Costco shoppers have panned four new 2026 deli items over bland flavor, odd textures, and steep prices, with some members tossing the food or returning it outright.
Members expected the usual warehouse value. What they found in the deli case, according to a roundup of social-media reactions, was a string of misses on taste, texture, and price.
Tasting Table reported on Oct. 11, 2026, that four new-for-2026 Costco deli offerings drew sharp pushback on Reddit, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. The products carry the Kirkland Signature name shoppers trust for bulk staples. The feedback did not match that reputation.
No Costco corporate response appears in the available reporting. The record so far is member posts, returns, and food tossed in the trash.
The Kirkland Signature Thai Chili Wrap with Sweet Chili Sauce landed as a new deli item for 2026. The listed build is straightforward: Kirkland rotisserie chicken, a tomato tortilla, cream cheese, Asian barbecue sauce, red onions, and sweet chili sauce.
Shoppers did not buy the “Thai” label. One Reddit user put it bluntly.
"There was nothing 'Thai' about those wraps unless you consider the sweet chili sauce the only thing making it remotely [categorized] as an Asian-inspired dish,"
Others zeroed in on texture and sogginess. Another member said the wraps were simply bad compared with Costco’s Southwest chicken version, citing sogginess and a bland, missing sweetness. A separate post called the $6.99-per-pound price not worth it. One couple said the texture was so odd they threw the food out.
That is a tough sell for a warehouse club built on volume and perceived value. When members start comparing a prepared wrap unfavorably to another Costco wrap on the same shelf, the new SKU has a problem.
Costco’s Bento Onigiri Rice Balls showed up first with negative notes in Canada earlier in 2026, then faced the same reaction after reaching U.S. warehouses. The six-pack runs about $11.99, roughly $2 per wedge, with two each of teriyaki salmon, spicy crab, and tuna mayo. Rice balls wrapped in nori sound simple. Execution drew fire.
An Instagram commenter did not say much.
"The onigiri is disgusting... they put too much mushy rice [and] less filling. My son and I wanted to like it but it [was] not good [and] we tossed it. Waste of money."
Another Instagram user said the rice was packed too tightly and tasted too sweet, with fillings sitting on top rather than inside, and the packs nearly impossible to open without tearing the nori. A Redditor returned the pack after trying only the tuna flavor and finding too little filling.
Japanese-inspired convenience food can work in a warehouse format. This version, per those posts, leaned heavy on rice, light on filling, and awkward to handle. Members noticed.
The Kirkland Signature Barbecue Platter bundles chicken wings, ribs, corn on the cob, potato salad, pickled onions, pickles, and barbecue sauce. The ticket sits around $50, or about $5.49 per pound. For a club famous for rotisserie chickens and bulk meat deals, that number invited instant math.
One Reddit user cut to the chase.
"You can put that together yourself for wayyyyyy under $50,"
Another member wrote that Costco does many things well, but barbecue is not one of them. A TikTok reviewer flagged reheating as a hassle because the meats need different times and temperatures. Speculation also circulated that the ribs and wings were slow movers pulled from near the rotisserie case, a claim that remains unconfirmed by Costco in the reporting. A Facebook commenter said the standalone potato salad alone was disappointing enough to skip the platter.
Tasting Table had already framed a related platter review as a pricey letdown. Member posts tracked with that verdict: high price, uneven execution, and an easy homemade alternative.
The Kirkland Signature Pesto Pasta Salad with mozzarella pearls and Italian pesto also arrived as a 2026 deli newcomer. Slow-roasted tomatoes and fresh arugula round out the bowl. Fresh ingredients were not enough to save it for many buyers.
One Reddit review landed hard on seasoning and cost.
"It's so bland, it's unappetizing. The ingredients are fresh, but it has no taste. Waste of $20."
A reply in the same vein said the dish was so bland the eater half-joked about having COVID. Another shopper returned the salad after finding the pesto overpowering and pasta pieces that felt hard, either undercooked or partly frozen. That member did not want to force the meal down or throw out an expensive container. The article notes a few people found it edible. Plenty more called it under-seasoned and not worth the price.
Prepared salads are supposed to be grab-and-go wins. When members debate returns versus the trash, the product has failed the basic test.
Costco built its brand on membership fees, bulk pricing, and a reputation for quality house brands. Kirkland Signature works when the product matches the promise. These four deli launches, wraps, onigiri, a barbecue spread, and pesto pasta- created a different kind of buzz: sogginess, mushy rice, reheating headaches, bland bowls, and prices members could undercut at home.
Prices cited in the October 2026 coverage can vary by region. Absolute sales figures, discontinuation notices, and any official Costco reply were not part of the public roundup. What is on the record is simpler. Shoppers tried the new deli items, posted what they tasted, and in several cases walked the product back to the return desk or straight into the garbage.
Membership clubs earn loyalty when the cart feels like a win. When new deli SKUs read like leftovers, markups, and muted seasoning, members notice, and they say so out loud.
Shoppers still vote with their wallets. Products that waste money and dinner plans do not deserve a second look.