CTRL + SPACE for auto-complete. Around that time though, the supply of those kosher hot dogs began to dwindle, and costs began to rise. As you might expect, Costco isn't making a ton of money on their $1.50 hot dog and soda combo. Now, the member-based retailer’s menu, as well as its increasing number of vegan and organic retail options, seem to point toward a healthier future for the chain. Best of all, these add-ons are completely free for the asking. According to My Fitness Pal, this hulking meat tube (with bun) will add 552 calories to your daily intake, and that's before you heap on the complimentary ketchup, mustard, relish, onions, and sauerkraut. Costco Concierge Services | Technical Support Free technical support exclusive to Costco members for select electronics and consumer goods. Sean and pretty much any man I know, all love these. Galanti said the menu now features vegan açai fruit bowls, which debuted last month. If you think 100 percent beef hot dogs with no fillers, weird additives or by-products for just a buck is already the best deal in snacking you've ever heard of, try hopping on a plane and exploring some Costcos overseas, because that's where tweaks to the formula start making things even more interesting (and delicious). Do you have these during your regular Costco runs? Shop for hot-dogs at Costco. As we step bewildered into the bright sunlight of the fading afternoon, shell-shocked from the unexpected outlay of cash on items that we really didn't need (but can't live without), one more bargain awaits us, ready to soothe our spirits and fill our bellies: The $1.50 hot dog and soda combo at the Costco food court. (Note to readers: Please don't do this.). You can even paint that pup with a shockingly bright yellow stripe of French's mustard, if you're feeling fancy. At Costco, we understand that pets are part of the family, and keeping them safe and healthy is a top priority. If you are a hot dog fan, the taste is ALL there when it comes to these, they are delicious. Just one sale of a big-ticket item instantly wipes out the losses on hundreds or even thousands of hot dogs. Galanti commented that many customers haven’t even realized the salad is meatless. As a point of reference, a standard-issue hot dog from the arguably more famous Oscar Meyer clocks in at just 1.58 ounces, which means you get a much larger hot dog at Costco, for a fraction of the price. There's not a lot to be confident in, in this crazy, mixed-up world, but the ingredients in the hot dogs at the Costco food court aren't a bad place to start. Left in the wrong hands, the ingredients in the humble hot dog can start to sound a lot more like a chemistry experiment gone awry, than an actual food product intended for humans. Boom: Just one more human interaction, and you've magically transformed your basic dog into a three-course extravaganza of additional texture, flavor, and zero-cost calories. But that's all just part of the charm. Costco locations in Mexico typically offer the standard-issue ketchup and mustard for their dogs, but keep your eye out for some other interesting options, including the giant stainless steel top-loading, hand-cranked pickled jalapeno cannon that will fire unlimited portions of spicy peppers on top of your piping hot snack as fast as you can turn the crank. The fat and salt probably definitely contribute to the tastiness. And, uh, actually, it tastes pretty good, if you like those kind of things. The answer is twofold. I am all for eating EVERYTHING in moderation so do not change your post-Costco hot dog treat after reading this. Costco Takes Meat Hot Dogs Off Menu to Make Room for Vegan... LIVEKINDLY Collective Raises $135 Million to Launch Vegan Meat Global, The Impossible Burger Is Coming to Canadian Supermarkets, McDonald’s Puts Plant-Based Pork on the Menu, Waitrose Launches the UK’s First Vegan Cheese Fondue. “We’re known for that hot dog,” Costco co-founder Jim Sinegal stated just a decade ago. We've all been there. “This new plant-based protein salad, I know that excites you,” Costco Chief Executive Craig Jelinek commented at a shareholder meeting in January. Item 575680 Add. These hot dogs are not organic or natural in any way but one good thing is the first ingredient is beef. Weighing in at more than a quarter of a pound (or four ounces), this is a hot dog that eats more like a meal. Truly great hot dogs transcend their ingredients, becoming more than the sum of their parts. Costco also added a plant-based protein salad called the “Al Pastor Salad” in its bid to make the menu offerings healthier. Up until 2008, the hot dogs being served at the Costco food court were standard-issue Hebrew National all-beef, kosher hot dogs. In order to keep up with demand, Costco constructed a dedicated hot dog manufacturing facility in Los Angeles, and when that wasn't enough, later added a second facility in Chicago. The chain’s hot dog and soda combo first hit Costco’s menu in 1985 and have been offered for $1.50 ever since. Bargain-basement hot dogs are unholy chemical mashups of spare chicken trimmings, discarded scrapheap organs including ground-up livers, kidneys, and hearts, and apparently at least 2 percent of the time, traces of human DNA. While many Costcos turn the straightforward application of ketchup, yellow mustard, and sweet pickle relish into an all-you-can-squirt self-service situation, don't be fooled into thinking those are your only topping options.