12 International Costco Food Court Items We Wish We Had In The U.S.
For many of its members, a trip to Costco is not complete without a stop at the food court for a bite to eat. In the U.S., Costco's food court menu includes the iconic $1.50 hot dog and soda combo, not to mention slices of pizza, ice cream, and churros.
But you might not be aware of the fact that Costco has completely different menus at its international warehouses — and yes, you might not even have been aware that Costco has locations outside the U.S. There are Costcos all around the world, and each country has its own unique spin on the food court that includes menu items we wish would make their way to the United States. But don't worry, your Costco membership card gets you into any Costco warehouse around the globe, so any of these 12 international food court items we wish came to the U.S. are only a plane ride away.
1. Poutine (Canada)
If we were to try and summarize our neighbors to the north by a singular food item, it has to be poutine. The iconic Canadian dish is composed of french fries topped traditionally with gravy and cheese curds. There have been a slew of different versions and iterations of poutine over the years, but if you want the bare-bones version, those three ingredients are all you need. So, it should come as no surprise that the Costco food courts in Canada like to distinguish themselves from the rest of the world by offering poutine.
Not only do Canadian Costco food courts serve Poutine, but they apparently serve a really good version of the dish. One Redditor went as far as to claim that, "Costco Poutine is the best Poutine," adding that the sturdiness of the french fries, the tasty gravy, and the large cheese curds culminate in the ultimate treat to enjoy on a Costco run.
2. Poke Style Salad Bowl (Australia)
Poke bowls have always been a favorite dish in the state of Hawaii but have become more abundant across the United States in recent years, with many fans repeatedly ordering them for their wide variety of flavors. They are easy to make, highly customizable, and a healthier meal option thanks to their abundance of vegetables and lean protein. Across the Pacific Ocean in Australia, Costco members can order Poke Style Salad Bowls at the food court.
Note that the dish is labeled as "Poke Style," meaning that Costco took a couple of liberties in this food court menu item. Traditionally, "poke" is a Hawaiian term meaning "to cut" or "to slice," and in most instances, you will find sliced pieces of raw tuna on top of a bed of rice and vegetables. As one Redditor points out, the Costco Poke Bowls are served plain (vegetarian), or you can add sliced cooked chicken or pork on top. Another Redditor mentioned how of all of the international Costco food court items out there, they would pick Australia's Poke Style Salad Bowl to bring back to their home country, and we cannot help but agree.
3. Gelato (England, Iceland)
Many Costco members in the United States enjoy ordering a cup of ice cream at the food court, topped with either chocolate or strawberry syrup. But America is not the only country where Costco serves a frozen treat at its food courts. Over in Europe, there are a couple of places where you can actually enjoy some gelato, notably in England and Iceland.
The major difference between ice cream and gelato is in both the ingredients as well as the way in which they are prepared and served. Both ice cream and gelato have milk, cream, and a sweetener, but gelato also contains egg. Gelato typically has less air in it than ice cream, hence its denser and creamier texture.
In fact, some Costco locations in the United States used to serve gelato, as some Redditors in Alaska and San Francisco point out. Perhaps one day the U.S. will see the return of gelato in its Costco food courts, but until then, there are the classic soft serve vanilla sundaes to enjoy instead.
4. Aberdeen Angus Cottage Pie (England)
Over in England, the Costco food court has a number of unique menu items that would understandably make many U.S.-based members jealous. For a savory meat option, there is the Aberdeen Angus Cottage Pie. Different than a shepherd's pie, which is traditionally made with ground lamb meat, cottage pie has ground beef as its protein. But just like shepherd's pie, the cottage pie also comes topped with potatoes for some true simple comfort food.
One Redditor shared a photo of the food court menu from a Costco in Manchester, England, which includes the cottage pie. Another England-based Costco member shared a photo on Reddit of what the cottage pie actually looks like, and the proportion of potato to meat seems to be skewed a bit in favor of the starch. This didn't seem to bother too many in the comments, because as one pointed out, "potatoes are the best part anyway!"
5. Mini Cinnamon Donut Balls (Australia)
Costco's food court in the United States is more than just a place to grab a slice of pizza or a hot dog. It is also a solid spot to find some sweet treats for dessert, and that applies to countries all around the world. In Australia, Costco members can enjoy an order of Mini Cinnamon Donut Balls, because it seems to be a trend that all of the other countries get a better food court menu than America.
Cinnamon sugar donut minis are a true delicacy, with the bite-size morsels pairing wonderfully with a hot cup of coffee. Just like their full-size donut counterparts, donut minis are the answer to the question, "Why not have dessert for breakfast?" In the U.S., Costco members can order churros, which are essentially the same thing but in a long, stick-shaped form rather than a miniature ball form. But as one Redditor puts it, "churros out, mini donut balls in!" Many Redditors took to the internet to applaud Australia's food court menu, with one adding, "Everything looks great!" and another pointing out that, "All of these would be a hit in the US!" Indeed they would.
6. Fish and chips (France)
Some nations naturally lend themselves to a specific food item, like poutine in Canada or pasta in Italy. Across the pond in the United Kingdom, you're likely never too far from a pub that serves fish and chips. So, one would think that fish and chips would be an easy find at any Costco warehouse in the U.K. However, you have to actually travel down south to France to find them.
Upon learning of this, one Redditor demanded passionately in all caps, "BRING THE FISH AND CHIPS TO THE US!" Meanwhile, a U.K.-based user pointed out the irony that France is where you will find fish and chips, noting, "why they have fish and chips and we don't is anyone's guess!" While we keep guessing, we'll gladly see ourselves on the next flight to France just so we can experience what ordering fish and chips at a Costco feels like.
7. Bubble tea (Australia)
One beverage with a fiercely loyal following is bubble tea, but you may know it better as boba tea. No matter what you call it, fans will line up around city blocks for their daily cup, with all kinds of flavors lending to the drink's popularity. If you don't live in a major city, you may have never seen this drink, but find yourself in New York City or Los Angeles and you likely cannot walk a few blocks without passing a bubble tea shop.
An Australian Redditor shared a menu from their Costco food court in Perth, which includes bubble tea. While one U.S. commenter admitted, "Dang, this American is jealous," a local responded that there was not much to be jealous about, claiming the tea comes from a "slushie machine." Nonetheless, the American Redditor noted that, "It seems like the perfect Costco sipping drink." Just imagine if Costco food courts in the U.S. sold bubble teas to walk around with while you shop — we would be making daily trips to our local warehouse.
8. Clam chowder (Taiwan, China)
If Costco's food courts sold more items that reflected the regions in which they are located, you would likely find bowls of clam chowder and other seafood items available on the menu at New England-based warehouses. However, most of the U.S. Costco menus are pretty much the same, with no chowder to be found anywhere in the country, let alone the Northeast. Instead, you would have to hop on a plane and fly all the way to Taiwan or China to enjoy clam chowder at Costco, which has the internet green with envy.
A photo was shared on Reddit that showed the menu from a Costco in Taiwan, which includes clam chowder, and it left many chiming in expressing their jealousy. One commenter lamented, "my american jealousy consumes me," while another complained, "We get jack squat." Food court clam chowder might not seem so appealing to some, but you have to give credit where credit is due when considering the uniqueness of some of these international Costco food court menus.
9. Baked potatoes (United Kingdom)
A classic baked potato by itself is a tasty side dish, but load it up with the right toppings and it's a full meal in its own right. Over in the United Kingdom, Costco members can order jacket potatoes, which is essentially a colloquial term for loaded baked potatoes across the pond. The potatoes come serve with baked beans, cheese, beef chili, and tuna, according to a photo of the menu shared on Reddit.
Many of the comments quickly revealed who was native to the U.K. and who was not, based on their reaction to the presence of tuna on a baked potato. The Redditor who shared the photo commented, "Don't knock it 'til you try it!" and also noted that a jacket potato is "a British staple," though most of the foreign commentary seemed more perplexed than interested in trying tuna on a potato, no matter how popular locals claimed it to be. In a similar Reddit thread regarding the Birmingham Costco's food court, a Redditor summed up the feelings of most from across the pond by saying, "Ya i would take that minus the tuna." But a loaded baked potato with all of the usual fixings common in America? We will gladly take that any day.
10. Croquetas (Spain)
Any dish that involves cheese being deep-fried is a winner in our book, so you can imagine our agony when we learned that Costco food courts in Spain serve croquetas. A croqueta is the Spanish version of the French dish known as a croquette – a deep-fried roll, usually with a binder like a béchamel sauce and stuffed with some sort of filling, commonly ham and cheese. They are a great bite-sized savory snack that we demand be added to the United States Costco food court menus ASAP.
We are certainly not alone in that assessment. One Redditor deemed croquetas "something that my Costco needs," while another criticized U.S. Costcos for not having their own version of croquetas on the menu, calling their absence "blasphemy." Let us know once croquetas are on the menu in the U.S., and we will be the first ones in line when our local Costco opens the next morning.
11. Bulgogi pizza (South Korea)
The Costco food courts in the United States sell both slices of pizza as well as entire pies. Though there have been other toppings available in the past, as of 2023, members can enjoy cheese or pepperoni pizza. But over in South Korea, members can also order up a tasty slice of bulgogi pizza. If you don't know, "bulgogi" translates to "fire meat" and is essentially thin strips of marinated steak. So, think a meat lover's pizza, only better.
A Redditor shared a photo of a Costco menu from Seoul, and many were quick to chime in on how they wished they could have a more readily available slice of bulgogi pizza at their local Costco. One commenter even admitted that they would "trade this for US food court every time," which, when you consider that the Seoul Costco also appears to serve pork bakes, calzones, and watermelon juice, we cannot help but agree. Until then, American members are left with their creative Costco food court menu hacks to try to come up with additional menu items on their own.
12. Bulgogi Bake (Korea, Japan, England)
One of the newer food court menu items in the United States is the Chicken Bake, which has led many inventive Costco members to concoct a not-so-secret menu hack known as the Forbidden Glizzy. It involves stuffing a hot dog into the Chicken Bake; that's all there is to it. As it turns out, you can also find the Chicken Bake at international Costcos, including in Hanam, Korea. But upon closer examination, there is another bake that leaves the American Costco food court menu wanting: the Bulgogi Bake, also known as the Korean BBQ Beef Bake in England.
What could be better than a Chicken Bake than that same pastry, only stuffed with savory, seasoned steak strips? One Redditor responded to a photo of the Korean menu by exclaiming, "That Bulgogi bake needs to come state side ASAP," with 11 exclamation points. Another Reddit user called for a full-on boycott of U.S. Costco food courts until we get the Bulgogi Bake added to the menus stateside. Perhaps one day the Costco food court menus in America will switch things up, but until then, we will have to plan trips all around the world to add stamps to our Costco food court passport.