The Downside Of Costco's Food Court That Makes Hungry Shoppers Turn Around And Leave

Didn't snag enough free samples as you wandered Costco's aisles? Your trip through the checkout line will deposit you right in the store's food court, but that might not be a good thing. While Costco has garnered more than a few fans in its 40-plus-year history, customers have plenty to complain about when it comes to the chain's food court, and crowds are a common gripe. 

With an "exit through the gift shop" mentality, all customers leaving Costco have to pass through the food court, creating a bottleneck of customers and shopping carts. One Reddit user says, "I seriously thought someone messed up with the design. Like there is NO way they thought a food court 5 feet from jam-packed registers made sense." 

Furthermore, there is often little to no space between the food court counters, the condiments and drinks, and the tables. Navigating to get food, find a place to sit, or just leave the store with an oversized shopping cart can often be challenging, even outside of peak dining times.

According to a claimed food court employee, crowds also stem from staffing limitations. The food court employee explained on Reddit, "Since we don't profit much we are given the bare minimum amount of payroll and are worked like dogs daily." 

Even the addition of ordering kiosks hasn't increased service speed. I speak from experience, having recently waited 15 minutes for a pre-made smoothie that is dispensed from a frozen drink machine (while butter slowly tempered in my shopping cart). 

A Costco food court can only be crowded if there are diners ordering and eating, so what is it that keeps them coming back? Value and nostalgia top the list. These values are arguably best represented by the hot dog-soda combo remaining $1.50. 

Many also still feel the food court is convenient, despite frequent crowds. "Sometimes it's just easy," says a Reddit user. "It's 6 o'clock, I have no plan and we need a couple things? Food court dinner it is, likely for under 15 bucks for the three of us getting whatever we want."

Is the food even that great? Reddit users note that the quality has changed in recent years. However, that doesn't stop shoppers from going back for their favorites, time and again. One Costco shopper on Reddit explains, "The pizza. It's good bad pizza. Not going to win any awards, but loaded with a lot of cheese and sauce that you sometimes just have a hankering for." We didn't love the cheese pizza in our ranking of food court items, but the pepperoni pizza came in a respectable third place. If you're looking to switch up your usual order, Costco has released eight new food court items so far in 2026.

Want to skip the crowds and also save some cash? Another Reddit user shared some friendly advice: "We eat first cause it's a preventative snack that stops my hunger from spending $300 extra in the store," they explain.