Costco’s deli, much like its beloved bakery section, is full of delightful items shoppers rave about. The rotisserie chicken is the stuff of legends, while other winners include popular prepared meals like the tortellini pasta salad, the taco kit, and the chili. But that doesn’t mean the deli gets it right 100% of the time. According to shoppers, there’s one new item that’s kind of a stinker.
The chain’s new Kirkland Signature Tandoori Chicken Wraps sound great on paper—what’s not to love about a lunch wrap that consists of spiced chicken, veggies like cauliflower, and a creamy yogurt-based mint sauce for dipping? But, according to those who have tried it, Costco has missed the mark on execution here. Big time.
Blandness appears to be the chief complaint on Reddit, where the item has garnered a lot of discussion.
According to one person who posted a review, the chicken seems to be the main issue. “The new Tandoori Wraps from the Costco Deli are fairly disappointing. I grabbed a package for lunch today. It’s very mild in flavor, some might call bland. It’s nowhere near the intense tandoori flavor I typically get from tandoori chicken. The chicken itself is a bunch of tiny, mushy pieces with barely any texture. I was expecting strips or chunks of chicken and it’s not that.”
Another shopper was onto something while theorizing that the wrap was actually made with rotisserie chicken, “so it wouldn’t be seasoned during cooking the same way actual tandoori would be.”
One redditor sparked a slew of opposition on another thread when she posted about how much she liked the new wraps. Most of those who responded disagreed with the original poster vehemently, with negative reviews ranging from “Overpriced mediocrity” to “The chicken looks like cat food and no one in my deli likes it,” though one person was more moderate and suggested that the wraps were better heated up, “ideally in an air fryer.”
A running theme among redditors posting about the wrap was that pretty much none of Costco’s pre-made wraps, including the Tuscan chicken wrap, are good.
“Problem with Costco’s cold wraps and sandwiches is they have no flavor. Like no seasoning or anything,” said one redditor, spawning a string of responses picking apart the chain’s deli items.
“And if the cold wraps have any sort of lettuce or spinach in them, they immediately get slimy and soggy. Huge pass from me,” agreed another.
“Doesn’t help that any hint of flavor is immediately drowned in some sort of mayo or dairy-based sauce.”
One poster even alleged that they contracted listeria after eating a wrap from Costco (though they were not specific about the type of wrap).
“I got sick with flu-like symptoms and a few days later got an email from Costco recalling their wraps because of possible listeria,” the redditor elaborated in response to his post.
Costco did not immediately respond to our queries for comment on the complaints.
Clara Wang
Clara Wang is a freelance writer based in Austin, TX who mostly muses about food, culture, sex, and the unbearable lightness of being a 5’0” Yellow girl quicker on her feet than Borat’s lawyers. Read more about Clara
