How Long Is Costco Food Court Pizza Good For After Ordering?

As loyal Costco shoppers are well aware, one of the best deals in the entire store isn't found on the shelves, but in the food court. Fresh, hot slices of pizza for less than a couple of bucks have been a staple of the Costco shopping experience since 1993, and now with over 600 locations, per Costco, the wholesale club is technically one of the largest pizza chains in the United States. Costco's pizzas are made in-house every day right behind the food court counter, but what if you're not eating it there after ordering? If you're taking your pizza to go, it's important to know how long Costco pizza is actually good for.

Regardless of how you feel about taste, safety should be the primary concern. Whether you're getting a whole 18-inch pie or just a slice, the expiration timeline is the same. Like all pizza (and food in general), Costco pizza contains perishable ingredients that are susceptible to harmful bacterial growth if not stored properly. Generally speaking, it's safe to leave pizza out for up to two hours. In warmer temperatures, however, pizza should be left out no longer than an hour. If you're refrigerating it from the day of purchase, be sure to eat it within three to four days. Under no circumstances should Costco pizza that's been left out overnight be eaten, and this is regardless of which kind you get. Plain cheese or pepperoni, it's all at risk of bacterial contamination if left out for too long.

As far as how long the pizza tastes good, that's pretty subjective. Many people enjoy the taste of cold pizza, for instance. How long your Costco pizza stays hot and fresh tasting is going to depend on various things, including whether you bring it home in a box or bag as opposed to just carrying it straight out on the paper plate it comes on. Temperature is also a factor — carrying pizza out of the store on a frigid winter day is going to cool it down faster than doing so on a warm summer afternoon. Strictly looking at how long until your pizza gets cold on average, however, you've got about 30 minutes to an hour in a box and an hour to two hours in a warmer bag (depending on the level of insulation). As pizza cools, the cheese and grease begin to solidify while the crust becomes stiffer; again, depending on personal tastes, this can make it considerably less appealing.

Going back to safety concerns, keep in mind that just because pizza still tastes good doesn't mean it's safe to eat. Signs of food poisoning can appear in only a few hours, although sometimes they may take days or even weeks. Your general health also dictates how sick you may or may not get. To put it simply, even if you've eaten old Costco pizza before and felt fine afterward, it's no guarantee you'll be fine every time.

If you want your Costco food court pizza to last, you'll need to store it properly. It's a good idea to try to plan this out ahead of time and bring an insulated food bag with you to the store to take it home. This will help keep it hot and fresh for longer (besides, Costco only has paper plates for slices and cardboard boxes for whole pies). If you're not planning to eat it right when you get home or have any leftovers, you'll need to refrigerate it. There are a few different schools of thought on if you can put hot pizza in the fridge, but a safe rule of thumb is to cool your pizza to room temperature first, then put it in a sealed, airtight container to help prevent any cross-contamination and help keep it from drying out too much. Eat it cold or reheat your pizza in the oven on a baking sheet within three to four days.

And, no, reheating cold pizza isn't going to make it safe once bacterial growth has already taken hold. If your Costco slices have been sitting in the fridge more than a few days or show any signs of mold, foul odor, discoloration, or off texture, it's time to toss them. You can always head back to the food court for more freshly made pizza, or you could even purchase one of Costco's frozen pizza options (albeit not the same as the food court version) to have hot slices on hand for a later date.