Iceland's One And Only Costco Has Food Court Treats We'd Travel For

In the United States, it's hard to imagine having virtually no access to a Costco -- in fact, there are only three states in the country without a Costco. The store seems to have absolutely everything you need — in bulk — and Costco manages to keep prices low when other retailers don't. Shopping there is even fun thanks to new sample kiosks popping up at Costco all the time and, of course, the legendary food court. People have their opinions about every item on the menu, and the fun of ranking Costco food court items is picking your favorite, from pizza to smoothies to the chicken bake.

So, imagine living somewhere like Iceland, where there is only one Costco location in the entire country. It opened in 2017 in the town of Garðabær, which is about six miles from the capital, Reykjavik. It has plenty of things you won't find in American Costco stores, and items like Icelandic orange soda and dried fish filets are enough to pique any traveler's interest. The most intriguing reason to visit Iceland's one Costco, though, is its food court. It has a few similarities to the American one, like pizza, hot dogs, and coffee, but there's also a cheeseburger, creamy Italian-style gelato, and their counterpart to the American cold brew mocha freeze is a sweet-sounding caramel coffee frappe. There's also the Mexican bake, which is a Mexican riff on the classic American Costco chicken bake.

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How Iceland's Costco Food Court Prices Compare To The United States

Looking at what's alike and what's different between the Costco food court menus in Iceland and the United States, one key consideration is prices. Part of the magic of a Costco food court meal here in the States is its thrifty appeal. Does that apply in Iceland's lone location too?

The Icelandic currency is the króna. Looking at items that both the Icelandic and American Costcos have, a smaller pizza in Iceland is 500 króna, and a larger take-home pie is 2,500 -- about $3.50 and $17.90, respectively. That's a bit different than an American Costco, where one slice will run you $1.99 and a whole 18-inch pie costs $9.95. The Mexican bake is 999 króna, which is $7.15 in USD, compared to the U.S. Costco's chicken bake at $3.99. Perhaps the best deal is a hot dog and soda combination at 299 króna, or $2.13; it's not even a dollar more than the American combo's $1.50 price.

It's important to keep Iceland's prices in perspective. In general, Iceland is a more expensive country due to a few different political, geographic, and economic factors. Even with that in mind, we'd love to take a trip to catch the glorious natural sights in Iceland, and maybe grab a Costco gelato or Mexican bake.

Read the original article on Tasting Table.