The Pull-Apart Cheese Bread That Costco Shoppers Aren't Impressed By

Fans of Costco are clearly in love with the chain's wide selection of bulk products, which combine savings with convenience when shopping for groceries. Customers also praise the quality of the products found at the warehouse retail giant, and extremely popular items usually don't stick around for very long. However, not everything at Costco is a bona fide winner, according to shoppers, and folks on Instagram don't seem to have a whole lot of love for the store's Tipiak Pull Apart Cheese Bread.

While the bread was said to contain "garlic & herbs" and was described as "delicious" in the post, commenters weren't fully onboard. As one person succinctly put it, "These are nasty." Another commenter went into a bit more detail, stating, "If you like cardboard flavored food this is for you." The same commenter also said they attempted to enhance the flavor by "adding more butter cheese and garlic" but still weren't happy with the outcome. Other choice comments described the bread as "terrible," "very heavy," and "disgusting."

Tipiak, the company behind Costco's much-derided cheese bread, first got its start in 1967. Tipiak's focus is on the manufacturing of grocery staples and frozen items, as well as dessert products. In fact, you may have seen the brand's variety pack of French macarons on Costco shelves at some point, which was received much better than the company's pull-apart bread. According to a Reddit commenter, Tipiak macarons were "A joy to taste. Difficult to stop eating."

So, where did Tipiak go wrong with its cheesy pull-apart bread, which is typically a crowd-pleaser? One major issue could be the type of cheese used. Many recipes use mozzarella, as mozzarella is quite stretchy, a requisite quality of a great pull-apart bread. On the other hand, Tipiak's bread features a soft cheese similar to brie or cream cheese, which left most Costco members unhappy with both the flavor and the stretchiness of the cheese.

Retailing for $12.99, Costco's pull-apart bread is definitely not among the chain's most affordable products. Accordingly, unhappy shoppers may wonder what they can do to recoup their losses after taking a chance on Tipiak. Per Costco, the store offers members a "risk-free 100% satisfaction guarantee" that's good for many items sold by the chain. There are some exceptions, including alcohol, electronics, and customized products, but you can return unused portions of food in many cases.

To return an item, take the remaining portion and your receipt, if available, to the Costco customer service desk. You can also request a refund for an item purchased online through the website. Keep in mind that an excessive number of returns can cause Costco to discontinue your membership, which some members learned the hard way. However, no one should have to suffer the indignity of a lackluster pull-apart bread, especially at such a high price point.

To gain insight into the popularity of a product like Costco's pull-apart cheese bread, Daily Meal sources information from various social media sites. Consumers are eager to share their opinions of the stores they patronize and the products they buy via platforms like Instagram and Reddit, and their opinions can help other people make smart decisions when it comes to their own purchases.