Grabbing food at the Costco food court after navigating the maze of people and buggies is a truly well-deserved reward. All that shopping can get tiring!
But with so many delicious and affordable options on the menu, the only real question is not if you'll indulge, but what you'll get. To help you make an educated choice, I taste-tested every food court item and broke down what's worth it and what's not.
So here are seven Costco food court items — ranked.
The Costco ranking system
Everyone loves the Costco food court
Alyssa Wiens | Narcity
With mouths full of pizza, fries, cookies, and chicken strips, my friends and I debated the best way to rank everything.
Because, in some ways, they all come out on top — they're all reasonably priced, all tasty, and all a little too big for the average person to finish. But we need a winner. So I came up with a four-category ranking system on which each item can score up to five points, for a total of 20.
The four categories are:
- Value for money: Price compared to quantity.
- Taste: Sheer yumminess.
- Quality: Think texture, ingredients, and cooking method execution.
- Convenience: Can I carry and eat this easily on my own while juggling a cart? Do I need to recruit friends to help me?
Pepperoni pizza
Oh yeah, that's a lot of cheese!
Alyssa Wiens | Narcity
I had literally never had Costco food court pizza before, so I was truly going in blind. First thought: Wow, that looks cheesy. Second thought after biting in: even cheesier than it looks!
If you want an open, gooey, soft-crust, greasy slice — this is it. It was very delicious, but extremely rich. The pepperoni was crispy, adding a nice crunch to the bite, and the cheese was perfectly melted and stringy. The piece is a little too big for the plate it comes on, so it's a little hard to juggle with other items.
Price: $2.59 per slice
Rating: 15/20
- Value for money: 4/5
- Taste: 4/5
- Quality: 3.5/5
- Convenience: 3.5/5
Chicken strips and fries
Pleasantly surprised to see real chicken
Alyssa Wiens | Narcity
Coming with your choice of three sauces, four pieces of chicken, and a heaping pile of fries, this is a classic Costco food court option. I was pleasantly surprised to see real chicken breast pieces, though the batter was not as crispy as I would have liked.
The fries, though? Hot, crispy, and delicious. Overall, solid taste and less greasy than some other menu items, which I appreciate to avoid a future stomachache. It comes in a clamshell container, so I think it's an easy option to grab and go eat elsewhere if you want. And, because it's separate pieces of chicken and fries, it's easy to share, too.
Price: $7.99
Rating: 15.5/20
- Value for money: 4/5
- Taste: 3.5/5
- Quality: 4/5
- Convenience: 4.5/5
Poutine
Family-sized portion of poutine
Alyssa Wiens | Narcity
I hadn't had Costco poutine in many years, during which time I'd built it up in my mind as the best poutine ever. I don't know if it was just this location or my mood, but for me, it wasn't quite as good as I remembered.
While the gravy had a rich but not-too-salty flavour, it didn't cover all of the fries and cheese curds. This left the middle part way too soggy and the outside not soggy enough. A few bites were enough for me and, because of the size, it's definitely a bring-a-friend option.
Price: $6.99
Rating: 13/20
- Value for money: 4/5
- Taste: 3/5
- Quality: 3/5
- Convenience: 3/5
Ice cream cone
So big it needed a cup for support
Alyssa Wiens | Narcity
I don't think anyone can really screw up soft serve ice cream and Costco... Didn't. Not at all. They do soft serve right — smooth, creamy, perfectly swirled, crispy cone, and deliciously chocolate and vanilla flavours. No notes.
Price: $2.89
Rating: 18.5/20
- Value for money: 4/5
- Taste: 5/5
- Quality: 5/5
- Convenience: 4.5/5
Hot dog
The hot dog we all know and love
Alyssa Wiens | Narcity
What's there to say about the Costco hot dog? It's delicious, huge, cheap, and comes with a pop. Iconic for a reason.
Price: $1.50
Rating: 19/20
- Value for money: 5/5
- Taste: 5/5
- Quality: 4/5
- Convenience: 5/5
Chocolate chip cookie
Hot and fresh!
Alyssa Wiens | Narcity
Did you know the Costco food court cookies come WARM? I did not. I thought they would be the same as their bakery cookies, but these were way better. This was the most decadent cookie I've had in a long time. At almost an inch thick, it had a warm, melty centre with a crispy exterior.
It was very sweet — so sweet I don't think I could eat it all without getting a cavity — but dipping it into ice cream seemed to help.
Price: $3.49
Rating: 15.5/20
- Value for money: 3.5/5
- Taste: 4/5
- Quality: 4/5
- Convenience: 4/5
Montreal smoked beef sandwich
Lots of meat in this sandwich!
Alyssa Wiens | Narcity
One of the newer additions to the Costco food court menu, the Montreal smoked meat sandwich is a great option. It's simple — just a bun and smoked meat — but full of flavour. There's a healthy amount of meat, and a pickle on the side. I added some mustard from the condiment stand to mine and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Of all the Costco options, this one seems like a more normal portion size for one person, too.
Price: $7.99
Rating: 16/20
- Value for money: 4/5
- Taste: 4/5
- Quality: 4/5
- Convenience: 4/5
The winner is...
The humble hot dog.
With 19/20 possible points, the Costco hot dog and pop combo comes out on top. The runners up are:
- Ice cream: 18.5/20
- Montreal smoked meat sandwich: 16/20
- Chicken strips: 15.5/20
- Cookie: 15.5/20
- Pizza: 15/20
- Poutine: 13/20
The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.