There are a slew of reasons to go to Costco, and buying things in bulk isn’t even the best one. Whether you’re a little kid jamming on a slice of pizza while you wait for your parents to finish shopping, or you’re an adult stopping in for the cheapest lunch in town, you know that the Costco food court is in a league of its own.
Part of the food court’s renown is simply a question of flavor — the hot dog is darn good. But as one of the cheapest fast-food joints around, it’s the prices that make the wholesaler’s fast food treats special. Let’s take a look at some the most popular Costco food court menu items and see how they face off against each other.
Prices and availability are subject to change.
Chicken Bake
$3.99
We, of course, all know that the chicken bake is the best thing on the Costco food court menu. It may in fact be the best thing on any fast-food menu; the thing is sublime. Chicken drowning in melted cheese, bacon, green onions, and Caesar dressing wrapped up in what is essentially a pizza crust is a wondrous thing. It’s the undefeated star of the Kirkland Signature-brand food court, and one that Sam’s Club hasn’t even attempted to knock off. Accept no substitutes.
Hot Dog & Drink
$1.50
If the chicken bake is the star of the team, the Costco all-beef hot dog and drink combo is the coach. The $1.50 Costco hot dog deal has played an important part in helping the retailer make a name for itself. It’s not easy to find such solid value with food of this quality. That sesame seed bun is just perfect. And as if the combo couldn’t get any better, Costco’s Chief Financial Officer announced that the hot dog will stay at $1.50 “forever.” Costco’s food court menu prices alone are reason enough to give its greatest hits a taste.
Pizza
$1.99 per slice or $9.95 for a whole pizza
Costco pizza is like something out of a movie, isn’t it? Blackened, bubbly mozzarella dripping all over the place. Red sauce on your palms. Garlicky powder from the crust on your fingertips. Napkins too thin to soak up the oil. It’s the quintessential junk food pizza experience. And at $10 for an entire 18-inch pie? Not a lot more you can ask for (except for the combo pizza to come back).
Churro
$2.49
Costco apparently modified its churro recipe recently — that’s news to us, but either way we’re way on board. Churros are just one of the things where, if you’ve made a bad one, you’ve gone out of your way to screw up. Hot, crunchy, fried dough covered in cinnamon-sugar is gonna be a hit no matter what, you know?
Frozen Yogurt
$1.35
If you’re not a frozen yogurt person, I don’t know what to tell you. There’s just no helping some people. McDonald’s often gets credit for an elite vanilla ice cream cone, but Costco’s is an entire league better, and when served in that huge plastic cup, you’re getting a whole lot more bang for your buck.
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Smoothie
$2.99
The berry smoothie is an important part of the Costco food court menu, and the company recently replaced the berry smoothie with a strawberry-banana version. This is a smoothie that tastes good, which means it’s more like the way Jamba Juice does things and less like the way a health-conscious smoothie operation does things. But so what? The smoothies are good for your mental health, not your physical health. Grab one for your walk around the store.
Sundae
$2.49
The frozen yogurt, as previously mentioned, is a winner. But what about the sundae, which stars soft serve and a bunch of strawberries or chocolate syrup in it? That’s for you to decide. For me, it doesn’t hold up to the frozen yogurt.
Chicken Caesar Salad
$6.99
Agatha Christie could not weave a more compelling mystery than the one behind the chicken Caesar salad and who chooses to eat it. You could almost certainly make a better salad with the ingredients from the very store you’re in. That chicken is inedibly dry. You’re at Costco for a reason, and we’re willing to bet that reason isn’t to eat a salad. So don’t.
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