The Canned Fish That's Seriously Divided Costco Shoppers
Sardines have come back around as a popular high-protein, nutrient-dense snack in recent years, even driving a 2025 summer fashion trend called "sardinecore." They are now certifiably an old-school boomer snack that younger generations have adopted as a trendy health food, but certain brands remain budget-friendly and widely available, like Wild Planet Pacific Sardines. Costco stocks the lightly smoked variety packed in extra virgin olive oil. Yet, depending on which review you read, they are either comparable to dog food or the best sardines going. The division is stark and discussed at length on multiple Reddit threads and in reviews on Costco's website.
One Costco shopper's review said, "The Wild Planet were inedible. Like eating a soggy burnt stick. Not a fish stick, a fishy stick." Another agreed that "I think they smell and taste like dog food." Over on Reddit, a lengthy account of Wild Planet Pacific Sardines complained of watery oil, off flavors, and weirdly soft fish. The accompanying photo shows the sardines in a cat's food bowl, adding, "That's what these should be sold as..cat food. The only problem is my cat didn't want to eat them either."
In contrast, positive reviews dramatically state the opposite. "These sardines are one of the best I have tasted," said one shopper on the Costco product page. "[T]hey are perfect in flavor, size, texture etc. they are slightly smoked flavored but it just makes them taste better in my opinion." Others begged for the fish to remain in stock, with some calling out its flavor and extra nutrition thanks to the bone-in fish.
Perhaps certain Costco shoppers simply don't like Pacific sardines?
As it turns out, sardines that are fished in different regions are different species. Sardinops sagax, otherwise called Pacific sardines, come from California, Mexico, and Japan. They are larger and have a milder flavor. What most people call "classic" sardines are fished in the Atlantic Ocean. These are called Sardina pilchardus, or European sardines, and come from Portugal, Spain, and France. They have a balanced taste often described as rich, oily, and with a hint of sweetness. Therein may lie the problem as far as Costco shoppers are concerned.
"I couldn't do Wild Planet. Thinking I might just not like Pacific sardines... all of the sardines I love seem to come from the North Atlantic," surmised one Reddit commenter, having noticed the geographical difference. "I hated these too – something weird in the flavor that Portuguese brands don't have. It might be the only time I actively disliked seafood," stated another Redditor.
Still, given the positive reviews, you may want to give this a try. There's a reason that chef José Andrés brings canned sardines to holiday parties, after all. They are versatile and delicious straight out of the can, and the bone-in variety of this canned fish keeps your bones strong with more calcium than milk. It's no wonder at least some Costco shoppers are looking to stock up on this nutritious food that's easy to snack on daily.