I avoid going to heavily Chinese populated Costco. Parking is just too crazy. Generally difficult to find top brands from HK or Macau. Having said that '23 Maxim mooncake I got from Torrance Costco is great and has good value.
I’m with you. Been to the Industry Hills Costco twice and never again. Parking is awful. Nobody returns their carts. Crowded like crazy.
I’m offended that no one ever asks how Jewish is your Costco…
Worse than Alhambra? I drive out of my way to avoid that particular one.
I wish Cart Narc was a real job. I would love to be a cart narc.
The Garden Grove Costco carries red boat fish sauce
Never been to Alhambra and now I’m never going after your comment.
The Torrance one is the winner!
Azusa, Monterey Park, and Los Feliz are our usual Costcos and try to avoid Alhambra. Not 100%, but Azusa seems to carry the most Asian products out of the ones we frequent. Monterey Park is newer so it may skew more Asian as they hear more from the community.
Gas line seems better at Monterey Park, but smallest parking lot.
Costco marketing data would be interesting. During te holidays the Marina del Rey/Culver City Costco had a giant display at the entrance of 2013 Cristal Champagne for the low $320’s. Curious if other Costco’s had a similar display. (Did not see it when I was at the Van Nuys Costco, but there is often so much going on at Costcos display wise, that I am not sure I take in everything.)
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Irvine Costco is pretty much like any other Costco around South OC. Fountain Valley may be a bit more crowded, and a bit more ‘Asian’ in its food offerings. Not really sure.
Funny you should mention this. I grew up not super far from that Costco (and even remember when it was a Price Club). When I moved to Sherman Oaks, my father and I went to the Van Nuys Costco. I remember him saying, “Wow, everything is so neat [as in organized] at this Costco.”
The one I use the most now is Marina del Rey.
I was visiting my parents today, and my dad wanted to go to Costco (for the gyro ready-to-assemble platter). So off to Alhambra we went…
There was this at the entrance:
So unless your Costco has this, Alhambra wins.
OH.MY.GOD. This place is a mess. There’s like 20% more people here vs. MDR in a space where the aisles (inside and out, including the pathways outside for the motor vehicles) is like 30% narrower. And people are horrifically indifferent about simply waiting at their cart just staring into space (they’re not even checking their phone) in aisleways that can barely accommodate 1 line of carts in each direction.
It’s seriously like this:
Except the Piazza Venezia in this clip has way more empty space than does the Alhambra Costco (inside or out).
And good luck trying to get your car out of the parking spot. I’ve never seen cars passing on the RIGHT-hand side when another car is waiting for a parking spot to open up on the RIGHT-hand side. The aisles are often not big enough for you to make a right turn without temporarily swerving into the lane w/ oncoming traffic.
And once you exit the lot, the lane-guidance signs on the sidewalk have such tiny font that you need to actually, like, be right next to them to see what they say and signage separated by maybe a 1/3 of city block don’t seem to list the same lane splits (even though they lanes themselves haven’t changed in that distance).
Alhambra sounds very similar to Industry Hills. Avoid.
I enjoy Cypress every now and then as they carry some Japanese products.
Haven’t been in a long time though.
Agree on Industry being a sh*tshow.
I haven’t toured all the locations in the area (San dimas is my local store), but Van Nuys (405/victory-ish) is the only one I’ve ever seen with a specific freezer for kosher meat.
Meanwhile, the only reason I went to that one is because it was the last store that had their holiday leg of prosciutto in stock. Go figure.
went on a weekday, early afternoon, it was the most crowded Costco I’ve ever been to.
I look at a trip to Alhambra as a sort of competitive event, like the Palio di Sienna or demolition derby. Weekdays are generally easier. But I go with a specific list, steel myself, avoid all sample stands and grab my merch and go. Without alcohol, self-check used to be the quick exit. Now it’s best to just get in a short line and hope no one ahead of me is going to try some hinky purchase or use an expired card.
Alhambra Costco is my home costco and the trick is to go about 1/2 hour before closing on a weeknight. I’m usually in and out in 30 minutes. It is never not busy but the lateness of the hour seems to persuade people to keep moving. I would never go on a weekend.
It’s a terrible location. That lot was never designed for a Costco
Sorry ya’ll. Monterey park is significantly worse than Alhambra.
Especially when it comes to parking.
The aisles are even more narrow. The warehouse itself is smaller. Parking is a shit show because there are really only 1-2 entrances and they are all one lane roads in past single parking stalls. So during peak times you can see a line of cars coming down the hill waiting to get into the parking lot.
On top of that. The parking lot is shared with a target, guitar center, in n out and chick fil a.
Also both have terrible selections.
Best Costco in regards to ease of parking and crowds is probably the one in San Dimas. The parking lot is massive and I don’t think I’ve ever waited more than 1-2 people in check out.