Some of those prepared food areas and concessions at supermarkets serve some good eats. Do you take a break while shopping and have a slice or a sandwich? Perhaps even sample a beer? What and where are your favorites?
where I shop? Sure. Corti Bros is Sacrmento’s fancy-schmancy grocery store (they regularly have guanciale at the deli) and I often get a sandwich to go for lunch. They roast their own roast beef. The new Mexican market has fabulous carnitas, chicharon, and other goodies. And I’m not above snagging a few dumplings at the ranch 99 food court if I’m there.
But WHILE I’m shopping? No. Shopping is shopping and ready-to-eat will not be eaten in the store. In the car if I’m starving but I’ll wait for get home like a civilized person most of the time.
This doesn’t cover making an impromptu ‘lunch’ of Costco samples.
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My usual grocery store, Berkeley Bowl West, has a cafe, but I almost always eat before I go there, and if I was hungry I’d just get some stuff to eat at home.
I tried Costco’s pizza, hot dog, and turkey bake once each out of curiosity. If I’m hungry I stop at a nearby banh mi place instead.
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I’m always on the run, so I am more apt to get some chicken tenders or a wrap and then eat it in the car before I have to get somewhere rather than spend the time eating at the store. Even when the nicer groceries, co-ops and Everytable (Which is a ready to h/eat meal place) have an inviting seating area, it’s still not as nice as a restaurant or even my house, so I rarely have any desire to eat there vs. grabbing something tastier and better prepared from a fast casual place like Simply Salad.
There is a Whole Foods in Fairfax, VA. that tested various food counters within the store. It actually became a destination for us when visiting the area. There is a seafood counter, BBQ counter, ramen counter, even a beer bar where you can taste local craft brews. All at a reasonable price.
Meanwhile, Wegman’s Markets actually have a built-in community area with seating. One time I saw a large round table occupied by a group of women playing mahjong. It was encouraged by the management. Of course, there was food too from the surrounding food sections…
I am hearing that Cosco is raising prices of some items sold at their food stations, like Fried Chicken, soda etc. Join the crowd…
Fried chicken at Costco? Where?
My mistake. It’s their Chicken Bake I am referring to. So far, there are no plans to raise the price of their popular $1.50 hot dogs…
Supposedly, at a board meeting where the execs were discussing ways to increase profits, a member started to say something about the Costco cafe, and the chairman stopped him “If you suggest raising the price of our dollar fifty hot dog, I will leap over this table and fucking strangle you.”
The executive decided he was finished making suggestions.
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I tried a Costco chicken bake once years ago. Awful. One of the worst things I’ve eaten in years (which isn’t saying much since I’m such a spoiled foodie).
Costco is reporting it will keep their $1.50 hot dog and soda deal intact indefinitely…
With inflation nowadays, it might be cheaper to just buy hotdogs from them and serve them than actually buy the dogs, condiments, onions, and buns separately.
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The hot dogs are only around 50 cents each (under $20 for three packs of 12).
they no longer have onions 
so they keep the $1.50 price but take away all the fixins.
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I had heard of a trend, pre-COVID, of folks loading up on CUPFULS of onion, to be mixed w/ mustard into some hellish impromtu ‘slaw’. There were articles on it, but my google-fu is failing me.
I would be unsurprised to learn that the 'rona gave them the excuse to pull them and leave them gone.
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it’s a big thing in korea evidently
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That is super sad 
onions were a highlight on those dogs.
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Bastards!!
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One of the markets we frequent here in the Westchester County suburb of NYC is DeCicco & Sons. They have left space with each new location for a Beer Bar & Grill, offering a good selection of craft brews and food at reasonable prices. For some, these spots have become a place to hang. www.deciccoandsons.com