Earlier last week, I received an urgent text message from my boyfriend, Chris, regarding the Costco Food Court Berry Smoothie, and how it was no more.  Instead, it had been completely replaced by this new mango smoothie.  Disappointed but intrigued, Chris went ahead and bought the mango smoothie, and we made plans to taste and review this new item during our latest Costco run over the weekend.

Now, fun fact about me: I loved the Costco Berry Smoothie.  I grew up drinking these things during my parents’ weekend Costco runs, and have since gotten Chris hooked on them.  I just happen to live across the street from a Costco here in Bakersfield, which along with giving me access to the best priced gas in California, allows easy and steady access to berry smoothies at a moment’s notice.  I’m not exaggerating in the slightest when I tell you that sometimes we go to Costco just for a berry smoothie and a quick lap around the store to browse the new items and pick up as many of the free samples as possible.  We’re huge Costco fans, and huge Costco Berry Smoothie fans, so this change to the Mango Smoothie may be a lot to process.  While change is hard, we made our way over to Costco to try out the new Food Court Mango Smoothie, and we have some thoughts.

Overall, I have to say that I liked the new Mango Smoothie.  It’s very thick (it has almost an applesauce consistency), but the fruity/mango flavor comes through very nicely.  I wouldn’t describe the flavor as a tropical mango flavor (don’t expect pina colada vibes), but more of an apple-y, sweet/tart mango flavor – similar to that of a frozen mango nectar.  The color is a beautiful orange hue, and it generally met my expectations for what a mango smoothie should be.

Getting back to the texture for a minute – it is quite thick, which makes it challenging to drink without a straw.  Here in environmentally conscious California this is more of a problem, because they don’t give out straws with the smoothies, so it was a bit hard to drink.  The berry smoothie used to be a little more watery and much more sip-able, while the mango one is more of a dense, frozen puree (almost like a sorbet texture).  I also found the new mango smoothie to be much more filling than the berry smoothie used to be.  Chris and I split one (as we always did before), and I don’t know if I could drink a whole one myself.  While I appreciated that it felt more premium and deluxe because it seemed loaded with fruit, it also felt heavy and sugary near the end of the experience.  This smoothie now feels more like a special treat instead of an every-weekend small indulgence.

We also noticed that the calorie content of the mango smoothie is much higher than the berry smoothie used to be (360 cal for the new Mango smoothie, while the Berry smoothie used to clock in around 230 cal if I’m remembering correctly).  To me, this immediately puts this item in the “special treat” category, even if Chris and I are splitting one.  The claims on the board of the Food Court advertised 4 servings of fruit per serving, and no added sugar – however I can tell you (as a professional food scientist) that the calorie difference here between the Berry and the Mango is all from sugar, even if that sugar is naturally coming from the fruit.  If you’re watching your sugar or carb intake, be wary of this one!

I checked in with my fellow Costco fans, and it seems that this change is just starting to roll out nationwide.  Some sources online have shared that the new mango smoothie has rolled out in Hawaii, and some locations in California, Oklahoma, and Washington, and my parents confirmed the change at their local Costco in Maryland this past weekend.  We found and tasted ours at the Santa Barbara Costco, so if you’re looking to give these a try, they definitely have them there.  I’m interested in hearing other people’s thoughts on this new item, so if you find it out there, comment below to let me know your thoughts!

All in all, I do think the new mango smoothie is a fun new addition to the Costco Food Court lineup.  While I was a strong devotee to the berry smoothie and sudden change can be hard, I can see myself treating myself to the mango smoothie from time to time.  This new item is more indulgent and less sip-able than the berry smoothie, but that doesn’t mean I’m never going to buy it again.  Keep in mind that this review is coming from someone who likes mango and mango-flavored things – if you’re not a mango fan, you probably won’t be into this!  I’m not sure if this will be a permanent change to Costco’s Food Court menu, but the mango smoothie has earned a spot on my occasional rotation of treats.  The berry smoothie will join the ranks of discontinued Costco Food Court favorites like the vanilla and chocolate swirled frozen yogurt and the hand-dipped super premium ice cream bars of years past.  I have officially reached the acceptance phase of this change from berry to mango, and I look forward to hearing other Costco fan’s thoughts about this new item as it’s rolled out to more locations in the coming weeks!