Costco Might Finally Be Swapping Out This 'Disappointment' Of A Food Court Item

Costco's food court rarely misses, but many shoppers will be happy to see one item go. The underwhelming combo calzone which debuted last year is already getting phased out. The chain is currently testing a replacement in the form of chicken strips in select Chicago locations. The Takeout has already tried the new Costco chicken strips, and according to our reviewer the portions are generous, but the strips themselves were oversalted.

Still, it seems shoppers will likely welcome the change. "I only bought a calzone last week for the first time. It's fine. Chicken strips seems like an improvement," one Redditor wrote. Other posters were less diplomatic. One said that the calzones were "full of mush," while another described the item as "single bite trash."

The chicken strips are selling for $6.99, the same price as the calzone. Each serving includes five Costco-sized strips and a large tub of mayonnaise-based dipping sauce. The heavily-breaded strips come in at 1,640 calories even though they're baked instead of fried. Some commenters latched on to the high calorie count. "Seems kinda calorie dense for tenders," wrote one Redditor. The calorie count wasn't enough to put them off, though. "Would be interested in trying them," they added.

Fried chicken is a Costco food court staple in many international locations, but this is the first time it's been available stateside. American shoppers have hoped to see fried chicken in Costco food courts for years. Still, not everyone is happy. The chicken strips are sad news for fans who hoped the retailer would bring back the combo pizza, the calzone's predecessor.

"Costco will do anything but bring back combo pizza," lamented one Redditor. "Please just give me the combo pizza back," begged another. Combo pizza fans shouldn't hold their breath, though. According to Reddit rumor, the pizza isn't coming back for, well, a combo of reasons. In short, Costco's supplier went out of business, stores struggled to combat food waste, and customers' custom orders slowed employees down.

While it seems the combo pizza has gone to the big Costco food court in the sky, it's exciting to see the retailer bringing internationally available items to American menus. (The Costco food court in Taipei is almost worth a flight in its own right.) Still, it's sad to see beloved items go. Rest in peace, combo pizza.