The Best Costco Food Court Item Is A Satisfying Classic

Costco's food court is part of why many of us shop there. Is it the best food you'll ever have? No. But is it one of the best bargains you'll ever get? Absolutely. Where else are you going to get a giant slice of pizza for $1.99, or a hot dog combo with a drink for $1.50? Even though the menu's not gigantic, we did the hard work one day and ranked Costco's food court items in a taste test (it's worth reading, especially if you're opinionated). We came away with the conclusion that one of the options there is simply the best of the bunch.

Nope — it's not the pepperoni pizza slice, which came in second place (with the cheese slice in third). Yep: It's the hot dog. This is not a controversial pick. That gigantic, well-seasoned, high-quality hot dog coupled with your drink of choice from the fountain is hard to beat. Especially at the low price of $1.50, which isn't going to change anytime soon, despite the natural trajectory of inflation and supply chain issues seemingly raising prices everywhere. Plus, you can top the thing yourself with a simple choice between mustard, relish, ketchup, and a little cup of onions available at the counter when you pick up your food. As our contributor noted, "It's everything you want from a hot dog."

We aren't the only ones who see the value and joy of a Costco hot dog. Though those pizza slices (and occasionally chicken bakes) are what call to us on occasion, the real proof is in the numbers. Costco's hot dogs sold over 200 million hot dog and soda combos in 2023, while Major League Baseball stadiums (obviously known to be hot dog havens) sell roughly 22 million per year combined. That's nearly 10 times the sales. Now granted, Costco's open year-round, but let's be real, there is no denying the love of that hot dog.

With the general public's constant fascination with the thing (we're guilty as charged), people are still finding ways to turn the hot dogs into a viral sensation by combining it with other food court items. It always seems to be on everyone's mind even without any marketing involved. Costco dog, you will always be number one in our hearts. And after trying everything on the menu in one sitting, the taste test merely confirmed what we already knew.