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Where do you buy your meats

Are you constantly watching or looking for special deals at different stores or is there one place that has the best quality at the best price?
Anyone shop Sams or Costco?
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Comments

  • Hi54putty
    Hi54putty Posts: 1,873
    Mostly Costco with a few things from The Fresh Market and others mixed in.
    XL,L,S 
    Winston-Salem, NC 
  • krames
    krames Posts: 70
    edited January 2013
    I have been really happy with the baby back ribs and brisket I have purchased at Costco. Their prices are MUCH cheaper than the local grocery store (HEB and Central Market). Central Market is always great, but pricey. Aside from a nice cheap pork butt, I haven't been too impressed with HEB's selection and quality. I am hoping to check out some more local butchers in San Antonio.
  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,522
    I watch for sales, on both sides of the border. Pork butt and ribs are generally Swifts from Costco USA, standing ribs from Safeway Canada. Pork loin in a cryovac is generally about the same price regardless of country, sometimes it is on sale for $1.79#.
    Chicken is generally half price in the US so we buy it there. 

    Most is prepped and vac packed, into the freezer. 

    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
  • bigguy136
    bigguy136 Posts: 1,362
    My local butcher is cheaper than Costco and Walmart on almost everything if I buy enough. Only thing I buy from Cub is their Hormel spare ribs. Very meaty.

    Big Lake, Minnesota

    2X Large BGE, 1 Mini Max, Stokers, Adjustable Rig

  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    For day to day, a local chain (Martin's in No. Indiana) has good quality at good prices. I've been told the head of their meat dept. is now working for Sam's, but I've not noticed a decline in quality. Being close at hand, I often catch the "manager's special" mark-downs.

    For "the good stuff," I go to butcher's shops, farmers' markets and a co-op, and an area packing house. The prices are often substantially higher, and two shops are 45 min. away down the highway, unfortunately, in opposite directions. But the quality is the best I've found. The organic stuff direct from the farmer's, tho' expensive, is substantially less than from the shops they supply.

    There's a Whole Food$ opening in the area. One of the pork producers I buy from supplies WF, so it will be interesting to see what the price difference might be.
  • 500
    500 Posts: 3,177
    Kroger, Sam's, and Fresh Market. I did some artisan bacon from a butcher near work. Tasty, but not $12/# tasty.
    I like my butt rubbed and my pork pulled.
    Member since 2009
  • Mostly Costco, but lately, I've started buying from our fantastic Asian supermarket.
    __________________________________________

    Dripping Springs, Texas.
    Just west of Austintatious


  • Black_Badger
    Black_Badger Posts: 1,182
    There's a great butcher shop near me where I get all my meats. They're a little on the pricy side, especially for packers, but the meat is really great and they'll trim or cut anything any way I ask for. The meat selection in the local grocery stores is good for what it is, but not great for BBQ (steaks, chops, chicken pieces; no butts, no briskets...). We dropped our costco membership a year or so ago, but if I could get good meat there consistently I'd pick it up again.

    Cheers all -
    B_B
    '
    Finally back in the Badger State!

    Middleton, WI
  • Plano_JJ
    Plano_JJ Posts: 448
    I have bought some really great meat at Sam's. We also like Sprouts which is like a farmer's market. The have the best chicken I have ever grilled there. We have a good butcher shop but they are pricey, I buy smoking wood there.
  • gerhardk
    gerhardk Posts: 942
    We are lucky to have a very good butcher near us, his prices are not the cheapest but his product is consistently better than anyplace else we have tried.  I know they kill their own pork, actually raised by the butchers brother.  Yesterday I was at a market and bought a fresh chicken that we are having for dinner tonight and I will on occasion pick up stuff at the grocery store out of convenience.

    Gerhard
  • gdenby said:
    For day to day, a local chain (Martin's in No. Indiana) has good quality at good prices. I've been told the head of their meat dept. is now working for Sam's, but I've not noticed a decline in quality. Being close at hand, I often catch the "manager's special" mark-downs.

    For "the good stuff," I go to butcher's shops, farmers' markets and a co-op, and an area packing house. The prices are often substantially higher, and two shops are 45 min. away down the highway, unfortunately, in opposite directions. But the quality is the best I've found. The organic stuff direct from the farmer's, tho' expensive, is substantially less than from the shops they supply.

    There's a Whole Food$ opening in the area. One of the pork producers I buy from supplies WF, so it will be interesting to see what the price difference might be.

    We use to go to Sheltons farm market in Niles but the last time we went it didn't impress us that was a couple of yrs ago. So now just SAMS, will have to try Martins
  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    Browninggold said:

    We use to go to Sheltons farm market in Niles but the last time we went it didn't impress us that was a couple of yrs ago. So now just SAMS, will have to try Martins
    I go to Shelton's all the time for their produce and bulk foods, but not so much for the meat. They do often have packages of country ham, which I haven't found elsewhere. They've started stocking whole tenderloins, strip steak sections, etc, like Lowery's in Buchanan. Very low price, but only select quality. But I've found that a few days in a SV bath renders select as tender as choice.

    If you are i/n the SB area, try a couple of places at the farmer's market. Hiatt's poultry, Sawyer's meats, and Morris farms lamb. There's a couple of new stalls w. local Amish grass fed beef. Good, but not spectacular.  Also, check out the Purple Porch co-op for Jake's Country meats (!pork) and Roseland Organic (!beef).
  • Gezr
    Gezr Posts: 154
    We don't have a local butcher shop, just a lot of chain supermarkets. We have been very pleased with the meats from Sam's, not a lot of variety but what they have; butts, ribs, loins, beef, chicken are all good. We can't get the specialty cuts that you-all like to fool with and that sound tempting.
    If you don't think too good, don't think too much.

    Afton, VA
  • BYS1981
    BYS1981 Posts: 2,533
    gerhardk said:

    We are lucky to have a very good butcher near us, his prices are not the cheapest but his product is consistently better than anyplace else we have tried.  I know they kill their own pork, actually raised by the butchers brother.  Yesterday I was at a market and bought a fresh chicken that we are having for dinner tonight and I will on occasion pick up stuff at the grocery store out of convenience.


    Gerhard
    Are you a bay area guy? If so what place?
  • gerhardk
    gerhardk Posts: 942
    BYS1981 said:

    Are you a bay area guy? If so what place?
    Georgian Bay does that count?  We are from Southern Ontario near Lake Huron.

    Gerhard
  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414
    I go to Wegmans and Costco(especially for prime). I signed up for a KCBS membership so I am going to give restaurant depot a shot.
  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414
    Almost forgot. I also to a go to a couple local farmers that do organic and Angus grass-fed beef as well as free range chickens and heritage breeds.
  • bboulier
    bboulier Posts: 558
    BJ's for pork, chicken and beef; Trader Joe's for frozen fish; and Super H (a Korean market) for salmon and shrimp.
    Weber Kettle, Weber Genesis Silver B, Medium Egg, KJ Classic (Black)
  • Black_Badger
    Black_Badger Posts: 1,182
    Hey @Eggcelsior how does KCBS membership relate to restaurant depot? Did I miss something here? Do CBJs have access to restaurant depot?

    Very excited about this...

    B_B
    Finally back in the Badger State!

    Middleton, WI
  • BYS1981
    BYS1981 Posts: 2,533
    gerhardk said:


    BYS1981 said:

    gerhardk said:


    Are you a bay area guy? If so what place?

    Georgian Bay does that count?  We are from Southern Ontario near Lake Huron.

    Gerhard


    Doh! I mixed up posters and wish I didn't. .
  • Whole Foods, Costco, Fresh Mkt and when in Kroger I look for managers special, USDA choice beef only. Managers special is beef that ran out of "sell by" date. Suggestion from Stike.
  • With a KCBS membership card you can get a Restaurant Depot card....there is no charge for the RD card.....just take your KCBS card into any RD and they will issue you the RD card
  • krames said:
    I have been really happy with the baby back ribs and brisket I have purchased at Costco. Their prices are MUCH cheaper than the local grocery store (HEB and Central Market). Central Market is always great, but pricey. Aside from a nice cheap pork butt, I haven't been too impressed with HEB's selection and quality. I am hoping to check out some more local butchers in San Antonio.
    Agreed on the COSTCO Krames, ribs are membrane free when you buy the ribs in the foam pack. Notr sure about the cryo paks being membrane free, I'm not so good at pulling the membrane and have never been disappointed in ribs from Costco!
  • Larrymac
    Larrymac Posts: 103
    edited January 2013

    Whole Foods, Costco, Fresh Mkt and when in Kroger I look for managers special, USDA choice beef only. Managers special is beef that ran out of "sell by" date. Suggestion from Stike.

    I live in Orlando area. Live 10 minutes from a SAMs, Costco, and Whole foods. What do you look for at Whole Foods? Definitely pricier.
  • Sam's, Fresh Market, Publix and BiLo cover most of mine.
  • Whole foods is a little pricey but I sometimes go there for something special. Got beef back ribs there today and put then in the egg about 2 hours ago.
  • shucker
    shucker Posts: 483
    I'm lucky here.  Decades ago, my grandparents opened a meat market which is still owned and operated by my family.  They do it old school and still raise 75% of their own hogs.  So, choice cuts of meat are always available at a reasonable price for me. 

    Shucker
    Eastern North Carolina
    Go Pirates!

    http://facebook.com/oldcolonysmokehouse

    https://www.instagram.com/oldcolonysmokehouse/

    L & MM BGE/Blackstone 36" Griddle/Pit Barrel Cooker/QDS/Shirley Fab 50" Patio/BQ Grills Hog Cooker/Stump's Classic/Weber 22" OTG


  • Mike8it
    Mike8it Posts: 468
    @shucker
    Is your avatar an ecu pirate? If so are you in Greenville and is your grandparents place close to Greenville?
  • Trader Joes, Fresh Market, Costco, and where we live in South Carolina we have several IGAs (Independent Grocer's Alliance).  The IGAs have great meat.  I also buy from Randy's Meat Center, in Ocean Isle, NC since we live close to the NC and SC border.
    1large BGE and 1 well used mini BGE living in coastal South and North Carolina!
  • I have a local butcher shop owned by a local family. I've known these guys going on 40 years. They are the go to guys here. They know meat, they make great sausage, they run wonderful specials, and if I get in the mood for half a beef, they put me together with another customer and then butcher the beef for us! Great guys, great meat, great prices when all is said and done!