Sam's Club Pizza From Food Court. Your Thoughts

[PizzaEater101]

I am not a Sam's Club member.  Was back in the 1990s but dropped the membership because Sam's was about 20 minutes away and Costco 10.  So no need to drive so far for shopping at Sam's since I could go to Costco.  Even before I became a pizza aficionado as I am getting close to being, I thought the pizza back in the '90s was not very good. I felt it was "cheap" and I don't mean price (although that was true too) but mean the taste and quality.  

Well the other day I was near Sam's Club.  Had some time to burn and I thought maybe I could sneak in since I don't have a card.  The entrance is too controlled and too small to sneak into. I walked around the building to see if there were any unsecured access points into the Club but that was fruitless.  Well, I do things the old fashioned way, I ask the lady at the entrance if I could have a special pass to go in to check out the club in case I want to buy a membership.  She said I don't need a pass that I could just walk in but can not buy anything without a membership.  That made me very happy.  So I am looking around and seeing that they sell somethings Costco does not and I notice they don't have somethings that Costco sells.  I see the food court and walk over.  I notice the pizza looks better there now than it did in the mid to late '90s so I have to have some.  

Not sure but I think the size is smaller than Costco food court pizza.  I asked the guy working the window and he said it's 16 inch.  Costco must be 18 inch.  I purchased a slice of peperoni and sausage, but think there was another meat on it as well. I am not good at describing taste so I won't do much of that here but I do know what I like and don't.  I liked it but still don't know what to make of it. That was one slice only.  I would have to order a whole pizza or more slices to tell if I really liked it but it was good nevertheless.  Could be I was just hungry.  Should have taken a picture and posted.  It was floppy though, I needed to fold it.  I think a good NY Pizza slice you can fold and might need to but if you don't you can still handle it.  This was not a pizza slice you could handle without folding.  I don't think they are trying to make a NY pizza or trying to pretend to.  I do however think they are trying to make a good tasting pizza people like.  I think it was $1.85 per slice and a whole would be about $9 or so but not sure.

The dough seemed to resemble Costco in taste but slightly different. I wonder if they use the same dough supplier as Costco with a slight change in formula or maybe the way they bake it might make it taste different.  You can buy a case of frozen dough balls there, sauce, cheese, toppings too so you can make at home.  You can buy a pre-made pizza you bake in oven as well. Not sure if it's the exact same one though or a different one made in a factory which might taste different.

Overall I was pleased but it still is not the best pizza or close to that I have ever tried.  If I was a Sam's Club member I think I would stop by the food court when I am hungry during my shopping outing and buy a slice or a whole one and bring the leftovers home.  Would not go out of my way for that pizza since I can make my own or buy from a better pizza joint.  But overall it was good.

What are your thoughts on Sam's Club pizza if you have tried it?

Here is a guy writing about his experience of eating Sam's Club pizza -

http://cltampa.com/dailyloaf/archives/2009/02/12/the-horror-and-delight-of-sams-club-pizza#.Tyv4Rcg87eU

In the article you see a bench full of people eating the pizza. Click on the pic and you see they all have knives and forks.  The pizza is so floppy you either have to fold, as the case of what I did, or use a knife and fork. Costco can be that way too but not as bad.

I also had the pretzel there but didn't care for it.  Had half and tossed the rest away in the trash can.

Notice the food courts are inside the Club too.  At Costco some are in the Club but most I have encountered are outside where anybody can just got up and buy.  Since I have not re-joined Sam's Club I can't just go there and eat but if they were on the outside like Costco I probably would go now and then but as noted above I won't go out of my way for Sam's Club pizza even if I was a member.  It was good though.



James

[PizzaEater101]

Here is a Sam's Club pizza photo -

[Don K]

Sam's Club pizza is my son's favorite (except for mine of course). I must admit that as long as it's not a slice that's been sitting under a heat lamp for an hour, it's not bad. You have to order a whole pizza so that they make it fresh.

[Jet_deck]

Sam's pizza sucks a$$.  Either fresh or othewise.  Buy the Sams dough balls and make something decent.

JS

[Don K]

Sam's pizza sucks a$$.  Either fresh or othewise.  Buy the Sams dough balls and make something decent.

If I were to make something myself I sure wouldn't use Sam's Club dough because mine is much better. Compared to my pizza, Sam's does "suck a$$," but I still say if you're away from home and hungry, you could do a lot worse than Sam's Club.

[PizzaEater101]

If I were to make something myself I sure wouldn't use Sam's Club dough because mine is much better. Compared to my pizza, Sam's does "suck a$$," but I still say if you're away from home and hungry, you could do a lot worse than Sam's Club.

Colonel summed it up better than I could and what I was trying to say.  I mean in relative terms it sucks if you compare to the pizzas we, at the Pizza Making Forum, make at home but you could do a lot worse than Sam's Club.  I was hungry and got a slice and thought it was not bad at all.  Some might think it sucks but when you are hungry it's not really so bad.

[johnnytuinals]

They all use Lamonica Frozen dough balls
They are made in Brooklyn NY
I buy mine by the case of 50 dough balls at $22 per case.(around 40 cents each}.............Its a deallllll.
They don't sell the dough balls at Sams or Costco....................JT

[PizzaEater101]

They all use Lamonica Frozen dough balls
They are made in Brooklyn NY
I buy mine by the case of 50 dough balls at $22 per case.(around 40 cents each}.............Its a deallllll.
They don't sell the dough balls at Sams or Costco....................JT

True, there was a discussion where people here were saying that the Costco dough was from Lamonica.  The Sams Club crust did taste similar to Costco so I was thinking it was Lamonica too.

You buy a case of 50 dough balls from where if Sams or Costco does not sell them?  I know you can't get dough from Costco but at Sam's they did list at the food court that you can buy a case of dough balls there.  I take it it is the same ones they make the pizza out of.

[Pete-zza]

Maybe the supplier to Sam's has changed in recent years, but a few years ago Sam's apparently got its frozen dough balls from Goglanian Bakeries, according to jackitup (Jon) at Reply 2 at http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,7198.msg62166.html#msg62166. I believe that Costco is still getting its frozen dough balls from Lamonica's but my recollection is that they do not sell the same frozen dough balls that they use in their foodcourts.

Peter

[PizzaEater101]

Peter, you are right, not long ago I asked Costco if they sell their dough balls and they said they do not.  Sam's Club does at the food court, though.

You are probably right about Goglanian Bakeries selling their dough to Costco now because I know at the Costco Business Center (where they cater to people with restaurants and businesses, more than they do individuals) they sell the shells or crust in the frozen section by Goglanian Bakeries.  So that makes sense that they might be using their frozen dough balls.  Even tho they are different suppliers the crust to me taste similar between the Costco (Goglanian Bakeries) and the Sam's Club (Lamonicas).  Maybe it's just coincidence that they taste similar.  I say similar not the same though.  But just the fact that in the Costco Business Center they sell Goglanian Bakeries pizza crust makes me think they use their dough balls at the Costco food court.

I am going to click the link and read the post that you are referring to Peter. 

I checked and Goglanian Bakeries is local to Southern California. http://www.goglanian.com/home.asp

I did not buy any of their crust because I make my own most the time as you all do here and the crust was a bit thick.  I see from their web site though they sell a thin crust but the a box was open and I looked and it was fairly thick so I said forget it.

[Pete-zza]

James,

I was saying the opposite to what you said, that is, Sam's is using Goglanian and Costco is using Lamonica. I recall in this regard speaking with a Lamonica employee (Roberto Martini) who told me that Costco told him that if the Costco pizza business was a standalone business, it would be one of the largest pizza operators in the country (see the last paragraph of Reply 24 at http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,9121.msg83041/topicseen.html#msg83041). Maybe Costco and/or Sam's have changed suppliers since I wrote on this topic.

Peter

[PizzaEater101]

James,

I was saying the opposite to what you said, that is, Sam's is using Goglanian and Costco is using Lamonica. I recall in this regard speaking with a Lamonica employee (Roberto Martini) who told me that Costco told him that if the Costco pizza business was a standalone business, it would be one of the largest pizza operators in the country (see the last paragraph of Reply 24 at http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,9121.msg83041/topicseen.html#msg83041). Maybe Costco and/or Sam's have changed suppliers since I wrote on this topic.

Peter

Ooops, Peter, I read wrong! Strange that Costco Business does sell the Goglanian pizza shells in the frozen section tho.

[johnnytuinals]

I never had Pizza at Sams club or Costco
I was at Sams Club Today and they really didnot have much for Pizza(had big bag of peperoni}
I have NO clue if they will sell you any Lamonica pizza dough,but if they do I am sure its
not the $22 for 50 frozen dough balls per case or (40 some what cents each}
You need to go to your local Pizza distributor for Lamonica dough balls,,,,and get some grande chesse while you are there lol.......JT

[PizzaEater101]

Was at Costco yesterday.  Worked out five hours earlier in the gym.  Did not eat anything all day. Was hungry like a wolf. So I wanted to eat something.  I had a hunger for pizza.  I have to tell you that years ago I liked their pizza.  Nowadays I don't eat their pizza much.  I don't think it's bad at all but my taste for pizza is for better pizza than that.  Because I was at Costco and was hungry and had a taste for pizza I decided I should get a piece of pepperoni.  I did and it taste good to me.  It's not as good as say Mama's Brick Oven Pizza, a place I normally go to, or KoNYP another place I go to but I must say that Costco pizza is more than efficient when one is hungry and have a taste for pizza.  As I noted in another post, like you all I make my own pizza most the time but I was hungry and had a pizza craving so I got a piece.  I was more than satisfied. 

They also have chicken bakes which are good but I didn't feel like having one.  They have a carne asada bake which is beef in the bake with salsa and guacamole.  I don't like guacamole so I passed on it.  Even tho I had a pizza craving I would have purchased a carne asada bake instead if I could get it without guacamole.  I guess Costco figures that it's a Mexican inspired item so they should have guacamole but to me I don't care for that green stuff.

But bottom line is I don't think that Costco pizza or even Sam's Club pizza is horrible.  Also for those who are the common shopper who are the common fast food types I have to say I bet that Costco pizza sure taste great.  So the masses at the food court are eating a pizza that is a very good price and a pretty good quality in their eyes.  I would eat it again but as mentioned rather go to a real pizza joint if I was not to make it myself.

[c0mpl3x]

Maybe the supplier to Sam's has changed in recent years, but a few years ago Sam's apparently got its frozen dough balls from Goglanian Bakeries, according to jackitup (Jon) at Reply 2 at http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,7198.msg62166.html#msg62166. I believe that Costco is still getting its frozen dough balls from Lamonica's but my recollection is that they do not sell the same frozen dough balls that they use in their foodcourts.

Peter

i worked for a mom/pop shop that used dough from goglanian, because the owner had a sams club membership and is a cheapass.

[PizzaEater101]

i worked for a mom/pop shop that used dough from goglanian, because the owner had a sams club membership and is a cheapass.

Too bad the owner didn't learn the art and science of pizza making and made his own dough for the pizza he sold. 

Heck those Goglanian pizza shells that Costco Business sells are not being sold there for the sake of it.  There must be a lot of independent food establishments that use there shells for their "pizza".  Yes your guy used the Goglanian pizza dough but the shells are selling too.

[TomN]

I have had the Goglanian pizza shells from Costco Business Center and they are VERY good. They are par-baked pizza shells that have been sprayed with a little Olive Oil.  They are ideal for Taverns, Skating Rings, Churches, even some Restaurants that do not want to go through the process of making their own dough or only offer it on their menu among many other menu items.  

http://www.costco.com/Common/Search.aspx?Browse=1&whse=BD_767&topnav=bdoff&search=Goglanian&N=0&Ntt=Goglanian&cm_re=1_en-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&lang=en-US

You can thaw them out in 15 to 20 mins. Add a pre-made Pizza Sauce like Stanislaus "Pizzaiolo" and add your cheese and toppings.

http://www.stanislaus.com/products/real-italian-products/ready-products


The problem for home use is that you have to buy them in quantities of 12 to 24 shells, depending on the pizza shell size you want to use. So, who has the freezer space for them? I sure don't. I would have to remove other valuable items from my freezer to make room for them. I would rather make fresh pizza dough in the quantity that I want at the moment. (I use Pendleton Flour for this.)

As far as, Sam's and Costco pizza, i consider them convenience Pizza. Something i need at that very moment for myself or my kids that is priced right. Sometimes I buy their whole COOKED pizza or their unbaked pizza because I forgot to make dough the night before or I am just too tired. Those are my thought on the subject. Thanks for posting this thread.