OT: BJ's Wholesale vs Costco, etc

[Chin Diesel]

Getting one nearby soon.

How does it compare to Costco or Sam's?

Talking about the wholesale club, not the restaurant.

 

[Waquoit]

It's not as good. We mainly just use it for paper stuff. But what about BJ's the restaurant? A new one is getting ready to open at Buckland Hills.

 

[Chin Diesel]

It's not as good. We mainly just use it for paper stuff. But what about BJ's the restaurant? A new one is getting ready to open at Buckland Hills.

Well, we don't have a Costco nearby. Sam's is okay but we don't use it any more.

BJ's restaurant is good. Big menu, they grew there own beer at some level (Not sure if it's in house or shipped to restaurants). Full bar.

Standard heavy deep dish pizzas, flatbreads too. Have some decent wings and sauces.

Plenty of legit food too. I always like the parmesan crusted chicken with garlic spuds and fresh veggies.

You shouldn't have to break the bank and Happy Hour specials are plentiful.

 

[Hogoff]

It's not as good. We mainly just use it for paper stuff. But what about BJ's the restaurant? A new one is getting ready to open at Buckland Hills.

You need about thirty minutes to read the menu, but the food is decent.

 

[uconnfan68]

Getting one nearby soon.

How does it compare to Costco or Sam's?

Talking about the wholesale club, not the restaurant.

Guessing they’re all similar, with different house brands. Was there today... asked my wife what size tv she wanted... she smiled.

 

[uconndoit]

You need about thirty minutes to read the menu, but the food is decent.

Really? Takes me 5 minutes - on a good day.

 

[huskeynut]

We use BJ's for bulk shopping because its closer to us than Sam's or Costco. Its one of the few places we can get hot sausage patties in Florida. We usually go 2 or 3 times a month.

As to BJ's the restaurant - well worth a visit. Extensive menu with very good food & pizza. A well stocked bar with quality bourbon!

 

[CCSUblue]

I go to Costco, rest of my fam uses BJs. BJs has a deli that Costco doesn't have, don't know about Sam's. They all say that if you're going to join BJs, get the credit card. You get like 10¢ off a gallon plus bonus points off depending on rewards. My parents have done the shopping then gotten gas and ended up like 70¢ off a gallon. Costco doesn't have that...

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

You need about thirty minutes to read the menu, but the food is decent.

This one is going right across from Maggie McFlys. Notoriously long menu at Maggie’s. Upping the bar.

 

[Poe]

We have a BJs membership because it’s a bit closer than Costco. Most people seem to like Costco better, although I’ve never gotten a good answer as to why.

You can often get a BJs membership for $25, but I’ve never seen Costco for less than regular price. Might be worth trying BJs for $25 bucks first, then switch to Costco if for some reason you don’t like BJs.

 

[UConnKev]

Costco all the way. Feel they have better quality items for what we are looking for in particular compared to the other stores.

I

 

[Guapo]

Costco is just the best

 

[Excalibur]

Better pricing on bulk goods at BJ's. Everything else about Costco is better. I use BJ's because it's closer and on the way to work, but now that I don't have to buy gas I may drop it altogether.

 

[jibsey]

Been a member of all 3 and it's Costco Sam's and BJs . No club has better help than Costco.

 

[Guapo]

When I die, bury me in Kirkland, WA

 

[JCSuperstar]

#CostcoLife

 

[HuskyHawk]

Getting one nearby soon.

How does it compare to Costco or Sam's?

Talking about the wholesale club, not the restaurant.

We have a BJ's Wholesale in town, no Costco nearby. We use it all the time.

1. The obvious bulk foods, but the Deli is also solid and runs about $2 a pound cheaper than local supermarkets. If you BBQ or smoke meat, BJs will crush your local supermarket butcher on price.
2. Contact lenses and glasses. Way cheaper than other local options.
3. Clothes. Oddly, I find a lot of great deals on golf shorts and shirts, and even some other clothes items. Calloway, Pebble Beach, decent brands.
4. It's an occasional purchase, but I've bought a few TVs there.
5. Contact Lens solution, vitamins, ibuprofen, and other toiletries, much cheaper than CVS or even Target
6. Ours has a gas station. Cheapest in the area.
7. Some decent outdoor stuff, like solar path lights, BBQ tools, tiki torches and other random items.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Forgot to add, if it has booze or even just wine and beer, there are some good values to be had. Not everything of course, but some solid deals.

 

[Danzz]

Getting one nearby soon.

How does it compare to Costco or Sam's?

Talking about the wholesale club, not the restaurant.

I am members at both and BJ's is not in the same league as Costco. I belong to BJ's because it is in town and for gasoline mainly.
One advantage of BJ's is that you can purchase smaller quantities (1 loaf of bread instead of 2) and the other is they have a deli. The quality of meat, coffee etc. doesn't compare to the Kirkland Costco brand and there is no food court at BJ's.

 

[bigknight3]

I'll chime in for Costco. Trust the quality of products. Kirkland brand. Simple return policy.

They have a 4 3 2 1 credit card.

• 4% rebate on gas on up to $7000 in spend per year (then 1% back)
• 3% rebate on restaurant and travel
• 2% on Costco and at Costco.com
• 1% on everything else

 

[bigknight3]

I'll chime in for Costco. Trust the quality of products. Kirkland brand. Simple return policy.

They have a 4 3 2 1 credit card.

• 4% rebate on gas on up to $7000 in spend per year (then 1% back)
• 3% rebate on restaurant and travel
• 2% on Costco and at Costco.com
• 1% on everything else

And some have liquor stores with cheap liquor under the Kirkland label.

 

[huskyrob1]

Well, we don't have a Costco nearby. Sam's is okay but we don't use it any more.

BJ's restaurant is good. Big menu, they grew there own beer at some level (Not sure if it's in house or shipped to restaurants). Full bar.

Standard heavy deep dish pizzas, flatbreads too. Have some decent wings and sauces.

Plenty of legit food too. I always like the parmesan crusted chicken with garlic spuds and fresh veggies.

You shouldn't have to break the bank and Happy Hour specials are plentiful.

Costco has a better meat department, the quality of their roasts and steaks are generally better. On the other hand I would take BJ's Deli over Costco's any day, BJ's Deli blows Costco away. For seafood and seafood specials I would take Costco over BJ's for sure. For the Bakery again I would give the edge to Costco. If you want to nickel and dime me on prices for milk, eggs, lemonade, and other Staples, I'd give a slight edge to BJ's.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Costco has a better meat department, the quality of their roasts and steaks are generally better. On the other hand I would take BJ's Deli over Costco's any day, BJ's Deli blows Costco away. For seafood and seafood specials I would take Costco over BJ's for sure. For the Bakery again I would give the edge to Costco. If you want to nickel and dime me on prices for milk, eggs, lemonade, and other Staples, I'd give a slight edge to BJ's.

Agreed on the Deli. I don't have a Costco anymore, but nobody is convincing me that Kirkland is better than Dietz & Watson, which is what BJs has. I wouldn't buy seafood either place.

I didn't get the sense that Chin Diesel had a Costco option.

 

[UConn Dan]

COSTCO has the best return policy of any place I've ever shopped at. I've returned things years later after they stopped working and gotten a full refund.

 

[huskyrob1]

Agreed on the Deli. I don't have a Costco anymore, but nobody is convincing me that Kirkland is better than Dietz & Watson, which is what BJs has. I wouldn't buy seafood either place.

I didn't get the sense that Chin Diesel had a Costco option.

Yes Dietz & Watson cold cuts are light years better than Kirkland, BJ's also sells imported DAK boiled ham and baked ham. Dietz & Watson also makes the best casing hotdogs IMHO. D&W also sells the same hotdogs in Shop Rite under the "Black Bear" brand, which people rave about. Occasionally Costco will get a shipment in from Vietnam of huge freshwater prawns that are almost as big as small lobster tails and are extremely fresh.