1. Chicken Pad Thai
Who doesn't love some good old Thai food? Chicken Pad Thai, in particular, is one of the most popular Thai dishes out there. If you're a fan of Thai and a Costco shopper, you may be intrigued and delighted to find Snapdragon Chicken Pad Thai on shelves—but shoppers warn that this store-bought option simply can't compare to the real deal you'd find at your favorite restaurant. In fact, it may not compare to any Pad Thai anywhere.
"Snap Dragon Pad Thai, don't do it," reads one Reddit post. "We live in the middle of nowhere with no Thai restaurants for 50 miles at least. I was craving Pad Thai and grabbed this at Costco. I knew it wouldn't be amazing but it was really not good. Even if you are tempted, don't do it."
And it seems like this user isn't the only person with this opinion. Many chimed in to echo the same sentiment. "We had to throw it away. It was awful," says one comment. Another replied that it has a "strange rotten taste."
2. Sushi
Costco's fresh sushi can be tempting to pick up for an on-the-go meal or low-effort dinner, but heed superfans' warning: it's not always the best quality.
"Their sushi is possibly the worst I've ever had," one person wrote. "It is below gas station grade. The rice was both gummy in parts and hard in others. The only good thing I can say about it was it surprisingly didn't make me violently ill."
"This," another person agreed. "I literally spit it out and threw it all in the garbage." "100% absolutely gross," warned another. "Just awful. Stay away!"
3. Kirkland Bacon
One Costco customer took to Reddit to see if anyone else noticed the decrease in the quality of Kirkland bacon. Writing with the pen name @MCMDigital, the customer titled their thread, "The Bacon is Garbage Now!" and posted it in the Costco subreddit.
"Has anyone else noticed the quality of bacon getting really bad the last few years?" @MCMDigital asked. "I am noticing inconsistent slicing, too much fat, some slices are even paper thin!"
The bacon they're referring to is the Kirkland Sliced Bacon that's Naturally Hickory Smoked and comes in a 1lb package. While many customers opt for this Kirkland-branded bacon because it's Costco's very own brand and often comes at the best price, it's looking like the great price isn't worth how poor the quality is.
"The fat content is ridiculous," one person wrote on the Reddit thread. "You can't even separate them sometimes because the fat just sticks and then separated onto the other piece. There is next to no meat just fat." "Yes!" another person agreed. "We quit buying it about 6 months ago because the quality was horrible! It started during Covid and just got worse."
4. Rotisserie Chicken
The iconic Costco rotisserie chicken, often lauded for its affordability and convenience, has its detractors. The original poster of the Reddit thread expressed strong feelings against it, saying, "I'm not a fan of the rotisserie chicken. It has an aftertaste of cleaning solution."
While many rave about this popular item, not everyone is convinced. In fact, similar complaints of a "chemical" taste and even reports of stomach issues have been cropping up as of recent. While this one might ruffle some feathers, a good amount of Redditors suggested that the famous Costco Rotisserie Chicken is something to watch out for. "Tastes like chemicals," one person warned.
"Whatever they're injected with now makes us sick," another person agreed. "I've heard so many people rave about their rotisserie chickens but I hate them so much!" reads another comment. "The taste is so off to me! Idc that they're only $5, gross!"
5. Main St. Bistro Buffalo Mac and Cheese
This frozen meal has caused a divide between customers on the Costco subreddit, with some claiming it's "horrible tasting."
One user recently gave a review of Main St. Bistro Buffalo Macaroni and Cheese on Reddit, warning fellow Costco Members that they "do not recommend."
"On sale but they used horrible tasting cheese and there were hardly any noodles," they wrote in the post, which included an image of the frozen meal. In the comments, many chimed into echo this sentiment.
"Also tried this and would not recommend," one person wrote. "Honestly, it was cheese overload and very salty." "Strongly agree! My partner got this and it was not good. After a few bites I threw the rest away," complained another, while someone else confirmed: "Agree. It's nasty."
6. Bananas (And Other Produce)
This is one of the top complaints you'll find in nearly every discussion about Costco products online; their produce just doesn't last. Bananas are frequently cited as one of the worst culprits. As one person on Reddit pointed out, this may be mainly because, "I can't eat such large quantities before they go bad." However, many shoppers find the produce to be generally low in quality and shelf life.
"We just went to Costco on Sunday and our potatoes, brocolli, raspberries and zucchini were all spoiled within 2 days of getting home," says one Reddit post. "Pretty disappointed in their produce quality. I always look out for their stuff to go quickly but this was exceedingly fast."
7. Grab-and-Go Pinwheel Sandwich Platters
Pinwheel sandwich platters look appealing, but according to shoppers, they often disappoint in flavor.
One Redditor shared their frustration: "They look soooo good but are always incredibly bland and/or full of unexpected flavors (cranberry?!) and just never what I'm expecting. I forget about every 18 months or so and try again - just to be repulsed anew." Say it ain't so!
8. Chicken Pot Pie
Costco is known for their massive take-and-bake foods. These are great for picking up, throwing up in the oven, and serving to your family as an easy dinner—or adding to a spread for a party. Unfortunately, though, some people find that they don't always taste great. Such may be the case with Costco's chicken pot pie, which is too salty for some.
"The salt content too much for me to handle," wrote one shopper on Reddit. Another agreed: "I was so disappointed with how salty it is, and I am a salt lover. It's otherwise a great pot pie, but basically inedible for more than a bite or two because of the salt."
A fellow Costco member found this to be a wider issue among meals, saying, "Yeah unfortunately a lot of the ready-to-cook meals are waaaaay oversalted. We had to throw out the ravioli lasagna bake it was so salty."
9. Kirkland Brand Toilet Paper
Costco is oftentimes a good spot to pick up household essentials in bulk and save a few bucks. However, savings can't always be justified if the quality is lacking. According to some shoppers on Reddit, you're better off spending a bit more money on name brand toilet paper than stocking up on Kirkland's variety.
"Kirkland brand toilet paper is TERRIBLE," says one comment on a post, adding, "(I do, however, buy Charmin TP there.)" Many chimed in to agree, pointing out that the quality has declined and the toilet paper is now "linty." We'll stick to name brands, then!
10. Dishwasher Pods
Similar to toilet paper, Kirkland dishwasher pods may be one frugal option you're better off passing up if you want good quality. "I've had so many bad experiences with the Kirkland dishwasher pods that I won't give them any more chances," laments one Redditor.
"They did such a lousy job I switched back to Cascade Platinum, which works well," agreed another comment. Noted!
11. Kirkland Batteries
Batteries may be cheaper at Costco, but with the reduction in price apparently comes a reduction in quality.
"Kirkland batteries are awful," one person wrote on Reddit. "They leak like it is their job. I've had them leak, unused, in original packings inside of 18 months." "Agreed," another person shared. "They are awful. Battery acid in all my remotes and kids' toys. Not worth it!"
And leaking isn't the only issue. They apparently don't last as long as other battery brands either. "I can confirm that they don't last long," one person wrote. "Had to buy Duracells because my toothbrush only lasted a week. Then my toothbrush lasted over a month with the new batteries. They are crap batteries."
12. Kirkland Sheets
If you're looking to add some extra sets of sheets to your linen closet, don't stop at Costco. Even if these are your back up set of sheets or just the sheets you use for guests, it's still not worth it. "The Kirkland sheets suck," one superfan wrote. "Mine got holes in them after 3 washes."
And this isn't a one-off experience either. "Yep," another user agreed. "Only sheets in my life that I have punched a whole through with my foot white sleeping."
13. Adidas Socks
You might think you're getting a deal on a bundle pack of Adidas socks, but according to customers who've tried them, they're cheap for a reason. "Those Adidas socks are horrible!" one person wrote. "The pack I bought last month is already pilling. Avoid it!"
"Agreed," said another customer. "They lasted me about three washes." "The fuzz comes out of them and leaves a mesh behind," another customer reported. "Not quite a hole, but pretty much." Maybe stick to Nike?
14. Kirkland Windshield Wipers
You might not think to look at Costco when you're thinking of getting new wind shield wipers, and according to customers, that might be a good thing.
"The windshield wipers go on sale and seem to be at attractive prices, but lots of people here complain about the quality of them," one person wrote. "They work great for a few months, and then streak like crazy." Perhaps stick to the car wash, or ask the people who change your car's oil!
15. Bar Soap
Another easy item to buy in bulk because of how easy to store it is! Unfortunately, for many Costco shoppers, it's on their "avoid" list. You're better off buying a name brand like Dove, it seems. "Their bar soaps are crap," one person wrote, and others agreed.
"It really does dissolve fast and will leave soft scum everywhere in the shower," wrote another customer. Soap that makes things dirtier? No thanks!
16. Kirkland Contact Solution
For those out there who are bound by contacts, you know how important it is to have good quality contact solution. Unfortunately, the Kirkland brand is not it.
"I don't like the Kirkland brand contact solution," one customer shared. "My contacts don't feel as comfortable and moist for as long when I use it compared to name brands. Which makes me sad because it's so much cheaper." This is just one of those things where you simply can't trade quality for price.
17. Fire Alarms
Finally, this is one thing that you want to make sure you're buying at top quality, which, unfortunately for members, means shopping somewhere other than Costco.
"The First Alert Fire Alarms are supposed to be good for 10 years, but we had one go off after only two years," one person shared. "It was definitely the 'fire' beep, not the 'battery low' beep, and it happened when we had good airflow through the house; windows open, no cooking smoke, shower steam, etc."
"We found out later that my dad has the same problem with an identical First Alert Fire Alarm from Costco," the customer continued. "It's frustrating that we can't trust in something as important as our fire alarms." If there's ever anything to splurge on, it's a good quality fire alarm. Safety first, people!