My Canadian and United States Costco Food Court Review
Note: I am not affiliated with Costco in any way. I only write these reviews to share my experiences I am only a fan of the company.
Ok, guys, I must admit that I am a big fan of Costco.
I live in Canada, so visiting Costco stores here is a weekly task. Whenever I visit the store, I usually go to the food court and grab one of my favorites. However, what's unusual to me is that I also visit Costco stores whenever I'm outside of Canada, such as in the United States.
Last time I visited the Costco food court in the U.S., I enjoyed it as well. Let me tell you all about my experience with Costco in Canada and the United States. I will share my thoughts and compare the prices of the meals there.
Costco Food Court in Canada Review
Whenever you are thinking about shopping, Costco is always a good spot to consider because of all the good food.
I have a few more blogs on Costco here, like Kirkland Signature Bacon and How to Pick a Costco Pineapple.
Whenever I visit Costco in Canada, I'm usually pretty excited because they have different menu items there at different prices. I really like the fact that they tell you the calorie amount expected to be consumed on the menu.
Here are some of the items and prices:
Menu items
Ice Cream Cone (Vanilla or Chocolate): $2.89
Ice Cream Sundae: $3.49
Pizza (Pepperoni or Cheese, per slice): $2.59
18" Whole Pizza (Pepperoni or Cheese): $12.99
1/4 Pound Plus All-Beef or Polish Sausage and 20 oz of soda with refills: $1.50
Chicken Strips and Fries: $6.99
French Fries: $2.99
Poutine: $5.99
Gravy: $0.30
Soda with Refills (20 oz): $0.89
How many calories can you expect to consume
Chicken and Fries: 1300 Cal
Poutine: 1490-1500 Cal
Fries: 910 Cal
Polish Sausage and Pop: 540-940 Cal
Beef Hot Dog and Pop: 540-940 Cal
Add-ons: 45-728 Cal
Sundae: 670-740 Cal
20 oz Pop: 390 Cal
Slice of Pepperoni Pizza: 670 Cal
Slice of Cheese Pizza: 650 Cal
Ice Cream Cone: 610-640 Cal
Other than that, it's pretty much all the same, but these are the major differences.
Just like the Canadian Costco, you have the cheese and pepperoni pizza. However, I would say that the Costco in Canada is way more kid-friendly. Kids will definitely love the chicken bakes in Canada; they taste a bit better than the U.S. ones. Both are good, no complaints there.
Time it took for me to get my meal in Canada vs. the U.S. :
Canada: 5 minutes 40 seconds
U.S. : 10 minutes 2 seconds
You would get your food pretty quickly in Canada, and in the U.S., I found that they are a bit slower, but you would still get your food in a reasonable time.
How comfortable was I eating at Costco: U.S. vs. Canada
In Canada, you usually get bar tops with not many chairs to sit on, which is not good for kids. In the U.S., you do get more chairs, which is better for the kids, especially the little ones.
When it comes to relaxation while eating your meal, that goes to the U.S. Costco hands down. But when it comes to the food taste and how fast you get your order, that has to go to Canada's Costco.
Are They Kids friendly?
Kids do seem to enjoy the poutine in Canada much more. I tell you, I have had some good poutine, but nothing like the ones in Canada. The poutine and gravy in Canada are the bomb.
Last time I went to the U.S., I couldn't grabbed the poutine, fried chicken strips, But Only Chicken bake, Hot Turkey Provolone Sandwich and a slice of cheese pizza. I have to say that I did enjoy my meal, but I was comparing it to the one in Canada with every bite.
I must tell you, I was very relaxed while I ate my meal.
In Canada, they don't have many regular tables compared to the US, which is ridiculous, especially if you have kids. Sometimes, the regular tables they do have are already taken, so you are left to eat standing on your two feet. Not very nice.
Major Differences: U.S. Costco and Menu Items
There's usually a line at the US Costco food court.
There are a few different items on the US Costco menu. The first one I would highlight is the:
Hot turkey and provolone sandwich: 740 calories $3.99
18" Pizza: $9.95 USD
Slice: $1.99 USD
Combo: 760 calories per slice
Cheese: 760 calories per slice
Pepperoni: 716 calories per slice
All-beef hot dog and 20 oz soda with refills: 540-960 calories for $1.50
My overall thoughts on Costco food
Well, I like the pizza and the chicken a lot, both from the US and from Canada. Personally, I don't like when cheeses are squishy. I have to say that the cheese on the food at the Costco food court is never squishy.
As for the drinks, if you don't like pop, you can always try out their vending machines. They have some very good and well-tested juices there. And let me tell you, it's always nice when vending machines take cards—all the vending machines at the Costco food court U.S. and Canada take cards. That's nice; you don't have to wait in line for your order. All you have to do is pay and make your selections. You get your choice in less than 20 seconds; that is always very nice.
The chicken is usually peppery, moist, and very salty
You usually get a lot of poutine for six dollars at the Costco food court, which is solid.
The fries are pretty good, but even better with some ketchup.
The same thing goes for the chicken—if you dip them into some ketchup, you will be very satisfied with how they taste.
I would say both in the US and Canada, the fries and chicken taste the same, especially with added ketchup.
Overall rating:
Costco in the US: I give them is 4.5 out of 5 because they could improve on the time of service and the taste of the food.
Costco in Canada: I give them a 4.7 out of 5 because the only thing I think they can improve on is to add more chairs. I think they don't have enough chairs for the kids and possibly the older folks.
Conclusion
While I was eating at the U.S. Costco, I kinda missed what I'm used to in Canada. The pizza is a bit different there.
Also, there's one thing I couldn't find on the menu in the US— the Polish Sausage. Looks like they have taken it off the menu for US customers, for whatever reason. Now it's all beef. I prefer beef, but I would still like to taste it to compare. Anyways, I hope they bring it back because I really would like to compare it to the one in Canada to see if there are any major differences there.
Here, a few resource I think you would enjoy on costco food review from the food court.
Uk vs us costco food court, A quick review of Canadian Costco food court, Everything in the Costco Food Court, Ranked, How good is the pizza at Costco’s food cour, We Tried the New Cookie at the Costco Food Court, I compared Costco food courts in the UK and US,