Why Costco Sushi Platters Are Better Than Other Grocery Stores'

From $4.99 rotisserie chicken and mac and cheese to Korean BBQ and gyros, Costco offers a large selection of fresh, affordable, and family-friendly meals. In 2023, an exciting addition to the prepared food counter was added: sushi made fresh in-house. Costco's Kirkland Signature sushi is only offered in select stores, but thankfully, more may be coming soon.

Grocery store sushi is convenient, but sometimes it misses the mark, particularly when the rice is dried out and stale. Luckily, Costco has found a way to ensure its sushi stays fresh by choosing the perfect grain of rice. According to the Seattle Times, the members-only warehouse sent a team to Japan to work with rice experts to find the best moisture-retaining grain, ultimately choosing Tamaki Gold Rice, a sticky rice that won't dry out when refrigerated. Costco also flew in consultants from Japan to assist with perfecting the rice as part of the grocery chain's commitment to quality.

Those lucky enough to have a sushi counter at their local Costco can expect to see the variety most of us are familiar with, uramaki, which is a roll with rice on the outside and seaweed-wrapped ingredients (crab, cucumber, and avocado, for instance) on the inside. For those who enjoy raw sushi, Costco also offers nigiri, which is fish or shrimp on top of a bed of rice, and sashimi, thin slices of raw fish. If you're looking to up your sushi game, follow these tips on eating sushi according to a pro.

In June 2023, the Costco in Issaquah, Washington — the Seattle suburb that's also home to Costco's worldwide headquarters — was the first location in the continental U.S. to roll out Kirkland Signature freshly made sushi. Several Asian countries (including Japan and South Korea) and select Hawaiian Costco locations have had in-house sushi for years. Considering how popular it has become in the states — so much so that it's offered as a grab-and-go item in numerous grocery stores — it makes sense that U.S. locations would jump aboard the sushi train. 

Costco's sushi makers in Issaquah had to work fast to keep up with the demands of customers during the launch of its sushi counter. Although the rolls are formed by an automated machine, the kitchen staff has to do the majority of the work preparing and assembling the rice and sushi fillings. The store offers several sushi varieties daily and puts out fresh items throughout the day. Costco also vowed to remove all unsold sushi from the display cases within 24 hours to keep the offerings fresh. 

The sushi counter has been such a success in Washington that there are plans to expand the program to other stores. According to Today, in March 2024, CFO Richard Galanti revealed that Costco has "two more planned to open in the very near future." Luckily for sushi lovers, those locations will likely be just as successful, resulting in more Costco sushi counters around the U.S.

Examples of Costco's sushi rolls include California rolls with real crab, spicy salmon rolls, and spicy tuna rolls featuring fresh Atlantic salmon and wild caught ahi tuna, sold at $14.99 per pound. There are trays of salmon, tuna, and cooked shrimp nigiri at $16.99 per pound, as well as a higher priced $29.99 sashimi tray with salmon, ahi tuna, and wild caught Hokkaido sea scallops. Costco even offers salmon poke bowls containing rice, avocado, edamame, and seaweed salad.

While most shoppers generally love Costco's sushi counter, it has faced some online criticism. In a Reddit post discussing the sushi at the Issaquah location, some said they weren't impressed with the construction of the rolls. One user stated, "[Costco] should just call them rice balls with the amount of rice they're using." Another said, "It's better to just save your money until they at least improve the rice. It's too glutinous and overcooked."   

However, others expressed jealousy of the Issaquah Costco's sushi counter, hoping it'll make its way to their local warehouse soon. Most of the Issaquah customers agree that while it's not restaurant-quality sushi, the ingredients are fresh and the prices are affordable. One Redditor said that although it was hard to tell the freshness of the fish when it's mixed with spicy mayo, "the rice is very fresh and not hard at all." They elaborated, "I honestly think the rice was as good or better than my local go-to sushi restaurants."