All the Costco Food Court Menu Items Ranked from Worst to Best

You’ve never lived until you’ve ordered (nearly) the entire Costco food court menu. (We skipped the plain soft serve or the basic sundaes.) Seriously, what a rush. And the cashier didn’t even blink as she handed me my hot dog, cheese pizza slice, calzone, salad, sandwich, smoothie, etc. etc. etc. It took five of us to haul all the food back to our car where we piled in and tried it all. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to prove I’m not dreaming. 

If you think you know what the best Costco food court items are, think again. We came in with plenty of expectations—some were met, some were exceeded, and some were dashed. The next time you stop by the Costco food court to fuel up for a huge Costco haul, use this ranking of Costco food court items as your guide. 

Disclaimer: Some of the images you see below don’t totally match the item being reviewed. That’s because Costco doesn’t have pictures of those items on their menu. Take your complaints to them. 

14.

Rotisserie Chicken Chef Salad

I was really excited to try this salad. As one of the more expensive items on the Costco food court menu I thought it was a sure thing. I mean, Costco rotisserie chicken is some of the best rotisserie chicken. What could go wrong? Well, let me just say this: The chicken looked so bad that my colleague, Gwynedd Stuart, wouldn’t even try it. It looked raw. It wasn’t. But it looked it. It certainly didn’t look like the juicy, burnished rotisserie chicken people line up for in the store. The salad itself was fine. Nothing to write home about—pretty much what you’d expect from an airport. This was a big swing and a miss.

Credit: Liv Averett

Rating:

3.5/10

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13.

Caramel Cold Brew Freeze

This frozen coffee drink is so sweet. It’s so sweet. It’s too sweet. It’s way too sweet. That’s all there is to say. None of us could make it through two sips.

Credit: Liv Averett

Rating:

3.5/10

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12.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

Smoothies have come a long way since the ‘90s but you wouldn’t know it from tasting this smoothie. It tastes like any artificially flavored strawberry-banana drink from 1995. It’s like a SoBe drink. Too sweet and too fake.

Credit: Liv Averett

Rating:

4.5/10

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11.

Cold Brew Latte Freeze

While this frozen coffee drink is less sweet than the caramel version, it’s still very sweet. I expected some real coffee flavor from the “cold brew” in the name. But none could be found. If you like the bottled Starbucks Frappuccinos—not the ones you get in the shops, but the bottled ones from the grocery store—then you might like this. But it was too much for us. 

Credit: Liv Averett

Rating:

5/10

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10.

Cold Brew Mocha Freeze

This is the best frozen coffee drink on the Costco food court menu. Unfortunately, that’s not saying a lot. The chocolate flavor gives the sweet drink a little more depth and complexity. If you’re looking for a seriously sweet treat with a hit of caffeine, you can get this. But it should not replace your morning coffee. This is dessert.

Credit: Liv Averett

Rating:

5.5/10

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9.

Hot Turkey & Provolone Sandwich

You get deli turkey, provolone, pesto, mayo, some onion, and a couple of slices of tomato on this big, hot sandwich. It’s a bit of an oily mess. And I probably would have finished the whole thing if I had been left alone and it had been midnight. But in the sober light of day, none of us were impressed. There are simply better Costco food court items that cost less.

Credit: Liv Averett

Rating:

5.5/10

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8.

Caramel Brownie Sundae Vanilla

One of the newer items on the Costco food court menu, this sundae made with Costco’s soft serve vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, and brownie chunks is pretty darn good. The chocolate version just happens to be better because the chocolate soft serve is better (the vanilla is a bit bland). Still, the brownie chunks are so tender and the caramel sauce is good. You wouldn’t be disappointed if you opted for this reward after stocking up on pallets of bubbly water and enough pretzels to last through the apocalypse.

Credit: Liv Averett

Rating:

6.5/10

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7.

Chicken Bake

This was my first time experiencing the chicken bake and I was pleasantly surprised. I thought it would be a real goop tube. But there was no explosion of ranch or cheese. Instead, there was good chicken, moistened with just a bit of ranch, and meaty bacon bits, all encased in a thick, doughy breadstick topped with cheese. It’s massive and heavy and dense—and honestly a bit too dry. But the flavors are good. I just can’t imagine consuming a whole one of these—it’s as big as my forearm.

Credit: Liv Averett

Rating:

7/10

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6.

Pepperoni Pizza Slice

Costco pizza is good—and it’s very much its own style of pizza. This is doughy, fluffy, in-your-face party pizza. One slice is more than enough for lunch and it’s cheap as hell. The pepperoni pizza is tasty—the pepperoni slices are zesty and tangy—but it’s so greasy. It was, as Gwynedd likes to say, a real sloppy boppy of a pizza slice.

Credit: Liv Averett

Rating:

7.5/10

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5.

Chocolate Chip Cookie

The chocolate chip cookie at the Costco food court is a big, fat chocolate chip cookie that is honestly large enough to split. The chocolate chunks are tasty. The cookie is delightfully dense. And it’s served warm, which is how all chocolate chip cookies should be served. All that’s missing is a sprinkling of big, flaky sea salt. Then we’d have a real winner. 

Credit: Liv Averett

Rating:

8/10

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4.

Caramel Brownie Sundae Chocolate 

The chocolate soft serve has way more flavor than the vanilla soft serve, ergo the Caramel Brownie Sundae with chocolate ice cream is better than the one with vanilla ice cream. Same good caramel sauce. Same great, wildly tender brownie chunks. Yum. This is the best dessert on the Costco food court menu.

Credit: Liv Averett

Rating:

8.5/10

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3.

Cheese Pizza Slice

While the pepperoni pizza is good in its greasy way, the Costco cheese pizza is perfection. It’s puffy and doughy and chewy and blanketed in a thick layer of cheese that is broiled so you get these crispy little bits on top. Seriously, it was hard not to finish this whole slice myself. I shared—but not willingly.

Credit: Liv Averett

Rating:

9.5/10

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2.

Combo Calzone

One of the newest additions to the Costco food court menu, this massive calzone is stuffed with pepperoni, sausage, onions, peppers, olives, mushrooms, tomato sauce, and cheese. And it’s topped with crispy cheese. It’s sloppy and savory and, while it could use a bit more cheese inside, it’s extremely satisfying. And did I mention it’s huge? This is lunch for at least two people. 

Credit: Liv Averett

Rating:

9.5/10

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1.

All Beef Hot Dog

Yep, the classic Costco hot dog reigns supreme—and not only because it’s dirt cheap. The hot dog itself is big and thick and meaty and juicy. (Still talking about a hot dog.) And the bun is surprisingly good too! It’s doughy and soft but still supportive, so you can load that dog up with all the toppings (RIP to the diced onions at our local Costco). If you’re a Costco food court food connoisseur, then you already know this is the best thing to eat. But if you’re a new member, then please do yourself a favor and get the hot dog ASAP.

Credit: Liv Averett

Rating:

10/10

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