This New Item Is Hitting Costco Food Courts, and You Need to Try It ASAP

Shopping at Costco gives consumers an opportunity to save money in the course of stocking up on groceries and household essentials. But a big fan favorite among Costco members is the warehouse club giant's food court. After all, where else can you snag a hot dog and soda for just $1.50?

Now, Costco is introducing a new item to its food court lineup. And it could be worth checking it out.

How does a refreshing mango smoothie sound to you?

Costco introduced its mango smoothie to food courts in Hawaii last year. And now, the warehouse club giant is bringing it to additional U.S. locations. Some Costco Reddit users have already reported seeing the mango smoothie in California, just in time for summer.

East Coast Costco fans, meanwhile, aren't seeing the mango smoothie at their local food courts just yet. But things could change in the coming weeks.

Should you try the new mango smoothie?

If you like mango, and you like smoothies, then it could pay to scoop up this Costco delight and see if it tickles your taste buds. Its reported price tag is $2.99 (though it's worth noting that Costco prices can vary by location).

You should also know that the mango smoothie may replace the berry smoothie on Costco's food court menu. That could be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on how much you like the latter.

Now the good news about Costco's mango smoothie is that in addition to its relatively affordable price point, it has no added sugar or preservatives, and it contains four servings of fruit. But if you don't tend to like smoothies, then you may want to skip this food court addition.

Also, if money is tight and you're iffy about the idea of a mango-flavored beverage, then you probably don't need the extra $2.99 charge on your credit card, modest as it may be. You may be better off spending that money on a fast food item you'll enjoy more or that will be more filling. In fact, for that cost, you can treat yourself to two Costco hot-dog-and-soda combos.

All told, it's exciting to see Costco mix things up with regard to its food court offerings. Whether the mango smoothie will appeal to Costco fans broadly is yet to be determined, since the item clearly hasn't made its way all over the country just yet. But if the idea of a refreshing mango smoothie appeals to you, then you may want to keep scoping out your local Costco food court to see if it's making an appearance.

In fact, one thing you may want to do is buy yourself a mango smoothie before doing your Costco shopping if the item is available at your local store and you happen to show up already feeling hungry. Studies have shown that shopping with a growling stomach could lead to extra food purchases. So if you can quash your hunger with a refreshing smoothie, it might spare you a host of costly impulse snack buys as you load up your cart.