Walking through Costco and smelling that familiar food court aroma hits different when you’re hungry after shopping. Those giant pizza slices and famous $1.50 hot dogs seem like perfect deals, but some menu items just don’t deliver. While Costco’s food court has legendary status for value and convenience, certain choices will leave you wishing you’d grabbed something else instead.
Cheese pizza tastes like cardboard with oil
The cheese pizza slice might look tempting under those heat lamps, but it’s honestly terrible. That golden-brown cheese on top hides a layer of grease that’ll coat your hands and mouth in an unpleasant film. The sauce coverage is spotty too – lifting up the cheese reveals that only the top third of the slice actually has sauce underneath.
Even worse, the crust tastes stale and hard, like it’s been sitting out for hours. The whole thing lacks any real pizza character – it’s just bland, oily cheese that sticks to everything. Food reviewers consistently rank this as the worst item on the menu, and for good reason. Save your $1.99 and get the pepperoni instead.
Chicken bakes aren’t made fresh anymore
Remember when chicken bakes were actually good? Those days are gone. Costco stopped making them fresh in-house and now ships them in frozen, which completely changed the taste and texture. What used to be a crispy, satisfying handheld meal is now a soggy disappointment wrapped in pastry that falls apart.
The price jumped from $2.99 to $3.99 too, making it even harder to justify. The chicken inside is often dry, the bacon barely noticeable, and the Caesar dressing tastes artificial. Customer feedback consistently mentions how much these have declined in quality. If you’re craving chicken, the Caesar salad is a better bet, though that’s not saying much either.
French fries are completely unpredictable
Costco’s french fries are like playing the lottery – sometimes they’re decent, other times they’re nearly inedible. The problem isn’t the concept but the execution. Depending on when you order, you might get crispy, hot fries or soggy, lukewarm disappointments that taste like they’ve been sitting around too long.
The inconsistency seems to come from storage issues or how long they sit before serving. Costco experts note that freshness varies wildly throughout the day. When they’re bad, they’re really bad – mushy, flavorless, and not worth the money. Since you can’t predict which batch you’ll get, it’s better to skip them entirely and stick with items that are more reliable.
Churros taste nothing like real ones
If you’ve ever had authentic churros, Costco’s version will make you sad. These aren’t the crispy, cinnamon-sugar delights you’d expect – they’re dense, artificially flavored sticks that barely resemble the real thing. The texture is off, the sweetness feels fake, and the overall experience is just disappointing.
Many locations have already replaced churros with chocolate chip cookies, which tells you something about their popularity. Food critics consistently call them “not authentic” and “a bad imitation.” The frozen yogurt or ice cream are much better dessert choices. Interestingly, you can actually buy similar churros in Costco’s frozen section to make at home, which might taste better than the food court version.
Turkey and swiss sandwich feels cheap
This sandwich replaced the more expensive roast beef option, and the downgrade is obvious. The turkey looks gray and unappetizing, and the whole thing tends to be soggy and dripping by the time you get it. The lettuce is often wilted, and the swiss cheese doesn’t add much character to save the situation.
At $6.99, it’s not even cheap enough to justify the mediocre quality. The sun-dried tomato spread is the only redeeming element, but one decent ingredient can’t save an entire sandwich. Recent reviews consistently mention how wet and unappealing it is. Most towns have better sandwich options nearby, so unless you’re truly desperate, skip this one completely.
Hot dogs lost their best toppings
The famous $1.50 hot dog combo is still a decent value, but it’s not as good as it used to be. During the pandemic, Costco removed sauerkraut and onions from the self-serve stations, leaving just the basic condiments. While diced onions have returned to some locations, you have to specifically ask for them at the counter.
The hot dog itself is fine – smoky and reasonably tasty – but the limited topping options make it feel bare bones. Food court experts note that Costco “took away a lot of the fun” from the hot dog experience. The value is still there, but the overall experience has been stripped down. It’s not terrible, just not as satisfying as it once was.
Fruit smoothie tastes artificial and separates quickly
The fruit smoothie sounds refreshing, especially after wandering around a massive warehouse store, but it doesn’t deliver on the promise. The biggest problem is that it doesn’t taste like fresh fruit at all – more like frozen puree mixed with artificial strawberry flavoring. The texture is slushy and inconsistent, with liquid separating from the frozen parts.
For $2.99, it’s budget-friendly, but you get what you pay for. Taste testers describe it as “not quite awful” but definitely not good either. The lack of proper blending makes it more like flavored slush than a smooth drink. If you want something cold and refreshing, the frozen yogurt or even a fountain drink would be better choices.
Cold brew mocha freeze is sickeningly sweet
This drink replaced a cheaper mocha option and hasn’t won many fans. The cold brew flavor gets completely overwhelmed by an excessive amount of sweetness that hits you immediately. While the texture is thick and consistent, the sugar content is so high that finishing a whole cup becomes a challenge rather than a treat.
The chocolate syrup spiraling down the cup walls should have been a warning sign – there’s just too much of it. Coffee drink reviews consistently mention the overwhelming sweetness that masks any actual coffee taste. At $2.99, it might work as a dessert to share, but as a coffee drink, it completely misses the mark. The regular fountain drinks are actually more refreshing.
Caesar salad lacks croutons and uses packaged dressing
The rotisserie chicken Caesar salad seems like a healthier option, and the chicken itself is actually good – tender and flavorful as expected from Costco’s popular rotisserie chickens. However, the salad falls short in execution. The advertised croutons are mysteriously missing, leaving just lettuce, chicken, and pre-packaged dressing and cheese.
For $6.99, the lack of attention to detail is disappointing. The packaged Caesar dressing and cheese don’t have the fresh taste you’d expect from a salad that costs almost seven dollars. Food court reviewers consistently mention the missing croutons and basic preparation. While not terrible, it’s definitely not worth the price when better salad options exist elsewhere.
Chicken and bacon sandwich arrives cold
This sandwich comes on dense ciabatta bread with three slices of chicken, cheddar cheese, and a bacon bit spread that tastes more like sweet salad dressing than bacon. The biggest problem is temperature – the sandwich is served cold, including the bread, which makes the cheese look damp and unappealing.
The flavor combination doesn’t work well either. The sweet bacon spread clashes with the sharp cheddar and bland chicken, creating a confused taste profile. Sandwich reviews consistently mention the cold temperature and poor ingredient combination. At $6.99, there are much better options both at Costco and elsewhere. The hot dog combo gives you more satisfaction for a fraction of the price.
Vanilla sundae gets ruined by too much syrup
Costco’s soft serve ice cream is actually excellent – thick, creamy, and made from high-quality Kirkland Signature ice cream with a high fat content. The problem comes when they turn it into a sundae by drowning it in chocolate syrup. The syrup is so sweet and abundant that it completely overwhelms the good ice cream underneath.
The excessive sweetness makes it nearly impossible to finish, which defeats the purpose of getting a treat. Ice cream reviewers consistently recommend getting just the plain ice cream cup instead. At $2.49 for the sundae versus $1.99 for plain ice cream, you’re paying extra for syrup that ruins the experience. The plain vanilla or chocolate ice cream cups are much better choices that let you actually taste the quality ice cream.
Costco’s food court has some genuine winners, but these disappointing options prove that not everything behind those sneeze guards is worth your money. Stick to the classics like pepperoni pizza and plain ice cream, and you’ll have a much better experience. Sometimes the simplest choices really are the smartest ones, especially when you’re dealing with fast food.
