Costco has become something of a cult-like chain store, mesmerizing millions of customers (and visitors) each year. I’m actually one of them. Yeah, you definitely get some really good discounts, but there’s so much more. And no, I’m not talking about the rotisserie chicken everyone likes to drool over I’m taking about Costco chili.

If you pass by the Costco food court on your way out the door, you may have noticed that they now have chili on the menu. They started rolling out this around a little over a year ago and it seems to have caught on. As always, Costco is trying out different item menus. Maybe this one is here to stay?

You may want to head to the nearest location after reading this Costco chili review.

Why Costco Started Making Chili

One of the first places the new menu item popped up was in Washington state. Someone noticed a staff member handing out samples at lunch time by the food counter. They wanted people to try out this new item because they claimed their beef brisket wasn’t selling well and wanted to see what would be better.

How Costco Chili Fared

For $3.99, you’d expect pretty good portion sizes. It was in a pretty generous sized (disposable) bowl. It’s pretty similar to the fountain soda cups they have, a little around 16 oz or so. The ingredient list includes meat (duh!), beans, onions, green peppers, tomatoes and spices.

Now you don’t get normal fixings like you would at a restaurant. It’s just a plain cup of chili so far without things like cheese, crackers or any chopped onions. It’s literally in a takeout container, and a lid if you need it.That being, it is Costco, so you’re not looking at fine dining here.

As for the taste? It’s not bad! Actually, it’s better than some of the other ones people have made believe it or not. It’s not at all spicy, but has a good flavor to it. There’s a hint of cumin and the tomato isn’t too acidic tasting. All in all, for $3.99, it’s worth a try. If you really like a spicy chili, you can always ask for hot pepper flakes (usually reserved for pizza slices) or chili sauce at the condiment counter (where the sodas are).

Who knows, if the people in charge of food services at Costco see how something like this catches on, maybe they’ll be inspired to add more dishes to their menu. Then customers will really not want to leave. Grab yourself a rotisserie chicken, some chili, and you’ve got an excellent family-style dinner on your hands.
Not sure how many stores are offering it (or kept it on their menu, but it’s certainly a good excuse to visit a bunch of Costco locations to try it out right? It can be a nice hot meal if you’re on the go, or it’s the middle of winter and you want something to warm you up.

So, I went to Costco for the chili, but they don’t just sell food and home goods – they also have a solid automotive section which sells tires and batteries (if you need that) and they are open pretty much all the time.  Costco also has a great return policy – they’ll take just about anything back.

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