The Best Costco Finds You Won't See At Every Location

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Not all Costcos are created equal. And by the laws of dimensional physics, every Costco cannot possibly stock every item its gargantuan customer base may or may not want to buy. Instead, like any pragmatic business, it caters to each store's localized demographics and shopping habits. Sometimes it makes sense, sometimes not. And even though Costco is known for always trying to do its best for its loyal members, there are inevitably consumer populations who miss out on certain crowd-pleasing goods. 

More than likely those populations will have their own exclusive access to offerings absent from other regions. It's the "haves" and the "haves." Or the "have-nots" and the "have-nots." Either way, we researched the opinions (and yearnings) of vocal, passionate Costco patrons on the internet, compared them with actual shelf inventory numbers, and came up with a list of the best items you won't see at every location of America's favorite warehouse club.

As of November 2025, Costco shoppers in towns as far apart as Hackensack, New Jersey and Waipahu, Hawaii have access to this Indian-inspired favorite. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for many other towns in between. This at-home version of a mostly British version of a Kolkata street favorite can only be found in about 120 stores nationwide – mainly in diverse metro area hubs with a taste for South Asian eats. It's much less common than the ever-popular pre-made chicken tikka masala dinner from Sukhi's, which is part of the regular inventory at the vast majority of Costco stores.

Of course, as alluded to above, the origin of chicken tikka masala itself is a point of debate in the culinary world. The story goes that Ali Ahmed Aslam, who ran a restaurant called Shish Mahal in Glasgow, Scotland, was told by a customer that his (authentically Indian) chicken tikka dish was a bit dry. The Pakistani restaurateur acquiesced and added more creamy tomato sauce, along with an adjective to the entree's name: masala, which translates to nothing more than "a blend of spices." What this all means to the average Costco consumer who simply wants some rich, mildly spicy poultry delivered in a warm pocket is uncertain. They probably just want to know when their store is getting it.

Costco can be a funny place, and not just when it comes to memes. It's an absolute Voltron of a mega-mart: a multitudinously supplied warehouse that provides homo sapiens with what they need to exist. If aliens landed and wanted to blend into earth society, they would just have to bleep-blop-blorp their way through any Costco and they'll stumble out the other side looking passably human. It's a store that feels like an endless cornucopia of daily living requirements. But then it won't have peas in stock.

A basic freezer veggie that can be achingly hard to find, Kirkland's organic green peas are only carried in about half of the country's Costcos. And there seems to be little rhyme or reason to where in the country the peas appear. Tough to find in Texas, for example, but Ohio and Nevada will often have it; first spotted in a Woodbridge, Virginialocation yet never seen in parts of California. It's like the chupacabra of Costco freezer greens. Customers that do have this 5-lb sack of fiber, antioxidants, and vitamin K within reach laudthe frozen peas an ideal healthy side – sometimes going for a jaw-droppingly low price of $2.99 when on sale.

Yes, Costco carries the basics, the fundamentals, the boring but necessary necessaries we all need for a nutritious, substantive, practical lifestyle. But Costco can also go pretty off-beat with its inventory. And sometimes, downright bat-poop crazy(a 70-lb wheel of Parmigiana Reggiano, anyone?). The store's adventurous strain extends to foods and treats from around the globe — where its stock can have quite the cosmopolitan flavor indeed. One of these rarer offerings, and one of the more tantalizing, are the choco churros from Orion Turtle Chips.

A Korean import with a growing base of stateside obsessives, the choco churros is currently only stocked in about 70 Costcos total, as of November 2025. (If it's even in stock at all, which, at the time of writing, it wasn't. Anywhere.) That's a miniscule number of stores and purchase opportunities in proportion to the level of craving experienced by those who've luxuriated in the crunchy, sweet-astic, probably algorithm'd flavor combo. Even if they can't all remember what the product is called. Or what exact continent the product is from. Anyway, can true snack euphoria really be captured by the meager words of mortals? If it could, it would probably sound something like: "Here money! Choco churros in mouth please now!"

Another snacky bit of awesome, that's far from guaranteed to be at your local Costco, is the chilé-and-lime-flavored almonds from legume giant Blue Diamond (the NVIDIA of flavored almonds?). Originally spotted at a Clermont, Florida Costco, it's a savory, acidic munchable that's perfect as a gametime snack. Or just a snacktime snack. Or even a non-snacktime snack. You know what, conventional time is irrelevant to devotees of this equally zesty and tasty goody - no matter the at least trace amounts of cyanide found in all almonds.

Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, only about one-sixth of Costco stores carry this item, sending fans into a tizzy trying to get their hands on them — and then proceeding to lick the flavor dust off of said hands. (Unless they're using that flavor dust as chicken tender breading – which folks do.) A frustration point for out-of-luck Costco shoppers lies in the degree of advertisement for the snack far outdoing its availability. Even Texas, Florida, and California, three of the largest states, can be devoid of these sought-after almonds. The one upside to that is those states can put aside their political disagreements to find common ground in something for once: an unrequited desire for chilé n' lime almonds. Can a snack save the soul of a country?

Now it's on to the exciting stuff: organic lettuce! If there was ever a food that didn't fit with an exclamation point, it's this one. Costco shoppers in many areas, however, are exclaiming the name of this taken-for-granted food item, but they're doing it out of exasperation when unable to find it. For those who make salads regularly, the large package of organic romaine lettuce is a great buy that could infuse a week's worth of healthy lunches and sides (and barbecues – yes you can grill romaine) with natural crisp and quality freshness, instead of forcing you to return every other day to re-up on lettuce.

But alas, this particular half-dozen pack of romaine hearts is stocked in a paltry number of Costco locations, well below 150. These are predominantly up and down the West Coast and throughout the Southwest, after being first sold in a South San Francisco outlet. One Redditor claimed to have seen it in Denver but had no luck anywhere closer to home. Compare that to its non-organic cousin (six-pack available in almost all Costco stores) or its fancy aunt (artisan romaine five-pack, equally common), and the organic romaine is a very elusive item. Alternative lettuce options more frequently stocked just don't seem to do it for some customers. Once you go organic romaine, there's no going back.

Even though Sunkist is often a part of the soft drink furniture of many stores – from supermarkets to bodegas – it is sparingly seen at Costco. Why fridge-mates like Coke, Pepsi, Sprite, Dr. Pepper, et al. are widely sold (this is America, after all), but not Sunkist (a drink owned by Dr. Pepper) is vexing to some customers.

Only about 60 stores carry the popular orange soda – and only since 2024. If you're doing an East Coast Costco road trip, however, you can stock up on the carbonated sugar bomb. The nation's capital has a locale with Sunkist in the inventory, as do non-national-capitals like Wayne, New Jersey, and Westbury, NY.

But if you're outside of that specific pocket of the country you might have a difficult time locating Sunkist. Almost as difficult as finding a word that rhymes with orange. And to add insult to injury, Costco recently brought back a different orange soda brand after fifteen years: the previously discontinued, nostalgically satisfying Slice. Low blow. What did Sunkist ever do to you, Costco?

A Jewish deli favorite, it's no surprise this tub of creamy, oniony whitefish salad is mainly sold at Costco stores near large Jewish population centers (not to mention locales with a heavy dose of NYC transplants). In fact, you'll only find the "smoked in Brooklyn" salad at a near-infinitesimal 27 locations. Two of those are in Atlanta, meaning The Big Peach has about 7.5% of the whitefish-ready Costcos, if you want to get all math-y about it. Atlanta residents would be the envy of Costco customers in the Pacific Northwest and, surprisingly, parts in and around Los Angeles, where the schmearable delight can be difficult to come upon. The company that makes it, Acme, purveys its smoked goods to a number of reputable bagel places in New York City, and the product has received the stamp of approval from even native New Yorkers.

Also, for those accustomed to buying smoked whitefish salad from authentic Jewish delis, the $15.99 price tag for two pounds is an absolute steal, especially when half a pound can cost you well over $20 at a legit appetizing store. No wonder there's such a geschrei for this rarely seen Costco product.

Let's return to a category of food we can all get behind (except perhaps your GP): shameless snackery. Behold Cheez-It Snap'd Margherita flavor. Initially eyed on the shelves of an Ankeny, Iowa store, it was only a matter of time before Costco social media got all excited and caption-y over the discovery of the new flavor. This very particular Cheez-It taste-perience can only be currently purchased at around 170 stores nationwide. That may be due to its still recent debut, or it may be due to Costco wanting to torment its customer base. 

Let's give Costco the benefit of the doubt and assume it isn't run by sadists. It would be unwise to treat such a devoted demographic that way. Costco Cheez-It buyers are their own rabid subspecies, crowding entire subreddits devoted to the idea that the mass-produced Cheez-It is simply better at Costco than it is at other shops. True, Costco is famously selective about the quality of the product on its shelves, no matter how uniform that product is. So, just maybe, these Redditors are on to something. And although the Snap'd variety of Cheez-It has divided opinions among Costco aficionados, this scarce, pizza-fied version is no less yearned for. Sigh. We so often desire that which we can't have — or even Instacart.

Costco has long been a go-to for filling up the spice rack, er, roomy cabinet space that can hold a bunch of weighty spice tubs. Large Kirkland containers of everything from sea salt, red pepper, black pepper, granulated garlic, and oregano, to everything bagel, black truffle parm, and sweet mesquite stand like an army in many a busy kitchen. Reddit and social media are full of Costco customers giving thanks that these indispensable ingredients are readily available and on the cheap.

But one spice has proved elusive for consumers, and not for being exotic or mysteriously recalled. If you're looking for a plain old chili powder without all the bells and whistles, you may be left wanting at your local Costco. At the time of this writing, less than a hundred stores in the U.S. carry this mild staple seasoning with a minimal level of heat. And there isn't even a Kirkland version of it in existence. It's a McCormick product if it's on the shelves at all. Regarding that shelf presence, a Costco shopper in Honolulu, Spokane, or Avon, Indiana, may be in luck. But Costco-hoppers in the Northeast? Best of luck.

A popular English Christmas dessert that's like a warm, sloppy holiday hug from a sloshed mate, sticky toffee pudding is something that feels as much a part of the U.K. landscape as Hadrian's Wall (despite the confection's actual, more recent, and murky origin story). So, when Costco started selling a microwavable two-pack stateside in 2021, ushering in its own little British Invasion, bits were chuffed, pronunciations became Received, and St. George's Cross was added to the American flag (okay, it wasn't). But shoppers were pumped.

At least a relatively a small pool of shoppers were. Anglophile pudding eaters (that's pudding as in dessert, not pudding as in pudding... which can still also be a dessert) might find themselves on a fruitless Costco journey for this date-based classic from over the pond. Only 54 stores carry it, many of them in California (although parts of the Bay Area are impatiently awaiting its return). Even the fortunate few customers in that sector of Costco-ville often see the microwavable treat go MIA for extended periods of time. But is it better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all? Because a huge chunk of America has yet to experience the Costconian version of a dish more English than Maggie Thatcher's pub team playing cricket on the Yorkshire Dales ... or something.

'Tis the season — at least in select regions of Costco world. The Bonne Maman jam collection features a dozen mini-jars accompanied by ready-made gift boxes. A perfect yuletide giveaway to friends, family, coworkers, former enemies, neighbors missing something in their salads, and lonely strangers riding the bus on Christmas Eve.

A holiday-only offering, for obvious reasons, the product's limited shelf time is only outdone by its maddening lack of ubiquity (zing!). Less than half the nation's stores stock this cute, re-giftable-if-need-be set, retailing for a very digestible $16 or so. The flavors can vary from year to year, but you'll generally get the likes of apricot and cherry preserves, orange marmalade, hazelnut chocolate spread, some honey, sometimes a lemon elderflower. Customers also get excited about reusing the adorable little jars for their own adorable little purposes. But actual in-store availability is a whole 'nother thing. 

Eager Redditors in metro areas like Seattle and Dallas are having trouble finding it on their Costco shelves, whereas shoppers in L.A., New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania are able to get their knitted mittens on it. The locations are so scattershot and unpredictable, you might as well just put it on your Costco list to Santa and hope you've been not that naughty.

Ever prefer your pistachio experience to be in cream form? Didn't know that was something you needed until that question was asked? And now you're intrigued by the whole novel idea? Well, then, you'll have to find one in less than 130 Costcos in the country that carry Pisti pistachio cream, which is less than a quarter of the stores. Either that or you just manually pummel the whole pistachios already in your pantry. It'll be an epic mess but you'll get some ugly anger out of your system.

If you're going with the former, non-raging option, Godspeed. You might even have to take a trip to Melbourne to purchase a 21-ounce jar — Melbourne, Florida, that is. (Side note: Florida would be America's down under, wouldn't it?) There doesn't seem to be inventory consistency with this item. Not only across the U.S. but sometimes within the same state. The Harrisburg, Pennsylvania location will carry it but the Lancaster store won't. (Get it together, Pennsylvania Costcos.) A top poster on Costco Reddit has suggested that the product is unofficially "seasonal," along with only being available in certain regions — explaining the scarcity. Shoppers that can buy the cream say it's great for topping toast, fresh baked cookies, vanilla ice cream, and cheese. "Must be nice," think the rest of Costco's patrons, bitterly.

Utilizing the deep well that is Costco fodder on Reddit, we were able to get a sense of the items shoppers loved at their local outlet (and would then showcase, discuss, promote, humblebrag about), along with the intrigued or aggrieved shoppers who would comment on either never encountering said items or missing the items' lost presence in their lives. Not to mention those who would straight-out start subreddits from scratch around a product they can't get, in their hometown or regionally. That intelligence would then be cross-referenced with real-time product availability information from Costco store locations throughout the country, via Warehouse Runner. The app provides the exact number of stores that keep an item stocked, how many stores currently have the item in stock, when and where the item was first seen on shelves, and which specific stores are reported to have the item currently on hand.