The Australian Costco Food Court Item We're Most Jealous Of

Costco's $1.50 hot dog and soda deal reigns supreme over all the company's food court items (and rest assured, that rock-bottom price isn't going to change anytime soon). You can find the trusty combo at the warehouse club's cafeterias across the globe. But as die-hard, card-carrying members probably know, there are menu variations both within the U.S. and abroad — they can be as subtle as sourcing different buns for those glizzies to more obvious modifications like dishes that are nowhere to be found at the food court in your home store. For instance, there's one offering in particular at Australian Costcos that we really wish the company would supply to its constituency of American bargain hunters: The humble yet hearty meat pie.

Advertised on its website as the "Aussie Steak Pie," the puffy golden envelopes stuffed with chunks of beef have prompted pleased customers to take their findings to TikTok and spread the good word. One user practically devours the entire thing during a nearly minute-long video, sharing the pie's apparent weight (300 grams, or almost ¾ pounds) along with the price ($7.99, the equivalent of $5.35 in the U.S. as of mid-October). After several bites, viewers can see what the light puff pastry has been concealing: a dark, silken gravy and thick slabs of steak. There is no sign of vegemite, which is the condiment that sets Australian meat pies apart. However, the TikTok user did top the pastry with a generous squiggle of "tomato paste," Aussies' preferred term for "ketchup."

It's not clear when Costco added meat pies to the Australian food court lineup, but online evidence suggests that a butter chicken version debuted two years ago. A user posted a photo of the company's social media announcement about the product on the r/Costco subreddit, describing it as "something new in Aussie food courts." And, yes, it led to plenty of American commenters lamenting about the lack of creative options in stateside Costco food courts. Alas, the Land Down Under also boasts chicken tenders with fries, but its Costco dogs are all pork, whereas you'll get 100% beef in the U.S. We'll take that notch in the food win column.

Meanwhile, we'll also continue to envy Canadian customers, who can order a mound of fries smothered in gravy and dotted in cheese curds. (But, really, where is poutine not served in the Great White North?) Chicken strips are another Canadian Costco snack we're certain Americans would appreciate after hours of shopping for buckets of Nutella and gold bars if we had access to it.