The Costco Frozen Meatballs That Could Pass As Restaurant-Quality

When you buy frozen food at Costco, you might be doing so for convenience more than flavor. It's kind of unfair to expect something from the freezer aisle to deliver gourmet-quality results; in fact, most of us end up settling for something along the range of "just fine." And yet, when we tried a variety of options from our local warehouses, we were surprised to find 9 frozen foods from Costco that could pass as homemade. Even more impressively, the meatballs we tried could actually be mistaken for restaurant-quality.

Frank G's Hole in the Wall Meatballs & Marinara Sauce retail for $13.99 for a package of about nine meatballs, while the Kirkland Signature Italian Meatballs are around $25 for a six-pound bag. Frank G's are made with beef and veal for a richer, more complex flavor, and they don't contain preservatives or any artificial ingredients or flavors. The marinara sauce is homemade from Italian tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, onions, garlic, and basil. We found it to be perfectly tangy and flavorful, without a cloying, overly-sugary taste.

The meatballs themselves are massive too, easily making them the star of any dish they are used in. The cooking instructions recommend a conventional oven and warn against preparing them in a toaster oven. These meatballs should be baked for an hour and 15 to 20 minutes at 375 F. If you use the microwave, only prepare one meatball at a time. They can be used in any of your favorite meatball recipes, from pasta dishes to cheesy meatball casseroles. You could even enjoy just one saucy meatball on a piece of toast or utilize them to make a perfect meatball sandwich.

We're not the only ones who were impressed by Costco's Frank G's Hole in the Wall Meatballs & Marinara Sauce. The product has earned glowing reviews across the internet. On the official Frank G's website, the meatballs have an impressive 4.8-star rating at the time of writing. One effusive review of the meatballs raves, "They were delicious [with a] generous amount of sauce! Meatballs are large [and] restaurant quality! Went back and bought more for my freezer!" The downside is, though, this product may be yet another favorite Costco item that quickly disappears. 

Customers claimed that they can no longer find the product at their local warehouse. In a review on the brand's website, one user praised the meatballs, saying, "My husband and I are huge meatball fans and we loved these Hole in the Wall meatballs! I went back to Costco the following week and bought two more boxes." But they went on to complain about the lack of availability, noting, "My Costco stopped carrying it within a month of my purchase. Now I'm hanging on to one box in my freezer. I have no idea why Costco would carry something so awesome just to rip it away the next month."

A review left on Instacart enthused, "We love these meatballs from Costco! I've bought them twice, but went to check again and they disappeared. Hopefully only temporarily out of stock, but I would love some more! They are the best tasting meatballs I've ever had, frozen or unfrozen hands down." For now, the meatballs can be found at select U.S. and Canada warehouses, but may not be available at all Costco locations.