What Costco Food Courts Are Like In Other Countries

In what store can you buy a new set of tires, an engagement ring, a 50-pound stuffed bear, a 20-pack of mayonnaise, a kilo of caviar, a casket, and a (delicious) hot dog? Yup, you got it — Costco. (Yes, you can really buy a casket from Costco).

As of 2023, Zippia reports that there are 848 Costco warehouses in the world that brought in $222.7 billion of revenue the previous year. While most of them are in the United States, more than 250 of the popular superstores are spread throughout 13 other countries.

Although Costco is a fantastic membership store to score some of the best deals on technology, tools, and groceries, one of its biggest selling points is its delicious and inexpensive food court. But as much as you love your local Costco's all-beef hot dog or chicken bake, you might be surprised to find Costco food courts around the world have different menus to cater to their local customers — and some of them are far superior to the ones in the United States.

In this article, we break down the best and most interesting menu items from Costco food courts located around the world. We won't judge you for buying a plane ticket just to check these stores out with your own eyes (and mouth).

The land down under houses 56 Costco locations in 15 cities. Although you'll find several similar menu items in the U.S., like the beloved hot dogs, pizza slices, and sundaes, the food court there has some unique items you won't find in your local Costco. The one that jumps out the most is the banh mi. You can grab this Vietnamese street food classic with your choice of chicken or pork topped with a handful of vegetables. Australia's Costco has another Asian favorite: Korean-style fried chicken wings that come with a delicious dipping sauce.

True Costco foodies might also be jealous to learn Australia still also has the supreme combo pizza that features pepperoni, sausage, and a ton of veggies. The U.S. locations dropped the fan favorite during the pandemic, but the Aussie locations held on. When one Redditor heard the news, he said, "I will fly to Australia just to order myself a Whole Supreme pie."

If you're looking for something a bit healthier, you can opt for the poke-style salad bowl. It comes with cucumber, carrots, cabbage, edamame, and other veggies topped off with a savory miso dressing. If you're trying to get extra protein, you can add chicken or roast pork to finish it off. And to wash it all down, you can grab a bubble tea or a mango smoothie for just a few bucks. Seems like our Aussie friends lucked out with their Costco selection.

If you head across the border to our northern neighbors, you'll find one item just about all U.S. Costco fans are jealous of: fried chicken wings. According to one TikToker who bought the fried chicken wings at a Toronto location, "This s*** was bomb! It was super crispy." You can opt for a 10-piece box or a 30-piece bucket and munch away.

And that's not the only menu item Americans might be jealous of. Fitting the Canadian theme, Costcos up north also include poutine on their menus. Yup, while you're shopping for a blender for your kitchen, you can chow down on crispy fries doused in heartwarming gravy and melty cheese curds. One Redditor speaks for all Americans when they say, "I want poutine in my local Costco," to which a lucky Canadian replied, "Yeah you do. That Costco gravy is godly." Apparently, the workers at Costco don't skimp on the goods, either. YouTuber Matt Attack says, "When I saw the chick making this poutine and I just saw her load the curds up, I was real surprised. I was like holy — that's a lot of curds." 

If you're looking for something a bit more heartwarming, you can opt for some seafood chowder, too. If you're looking for a dish that is super manageable while you shop, you can grab some chicken tenders and fries instead. Or you can get everything and see what's best. Your choice. 

In 2019, China got its first Costco in Shanghai, and to say it was successful would be an understatement. Before the store even opened, Global Times reported that it had attracted more than 80,000 members. When the store finally did open, huge crowds mobbed the warehouse retailer, causing temporary closings because of overwhelming demand. Within a few months, the location had nearly 200,000 members, which was double the chain's initial goal there, according to Yahoo Finance. Costco went on to open another location in Suzhou, just west of Shanghai in 2021. A third location opened in Shanghai's Pudong in March 2023.

Besides the great deals on phones, batteries, and groceries, the food court was also a huge hit. You'll find a delicious coconut smoothie and mango soft serve to keep you refreshed as you browse the store. Redditor u/LessO2 says, "Coconut pineapple smoothie? Shut up and take my money!" We tend to agree. 

If you're feeling hungry, the most unique item you'll find on the Costco menu is the seafood pizzas featuring shrimp, tuna, and crab sticks. Pineapple lovers can snag a Hawaiian pizza as well. The locations in China also have other Costco food court classics like the chicken bake, bulgogi bake, clam chowder, pizza, and hot dogs, but one keen Redditor noticed that the Chinese Costco uses different hot dog buns. It might just be worth it to brave the extreme crowds of the China-based Costcos to try these unique offerings.

The Costco superstores located in France cater to their audiences spectacularly, devoting entire aisles to great deals on French cheeses. You can snag an entire wheel of brie if your heart desires. And if you really need it, you just might be able to pick up a massive bottle of champagne! 

But probably the section that really shines in Costco France is the bakery section. It has bulk containers of delicious crepes, lemon meringue pies, light and crispy croissants, and, of course, fresh baguettes. You can also get really nice French brioche loaves, madeleines, and quiches. 

When you venture over to the beloved food court section, you'll find some unique options like crispy fish and chips or a chicken burger. U.S. Redditors were jealous: u/dc_IV said, "I love fish and chips! Too bad we likely won't get that in Costcos' here in the U.S. anytime soon, if ever." Certain locations even took a page out of Canada's playbook and serve poutine. To wrap up your meal, you can grab a gaufre choco noisette chantilly — or a chocolate hazelnut waffle topped with whipped cream. Talk about decadent. 

The island of Iceland has only one Costco for the more than 387,000 people who reside there. Similar to the chaotic opening of China's first Costco, several search-and-rescue teams were called in to manage the crowd at the opening back in 2017.

At first glance, Iceland's food court menu doesn't look much different from the one we have in the United States. You'll find pizza, chicken bakes, hot dogs, burgers, coffee, and soft serve. But look a little bit closer, and you'll find one thing the U.S. locations are missing: gelato. The creamy and delicious Italian treat comes in several different flavors and is piled onto a waffle cone, which makes it the perfect treat as you stroll through the store looking for a 10-pack of socks.

You can also grab a mango smoothie, which can apparently be found at many Costco locations — except for in the U.S. Redditor U/notsodarling786 says, "Seriously, everyone seems to have a mango smoothie except the U.S. Not cool." You heard the people, Costco. Bring us the mango smoothie. 

If you made a tier list of the food court rankings from Costcos located around the world, Korea just might be near the top. It created one of the most legendary menu items that has made its way to several other Asian countries: the bulgogi bake. Bulgogi, which literally translates to "fire meat," is one of the quintessential Korean barbecue meats that have become a worldwide sensation.

The bulgogi bake takes the beloved Costco classic (the chicken bake) and replaces the chicken with delicious Korean beef while keeping the cheese, onions, mozzarella, and scallions all encased in dough. Kate Taylor of Business Insider said, "The bulgogi bake was just as good as the original. In fact, it might actually be better."

Next up on the menu is the jeonbokjuk, a rice porridge made with abalone. This hearty soup is great for a cold day or for those feeling under the weather. Another newer item featured on the Korean menu is the chashu fried rice. "The portion was huge ... you could easily feed 2-3 people," food influencer Doobydobap said. 

The food court fun doesn't stop there. You can snag a hamburg steak with fried rice, a premium bulgogi pizza, mushroom soup, pork cutlets, and a strawberry milkshake to wash it all down. You may even see some Costco vets making "Costco kimchi," which is basically a combo of onions, ketchup, and mustard. Whoever is in charge of the Costco menu in Korea, we applaud you.

"The Costco food court menu in Japan is elite," says Twitter user @SteveSugimoto, and he's definitely right. If you ever get the chance to go to a Costco in Japan, make sure you come hungry. It has several Western-inspired dishes like the cheeseburger, garden burger, pulled pork burger, and an Aussie beef pie.

If you feel like something a little healthier, you can fill up on a creamy corn chowder that has bacon, corn, celery, and a variety of other veggies. At some locations, you can also score a falafel salad that comes with falafels, cherry tomatoes, shredded carrots, and a boiled egg resting on a bed of red cabbage and greens.  

But the real stars of the show are the sweet treats this food court has to offer. You can try its Hokkaido soft cream (soft cream = ice cream), which comes from an area world-renowned for its dairy products. This dessert is incredibly creamy and sweet with a soft and rich flavor. You can also opt for the caramel soft cream, chocolate banana soft cream, or chestnut soft cream. Yes, that's a lot of soft cream. And yes, you should try every single one of them.

But the best food deal at Japan's Costco isn't in the food court. Head back to the seafood section, and you can get a massive 50-piece sushi platter. According to a Costco shopper eating with popular YouTuber Strictly Dumpling, "For the price, this is a bargain. This is a real steal." 

Canada is not the only one to have unique food court items that are not available in the U.S. locations. Head south of the border, and you'll find Mexico does as well. The first thing you'll notice here is not only does it have a free onion grinder in the condiments section, but it has a jalapeno grinder as well. This means you can add jalapenos to ... EVERYTHING.

But if you don't feel like eating jalapenos straight (and you shouldn't), head over to the counter, and you'll find unique goodies like cannelloni, which are big pasta shells stuffed with beef and spinach and topped with cheese and tomato sauce. You can also find pulled pork sandwiches, lasagna, chicken sandwiches, and Hawaiian pizza. According to YouTuber Furious Pete, the pulled pork is "phenomenal. It's moist, there's enough spice, sauce — nice, good barbecue sauce, and the bun is super soft. This would definitely be one of my go-tos." 

If you're wondering where the local cuisine-inspired dishes are, look no further than the al pastor pizza that comes with delectable seasoned beef, purple onions, and pineapple. Word is that you can find delicious tortas as well. Lastly, those with a sweet tooth will appreciate the apple strudel, berry sundae, and chocolate swirl soft serve. This leads us back to the same question we've been asking after researching every one of these menus ... why doesn't the U.S. carry any of these items?

Of all of the countries on this list, New Zealand probably has one of the most similar menus to the ones we're used to here in the United States. You'll find the classics, like pepperoni pizza, barbecue chicken pizza, hot dogs, chicken bakes, churros, Caesar salads, and sundaes. The main difference you'll find here is it also carries the Korean-style fried chicken wings that the Australian branches carry as well as french fries.

According to YouTuber JY The Hungry Ronin, "The chicken is nice, juicy, and tender. The outside is crispy. The sauce is nice." Although he said he doesn't think it's the most authentically Korean chicken you can find, it has Asian elements to it, and most importantly — it's good. And of course, wash it down with a mango smoothie or bubble tea afterward. One other unique drink that Costco in New Zealand features is taro milk tea with boba. JY The Hungry Ronin says it's nice and sweet with chewy and soft boba. 

If you happen to find yourself at one of the four Costcos located in Spain, you're in for a treat. The first thing you'll notice is that this food court menu carries one of the most beloved street foods in the country: croquettes. These delightful little dough balls are filled with cheese and ham and are perfect snacks to munch on as you shop for groceries. "If they are cooked by a person who knows to cook, they are delicious," one Redditor user posted.

Another special option you can find here is the croque monsieur. For the uninitiated, the croque monsieur is a hot ham and cheese sandwich prepared the French way, with Dijon mustard and Bechamel sauce. One Redditor says, "Croque monsieur sounds so much better than the turkey provolone we have in CA," with several others in the thread echoing those thoughts. The warehouse superstore also has barbacoa chicken wings, pizza, Cobb salad, and, if you're shopping with a picky eater, simple chicken tenders and fries.

If you do a simple search to see which country has the best Costco food court in the world, you'll find several people who claim Taiwan takes the crown. Grab a coffee as this one's extensive.

We'll start with the fried chicken sandwich that YouTubers Haley and Zach say is a 10/10. "The chicken is super juicy and the sauce slaps." Moving on, you'll find what one Redditor called the "best seafood pizza and clam chowder I've had." Sure, it might not be the most traditional combination, but it's definitely worth trying. TikToker @waynedang says if you are a seafood lover, you absolutely need to try a seafood pizza. "This thing is incredible," he says.

Costcos in Taiwan continues the theme of controversial pizzas with the infamous Hawaiian pizza, and apparently, it is generous with the toppings. You can also snag a crispy spicy chicken that Haley and Zach describe as "a crispier version of the rotisserie chicken. Very juicy and had decent heat." Finally, you can grab a pork bulgogi bake, which is unique from the beef version in Korea. Tiktoker @waynedang says "This is way better than the chicken bake we have in the U.S. This pork bulgogi bake is absolutely amazing."

Seems like everyone and their mothers approve of Taiwan's Costco food menu.

If you head across the pond to the United Kingdom, you'll find plenty of unique items that perfectly fit ... well ... the U.K. First up on our list is the Aberdeen Angus cottage pie. This comforting pie is made out of minced beef, onions, and other ingredients to create an incredibly tender and heartwarming meal. Next up you'll find the jacket potatoes, which are basically baked potatoes topped with cheese, baked beans, beef chili, or even tuna!

The U.K. Costco food court menu also includes the double chicken fillet sandwich, the Korean bulgogi bake, and of course, the mango smoothie. But possibly the most surprising thing (and upsetting, if you're not in the United Kingdom) is the fact that the family bundle comes with not only pizza and sodas — but a serving of garlic bread as well. It's about time the U.S. Costco starts stepping its game up and implementing some of these out-of-country favorites into its own menus.