10 Costco Items Garnering Thousands of Customer Complaints Right Now

We've long since passed the time when humans had to hunt and forage for their food. But nowadays, people have to deal with a whole different animal in order to put meals on the table: the grocery store.

Being a consumer requires trust and a little financial risk. The foods and beverages you'll find at a grocery store are all prepared, grown, or produced by other people, so you can't personally vouch for them until you've tried them yourself. And there are few things quite as frustrating as shelling out your hard-earned dollars for grocery items that don't end up delivering good quality and value.

Luckily for anyone who shops at Costco or is considering getting a membership, the warehouse club has built up a devoted community of fans on social media, particularly on Reddit. The online discussions among these fans can give you a great sense of which Costco items are popular, and—perhaps more importantly—which Costco items shoppers prefer to avoid. So, we've rounded up all the Costco products that are garnering the most online criticism right now, racking up thousands of complaints altogether on Costco's Reddit forum.

Of course, it's important to note that everyone's tastes vary. A food item that one shopper dislikes could easily be adored by another. But the following 10 items have been receiving an especially high number of complaints in comparison to their peers lately.

Snapdragon Chicken Pad Thai

The Snapdragon Chicken Pad Thai sold at Costco has become quite the divisive item among members. Some think that it's a tasty—or at least serviceable—alternative to getting takeout from their local Thai restaurant. However, others have often slammed the taste and quality of the premade meal. The item received a fresh wave of negative reviews in a recent Reddit thread that has racked up more than 450 comments.

"We had to throw it away. It was awful," one shopper commented.

"This is by far the worst thing I've ever bought from Costco," another declared.

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Tipiak Garlic Cheese Bread

Bread and cheese are typically a heavenly pairing, but shoppers have had trouble getting behind the Tipiak Pull Apart Cheese Bread sold at Costco.

When a shopper took to Reddit this past December to ask fellow members if they'd recommend the item, the answer was largely a resounding "no." The post now has more than 300 comments from other Redditors, many of whom complained that the appetizer was "bland," didn't have enough cheese, and didn't heat up very well.

"Genuinely the worst product I have ever tried from Costco. Definitely avoid!" one shopper warned.

"You could probably make your own melty cheese bread just like this with significantly better ingredients," another commented.

Double Chocolate Chunk Cookie

To be clear, the new Double Chocolate Chunk Cookie that debuted at Costco's food court in late December 2023 has gotten significant praise. Some shoppers have touted it as "delicious" and "insanely huge," and I thought it was close to perfect when I recently sampled it for the first time.

Still, there's a significant cohort of Costco shoppers who have fiercely critiqued the new food court item in scores of Reddit threads that have racked up hundreds of comments apiece. Many have slammed the sizable cookie as "way too rich" due to all the butter and chocolate in the dough, while others think the $2.49 price tag is far too high for the dessert.

"$2.50 for a cookie doesn't add up when a hot dog and drink is $1.50, and pizza is $1.99," one shopper noted on Reddit, referencing the prices for Costco's food court hot dog combo and pizza slices.

Meanwhile, other members haven't been able to get behind the cookie because they miss the Twisted Churro that it replaced too fiercely.

"No thanks. Bring back the churros," a Redditor wrote.

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Del Real Foods Pork Tamales

While some Costco shoppers say the Del Real Foods Pork Tamales are a decent alternative to homemade tamales, others have major issues with the product. Many members sounded off against the item in a recent Reddit thread with nearly 200 comments, complaining that the masa is too hard and there isn't enough filling. Others said that the tamales lack flavor.

"They are definitely more masa than filling, which is definitely not what you want from a tamale," a Redditor commented.

"One of the very few purchases I've returned," another said.

Fresh produce

Customer complaints about Costco's fruits and veggies aren't anything new, but the retailer's produce has been receiving a fresh wave of criticism in recent months.

In a recent Reddit thread that has racked up more than 460 comments, members specifically sounded off against Costco's avocados. They complained that the Peruvian avocados tend to go from underripe to overripe in the blink of an eye, rendering them unusable. Members say they usually have better luck with avocados grown in Mexico or California, but prefer to stay clear of the ones grown in Peru for that reason.

"I have never gotten a good batch from Peru. We stopped buying them," one shopper lamented.

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Kirkland Signature House Blend Whole Bean Coffee

While some Costco shoppers staunchly defend the Kirkland Signature House Blend Whole Bean Coffee, many members have sounded off against the product recently in Reddit threads racking up dozens or hundreds of comments apiece. The biggest complaint is that the beans seem to be roasted too long for a coffee that's technically supposed to be a medium roast. Critics say this results in an unpleasant "bitter" or burnt flavor.

"I tried this one and thought it seemed VERY dark for something that's supposed to be more of a medium roast. Not much of a fan," one Redditor wrote.

"My wife and I made exactly two batches of coffee with this and threw it out. Normally we aren't that picky and are just fine with 'cheaper' coffee but this was intolerable," another said.

Kirkland Signature Paper Towels

Not all paper towels are created equal—and many Costco shoppers say that the current quality of the Kirkland Signature Paper Towels simply isn't what it used to be.

A few months back, shoppers noticed that the Kirkland paper towel rolls in Costco's big packs were no longer individually wrapped. Not only that, but members also claimed in a recent Reddit thread with dozens of comments that the towels were stiffer and less absorbent than they used to be. Some have stopped buying the product altogether as a result.

"We have switched back to Bounty after using [Kirkland Signature] for a couple of years," one shopper commented.

"They're terrible now. I noticed when I could no longer use them to season my cast iron without them shredding. I buy the Bounty now, even when they're not on sale," another shared.

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Kirkland Signature Brisket Burnt End

Many of the food items from Costco's house brand, Kirkland Signature, are beloved among shoppers for their quality and value. However, the Kirkland Signature Brisket Burnt Ends have developed a pretty poor reputation among Costco shoppers.

In a recent Reddit thread that has garnered more than 150 comments, many customers slammed the texture and taste of the premade meat item.

"I did not like it. Tough, chewy, and flavor is just okay. Definitely not worth it," one Redditor commented.

"I bought them once and swore never again," another wrote.

Real Good Foods Chicken & Pepperjack Cheese Burritos

Real Good Foods' products aren't strangers to complaints from Costco shoppers—and the latest item to get slammed with criticism was the brand's Chicken & Pepperjack Cheese Burritos.

In a recent Reddit thread with more than 270 comments, many complained that the taste and texture of the filling left a lot to be desired. One shopper, for example, compared the burrito's contents to "sludge."

To be fair, many shoppers have pointed out that Real Good specializes in low-carb items that shouldn't be expected to taste like non-diet food. Some even say they genuinely enjoy the brand's food products. But for others, these burritos have become a hard pass.

"Tried one and threw the rest out," one shopper commented.

"Bought them once, never again," another said.

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Kirkland Signature Bath Tissue

Costco customers began reporting in 2022 that the quality of the Kirkland Signature Bath Tissue had suddenly plummeted in quality. Many have complained in the years since that the household staple isn't quite as soft as it used to be, tears too easily, and is extra linty now. The item once again came under fire in a recent Reddit thread with more than 230 comments from unhappy shoppers.

"It's gone down in quality over the years. We use the Charmin brand they have in stock," one Redditor said of the Kirkland bath tissue.

"It's terrible. Creates too much dust. Had to double check the brand because I was shocked that Costco sold an item of this bad quality," another wrote.

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