19 Products To Avoid Buying At Target, According To Reviews

With grocery prices seeming to increase all the time, it's more important than ever to get good deals on quality items. This is why many people have started educating themselves on the secrets of Target's grocery section, as there are plenty of ways to save on quality items here, especially when it comes to Target's own generic brands.

Apparently, though, there are some Target grocery products that you should be staying away from entirely. But don't take it from me: It's all there in the reviews. Target shoppers are going off in the feedback section of these not-so-great products, and they are not holding anything back. According to recent reviews, these products, most of which belong to Target brands Market Pantry and Good & Gather, should be avoided at all times. Here are 19 products to keep out of your shopping cart at Target. You have officially been warned.

First of all, the Market Pantry Take & Bake Pepperoni Traditional Crust Pizza doesn't even look like a real product. It looks like a pizza prop from an art installation. If a frozen pizza is going to come packaged in what truly looks like an old cardboard box, it better be one of two things: delivered to you by a restaurant, or very, very good.

Unfortunately, this pizza is neither of those things. In recent reviews, customers complain that the crust has a stale and powdery taste. Many complain about a lack of flavor overall and that something is "off" with the cheese. Several people note that there are no expiration dates on these pizzas either, so there's a chance you're getting old food. Sometimes this is noticeable right away (mold growing on the pizza), and sometimes it's not (surprise food poisoning after eating it).

And, in what is probably the ultimate litmus test, a few reviewers commented that even their pizza-loving children wouldn't eat it. Seriously, how bad does a pizza have to be for a kid to spit it out? Yikes. Also, let it be known that this is just a regular frozen pizza, and, therefore, "take and bake" is a little misleading. Technically true? Sure. But, come on, guys.

Many people have been fooled by the Market Pantry Chicken Bacon Ranch Frozen Bites because, on the package, they look delicious. Unfortunately, you don't find out until cooking that they are (checks notes) absolutely horrid. And this is according to pretty much everyone who tried and reviewed them.

People hate this product with a deep passion because, apparently, everything about these little chicken bacon bites is bad. They smell horrible, they taste horrible, they're overly mushy. They don't taste like ranch at all, and the chicken has a weird texture. Multiple people claim that they needed to throw up after eating them, and even more say that these bites gave them stomach problems almost immediately. Apparently, someone even gave it to their dog (not a good idea, don't do this), and the dog spit it out.

All three of the most recent reviews of Good & Gather Frozen Diced & Grilled Chicken Breast mention it smelling like dog food. The pieces of chicken have a gross texture and are described as being too chewy by some and "tiny bits of squishy mush" by others. "Mush" is a term used by several reviewers, actually.

A lot of the reviews question whether or not it's even made from real chicken, as it doesn't smell or taste like chicken. This could be because of how much fat and gristle are on the pieces, as one person points out that 80% of the "chicken" was squishy and fatty. The only thing that makes it edible, according to another reviewer, is dousing it in ranch. Otherwise, it truly makes people gag.

Raspberries can be hit or miss, no matter where you buy them (and they're not even one of the fresh fruits that spoil the fastest), but the selection at Target seems ... especially bad. According to a shockingly high amount of recent reviews, fresh raspberries from Target are typically moldy and spoiled — and that's on the first day you buy them.

People seem to particularly have trouble with Target pick-up orders when it comes to raspberries, claiming there is no quality control and blaming whoever packed their order for not checking the fruit for mold. That said, it's probably not totally the fault of the employee — it seems like most of the available raspberries are moldy. Either way, it's best to check under the hood before you buy raspberries from Target. Though even then, chances are they probably won't last very long.

Reviews within the past year for Market Pantry Frozen Cheese Tortellini Pasta are pretty abysmal, as the recipe appears to have changed big time. Before, everyone loved it. Now? Not so much. With the change of ingredients plus an increase in price, former superfans of this pasta are understandably mad and airing their opinions.

According to many people, this once-perfect tortellini, a go-to easy dinner for families, is now bland and basic with an odd texture that is both mushy and firm. One person said that it tasted like sand, because it had inexplicable "tiny hard pieces" in it. The only nice thing anyone had to say about the pasta was that they would buy it again if it was the only option available — but it's not, so they won't. Fair enough.

Target's Market Pantry Honey Mustard is not a fan favorite — there are just better honey mustards out there, according to reviews. Many customers claim that Target's version actually just tastes like regular mustard, without any honey flavor to it at all. And while this seems to be the number one complaint about it, other people go on to call it bitter, not flavorful at all, and even totally disgusting.

For just under two dollars, this honey mustard is quite the steal, but don't expect any sweetness — you won't find that here. Luckily, there are so many other types of honey mustard available at Target, you can just walk by this one and choose another. Hey, Market Pantry: Fix your mustard.

If you were to rank store-bought frozen pizzas from Target, the Market Pantry Thin Crust Four Cheese Frozen Pizza would be at the bottom of the list. It seems to be the most negatively reviewed frozen pizza sold at Target. This makes sense. Like its sibling, the aforementioned Market Pantry Take & Bake Pepperoni Traditional Crust Pizza, this pizza also looks like a prop from a play (even just in the product listing).

One customer referred to it as "food poisoning in the mask of tasty pizza," as it looked as if it would be delicious but instead tasted "like cardboard" and caused them to throw up. One person called the cheese "strange," which might be the most haunting descriptor of all. The crust is said to be bland and sometimes soggy, while still tasting like cardboard. The rest of the pizza is generally flavorless. This is, according to one person, a "joyless pizza that isn't even good in a bad way," like other cheap frozen pizzas are. Some people added seasoning to it, but still didn't like it. Even a toddler called it "yucky." No thanks.

You usually can't go wrong with a bar mix, but this Savory Tavern Bar Blend by Market Pantry appears to be absolutely terrible. The most recent reviews are pretty disturbing, and even customers are extremely confused as to why this snack tastes so bad. People agree, something just seems off.

One person, writing in all caps, claims it's the worst-tasting snack they've ever purchased, and describes it as horrific and rancid. A few recent reviews spoke of a chemical flavor, and almost everyone complained of staleness. One reviewer mentions that they noticed an ingredient change, which might have something to do with the new, less-than-ideal taste. Uh, hey, Target? One of your food items apparently now tastes like rancid oil. Can we do something about that, perhaps? That seems ... not good. For now, let's all stay away from this tub of snacks.

Many of the Liquid Water Enhancer Drops by Market Pantry have pretty bad reviews, but the lemonade flavor is the worst offender by far, with the peach mango flavor being a close second.

The lemonade flavor allegedly used to be good and tasted like other lemonade-flavored water enhancements, but, according to reviews, not so much anymore. Now, it has an artificial taste that is reminiscent of metal or chemicals. One person said it tasted like Pine Sol, and multiple customers say it tasted like acetone. Regardless, it certainly appears to taste nothing like lemonade. One customer compared it to cleaning products, noting that all of the good reviews it has are from over a year ago, before the formula was changed. It sounds like your water is better off being flavorless than having these drops added to it. Nobody should drink anything that tastes like Pine Sol (or any other cleaning material).

Wow, people really hate this protein bar and love to yell about it — seemingly for good reason. Good & Gather Coconut Chocolate Protein Bars might be the worst-tasting protein bar on earth, according to the people who have tried them.

First of all, it's as "hard as a rock" and has the consistency of tree bark, which isn't a great start. The taste is said to be inedible and horrendous, with one person comparing it to "literal vomit." And, although these protein bars are supposedly meant to mimic the classic Coconut Chocolate RX Bars, customers say they're not even close. Look, just because the ingredients are all natural doesn't mean your protein bar should taste like (checks notes) barf. Your best bet is to stick to the name brand when it comes to this product, folks. Trust the reviews. 

The Good & Gather Signature European Style Salted Butter is a tricky item in that it is clearly trying to trick you. According to reviews, there is nothing European about this butter — except for the bloated price, that is.

That's right, this so-called "European style" butter is just regular old Target butter in a disguise. People mention it over and over again in the reviews, and they're not happy about being duped. One person even did a side-by-side comparison with the regular version of Good & Gather butter and concluded that, yes, it's literally the same butter. The only thing fancier about it is the packaging. Nice try, Target. You're not fooling anyone.

The Frozen Four Cheese Gnocchi by Good & Gather has a big problem, and that problem is ... its very existence. Absolutely nothing is going right with this pasta, according to most of the people who ate it (and then reviewed it).

Almost all reviews talk about how the cheese sauce is actually gray in color. It truly looks off-putting and almost moldy. And, sure, looks aren't everything, but it also has a terrible (repulsive, even) taste and a gross texture. Oh, and it smells spoiled, too (or like feet, according to one reviewer). Some customers wound up getting sick after eating it and had to throw away the leftovers. Okay, that's enough information for me — I'll stay away (and you should, too). 

While some people claim to love Good & Gather's Frozen BBQ Pork Bao Buns, most of the reviews from the past year say otherwise. Many people say the pork filling is not very good, and there's also just not enough of it in there. Others agree that he bun itself is way too thick.

Perhaps the most sinister thing about this product, though, is that, according to one reviewer, the price was recently increased despite the quantity per package going down from six to four. This seems absolutely ridiculous. If ever this product was worth it, with fewer buns for your money, it's surely not anymore. Then again, apparently, it doesn't even taste good, so maybe you wouldn't want more of them in a pack. Regardless, there are plenty of better frozen bao bun options out there.

There are over 900 reviews of Good & Gather's Organic Bananas from Target, and almost every single recent one is very, very bad. The biggest issue seems to come from the fact that most of the customers ordered the bananas for pick up and were given ones that were rotten, completely smushed, or overly ripe. So, if you're going to buy bananas at Target, definitely don't use the drive-up or pick-up options, as you'll most likely be disappointed.

That said, there are just better (and cheaper) places to buy bananas. And it's best to shop for them yourself, because that way, you can avoid buying bananas that don't have an intact neck (plus, you can spot any other quality control issues that the reviewers complained about).

Most reviewers agree that the Good & Gather Turkey Burger Patties are bland, spongy, and without much flavor. No matter how you cook them, they will still come out dry and have a rubbery texture. In fact, one person even compared their consistency to yoga mats.

"Gross" seems to be the favorite way of describing these burgers. One customer said that the burgers upset their stomach and that no other food does this. Apparently, adding seasoning to the burgers doesn't even help because the seasoning doesn't adhere to the meat. Sheesh. You've got other turkey burger options — maybe just bypass this one at Target, okay?

Apparently, the Good & Gather Fresh Mini Cucumbers at Target aren't exactly as fresh as advertised. In fact, most reviewers open the package to find old, squishy, slimy cucumbers — and sometimes they'd even gone moldy. Some customers believe this is because Target doesn't properly seal its cucumber bags like other stores do.

Even if you're lucky enough to find cucumbers that look okay, there's still a chance they'll be growing mold by the next day. This was the fate of several customers who had unfortunate run-ins with this bag of vegetables. At most, you've got around two days to eat these before they begin the shapeshift. You're probably better off just buying your cucumbers elsewhere.

The reviews of Target's Good & Gather Fresh Organic Romaine Hearts are very creepy. Sure, many customers complain about old, brown, wilted lettuce, while others talk of mold and fungus. These factors are bad enough to give the product a spot on this list. But the real gross factor here is the many reviews that claim their rotten lettuce was covered in bugs — all kinds of bugs.

Little black bugs, both dead and alive, coated some customers' leafy greens. Some found dead flies. One person found a worm while another received a live snail inside their lettuce. Now that's organic ... maybe a little too organic. If organic greens are going to come with bugs, they better be fresh. Bugs AND rotted lettuce? No, thank you.

I'm starting to think we should all just reconsider buying the produce at Target because the Good & Gather Fresh Organic On-The-Vine Tomatoes are also no good, according to reviews. Many of the customers who reviewed these tomatoes ordered delivery or pick up, so someone else chose the tomatoes, but my goodness, these things shouldn't have even been for sale in the first place. Most customers from within the last year complain of wet, rotten, and even moldy tomatoes. 

And, even in instances where the tomatoes weren't outwardly disgusting, they still tasted terrible, apparently. Many were white inside and never ripened. There is seriously something wrong with these tomatoes. If you happen to see them, walk the other way. 

Well, Good & Gather strikes again — unfortunately, the brand's Organic Basil is also terrible. People, can we all agree to not buy produce with our Target apps? Perhaps we go into the store (maybe a different store — sorry, Target) and pick out our fresh produce, hm? No judgement — just think about it, because, wow, these reviews are bad. The basil at Target is simply not okay.

Every single review written within the last year about this basil is horribly negative. The basil is said to be slimy, moldy, brown, or rotten. Sometimes, if you're super unlucky, it's all of those things. And, even in the rare instance when it isn't outwardly haunted-looking, it is still said to be quite flavorless. That's it, no more produce from Target. 

I sifted through product pages on Target's website and went through all recent reviews, specifically looking at the lower-starred grocery items. If most of the recent reviews of a product were glaringly terrible and written within the last year, then the item got added to this list.