Costco rotisserie chicken - need a gallon of water ... so salty!

[red dragon]

For convenience over anything else, we used to buy the whole rotisserie chicken at Costco on a regular basis. Then they started tasting very dry and we stopped buying them.

We tried them about 3 months ago, and they were ok, a bit salty, but more tender. However, the last few weeks have been extremely disgusting!

I actually had to return 2 chickens that I bought last night. I know they're injected with a salt brine, but last night, they tasted as if they'd been marinated in salt water for a week! The taste was so off that if I didn't know it was an actual whole chicken, it could have passed for some sort of processed fake by product. The taste was rubbery, salty and the texture was truly awful. It didn't even taste like chicken.

When I asked at the meat department what they did, they claimed there were a few people who complained the chickens were quite salty, and perhaps they had over injected the salt brine. You think???

I told them I won't buy from them again until they get this under control. And, the chickens were not fully cooked (a bit of redness in the juice).

Has anyone else experienced this?

[Davwud]

Picked up two yesterday from Warden/Ellesmere and thought they were great. They're a bit on the salty side but nothing that bothers me. I'm salt sensitive (ish) too so if you like salt, you probably all but wouldn't notice. I've been eating them for months and haven't noticed a quality difference.

The bones make a great stock too.

DT

[Herne]

I have had 2 Costco Chickens and my only complaint is a lake of taste. This can be overcome by a little BBQ sauce and 15 sec in the Microwave.

The gasoline station mess at Warden and Ellesmere seems more than management can handle and it is costing them, I only go once every 6 weeks rather than once every 3 weeks but the traffic mess is too aggravating to endure frequently

[jayt90]

I use the delivery truck entrance/exit with no problem. It's at the back of the building.

[red dragon]

Agree, the parking lot is a zoo and just trying to get/out can be a nightmare. I "finally" heard back from mgnt, so hopefully they'll adjust the salt brine ratio for the locations I had issues with. I shop at Costco at least once a week, but I rarely shop at the Warden location anymore.

[Davwud]

BTW, for those trying to get out of that parking lot you can either go to the west exit or cut back behind the building and out the rec'ing exit (if you want to head west) and not have to worry with the east exit. Also, most of the time the gates to the church are open and you can cut through there too.

DT

[abigllama]

For an alternative check out Longo's rotisserie chickens, it's the best I've ever had from a store. Meat is very juicy and on Wednesday night they are on sale for $7.

[Wil]

+1 on this suggestion, Longo's has pretty good roast chicken and the price is the same as Costco on Weds.

[elvisahmed]

jeez I guess I am going to be the only one here who takes costco side. I enjoy their chicken I use the meat to make great enchiladas (wrap it in tortillas mix with a bit of cheese) top it with Salsa and just bake and it turns out wonderful. Longos chicken is almost the same price on Wednesday but its still a much smaller bird (at least in the Maple leaf Square location). I agree it can be a bit salty but you can't beat the value.

[Davwud]

Jeez I guess you didn't read all the replies.

DT

[red dragon]

I've seen that special at the Longo's Boxgrove location. I'll have to try and make it there after work.

Thanks

[peppermint pate]

I've never tried one of the ones from Costco so I can't comment - but I tried a lemon brined whole chicken from Cumbrae last week and it was FANTASTIC. I roasted it in the oven - perfectly seasoned, wonderfully moist, beautiful flavour. I know it's not the same as picking up a cooked bird but if you have the extra time, it was super easy and delicious.

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Cumbrae's
481 Church St, Toronto, ON M4Y, CA

[TexSquared]

I feel the same way about them. When Sam's Club was still around they put out excellent rotisserie chicken, they weren't brined to hell and back and the skin was actually crispy. Not so at Costco.

I'm waiting for the Costco fanbois (you know who you are) to chime in on this.

[red dragon]

I remember theirs! We used to drive to the location off Brock Road in Pickering from time to time.

[TexSquared]

I was one of the first paying members of the Pickering Sam's, went to that temporary office they set up months before the store opened to get my card, and immediately drove to Buffalo to use it. Sam's Club really should have advertised this fact, that they're the better choice for cross-border shoppers. That (along with the fact they were close to home) was why we went with them and ditched Costco.

Even after they closed in Canada I still renewed my membership in the U.S. since we're there so often.

[jayt90]

You are flogging a dead horse. Chowhound is about finding good food, currently. I don't eat Costco's roast chicken ( I use a Ruhlman brine, similar to Cumbrae's), but I know Sam's was closed because they couldn't compete.

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Cumbrae's
481 Church St, Toronto, ON M4Y, CA

[Guzzler]

Yes, both at 14th/Markham and Warden/Steeles the chickens are extremely salty and pinkish under the thighs ... so salty it tasted like artificial meat. Yet still a long line-up in both places (think the brining is to get it to 1.2 kg weight). It's back to Superstore for me (even though it's a dollar more and only 800-900 g). I sent an email to Costco H/O but no reply.

[red dragon]

We're going back to the Superstore to buy ours (7.27) as well, still tender and definitely not as salty. I sent a letter to H/O too, but used the .com address.