Costco Vs Sam's Club: Who Has The Best Deli Foods?

You may not realize how much you depend on warehouse shopping to stock your fridge with items you'd ordinarily buy at the deli. Dipping and diving for meats, cheeses, and sides with deli-level personality at Costco and Sam's Club means gliding through refrigerator cases where all the goods are within reach — no requesting a sample of the smoked ham or choosing how many slices of havarti go into the bag. At these spots, picking up deli foods is like buying anything else in stock: It's all prepackaged and served in larger sizes that you might need, but the prices are too good to pass up.

Although neither Costco nor Sam's Club has a traditional deli counter like you'll find in your neighborhood grocery store, both warehouses provide an admirable selection of deli fare featuring sliced meats, specialty cheeses, and prepared dishes that make dining and entertaining a delicious prospect. I went on a fact-finding mission — a shopping safari of sorts — to determine which warehouse provides premium picks for your deli needs without gouging your bank account. Just like assessing which has the better food court and better pizza, the overlap between Costco and Sam's Club deli foods has clear similarities, but if you look closer, you'll find differences that distinguish one from the other — distinctions which might suit your needs better at one store than the other.

Fresh meats at both Costco and Sam's Club are limited to the more familiar beef, pork, and poultry cases as seen in non-warehouse grocery stores. Without a functional deli in operation, your options come as packaged goods in a selection that rivals and even bests your favorite stores, even without custom slicing available. In addition to Costco's stock of sliced and rolled meats for making your own trays and platters, you can also find unexpected items like Mediterranean chicken skewers, smoked salmon slices, whole turkey breast you can slice yourself, and specialty choices like tapas and brisket. Online reviews for non-Kirkland brands like Columbus salami are largely favorable.

Charcuterie comes pre-sliced at Sam's Club, with options like Busseto bite-size salami and cheese packs, or Del Real birria and chile verde to provide heated meats for wraps and handmade sandwiches. For heartier helpings, sausages and brats are available to make Italian sandwiches with authentic deli flair. Though most options here are likely worthwhile, one of Sam's Club's most notable recalls involved deli meats, which may give shoppers reason to stick with Costco instead.

With almost identical prices between the two warehouses for similar meat products, points for this category go to Costco.

Similar to meat options, the cheeses at both Costco and Sam's Club are a branded deal, with both recognizable names and surprises from around the world making appearances to stir the heart of the deli lover. At Costco, you can grab blocks that suit your tastiest of occasions, from Kirkland-branded Parmigiano Reggiano, Manchego, and imported French brie, to more widely-known choices like Kerrygold cheddar and Boursin. Though attractively priced, Kirkland cheeses may not always come through in the clutch for your cheese needs. Some Reddit users call out the strange texture of Kirkland cheddar, while others note the capricious availability that makes the affordable cheese hard to find at times.

Though Sam's Club appears to have a smaller array of cheeses, favorites like Tillamook cheddar and Athenos feta have prominent space in the case. Variations of Member's Mark cheeses like white cheddar and sliced Colby Jack enjoy high ratings on the Sam's website, reflecting favorable opinions from customers who've made the purchase. Altogether, Sam's may carry a slimmer cheese collection, but the items are more likely to suit the warehouse deli shopper's sensibilities, with prices slightly lower than at Costco.

Thanks to solid online reviews and items customers love, Sam's Club squeaks through with points in the cheese arena.

Finding specialty trays that serve a finished selection of foods in a single swoop isn't difficult at either Costco or Sam's Club, though your options vary pretty wildly between the two locations. Costco's reserved offerings are headlined by the colossal veggie tray with the large container of ranch at the center, a famous purchase that's perfect for birthday parties and holiday celebrations. Both quantity and quality are always top-level. Come-and-go possibilities from Costco throughout the year may include specialty sandwiches, pinwheels, and fruit trays that fill the table for your special occasions, but availability isn't guaranteed when you're ready to buy.

Smaller trays bearing cubed fruits or dipping vegetables give Sam's Club a distinct advantage in the tray arena, especially for foods that perish quickly. The selections are also elegantly arranged in a long clamshell container, making them instantly ready for a set table or potluck countertop presentation. And rather than ordering a whopping round of pinwheels, you can pick up a sensibly-sized clamshell tray containing a dozen, that's decently sized but not overwhelming.

Pricing for both stores' trays hovers between $5 to $7 per pound as of publication, depending on the contents. Due to the regular availability and thoughtful visual flair, Sam's Club captures the points for deli trays.

Grabbing prepared sandwiches loaded with your favorite fillings and toppings is a much more doable prospect at your neighborhood grocer than at either Costco or Sam's Club. Even big-box grocery sections at Walmart offer custom-made subs and premade sammies that can feed a crowd or a family while saving you the assembly labor. Although the possibility of picking up prepared sandwiches for lunch or even a special event exists while doing your warehouse shopping, the options are limited to Costco alone, and the selection is disappointingly trim.

You can find chicken paninis with two generously-sized halved sandwiches in a single pack for $13, or grab a gargantuan meatball mozzarella sub that can be shared by at least three sensible eaters, with a single sub ringing up close to $15. Sandwiches in the Costco deli world are priced somewhere in the neighborhood of $5.99 per pound. Sam's Club has plenty of fixings for making your own deli-style sandwiches, but aside from the dozen pinwheel tray, there's nothing sandwich-like available in the refrigerator cases or behind the counter.

For having any selection at all, there's no question that Costco snags the points in the sandwich segment of the comparison.

The dip section is where things start to get spicy in the warehouse deli shopping sphere. Whether you're picking up deli specialties for a party or stocking your fridge for your own needs, you're going to want a selection of dips to go with your main dishes. Luckily, both stores carry fun schmears and swirls perfect for dipping chips, topping pasta or spreading on your favorite bread. At Costco, you'll find an impressive array of hummus, guacamole, salsa, and spinach artichoke dip, all kept under cool storage in larger-than-necessary quantities. You'll also find pesto and Mexican corn dip to give your special deli displays a global sheen. Reddit users give Kirkland hummus high praise for tasting as good as homemade, a feature that may help consumers make their decisions.

At Sam's Club, the selection includes a similar range of options tagged with the Member's Mark label, as well as other brands. Sam's also stocks tzatziki. Prices at both stores range between $6 and $10 for dips that come in single or double packs, which makes these purchases a remarkable bargain in both instances. Member's Mark Pico de Gallo holds a 4.4-star average across more than 3,000 reviews, proving it's a shopper favorite.

With so many savory tubs to pile into the cart, there's no winner between Costco and Sam's Club when it comes to deli dips. Both stores share the points here.

A tasty collection of salads, soups, and side dishes are waiting at both Costco and Sam's Club to complete your deli counter round-up. Though prepackaged, several are prepared on-site for a fresher experience and a few gourmet-level combinations. Costco's simplest take is a Caesar salad that comes in a shake-and-eat tote similar to Salad and Go; it sits side-by-side with chopped salads like autumn grain with champagne vinaigrette and chicken salad made from shredded rotisserie chickens. Salads are priced between $4.99 and $5.99 per pound, depending on the ingredients. You can also bring home pickles, olives, and sauerkraut to make your home kitchen feel like an actual deli.

Sam's Club also provides a blend of house-made and brand-name salads to surround your deli center spread, with Mediterranean and broccoli salads topping the list of mixes made in-store. With a soup selection ranging from corn chowder to broccoli cheddar, all priced at about $10 for a heaping two-tub pack, Sam's is ready to warm up your soup-and-salad situation no matter where your tastes lie. There are also baked beans and potatoes in a variety of forms to finish off your cost-effective deli spread (including potato salad, though some consider it an overrated Sam's Club item).

In the realm of deli accouterments, Sam's Club edges out Costco thanks to its sweet soups.

The prepared dish offerings are where both Costco and Sam's Club really put the polish on in hopes of attracting major attention from customers who want a fully-finished meal that just needs a little time in the oven. Both outlets specialize in their own popular versions of rotisserie chicken, but Costco fills its shelves with plentiful picks for all occasions. Upscale creations like chicken Alfredo and polenta with roasted vegetables share the case with comfort food pleasures like mac and cheese and oversized shepherd and chicken pot pies. However, online chatter about the pot pies call out the heavy sodium content and mushy peas, which could be a turn-off for discerning deli diners.

Sam's Club goes the extra mile to make sure shoppers don't have to create from-scratch dishes if they aren't in the mood. Like Costco, this warehouse slings a popular premade mac and cheese, but it also shares elegant creations like quiche and grilled chicken filets. Pick up homestyle feasts like stuffed manicotti and General Tso's chicken, delectable in-house packages that just need to be heated. For sushi fans, Sam's provides single-eater dinner bowls and family-sized arrangements providing a selection of classic rolls that let you skip the sit-down restaurant experience.

With comparable prices ranging from $12 to $15 at both chains, Costco and Sam's Club end up even-Steven in the prepared dishes category.

You'll find several full meal selections in pre-packaged form at Costco, with a variety of domestic favorites and international creations covered. The best premade meals at Costco include birria, fajitas, butter chicken, and DIY taco kits filled with chicken or tempura shrimp. There are stuffed peppers suitable for feeding a group of six, and fans of saucy meats can find pans of Jack Daniel's brand pulled pork and chicken, chicken tikka masala, and Swedish meatballs to platter up for lunch or supper, all for $12 and up per selection.

At Sam's Club, full meals include chicken pad Thai and Korean barbecue chicken breast, for fans of Asian-Pacific dining that doesn't require culinary talent. With a tin of chicken enchiladas in the fridge, Mexican food lovers have plenty of deli-style eats to indulge in too. Sam's prices rival Costco's, with full meals rounding out at $12 or more based on the contents of the carton. Considering how many hungry diners you can feed with these packages, the price on the label might be as satisfying as the food under the lid.

Both retailers seem to understand what their shoppers are looking for as far as full meals go, but Sam's Club goes to greater lengths to create in-store options that Costco doesn't have, which wins Sam's the points.

Figuring out whether Costco or Sam's Club offers a more fulfilling array of deli foods was incredibly difficult. Obviously, both stores enjoy fandoms with dedicated shoppers who love what each outlet brings to the table. Costco takes pains to make sure the products in its stores present a diverse mix of branded items and Kirkland packages, stacking up meats, cheeses, sides, and prepared foods from all corners of the world.

But it's Sam's Club that plays the hero by focusing on a broader range of deli foods of the premade variety to accent its arrangement of Member's Mark offerings mixed with brands that are a bit more recognizable to shoppers. This mix of novelty and familiarity coupled with thoughtful fresh fare that mimics a more all-encompassing deli menu gives the chain a notable advantage, especially when considering that pricing between Costco and Sam's Club is sometimes too close to call.

Though you'll find a solid selection at either chain, if you have deli money to spend and you're looking for a warehouse that gives you just a little more of what you're shopping for, Sam's Club is the store to aim for.

Walking through the deli sections of both Costco and Sam's Club was like a trek through a charcuterie wonderland. The options in each category were overwhelming, and with no samples to be had, I started with packaged meals and worked my way through the other options. I photographed all items in the refrigerated cases in both stores and took snapshots of prices as well, knowing they aren't always clearly labeled and realizing I would forget by the time I sat down to write. Essentially, I created my own deli catalog for each store, since neither has an established deli counter to list it all for me.

Because the options were so similar, I used variety and stock to help guide me; seeing half-empty cases for some sections of Sam's Club helped me lean toward Costco. It may have been a matter of stock schedule, but it left an impression regardless. I also used store brands vs. national brands as an earmark, which put Costco a bit ahead as well. For any dish that was prepared in-store, I eyed the quality of the items to see if there was a notable difference (there wasn't) and consulted online reviews to see how customers felt about each store's selections. Once those determiners were established, I used price comparisons for similar items to break the ties, since the competition was incredibly close.