Costco Sushi Is Here And Already Causing Quite The Controversy

Sushi has always held a tenuous position on the list of premade foods you should (or shouldn't) buy at the grocery store. The idea of consuming raw fish from places with so many other things to focus on has traditionally been considered a potentially dubious proposition. Despite this, Eater reports that the bulk retailer has now thrown its hat in the ring; but will customers go along with it?

While Costco has offered sushi in the past to mixed results, these new counters are based on successes that the company has had in South Korea, Japan, and Hawaii. The offerings will also be made in-store daily rather than from an outside supplier. This means it should be a general step up in terms of freshness, but that isn't the only factor that can make or break a sushi platter.

Costco has been prepping this new sushi counter for months, and the first has now launched in Issaquah, Washington. If this current initiative is a success, it might mean that fresh sushi and sashimi will be coming to Costco warehouses across the rest of the continental U.S. However, it may not be a certainty at this point based on some of the first responses.

According to reviews in r/Costco, the new sushi offerings might be a step up from what was sold at the warehouses in the past. There are some strongly worded negative reviews on an older post, but it's unclear whether these are talking about the new counter or the pre-made trays.

"The rice is hard and the fish is near flavorless. I'm not saying this as a sushi snob. I've eaten grocery store sushi and thought it was ok in a pinch," wrote one user claiming to have sampled it in Shoreline, Washington. "I tried it. Not a fan of it and I like sushi. Maybe I got a bad batch," another Redditor lamented.

However, some thought the photos of the operation in Issaquah seemed promising. It shows an ample, open preparation space with several people making the rolls, and it appears to be drawing a crowd.

The counter has received some positive reviews as well. "I never thought I would enjoy sushi from the same place I buy my tires, but wow! This is super fresh and really delicious," wrote the thread's author. They purchased 16 pieces of sushi for about $18 and pointed out that this cleared Costco's promise of affordability since a comparable item at a local sushi restaurant would easily clear the $20 mark. While initial reviews might be mixed, the true sign of success will be whether or not this operation expands to other Costcos.