Dining Spotlight
Let’s take a tour of Costco’s food court
By Toni Woodard
I’ve been a Costco member since it was Price Club and the cashiers had to punch item numbers into the register. Goodness, their fingers would fly!
In those 30-something years, I never explored the Costco Food Court menu. I started and stopped at the well-priced hot dog. Suspecting I am not the only one in a food court rut, I decided to try almost every item on Costco’s menu. Here’s what I found.
Hot dog and soda combo ($1.50) – Fast, filling and never disappointing, the classic Costco hot dog is the centerpiece of the food court menu. The 100% all-beef dog is flavorful, although I miss the prior version: dogs that were shorter, girthier and juicier. Today’s dogs are still juicy, but they don’t fit the spongy bun as well. Self-serve condiments include ketchup, yellow mustard, deli mustard, and relish. Chopped onions are available in small cups at the counter.
Pizza ($1.99 per slice; $9.95 whole) – Costco pizza slices — cheese or pepperoni — are large and rather floppy. They are most efficiently eaten folded in half, perhaps with some napkin-blotting if you order the mildly spicy pepperoni. So much delicious grease! The tomato sauce is more tangy than sweet, and the cheese is melty. My husband aptly described Costco’s pizza as “party pizza” — when you need to feed a crew and don’t want to serve flavored cardboard.
Chicken bake ($3.99) – My husband really liked this sandwich, describing it as a “fancy Hot Pocket.” Served warm and easy to cut in half with plastic utensils, the chicken bake is rolled pizza dough stuffed with seasoned strips of chicken breast, fresh bacon crumbles, a blend of cheeses, and a Caesar dressing that wasn’t tangy enough. The outside is sprinkled with lots of Parmesan that bakes into the dough, adding flavor depth. The chicken bake is a great alternative to the classic hot dog.
Hot turkey and provolone sandwich ($6.99) – This is a new favorite! Served warm, this sandwich is chock-full of moist, oven-roasted turkey breast. The sliced tomatoes and red onions are covered with melted provolone cheese. The basil garlic mayonnaise is full of flavor and adds a little sophistication. The ciabatta bun is chewy, warm, and wonderful. I am excited about this discovery!
Calzone ($6.99) – This folded-over pizza is tasty but a bit of a disaster to eat. Definitely ask for a paper plate at the counter! My calzone was overcooked, making it challenging to cut in half with a plastic knife. However, once inside, the ingredients are full of flavor. The red sauce is tangy, the pepperoni and sausage bits are lightly spicy, the mozzarella cheese is melty, and the strips of green bell pepper add some nice crunch. Mushrooms, onions, and olives are sprinkled in, but the dominant flavors are the meats. It is large enough to share. I will definitely order it again!
Rotisserie chicken chef salad ($7.99) – I wanted to love this salad but found it pretty basic. The romaine lettuce and cheddar cheese shavings were fresh. Sadly, a few of the cherry tomatoes were mushy, so I avoided them. I was pleased that the croutons, hard-boiled egg chunks and fresh bacon crumbles each come in separate packets, allowing me to customize my salad.
The large hunks of chicken are Costco’s rotisserie chicken, thick and moist and without any seasoning. The salad dressing provided most of the flavor for the salad. The only dressing offered is a peppercorn ranch, which was creamy and kicky. I would love an Italian/ vinaigrette option.
Strawberry banana smoothie ($2.99) – My breakfast is typically a smoothie, so I was excited to try Costco’s version. It was much more strawberry than banana, more of a slushy and very icy. It gave me a brain freeze. I enjoyed it more once it warmed up. If customizations are possible, I might ask next time to add some vanilla ice cream to smooth it out. A cold brew mocha freeze and latte are also available. However, since I limit my caffeine, I didn’t try them. Friends say they are refreshing, iced, chocolaty coffee drinks that perk you up.
Ice cream sundae ($2.49-$2.99) – The first Costco ice cream sundae I tried was in March when Costco had a mint/vanilla swirl special. Wow, that was tasty! A later special — the caramel churro sundae — was also very good. Standard sundaes comprise either chocolate or strawberry sauce poured over high-quality vanilla soft-serve ice cream with a good balance of fat and sugar. No matter what the flavor, the servings are quite large. I have yet to finish one by myself.
Double chocolate chunk cookie ($2.49) – This cookie is big, thick, and perfect for sharing. The chocolate chips are a blend of semisweet and bittersweet, which strikes a perfect balance that did not leave my teeth aching from sweetness. Because of the cookie’s thickness, the edges are crispy and crunchy while the center is soft, giving everyone something to smile about.
There are three Costco locations in Clark County, all of which require a membership to enter. If you are not a member, you can accompany someone who is and enjoy the surprisingly tasty and well-priced options at the food court.
Costco Wholesale Food Court
19610 S.E. 1st St., Camas
519 N. 56th Place, Ridgefield
6720 N.E. 84th St., Vancouver
10 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Monday-Friday
9:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday
10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday
Toni Woodard is enthusiastic about food, fairs, llamas and writing. She is the author of “I’m Fine: A Practical Guide to Life with Chronic Pain.” Contact her at toniisfine@outlook.com.
Toni Woodard is enthusiastic about food, fairs, llamas and writing. She is the author of “I’m Fine: A Practical Guide to Life with Chronic Pain.” Contact her at toniisfine@outlook.com.
