On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Mon-Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Sat. 9:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Loading...
Costco is like my Statue of Liberty. She's all about freedom and opportunity and giving you anything you need.
She has a variety of (cheap) food, LOTs of it.
She has new (cheap) books, TONs of it.
She has just-released (cheap) DVDs, SWARMs of it.
She has a bombin' (and cheap) food court, what what!
She has cheap, no, FREE, samples, HOLLA!
AND!
She's got gadgets and gizmos, APLENTY!
She's got whos-its and whats-its, GALORE!
AND!
She's unpretentious and legit. As Cam from "Modern Family" (insert shameless plug here: it's a HILARS show!) accurately describes: "I'm big, I'm not fancy, and I dare you to not like me."
AND!
Some of my favorites, which are just seriously delicious: Ling Ling's potstickers, spinach and three cheese ravioli, pretty much everything savory in the frozen section, Mrs. May's Trio Bars, their food court pizza (about $10 for a seriously XXXL one!), and that's just the beginning! Go and see for yourself! Plus, socks! I know you're sporting those Champions on your feet too!
AND!
I think she'd make a speech that goes something like this:
Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to eat free,
The bargain hunters fixin' to buy BULK.
Send these, the hungry, smart shoppers to me,
I sell you everything at prices can't be beat!
In conclusion:
Shop at Costco. Membership pays for itself if you're a regular. Selection of food and products (and seriously, they really do have everything) is extensive and always cheaper than the outside world.
What's not to like, right?!
Oh yeah, just make sure you have some storage space at home. Easy to go overboard here.
Once again, I will be hosting a pre-Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving dinner for a group of buddies.
Last year- 22 people cost me around $300 in ingredients.
This year- we will be 30+ people- I switched my brain into gear and had the foresight to do my shopping at Costco as opposed to Whole Foods and spent a grand total of $86 on all ingredients (minus turkey)
'Nough said- shop here for bulk, the proof is in the pudding (of which I will be making several pounds of for said dinner)
My best Costco experiences have been here in SOMA. In Pittsburgh and Rockville, I've been usually ignored by Costco staff or sometimes gotten outright rude replies to my questions. I'd like to think I'm polite to strangers, so I don't know where I always run into Costco employees on a bad day or what.
But none of that here! Customer service doesn't give you lip if they have to confirm your membership with a regular ID because you forgot your card at home. They might even call a cab for your if you're on your way out. People handing out samples are usually pretty enthusiastic. Cashiers don't get angry at you for trying to use a Visa credit card (which they don't seem to take -- only debit! I think they take MasterCard credit and AmEx charge cards, though...) The guy or gal who checks your receipt when exiting doesn't even scowl at you!
Favorite items at this Costco: Lucky brand jeans, Ozumo sushi trays, 20% off gift certificates (movie theaters, Ozumo, and other nice restaurants). Also giant packs of Gordon Biersch and San Pellegrino, so we look like the classiest hosts when we have friends over.
I've only taken Muni and cabs to shop here, so I don't know what parking is like in the garage. Both the 10 and 12 stop within a few blocks and run often, but a cab is probably the easiest option (if you can get through to the dispatchers).
Be warned that it gets EXTREMELY crowded and hectic on weekends. Weeknights aren't as bad, so if you can go after work (around 7 or 8 pm), you'll be a lot less stressed out.
The best costco of them all. Huge parking lot, convenient location, and of course always the best deal.
Just get the regular membership, the executive is a waste.
On balance, this Costco is every bit as good as one that isn't crammed into a city block. In fact, their selection of certain items is actually superior to the selection of other metropolitan areas (especially cheese and seafood).
Parking has never been a problem for me, although sometimes I do take the bus just so I don't have to give up a great parking place in my neighborhood.
Came here on Sunday. It was the worst time to come EVER! It was sooo crowded because of Labor day weekend!
Despite the crazy crowd, we were on a mission to get our hands on movie tickets and some other stuff...
2 AMC tickets for $15.99
2 Cinemark tickets for $15.49
We decided to get both. We also bought some tickets for the King Tut exhibit.
Also noticed they had a $100 gift card to Ozumo for $80. That's actually a good deal considering you save $20. Wish we knew about this gift card. It would have came in handy since we were actually AT Ozumo on Saturday. *sigh* BTW, If you go to the seafood section, you'll also notice they sell sushi from Ozumo.
Always Ultra Thin FTW! I like to buy it in bulk. Especially the overnight ones. =)
Costco provides some great values and living wage employment opportunities. Overall good value and one of the few big boxes I shop. I do however have a problem with their meat, not just this location, but all of them in the bay area.
I buy a lot of meat, sometimes by the case, enough to make any carnivore smile. Over the past 2 years I feel the freshness has gone down, way down. Buying chicken and leaving it in the fridge for more than 2 days at 36 degrees and you have a science project that will surely be a blue ribbon winner. Beef also has a funky taste, I gave a bulk pack of tenderloin to my dogs after smelling the sweet sticky meat. Most supermarkets would have marked down these items for quick sale.
My dogs are happy, I'm not.
Cal finally caved and got a membership! We decided to go to this one because it was on the way home, and we weren't ready to face the 101 traffic just yet. I had to use the ladies real bad, so as soon we were inside, I jammed to the back of the warehouse while Cal waited in the membership line. Can I just say that the ladies room was super duper clean...I guess I don't have high expectations for places that are usually packed every day.
When I returned to Cal, it was almost his turn. Lito, who helped us out, was really nice. The process was fast and now we have another place to window shop! Parking at this location isn't bad since they have their own lot, but I prefer parking on the street to avoid garage traffic. I couldn't give it five stars because I overheard the CS guy in optical being mean to a patron. It was totally uncalled for. Other than that, it's like any other Costco.
Costco I love you. I absolutely hate your crowds.
I like to think of Costco isle cart surfing like driving.
You do not block intersections for prolonged periods of time.
You do not double park in between two carts going opposite directions making anyone unable to pass.
You do not park your cart and children in front of the free samples waiting for handouts.
If you do any of those things then YOU are not a respectful Costco shopper! ..and I do not like you!
Costco's crowds are mean shoppers!
They are here because their husbands didn't feel like making dinner and now they have to run to Costco for a $5 chicken to feed their poor children.
They are here because their wives had an emergency and need shampoo/makeup/toilet paper NOW but if you're going to do it NOW you have to buy in bulk because it's cheaper.
These shoppers want nothing but to get in and get out. And I respect that.
I do not like getting pushed! I do not like being sideswiped because sample man/woman just took a fresh batch of pizza rolls out of the microwave.
That aside, now that I'm done complaining about it on the internet..
I love the $5 chicken!
I love the 24 mini bags of sunchips!
I love the $1.50 hot dog & soda!
I love the deals on alcohol, frozen foods and candy that I can get here at amazing prices as long as I buy enough to feed an army!
Yeah we all gripe about Costco but we still go. Good thing I stocked up yesterday for the next three months!
Better way for crowd control inside the store needs to be done. Plus better method to pay quickly and get out of the store. It's like a mad house near the cash registers, after you pay and then try to get back out to the parking lot.
What about the membership rules? Seems like so many people bring all their family and friends to hang out at the store just to eat free samples. Limit it to just members (and maybe 1 gues).
Plus during Flu Season/Swine Flu - H1N1 -- passing out germs on those food and drink trays!? Why. Everyone touching the food and giving each other their flu/cold. This is just asking for it.
Please make the shopping experience better for those members that are in your store to shop and pay for items (not the other people there who don't even respectl the place/carts/products. (block aisles, rip open product containers, steal).
This is a hard place to review, I absolutely hate it but I really like it as well. Great meat, fish and foods but horribly long lines. I wish they would serve the samples where they wouldn't cause a traffic jam, I wish I could buy 2 huge steaks instead of 4, I wish they would have a 5 items or less line, I wish.........
I could complain all day but in the end I'm going to keep on going there.
3 stars
This week got:
Light, cream colored jacket for $14
Medium-weight brown jacket for $26
Bed Head Control Freak conditioner $10
2 pack giant Garnier Fructis shampoo $8.50
Lots of chicken teriyaki meatballs (MMmm, samples) $12
Giant President brand brie cheese wheel $5
Giant bottle of Advil PM $17
Compared TV prices with nearby Best Buy today - actually Best Buy seems to have the better deals. I was surprised.
People at this Costco seem a little crazier and less able to not cause traffic in the parking lot and in the store. I know some people who opt to go to the Daly City Costco because it's less 'nuts'. Might go back here this week for 4-pair-pack of black knee-high socks. I think I will try to park on the street rather than in the lot this time.
I have a friend who refuses to eat any of the samples that the nice, apron-clad people hand out at Costco. This is the same friend who refuses to eat at the Pagan Burmese & Thai restaurant (mentioned in my review of said eatery), stating that he did not want to involve food with witchcraft.
I, on the other hand, LOVE Costco samples. Where else can you go and fill up for FREE, so you don't buy everything you see? And plus, since everything is in bulk there, I'd hate to buy a 142-pack of canned chili without knowing what it tastes like.
Being the smart, savvy shopper I am, I pick and choose times to go to Costco to avoid the horrendously long lines and throngs of people walking through the parking structure (a huge bonus for a city with limited free public parking, unless you're in the foggy streets of the Sunset). Weekdays are usually the best, so I try to snag my stuff after the lunch crowd and before the after-work-before-dinner group.
Oh, and I love how they automatically assume you're there to buy more than just a few small items, because they only have huge shopping carts that I can still fit into. Sweet, thanks for being considerate!
As a result of some spontaneous (some might even say irresponsible) life decisions, I've recently become a lady of little means. And by little means I mean no means. I woke up hungry yesterday morning thinking where/what/how the hell am I going to eat today???
Suddenly, the little light bulb in my head flashed on. About 7 years ago, my Dad randomly decided to add me onto his Costco account and dragged me down to the store to have my picture taken for the card. I've used it probably twice in that time, but I was sure I still had it around somewhere.
After an easier than expected search, the card was recovered and Jenny W and I were on our way to Costco for a delightful Sunday brunch of free samples. While the Costco crowds are the worst on the weekends, it's when the samples are the best, and I'll have only the best for my bulk shopping warehouse dining experience.
We started with the appetizer sampler : a variety of trail mixes, chips and salsa, taquitos, and chili. This course paired quite nicely with guava and papaya juice offered in aisle four. For the entree, I had ravioli with marinara and a bagel with cream cheese and lox, the flavors of which were much enhanced by the acai berry juice served by lovely Costco employee Rosalyn. To finish our meal, we enjoyed some mango and blood orange sorbet, washed down with a vitamin fortified fruit smoothie. And like the classiest of restaurants, the Costco sample menu changes daily.
I was satisfied, but not as full as I wanted to be, so I used some spare change I had scrounged up during the Costco card search to purchase a hot dog and 20 oz drink -- all for the bargain price of $1.50. If I were in a position to splurge, I would have indulged in a very berry sundae for $1.65. In the past, I've also been a fan of the pizza slices, but at $1.99/piece without beverage, that is just way out of my price range.
I left full, happy, and only $1.50 poorer than when I arrived. Costco, I hope to see you again next week for Sunday brunch.
I used to come to this location as a kid. Recently being back, I can see how adults would dread coming here. Just getting here requires a lot of maneuvering around other cars, idiot pedestrians and dumb bike riders.
Parking can be hassle as well. But fortunately for me, I'm not the one driving (poor hubby.) :)
$15.99 AMC Movie Tickets (to be used at the Metreon to see Harry Potter)
$9.99 more than fashionable ROXY t-shirt
Harry Potter - wonderful.
T-shirt - A medium fits me now. It's either ROXY's sizing or I'm getting fat.
*burp*
Terrible long lines, and they don't carry printer paper?
Free food ladies are miserable.
A great place to buy biiiiiiiiiiiig. The prices of good products are great here, because you buy ridiculous amounts of them. The only thing that you need to be careful at is the quality. I buy here organic products, first brand things, even their brand, but I try to avoid buying big quantities of things when I am not sure about their quality. Sounds reasonable ?
How in the world did they manage to put a costco in the middle of the city? Tons of parking, just don't come on the weekends. Layout is pretty standard like all Costcos. Full "costco restaurant" and pharmacy
God I love Costco.
I have a serious aversion to Costco having been dragged through the aisles of Costco all my life. First my mom, then my husband's family always giving us college shopping trips/tires, and now my husband. Plus, if you've seen Idiocracy you know why it's so scary.
The thing is, for some things it just can't be beat, and my husband and i have a a bit of a science down of what we want and how to get in and get out.
Still, the crowd of meanderers makes me really agro so I allow myself plenty of time on the zipcar, avoid all the sample people and pushy folks, and allow myself some time after to decompress afterward. I also allow myself a $1.50 hotdog/soda combo.
Missing my venus razorblade refills and only selling the handles: minus one star...
Costco, 4 stars for the following:
GIANT Kettle One
Large Cazadores
Beer for camping at a great price
flat of smart water
flat of dumb water
CRAB LEGS CRAB LEGS CRAB LEGS
batteries for the xbox controllers (we heart rockband)
Prepackaged chicken breasts in packs of two
Neiman Ranch bacon-wrapped pork chops
Discount US Weekly
Rotisserie Chicken
Large and affordable cereal
24 hour fitness membership ($12 month)
Definitely the first place we hit for a party, or a camping trip.
This Costco is great. There is parking and I don't have to drive out of San Francisco to get to it. If you are buying tires make sure you show up 20 minutes before they open, and yes, you will have to wait in line by the door, but you will get taken care of quickly.
Make sure you take your crowded security blanket, because you'll need it. The aisles are not small, but they are going to be full of people. It's sort of a zoo, but it's one that I'll gladly go to on a quarterly basis to pick up olive oil and napkins.
Dear Costco,
Thanks for your wonderful selection of yummy food items.
Thanks to the sample servers, who fill you up on the way out. (Go back
more than once)
Thanks for the 2% back, after one year, for all the S**T I buy. (Should be
5% in today's economy)
Thanks for at least having parking here in the city.(Wouldn't come here
without it)
Thanks for the boxes to carry my S**T out in. (I'm glad I have a Giant
recycle can)
Thanks for all you do. My Freezer is always full. My wallet is a little
bigger with your great prices.
But I really would like more space to buy more of your great stuff.
Sincerely, Another Happy Consumer
A human zoo with a much heavier focus on Asian foods (Costco portioned duck, yay). Cart rage all around.
I've been a Costco member on and off for as many years I can remember. I seem to always come back for the $1.50 hot dog and soda...NOT!
I actually always join when I need new tires or contacts. You just can't beat the deals they offer. So once I have a membership, I always use it all year long and buy giant bags of frozen chicken, oversized _______ (you name it) and vitamins.
This Costco is like all others - crowded, lots of free samples and a parking garage that is littered with carts! If you've been to one, you've been to them al.
Why oh why is it that they don't have an Express Line for people who are buying just a few things? Sometimes I only need a couple of things, am in the neighborhood, but won't go in because of the lines with people who have really full carts.
This is not much to ask for, right?
Always congested
parking on the second level is sometimes can be a task on it's own so park in the bottom garage where there is less stress. The elevator that takes forever to open and close, which sometimes think it's running 10 floors when it's only running one which gets me to just want to push my humongous cart down the pathway towards lower level garage..although the convenience factor of the elevator I do appreciate, but the nuisance just overwhelms my gratitude of wanting to use it at all. Whenever I have to go to this Costco with my boyfriend we do a team work plan.
I run for a cart and get in line with almost nothing in the cart and he will run in frenzy inside the store and get the items we need and bring them to me in my line. By the time we have paid and done our quick shopping we spent no more than 30 to 40 min. only in the store... mind you that is the time I stood in line pushing a half empty cart to the registry... but by the time my cart reaches the register I have all my items that i need.
Our version of quick shopping at this place. Otherwise expect to stand in line for quite some time! Good luck, this is the least Costco I would visit.. I would rather hit the ones in South San Francisco.
Most Costco locations are great, but this one by far is the worst I have experienced.
The customer service they provide is horrendous. If you try calling for a simple question, prepare to spend much wasted time.
The parking, location and interior of the store is situated inconveniently.
etc...
Reasons why I shop at Costco...
#1 reason: roasted chicken (REALLY good!!), #2 reason: FREE food sampling, followed by: paper towel rolls, mini croissants, sliced ham twin-packs, Oroweat Oatnut bread, eggs, juice, produce (if it looks good), plus (CHEAP!!) churros, hot dog/sausage, and soda from their food court. And anything else I happen to find interesting or value priced.
FYI, if you need new tires for your car, I've heard that they have the BEST price in the bay area for a set of Michelin tires.
AND in case you didn't already know, the only credit card they accept is American Express.
Last Sunday, thinking it was POURING rain outside, it'll be a less crowded at Costco. Best time to do grocery shopping.
Wrong.
Half the population of SF was there. The rest of 'em were probably still at home, recovering from Saturday night's partying. Haha.
Everytime I go to Costco, I easily spend $100.
This time, my bill came to a total of $200.
On the shopping list were: ground turkey, top sirloin beef, chicken thighs, frozen shrimp, demi-baguettes, Special K cereal, some produce and movie tickets.
You really get more bang for your buck when you shop at Costco. Especially on items that you can easily freeze or store in your pantry.
In these trying economic times, not even a STORM can stop San Franciscans from saving a few hard earned $$$.
When I entered the San Francisco Costco for the first time yesterday, I realized just how spoiled I was by the Redwood City and Santa Barbara Costco's. The great, cheap, huge merchandise is the same but the SF Costco is way less organized and way more chaotic (the chaos probably leads to the mess). To me, it just didn't feel "right."
Sure, I found a few good items and found out their pharmacy has cheap prescriptions but I can't say I fully enjoyed the experience. They also didn't have the huge container of edaname that I was really, really looking forward to. While there were lots of things I was tempted to buy, the portions are just so huge that I couldn't see myself still liking that kind of food by the time I had eaten almost the whole pack... I might be back to stock up for a party though!
I love Costco so much that I come to them still when I'm on holidays - LOL!!
Yup, I'm in San Fran doing the tourist thing and on my shopping list is Costco. I freaking love the US Costcos - the layouts are similar but very different selection from us in Canada, with crazy alcohol sections that we don't have, interesting snacks that are US only, and I am so thrilled to have scored 2 boxes of my favorite florentine chocolate/almond cookies in BULK!! These cookies are amazing and we can only get them individually at bakeries where I'm at... woot - if only I brought an empty suitcase ;)
We had been avoiding this location for the longest time. We would frequent the South SF location because we imagined parking would be crazy in SF.
I came here on a weekday afternoon at around 3 and was so surprised there were lots of parking! And the warehouse is actually like a regular Costco, not smaller because it's in the city like I imagined.
There are still a lot of people though. But at least I am not scared of coming to this location anymore.
They carry Amy's Vegie Chili. Some Costcos don't. But then again, some carry certain items while others don't. Glad I found Amy's Vegie Chili here.
I aleays like fining items here at Costco. Because items are not cicstantly stocked you cannot find everything you are looking for.
The quality of most items are good but as items at other places like trade Joe's and Safeway have improved the pirce benfit for purhcasing here is about volume and convenience.
I did buy a matterss on-lin from Costco and was please by the quality of the mattress.
When a friend of mine who had promised me her 40 inch flat screen television sold it accidentally (well actually her brother did), I was a little livid. I needed a TV and i needed one stat. The holidays were approaching. Mick and I were going to have the house to ourselves, and I didnt want to have to sit in my room watching movies on Netflix on a computer monitor.
So thats when we decided that the first joint purchase was going to be made....and we split the cost of a 42" flatscreen Vizio.
Its 2 more inches than we had anticipated getting. Its new. And its so pretty. Big TV FTW.
We didnt buy anything else from Costco that day...which is amazing considering how awesome everything there is...but we did push the TV around for a bit...just to show it off.
Now, I'm sure all of you people thought Dolores park, an outdoor cafe, or the beach are cool places to be on a sunny Saturday afternoon, but you'd be wrong. Apparently the hip place to be seen is Costco, as it seems like the whole city was there last Saturday!
I hold a special place in my heart for Costco. I mean, who doesn't need 4 gallons of olive oil to caramelize an onion? I mainly love it for the huge amount of meat I can buy and freeze, the big bucket of spinach, and the great deal on soy milk. But, because the San Francisco location is the new place to party on a Saturday afternoon, they were running low on a lot of items, and didn't have any spinach at all. And, there weren't that many free samples, and it was a frenzy to get to the ones that were out. That made me so very sad.
Clearly, it's my fault for going on a saturday afternoon, but I must say that the crowds are a little overwhelming, which is why I give this location 3 stars as opposed to the 4 I wanted to give. Otherwise, costco is like a dream come true.
I like Costco stores in general, but this one I really hate. Always long lines, slow service. Customer service on returns slow and rude, you can spend there about hour to return back item that you don't want or defective. They have own interpretation of Costco policy.
If you want to use Costco coupons ,make you have them and cut -off the coupons or they will have you do it - other Costco stores in Bay area pull coupons price off your receipt automatically even you forgot to bring coupon's book . I ask them why they wouldn't do it as every were - the answer was : we are to busy to set this in system. That mean we have to stay longer in line and they don't care about.
I'll never go there again
FREE SAMPLES!!! woooopie! Ok that really isn't the only reason why I come here, or is it? just kidding
I visit Costco maybe once every 3-4 months to buy stuff around the house. I love how they come in big bulky quantities- toilet paper never runs out in my apartment and i'm always stocked up on toothpaste and toothbrushes.
It really sucks when I come across the food aisle since there's always way more than i'll ever need due to the fact that it's only for my BF and I. I really wanted to get the box of muffins this past weekend, but can we really finish 12 big muffins in a matter of a few days before it goes bad?? hell no! and for that, I am saddened. =(
I definitely have a love-hate relationship with this place.
I hate shopping here. It is so big, overwhelming, and I always end up spending so much more here than I come in expecting to. Furthermore, they don't take credit cards.
However, then when I think about the savings, I remember how much I love it.
I bought industrial-sized bags of flour and sugar here that have lasted me through much baking for quite a long time; every few months I'll go spend $100 to get enough chicken/fish/meat/etc. to last me quite a few more months.
So I guess ultimately I love it.
I just HAVE to rate Costco five stars. It's WHOLESALE. I mean how good can you get. You can get food, shop for food, supplies, furniture, books, cd, dvds, liquor! Then get your eyes checked, pick up your meds, get photos developed... If I lived in Costco, it'd be like heaven to me. Free samples are always a boost. I usually find everything I need. Sometimes not the brand I want but there's always something close to it. The only problem I hate is that, the products switch off and on at weird intervals. One week they'll sell Vitamin water the next few weeks it's gone and then it's back.
Great selection for San Francisco, never a parking problem.
I frequent Costco on a weekly basis and more often than not clerks are chatting with one another and screwing up my order!! The worst front end customer service of any retail establishment.
Jim Hjelm Trunk Show - 10%…
Neighborhood: Financial District
$2 off
Neighborhood: Hayes Valley
South San Francisco, CA
Category: Department Stores
Neighborhood: SOMA
Category: Pizza
South San Francisco, CA
Category: Coffee & Tea
South San Francisco, CA
Category: Wholesale Stores
Neighborhood: Outer Sunset
Category: Drugstores
Places I like because, well, I didn't think they'd…
Much like puffins, French Bulldogs, bacon, and…
What can I say, I love a good bargain. Here's…
Some of my favorite (and least favorite) places…
To all my recently added friends on my list. Here…
Places to go if you are dining with 6 or more…
particular destinations in SF or Bay Area that…
Rotisserie chicken is my Saviour! When I am too…
