Costco is bringing twisted churros back to U.S. food courts for a limited time, according to reports published on September 19 and September 20 after the warehouse chain teased the return on its official Instagram account. The comeback follows days of guessing from shoppers who saw the post and tried to identify the item before Costco confirmed it.
For households that treat the Costco food court as part of a bulk shopping run, the return matters because the menu remains one of the chain’s most watched low-cost offerings. It also shows how closely shoppers track even small food court changes when a familiar item disappears and then comes back.
Costco teased the return, then confirmed the item
Costco’s official social media account posted a teaser video on September 16, 2026, showing two people looking at a food court menu and bleeping out the name of a returning item, according to Parade and reposted coverage summarized by AOL. The company framed the comeback as a limited-time return in U.S. food courts, which narrowed the guessing to items shoppers already knew from prior menus.
By September 19, published reports said Costco had confirmed the returning item was the twisted churro. Fox News reported that Costco was bringing back the food court treat after years off the menu, and AOL reported the same confirmation the following day. Those reports tied the announcement directly to Costco’s teaser campaign rather than to a broader menu rollout.
The return fits a year of noticeable food court changes. Fox Business reported in July that a five-piece chicken strip meal priced at $6.99 was appearing at warehouses nationwide, while SFGATE reported in July that California stores had rolled out a new hot food item that drew attention from fans. Together, those updates show Costco continuing to test and refresh a menu that shoppers follow closely.
Shoppers across the U.S. may see it, but availability can vary
The reporting around the churro says U.S. food courts will get the returning item, but Costco has not released a public warehouse-by-warehouse list in the source material reviewed here. That means shoppers may hear about the item nationally before every location posts it at the counter or kiosk. Costco’s own warehouse pages confirm that food courts are a standard feature at many locations, including stores in Alhambra, Corona, El Centro, Fullerton, Chino Hills, and Kirkland.
Social media reaction showed how widely shoppers were watching the teaser. In a Reddit thread posted September 16, commenters guessed everything from combo pizza to the Polish hot dog and açaí bowl before outside reports identified the churro. Another Reddit post in a Costco employee forum from roughly the same period said workers had seen discussion of a returning food court item and suggested it would be added rather than replacing an existing item.
That reaction also underscored what is still unknown. Costco has not said in the source material how long the limited-time return will last, whether every U.S. warehouse will carry it at the same time, or whether the item will be priced the same in every market.
The comeback reflects demand for older food court favorites
The strongest reason for the return appears to be customer demand. Parade’s summary of the teaser described immediate speculation from shoppers, and KPQ reported that many longtime Costco customers used the moment to ask again for other retired items, especially combo pizza. Fox News also reported that shoppers had complained that earlier churro bites added to a $2.99 caramel sundae were not a substitute for the full-size churro they wanted back.
That matters because Costco’s food court has become part of the chain’s value identity, even when menu changes are small. Reports this year about chicken strips, regional rollouts, and dessert changes drew wide attention because shoppers view the food court as an affordable add-on to a warehouse trip. When Costco removes or restores a familiar item, families notice because it changes a routine meal or snack attached to a weekly shop.
For home cooks, the practical effect is simple: a recognizable dessert is returning, but timing may depend on the local warehouse. The only confirmed point from the available sources is that twisted churros are coming back to U.S. Costco food courts for a limited time.