8 Target Food Court Items We Just Miss

When it comes to saving money on groceries, you have options. But what if you’re craving a soft pretzel? Or you want to nosh a slice of pizza while you browse? 

Target has plenty of options for affordable, tasty food in the aisles of its grocery section, but what about the food court?

You may not remember the food court in your own Target — some have been replaced by coffee or removed altogether. But there was a time when you could get some great foods, snacks, and drinks at the Target food court.

Here are some of the Target food court items we miss the most.

One of the best snacks at the Target food court was popcorn, not only because of its taste but also because of its smell.

The food court’s popcorn popper may have been at the front of the store with the delicious scent that pulled you in through the front doors of Target, even if you hadn’t been planning on stopping by.

A big salty pretzel was always a good option to nibble on while wandering the aisles of Target. If you wanted your big pretzel to be sweet, you could also get a cinnamon sugar version.

In fact, one commenter on Reddit said the cinnamon sugar pretzels at their favorite Target store “were always so good.”

Costco is well known for its $1.50 deal on hot dogs and drinks, but you used to be able to find a good hot dog at Target.

The Nathan’s All-Beef Hot Dog at Target had the usual toppings like ketchup and mustard, but you could also add chili to it at some locations to make it even better.

Sometimes a pretzel was just too unwieldy to carry around while you were shopping, but there was a solution in the Target food court.

Instead, you could pick up some pretzel bites that were easy to eat as you went through the electronics department or looked for new clothes.

Like the big soft pretzel, you could also get the bite-sized versions with salt or cinnamon sugar on top.

A slushie was the perfect treat if you got stuck shopping at Target with your parents or just wanted a cool snack on a hot day.

Target’s food court was packed with classic ICEE flavors like cherry and cola, but during the holidays, you could also find special fare like a mermaid flavor or elf ICEE.

Some fans of the slushy drinks feel a deep sense of nostalgia. One Redditor said, “Let me get an ICEE on my way to the games aisle, please.”

Why go to a fast food restaurant when you could get piping hot fries at your local Target?

The retailer made sure to include fries in many of its cafes so you could grab some on your way in, on your way out, or just enjoy them while sitting down in the cafe.

Forget the basic fast-food chicken nuggets when you could get chicken tenders to eat after a long shopping trip at Target.

“I loved their chicken strips as a child,” raved one Reddit user.

You may be nostalgic for mixing ICEE flavors or the smell of popcorn that would draw you in before you left Target, but those days are over.

In recent years, Target locations have been remodeled, and many of the cafes have been phased out in favor of other options.

Target employees and customers have reported that their favorite cafe stops are now something else, usually a Starbucks or additional customer service space to hold pick-up orders or store extra items.

“They started doing some construction in it, and I thought they were renovating it, but they turned it into the holding area for curbside orders,” lamented one Reddit user.

“Mine was replaced by a Starbucks,” said another Redditor. “I really miss when the cafe was still around.”

While you may get nostalgic for the food court, Target still offers a ton of ways to save on everyday essentials.

Savvy shoppers use Target’s rewards mobile app. It can help you earn perks to use on your next Target visit or find deals to save money on purchases across the store.