Upgrade Your Costco Food Court Hot Dog With A Quick Stop At The Bakery

Costco is known for its many Kirkland Signature house brand items, like its grass-fed butter from New Zealand, or its supposed Grey Goose vodka dupe. But it's also built a reputation based around its food court, a deserving end to a long, tiring shopping trip with many fan favorites, including its $1.50 hot dog and a soda combo (which Costco's founder takes very seriously). One enterprising Redditor, however, made a significant upgrade to their all-beef frank after a stop among the chain's baked goods.

"First time trying the croissant," u/asianzest said, "had to do it Costco style." The image accompanying their post shows the long hot dog enclosed in a sliced-open croissant instead of a bun. One commenter simply responded, "Gasp," while another exclaimed, "Omg what a life hack." Despite the idea's genius, people wanted to know how it tasted. "Like a pig in a blanket but more flakey and buttery! Definitely recommend!" the OP responded. They also noted that you can get 12 Costco croissants for just $5.99, which (rounded up to $6) means the individual croissant adds just 50 cents to the overall cost of the hot dog combo.

Customers' creativity knows no bounds when it comes to Costco's hot dogs. And in most cases, you can actually use foods that are sold at the food court — no venturing to other parts of the store needed. One very simple upgrade that got taken away during the COVID-19 pandemic but was then brought back in 2023 is the addition of raw onions. The sharp bite of these white alliums adds a certain piquancy to the meaty richness of the frank and customers were delighted when they also got back their beloved onion cranks in October 2024 and no longer had to ask someone at the counter for the little containers.

There's also the so-called "Forbidden Glizzy" upgrade (though opinions on it are, admittedly, mixed), where you bite off a bit of the chicken bake and stuff the bare frank inside among the chicken and cheese. Or you can simply wrap your hot dog inside a piece of Costco pizza turned sideways (whether or not you include the bun is your business). Sure, these aren't the healthiest food items you can enjoy, by a long shot, but they come in clutch when you just want to feel something.