Best Costco Food Court Items Under $3 (Two Haven’t Changed Since the 80s!)
These Costco food court items are not only delicious, they’re a STEAL!
Let’s go to the Costco food court for lunch!
The Costco food court may not be the most glamorous of restaurants, but when it comes to convenience and affordability, we LOVE it! So, if you’re in need of a cheap lunch or dinner idea, a quick snack to hold the kids over while shopping, OR a cheap fro-yo option for date night, it’s a great place to go!
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We’re sharing six of the best food items from Costco’s food court menu – all under $3 each!
*Note that pricing and availability may vary by region.
1. All Beef 1/4-lb Hot Dog and 20oz Soda
- $1.50
Not only is this the most popular option on the menu, but it’s also been on the Costco food court menu for the same $1.50 price since 1984! Considering you can barely get a soda at a restaurant for under $2 these days, getting a giant hot dog and a large soda for under $2 is pretty hard to beat!
2. Giant Slice of Pizza
- $1.99/slice
Everything’s bigger at Costco, including their slice of pizza! Costco’s popular pizza was first introduced in 1989 and hasn’t changed in price for over 30 years. For just $1.99 per slice, you can order a huge slice of cheese, pepperoni, or combo pizza that barely fits on a plate. Each pizza is made with chewy artisan dough, a thick slathering of U.S. grown tomatoes, aged, buttery cheeses, and 10-month aged, shredded Parmesan cheese.
3. Chicken Bake
- $2.99
The Chicken Bakes are a staple food item on the Costco food court menu. However, it’s important to note that the Chicken Bakes aren’t the same as the ones you’ll find in the freezer section. The food court Chicken Bakes are made from fresh ingredients, including chicken breast, cheese, bacon, and Caesar dressing wrapped up in leftover pizza dough.
4. Twisted Cinnamon & Sugar Churro
- $1.49
For less than $1.50, you can enjoy a massive, 18″ soft and dough Cinnamon & Sugar Churro. Oh-my-YUM!
5. Ice Cream Cups & Sundaes
- $1.99 for a plain ice cream or $2.48 for a sundae
Satisfy your sweet tooth! At Costco, you can get an ice cream cup for under $2! Make it a sundae for just 50 cents more! You can’t beat this price, especially when those summertime sundae cravings hit. 🍨
6. Cold-Brew & Smoothie Drinks
- $2.99
Cool off in these hot temps with a cold drink. Costco offers a cold-brew mocha freeze made with Colombian coffee beans and chocolate syrup. They also make berry smoothies with 4 servings of fruit. These delicious beverages are under $3 apiece and are great to enjoy while shopping around the store!
What are the Costco food court hours?
Cheers to the Costco food courts being back open! You can enjoy all the food court has to offer during their open store hours Monday thru Friday 10 AM – 8:30 PM, Saturday 9:30 AM – 6 PM, and Sunday 10 AM – 6 PM. However, most Costco locations list their store phone number under the Food Court section of their location’s website, so you may want to call ahead to confirm your local Costco’s exact food court hours.
Do you have to have a membership card to eat at Costco food court?
No you don’t!!!
If the food court is outside you won’t need a membership card.
My Costco makes you show a membership to go in either door (the food court is right by the exit door) bc they had such an issue with high schoolers going in and causing issues in the food court. So honestly, it might very by location
Agreed. Mine is inside the exit door but you don’t need a membership.
You don’t need a membership to enter my Costco, but food court is outside also.
It depends on location. I live in Orlando and in a tourist-heavy mall area. We live walking distance from Costco and they recently started checking membership cards. They said it is because too many tourists were coming for the cheap eats and members complained. I am a member and it doesn’t bother me…
I miss their vanilla ice cream bar dipped in chocolate and almonds. T_T One of my favorites.
My Costco sells these(like the chicken bake) in a box. 12/$9.99. It was all over after the first purchase ☺️ it’s a staple in my household during every Costco trip. My boys fight over the last one, so now I pick up 2 boxes smh
Before going Keto the turkey sandwich & chicken bake were my go to’s.
That was my favorite too. So yummy!!!
Me too! They were my favorite!!
I love the vegan salad but i so wish they had more vegetarian options 🤞🏽
Me too!!!
I think the St. Louis Park Minnesota location discontinued the pastor salad.
Hello from Plymouth!
Me too. Costco needs to get with the program!!
The pulled pork sandwich is coleslaw on top is my favorite item at Costco. At $4.99 it is a real deal for a sandwich that would be two or three times as much elsewhere.
But can’t beat value of the hot dog or chicken bake.
Well i cant remember the name but i used to love on top of LOVE the ice cream sundae type thing they “discontinued”?. Vanilla ice cream with strawberry sauce with the actual strawberries. Thats the clincher right there LOL. When something with strawberry sauce has real strawberries !!. Does anyone remember that ?! Soo yummy and portioned so out of control big yet so right at the same time.. 🤤 an enormous hotdog followed by the sundae… sodium heaven..
My Costco discontinued that for a few months but brought it back.
That is #8 on the list above
Frozen yogurt with strawberry sauce..a very berry swirl is what it is called I think
They still have the berry swirl with strawberries. They discontinued the chocolate/vanilla swirl, and replaced it with the vanilla/acai swirl.
Our Costco is still happy to do the vanilla with chocolate sauce on top though 🥰
If you have a Sam’s near you, they have a delicious vanilla swirl with berry topping.
Thank you for the update. I moved from orlando where i had a nearby costco back to RI where there isnt one close. Im thrilled to bits to know that my favorite treat is back. 🙂
Crushed that they removed the chocolate soft serve. Very berry sundae made with the chocolate soft serve was the best. Vanilla with chocolate sauce can never compete.
The drinks are not large drinks. They are 21oz. Depending on the restaurant, 21oz is a small or medium.
Each pizza slice also comes with a thick slathering of grease. It takes two or three napkins to soak it all up. I still like it.
I’m in Atlanta does anyone know if the Perimeter location will let you in to enjoy the foodcourt without a membership ???
Call them to find out.
All you have to do is tell them you’re shopping for alcohol or picking up a prescription. They allow non-members in for both. I know; I used to work there. You’ll just need cash to pay at the food court.
They had chili during the winter here in AZ and it was really good and A LOT!! Ditto for the pulled pork sandwich. 🙂
Since the Polish dog was discontinued we rarely eat at Costco any more. The hot dog is good but nowhere as good as the Polish. I don’t recall seeing the turkey sandwich on the menu. I will have to check next time we go. If you don’t have a Costco card just say you are going to the pharmacy. Federal law that everyone can use the pharmacy.
The sausage with peppers and onions on a roll is back on the menu
I miss the polish sausage as well! I preferred that over the hot dog any day. Sad it’s gone. 🙁
never saw the al pastor salad before! Is that a secret menu item available at all costcos?
I’d like to know this as well. With 2 vegan members in our family, this would be a real game changer..
I just saw it on the menu for the first time when I went last week.
The el pastor salad has a lot of meat in it.
No, it’s a meat substitute on it and it’s vegan.. (like morningstar farms etc.)
Some food court items are regional, hopefully they have this salad available everywhere soon. I can’t stand the chicken salad they have there now. The chicken is fake chicken mush formed into a breast shape and cut up. Soooo gross!
RIP polish dog
Hot dogs are good. Pizza a little greasy. But can’t beat the price.
Our favorite thing to get is a full pizza for $10, its literally the only pizza place where only one pizza feeds us all and its SO cheap. They just built a new one 5 minutes from our house so we go twice a month! Plus I love getting a churro for my 3 year old before I start shopping, $1 to amuse her the whole trip!
Ditto on the whole pizza! I call the food court when I enter my store to shop, pay for it at the register with the rest of my groceries, then simply go to the pickup area of the food court and it’s all ready for me!
I love the acai bowls! And I had no idea the al pastor salad was vegan– that’s awesome!
It isn’t vegan.
They changed the recipe for the berry smoothie a few years back and I hate it now.
It used to be my fav, but I understand berries are an expensive fruit.
Now its a lot of banana and I ain’t about it 🙁
When I go back to Vancouver to visit my family I always go to Costco because they have poutine (yes, we have a Costco here in the US where I live). But when they come visit me, we always go for the churros!
I’m sorry but how is this of interest to anyone? It is basically the entire menu. Also a churro is not lunch. pretty lame.
It must be of interest as others have responded with their feedback. Although I namely view h2s for sales, I enjoy other elements of the site.
To answer your question more specifically, it’s of interest to me because I am not a Costco member but know someone who is a member. I can share this info (if he was not already aware), or if I tag along I can visit the food court based on others recommendations.
Thanks h2s crew for all you do. Thanks also to h2s posters.Blessings.
Always gotta be someone hating :/ got have some cheap dinner at Costco and you’ll be happy again.
Miss the frozen latte. Didn’t think much of the cold brew stuff. Our chicken bakes are always over cooked.
I miss the soft pretzels, but back when they had them they said it took 2 people to make them and the churros replaced the pretzels and they said are much easier to make… meh!
No Costco in Arkansas but I hear we are getting a Trader Joes. I can’t remember if it is Aldi Nord or Aldi Sud that owns it. Maybe we can get an Aldi too soon.
Love the hot dog (with yummy sauerkraut & deli mustard) for a quick and cheap lunch when I’m shopping. Lately I’ve only been able to eat half because I get so parched from the high sodium content. Just more room for that delicious yogurt 😉
You took out Yogurt and replaced it with Ice Cream. Not as good! I miss the Sinai hot dogs . Yours are OK but Sinai were better.
Chicken bake is HORRIBLE. It’s possible I got the 2 that were not good but it just wasn’t good and let me put it out there I wasn’t expecting much just like pizza pocket quality and I did not have a good experience so never again. All other stuff has been great to walk out the store feeling satisfied with a cheap snack.
Such a great option too if you’re hauling a ball team or needing to feed a bunch of kids on the cheap! Great buys! Thanks Hip2Save!
That’s such a great idea — you’re so welcome!