We tried the new vegan items that Costco just replaced the beloved Polish hot dog with. Here's the verdict.

• Costco recently removed the Polish hot dog from its food-court menu to make room for healthier and vegan options, including a new al pastor salad and an acai bowl.
• The al pastor salad is made with fresh vegetables and plant-based protein, and the acai bowl is topped with blueberries and strawberries.
  
• Costco is the latest among many mainstream retailers to introduce vegan options to meet growing demand.
• We tried Costco's two new menu items and were surprised by how much we liked them. 

Costco recently removed the fan-favorite Polish hot dog from its food court to make room for healthier and vegan options.

While many Costco members were excited about the addition of vegan options, Costco faced backlash for removing the Polish hot dog, a variation on its traditional hot dog, which will remain on the menu. The retailer responded to the backlash to the menu changes on Facebook, saying, "We try and keep our Food Court exciting by adding new items."

The new menu items, which include an al pastor salad with plant-based protein and an acai bowl with fresh fruit and Kirkland granola, are healthier than many of the other food-court offerings and are both vegan-friendly.

"Not everybody gets as excited about pizza and hot dogs as I do," Costco CEO Craig Jelinek told shareholders in January.

Costco is the latest among many mainstream brands to start adding vegan options to meet increased demand. Nestle acquired the vegan-meat supplier Sweet Earth in September. Campbell's recently acquired Pacific Foods, which makes nondairy milks. And White Castle added the plant-based Impossible Burger to its menu.

Considering the Costco food court is known for its cheap pizza and hot dogs, we were blown away by how good the vegan options were. See what we thought:

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We visited a Costco in Brooklyn, New York, where the al pastor salad and the acai bowl were added to the menu in place of the Polish hot dog.

The salad was flattened from being stored in such a tight container, and it didn't look that exciting. It cost $4.99.

The salad came with a plant-based soy protein, chopped romaine lettuce, black beans, fresh vegetables, "banh mi vegetables," and a vegan dressing on the side, though it isn't specified anywhere what that is.