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.
