Costco’s Food Court Just Launched a Wild New Mexican Item

Just like fast food restaurants, the Costco food court in other countries serves up different food than in America. While pizza and hot dogs are the most popular items in the US, you can enjoy poutine in Canada, a bulgogi bake in Taiwan, or a jacket potato with melted cheese and baked beans in England. Recently, Costco Mexico debuted a spicy new food court item with a south-of-the-border flair. However, shoppers are torn about the bold new food court item, the Al Pastor Torta, a sandwich stuffed with seasoned pork, gouda cheese, and avocado sauce. Here’s what shoppers are saying on Reddit’s hottest Costco feed.

Some Say It Looks Sad and Dry

The first impression that many people had wasn’t a good one.  “Tortas are awesome but that looks sad,” said u/urbanevol. Another shopper chimed in, “They couldn’t even make the picture look good.” And one joked, “That ciabatta gonna give you the hiccups.”

Locals Say It Can’t Compete With Real Mexican Tortas

Lots of locals pointed out that compared to real Mexican torta, which are basically on every street corner, the Costco version had a lot of competition. “It will be a difficult competition here in Mexico, you can find a local torta de pastor in the next block from almost any Costco and most likely will be cheaper. So, unless is actually quite good or cheap I think it will be difficult for it to sell well,” one person said. They added that frozen pastor is “quite bad compared to a recent trompo cut,” and doubted Costco would use the traditional spit-roasting method.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Others Think It Would Crush in the U.S.

Lots of people noted that while Mexicans weren’t likely to order it, if Costco started selling the sandwich in the US, it would be a hit. “Bring it to America lol,” said one commenter. Another added, “This would actually do great in southern states.”

Bread and Cheese Get High Marks

One of the few who actually tried it, u/guyapi_mx, said, “I just tried it. The bread and Gouda 10/10, the avocado dressing is ok but not really a replacement for salsa,” they wrote. “The pastor though 6/10, can’t match local fresh pastor which is cheaper. I have a feeling this product would do much better in the US than here in Mexico.”

The Bun Is a Major Point of Contention

The first issue that many shoppers couldn’t get past is the bread. Many debated if it was ciabatta or just a frozen dinner roll. “It wouldnt look sad if they didnt use the same ciabatta rolls they use for all their other sandwiches. This is not soft enough for a good torta,” one person said. Another joked, “Slice off half the ciabatta and then eat it all before deciding if it was any good.”

It’s Sparking Food Court Envy

Overall, people were jealous of the variety offered in food courts abroad. “Every other country food court beats ours,” one U.S. shopper lamented. Another added, “Costco hates America 🙁 I miss the sausage and peppers hero.”

But the Name? A Missed Opportunity

Redditor u/corona75 pointed out that Costco majorly missed the mark with naming the new sandwich: “What a miss not calling it an Al Pastorta.” Final Verdict: While it’s sparking curiosity and envy abroad, shoppers in Mexico remain skeptical. “This would a a huge hit in America but has nothing on tortas mexicanas,” one summed up.