9 Costco Items Garnering Thousands of Customer Complaints Right Now

All Costco members must pay an annual fee just for the privilege of shopping there, so it should come as no surprise that customers care a lot about the quality of their groceries.

Costco shoppers are always taking to social media to fawn over the products they adore. (Mixed Berry Streusel Cheesecake, Ruprecht Irish Stew, and heirloom pumpkins are among the items that have been garnering rave reviews lately.) On the other hand, Costco customers will also make it very clear when they feel a certain product doesn't meet the mark on taste, quality, or value.

Recently, some Costco products have been receiving an especially high number of shopper complaints. So, we've rounded up nine items garnering the most criticism over the past few months, racking up thousands of complaints altogether in Costco's dedicated forum on Reddit.

As always, shoppers should keep in mind that tastes can vary widely and every Costco product likely has both fans and critics. However, all of the following items are ones that many members have complained about—indicating a wider consensus that they have some room for improvement.

Food Court Fountain Drinks

The Costco food court's fountain drinks are exceedingly affordable at just 69 cents per cup, but shoppers say the quality of these beverages tends to be very inconsistent. In a recent Reddit discussion with over 300 comments, one customer even declared them "the worst fountain drinks" they'd ever tried.

"At least in my area, our fountains are the worst of any I have ever used. The flavor ratio tastes like when normal machines are slightly out of syrup. And it takes 90 seconds to fill a cup because within 15% of volume being filled the foam is overflowing. Carbonation and flavor are both F's," the shopper wrote.

"Continuously awful and poorly managed," another lamented in agreement.

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Realgood Chicken & Pepper Jack Cheese Burritos

Costco shoppers have been criticizing Realgood-brand foods for years—and the latest Realgood offering to face member scrutiny is Chicken & Pepper Jack Cheese Burritos. In a recent Reddit discussion with over 300 comments, the taste and texture of the frozen meal received a barrage of complaints from Costco customers.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

"I found these bland and flavorless," a Redditor commented.

"The chicken's consistency is gross, like bad canned chicken," another critic lamented on Reddit.

To be clear, not all Costco shoppers agree that the burritos are a must-skip. Realgood's foods are designed to be low in carbs, high in protein, and contain no added sugar, and some Costco shoppers say these are a great option for more specialized diets. At the same time, there's no denying the contempt that other Costco members hold for the Chicken & Pepper Jack Cheese Burritos.

"They look delicious on the box, but everything I've bought from the Realgood brand has been disappointing," a Redditor wrote.

Fresh Produce

While all grocery items are likely to have both fans and critics, Costco's fresh produce is a product category that consistently garners fierce criticism from shoppers. Specifically, members say that Costco's fruits and vegetables tend to spoil way faster than those at rival retailers. And because Costco sells produce in bulk, this can result in a lot of wasted food and money.

Recently, a shopper slammed the Earthbound Organic Caesar Salad Kits sold at Costco in a Reddit discussion with more than 60 replies.

"I'm so disappointed because this used to be my favorite Caesar salad kit," a customer captioned a photo of a half-rotten salad. "Within the past eight months or so, it has gone downhill drastically. The lettuce is always bad and the dressing is so inconsistent."

In another recent Reddit thread, a customer said they'd purchased a bag of organic Brussels sprouts from Costco only to find that "over half of them were eastern by bugs." The post received dozens of comments, many from shoppers who shared similar complaints about Costco's produce.

"Costco has the worst produce—period. I've never been satisfied with any single produce product. I don't even try anymore," a Redditor commented.

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Kirkland Signature Sparkling Water

Costco's Kirkland Signature Sparkling Water has garnered rave reviews for its flavor and value in the past. But recently, shoppers have been reporting that some cans have absolutely no fizz—an essential element in any sparkling water.

"I've had at least one dud in every other flat since May-ish," a shopper commented in a Reddit discussion about the product.

"Yes, been getting 1-2 per case," another wrote.

While the issue typically seems to affect up to a couple cans per case, one member has reported purchasing a 35-count variety pack where more than half the beverages were flat.

Butter Chicken with Naan Bread

Costco's deli department churns out a myriad of options that customers adore, from the $4.99 rotisserie chicken to the ultra-convenient chicken street taco kits. However, a new offering that recently debuted at Costco's deli—butter chicken with naan bread—has been failing to win over many shoppers.

Customers have described the flavor of the dish as "very meh" and overly salty. Plus, some shoppers had major complaints about the meat itself and Costco's price for the item. The butter chicken meal kits have been spotted selling for $5.99 per pound, which adds up to around $14 to $16 for the full dish.

"I wouldn't buy this at $5.99 let alone $5.99 a pound," a Redditor commented.

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Tandoori Chicken Wrap

Costco's butter chicken kit isn't the only deli item facing a major backlash from shoppers lately. Over the summer, the department rolled out new Tandoori Chicken Wraps with a mint yogurt sauce for dipping.

The wraps did receive some praise—and I thought they were decently tasty in an Eat This, Not That! taste test. However, many Costco shoppers have shared scathingly negative reviews for them in Reddit discussions with dozens of comments apiece.

"NOT GOOD. I just bought these for lunch today. They are bland, mushy, and not satisfying to eat. The chicken was more like chopped chicken mush. It was not chunks or strips of chicken and very light on tandoori flavor," one Redditor wrote.

"So much meh," another said.

Food Court Chicken & Bacon Sandwich

Costco's food courts can't seem to create a sandwich that's worthy of shoppers' approval lately. Following the launch of a controversial roast beef sandwich in 2023 and a similarly criticized turkey sandwich earlier this year, Costco's food courts introduced a new chicken and bacon sandwich over the summer that immediately had shoppers irked.

In one Reddit discussion with nearly 300 comments, some complained that the sandwich wasn't all that exciting in comparison to the unique items available at food courts in other countries.

"It's like they don't even try with our U.S. food court anymore," one shopper commented on a Reddit thread about the new sandwich.

Others took issue with the calorie count (920) and criticized the ciabatta bread used in the sandwich.

"I can't believe people like 'bread' like that. It's so dry, spongey and tasteless," a Redditor wrote.

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Kirkland Signature Lightly Breaded Chicken Breast Chunks

While Costco's Kirkland Signature Lightly Breaded Chicken Breast Chunks gained many fans after they first hit shelves last year, some believe the nuggets have started to drop in quality recently.

In a Reddit thread that racked up dozens of comments over the summer, shoppers complained of textural issues and blood spots in the popular nuggets.

"I swear these things were literally perfect quality a few months ago. The bag I just got has undercooked batter on the insides, and some [gristly] pieces too," a Redditor lamented.

"I get random nuggs that have hard spots in them. It's not cartilage either it's just unnaturally rubbery," another said.

Some shoppers even said they've stopped buying the Kirkland nuggets altogether and made the switch to another popular brand sold at Costco—Just Bare.

Kirkland Signature Bath Tissue

No list of highly-criticized Costco products would be complete without Kirkland Signature Bath Tissue, a product that has faced customer backlash for years now. Members believe that the bath tissue dropped in quality some time around the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, they say it tears too easily, has a ton of linty debris, and isn't as soft.

"​​Their [toilet paper] quality declined MASSIVELY after COVID. Had to switch to Charmin," a Redditor commented.

Another shopper declared it the "worst" Kirkland Signature product of all.