The Costco Frozen Appetizer That Came Straight From Shark Tank

Food products featured on Shark Tank tend to have a mixed track record, but some end up successful enough to reach Costco's shelves. One of those products, Brazi Bites, first made its appearance on the show back in 2015, wowing the sharks enough to cause a "feeding frenzy" over the business. Lori Greiner ended up winning the bid, with Brazi Bites agreeing to her offer of $200,000 for 16.5% equity.

Unlike Foster Farm's Mini Corn Dogs, which are a Costco frozen appetizer you need to keep far away from your cart, Brazi Bites are actually really good. They're based on pão de queijo, a traditional cheese bread found in most Brazilian households, known for its chewy texture and delightfully mild cheesiness. It's the first item on our list of Brazilian snacks you need to try at least once for good reason: it's a beloved staple you can find at corner stores and bakeries throughout Brazil.

While the deal with Greiner ultimately didn't close, the hype from the founders' Shark Tank appearance boosted sales tremendously. The product reportedly sold out in all stores within three days of the episode airing. The success allowed the brand to expand its product line over the years, with Brazi Bites introducing empanadas in 2019, Pizza'nadas in 2021, and waffles in 2023. While the empanadas and Pizza'nadas appear to have been discontinued, you can still find Brazi Bites' cheese bread and waffles among Costco's frozen appetizers. The catch is that, like other regional Costco finds, Brazi Bites are only available year-round in the Southeast and in Texas. If you're willing to travel north of the border, you can also find them fairly reliably in Eastern and Western Canada. 

When it comes to cultural icons like pão de queijo, there's always the question of whether or not a store-bought version tastes like the real thing. Some reviews online say Brazi Bites' frozen take tastes authentic, short of actually buying the bread in Brazil. Others say that they taste like an American take on pão de queijo, but are good for what they are: frozen appetizers. As with all culturally ubiquitous foods, different families likely have different takes on the recipe, which is why Brazi Bites tastes authentic to some and not quite so to others.

One major reason why some folks might feel it doesn't quite taste right is because of the cheese blend Brazi Bites uses for its product. Traditional pão de queijo uses either Canastra cheese or Minas meia cura cheese, both of which are made from raw milk. The FDA stipulates that raw milk cheeses can only be imported if they're aged for at least 60 days; since Canastra ages for 21 to 40 days and Minas meia cura for 35 or fewer, you can count both among other cheeses you won't be able to taste in the U.S. Brazi Bites' founders had to develop their own blend to create a similar flavor profile.

The tasty Shark Tank-adjacent appetizer you'll find in Costco's freezers stays as close to traditional as possible with the other ingredients, including using naturally gluten-free tapioca flour for the dough. This gives it the crispy-on-the-outside, fluffy-on-the-inside texture that reviewers rave about, with some comparing them to the bread you'll find at Brazilian steakhouses. Based on the generally positive feedback online, they're definitely worth giving a try if you manage to spot them at your local Costco.