An Ode to the Costco Hot Dog
There are few things as satisfyingly affordable as the humble hot dog from the Costco food court. For just a buck fifty, you get a quarter pound hot dog WITH condiments, AND a drink with FREE refills. After you drop a few hundred bucks on groceries, clothes, and random cool stuff you found, it is the economical and filling lunch that you need and deserve.
I became a Costco member in September 2009, fresh out of high school. Roughly two years after the Costco opened in Spartanburg, word must have gotten around to my mother and she bought a membership (Anderson, 2007). To this day, Costco is the first stop on every grocery run and frequently where I get clothes and electronics. The prices are just too low for quality goods. Why would you go anywhere else?
After I gained the opportunity to work remote, I started making trips to Costco by myself. Shopping with the kids on crowded weekends wasn't the most ideal option, but for a long time we just didn't have a choice. Afternoons were too busy to go grocery shopping most of the time, and it was easier to just take the kids with us than find someone to watch them while we went. If I could go on my lunch break by myself, it was both faster and easier.
One time, I was making a quick Costco run on lunch and I had to hurry back before a meeting started. I knew I wouldn't have enough time to stop somewhere else and still get home in time, so I decided to grab a hot dog on my way out the door. I got my diet Pepsi with a splash of pink lemonade (don't judge me) and a quick pump of ketchup and mustard. Relish was never my bag, so I didn't bother with it.
Crushing the hot dog while fighting traffic on the drive home, it occurred to me just what I had been missing for my decade plus as a Costco member: this was the cheapest and most filling lunch you could possibly buy. And beyond that, it was GOOD! A quarter pound all beef hot dog is basically top tier after those boujee wagyu beef dogs. I would absolutely be back.
It quickly became a trend. If I was going to Costco around lunch time by myself, I was buying a hot dog. It was definitely cheaper than any restaurant lunch and probably cheaper than any lunch I could cook for myself at home. And if I was already there, why not? Getting food AND a drink for $1.50 was a no-brainer.
Eventually, I decided to chance it with the relish. It had been years since I had even tried relish, so I truthfully didn't know if I liked it or not. Worst case, if I hated it, I could just scrape it off or buy another (what's three bucks for lunch?). Fortunately, I really enjoyed it. I still don't bother with relish on hot dogs at home, but it has become a critical part of the Costco hot dog experience for me now.
More recently, I've gotten my wife on them as well. She's come around to hot dogs in the past few years, and the Costco lunch is just too easy and cheap to ignore. She takes the kids to the food court while I finish checking out. Two hot dogs for us, a slice of pizza for my youngest, and we have lunch for (almost) the whole family for like six bucks. My oldest doesn't love their pizza, and he will only eat a chili dog (without the wiener). If Costco starts offering chili, it's game over.
At this point, it's somewhere between well-oiled machine and a ritual. Hit the kiosk, tap and pay, wait for my number to be called. Grab the hot dog and cup, diet Coke topped off with lemonade (TRY IT), one pump each of ketchup, mustard, and relish. I thought the shift from Pepsi to Coke would be more disruptive, but I didn't notice much of a difference (Shafiq, 2025). The entire operation has to be like 90 seconds or less.
The fact that Costco refuses to increase the price of the hot dog combo as a service to its members just makes me that much more loyal (Harling, 2025). Even if I'm spending a fortune on coffee, milk, and eggs, I can get that sweet, sweet, all beef hot dog and a drink without breaking the bank. It really is the little things in life.
References
Anderson, T. (2007, August 16). _Costco’s opening brings wholesale changes to town_. Spartanburg Herald Journal. https://www.goupstate.com/story/news/2007/08/16/costcos-opening-brings-wholesale-changes-to-town/29409110007/
Harling, D. (2025, February 21). _Costco fans are panicking over rumored Hot dog combo change—’i will riot’_. delish. https://www.delish.com/food-news/a63855653/costco-hot-dog-combo-2025/
Shafiq, S. (2025, July 23). _Costco bids goodbye to Pepsi as stores begin offering Coca-Cola Beverages_. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/food/2025/07/21/costco-rolls-out-coca-cola-drinks/85311716007/
I became a Costco member in September 2009, fresh out of high school. Roughly two years after the Costco opened in Spartanburg, word must have gotten around to my mother and she bought a membership (Anderson, 2007). To this day, Costco is the first stop on every grocery run and frequently where I get clothes and electronics. The prices are just too low for quality goods. Why would you go anywhere else?
For numerous years, I never really bothered with the food court. I remember getting a salad one time in college, and I think I tried the acai fruit smoothie on the recommendation of one of the cart guys. Alas, it just wasn't a compelling visit. If I wanted pizza, I would go to Little Caesars. If I wanted a hot dog, I would just buy the components to make them myself at home. Besides, my wife doesn't love hot dogs and the kids won't eat them at all. It just didn't make sense to stop.
After I gained the opportunity to work remote, I started making trips to Costco by myself. Shopping with the kids on crowded weekends wasn't the most ideal option, but for a long time we just didn't have a choice. Afternoons were too busy to go grocery shopping most of the time, and it was easier to just take the kids with us than find someone to watch them while we went. If I could go on my lunch break by myself, it was both faster and easier.
One time, I was making a quick Costco run on lunch and I had to hurry back before a meeting started. I knew I wouldn't have enough time to stop somewhere else and still get home in time, so I decided to grab a hot dog on my way out the door. I got my diet Pepsi with a splash of pink lemonade (don't judge me) and a quick pump of ketchup and mustard. Relish was never my bag, so I didn't bother with it.
Crushing the hot dog while fighting traffic on the drive home, it occurred to me just what I had been missing for my decade plus as a Costco member: this was the cheapest and most filling lunch you could possibly buy. And beyond that, it was GOOD! A quarter pound all beef hot dog is basically top tier after those boujee wagyu beef dogs. I would absolutely be back.
It quickly became a trend. If I was going to Costco around lunch time by myself, I was buying a hot dog. It was definitely cheaper than any restaurant lunch and probably cheaper than any lunch I could cook for myself at home. And if I was already there, why not? Getting food AND a drink for $1.50 was a no-brainer.
Eventually, I decided to chance it with the relish. It had been years since I had even tried relish, so I truthfully didn't know if I liked it or not. Worst case, if I hated it, I could just scrape it off or buy another (what's three bucks for lunch?). Fortunately, I really enjoyed it. I still don't bother with relish on hot dogs at home, but it has become a critical part of the Costco hot dog experience for me now.
More recently, I've gotten my wife on them as well. She's come around to hot dogs in the past few years, and the Costco lunch is just too easy and cheap to ignore. She takes the kids to the food court while I finish checking out. Two hot dogs for us, a slice of pizza for my youngest, and we have lunch for (almost) the whole family for like six bucks. My oldest doesn't love their pizza, and he will only eat a chili dog (without the wiener). If Costco starts offering chili, it's game over.
At this point, it's somewhere between well-oiled machine and a ritual. Hit the kiosk, tap and pay, wait for my number to be called. Grab the hot dog and cup, diet Coke topped off with lemonade (TRY IT), one pump each of ketchup, mustard, and relish. I thought the shift from Pepsi to Coke would be more disruptive, but I didn't notice much of a difference (Shafiq, 2025). The entire operation has to be like 90 seconds or less.
The fact that Costco refuses to increase the price of the hot dog combo as a service to its members just makes me that much more loyal (Harling, 2025). Even if I'm spending a fortune on coffee, milk, and eggs, I can get that sweet, sweet, all beef hot dog and a drink without breaking the bank. It really is the little things in life.
References
Anderson, T. (2007, August 16). _Costco’s opening brings wholesale changes to town_. Spartanburg Herald Journal. https://www.goupstate.com/story/news/2007/08/16/costcos-opening-brings-wholesale-changes-to-town/29409110007/
Harling, D. (2025, February 21). _Costco fans are panicking over rumored Hot dog combo change—’i will riot’_. delish. https://www.delish.com/food-news/a63855653/costco-hot-dog-combo-2025/
Shafiq, S. (2025, July 23). _Costco bids goodbye to Pepsi as stores begin offering Coca-Cola Beverages_. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/food/2025/07/21/costco-rolls-out-coca-cola-drinks/85311716007/
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