Snacking at COSTCO

[Curlz]

The take and bake pizzas from the back of the store are not the same at all.  For one thing they are square, and they are awful.  .  Gas was $1.96 there today!

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The take and bake pizzas in MY Costco are round! The plot thickens... (cue sinister music)

And I agree--that's definitely not butter they're injecting in to the chickens. I know it's on the label, but I really don't want to know what it is. It's just yummy!!

[Kouign Aman]

Our angelmonster has eaten many a lunch consisting of Costco samples. Her dad likes to get his shopping done midweek, before 1, which is sample-central time.

We'll have to try the pizza-oven hotdog/polish sausage request. And ask if they have any sauerkraut hidden anywhere. I like the 'deli' mustard. Drinks are tough as I dont like carbonated beverages, and the fake lemonades are best icecold so they cant actually be tasted.

I like the churros. Sadly, we dont have the italian sausages out here. I like the Kirkland Icecream bars pretty well; I liked the long vanished Hattie Brook's bars (Price Club brand) much better.

I love this :

"I'm not eating it...my tongue is just looking at it!" --My 3.5 year-old niece, who was NOT eating a piece of gum

[Haggis man]

I ventured out to the Costco in Sterling, Virginia last night. The usual stuff was on the menu at the snack bar including French fries and bottled drinks. I ordered a hotdog and soda ($1.50) and asked them to warm up the dog and roll by putting it through the pizza broiler. They looked at me a little weird, but complied. First they assembled the Hebrew National hotdog (they did not have any wrapped in advance and I think that is how they serve them at this location). They used the roll that is normally used with the Italian sausage sandwich which is a little harder than a hotdog roll. The results were superior. A hot roll and dog, both lightly crisped, with sauerkraut on the side and my choice of toppings (deli mustard, onions and relish). This is the only way to eat this sandwich!

Next time I will ask for some of the peppers and onions that are usually for the sausage.

Thanks for the thread and the idea!

[bookluvingbabe]

The hot dogs and buns tend to be wrapped up together at most Costcos, but this has no impact on one's ability to use the oven trick. What they do is unwrap the foil and put the whole thing through the oven: foil, hot dog and bun together. It works really well.

The lobster rolls they sell in New England and the Maritimes are good. They have much bigger, more identifiable chunks of lobster. That one from Winnipeg looks terrible.

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The Kitchener Costco has lobster rolls during the summer. Tasty but small for the price. And since its next to East Side Mario's and I only have so many calories to spend on vacation, I've been skipping it the last few visits.

[jayt90]

Iirc, my local Costco (Clifton) had Hebrew Natl dogs, then when HN had a shortage (can't remember why--fire at a plant, maybe?), they switched to Sinai, and noted it on the big sign.  I'm pretty sure they're back to HN now, but I rarely get a dog there b/c they're so damn limp.  Now that I know THE trick, I may have to give them a shot again!

Edit due to cross-post with Jason's pics--Jason, the Clifton one has the identical menu.

Now I'm curious to know if the bake-it-yourself pizzas that they sell in the back of the store (near the world's best rotisserie chickens) are the same pizzas they make for the snack bar...anyone know?  I always look at those huge pies and think they're a great bargain ($7.99 for plain, iirc) and I could add my own toppings, but I've never purchased one.

Jason's comment about the buns for the sausage sandwich reminded me that the buns for the hot dogs are steamed.  A legit reason to hate them, imho.  Bleah.

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No. There are two different departments: Fresh Foods, and Food Court. The FC pizzas have a lot of oil added

[annexk8]

I'm now rather inclined to head over to other Costco locations in my area to see if there is any variation of selection in the respective snack bars.

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I was at the Costco in Bridgewater (NJ) today, and they DO have fries, but the rest looks the same.

[Ling]

I love their rotisserie chicken as well, but what's even better is buying the box of just the rotisserie chicken legs!

[stephenc]

IKEA food court > Costco food court.

True that.

Edited February 22, 2006 by stephenc (log)

[Jason Perlow]

IKEA food court > Costco food court.

True that.

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One of the few consolations of shopping for shitty fiberboard furniture (SFF) in the ninth circle of blue and yellow hell.

[Jason Perlow]

Interestingly enough, the Nutley, NJ location has CHURROS!

I wasn't aware Nutley had a stronger Latino demographic than Hackensack does.

[Pam R]

Was at Costco today with dad. Started off with 1/4 of a sweet chocolate brownie cookie and 2 bites of a cherry/cheese crumble (didn't like it).

After paying - I went to get 2 dogs, 2 drinks and an order of fries (gravy with that? Nope!) - dad went to find a table.

I forgot they also sell chicken strips here.

Jason - they have Churros here too - and I dont think it has anythign to do with the Latino population

[Daddy-A]

IKEA food court > Costco food court.

True that.

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Had their 99 cent breakfast with my wife and son (oldest son started his first job today <- colour me proud). Breakfast was OK ... excellent for the price, but otherwise just okay. I really like their coffee though.

Was at Costco today with dad.  Started off with 1/4 of a sweet chocolate brownie cookie and 2 bites of a cherry/cheese crumble (didn't like it).

After paying - I went to get 2 dogs, 2 drinks and an order of fries (gravy with that? Nope!) - dad went to find a table. 

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Okay Pam ... this is eerie.

They were sampling the same things at our Costco on Friday night. I agree 100% on the cheescakey thing. Blech. But the cookies were good. Seems Costco has a sampling schedule for Western Canada

Dinner was the same for us too ... except no gravy.

A.

[Pam R]

...  fries (gravy with that? Nope!) ...

Dinner was the same for us too ... except no gravy.

No gravy for me either!

Even more eerie...

What are we eating tomorrow?

[rockandroller]

I just discovered this thread and had to read the whole thing through at once, this is great.

When I lived in LA, the guy I lived with who made TONS of money used to get all excited about getting the hot dog and soda deal at the snack bar and I just never got it I guess a deal is a deal no matter how much you make, he ALWAYS made us eat the hot dog and pop every time we went. I quit eating hot dogs shortly after that anyway so now I'll never know if the ones here in OH are better/the same/different.

I can only shop there on the weekends and it's always packed and there are mostly NO samples. There might be one person handing out something really unappetizing like chopped, formed, buffalo-"style" lumps of chicken, but there's never anything I want to sample that they're handing out.

I am definitely curious now as to what we have and don't have. I had no idea some of them started carrying churros! *intrigued* The chicken bake sounds really heavy but maybe if you split it.

Thx for the amusing thread.

[Malawry]

Imagine my delight when I discovered yesterday that the Costco in Frederick, MD, my "home Costco," had replaced soft pretzels with churros on their menu! I had to have one and was fortunate to score a specimen fresh out of the fryer. It was crusted with tons of cinnamon-sugar and was both crisp and soft-yeasty. Made a great dessert after my standard hot dog meal. I think this is the only Costco I've seen in the DC metro area that carried churros.

[Kouign Aman]

Imagine my delight when I discovered yesterday that the Costco in Frederick, MD, my "home Costco," had replaced soft pretzels with churros on their menu! I had to have one and was fortunate to score a specimen fresh out of the fryer. It was crusted with tons of cinnamon-sugar and was both crisp and soft-yeasty. Made a great dessert after my standard hot dog meal. I think this is the only Costco I've seen in the DC metro area that carried churros.

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Now if they would just start carrying really good hot chocolate......

[tigerwoman]

we have this weird habit of running into a COSTCO when we travel.

So far besides the USA, this translates to Mexico and several locations in the UK.

In England they sell "jacketed potatoes with coleslaw" read baked potato - a common vending cart item you might find in the UK.

Everywhere has some version of the hot dog - and many of the same products with a few local twists thrown in.

I forget what was different in at the COSTCO food court in Mexico but it must not have been too appealling because we went with the hot dog. One difference was that it was outdoors and they required your membership card before you could order.

[Restorer]

Here in Southern California (at least at the two or three Costcos I've visited) our food courts are outside, and don't require a membership card. At the nearest one, we have chicken caesar salad, chicken bake, pizza, hot dogs, churros, berry sundaes, and the berry smoothie. I would love an Italian sausage here.

[jobean]

My main Costco is in Sterling, Virginia. I've been bummed since they switched from hot dog buns with sesame seeds to buns with cornmeal, and they definitely are not as good. Now I only eat it if I'm dying for a hot dog.

I like to take home the snack bar pizza and freeze it. It works really well as freezer pizza, reheat in the oven and crisp the bottom on the stove (per Alton Brown instructions). Really good freezer pizza in a pinch.

In this area, the sampling ends at 4 p.m. or earlier if they run out.

[MomOfLittleFoodies]

At the SF Bay Area Costco I frequent, they have pizza, chicken bakes, chicken caesar salad, churros, hot dogs, polish sausages, frozen yogurt, berry sundaes, tropical smoothies and latte freezes.

[Terrasanct]

I used to live in the Seattle area, home of Costco. The parking lots are always so full there! It's one thing that's good about living in Billings, Montana--not as many people.

I don't usually eat hot dogs, but the Polish dogs at Costco are so good! Piled with everything, of course. I don't know why they don't taste as good at home. I also like the rotisserie chickens--they're good for a few meals, then the rest goes into a great chicken soup. If you cook the bones and skin overnight in a slow cooker, it makes a very rich broth.

The bake at home pizza is fine--it's not perfect, but it's good enough. When I get it home I cut it into four pieces (it's the square pizza), cook one piece for dinner and put the other three in the freezer. A fourth of one is plenty for two of us for a meal. And that makes it $2.00 for dinner, too.

[fungi_provider]

Was at Costco in London, Ontario not long ago and they had 7 ounce jugs of dried Boletus edulis, porcini, king boletes. They were priced well at under 15 dollars Canadian.

The only problem I had was it didn't say where they were harvested. BC ? China? Italy?

They were very nice in a sauce I made.

Who knows, but I did buy 6 jugs to send to friends.

[Curlz]

Correction to that last post...the Clifton NJ store now has churros! Was there today and noticed the sign as I waited at the cash register. The sign says they're $1.00, but I didn't partake, as I had just had a big lunch (elsewhere).

[fireweed]

This thread kills me, but here's me 2 cents.

Here in Quebec we have poutine at Costco and it come in true Costco size, but my poutine connoisseur-of-a-husband doesn't give it thumbs up. Something about the bad taste the sauce leaves in your mouth.

I enjoy strolling the frozen food aisles and noting the dumbfounding new additions available for people's freezers. Last time it was the jaw-dropping discovery of ready- made omelettes. Just heat and serve. I didn't check to see if you put them in your toaster like an Eggo, but I'm curious now that I've gotten over the shock .

Nothing. Nothing can replace a fresh homemade omelette. Costco or no Costco.

We're fans of the samples and we look out for eachother in the way that if we eat something really bad (like breaded mozza) we signal to the other one to 'skip it'. Thumbs up to all the booze samples!!! Do you have those in the States? They usually have a wine and cheese stand at our Costco and quite often a beer and cooler sample station too. I'm also a fan of the energy drinks!

YAY for Costco we're only 2 1/2 people at home and our friends think we're nuts to shop there, but man, I am loving my 3.3L stash of Kalamatas in the fridge and the 1.1 kg of Jelly Belly's I am snacking on right now.

[Pam R]

Thumbs up to all the booze samples!!! Do you have those in the States? They usually have a wine and cheese stand at our Costco and quite often a beer and cooler sample station too.

Well... wouldn't that make a trip to Costco more enjoyable! Never mind the States, we don't have these in Manitoba.

I was just at a Sam's Club in North Dakota over the weekend - lunch for 3 of us came to $5.00. I followed Steven's instructions and refilled the beverage on the way out. That was a hot dog and 64 oz. of soda for about $1.50. Good Kosher dog (where else in ND could you get a kosher dog?)... but they need to work on the buns.