13 Discontinued Products From Costco We Wish We Had Back

For those who love to shop in bulk or get products their normal grocery stores might not have, Costco is the absolute best place to go. The best thing about Costco is its variety. You can head there to stock up on groceries for weeks, but you can also get pharmaceutical items, electronics, computers, furniture, outdoor living, appliances, jewelry, and so much more.

Since the first location opened in 1976, Costco's membership warehouse club has grown to hundreds of locations worldwide. The store prides itself on bringing the best possible prices to quality, brand-name merchandise. Most Costcos even offers a food court, so if you get tired of shopping and need a snack break, you can sit and eat.

Because of the wide array of items, walking around Costco is somewhat of an event. You spend a lot of time browsing and often come across products or items you might not have put on your shopping list, but cannot seem to leave the store without.

The downside of the store's longevity, however, is that a lot of fan favorites have gone the way of the dodo. Below, a trip down memory lane with 13 discontinued Costco products that we all desperately wish we had back.

Some Costco products are not brand names, but specific to the Costco wholesale store. One such item was the Costco All-American Chocolate Cake, a rich, hearty dessert with a thick, creamy chocolate frosting decorated in gorgeous ripples and spirals on the top, and chocolate flakes plastered to the sides. 

For decades, the cake became a staple of the Costco catalog, a quick buy for birthdays, holidays, and other special occasions. However, the All-American Chocolate Cake was officially discontinued in 2020, and there has been no plans for its return.

Outrage over the All-American Chocolate Cake being discontinued was plentiful and, frankly, not shocking. There was even a change.org petition organized to bring back the cake, which has garnered more than 8,000 signatures to date. The closest replacement that Costco offers these days is David's Cookies Premier Chocolate Cake. But frankly, that cake can't compare when it comes to taste.

Part of the huge appeal of a long shopping trip at Costco — especially for children dragged there by their parents — is the food court. Menu items like hot dogs, chicken bake, and turkey sandwiches are perfect for your lunch or dinner needs, and their twisted churros and various ice cream flavors make for a delicious dessert or snack. 

One item that was a long-ago sought after treat from the Costco food court were Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels, which were discontinued more than a decade ago. These pretzels were soft, with a thick coating of cinnamon and powdered sugar that turned the savory pretzel into a delicious dessert.

However, this treat can no longer be found. In 2013, one Costco customer posted on Costco's Facebook page, pleading with them to reconsider. "Please Costco, you are messing with lives here," read the post. "Bring back the pretzels." 

Technically, the Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels were replaced with the food court's cinnamon twisted churros. The taste is quite different, with the churro having a crispier, more intense coating of sugar. Compared with the well balanced Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel, the churro is a bit disappointing.

Another dearly departed Costco food court staple is its Hand Dipped Ice Cream Bars. Back in the day, you could watch Costco food court employees take the vanilla ice cream on a stick, hand-dip it in chocolate, and coat it in toasted almonds. Part of the appeal of the dish was watching it go from plain vanilla ice cream to a more complex, delicious treat right before your eyes.

The Hand Dipped Ice Cream Bars are another product whose discontinuation was met with disappointment. Just like the All-American Chocolate Cake, the Hand Dipped Ice Cream bar had a change.org petition created in its defense, garnering over 1,800 signatures. Costco loyalists were upset that the treat was gone, but also because it was so affordable at $1.50. One Reddit user even warned customers by posting, "Please don't get the old hand dipped bars confused with the Kirkland brand bars in the freezer section," warning that these bars do not compare to the Costco food court's version.

Part of Costco's efforts to ease the blow of discontinued food court items has always been to conceptualize new products to take their place. One example of this was the Chocolate Frozen Yogurt, offered in an attempt to help ease the pain of the fallen Hand Dipped Ice Cream bars.

Ultimately, the Chocolate Frozen Yogurt might be remembered as one of the best "replacements" in Costco history. This delicious treat was less intense than ice cream, but thicker than soft serve. The chocolate flavor was a much better choice than the vanilla, and perfect captured the texture of ice cream.

Like the All-American Chocolate Cake and the Hand Dipped Ice Cream Bar, the Chocolate Frozen Yogurt eventually was retired itself — and like those other products, a petition-wielding group of malcontents organized themselves in opposition. One Costco patron even made a blog post talking about how disappointed they were to see the Chocolate Frozen Yogurt go. "Something as plain vanilla [as] plain vanilla is not going to do it for me. Bye, bye Costco!"  

The chain eventually decided to replace the Chocolate Frozen Yogurt with an acai bowl complete with fruit and granola, hoping that would satiate the food court customers. This fruity treat, though delicious, was not enough to make patrons forget about the beloved Chocolate Frozen Yogurt. One Reddit user posted a picture of the replacement Chocolate Frozen Yogurt, and said: "Swirl yogurt cup will never be the same again."

Moving past the sweet treats, Costco also has many products ideal for substantial meals. One is an array of frozen burgers, and among them was once a turkey burger that Costco carried called the Kirkland Turkey Burger. It was discontinued several years ago. 

These burgers came in a 12 count bag, made with premium, extra-lean, all-natural meat. They were gluten free, and had very little fat content.

While the burgers became a staple of the Costco burger scene — a great substitute for those who don't eat red meat or are looking for a healthier alternative — The Kirkland Turkey Burgers were replaced by the Columbus Seasoned Turkey Burgers, which are higher in fat content, and many would say not as delicious as the Kirkland Turkey Burgers. 

After the sunsetting of the Kirkland-brand burgers, one Reddit user took to the platform to ask if anyone knew where they could find them. "Anyone know what happened to the Kirkland turkey burgers?" they wrote. "They were amazing but haven't been around for a few years now." 

Naturally, among the main benefits of shopping at Costco is you can get your items in bulk. Stand outside and you'll see large cases of water, soda, and other options weighing down shopping carts as they go past. One of the more popular beverages from yesteryear, however, is no longer offered: Kirkland Iced Green Tea bottles, which were sold in a pack of 35. 

Once upon a time, these bottles of Iced Green Tea were a great way to drink something refreshing, not too sugary, with a dash of citrus. Now, they are gone.

Part of the convenience with these bottles was that you didn't have to brew the tea yourself. As opposed to Kirkland Green Tea Bags, and those who would brew their own green tea at home, the taste of the bottled Iced Green Tea was wholly unique. The citrus taste contrasted with the tea, making for what many considered the superior taste. 

"There is a quality control issue from the manufacturer," one Reddit user posited in 2018. "Once it is rectified the tea will return to (warehouses) once supply returns." A half-decade later, folks are still waiting; don't hold your breath.

Though the Costco food court can brings happiness and deliciousness to those who patronize it, there is often some degree of disappointment as people show up expecting to order a favorite, only to find it discontinued. 

Another fallen item from the food court menu is the BBQ Brisket Sandwich, once a mealtime staple for Costco shoppers, albeit the most expensive item on the individual serving menu at a whopping $4.99. When you took the cardboard packaging off, the beef brisket spilled out of the bun's openings in abundance. The delicious barbecue sauce and the crunchy, fresh taste of the coleslaw paired beautifully with the brisket and the soft, golden bun.

This sandwich may have been one of the best you could get from a chain. In 2018 Business Insider wrote: "The beef brisket sandwich is, by far, the best thing at Costco, period." 

Today, Reddit posters commiserate over how much they miss the BBQ Brisket Sandwich; one was even spotted begging for the recipe to recreate the sandwich for a friend's birthday. There is no direct replacement for this sandwich, likely because it was really unhealthy in the first place, and Costco is trying to move towards a healthier menu.

As Costco loyalists are well aware, Kirkland brand makes many different kinds of frozen pizzas. But one pie ruled the roost for years: The "Take and Bake," available in pepperoni and cheese varieties that were popular for their compatibility with those feed-the-family-fast moments. Unlike frozen pizza — which required defrosting and a significant expenditure of time — Take and Bake was an easy way to feed everyone in your home. Oddly enough, at a time when people were more together under one roof than any other in recent memory, it was the COVID-19 pandemic that seemed to wipe away the Kirkland Take and Bake.

Customers were sad to see the familiar pizza go. While obvious would-be replacements include a variety of brand-name frozen pizzas and the food court pizza slices, neither is as good an option to feed your whole family at home in such a quick way. The Kirkland Take and Bake pizza is deeply missed — for many Costco shoppers, it will always have a pizza their heart.

It's no secret that Costco has many dessert options, but it's always sad when one of the staples vanishes. There was the aforementioned All-American Chocolate Cake, the Hand Dipped Ice Cream Bars and it's hard to forget the Schwartz Brothers Lemon Bars. 

These lemon bars were a delicious take on a classic dessert. Boasting a shortbread crust twist, the Schwartz Brothers brand layered their yumminess with sweet, tangy lemon filling and topped it with the ideal ratio of powdered sugar to lemony tang — so, it's no surprise that the demise of these lemon bars left shoppers with a sour taste in their mouths.

In the summer of 2022, these bars vanished like a sock in a clothes dryer. There was no clear replacement (Fiber One lemon bars offered a bland attempt), and shoppers found their sweet tooths going unsatisfied. The good news is that the bars are still listed on the brand's website, offering hope that they could someday make a Lazarus-like return from the dead.

Another Kirkland product gone but not forgotten, the Strawberry Margarita made with Gold Tequila harnessed 100% cane sugar, triple sec liqueur, and real lime juice to put an at-the-ready cocktail within arm's reach should friends should ever stop by unexpectedly and start blasting Jimmy Buffet songs. A ready-to-drink delight, the only thing you had to really concern yourself with was whether to drink it with or without a salted rim. 

A relatively recent casualty, Costco discontinued the adult beverage at the start of 2023 — denying would be consumers like a disapproving convenience store clerk confronted with a "McLovin'" driver's license. Customers were disappointed with the absence of this convenient, delicious, quite affordable party night pick up, but could perhaps console themselves with news that the Golden Margarita is still on shelves. So mix that with some strawberry puree if you must, round up your local parrot heads, and pour one out in memory of the Kirkland Signature Strawberry Margarita made with Gold Tequila.

The s'more is always a popular dessert, either around a summer campfire or in the backyard. Which is what made it particularly puzzling when Costco decided to discontinue theirs.

Everybody knows the magic that comes together when graham crackers, chocolate bars, and marshmallows come together for a delightful, roasted treat. Less delightful, however, can be the act of assembling s'mores, requiring sticky fingers, a fire of some sort, and substantial clean-up. So, Costco sold Eli's S'mores Squares, offsetting such matters via a 24 count package that featured a rich chocolate ganache, a graham cracker crust, and lightly toasted mini marshmallows. Just take them out and enjoy.

Though these squares flew off the shelves, Costco decided to discontinue the item in the fall of '22. People were posting about them on YouTube and other forms of social media, but these days s'mores fans have to rely on Costco carrying the supplies to make their own. Costco also carries the Fannie May S'mores Snack Mix, a decent replacement option. The Eli's S'mores Squares were once the easiest, best tasting s'mores alternative around; keep an eye on the brand's website and who knows? Perhaps these s'mores squares could someday once again burn bright.

The next fallen snack comes not from Kirkland, but Kellogg's. 

Anybody who's ever watched a "Scooby Doo" show has likely hungered for the Scooby Snacks that always seem to motivate the crime-solving dog, Scooby Doo Grahams offered not only a twist on graham cracker treat, but also a fun way for kiddos (and perhaps a few grown-ups) to re-create their favorite Mystery Machine adventures.

The graham cracker sticks resembled bones, and were made with whole grain and cinnamon. They came in packs, usually 12 of them, and made a great snack.

Now, with Scooby Doo Grahams gone, there's no real replacement unless you just want to go with traditional graham crackers. Which is a shame, because the Scooby Doo Grahams had a thicker texture, a cinnamon finish and a fun gimmick that that took the taste of a graham cracker and elevated it a bit. 

Costco's loss, however, might be another chain's gain: Other stores still carry the Kellogg's Scooby Doo Grahams; you can even order them through Amazon.

Over the decades, Costco's food court has undergone many; one of the biggest upheavals came via the pizza menu. 

Costco has long offered pizza by the slice, with cheese and pepperoni undoubtedly its best sellers. Also popular, however, is the Costco Combination Pizza, or to the layman: A pizza with everything. The pizza came with just about every meat and vegetable you could imagine, resulting in a hearty, substantial pie, available either by the slice or in its entirety. 

When Costco go rid of it, shoppers took to social media to voice their displeasure. "Who tf at Costco was like yeah let's get rid of the combo pizza?" one Twitter user fumed.

Of course, the combo pizza received the obligatory Change.org petition, garnering more than 15,000 signatures. "The termination of combo pizza from Costco Food Courts nationwide is not only saddening," wrote the petition's author. "But total madness, and just straight up WRONG." 

If you're still mourning the descent of "total madness" upon your local Costco food court, you could always drown your tears in a frozen pizza section alternative. But in the eyes of Costco loyalists, the demise of the combo pizza has left them feeling up in the air.