The 15 Best Items At The Costco Food Court, Ranked
When you sign up for a Costco membership, you are instantly afforded access to many of the warehouse chain's perks and services. Costco seems to have everything from free grocery samples to savings on vacation packages and auto insurance, but you can only take advantage of these things if you have a membership or if you visit a warehouse with a member. And after a long round of shopping, Costco warehouses have food courts to kick back and enjoy a slice of pizza or a refreshing cup of soda.
If you've never eaten at a Costco food court, you may wonder what menu items are worth trying and which ones you should skip. Most of the menu items are sold at low prices, so it is tempting to try everything. After all, what's there to lose if everything is so cheap? As it turns out, not all food court items will be runaway hits, and you will soon realize that some of the snacks and beverages there are simply better than others. Be sure to study this list before heading to the food court, and you will have a solid grasp on what to order on your next Costco run.
15. Cold Brew Mocha Freeze
At first glance, Costco's Cold Brew Mocha Freeze can seem like a great way to get a buzz of caffeine while making your rounds through the warehouse's many aisles. But of all of the food court menu items you can order, you are probably better off steering clear of the frozen beverage than any other menu item. From a health perspective, none of Costco's food court items are the epitome of nutrition; however, the Mocha Freeze is one of the worst offenders. Its high caloric count and staggering 71 grams of sugars is enough to send your dentist into a spiral.
If you prefer your beverages to be ultra sweet, you may find the Mocha Freeze to be the perfect pick-me-up on a Costco run. Other members would likely rather enjoy a regular iced coffee, as one Redditor complained, "It was overly sweet and tasted like ice blended with some coffee and corn syrup." Spare your teeth from this cavity-inducing beverage and bring an iced or frozen coffee drink from home instead.
14. Fruit Smoothie
A mildly healthier option at Costco's food court if you are looking for frozen beverages is its fruit smoothie. Originally a Berry Smoothie, Costco eventually switched over to a Fruit Smoothie that claims to have no added sugars or artificial ingredients. Smoothies are often sneaky beverages with hidden sugars, so seeing an all-natural option definitely sounds enticing.
As it turns out, the no-sugar version of the smoothie is only slightly better in terms of health, according to The Costco Connoisseur. While the current Fruit Smoothie has fewer calories and slightly less sugar, it has much more sodium. Not only that, but the price for the Fruit Smoothie shot up to $2.99 when it debuted. It's still a far cheaper smoothie than what you will pay elsewhere, but questionable when it did not seem to move the needle for being any healthier than its predecessor. If you must get a frozen beverage while at Costco, the Fruit Smoothie is the way to go, but overall, you are better off making your own smoothie at home.
13. Twisted Churro
Churros are a delightful dessert you are perhaps well familiar with if you have ever spent the day at Disneyland. The handheld cinnamon-sugar-laden treat can easily be the best thing you eat all day if it is made correctly. Unfortunately, that cannot be said for Costco's Twisted Churro, which customers are better off skipping when visiting the food court.
According to some Costco members, the churros were actually once one of the better menu items. One Redditor notes how the churros currently available pale in comparison, noting, "This twisted bread mockery of a dessert that has replaced my beloved churro needs to go. It is neither sweet enough nor crunchy enough." More Redditors chimed in and agreed that the quality seemed to have taken a nosedive, with another wondering if the churros are always stale or if they just got a bad batch. There are few things sadder than a stale churro, so it is best not to take the risk at Costco.
12. Roast Beef Sandwich
While many of the Costco food court items are akin to snacks that will keep you full in between meals, other items can absolutely count as your lunch or dinner if your Costco run takes longer than expected. The food court has an assortment of different sandwiches on its menu, including the Roast Beef Sandwich. While roast beef is often the meat of choice for many when ordering a sandwich, many Costco members will likely never attempt to learn whether or not it is any good. Regardless of quality, the price of this Roast Beef Sandwich is a total non-starter at a whopping $9.99.
Costco's food court is known for super-affordable bites, like its fan-favorite $1.50 hot dog and soda combo. But when a whole pizza costs $9.95, you can easily wrap your head around the backlash Costco received for its newer food court sandwich. Costco's food court should be enjoyed for its half-decent and sometimes even great food items, but it also should not break the bank. You can serve an entire family with $10 at the food court, so you can certainly spend your money far more wisely.
11. Chicken Caesar Salad
Eating on-the-go can oftentimes be difficult if you want to stick to nutritional options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Among a sea of fried foods, saturated fats, and high-calorie desserts, it is always refreshing to see healthier options on the menu. That is precisely what Costco's Chicken Caesar Salad achieves. (With that said, Caesar salads are not the healthiest salads out there, with their ultra-creamy dressing that is high in both saturated fats and sodium, according to Healthline.)
The salad ultimately must not have been a very popular food court item, as many Redditors noticed their local warehouse stores stopped selling it over the years. Sentiments seem to be lukewarm towards the salad: it was not loathed by any means, but it was not enough of a draw to keep on the menu, either. One Redditor, however, seemed to be pleased when the salad was pulled from their food court, sharing, "I always thought that it smelled old and unwashed. And it tastes the same way." If the salad ever makes a return, it likely won't make many waves with customers.
10. Hot Turkey and Provolone Sandwich
According to a 2019 study by YouGov, the turkey sandwich is one of the most popular in America, outranking all other sandwiches that use deli-sliced meats. So it should come as no surprise that Costco got in on the turkey sandwich game at their food courts, rolling out a Hot Turkey and Provolone Sandwich.
Of the sandwich options Costco's food court has released over the years, the Hot Turkey and Provolone Sandwich seemed to be one of the better ones, as fans commented on Reddit. One Redditor recalls, "I don't know if it's the sandwich's own merits or the would-be nostalgia for the way things used to be, but, looking back, it seems like it was the most delicious sandwich I've ever eaten. That can't be right, though, right? Just deli turkey, provolone, red onions, ciabatta bread, and pesto? I mean, good? Yes. Best ever? No. And yet it lingers in my mind....maybe it was." As Costco continues on its quest to come up with the best sandwich for its food courts, perhaps it will one day return to its Turkey and Provolone days.
9. BBQ Beef Brisket Sandwich
Barbecue is the undisputed champion of summer dining for many, with its biggest fans happy to enjoy some brisket and ribs year-round. There is plenty of barbecue fare to be found at Costco, including its hot-and-ready ribs. If you are craving barbecue to-go, however, its food court once offered a BBQ Beef Brisket Sandwich that members could not get enough of, and it is easy to understand why. Insider's review notes that the brisket "melts in your mouth," which sounds like it could rival any local barbecue restaurant.
Redditors were mourning the loss of the sandwich when it began to disappear from food court menus around the country. It is still talked about, with one Redditor noting, "I know it's been a few years, but I still miss them." Of all of the sandwiches Costco should consider bringing back to its menu, especially in place of its pricey Roast Beef Sandwich, this one is at the top of the list.
8. Soda
How could a simple cup of soda rank higher than half of Costco's food court menu items? After all, there is arguably nothing spectacular about a soda fountain machine, and Costco tends to stick to the usual suspects in its selection of beverages. Some may argue that an ice-cold cup of soda is the perfect remedy on a hot day, but how can it be considered one of the better options?
Costco's soda is not particularly special, but it has one trait that earns it a high ranking: value. A 20-ounce serving of soda only costs 59 cents (per Fast Food Menu Prices), which many customers could likely find in loose change around their car. Soda is also part of Costco's famous $1.50 hot dog combo, allowing members to feed an entire family for under $10. It is easy to find some businesses charging an arm and a leg for soda these days, so it is refreshing in more ways than one to order a drink at Costco that costs less than three quarters.
7. Ice Cream Cup
Any Costco member with a sweet tooth has likely contemplated ordering a frozen treat at the food court every now and then. The warehouse offers three ice cream varieties, all of which are in a tight race for this ranking. Costco has been testing other food court ice cream flavors in the past, with some markets in Canada seeing a Blizzard-esque dessert on its food court menus in recent years.
If you want things as plain as they can get, you will want to stick with Costco's ice cream without the flavor add-ins like Strawberry and Chocolate. Vanilla ice cream fans can get a bad rap, and there is nothing inherently wrong with plain ice cream. But many Costco members seem to be in agreement over wishing Costco's ice cream was a tad more interesting. Redditors do not seem to be asking for much, like bringing back the chocolate soft serve so members can order a vanilla-chocolate swirl. When you realize that it only costs an extra 50 cents to add toppings to the ice cream (via Food Truck Empire), many will opt to abandon the plain Ice Cream Cup.
6. Strawberry Sundae
If you want to add a burst of flavor to your ice cream cup, you have two options: Strawberry and Chocolate. When Costco added the toppings to its food court menu, it had members buzzing. If you choose Strawberry, your dessert will come with a fruit-flavored drizzle on top. Is it the freshest strawberry option out there? No, but when you are going in for a Strawberry Sundae, you probably are not too concerned about whether your topping is artificial or not.
One knock against the Strawberry Sundae that some Costco members have noticed and warned others about on Reddit is the chance your ice cream may come with a large gap in the middle of the cup. Others have pointed out that this is not an uncommon issue across the three ice cream varieties, which brings the real value of the $2.49 sundae into question. After all, why pay for something that you will only receive a fraction of? As some comments pointed out, Costco is aware that this can happen, so some servers choose to fill well above the top of the cup to compensate.
5. Chocolate Sundae
There is nothing more classic than an ice cream sundae with chocolate syrup on top. Vanilla and chocolate go together like peanut butter and jelly, so it only makes sense that Costco's food court would include chocolate as an optional topping for your ice cream. It makes you wonder why anyone would choose not to order the Chocolate Sundae as their ice cream of choice other than to save 50 cents.
In all honesty, the Strawberry and Chocolate Sundaes at Costco are most likely a tossup and may come down to your personal preference when determining which one is better. Much like Neapolitan ice cream, some will go for the strawberry side first, while others will leave that side of the carton completely untouched. Costco members seem to be more inclined to choose chocolate, with one Redditor wondering how they can bring the syrup home with them. Just like any sundae is the perfect ending to any meal, this Chocolate Sundae is the perfect ending to any Costco run.
4. Açai Bowl
Restaurants of all shapes and sizes have made efforts to include healthier menu options over the years as more consumers become more consciously aware of the foods they consume on a regular basis. While it is perfectly fine to enjoy a slice of pizza or an ice cream sundae from time to time, if businesses want repeat customers, it may behoove them to include more health-forward options, too. When it comes to Costco's food court, that is where its Açai Bowl checked the box.
The Açai Bowl was not only nutritious, but it was also a great deal. The frozen snack came topped with granola and dried bananas for a nice crunch and fresh blueberries to double down on those antioxidants. And at $4.99, it was way cheaper than what you would have paid elsewhere for the same product. Unfortunately, the Açai Bowl seemed to have been discontinued during the pandemic, but hopefully it will find its way back. It was one of the better things Costco had come up with for its food court.
3. Hot Dog
The top spots in any Costco food court ranking are reserved for either the tried-and-true heavy hitters or the foods that simply wow members with tons of flavor. When people think about Costco's food court, one of the first things that may come to mind is the mind-bogglingly cheap hot dog and soda combo at just $1.50. It is hard to mess up a hot dog, so when you are looking for an inexpensive bite to eat, it is really hard to beat this iconic food court snack.
Costco's hot dogs have even proven to be inflation-proof, with the CFO announcing that the $1.50 price tag would hang around for members to enjoy (via Fortune). Add your favorite toppings to your hot dog — Costco offers ketchup, mustard, relish, and onions — and it feels like you are getting away with robbery. Members have even grown creative with some of the ways you can hack a Costco hot dog into a more extravagant meal, thanks to other menu items like the Chicken Bake and Pizza slices. But when it comes down to pure value, nothing beats a Costco hot dog.
2. Chicken Bake
One of the newest food court menu items to arrive at Costco is the Chicken Bake. The savory snack is filled with grilled chicken, Caesar dressing, green onions, and cheese. It sounds rather impressive, and hats off to Costco for bringing something unique to the food court menu. Frankly, many of the current food court menu items are rather basic, with the menu being stripped back bit by bit over time. U.S. Costco food court menus pale compared to international menus, so one-of-a-kind items like the Chicken Bake are appreciated when you want something other than a hot dog and pizza for once.
The Chicken Bake has even been a part of a social media frenzy known as the "Forbidden Glizzy." This Costco food court hack involves ordering a Chicken Bake and a Hot Dog and sliding the hot dog into the bake. It is certainly one of the more bizarre food combinations out there, but it just goes to show the inventiveness of Costco members.
1. Pizza
There had to be an ultimate food court champion, and that distinction goes to none other than the Costco pizza. While many members are still fighting the good fight to bring back the Combo Pizza, you can still enjoy a slice of cheese or pepperoni at the food court. Whole pizzas are also available for just $9.95, a great bargain for families. It may sound borderline silly — how can a slice of pizza from a food court be so good? But as one Redditor puts it, "Tried Costco pizza for the first time. I get it. I get it now."
Maybe it is the futuristic and mesmerizing pizza-making robot that makes it takes so good. Or maybe it is simply the fact that you really cannot mess up a slice of pizza, and at just $1.99 (via Fast Food Menu Prices), it is a steal. If you want a whole pizza to bring home with you, be sure to order it ahead of time as soon as you enter the warehouse. That way, it will be fresh and ready for you once you are done shopping. It is a perfect pizza-ordering routine that ensures you do not have to do any unnecessary waiting with a cart full of groceries.
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