A Hungry Shopper’s Guide to the Costco Food Court

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Customers astatine a Costco nutrient court.

Credit: Patty Catalano

One of nan champion parts astir being a seasoned Costco personnel (12 years and counting) is ending an aggravated information of bulk buying pinch a strawberry crystal pick sundae (for me) and a basking canine (for my pint-sized shopping companions). I’m not nan only 1 pinch a soft spot for nan nutrient tribunal — galore of america support observant watch to spot erstwhile caller paper items are introduced and to make judge that nan value of its astir celebrated combo ne'er changes.

The nutrient court’s paper has undergone immoderate renovations successful caller years — to nan lament of immoderate Costco nutrient tribunal fanatics. (Those were acheronian days erstwhile chopped onions near nan chat, and galore are still mourning nan nonaccomplishment of nan basking turkey and provolone sandwich.) Despite those changes, nan storage has remained accordant successful offering a assortment of savory and saccharine options astatine affordable prices. 

Everyone has their ain sentiment of nan champion clip to capable up astatine nan nutrient court. Some for illustration to make it their first extremity to stealthily scope retired different member’s carts, stave disconnected hunger, and trim impulse market purchases. (Although I’m still waiting connected nan nutrient tribunal offering that helps maine debar impulse buying a caller sofa aliases kids’ play set.) Others opt to replenish their power pinch a speedy sit-down aft an day of bulk-buying. No matter erstwhile you take to eat, Costco’s nutrient tribunal has immoderate of nan champion deals around. 

The Full Menu (and Prices!) astatine nan Costco Food Court

10 Things to Know About nan Costco Food Court 

  1. Operating hours vary. The nutrient tribunal is unfastened 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday done Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. connected Sunday. Hours whitethorn alteration by location. 
  2. Have your in installments paper handy. Most Costco locations person transitioned to ordering via a stalls and taking costs pinch a in installments paper alternatively than having an subordinate return your bid astatine a register. Some locations whitethorn still person registers unfastened for cash-carrying members.
  3. Fountain drinks are refillable. Your soda bid (with aliases without nan basking dog) comes pinch free, self-serve refills. Choose from Pepsi products including Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Starry, and Tropicana pinkish lemonade. 
  4. Bottled h2o is measurement cheap. If soda isn’t your thirst quencher of choice, there’s usually a vending instrumentality adjacent filled pinch Kirkland Signature bottled water. The bottles are 25-cents each. 
  5. Call up to bid full pizzas. There are 12 slices successful an 18-inch full Costco pizza, and if you’re serving a crowd, don’t hold until you’re done shopping to bid it to-go. Call successful your pepperoni aliases food pizza successful beforehand (or bid it earlier you cheque out) and person it waiting for you precisely erstwhile you want it. Find nan number for your section Costco nutrient tribunal utilizing nan warehouse locator. 
  6. The paper has you covered nary matter your hunger level. Whether you conscionable request a azygous soda aliases a pizza ample capable to provender a crowd, Costco has a lick for that. You tin prime from snack-sized paper items, for illustration nan churros aliases consequence smoothies, to meal-sized options, for illustration nan roast beef sandwich and rotisserie chickenhearted Caesar salad.  
  7. Parallel parkland your cart. The area betwixt nan registers and nan exit is nan astir congested successful nan full warehouse. When you extremity for a wound to eat astatine nan nutrient court, parallel parkland your cart against nan tables, truthful that different shoppers tin easy rotation connected by. 
  8. Clean your ain table. Don’t expect Costco associates to beryllium waiting successful nan wings to flip your basking canine foil successful nan trash aliases swipe up ketchup drips. Be a bully steward of nan communal tables by tossing your trash into a adjacent bin and wiping distant immoderate sticky spots for nan adjacent member.
  9. Even non-members tin bid astatine nan nutrient court. Costco began restricting its nutrient tribunal to paying members only successful 2020. You mightiness not person noticed that change, though, because argumentation enforcement not only varies by warehouse, but galore warehouses person besides transitioned to a stalls ordering strategy that does not require you to scan your rank card. Without this oversight, non-members tin return advantage of nan $1.50 basking canine deal aliases $3 crystal pick sundaes erstwhile they get done nan doors. They tin besides usage a Costco ShopCard to get past nan associates astatine nan doorway and salary for their meal.
  10. You tin make your favourite nutrient tribunal finds astatine home. Look successful nan freezer conception for boxes of Costco’s chickenhearted cook (or make your ain copycat chickenhearted bake) and among nan refrigerated coolers for nan warehouse’s signature basking dog.