Out to eat in Sioux Falls: Costco food court stands the test of taste, comfort, inflation

Picture this: You have been shopping for the past two and a half hours in the warehouse-esque jungle that is Costco. Your kids are no longer satisfied with the free samples available in every other aisle, and are starting to scream while your spouse has been “hangry” since you arrived. After maneuvering the cart through aisle after aisle of careless shoppers – after another half-hour wait, you need a savior. Well never fear, the Costco food court is here. 

Generally, the Costco food court is located behind the checkout stations but before the customer service desk, supposedly so that people can grab a quick snack on their way out the door. Customers can select their food at a digital order station and then wait for their number to be called by workers in order to collect their feast. 

The Costco food court features a simplified menu similar to that of the concession stands at athletic events while retaining budget-friendly low prices. My friends and I were able to purchase three hot dogs, three slices of pizza, three soft drinks, a chicken bake, chicken & bacon club, chocolate chunk cookie and an ice cream sundae with chocolate syrup, all for $28.33. 

However, it is important to note that the Costco food court is a perk only afforded to those with Costco memberships which range from $65-130 per year. 

Perhaps, a critique of capitalism is waiting in the wings there, but that’s above my pay grade and, quite frankly, would ruin the comedy of this piece.  

While the food court was busy on a Tuesday night at 6 p.m., there were clean red and white picnic tables available to sit at. We got our food in about 10 minutes, but my chicken and bacon sandwich was forgotten, adding another 10 minutes to the total wait time. 

After returning to our table with our food, we were ready to dig in. First up was an extra-large slice of pepperoni pizza which was quite literally the size of my face. This Italian cuisine had the perfect sauce-to-cheese-to-dough ratio and tasted even better than it looked. However, the pepperonis themselves added a more than-usual amount of grease to the pizza – literally dripping off the sides. 

Next up: the hot dog. While hot dogs are kind of sketchy if you think too hard about them, the Costco dog was easy to take at face value. The extra-long hot dog was perfectly complemented by a soft bun and a hearty pour of ketchup and mustard. 

Additionally, the hot dog came with a soda bundle for $1.50, and I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the delicious Diet Pepsi that accompanied my meal. The fountain pop was a bit sweeter than your average canned beverage but kept me refreshed between entrees. 

Arguably the most unique item on the menu, the chicken bake is the perfect item if you want something a bit more hearty after a long hard day of shopping. A glorified Hot Pocket, the chicken bake is a mixture of cooked chicken, crispy bacon, shredded cheese and Caesar dressing, wrapped in pizza dough and topped with more shredded cheddar cheese.  

After you make it through the first few bites of cardboard-like casing, you get treated to an appetizing bite that is both savory and salty. What’s more, this forearm-sized entree has enough leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch too. Now that’s what I call a two-for-one deal. 

 Of all the cuisine I tried from the Costco food court, the chicken and bacon sandwich is the item I would skip. Aside from having to wait extra long for this item, it was just disappointing. First, I was expecting a hot sandwich, but it was a cold cut. Second, this entree would have been better if the bread was not freezing, bulky and dry. 

Finally, what meal is complete without dessert? The vanilla ice cream sundae with chocolate syrup was perfect to cleanse my palate between entree items. The soft serve came in a 12-oz cup, melted quickly and tasted like every other soft serve. However, I am a firm believer that one can never go wrong with ice cream, especially not with cookies. 

The Chocolate chunk cookie alone is worth a revisit to the food court. The hamburger-patty-sized dessert was crunchy on the outside and gooey on the inside with perfectly melted chocolate chunks to keep you coming back for more. 

To get the most bang for your buck, dip the cookie into your ice cream. Never has a better sweet and savory combo existed. 

While The Costco food court is certainly no fine dining establishment, it offers a quick, easy and cheap dining option for its members and basically sums up the American experience.