The Definitive Ranking Of Costco's Food Court Items

Costco isn't just known for its wonderfully affordable big-box products. Even with aisles of frozen items to stock up on and mountains of home goods to sift through, you'll still find just as many shoppers gathered around the company's iconic food court. It's there that customers will find quick snacks to fuel their errand run, refreshing beverages to keep them motivated throughout, and full meals to reward themselves afterward for successfully finding all the goods on their checklist. Costco is home to some pretty popular, inexpensive menu items after all.

And though the supreme hot dog and soda combo and Kirkland Signature chicken bake probably come to mind, there are plenty of other options, too. One of Costco's food court secrets to test on your next trip is to head in with a ranking of these items so you know exactly what to expect. To save you the hassle, we've taken the liberty of doing exactly that. This list highlights the pros and cons of each product on the menu to help you decipher what's worth the buy.

Cue the sad violin sound effects for the most mediocre of Costco's food court items. Number 10 on the list goes to the turkey Swiss sandwich. For someone who loves this lean protein over any other, consuming this order was a particularly disappointing experience. There wasn't much that could be done to save this meal.

To start, the ciabatta wasn't firm or crispy in the slightest. Maybe it just came down to the sandwich being intentionally served cold, but the bread added no level of enjoyment to the meal's taste or texture. It truly was there just to fulfill its purpose of holding in the fillings. And even then, the oven-roasted turkey breast, Swiss cheese, and lettuce still felt poorly thrown together with nothing tying them in with one another. You'd think the sammie's use of sun-dried tomato spread (whose flavor was admittedly the highlight of the dish) plus mayonnaise and mustard would work as somewhat of a glue, but it actually became the structural downfall. Nothing could have salvaged how wet both the spread and turkey were. Their liquid dripped from the sandwich with each bite, creating an overall soggy experience.

An ice cream sundae coming in second to last on a food ranking list? It was just as unexpected for us as it probably is for you. Costco has a few options for sundae combinations, but we sought out the product that combines a bit of every flavor offered in order to sample everything and be as fair as possible. This led us to the chocolate-vanilla twist with strawberry topping, which uses both chocolate and vanilla ice cream as a base and has a berry glaze swirled throughout.

Of the three above-mentioned flavors, you really only taste vanilla. The predominantly white color of the sundae immediately cues that you're not getting much cocoa in this ice cream. And based on taste, you'd be correct. It's misleading to call this product a "twist" of the two flavors when there's only the faintest hint of chocolate in each spoonful.

A bit more prevalent is the strawberry sauce, which lines the sides and bottom of the cup. It adds a slight artificial sweetness to the dessert, though vanilla is still overpowering overall. In conclusion, you'd surprisingly be better off exploring ways you can make ice cream without a machine at home.

Among a lineup of soda, pizza, hot dogs, and ice cream, Costco makes sure to include at least a couple of health-conscious choices, one of which is a beverage. The corporation's fruit smoothie is made from three simple superfoods: strawberries, blackberries, and açaí. But more notable is what it's made without — added sugar or artificial flavors. The elimination of such additives comes as a surprise when the drink's flavor is highly reminiscent of a very sour strawberry candy.

In fact, strawberry is the most dominant fruit in this whole smoothie, which by the way, doesn't seem like the most accurate term since the drink leans toward the watery side. The açaí and blackberries get lost in the blend, overpowered by squishy strawberry chunks. These bits are welcome, however, as the better sips of the beverage are when you catch some berry pieces to chew on.

Nonetheless, shoppers are just happy to have this fruit smoothie back after the disappointment created by its prior replacement, the mango smoothie. Taste testers generally reacted negatively to the drink, which garnered reviews of looking and tasting like baby food. The public outcry was heard, and that's when the fruit-based smoothie was brought back. Beware to those who order this beverage under the impression that it's the same as its berry smoothie predecessor, though. Users on Reddit say it's just not the same, and it's likely not, considering the product's change in name.

Coffee is essential for a lot of people, grocery shopping or not. But if you're coming to Costco bright and early in the morning or straight after work in the evening, a cup of joe becomes especially helpful in keeping your energy up. Fortunately, Costco's food court carries a cold brew mocha freeze for customers in need. Unfortunately, in more than one way, it doesn't quite meet the bar.

The texture is off-putting even when you keep in mind that it's intentionally made to be frozen-like. You're better off letting it melt down to the runniness of a normal iced coffee. Otherwise, it reminds one of an initially bland Slushee with the premium chocolate flavor only hitting your taste buds in the aftertaste. Made using Kirkland Signature Colombian Beans, the strong, sweet notes that follow are perfect for sweet tooths that like their drinks potent in sugar, but it can certainly be too much for others. This isn't anything to be surprised at when you learn the beverage contains a whopping 111 grams of sugar (via MyFoodDiary).

What clearer sign is there for the food court to step up its game when it comes to healthier menu items? Only coming in a few places higher than the fruit smoothie is Costco's rotisserie chicken Caesar salad. Despite the retailer's cult-favorite five-dollar chicken being used as the protein source, this salad is nothing special.

There's nothing wrong with it per se. In fact, even the packet of Caesar dressing it comes with doesn't deter from this salad being overall healthier than other menu items like pizza and ice cream sundaes. But aside from the sauce, this order is composed of mostly romaine lettuce with a layer of parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. The amount of chicken and cheese in the container is not enough to pair with every bite of the greens. Plus, the once-included tomatoes have been done away with, and the croutons advertised in the billboard picture are oddly nowhere to be found. So you're really getting the bare minimum when it comes to the ingredients used in this product. Nothing about it stands out enough to bump it up in the ranking, but it gains bonus points simply for being a cleaner option.

Costco rang in the new year of 2024 with unfortunate news. Customers had to say goodbye to yet another cherished dessert: the twisted churros. You can still buy these discontinued churros straight from the manufacturer, but the food court has already come out with a different sweet treat to serve in its stead: the double chocolate chunk cookie.

The sheer mass of this baked good alone makes it a welcome addition to the menu. The cookie's seven-inch size is even more massive than those of the four-and-a-half to five-inch Crumbl Cookies, which have been making waves on social media for being as large as they are. Bigger than one's palm, Costco's cookie is also notably thick. It's likely a result of how generously filled it is with bittersweet and semisweet chocolate chips. Breaking open the crisp, well-baked exterior reveals an abundance of delightfully gooey, melted chocolate you must eat fresh to get the full experience. The al dente texture and buttery taste come together wonderfully to satisfy extreme sweet tooths. Make note of our use of the word "extreme" because as you chew on it, the sugar becomes pretty dominant and might even make you want to save the rest for later.

It might be a controversial choice to put Costco's beloved chicken bake toward the middle of this ranking. Hear us out, though, because it's placed here for good reason. With a beautifully affordable price of $3.99 for a very generously filled, very long roll, it's not hard to understand why this menu item is as popular as it is. And composed of simple, savory ingredients like chicken breast, cheese, bacon, and Caesar dressing, what's not to like?

It all comes down to preference. The ambivalence comes from the fact that while the chicken bake is long enough to feed two to three people and contains pleasantly hearty ingredients, the Caesar dressing is overpowering. It's the only thing you can clearly taste in the filling, covering up what should be additionally flavorful elements like the chicken and bacon. You can't even taste much of the golden, caramelized cheese crust that encompasses the filling. At least the soft yet crispy texture hits the nail on the head, though.

Most online reviews of the roll are positive, but others are passionately negative. One user who works as both a chef and restaurant manager took to Quora to say that the chicken bake is "the single worst food [they've] ever had that wasn't rotten or contaminated," claiming that the dressing "takes on a violently vomit-like flavor when served hot" amongst other criticisms.

Even with numerous frozen pizzas on Costco shelves, don't count out the best option yet to be offered. Stopping by the food court can get you a hot slice (or a whole pie) fresh out of the oven in a matter of minutes. The discontinued combo pizza unfortunately hasn't made the comeback many shoppers are certainly awaiting, but the fundamental pepperoni and cheese varieties are still thankfully available. It's only $1.99 for a hefty slice or $9.95 for an entire 18-inch pie, making it worthy of a high spot on this list just based on price alone.

But the taste solidifies the pizza's placement even more. The slices are pleasantly chewy with their staggering amount of cheese but still have a somewhat firm base so it doesn't collapse with every bite you take. Bonus points for the crust being light and fluffy. There's not much flavor to it, so you're not missing out if you choose to skip it, but the texture makes it enjoyable enough otherwise.

And you can't go wrong with either flavor. The pepperoni pizza doesn't skimp out on the toppings. On most slices, almost every inch of cheese is covered in meaty pieces, each having perfectly crusted edges. It's best eaten as soon as you get it, as the salty taste becomes more apparent as it cools down. Then there's the plain pizza, loaded with cheese that gives you that iconic, stringy pull people love to show off on social media.

Costco really has the classics down, ending customers' meals right with a $1.99 ice cream cup. Options are limited when it comes to flavors, though, especially since the strawberry variety that made it onto the menu in 2023 was scrapped early on in 2024 to many people's dismay. Thankfully, there was a bit of give-and-take. Chocolate replaced its spot, and vanilla remains untouched in the selection.

The "better" flavor points to the timeless debate of whether chocolate or vanilla is your preference. Either order at the food court will still get you a large cup of creamy-textured soft serve that can easily be split with a friend. But chocolate in particular is so good that you might not even want to share. The spoon is hard to put down with the ice cream's rich, perfectly sweet, light taste. Is it good enough to beat out vanilla or fill the void left behind by the strawberry flavor's absence, though? It's up to you to devour and decide.

It should come as no surprise that the number one spot on this Costco food court ranking is reserved for the astounding $1.50 hot dog and soda combo. This fan-favorite order is truly undefeated in every aspect. From bang for your buck to classic flavor, there's no surpassing this prized menu item. It's no wonder almost 200 million of this order was sold in 2023.

There are not many ways to fight a good old all-beef frank, especially if it's being sold for under two dollars and even comes with a tall 20-ounce cup of soda. Don't forget the optional toppings, such as chopped onions and relish, either. Customers can choose from a few different soft drinks to accompany their hot dog, including but not limited to Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Brisk Iced Tea, and Tropicana Lemonade. The best part? Your refill is free. So if you're expecting to spend quite some time at the store, be sure to sip on your beverage throughout your grocery run and grab more before you leave.

This ranking was primarily determined based on each menu item's flavor. All products were thoroughly taste-tested in order to determine the food's quality and whether it stayed true to the picture, ingredients, and other information advertised in the descriptions provided on the food court billboard. Items with subpar taste and texture, as well as those that strayed from how they were depicted to customers, were placed lower on the list.

Aside from flavor, the order's cost and quantity were also considered. Costco is rightfully known for providing goods at outstanding prices and often in large amounts. This characteristic applies to its fresh food, as well. However, some items are served in particularly big portions for strikingly low prices, earning them a higher placement in the ranking for being cost-effective. Lastly, both positive and negative online reviews from customers on forums like Quora and Reddit were taken into account.