Costco Fans Erupt After Beloved Food Court Item Replaced by High-Calorie Newcomer
There are few things Costco shoppers take more seriously than the food court. The $1.50 hot dog combo is practically a national treasure. The pizza has its own cult. So when news broke that a menu staple was getting the boot, again, in favor of a calorie-packed newcomer, the internet did exactly what you’d expect. It erupted.
This time, the drama centers on the combo calzone, a controversial item that was already walking a tightrope with fans. It’s being replaced by a five-piece order of chicken strips that clocks in at a jaw-dropping 1,640 calories. Social media hasn’t been this divided over a food court since… well, since Costco swapped churros for cookies. But the story is way more layered than one menu swap, and it reveals a lot about where Costco’s food court is heading.
What just happened in the Costco food court
In early May 2026, shoppers in the Chicago area started noticing something different at their local Costco food court. The combo calzone, a folded, pizza-adjacent creation stuffed with pepperoni, sausage, cheese, and vegetables, was gone. In its place: a tray of five breaded chicken strips with a side of dipping sauce, priced at $6.99.
The rollout is currently limited to six Chicagoland locations, including Schaumburg, but a national expansion is widely expected. A food court manager in Los Angeles confirmed they’d be getting the item. A manager in South Carolina said their location would not, so your mileage may vary.
The reaction online was instantaneous. A TikTok video shot inside the Schaumburg warehouse racked up thousands of views within hours, with users fixated on two things: the portion size and that staggering calorie number.
The twisted path that led to this chicken-strip moment
To understand why fans are so emotional, you have to rewind a few years. Back in 2020, Costco quietly discontinued the combo pizza, a loaded pie with pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, olives, onions, and bell peppers. The pandemic gave them cover, but fans never forgave them. A Change.org petition demanding its return amassed over 19,000 signatures.
Fast forward to mid-2025. Costco finally appeared to listen. They introduced the combo calzone, same ingredients, folded format, as a sort of olive branch. But the reception was lukewarm at best. Some shoppers found the crust “cracker-like.” Others complained the filling was “mush,” as if everything had been run through a food processor. At $6.99 for what felt like a reheated pocket, many considered it a downgrade from the beloved pizza slice.
So when news hit that the calzone was being 86’d after less than a year, the dominant reaction wasn’t sadness. It was sarcasm. “Costco will do anything but bring back combo pizza,” one Redditor quipped.
Anatomy of the new chicken strips: what’s actually on your tray
Here’s the setup. You get five large chicken breast strips, breaded and baked, not fried, and a tub of dipping sauce. Because American Costco food courts don’t have deep fryers, these strips are cooked in the same pizza ovens that crank out those massive pies.
The sauce, by most accounts, is the star of the show. Described as smoky, sweet, and “highly reminiscent of Chick-fil-A’s signature sauce,” it brings a honey-mustard-like richness that early testers genuinely enjoyed.
The chicken itself? That’s where things get complicated. Takeout reviewer Dennis Lee called the portions “enormous” and noted the meat stays reasonably moist, but warned the overall experience is overly salty. “The chicken inside is thankfully moist enough that you can enjoy the strips unsauced, though the meat is just shy of being juicy,” he wrote. Another Redditor was more direct: “Yup. Way too much breading on them. Chicken strips and tenders are meant to be fried. Baked strips are dry and crusty”.
The 1,640-calorie elephant in the food court
Let’s sit with that number for a second. 1,640 calories. For an average adult, that’s about 80% of the recommended daily intake, in a single food court order.
Where is it all coming from? The sauce is a major contributor. It’s mayo-based, which means it’s packing fat and density far beyond what a simple ketchup or barbecue sidecar would add. Then there’s the chicken itself. Because the strips are baked rather than fried, the meat is likely brined or injected to prevent it from drying out, which also jacks up the sodium to an eye-watering 2,870mg per order, well over the daily recommended limit of 2,300mg.
How the chicken strips compare
When your chicken strips carry more calories than a Chicken Bake and a hot dog combo combined, you’ve officially entered “split this with a friend” territory. Or two. Maybe three.
Canada’s version vs. America’s: why it stings to compare
Here’s the part that really got under American shoppers’ skin. Chicken strips have been on the Canadian Costco menu for years, and the version up north is, by almost every measure, a better deal.
In Canada, you get four chicken strips and a side of fries for CAD $6.99 (about USD $5). In the U.S., you get five strips and sauce, no fries, for USD $6.99. Same price point, different value proposition entirely.
“For comparison, Costco Canada charges CAD $6.99 for 4 strips and fries,” one Redditor pointed out. “We’re paying more and getting less.” The Canadian strips are also fried in a deep fryer, which produces that crispy, golden exterior American testers found sorely lacking in the baked version.
It’s a discrepancy that has left U.S. loyalists feeling shortchanged. For years, Americans looked at the Canadian menu with envy. Now that chicken strips have finally crossed the border, they’re getting a noticeably different, and many would say inferior, product.
The social-media firestorm: Reddit, TikTok, and the combo-pizza faithful
If you want to take the temperature of Costco fandom, Reddit’s r/Costco is your thermometer. And right now, that thermometer is running hot.
The TikTok video from Schaumburg showing the new chicken tenders has collected thousands of views, with comments ranging from “Those look amazing” to “What did they get rid of? The calzone?” to deeper, existential questions about Costco’s priorities.
One Redditor crystallized the calorie anxiety with a line that quickly became a meme: “Are they giving liquid uranium as a dipping sauce?”. Others expressed genuine excitement: “I got them today. They’re huge. Really good. The sauce is like a sweet honey mustard. I’ll probably air fry them to reheat so they’re a little crispier”.
But the loudest, angriest faction wasn’t mourning the calzone at all. They were still fighting a five-year-old battle. “Costco will do anything but bring back the combo pizza,” one user wrote, and thousands of upvotes suggest the wound remains fresh.
What this says about Costco’s food court strategy right now
Zoom out and the chicken-strip saga looks less like an isolated menu tweak and more like the latest chapter in a turbulent period for Costco’s food court.
In the past year alone, the retailer has:
- Swapped its fountain drinks from Pepsi back to Coca-Cola, ending a decade-long Pepsi run.
- Replaced the beloved full-size churro with a 750-calorie chocolate chip cookie, drawing sharp backlash.
- Tried to win fans back with a Caramel Churro Sundae, only for shoppers to call it a “slap in the face” because it used tiny churro bites instead of the original pastry.
- Added a bottled-water option to the iconic $1.50 hot dog combo, the first change to that deal in 40 years.
It’s a lot of churn for a food court that built its reputation on familiarity and stubborn consistency. And it raises a question worth asking: Is Costco fixing things that aren’t broken?
The food court is famously not a profit center. It’s a loyalty driver, a reward for the membership, a reason to choose Costco over Sam’s Club or BJ’s. Costco knows this; the company reported double-digit food court sales growth in the second quarter of 2026. When the numbers are already climbing, rapid menu turnover risks alienating the very regulars who keep the hot dogs selling at a loss.
Should you actually try them? A balanced guide
If you’re standing in a Costco food court right now, staring at the menu board, here’s how to decide:
Get the chicken strips if:
- You’re into generous portions and don’t mind a salt-forward flavor profile.
- You love Chick-fil-A sauce and want something similar in bulk.
- You’re splitting them with someone, honestly, 1,640 calories is a group project.
- You’ve been jealous of the Canadian menu for years and just want to say you tried them.
Skip the chicken strips if:
- You’re sensitive to sodium or watching your calorie intake.
- You’re craving that crispy, deep-fried texture, baked strips are a different beast.
- You’re still holding out hope for a true combo pizza comeback (in which case, take a number).
Air-frying leftovers at home does seem to improve crispiness, according to the early Reddit intel, so if you do bring them home, a quick blast in the air fryer might salvage the breading situation.
Frequently asked questions
Where are the chicken strips available right now? Currently being tested at six Costco locations in the Chicago area, including Schaumburg, Illinois. A national rollout is expected but has not been officially confirmed by Costco corporate.
Are they replacing the calzone everywhere? It depends on the location. Some Costco warehouses, like one in South Carolina, have indicated they won’t be carrying the strips. If the calzone is still at your store, enjoy it while you can.
How are the U.S. strips different from Canada’s? Canadian Costco food courts fry their chicken strips and serve them with fries for CAD $6.99. The U.S. version is baked in a pizza oven, comes without fries, and costs USD $6.99. The calorie count is also significantly higher in the U.S. version.
Will the combo pizza ever return? Costco has never officially stated why it was discontinued or whether it might return. Fans remain vocal, petitions remain active, and hope, however faint, remains alive.
Costco’s chicken strips are, above all, a conversation piece. They’re enormous, polarizing, and packed with enough calories to make a nutritionist weep. But they’re also a sign of a food court that’s searching, sometimes clumsily, for its next great staple. Whether these strips become a permanent fixture or go the way of the calzone will likely depend on how loudly fans at the testing locations vote with their wallets.
One thing’s for sure: the combo pizza isn’t coming back this week. So if you’re in Chicago, grab a tray of strips, split them with a friend, and join the debate. Costco’s food court has never been just about the food, it’s about the conversation. And right now, the conversation is deliciously salty. Literally.
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