Costco adds hot fan favorite to food court menu as shoppers debate taste and value

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Costco shoppers have a new reason to linger after loading their carts with bulk paper towels and oversized snack packs: The retailer has added chicken strips to its famously affordable food court menu.

The new offering includes five large, breaded chicken breast strips and a container of dipping sauce for $6.99. The combo clocks in at 1,640 calories.

After appearing in select test markets earlier this year, the strips are now being reported at Costco warehouses across the country.

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The food court at Costco as it opens in Pensacola on June 25, 2026. (© Gregg Pachkowski/Pensacola News Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images / IMAGN)

The chicken strips join a food court lineup best known for its $1.50 hot dog and soda combo, oversized pizza slices and selection of sandwiches and desserts.

At nearly $7, the strips are more expensive than Costco’s signature hot dog deal. The orange-colored dipping sauce has drawn nearly as much attention as the chicken itself.

Reviewers have compared its appearance to sauces served at popular chicken chains, though its flavor has been described as closer to a tangy or zesty honey mustard.

“Costco just dropped new chicken strips!!! Someone check on @chickfila; if there was a @costco drive-through, it would be over,” Costco food blogger Lucas Gomes, @therealkirklandking, shared in an Instagram reel. “This sauce does not taste like Chick-fil-A sauce. I don’t know what this mystery sauce is, but it’s good.”

The food court at Costco as it opens in Pensacola on June 25, 2026. (© Gregg Pachkowski/Pensacola News Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images / IMAGN)

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As with many changes to Costco’s closely watched food court, the reaction has been mixed. Some shoppers have praised the size of the strips and called the meal a strong value. Others have criticized the chicken as salty, dry or too heavily breaded.

Costco has made several notable menu changes in recent years, including replacing its churro with a large chocolate chip cookie and introducing new sandwich options.

Costco shoppers scramble for free sample of Phillips Foods Lobster Meat during the grand opening of a new store in North Port, Florida. (© Mike Lang / Sarasota Herald-Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images / IMAGN)

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FOX Business reached out to Costco for comment.

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