Where are the Fritos?

[Bootsie]

I have been to several grocery stores, Target, and even 7-Eleven and can only find honey bbq fritos or ragin' hot fritos.  And I am in Texas--home to the Frito.

The one food that DD asked for while she was home was Frito pie.  I have been looking for Fritos for four days!  I hadn't realized I should have started my search months ago.

 

[AbcdeDooDah]

How funny! I went to the store for Fritos and they only hand twists and chili cheese. I did finally find some Scoops. 

[TheReader]

Hugs! So many chips are in short supply right now. I am in love with these Snyder's Cheddar Pretzel Pieces (or something like that), and they are mostly out of stock all the time. We found some a while back, and stocked up on like 10 bags or so, thinking that would last while they got their supply chain issues sorted out......but no. Down to one bag left (and I've been doing 1 bag a week, so it's been a good 10 weeks now....), and still/again -- not in stock. 

I hope you're able to find your dd's Fritos; there's nothing else quite as good for Frito pie, although in a pinch maybe the "scoops" tortilla chips. won't be the same flavor, really, but similar experience/mouth feel. 

[aggie96]

No Fritos in my neck of the woods either. Very strange. And causing a ruckus in my house.

[momto3innc]

I went on a major hunt a few weeks ago when we really wanted some for our chili. No major grocery store, Walmart, or target had them. Here’s where I found them:

-gas station (smaller, expensive but I really wanted them!)

-Aldi (had their brand for cheap and also had some Fritos scoops—out of the regular kind).

 

[kirstenhill]

1 minute ago, momto3innc said:

I went on a major hunt a few weeks ago when we really wanted some for our chili. No major grocery store, Walmart, or target had them. Here’s where I found them:

-gas station (smaller, expensive but I really wanted them!)

-Aldi (had their brand for cheap and also had some Fritos scoops—out of the regular kind).

 

Same for Aldi here...I often buy there generic brand and feel it is a fair substitute, especially for a casserole. I make a chili casserole that calls for Fritos and they work just fine. 

[HomeAgain]

There are such weird things missing from the shelves!  We have Fritos here (and a local store brand substitute that's identical).  But no corn dogs, curly fries, breaded frozen chicken, or eggnog.  Greek yogurt is beginning to be back on the shelf again more regularly, but still missing various cheeses.

Just a note- the first list isn't our usual diet. 😄 They're options right now in the "11yo learning to cook lunch for himself" part of our life.

[Carrie12345]

It’s been hit or miss with all sorts of chips over here.

Yesterday was ds’s birthday, and he wanted both flaming hot and jalapeño Cheetos. Walmart only offered me 6 small bags of flaming hot in place of one larger bag of each.
(But they gave me a big bag of regular Cheetos for myself in place of a small one, lol!)

Dh has seriously refused to believe me about most weird food supply issues… and then he had trouble tracking down the last box in the world of some brand of holiday beers  (or so it would seem) and now he sort of believes me. @@.  

[Pawz4me]

34 minutes ago, TheReader said:

Hugs! So many chips are in short supply right now. I am in love with these Snyder's Cheddar Pretzel Pieces (or something like that), and they are mostly out of stock all the time. We found some a while back, and stocked up on like 10 bags or so, thinking that would last while they got their supply chain issues sorted out......but no. Down to one bag left (and I've been doing 1 bag a week, so it's been a good 10 weeks now....), and still/again -- not in stock. 

I hope you're able to find your dd's Fritos; there's nothing else quite as good for Frito pie, although in a pinch maybe the "scoops" tortilla chips. won't be the same flavor, really, but similar experience/mouth feel. 

Yes!

I was at Walmart a month or two ago and overheard the Lay's vendor say it was the worst he'd ever seen as far as being able to get product, and that they only anticipated it getting worse. I thought things were getting better recently, but last week I was in the (not Walmart) grocery store and noticed that their chip/snack aisle was depleted. DS23 loves the Snyder's PB filled pretzels, and those have been very hard to find, too.

[Jean in Newcastle]

https://kicks105.com/whats-the-deal-with-the-fritos-shortage-in-east-texas/

[math teacher]

I had no trouble getting Fritos yesterday for our chili-we usually use crackers, but I got mixed up. I can't remember if I got them from Super One or Dollar General.

 

ETA: And  I do most of my shopping in East Texas. I guess I got lucky!!

Edited December 19, 2021 by math teacher

[prairiewindmomma]

Apparently they are hanging out with the diet Dr. Pepper, which has also been hard to find regularly for the last year….

[Selkie]

Not sure about current availability, but Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and Natural Grocers usually have other brands of corn chips that taste similar to Fritos but are organic, non GMO, etc. I’ve seen several different brands that are labeled as corn chips or corn dippers. 

[athena1277]

We couldn’t find Fritos a few weeks ago.  They didn’t even have the little bags by the register.  It seems to be better now, I haven’t had a problem finding them more recently.  Sometimes it seems rather random what the stores are out of.  Thankfully it hasn’t been as bad as at the beginning of the pandemic.  I can usually find what I wanted a week or 2 later.

[Tap]

Trader Joes version is very, very good!  I actually prefer them to regular Fritos. Maybe try TJs and see what you think!

 

 

[Sneezyone]

On a happy note…you midwesterners have been holding out re:Dot’s original pretzel twists. I bought ‘em on a whim when my usual butter pretzels were sold out. They’re delish!

[fairfarmhand]

I’ve been having problems with those too. I’m in middle Tennessee.

[happi duck]

What is Frito Pie?

[TheReader]

18 minutes ago, happi duck said:

What is Frito Pie?

Oh! I think it's a Texas thing. 

You make a bed of Fritos, top with chili (similar to the Wolf brand chili) (we use the one with beans), and then cheddar cheese (shredded). It started off as a "walking taco" kind of thing (you can make it in the actual single serve bag of Fritos if you want), and then just took off. 

Delicious junk food that can serve as dinner if you're more adventurous. we always offer it along with hot dogs when we do hotdogs. (rarely, but happens). 

[itsheresomewhere]

With my beloved munch mix that is hard to find in the big bags.  

[Selkie]

32 minutes ago, TheReader said:

Oh! I think it's a Texas thing. 

You make a bed of Fritos, top with chili (similar to the Wolf brand chili) (we use the one with beans), and then cheddar cheese (shredded). It started off as a "walking taco" kind of thing (you can make it in the actual single serve bag of Fritos if you want), and then just took off. 

Delicious junk food that can serve as dinner if you're more adventurous. we always offer it along with hot dogs when we do hotdogs. (rarely, but happens). 

That was a staple on the school lunch menu when dh and I were kids (Midwest in the 80s). It was just called Frito chili, though. I never realized it was the same thing as Frito pie.

[Emba]

I was looking for Fritos a few weeks ago and couldn’t find any at the grocery store. I made do with Family Dollar’s cheap version. Can’t remember what it was called, but maybe check there?

[Clemsondana]

To the OP - in TN a friend had a problem finding Fritos a few months ago but somebody in a different part of town was able to get them and bring her some.   I'm noticing that companies like Trader Joes and Whole Foods, which often had only their own brand of some products, have been making changes that I assume are based on availability.   

To others asking about Frito Pie - it's popular in New Mexico, too.  Here in TN, they are called petros.  There is a local chain that sells them in a cup - fritos topped with chili and then assorted other optional toppings. 

[Rachel]

I just mailed Fritos to my grandma in Texas! At Thanksgiving she was lamenting that she couldn’t find the original style. I found them at my Kroger, fully stocked, so I got her some. I was wondering if they are baked by a different plant or sold through a different distributor in my part of the country. 
 

The thing I can’t get here are pretzels. We always dip pretzel rods in white chocolate as a Christmas tradition. This year I’m not being picky about shape or brand and can’t find them at all. Fortunately my kids will be happy making something else. 

[Terabith]

I recently discovered that they burn super well.  

[Storygirl]

There have been no regular Fritos here for months. There has been a strike at Frito-Lay. I have been able to find them a couple of times at Costco. Only giant bags of the scoop variety, but they work when I crush them for our taco pie topping.

[Ali in OR]

I've seen Fritos here, but not the lower salt variety we prefer. The things I can't get right now are any Top Ramen flavor other than beef, dd's bag of frozen turkey sausage links, breakfast Hot Pockets (picky eater will eat these), and I have difficulty finding our Belvita flavors. I finally bought the ginormous Costco box which is more than we need, but I'm tired of not being able to get them at the grocery store.

[Bootsie]

Wow--I didn't realize this was so widespread or I would have started searching for Fritos weeks ago.  I have told several friends to be on the lookout in nearby towns.  It has become somewhat of a joke and a hunt around here--if anyone in our family finds some, they will probably be wrapped up as Christmas gifts under the tree.  

Flavored ones don't seem to be hard to find, but plain, old-fashioned Fritos--a mainstay in Texas--have just disappeared.  It seems as if the flavored would be part of the same supply chain.  

[prairiewindmomma]

Try ordering from Walmart.com, but for delivery. They can pull from different regional warehouses. 

[katilac]

Amazon also has some. 

[math teacher]

Are tortilla chips available? I know they aren't the same, but we might could substitute. I think they would work in Taco Soup and for topping Mexican Chicken.

[lmrich]

My Aldi had them. 

[Ditto]

I just checked on Target's website and they have the original flavor that you are looking for.   They are in stock at my local store and also available for shipping.

[katilac]

 "Tell us again about the Great Frito Shortage of 2021, Grandma!" 

"Again? Okay, well, it was just four days before Christmas, and it was starting to look like it would be the first time we didn't have the traditional Frito Pie . . . " 

[happi duck]

Every time I see this thread my brain starts singing: where have all the Fritos gone?

[Bootsie]

We got some Trader Joe's version to try.  We can eat chili with tortilla chips or crackers--it is just that DD has come from Austria where she has to make those types of substitutions for her Frito Pie whenever she wants to fulfill her craving and was hoping to get the real thing in Texas.  

[TexasProud]

On 12/19/2021 at 2:14 PM, Selkie said:

Not sure about current availability, but Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and Natural Grocers usually have other brands of corn chips that taste similar to Fritos but are organic, non GMO, etc. I’ve seen several different brands that are labeled as corn chips or corn dippers. 

We dont have any of those stores here. 

[Sk8ermaiden]

At gas stations I am able to find a lot of things that are in short supply at grocery stores, oddly enough. Also, the variety pack of chips we get comes with a few bags of fritos and I have been able to consistantly get those varitety packs.

 

[Bootsie]

We found Fritos in Fiesta today!!!!  But now, the one thing DS asked for was homemand cranberry sauce (I didn't even know he liked it), and there were no cranberries to be found, despite going to five stores...  did finally find some fresh made cranberry sauce at Central Market, so that will have to do.  Next year I will know to start early with the basics.

[Clemsondana]

This week our store had several types of fritos, including normal plain ones.  We did not have Rice Krispies...which is fine - we can make a different treat.