales, to shorten prep time, or simply to make way for a new item, we don't always get the details as to why something has been discontinued. We've rounded up some of the most commonly mentioned Costco food court items that shoppers wish would make a comeback.

There was once a time when Costco customers could buy a churro for about $1 from the food court. Sprinkled with a generous amount of cinnamon sugar, crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside, this fan favorite went well with a cup of soft-serve vanilla ice cream. Sadly for churro fans, the sugary dessert disappeared quietly from the food court menu at some point during the pandemic. However, it didn't stay gone for long, and reappeared on the menu in 2021, this time for $1.49. Some fans felt the returning churro was not the same with this Reddit user saying, "Don't get too excited, they definitely are not as good as the original. And definitely not worth the 50% price increase!" This new version, once again, was quietly discontinued at the beginning of 2024. This time, the churros were replaced with the 7-inch Double Chocolate Chunk Cookie, sold at a higher price for $2.49.

Yet, all is not lost for churro fans. Costco's food court churros were made from the brand, Tio Pepe's. Tio Pepe's sells bite-size churros at Walmart. However, you'll have to have a big freezer — they come 500 per case. Or, you can get a case of 100 of the larger-sized churros on Amazon.

Costco's food court pizza, sold by the slice or whole, is known for its high-quality flavor, at reasonable prices. As one Reddit user stated, "It's reaaaallly good if you get it when it's piping hot fresh from the oven." While another Reddit post made the astonishing claim that Costco pizza is "just the best pizza I've had in [the] USA." Costco's Combo Pizza, made with veggies, pepperoni, and sausage, was another casualty of the pandemic, disappearing from food courts in 2020. Fans were disappointed, and when a Reddit user asked the question, "Do y'all miss the combo pizza?" many responded in the affirmative, with one person commenting, "Do I miss the combo pizza? It's the only thing I think about." There is even an online petition with over 18,000 signatures asking Costco to bring back the Combo Pizza.

There was no formal statement from Costco explaining why they removed this popular menu item. Despite the fan feedback, although cheese and pepperoni versions are still available in the food court, the Combo Pizza has not returned. However, there is a way to get your Combo Pizza fix once again. Take-and-bake Combo Pizzas are now available for sale at Costco in the deli section.

Although you can still get an all-beef hot dog with a soda at Costco's food court for $1.50, the Polish dog has been off the menu since 2018. Polish dogs are similar to regular hot dogs but thicker with different spices, more like a kielbasa. While the hot dog remains a popular option (Costco reportedly sold 200 million hot dog and soda combos in 2023) the Polish dog is still missed by its fans. This Reddit user said, "I love the beef hotdog just as much as the next bloke, however, I've been really missing that Polish." An online petition has garnered over 16,000 signatures requesting the Polish dog stay on the menu.

Unlike many other discontinued items, Costco provides a reason for dropping its Polish dog. Its customer service page says the following, "In order to simplify our menu and make room for healthier options, we have decided to offer only the all-beef hot dog. Sales show this is what the majority of members prefer. Though we understand many members loved the Polish dog, we hope you enjoy our new offerings." If you're really craving a Costco Polish dog, Canadian locations still carry it. You can also buy a package of Kirkland Signature Beef Polish Sausages at Costco and make them at home.

The BBQ Beef Brisket Sandwich once sold for $4.99 at the Costco food court. Last seen in 2018, the brisket sandwich is gone but not forgotten. The sandwich was served on a white plate with a white cardboard ring surrounding it. Removing the ring unveiled a pillowy bun with a layer of coleslaw topped by a generous serving of shredded beef seasoned with a smoky barbecue sauce. An article from Business Insider said it was, "the best thing to order at Costco's wildly popular food court." The article went on to describe the beef as, "velvety brisket," while the coleslaw added a "nice crispness and picante note to every bite." On Reddit, Costco shoppers list it as one of the items they miss the most from the food court menu, with this Reddit user saying, "I know it's been a few years, but I still miss them."

As for why the popular item was discontinued, Costco never offered a formal explanation, so we can only theorize. It could be the time it took to prep the sandwich. This Costo employee on Reddit said, "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." Another reason may have been that Costo's menu shifted to healthier items the year the beef sandwich was discontinued with new offerings of organic burgers, plant-based protein, and açaí fruit bowls.

For a mere $3.99, Costco shoppers could once stop at the food court and order a hot turkey and provolone sandwich. This sandwich was made with oven-roasted turkey, provolone cheese, red onions, tomatoes, basil, garlic, and mayonnaise topped on a toasted roll. The whole thing was pressed in a panini, melting the cheese and toasting the bread. However, the sandwich was discontinued during the pandemic. Fans of the sandwich took to social media in the hopes of convincing Costco to bring it back with one Reddit user saying, "If you recall the days when you could purchase a Costco turkey & provolone sandwich after a hard day of shopping then you will agree with me. We need the hot turkey & provolone sandwich back!"

And in 2024, Costco did bring a turkey sandwich back. However, this new sandwich is served cold and costs $2 more than the original sandwich. The new offering is served with oven-roasted turkey, Swiss cheese, a sun-dried tomato spread, and a mayo-mustard concoction on a roll. However, fans of the original turkey sandwich remain unimpressed, with one Reddit user saying, "If it's not going through a panini press I don't think most people will be interested."

Costco's chocolate-dipped ice cream bar covered in chopped almonds was discontinued from the food court menu in 2013. For the low price of $1.50, Costco shoppers could satisfy their sweet tooth after their shopping trips with a Hand-Dipped Ice Cream Bar. According to Victor Valley News Group, Costco made the decision to remove the tasty treat to help cut back on costs due to the rising price of dairy and almonds at the time. Shoppers missed the bars so much that they even created a Facebook group with over 1,000 followers dedicated to bringing them back. Although it's been over a decade, fans have not forgotten the bars with one person on Reddit recently reminiscing, "Anybody remember the hand dipped ice cream bar?" This Reddit user responded, "Yeah. I dream about it everyday."

You can buy an 18-count box of Kirkland Signature Ice Cream Bars in the Costco frozen section which are vanilla ice cream dipped in chocolate and almonds. However, they aren't quite the same as a freshly hand-dipped bar. This Redditor said, "Please don't get the old hand dipped bars confused with the Kirkland brand bars in the freezer section. Although the Kirkland bars are very good, they really are a whole other product and ... don't compare whatsoever."

Costco's food court used to offer a sweet cinnamon and powdered sugar-sprinkled soft pretzel. It's been close to 20 years since the sweet soft pretzel left the menu, replaced by the cinnamon churro, which is also now discontinued. In 2006, shoppers began reporting the Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel had been replaced by churros in stores around the country. Yet shoppers still have fond memories of the sweet pretzel along with a savory version. One Redditor said, "Those were so good! I'd forgotten about them." With another commenting, "I miss the soft pretzels! My location offered them without salt too, which I loved as a kid."

Costco did not offer an explanation as to why they cut the soft pretzels from the menu. We can only speculate it may have been a cost-saving measure. If you've ever watched Auntie Anne's employees rolling out dough and forming pretzels, you can imagine pretzel making is a time-intensive process.

Admittedly, Costco's Açaí Bowl was not without controversy. This short-lived item arrived in 2018 and disappeared in 2020. The Açaí Bowl cost $5 and was made with a Sambazon açaí mix topped with fresh berries, banana chips, and granola mix. The Açaí Bowls were one food court item that was plant-based and completely vegan. While some shoppers loved it, others had different opinions. This Redditor said, "I feel like people either loved or hated it, but I miss the Açaí Bowl that they used to have at the food court. It was my favorite." However, one person responded, "It was the worst Açaí bowl I've ever had. Good riddance." 

As to whether it was actually healthy, Women's Health Magazine was unable to obtain nutritional information from Costco with a local manager telling the magazine that stat sheets on the item were "unavailable." He said, "All we know is that, out of all the desserts we serve, it's a lower-sugar option." Although the bowl did offer fresh fruit, nutritionists complained of too many carbs, too much sugar, and not enough protein. Others thought the açaí mix tasted artificial, and ruined the entire bowl.

The Costco food court has been offering soft-serve ice cream and sundaes since 2020 with cups selling for $1.49 and sundaes for $2.49. The soft-serve ice cream replaced the previous non-fat frozen yogurt option. The two flavor choices were vanilla and strawberry. However, in 2024, Costco began offering a chocolate soft-serve option. The catch is that the chocolate flavor replaced strawberry. For chocolate ice cream lovers, this was a welcome change. But there are plenty of Costco shoppers sad to see the strawberry ice cream go. One person commented on an Instagram post discussing the change, "Nooooooooo, the strawberry one is so flipping good!! It's like frozen strawberry quik!!" With another person saying, "The strawberry is my absolute favorite." However, not everyone felt the same with one person responding, "Too bad strawberry lovers. Some of us prefer chocolate."

We don't have official word on why Costco ditched the strawberry ice cream. However, we can speculate that the soft-serve machines only allow for two flavors. While vanilla is a staple, strawberry came after chocolate in a recent survey done by the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA). Vanilla was number one, chocolate came in second, with strawberry coming in third. It could be Costco hopes to sell more ice cream by offering the most popular choice of flavor.

Costco's Carne Asada Bake, once sold for $3.79, has not been seen in over 10 years. Debuting in 2010, it was a short-lived product, around for only a little over a year. With a crispy dough wrapping similar to Costco's popular chicken bake, the filling was carne asada, pico de gallo, guacamole, and melted cheese. Despite its short life span, the Carne Asada Bake had its share of fans. One Redditor recently remembered the bake fondly saying it was "one of the best things that the food court came up with." While another person commented, "I vaguely remember this. It's like a salty distant dream." Though some remember the Carne Asada Bake fondly, others have different memories of the item. This Redditor said, "Wasn't a fan of this one, hot avocado is almost as gross as an avocado shake."

Whether you loved it or hated it or don't remember it, the Carne Asada Bake is now gone and unlikely to return. By 2012, reports were out that the Carne Asada Bake had been discontinued, replaced by another item, the beloved turkey and provolone sandwich (which is also now discontinued.) If you're looking for an authentic Carne Asada dish you can check out this recipe.

In 2017, Costco began selling an Organic Cheeseburger for $4.99 in its food court that was said to be similar to burgers from Shake Shack. It was a ⅓ pound beef patty on a Challah hamburger bun topped with cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and a smoke-infused Thousand Island dressing. The cheeseburger wasn't sold across the nation but could be found in select markets. In 2020 shoppers reported seeing signs that the cheeseburger was being discontinued. One Costco warehouse location in California had a sign during a remodel that stated, "Thank you for enjoying our organic cheeseburger over the past year. This was a test item and will no longer be served when we reopen." 

Although Costco did not specify why the test didn't work, this Redditor speculated, "A meat buyer I know (who's now retired) worked on the development of the food court burger. He told me a couple months ago it was going to be discontinued because 'it's not sustainable.'" Though not in every market and less well known than other food court discontinued items, some Costco shoppers still miss the cheeseburger with one Reddit user asking if anyone saw the burger at other locations and saying, "I miss my dang cheeseburger!"

It's hard to imagine being able to grab a cone filled with freshly made gelato after doing your shopping at a membership warehouse club, but Costco shoppers could once buy Fresh Made Gelato cones straight from the food court. Starting in 2009, for just $1.50, you could get three generous scoops of gelato inside a waffle cone. Or, you could buy a quart for $4.99. There were three flavors available; mixed berry, pistachio, and stracciatella. This amazing item was only available in select markets and never made it nationwide. 

However, those who were able to get their hands on the delicious treat have fond memories. This Redditor said, "I would plan my errands so that I would pass by Costco, stop grab a cone, and live my happy life." Although freshly made gelato at a lower price sounds like a dream, we can imagine that Costco decided to move to more cost-saving and convenient items, like its soft serve ice cream.