Every few years I do a review mostly comparing Costco to Sam's, especially if things have changed...and they have dramatically. Sam's greatly increased the efficiency of checkout. They have some advanced AI scan of carts so they rarely have to stop you and check your receipt. They have better self-checkout. Cosco's self-checkout was always telling you to put things places and just being annoying. Now Costco got rid of all the self-checkout machines entirely, and did not hire enough people to replace them. Lines are twice as long, and they are going through every cart with a fine tooth comb at the door, further delaying exit. And it also causes the lots to be near capacity. They are also scanning every card coming in and showing your picture on screens. They keep removing products that are heathier and affordable. They used to have a reasonable variety of frozen raw vegetables (like green beans, asparagus, and corn). They have a cooling system for their freezers that lets out an awful and shocking loud hoot! Every 30 seconds or so. Veggie/combo pizza was discontinued in the food court. They have stopped bringing out rotisserie chickens when done, and instead just put 5 or 6 little ones, and wait until those are taken before a few more are put out. And the terrible candidates pile up, so you are lucky if there is one decent choice. You can't really select between nice birds. Sort of like our elections with only 2 candidates, and a few clowns. Do you want burnt tinny bird, or bleeding big bird? If I had to select between Costco and Sam's, I have to give it to Sam's. And this is the first time, I even came close to giving it to Sam's. Sam's is far from perfect. Their frozen strawberries smell like chemicals. They have no selection of organic frozen vegetables. They pump their frozen chicken and other frozen meats full of water, which does not just make it cook down to half the size, but alters the taste negatively. The state of their asphalt in the parking not is ridiculous. Their carts often pull to one direction or another, or alternating at random. Their workers are lower quality except in the pharmacy. Sam's has a far more personable pharmacy staff. I have been treated rudely at the Costco pharmacy several times. Though, Sam's pharmacy does have a lunch break, where it shuts down for an hour or so. I think it is around 1 or 2. Costco has better pizza, but Sam's has improved their pizza, and is pretty good. Sam's finally fixed their warm soda machine...or flipped the switch that turns it on. Sam's used to have nice foam cups. They had great blue straws, then went to dreadful paper ones, but now has plastic, or what appears to be plastic. And those are fine. Sam's cups are larger and a pizza slice fits on the plate rather than the tip off the plate like it is at Costco. No spicy brown mustard at Sam's, and condiments are in sachets you have to try to carefully open. Sam's seems to be trying hard and has far more food selection. Sam's also has a heated box where you can grab a whole warm pizza yourself and take it to any register, including the self-checkout. Sam's has crummy furniture. But Costco's furniture is not thought through. Chests of drawers often are very shallow, wasting wall space. And there are numerous mistakes like that, that just don't take into consideration the needs of people, and the limitations of their homes. Sam's has color choice for microfiber rags, which is very useful, and you can designate one color for floor, another for counters, and another for hands, and maybe another for dishes. Costco, when they have them your choice is yellow. They take turns selling fresh berries that are too old. They oddly have two different sizes of pomegranate juice that are nearly identical, but not. I am thinking Pom got a sneaky contract allowed this trick. But who can say what the reason is. read more

"Egregious Employee Misconduct & Membership Threats:" I experienced an appalling, hostile encounter at the returns desk of this location on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at 12:41 PM (Sequence: 122278). While returning clean clothes in good order under Costco's 100% Satisfaction Guarantee, a clerk calling herself "Alexandra" or "Alessandra (spelled with a "y")" subjected me to severe verbal hostility, processing the transaction under her coworker Cindy's terminal profile to evade accountability. When I noted that the clothing items warped after a single wash, she aggressively cut me off, snapping that she "didn't need to hear my whole story" and telling me to have "better time management." She proceeded to invent non-existent rules, called my membership activity "suspicious," and weaponized explicit threats to cancel my membership entirely when I cited the official written policy board. This intimidating, accusatory behavior is a severe breach of corporate policy. I was forced to leave the store due to her relentless threats, leaving multiple new items unreturned. Management must review this register session immediately and terminate this hostile individual. read more

Worst customer service I would rather shop at Wal-Mart They think they are special Not the customer Open all the lines on weekends wont be a line read more

Top tier location! I recently saw an article saying this was the busiest Costco location in San Diego country, and I believe it. Despite this being the busiest location, the workers are always welcoming and happy to help. They have a great selection of snacks and see to always have new snacks each week. Costco is known for their unbeatable deals. I recently went for hamburger patties and buns and everything was decently priced. read more

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Always great prices and pleasant service. Quality products. Well worth the membership.

Well, they have EVERYTHING I NEED AND DONT NEED but I keep coming back Toilet tissue is a staple item and that's more bang for my buck. Along with paper towels!!! The rotisserie chicken is plump, juicy, and flavorful. The liquor section is always on point with deals especially for holidays. The staffs have always been friendly and helpful. I start my journey on the outer isle near the entrance, then head around to the liquor section then the meats, to the salad/fridge when I need to cool down, cruise by the back where they have the paper towels and water then hit up the milk section, next to the condiments and bam, I have seen and scooped out what I need and want, then check out everything in between. #getting my steps in and shopping Oh and don't forget the samples when they are served not the food court on the way out! They now serve coca-Cola and I'm excited about that! read more

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COSTCO @ LA MESA Parking is available in their lot, and while it does get pretty busy, you'll definitely be able to find a spot! This Costco is super close to SDSU, and as a college student, my friends and I love coming here to stock up on bulk items. One of our favorite things to buy is their cleaning supplies. I love their dish soap, laundry pods, paper towels, and toilet paper, all of those are always such a great deal. The prices are amazing, the quality is great, and the store itself is really big and spacious. The service here is also really solid. The checkout process is smooth, and I love how easy the flow of everything is. Some Costco locations can feel a bit chaotic or set up differently, but this one is super straightforward and convenient, plus it's right near SDSU. read more

Costco - Wholesale Stores Near Me - La Mesa, California

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This Costco can get a little busy.... Luckily, we made it here just in time to beat the crazy lines for gas. Always great service and value. We love being members. You can't beat the prices!! read more

Update 3-10-26 I could complain about gas being 4.89/gal but this is good considering that lol other places are 4.98 or above. I can always count on Costco for a deal especially in times of inflation. I considered Costco to be a blessing if you're able to get a membership. It pays for itself a lot of times in the long run annually with the deals they give. read more

Costco - Wholesale Stores Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Still the best price for gas and quality you can't blame the Facility. You can only blame the patrons who just spent too much time on their phones and other pains other than paying attention and pumping and filling their cars. I'm glad that they've got premium and regular to choose from. read more

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Iove the store however today I went to the food court. The hot dog was old the bun hard horrible!

Very specifically, this date between 4-5pm, your female customer service employee wearing a red vest, should not be training a new hire. When a customer comes up seeking assistance, you stop your conversation and do what your responsibility as customer service requires. This woman made no eye contact with us when my fam and I walked up with a large cart (kinda hard to miss a family of 3 pushing a cart right up to you), did not stop talking to her fellow employee friend and the new hire about training her while we were standing directly in front of her, which made us have a lesser customer experience. Thankfully, the other red vest (a guy) was kind enough to step in when it was awkwardly clear that she wasn't going to even acknowledge us. Instead of allowing her to train someone, I highly suggest she receive proper customer service training. read more

Rude cashiers, I had to watch one being rude to a customer and also telling another customer the situation which is not professional

Worst Costco gas station anywhere. 32 pumps, confusing entrances, impatient customers. Worst street entrance.

I'm only giving two stars because I know 1 star reviews are easy to get rid of. One star because I am shocked at how RUDE Supervisor Gary and team member Cindy are. I approached them today to ask a question as they were both standing in front of the stores check out lines. I simply asked if they knew if they carried a certain Once Upon a Farm product. Gary, extremely dismissively, pointed toward diapers and said "kids stuff is over there." I let him know it was a snack item. He looked at Cindy and, seeming annoyed, asked her if she wanted to help me find it. Cindy says flat out "no" and asked if someone else can do it. I chuckled in disbelief and said nevermind and walked away. It's not uncommon to ask employees for help locating an item so to receive that response was outrageous and really shows their customer service skills are severely lacking. Especially for part of that interaction to be with a supervisor I was appalled. One team member, Chris, located me in line to help scan the items in my cart before checkout and he deserves five stars. He was kind and helpful and acted how everyone customer facing person should act while they're on the job. Thank you, Chris. read more

I like to go here and there are many choices of products. The service staff is very friendly. But I wonder how well they know if there are problems with the products of certain merchants? Avocados can usually be kept for more than one to two weeks without oxidation, but the avocados I bought this time were all oxidized in less than 4 days. I bought two bags with a total of about 10 avocados. And the avocados I bought at that time did not feel ripe. I suspect that there was a problem with the avocados grown by this merchant. read more

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Dear corporate leadership, Why do you allow your employees to park in the closest spots all day every day? Every car on the side of the building next to Fletcher is backed into the spaces which of course a customer would never do as they would need to access their trunks to put away the hundreds of pounds of goods they just gave you money for. Instead you force them to push their carts through a disaster of a parking lot to spaces even further away. Tell your employees to stop being selfish and park further away since they don't have to haul groceries. 8.5 hours blocking prime parking spaces! Inconceivable read more

Costco - Moldy berries and got charged twice for one milk, as slow as the cashier was you think he'd have done a better job - Wholesale Stores Near Me - La Mesa, California

Employees super nice and cool but the people/shoppers are freaking rude as heck! Like say excuse me at least instead

Amazing selection and lots of gas pumps. Staff is always friendly and helpful. We go a lot

It was busy as usual but there was a short line with only one person in front of me for membership help. When more people started to show up for help, the line got messy & employees at the kiosks directed us out of the walkway to stay organized without prioritizing who was in line first. I spoke up without being rude saying can we make sure that people stay in the correct order in which they came? The tall Asian guy immediately raised his voice at me and had a nasty attitude and disregarded me asking to make sure the line stays in order. Very belittling and unprofessional. I'm military prepping for a deployment & also a small business owner. He needs to control his emotions. I did get his name but did not save it, this photo was taken at 1155 on Sunday April 12th. I will not be shopping at this location until something is done about this. My time is valuable, and all I did was ask that the order in line be respected. read more

Costco - The tall Asian employee on the left was absolutely rude and belittling Sunday April 12th 11:55 AM - Wholesale Stores Near Me - La Mesa, California

I went in around 1pm on Tuesday the 24th . I went to the pharmacy area and I couldn't find what I was looking for so went to get in line , the lady at the deek first told me in a rude way "the line it over there" and there wasn't any one there but as I made my way , two people ended up in front of me . I attempted to ask the lady at the pharmacy desk and she just pointed and said it would be "over there" I then waited for her to finish and I attempted to ask her again and she was so rude about it and "asked" the pharmacist and said "I guess we are all out" What should've took atleast 10 minutes, ended up taking like 20/30 mins . Very disappointing read more

I want to preface this review by saying that I love Costco and have never had any problems here with employees or otherwise. Last night we did a midweek trip and as we were leaving my small children handed the receipt to an employee to check our cart as we were leaving. Normally employees will draw smileys, flowers, butterflies, etc. for the kids. However this employee left THIS on our receipt. As he drew it he had a creepy smirk on his face and handed it to my children. I saw the and took it to returns to talk to a manager. I then was gaslit being told it was a smiley face. I asked the manager to ask the employee to not draw this type of smiley again since it was phallic and perverted to hand to small children. I left feeling disgusted and disappointed. It felt like the employee was trying to draw something that later could be claimed to be a smiley face but obviously was just a . Unsure of what to do further about this. I hope no one else is getting these types of smileys for their kids. read more

Costco - "Smiley face" - Wholesale Stores Near Me - La Mesa, California

BEWARE.....Unfriendly men in the optical dept. Been in this dept twice and the vibes is off. Right where you order glasses and pick up. Very rude two! read more

I bought a mattress topper today that is very heavy. At the door I told Costco staff Shenee (spelling?) that I needed another staff to put it in my car for me. She told me the procedure and then staff Julian did it for me. Both were very pleasant and eager to help. I am a thin senior and appreciate their kindnesses very much. read more

The store management needs to order more handicapped carts, being that this is a high volume store. Monica and the management team are really efficient maybe it is an oversight. I cannot afford to drive to drive to Rancho Bernardo with the high cost of gas. read more

I LOVE Costco! Ginormous apple pie for the same price as a regular-size pie with a gorgeous, sugary top crust; superior, organic extra virgin olive oil, great prices on all kinds of cheese, and frozen Detroit-style pizza! Because of Costco's new partnership with T-Mobile, I was able to connect the new tablet we purchased from Amazon. Normally, there is an activation fee; however, there's no charge at Costco. And, if the Magenta plan account is set up for auto-pay and there are already active lines on the account, the new line is $20 per month vs.$30/$35 per month. PLUS, T-Mobile will send you a $25 gift card! Woo hoo! read more

Costco - Best frozen version at Costco! - Wholesale Stores Near Me - La Mesa, California

Love this Costco. Employees are very nice and business is run fabulously. Thanks for being in our community.

Henny Secured! Was on the hunt for the rare, illusive, and illustrious White Hennessy, and here it was, in limited supply. I believe it was $76 for the 700ml, which is 50 ml less than a typical 5th. There were only a few bottles left, so call ahead if you're looking to scoop some up. The parking lot is large, but it's kind of a pain getting in and out. They had some fire ladies Champion sweats if you're looking for gifts this season. The lines were extra long today, I mean extra long. The lines were so long, a patron bum rushed the cashier aggressively, nearly demanding they open up more lanes. I was frustrated as well, so I can imagine what they were feeling. Since I was solely purchasing the two bottles of that white hen, the wait seemed just that much longer; but shout out to the young woman ahead of me, out here increasing her Karma, by so kindly letting me skip in front of her. Mobile bathrooms in the parking lot... interesting. Thanks to the crew! read more

I have been shopping at this location for years it's so so busy like every single Costco in the area. Great value and great prices along with a good selection! Nice place to shop. Checkout workers are efficient too. I recommend Costco! read more

Caution! Even though I love Costco! The La Mesa parking lot is extremely dysfunctional with traffic! Eight or 10 times I've circled for over 30 minutes looking for parking spots many times over! The parking lot in Mission Valley. Costco is much better. I even saw a man park in the handicap spot with no handicap placard! I saw people going down the wrong side of the parking lot blocking traffic many times they need traffic control. read more

Extremely impressive experience at this Costco in La Mesa. Conveniently located off the freeway, there is abundant parking--especially if you don't mind getting some steps in. What stood out most was their busyness--or lack thereof--on a weekday morning. There was plenty of room to browse. Furthermore, the employees were very helpful and pleasant. One gentlemen called folks over to the self checkout lanes, where there was no wait. If that wasn't enough, one of his colleagues scanned every item in our cart. Now that is absolutely what K call excellent service! Super impressive and memorable! Had an outstanding experience here! read more

Costco - Wholesale Stores Near Me - La Mesa, California

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This is the greatest wholesale ever! Getting gas here is easy and the lines move quick because of the formation. There is so much fresh produce that tastes great. The food court also isn't too shabby either and is perfect for a construction worker. Fast service and gets the food out in no time. If you order by kiosk, there's practically zero wait time. Chicken Bake: Crispy outside and juicy chicken inside. Sauce compliments the chicken. Fruit Smoothie: Great combination of fruits and reenergizes your body. Nothing too special. read more

Costco - Chicken Bake - Wholesale Stores Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Gas station is the star of the show here. 4 Lanes! Goes by very quick. Price is great. I don't usually come to this location unless I happen to be in the area. Taxes are more here than Mission valley. It's 8.5% in La mesa. Overall, similar to other Costco's. Parking lot is okay. Not the best, but there a lot. read more

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I just love me some Costco. Probably the best thing (obviously) is the food court, good food at incredible prices. Lol but it's impossible to get out of Costco without spending a lot of money I think they should have someone who monitors the handicapped parking for violators, like the one pictured below, hopefully the person who was legitimately parked was able to get in his vehicle, if the offender was still there read more

Costco - Feel free to flood the Internet with this photo of someone wrongfully blocking handicap access - Wholesale Stores Near Me - La Mesa, California

Excellent customer service from Alex (AA Male)! He was knowledgeable and professional! He made sure that all my needs were fulfilled. The other workers are just miserable and unworthy. Costco is definitely overrated. My unfiltered rating for Costco is zero stars! read more

Buy your appliances from Home Depot. Home Depot costs less. We are extremely dissatisfied with the "white glove service, installation, and haul-away" that Costco promises when purchasing major appliances. We chose Costco for our Black Friday appliance purchase, willingly paying around $150 more than Home Depot because we trusted the added value of Costco's service. Unfortunately, the experience has been far from satisfactory. When the delivery team arrived, the installer refused to complete the installation, claiming our valve was corroded. He assured my husband that "Costco services" would replace the valve and that it was included in the cost we paid. However, almost immediately after he left, we received a follow-up call from Costco with a completely different story: Costco would not address the valve issue, and we would need to hire a licensed plumber at our own expense before rescheduling the delivery. To make matters worse, as we were dealing with this frustrating situation, a heated neighbor knocked on our door, upset that the delivery truck had sped through our neighborhood and nearly hit his wife's car. As new residents, this was incredibly embarrassing and compounded our disappointment with Costco's service. We've always trusted Costco for our appliance needs, but this experience has been a series of miscommunications, unmet expectations, and poor service. We understand if there are limitations to what Costco can provide, but misleading information from the delivery team is unacceptable. Your website guarantees 100% satisfaction, but this experience has been far from it. Unfortunately, this will likely be the last time we purchase appliances from Costco. Order number 1156613307 read more

This is honestly the worst costco I've ever been. The parking lot is HOT MESS!! This is the entrance next to McDonald's. There's no stop sign, and I've seen people honking and almost getting into a car accident. Traffic is coming from 3 different sides, and no one has a stop sign, so everybody wants to be first! I don't think anyone stopped at the stop sign. They need to make the side row all handicapped or at least have one row with handicapped parking like the one in the Santee location. I've seen an elderly almost got run over by car that drives way too fast in the parking lot. The service is TERRIBLE!! I've always bought my daughter and my eyeglasses, contacts, and sunglasses here. You take a number and wait for your number to be called. Well.. I waited and waited as this lady with a red hair helped 3 people without a number. When I told them that my number was up next, they said they were busy. It's so sad because this was my favorite costco to get glasses because of how awesome the customer service was. If you have bad anxiety like me, avoid this costco at all cost. I've talked to another costco goer, and they almost got hit by a car twice trying to park. The inside is not as busy and crowded as well. I really hope something will change before someone gets hurt. read more

Costco - Wholesale Stores Near Me - La Mesa, California

This is the best closest Costco to me. They're better stocked& and im always in&out super quick! The lines may look long but they know how to move here at this location! The good court is always packed but they're always literally super quick! read more

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Pros: A clean facility, lots of variety in merchandise, close to my house. Friendly staff. Cons: parking is atrocious, it's always packed (busy), long lines both for the warehouse and the gas station. Overall, I love Costco but I dread a big to fight my way to get inside. read more

I have shopped at the La Mesa store for decades. The customer service is outstanding. The only issue I currently have with them is when I only need to go to the pharmacy I still have to park a long distance usually just to go to the pharmacy. I wish there were a few designated "Pharmacy Only " parking spots near the building with direct access to the pharmacy only. My 83 year old legs don't always feel like walking a great distance after hunting a parking spot. Just a recommendation I think others would agree with. read more