12 Costco Food Court Hacks When You're Tired Of The Usual Menu

No trip to Costco is complete without a visit to the food court. From the warehouse that gives us killer deals on bulk items, you can also expect to save cash on gargantuan eats, too. Sure, you could grab a hot dog or a slice of cheesy pizza. Maybe you even like to have a sandwich from the grocery chain every once in a while to switch things up.

If you're a frequent flyer among the Costco aisles, perhaps it's all a bit "been there, done that" when it comes to the food court menu. After all, it's not exactly extensive compared to the products offered by the store itself. One may even find themselves a bit bored of the typical menu items and in search of something different, exciting, more exploratory.

Fortunately, in the age of social media, there's no shortage of hacks to be had. Costco's food court is a popular arena for creative (or crazy) fans to craft some pretty out-there items to tantalize taste buds and test the limits of heartburn medicine. Here are some of them, if you're brave enough to try. Prices may vary based on location.

Sure, you could make your own hot dog, bake it with some cheese and pepperoni, and dig in. Or, you could try this exceptionally easy Costco hack that only costs a few bucks. First, pick up one of the chain's iconic hot dogs from the food court, costing a cool $1.50 – the same price it's been since the bulk grocery store first opened in 1984. Then, grab a slice of pizza — cheese or pepperoni, either one will work for this creation. A slice will set you back $1.99. Finally, after you've made your purchases and settled in at a table, the magic happens: Remove the bun from the hot dog and, instead, wrap that floppy piece of pizza around your hot dog in place of the plain bun.

Known as a pizza dog or a Costco taco, this creation is greasy, meaty, and can satisfy your need for some extra artery-clogging protein. Try this Costco food court hack if you can't decide between a slice of 'za and a juicy hot dog. As always, we say, "Why not get both?"

While the double chocolate chunk cookie on Costco's menu does have the unfortunate distinction of being the one to oust the beloved churro, there is an upside: ice cream sandwiches. The gigantic cookies offer the perfect surface for the soft serve ice cream that graces the dessert portion of the food court menu. Order two of them — retailing for $2.49 each — and a cup of soft serve for $1.99. We're partial to the vanilla flavor for this experiment, since it gives us classic Chipwich vibes.

Spread your soft serve on one cookie and smoosh it together with the other to create a decadent, portable treat that has enough sugar to carry you through a massive Costco trip. Plus, the whole thing only costs $7, proving that the store's good deals extend to the food court. If you feel like getting more creative with your ice cream sandwich profile, you can also grab a pack of cookies from the store's bakery and doctor up some different versions.

The rotisserie chicken at Costco is famous. Coming in at a penny under $5, each chicken is only on shelves for a mere two hours to provide customers with the juiciest bird possible at an incredibly attractive price. Once that time has elapsed the chicken (if there are any left) is pulled and repurposed.

One of those methods of repurposing involves giving the rotisserie chicken new life in the form of Costco food court's rotisserie chicken salad. Packed with chicken, lettuce, shredded cheese, and separate packets of both creamy Caesar dressing and crunchy croutons, it's one of the few items on the menu that might make you think you're making a healthy choice. Even though each salad costs a reasonable $6.99, you might want to stretch your dollar even further with this food court hack: Transforming your salad into wraps. Simply pick up a pack of tortillas in the warehouse and a rotisserie chicken Caesar salad from the food court, grab a table, and then DIY yourself a few wraps. The amount will vary depending on how generously you stuff them.

While the churro was an icon of the Costco food court menu, perhaps it wasn't as versatile as we would've liked. The new double chocolate chunk cookie, however, can be crushed, crumbled, and sandwiched in a myriad of ways. In fact, it does a pretty good impression of a McDonald's McFlurry with the help of some vanilla soft serve and a little elbow grease.

Along with your double chocolate chunk cookie, you'll want to order an ice cream sundae. For this creation, we like the classic vanilla soft serve with chocolate sauce. Together, these two items will cost you around $5. Then, crumble the cookie directly into the sundae. Stir to combine it all together and then dig in to the creamy, chocolatey, cookie-laden confection. You can customize the texture however you'd like, too — something not possible with real McFlurries. Wanting to dig out larger chunks from your ice cream? Go for it. Looking for more of a milkshake vibe? Make sure your cookie crumbs are on the smaller side and enjoy.

Maybe you prefer to sip your dessert rather than scoop it, in which case an ice cream float is the answer. Costco allows unlimited refills on their soda, meaning you can test out a few different flavors, so long as you're willing to splurge on multiple orders of ice cream.

To make this Costco food hack, you'll order a fountain soft drink and cup of soft serve at the counter. Again, vanilla is the most classic choice for an ice cream float, and the one we default to here, although strawberry is also available on Costco menus. Then, at the self-serve fountain drink station, fill your cup with whatever soda you like. We're partial to root beer floats, but a drink known as the Boston Cooler uses ginger ale for a spicy-sweet treat. Add your soft serve ice cream to your chosen soda and voilà. An easy hack to enjoy an ice cream parlor-worthy float that only costs $4 total.

Maybe the idea of wrapping an entire slice of pizza around your hot dog like a bun has your stomach in knots. The potential for acid reflux, the levels of sodium, the saturated fat — it all has you thinking that the pizza dog (also known as the Costco taco) is too much. Perhaps, in this case, you would instead like something a bit more restrained, a touch more refined. You don't need a whole slice of pizza wrapped around a hot dog, after all. But what about a cheese dog?

For this Costco food court hack, you would still need to purchase the same items — a pizza slice and a hot dog. We recommend the cheese pizza for this creation, rather than the pepperoni. It's just $4, easily found from scrounging in couch cushions or among your car. Then, you simply snatch the cheesy topping from the pizza and drape it atop your hot dog like a gooey, melty blanket. This hack can be enjoyed with or without the hot dog bun, the former giving your cheese dog a keto designation, if that's a diet you adhere to.

We love the gooey greasiness of Costco pizza, but all that oily cheese and floppy crust can beg for some textural difference. Enter: onions. Formerly found along with the other condiments used to dress your hot dog, like your standard ketchup, mustard and relish, the chopped onions have since been relegated to being behind the counter at the food court. This can be confusing, since the image of the hot dog on Costco's menu pretty prominently displays said onions, but we digress.

When you are placing an order for pizza, ask for a side of chopped onions with it. You'll be handed a small plastic ramekin filled with the diced alliums at no extra cost. Sprinkle those bad boys all over your slice of pizza for a simple — and free — way to liven up your slice. The pungency of the diced onions cuts through the richness of the cheese and takes your standard food court pizza to a new level of deliciousness.

Chocolate and coffee come together in the cold brew mocha freeze, which uses cold brew iced coffee and chocolate blended together for an icy, slushy drink that can be the perfect afternoon shopping pick me up, especially if you're braving the weekend Costco crowd. We can all use an extra dose of sugar and java when we're elbowing through the aisles.

If you're looking to take things up a notch when it comes to flavor, sugar, and caffeine, order a cup of vanilla soft serve to go with it. Mix the vanilla ice cream into the mocha freeze for a combination that melds the creamy texture of the soft serve with the slushiness of the mocha freeze. The result is a milkshake-like drink/dessert hybrid that's pretty impossible to resist. If you dig Starbucks Frappuccinos, this icy treat is pretty similar to a Mocha Frapp (and costs about the same for almost twice the amount, too).

Unlike others on this list, this Costco food hack isn't a hack in the traditional sense. We're not mashing up two or more items to craft a unique gastronomic creation here. However, it is a Costco hack nonetheless.

The shopping warehouse offers pizza that is pretty beloved, and almost as famous as the iconic $1.50 hot dog and soda deal — and it's for good reason. Not only are the slices (and the pizzas they're part of) gigantic, but they are always available at a reasonable price point and pretty darn delicious to boot. In fact, you can get a whole pizza for a mere $9.95. But, should you choose to order a whole pie instead of a single slice, things are done a little differently — and that is where the hack comes in.

On your next trip to Costco, hit up the food court first. Order your pizza and pay for it. Then, do your regular shopping. Once you're done, make your way back to the food court and pick up your piping hot, freshly made pizza that's ready to go and already paid for.

Frank, weiner, dog, and... glizzy? Originally used to refer to guns, "glizzy" has in more recent years been co-opted to also refer to hot dogs, a phrase that is said to have originated in the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore area in the 2020s. In our chronically online world, this has naturally seeped over into everything, and that includes Costco food court hacks.

Enter: the "Forbidden Glizzy". Appearing on social media in 2023, the phrase is meant to denote the, er, risqué method used to craft the culinary creation. Two Costco food court items are required: the standard hot dog and the chicken bake. For those unfamiliar, the chicken bake is a rectangular shaped item filled with chicken strips, mozzarella, provolone, and Parmesan cheeses, bacon, green onions, and Caesar dressing. To create the "Forbidden Glizzy," you must use a straw to create a hole the entire length of the chicken bake. Then, remove your hot dog from the bun and slide it directly inside the chicken bake. Heavy, rich, and perhaps a tad gluttonous, it seems like there is more than one reason why this food hack might be "forbidden."

We have already established that Costco's chocolate chunk cookies make a delicious vessel for the soft serve ice cream, but what about another bakery staple? Not on the food court menu, but over in the bakery, you will find Costco's croissants. Unlike many other grocery store croissants — which can be doughy rather than flaky, or oily rather than buttery — Costco's version is surprisingly buttery for a store pastry, and made all the more attractive for its reasonable price point.

Pick up a pack of the croissants and then head back to the food court to order a cup of soft serve ice cream. We recommend the strawberry flavor, but classic vanilla works, too. For a dessert with a little European flair, split open the croissant and spoon your ice cream onto it before sandwiching the two back together. The result is rich, flaky, creamy, and buttery. Plus, since the croissant isn't sweet, you won't fall into a sugar coma. Another hack for the croissants? As a hot dog bun. Fans say it tastes just like pigs in a blanket.

Finally, we've come to the ultimate Costco food court hack, the trifecta for taste buds: the "Jochizza." The portmanteau may be confusing, but allow us to explain: This Costco food hack comes from combining not one, not two, but three food court items. First, the "jo," which is for the chain's hot dog. This likely comes from the Mexican social media creator @soyelarturito who is credited with this concoction, as the sound "ho" is spelled like "jo" in Spanish. Next, the "ch," which is for the chicken bake. Finally, the third item is the pizza, which is, of course, the "izza." Broken down like that, the name makes perfect sense.

To make this item, it begins like the Forbidden Glizzy: by carving a hole in the chicken bake and inserting the hot dog. The bun gets tossed aside. It is not needed here. From there, you get a bit of a curve ball, and one we hope you will have your antacids handy for. The cheese (or cheese and pepperoni) from your slice of pizza is then pulled from the pizza crust and piled on top of the chicken bake. Finally, you finish it all off with the assorted condiments usually reserved for the standard hot dogs. Not only is this hybrid easily the most unhealthy thing the Costco menu has ever been subjected to, but we wonder if all those conflicting flavors even add up to anything good. Try it, but only if you have the stomach for it.