In a review for Business Insider, writer Hollis Johnson described the Costco Barbecue Beef
Brisket sandwich as
"[...] with little to no doubt ... one of the best sandwiches I've ever had."
Sold in a white cardboard ring, this significantly sized sandwich dripped with smokey meats and
creamy-sweet coleslaw, rewarding shoppers with both its size and taste on a pillowy
bun. However, as of Spring 2020, it sadly appeared to be discontinued. Costco shoppers
who were fans of the sandwich lamented its loss on Reddit, with one commenter noting
that they'd noticed it had vanished from every store they'd visited on the east coast.
"It's just a sandwich."
"That sandwich was the only good thing going on in my life."
The wholesale chain hasn't said why they apparently stopped selling the popular sandwich, but
we have a few theories.
At $4.99, the brisket sandwich was the most expensive item on the Costco food court menu,
and involved significant prep work. One Costco worker shared on Reddit,
"I know this is an unpopular opinion, but as one of the people who used to work in the
food court, I say good riddance. That sandwich was more of a pain in the butt to prep and
go through all the procedures than making 50 chocolate nut-covered ice cream bars in
a row."
Factoring in the cost of labor, as well as the cost of food, this might be a reason Costco
decided it was time to give the fan favorite sandwich the ax.
"You threw my sandwich away?"
There's also the possibility that instead of offering the brisket sandwich full-time,
Costco may have planned to bring back the menu item seasonally. One Reddit insider reported
in March of 2020 that Costco's plan was to roll out the sandwich for a limited time in
both winter and summer. Unfortunately, we all know what happened just a few weeks later.
COVID restrictions may well have ended the popular brisket sandwich. As of May 21, 2020,
Costco had severely limited its food court offerings during the pandemic to simply sodas,
hot dogs, and pizza slices.
If the purpose of the brisket sandwich was to attract more Costco members to linger while
dining inside the stores, we're going to guess that plan has been canceled for the time being.
Yet another possible explanation for the disappearance of the Costco Barbecue Beef Brisket sandwich
may simply be an evolution of the Costco brand. The sandwich was meaty and delicious, but
it wasn't exactly healthy. Costco Insider stated that one sandwich contained 710 calories
and 33 grams of fat per serving. That amounts to about half the FDA-recommended daily fat
intake for the average adult. Costco Insider also shared that the sandwich contained 40
grams of sugar and a whopping 1,630 milligrams of sodium, which is just over half the amount
of sodium the FDA suggests an adult consume each day.
While the brisket sandwich was delicious, we understand the decision to remove it from
the menu if Costco was concerned with appearing more healthy. It's already well known that
Costco likes to create their own version of a known product, but with a healthier set
of ingredients. In 2018, Costco chief Craig Jelinek pointed
to new, healthier items that the store was rolling out, like açai fruit bowls, organic
burgers, and the plant-based al pastor protein salad. These new, more nutritious menu items,
along with the move to add more vegetarian and vegan options to the Costco food court
menu, represented part of a larger plan to appeal to the chain's health-minded shoppers.
Perhaps the inability of the brisket sandwich to fit this healthy branding plan is what
pushed it off Costco's menu. However, Cosco assured shoppers they could still expect to
find the $1.50 hot dog and soda combo on the food court menu, which Costco co-founder Jim
Sinegal once joked would not go away as long as he's alive.
It's possible that any or all of these factors could have contributed to the barbecue beef
brisket sandwich disappearing from Costco menus near you. All we know for sure is that
it's gone for now, but hopefully someday, it could come back.
"Looks like meat's back on the menu, boys."
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