The Problem Some Costco Shoppers Have With This Japanese BBQ Sauce

Costco is home to a wide variety of finds. Members of the warehouse store can buy engagement rings, swimming pools, vacation packages, caviar, and even caskets (via MoneyWise). Costco has also been known to sell 60-pound tubs of honey, 4-gallon tubs of mayonnaise, and 50-pound packages of lard, per Business Insider.

However, that's not to say that every item sold at Costco is either a casket or big enough to fill a swimming pool-sized casket. The store also sells a lot of private brand food items that shoppers can't seem to get enough of. For instance, Costco's Kirkland signature coffees have a cult following, as do its sheet cakes and Costco's $5 rotisserie chickens. Oh, and of course, the $1.50 hot dog and drink combo at Costco's food court.

Obviously, not every product can be a hit, and Costco shoppers know from personal experience that some products miss the mark for them. While there are some people who might sing the praises of Bachan's Japanese BBQ sauce, for instance, a number of customers on Reddit are a little less than thrilled with the product. 

Bachan's BBQ sauce left some Costco customers a little salty

When Bachan's Japanese BBQ sauce hit Costco shelves in late 2021, shoppers were itching to get their hands on a bottle. Some Redditors can't seem to get enough of the sauce and its versatility. One person said, "So good as a marinade!" and another commented, "I would drink that stuff straight." A third person said they originally bought one bottle, but then went back for three more.

Unfortunately, not everyone was as satisfied. One unhappy user commented, "Too salty for me." On a different Reddit thread, someone echoed that sentiment, writing, "New Japanese BBQ sauce a bit salty to me. Also not as thick as I was expecting. Kinda watery." Others suggested that the sauce would still work well as a marinade.

As for the complaint about saltiness, a single serving of the sauce – 1 tablespoon – packs 520 milligrams of sodium, which amounts to nearly a quarter of the recommended daily value (via Bachan's). To put that number into perspective, the FDA recommends a daily sodium intake of no more than 2300 mg. So yeah, the BBQ sauce might be a little salty.