Why Costco's Ice Cream Sundae Didn't Meet The Mark In Our Taste Test

A wise, old proverb says that you should never shop hungry, and some retailers make avoiding that fate easier than others. Should you arrive at most Costco locations on an empty stomach, for example, a whole array of food court options can slake your appetite and prevent you from buying, say, dozens of the big box bulk store's candy bars. But some of those cafeteria-style picks are just superior to others.

In our ranking of Costco food court items, we found that the chain's sundae did not make it a very fun day for stocking up on sensible staples. The frozen treat actually came in second to last in our test of 10 total products, beating out only a lackluster turkey and Swiss sandwich, and even losing to a fruit smoothie. Now, we love a fruit smoothie, but it did come as a bit of a surprise to see one land above such a classic confection on our list.

You might be rightfully wondering just how bad ice cream, which is usually pretty crowd-pleasing, has to be to perform so poorly. Costco's ice cream sundae, swirled into big, clear plastic cups like so many others, ultimately does too little with too much. Even though we attempted to pack the most possible flavor in our pick via a vanilla and chocolate soft serve twist with strawberry sauce wound throughout, we really only got notes of that former taste. And what little did come through of the other two wasn't particularly additive, either.

The Costco sundae's overpowering vanilla, virtually nonexistent chocolate, and vaguely artificial strawberry glaze just could not meet our expectations of what a Costco food court buy should be. Sure, we tried some pretty disparate items for our roundup, but we were always looking for a common thread of satisfying deliciousness, convincing quality, value, and whether said foodstuffs more or less looked as expected. Not only was the purported chocolate component scant on sight, that critical deliciousness was also absent. But plenty else on the food court's bill of fare can pick up the slack, including for ice cream devotees.

Costco's super popular hot dog and soda combo took the number one spot on our ranking of the warehouse's food court goods. Not only does it match its advertised glamour shot, the snappy all-beef frank and cup of crispy (and refillable!) soda leave no room for improvement. But its chocolate ice cream also came in at a respectable number two. With no fake fruit flavors or other competing elements to adulterate the simple dessert, its sweet cocoa's rich finish is allowed to shine.