Please Bring These International Food Court Menu Items to the U.S.

There’s nothing like a stop at the food court to help you through an especially tiring Sunday Costco run. The fresh, fairly-priced foods are always reliable and serve as the perfect little treat for making it through the checkout line in one piece. But visit a Costco outside of the U.S., and you won’t see swirled soft-serve fro-yo—you’ll see an entirely new selection of treats. 

In fact, did you know the warehouse chain exists in 14 countries, including France, Iceland, and Taiwan? Of the 900-plus locations (and counting), only about 67 to 68 percent of Costco stores reside in the United States. That means there are 13 international Costco food court menus left to discover. 

No, our loyalty will never falter from the $1.50 hot dog combo, but we can admit a lengthy shopping trip would go by a whole lot faster with mini cinnamon donuts in hand. 

We’re digging into the best food court items found in Costcos around the world, and, with enough begging, we might just get them to arrive in the States.

The Best International Costco Food Court Items We Need To Try

Fried Chicken & French Fries

Obviously, we had to start here. A TikTok video stating that Canada sold a 30-piece fried chicken wing deal is what piqued our food court curiosity in the first place—and for good reason. One user commented, “Costco in Quebec Canada sells fried chicken wings. 30 wings for 20 dollars with 3 or 4 sauces. It’s true.” Australia also offered a Korean-style chicken wing dinner for just $7.99 AUD not too long ago. While the wings seem to be a thing of the past, this Reddit thread shows a photo of a Canadian Costco food court menu, which boasts a chicken strip and French fry combo for just $7.99. “Every time I see the Canadian food court posted, I am seriously jealous. I don’t understand why the U.S. doesn’t have the chicken strips and fries,” was a common sentiment posted in the comments.

Bahn Mi

Apparently, you don’t even need a membership to try Costco’s Bahn Mi in Sydney, Australia—the food court is outside. For $6.99 AUD, you can snack on the Vietnamese-style sandwich with a chicken or pork filling. This TikTok creator thought the baguette bread was a bit dry, but the meat and veggie-filled sandwich looks pretty tempting to us. It’s unclear if the bahn mi is still available, but for Aussie shoppers’ sake, we hope it is.

Poutine

It’s not a huge surprise that the Canadian staple snack is available in Canadian Costco locations, but it doesn’t make us any less jealous. A tray of crispy fries smothered in gravy, cheese curds, and peppercorns is just $5.99 CAD, but you can get a DIY poutine for even cheaper if you try this TikToker’s food court hack.

A Reddit thread dedicated to Costco’s poutine agrees with us: “Costco’s poutine is absolutely next level. Cheap, high quality, and yumtastic. An absolute must-try for anyone visiting Canada. I really wish Costco would bring it to the US, even if it’s for a limited time.”

Bulgogi Bake

The beloved chicken bake in the States comes and goes, but what we really want is the bulgogi bake. The popular Korean beef dish has been turned into a tasty, portable dish resembling a beef calzone. In this video filmed at the Seoul, Korea food court (which also features a bulgogi and shrimp pizza and soft persimmon smoothie), the beefy bake looks absolutely delicious. It appears as though this specialty twist on the Costco “bake” is also available in other Asian locations, like Shenzhen and Osaka.

Cheeseburger

One of the top sellers on the food court menu in Iceland is a cheeseburger, which costs 1,100 ISK (around $8). On this Reddit post, a user shared, “The burger and gelato were the highlights of the whole food court!” while another exclaimed, “So Iceland gets a cheeseburger and the US doesn’t? This is an outrage.” At least the U.S. has the better deal on the hot dog—Iceland’s version is upwards of $2.40 USD.

Various burgers have also been spotted on menus in Japan, including a vegetarian option. It seems slightly criminal that cheeseburgers haven’t made it to American menus yet, just saying.

Croquetas

Croquetas, or croquettes, are a popular street food in Spain, and in Spanish Costco locations, you can get the ham-filled fried snacks fresh from the food court. This TikTok gave us an entire inside look at a Costco in Spain, which features croquetas around every corner.

Freshly Made Donuts

Costco food courts in Mexico feature freshly fried donuts made daily in view of hungry shoppers. According to a Reddit post, “Summary: For 3-4 USD you get a near 2-pound box of cinnamon sugar mini doughnuts. You can watch a machine make them in real time and can get a fresh sample (or more) if you ask.” One comment has us even more envious, stating, “Having gotten these plenty of times, I can confirm that they are in fact magical.” We’re still getting over the fact that we got cookies in place of churros here in the U.S.

Bubble Tea

Costcos in Australia and Taiwan are also home to the trendy beverage: bubble tea. The Taiwanese sweet drink with chewy tapioca “pearls” is available in two flavors, mango and taro. According to this TikToker, both flavors are 100/10.

Aussie Beef Pie

In Australian Costcos, you can find Aussie beef pies, which are flaky pies commonly filled with minced meat, gravy, and other ingredients like cheese, onions, and mushrooms. They’re a popular offering in their home country, but Aussie beef pies are also available at food courts in Japan, too. The personal pies look filling, delicious, and perfect for chowing down on after a long day of shopping.

Mango Smoothie

While on the menus in various international locales, like Australia and Mexico, mango smoothies were also briefly spotted in California, Washington, and Hawaii (which might be the test market for other U.S. locations—fingers crossed). The roughly $3 frozen drinks look fruity and refreshing, though reviews online are… mixed.

Jacket Potatoes

If you need a stick-to-your-ribs kind of food court meal, you might be interested in the jacket potatoes in Great Britain (which are just like baked potatoes, split and smothered in various toppings). Top the 2.99 EUR potatoes with your choice of two: baked beans, chili, coleslaw, or even tuna for a filling, energizing feast. “Can’t go wrong with a jacket potato!” one Reddit user commented.

More Hot Dogs

As it turns out, we aren’t the only ones who love our Costco hot dogs. We’ve found a different variation of the Costco hot dog on almost every international menu, each with a subtle nod to the flavors of the home country. In Mexico, it’s loaded up with jalapeños, while in Canada, you can opt for a Polish sausage-dog. In Iceland, even though the hot dog costs more, you get fried onions inside as a bonus. Looks like the Costco hotdog deal really is world-famous.