Enjoy Extra Crispy Costco Food Court Pizza With This Simple Request

Customers may swear that Costco's single pizza slices are superior to whole pies, but Costco's pizza in general is much more beloved for its price point than its quality. Ranked among Costco's food court items, the pizza is substantial and yet decidedly chewy by common pizza standards. If you just need something to eat and you're not picky, then it's fine. But is there any strategy for making the pizza slightly more crisp and solid? Indeed, there is. Slightly less well-known among those Costco food court secrets involving secret menus and regional items is one trick which should apply to plenty of food courts besides just Costco.

If the pizza is too chewy for your tastes, then all you have to do is ask for it "well done" or "extra crispy" when you're ordering at the counter, or even ask them to cook it twice. All three options will likely lead to the pizza sitting in the food court oven for about twice as long, adding that crunch you may feel is missing from the normally soft slices. Keep in mind that you shouldn't do this if Costco's food court is especially busy. Asking to cook pizza for longer will take up precious oven space if there are lots of customers ordering, so the employees may be less willing (or completely unable) to accommodate your request.

There's another caveat to remember before you try asking for your Costco pizza well done. Your pizza could come out slightly burnt, because you are asking for it to be cooked longer than it's meant to be. If you tried this at a regular pizzeria, some employees might turn you down for this reason: plenty of pizza chefs are proud of how they make their pizzas and will either flatly refuse to cook it twice or claim they will and then "forget." However, that shouldn't be an issue at a Costco food court, and if extra crispy is your preference then you may not mind blackened edges on the crust anyway.

If you're bringing a whole pie home with you, then you have some safer options for making your pizza crispier. In those cases, just pop your pizza into the oven: standard-issue technique for reheating soft pizza is to place it on the rack at about 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes, and that should make it crispy without burning it. If you have an air fryer, you can cut up individual slices and place in there at 350 degrees for just a few minutes until the crust and bottom actually have a solid crunch to them. It's more time and effort than double-cooking the pizza at the food court, but the result is well worth it if you like crispy slices.