What British Costco Food Courts Have That The US Doesn't

Going to American-founded retailers in a foreign country seems like a strange way to spend your vacation, but it's a cool way to stumble upon exclusive offerings you might not ever see in the United States. Starbucks, for example, has a wealth of envy-inducing international snacks. Costco is no different, as its freshly fried donuts offered in Mexico have us tempted to relocate. We just caught a glimpse of the food court menu in a British Costco and were excited to see some unique items that you won't find on U.S.-based Costco food court menus.

While the British food court menu has recognizable items such as pizza, the popular chicken bake, ice cream, mango smoothies, the double-chocolate chunk cookie, and the iconic $1.50 all-beef Costco hot dog – listed as £1.50 on the British menu, which converts to about $1.85 in American currency — the similarities end there. Menu items exclusive to the British Costco are the double chicken filet sandwich for £4.29, jacket potatoes for £2.99, gelato for £2.79, and a caramel fudge sundae for £2.29. While you're not likely to find a caramel fudge sundae in America, some Costcos in Canada are said to feature the sweet and gooey dessert.

While the double chicken filet sandwich might look familiar to KFC aficionados — it's basically a version of the chain's controversial double down chicken sandwich – the jacket potatoes may be a little less recognizable. Even if you've never heard of jacket potatoes, chances are you've had them: jacket potatoes are just what people in Britain call baked potatoes. One thing that sets apart jacket potatoes from the traditional America-style baked potato is that they are usually cut open while piping hot from the oven to drop a bit of butter in, then topped with flakey salt to get an extra airy, flavorful, fluffy bite. The Costco jacket potatoes also come with your topper of choice including cheese, chili, baked beans, or tuna.

Gelato is another uniquely U.K. offering. There allegedly used to be gelato in American Costcos, but the sweet treat was eventually discontinued and has never made a return — much to the chagrin of American Costco shoppers who absolutely loved the Italian ice cream. The gelato is served with a generous three scoops in a waffle cone and customers can choose from Amarena cherry, mint chocolate chip, salted caramel, and stracciatella which is a sweet, creamy base featuring chocolate chips. Next time you find yourself in a foreign land and come across the familiar shiny red Costco signage we recommend a food court visit, at the very least, you might come away from the experience with a yummy dessert.