Shopping Costco For Barbecuing & Grilling


 
We have just one Costco within 50 miles of here. We also had a Sams club which closed down for whatever reason. When it did our local Costco was completely overwhelmed, its total chaos getting in and out. The traffic is lined up on highway 69 waiting to get into the parking lot and good luck finding a place to park.
Because Barb has to use a cane to walk now, I drop her off at the front and go and try to find a parking spot. The lot can hold about a 5 or 6 hundred cars I would guess they even tore out the gas station and moved it to another location to get more parking, didn't help much.
 
I recall the credit union I had at the time allowed me to join Price Club.

The back of my costco card says member since 1987...

googled for the history...

Price Club was an American warehouse store chain. It merged with its competitor, Costco Wholesale, in 1993 and adopted the Costco name in 1997. The original Price Club warehouse is still open, operating as Costco location #401.[1]

Price Club - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
 
Chris Allingham said:
Yes, I remember being a member of Price Club back in the day and you had to meet certain criteria to become a member.
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Chris- a minor point but in our New Jersey Costco, anyone can make an appointment with the in house optometrist, but you need to have a membership to buy eyeglasses.

A few years back I inquired about buying prescription eyeglasses but was refused since my wife is technically the one with the membership. We gave our second membership to my mom since she likes to shop there also.

I think this is different from what was said in the video.
 
Darryl - swazies said:
I would enjoy stocking up Brett style......like about 25 pounds of pork belly, 25 pounds of skirt steak, 50 pounds of each brisket and shoulder.....
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yes, buying in bulk reduces trips and the need to be at costco. i think it helps me save money by not visiting so often. but then i tend to buy when i'm there, so maybe not. i think my last major haul had be buying 3 or 4 750ml tequila bottles for summer margs. all along with the usual protein supplies. right now my freezer is full so i don't "need" to go to costco, but Mother's Day is upon us and IDK what i'm being asked to cook just yet. i am hopeful we can do a seafood extravaganza. i like those cooks as seafood takes very little time and the food is very good. but i did hear of a ribs convo over dinner last night. so maybe i'm being roped into a ribs and potato salad meal. will know more by close of biz tomorrow. my goal is to be out of costco before the wave comes or starts.
 
Well, I need to empty the freezer, defrost and refill! Those Kiolbassa sausages are amazing, I highly recommend them. Those “Master Cut” ham pieces are very nice when you don’t need a full size ham. Lots of convenient options at Costco.
 
John_NJ said:
Chris- a minor point but in our New Jersey Costco, anyone can make an appointment with the in house optometrist, but you need to have a membership to buy eyeglasses.

A few years back I inquired about buying prescription eyeglasses but was refused since my wife is technically the one with the membership. We gave our second membership to my mom since she likes to shop there also.

I think this is different from what was said in the video.
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Thanks for this, I've pinned a comment to the video clarifying this point.
 
Guess what I am working on today? Yes, my Pork binders and starting off today with the BUTT section!!!!
 
Chris Allingham said:
Sounds like you need more Costcos in your area to off-load some of the congestion!
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Great video. More Costco’s? I live in Vermont, there is only one Costco and luckily it is only 12 miles away. We try to avoid the weekends but will go when they open if we do. Also avoid the 1st of the month, we made that mistake once.

There is wine and beer at ours but no liquor as it’s controlled by the state.

We stock up on steaks and chicken breasts for the freezer. We individually vacuum pack the steaks as one big steak is enough for the 2 of us.

The double pack of whole chickens are usually small enough to get the 4 halves on one rack of the 18.5” WSM for the Basic Barbecued Chicken recipe. And have leftovers!
 
Yes, no or indifferent- whatever your opinion of Costco as a retail establishment, they were closed for business yesterday in the US- as they are for all major holidays.

Can we all agree that this separates them from most/ all others?

The meaning of Memorial Day has been lost on many from what I see, but it’s a solemn day.

For everyone in retail that had to work yesterday fulfilling the needs of the cult of endless shopping, it was just another day.

At least Costco employees were free to decide what they would do on their day off.

Just my opinion.
 
Costco is a bit different. Fits in with how they treat their employees more boradly.

They are closed on major holidays like Memorial Day every year. Their hours are shorter too -- close at 6 pm on Sat and Sunday (at least around where I live).
 
Darryl - swazies said:
I decided to go on a Saturday my first visit...
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Darryl, I think you've gotten your answer, bit let me say it outright. Saturday is almost always the worst day to go to Costco. Your expertise is a bit extreme, but not a surprise to me. I also don't like crowds, but I also don't like evening shopping, so I put up with what I find early week days, though lunch time is good for samples.

Speaking of samples, has anyone tried Costco's hot Italian sausage? I've been tempted to try it, but it's not my goto sausage (Andouille) and those big packs put me off.

We go to the store in Apex, NC a half hour away. We'd go more frequently if it was more local. With all the major development in and around our small town of Pittsboro, I keep hoping Costco will notice and open a new store across the highway.
 
Like I stated earlier I hate going to Costco, it's just insane with the traffic and crowds. Although after inventorying our three freezers we will not be buying any protein for the rest of the year most likely. That will cut down the trips by at least half.
 
Wow! @Chris Allingham , I finally got around to watching the video and -- just WOW! I didn't know they have Super Costco! I'd love to see some of that stuff in our puny Costco. Thanks for showing the possibilities!

BUT! Maybe it's just me because of Sheila's severe allergies, but I'm surprised you didn't show any of Costco's many and various frozen options. Her allergies (and my love for grilling and smoking and beingoutdoors) have me doing most of my cooking outside. I simply don't want to be preparing scratch meals for one almost every day. A couple times a week, sure. So I really love the many prepared and frozen foods Costco provides that I can almost daily throw on the grill. They include appetizers (which can be a meal), chicken in many forms, fish and shrimp, multicultural patties and other preparations, egg rolls, etc. I can't think of everything even in my own freezer, let alone in Costco's. Some of these do come from Costco's refrigerated offerings as you showed, but many are a big reason I stay a Costco member. You can find some in other groceries, but almost never in the sizes and lower cost available at Costco.

Also, being from NC, the pulled pork does reach out to me. But I found that the Kirkland brand is too fatty for me. I don't remember the name, but our Costco has a "Hispanic" pulled pork on the adjacent aisle which I think is far better. It's the options they provide that I love.
 
I was going to go to Costco and brave the crowds Friday after work.....after a full day and a 52ish hour work week I decided that no one deserved to die on a Friday so I stayed home. I also said I would go Sunday, now I don't plan on going until next weekend......
I just need stuff for my Father's day cook coming up in a couple of weeks.
Hopefully I will be able to post, making pork belly burnt ends along with another protein I haven't decide on yet....thinking a picanha or tri tip or something for beef on a bun.
 
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