Is Sam’s Club pulling ahead in the membership clubhot dog wars?
Meanwhile, Costco didn’t unveil its own bun-wrapped American classic until a year later in 1984.
All was calm and amicable.
Photo: Courtesy of Sam’s Club. Design: Eat This, Not That!
The 12-cent change sent shockwaves through the membership-club community.
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Now in 2024, Sam’s has made another monumental move.
Member’s Mark Pork Cheddar Cheese Frank (top) and standard beef hot dog (bottom)Photo: Megan Hageman, Eat This, Not That!
That means double the dogs and double the deals.
Does it match or exceed the flavor of the all-beef dog?
Does it resemble the cheese-packed Frank n' Stuff dogs of the ’80s?
Photo: Megan Hageman, Eat This, Not That!
Is it an addition Costco should be worried about?
I infiltrated the Sam’s Club food court to take a closer look.
Here’s how the new offering tasted.
First, instead of 100% beef, this alternative is made up of all pork.
Second, it incorporates cheddar cheese throughout the meat in some capacity.
I splurged for both menu items, old and new, to compare them up side-by-side.
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It’s shorter and wider with a different-sized bun to accommodate its measurements.
The taste:Eager to dive right in, I went for the pork frank first.
Big and juicy, it’s a certified mouthful.
It also has that obvious boiled hot dog texture and taste with a warm yeasty bun.
As for the flavor itself, I couldn’t shake the thought that it’s nearly identical to ham.
As an all-pork product, this certainly makes sense.
But, I had my taste buds prepped for more of a complex pork sausage jot down of experience.
The biggest letdown, however, was the cheese, which was far less prominent than anticipated.
I would have preferred shredded cheese piled on top Coney-style rather than these small blips of nearly undetectable flavor.
In my eyes, the beef frank still prevails.
Richer, more savory, and somehow even juicier, it’s difficult to beat.
The hot dog war is not yet over.
