Latest news with #CarneAsadaBake
Miami Herald
a day ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Costco helps make this rare BBQ style a national trend
Costco has the ability to create viral hits. Most of the time, those sort of fly under the radar, where members get excited about a new baked good or something in the candy aisle. The warehouse club has such a deep reach that sometimes it can make or break a product just by offering seem more willing to try something new when it's offered as a free sample. That's good for Costco, since companies pay to have their items handed out for free, driving members to visit the warehouse club. Related: Costco adds strict new policy for free samples Costco's "food influencer" status is not just because of its samples. It can also create a social media hit by adding something new to its popular food happens so rarely that any change will become a viral sensation (although if initial impressions are bad, that can doom a new new menu item). "Costco is notorious for adding and removing items from its food court menu. Remember the Polish hot dogs, the Carne Asada Bake or the cinnamon pretzels? May they all rest in peace," the New York Post reported. Now, the warehouse club has helped create another food sensation, and this growing BBQ trend may surprise you. In addition to selling cooked foods, Costco also sells appliances, grills, and other cooking devices. The chain has been advancing the cause for "Santa-Maria-Style barbecue" by selling the signature grill needed to make the little-known, but well-loved style of barbecue. The Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce patented exactly how its signature barbecue works way back in 1978. "The roots of Santa Maria Style barbecue date back to the mid-1800s, when large ranches occupied the hills of the Santa Maria Valley. Local ranchers would host Spanish-style feasts each spring for their vaqueros, or cowboys, as well as family and friends - barbecuing meat over earthen pits filled with hot coals of red oak, which is native to the valley," it shared on its website. More Retail: Supermarket inflation: Beef prices soar as egg prices fallLevi's shares plan to beat tariffs, keep holiday prices downAmazon's quiet pricing twist on tariffs stuns shoppers The meat would be served with a generous potion of pinquitos, small pink beans that are considered indigenous to the Santa Maria Valley. "The Santa Maria barbecue grew out of this tradition and achieved its 'style' when local residents began to string cuts of beef on skewers or rods and cook the meat over the hot coals of a red oak fire," according to local barbecue historian R.H. Tesene. Costco sells grills made by Santa Maria BBQ Outfitters. You could even argue that the warehouse club has put the grill company on the map. The company embraces the Costco (COST) connection on its website. "Yes, we make the real ones in Costco!" the company put right on its homepage. The grills had a long history before they came to Costco. "The Caicco family and Santa Maria BBQ Outfitters have been creating hand-welded Santa Maria Style Oak BBQs for over 40 years. We helped pioneer the classic and functional designs that produce the best BBQ food in the world," the company shared. Costco is not the only retailer that offers the grills. "Whether it is a little tailgater or a full length towable catering trailer, we are still making our oak pit BBQs the old-fashioned way, right here in Santa Maria. Order online or find our BBQs at your local Costco, Ace Hardware, or OSH stores. If you are in town, feel free to stop by our showroom and welding shop to say 'hi,'" it added. The grills are unlike traditional grills or smokers. "To give the cook control over the heat, and cooking time, a specialized iron-grill complete with a hand crank to lift and lower the meat has historically been used. The robust and solid tool was tough for backyard and even professional pitmasters to find," Santa Maria Times shared. The company first began working with Costco in 2007 when it only shipped to three stores. Trend: Santa Maria-style BBQ is gaining traction connection: The warehouse sells signature hand-cranked grills in-store and it matters: Some Americans are learning about this regional barbecue style from fact: The Santa Maria BBQ style dates back to 1800s cowboy cookouts in California. Related: Costco has another free samples rule members may not know The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
New York Post
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Costco is teasing fans with a food court comeback — but there's an unwelcome twist
'That don't impress them much.' A new take on a beloved Costco food court item will soon be making an appearance — but fans of the wholesale giant aren't sure how they feel about it. Costco is notorious for adding and removing items from its food court menu. Remember the Polish hot dogs, the Carne Asada Bake or the cinnamon pretzels? May they all rest in peace. The bulk item store announced that the Combo Calzone — a new take on the OG Combo Pizza — will soon be available at its food court, but customers aren't jumping up and down over this news. 3 The response to this new Costco food court item is underwhelming. Instagram/Costco Buys According to Southern Living, the $6.99 food item is stuffed with pepperoni, sausage, cheese, onions, peppers, olives and mushrooms. Although it sounds delicious — in the r/Costco subreddit, most people aren't impressed by the cheesy concoction. 'I actually had it the other day (Lansing, Michigan). It's alright. It's kind of like a big slice folded on itself, so it has a 'crust' (which you can see in the photo). I felt like it was a little overcooked, but maybe it was just my location. I don't think it'd be something I would get very often, but I don't regret trying it. I think the regular pizza is better,' one user wrote. 'They don't look very good imo,' someone else wrote. 3 People online did not hold back when it came to their opinions on Costco and its food court offerings. Eduardo Barraza – 'Seems like Costco will do anything but bring back the combo pizza,' a grumpy customer wrote. 'I love calzones and I like pepperoni and sausage. That picture does not look enticing. I think the coloring is off and there is a distinct lack of cheese in the filling,' quipped another commenter. Yet some tried it and seemed to enjoy it. 'Had one today, it was delicious!' a positive comment read. 3 'They don't look very good imo,' a Reddit user wrote. Instagram/Costco Buys 'Yes! It was perfection…' wrote someone else. In other Costco food news, one TikTokker slammed the store's beloved rotisserie chicken, giving it a surprisingly low rating. Content creator Johnny Novo (@jnov__) made it a point to taste test rotisserie chickens from various grocery stores — including Whole Foods, Wegmans and Costco. Costco's $4.99 chicken came in 10th place. Novo said the chicken was moist, but that it was severely lacking in flavor. 'No one's going to eat this chicken and be blown away,' he concluded.
