I heard so much about the ButcherBox Meat Delivery Service and saw so many ads on Facebook that I finally caved in to try the service. I loved the message of the company that they source only sustainable, organic, and/or humanely produced meats. The beef is grass fed and grass finished, for example, while the other products are usually organic with no preservatives or fillers.
When I signed up for the service, I decided to go for the option where ButcherBox chooses what’s delivered rather than the more expensive option of choosing my own products. Partly because I like the idea of getting a surprise in the mail and partly because I wanted to see what one could expect in a typical delivery. I also managed to sign up during a promotion for free bacon with every delivery for the life of the subscription and a one-time free add-on of grass fed beef steak tips.
When the box arrived, I felt my excitement rise as I opened it like a meat-centric Birthday present. I pulled all kinds of frozen meats out of the box and noted that the delivery had two more packages than usual because of the free items. I also noticed that the box came with an insulated liner and some mostly melted dry ice. The interior insulation arrived damp and I couldn’t tell if it was recyclable or biodegradable.
In order to get some information about the sustainability of ButcherBox, I looked to their website. Visiting the website did not clear up the matter as it looked like the FAQs about the box contained somewhat misleading language. One statement said that the box is 100% recyclable and made of 95% recycled materials. “That’s great!” I thought. Then the next line discussed the liner and just said that it keeps the food cold. I found the separate mention of the liner odd, especially with no mention of whether it was recyclable or even biodegradable. Lastly, the meat isn’t necessarily sourced locally. It comes from all over the U.S., Australia, and Canada.
With thoughts of meat, sustainability, and questionable eco-friendliness swimming through my mind, I wasted no time getting to what really matters – Taste! I cooked up all of the products in various ways familiar to me so that I could really judge the quality. In some cases, I even did a side by side taste test between typical grocery store products and ButcherBox.
Steak Tips
The first items I tried were the steak tips. With a friend visiting us, I found a great opportunity to experiment. I didn’t quite have enough to go around, so I supplemented with some steak tips I bought at the grocery store. We did a side by side taste test to see if we could not only tell the difference, but figure out which tasted better. Pictured below, the grass fed steak tips from ButcherBox are on the left and the grocery store steak tips are on the right. I seasoned them simply with just some salt and pepper although I would have loved to try marinating them in yogurt (check out the recipe).
I’ve enjoyed grass fed beef in the past and I know that it naturally has a slightly leaner and often much more earthy or mineral flavor. That’s comparing it to the mostly grain fed grocery store products, which tend to taste sweeter and fattier. In this case, the cut of the steak tips from ButcherBox needed quite a bit of improvement.
The small, thin sliced pieces gave off an unappealing zesty mineral flavor while the tough texture shocked me (perhaps the meat came from very old cows?). The amount of liquid in the package also confused me. The ButcherBox steak tips fell far short of the quality of grass feed beef I enjoyed in the past or even the quality of the grocery store meat.
In comparison the meat from the grocery store charred up beautifully and contained nice marbling inside, which made for tender tips. We got off to a really disappointing start with the steak tips. I couldn’t believe how bad they were. They were edible, but barely. Usually, the quality of grass fed beef is its selling point. It should be flavorful and beefy, but still tender. I would never order these steak tips again.
Chicken Tenders
The next item I grilled up were the organic chicken tenders. I seasoned them just a bit with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. I didn’t have any strong feelings about the chicken tenders. The chicken leaned on the small side, so they cooked up quickly and sometimes ventured towards dry if I didn’t pay close attention. They also fell apart pretty easily in an unappealing way, but I think this occurred due to the absurd amount of liquid in the packaging. The tenders were practically swimming. I tried patting them dry, but they never quite lost that water logged feeling. Overall, I’ve had better, but they tasted alright.
Boneless Pork Chops
The boneless pork loin chops were the first product from the box that I actually liked. While pork loin chops don’t top my list of favorite cuts of meat by any means, these tasted pretty good. The thicker cuts took to marination well. I used a take on my soy and sriracha pork marinade. The chops came out tender, juicy, and flavorful. Can’t ask for too much more there. Still, a lot of liquid in the package.
Sirloin Steak
After the steak tips fiasco, I wasn’t confident in the sirloin steak from ButcherBox. Luckily, the steaks came out well with a simple salt and pepper seasoning. I grilled them to medium and found myself pleasantly surprised that they came out so well. These steaks seemed less like NY Strips cut from the top sirloin, but rather sirloin steaks cut from the short loin (a little cheaper and a little less tender). I enjoyed the steak, but also couldn’t help thinking about the price point of the box.
Bottom Round Roast
Using the bottom round roast, I made roast beef using my own recipe. Again, I found myself surprised at how well it came out. The beef wasn’t tough at all and had a good overall flavor. It sliced well and I enjoyed it. I thought the size was perfect for a family meal as well.
Ground Beef – Burger
The ground beef heralded another miss for me from the ButcherBox delivery. I formed the 85/15 grass fed ground beef into 1/4 pound burger patties. I grilled them up simply using a tried and true method for great burgers. Nothing could save these burgers though. There is no way that package of ground beef was 85/15. Whether grass fed or not, 15% fat is 15% fat, right? The burgers tasted extremely lean though and they were the driest I’ve ever made at home. I found it quite shocking. I would never use this meat for quality burgers again.
Ground Beef – Kofta
Learning from the mistake with the burgers, I decided to try the ground beef by using my grilled kofta recipe. My hope was that the fillers and spices in the recipe might offset the lean dryness of the supposedly 85/15 ground beef. The recipe did the trick and I produced a decent meal from the ground beef. Basically, ButcherBox ground beef lends itself to recipes that use lean meat or that have some kind of way to adjust the texture of the meat. It’s just not worth the cost when there is grass fed organic beef that tastes much better at most grocery stores.
Uncured Bacon
Last, but not least, I dipped into the package of bacon and did a side by side taste test with store-bought bacon. The picture below shows the two store bought pieces on the left and the three ButcherBox bacon pieces on the right. I noticed the ButcherBox bacon was slightly thicker than the grocery store bacon. It cooked up nicely and tasted pretty good. It wasn’t quite as salty as the grocery store bacon, but it did have a slightly better pork flavor. All in all, the bacon tasted good, but not especially different than typical bacon.
Conclusion
Eating sustainable foods (especially meats) produced organically, naturally, and humanely is a laudable goal – one that I strive for myself where possible. With that said, other than feeling good about sourcing meat products somewhat responsibly (as far as ButcherBox consumers know), I find it hard to justify the price point of Butcher Box.
When comparing the overall quality of the meat, the amount received, and the fact that the environmental impact of the delivery isn’t ideal, the cost of a monthly subscription just doesn’t add up. [Edit: It’s roughly 3 to 4 times the cost of non-grass-fed/non-organic grocery store meat depending on the cut and anywhere from 2 to 3 times as expensive for comparable grass fed/organic meat depending on the cut. Meaning those just looking for the convenience of delivery will pay a premium for it.] If possible, consumers looking to source sustainable quality meat would do better to find a local farmers market or another meat delivery service with either a lower cost or at least a higher quality meat for the same price.
Home Is A Kitchen 
Thank you so much for your honest review!
Grass fed beef is not just about sustainable and environment but it’s about the health of the consumer. Grass fed beef contains a bigger ratio of omega 3 over omega 6 while grain fed beef is the opposite. Omega 3 offers great benefits as anti inflammatory and heart health while omega 6 promotes inflammation. Grass fed beef is richer in nutrients and many more benefits
How do you know this? I am overwhelmed by the claims people make about nutritional properties of food. Unless you are a research chemist, are you deriving your stats from people on the internet?
There is a thing about people on the internet…they are all working to develop a career as an internet celebrity. I guess the pay is pretty good if you get a big enough following. And, the following is pretty much derived from impressing people.
If the average person looks to the internet for insight about anything, the one thing they are sure to come away with is confusion. Well, maybe there are other things they will come away with also, like frustration over the maddening number of variations on any one theme.
The difficulty with trying to learn anything about nutrition on the internet is that by the time one has spent time researching anything about it, it has become so confusing because of claims and counterclaims that there seems to be no sense to any of it.
I’ve been trying to learn about the keto diet. I’m trying to figure if there is anything more to it than just another fad. All I’ve learned so far is there are hundreds of people on the internet who are making the same kind of outrageous claims that have been made with every other fad diet over the past 50 years.
Let’s be honest, people are opportunistic by nature. They’d sell freezers to Eskimo if it was possible. When people make the kinds of claims you are making, it would be helpful if you cited your research or noted the name of the study.
You ramble on a lot about nothing trying to seem intelligent.
Also, Eskimo is considered a derogatory term.
Butcherbox never delivered my $150 gift box and I contacted several people about it and eventually they were just like “it’s not going to ship”. If I hadn’t spent hours on the phone they would have just taken my $150 and never delivered. Instead after a couple weeks and numerous phone calls later, they admitted it was never going to go out and “Hazel” implied that they were just going to take my money and never ship the box. I would not recommend this service to ANYONE.
That’s too bad. I didn’t have this kind of problem thankfully, but I have read that some people had trouble with quality control and getting those issues resolved with customer service.
Butcher Box is a rip off. You pay twice as much for low quality items. Don’t waste you money and freezer space.
Anonymous 3/13/20. Not sure if you realize, you are not a “ripped off” victim. It seems really odd to have had the experience you describe, a simply phone call to you CC company would have propmted a refund of your money and corresponding investigation. Anyone using a CC or even a debit card know that there are options available to get your money back. You should pursue whatever avenue rights the wrong you have experienced. It will help the company understand whete they may have fallen down if your story is simply correct. Good luck.
You’re not making any sense. He got ripped off period. Just because he should have called his cc company doesn’t mean that they didn’t steal his money when the did. Calling your cc company doesn’t make thief right. You need to use your head little more lol
Yup. It’s not a ripped off. It’s a scam, it’s a bait and switch scam. It used the $150 gift box to lure you in and scam you.
I never call CC first. Thats one way to get banned from ever using the services of certain websites or places. Amazon and Google will ban you the moment that your CC doesnt pay for example.
The first delivery we received was horrible. The vast majority of the packages were open and meat was freezer burned. Besides that the value for what we got was poor. We received 2 steaks and the rest of the meat was really poor quality cuts – ground beef, gristly beef tips and chicken that was more bone than breast. We definitely will not purchase from them again.
This sounds like a subscription scam
We love it, everything we have tried so far has been great. We have tried a couple of recipes from the website and so far it been wonderful
I had zero issues with the taste of Butcher box meat ! The whole chicken is my favorite
With the steak tips coming in 2nd ( made teriyaki beef and broccoli) the beef roast
Always great cooked in pressure cooker!
Usually delivered on time ( always there to receive package right away so no prob)
We get custom box per every other week
Plus add to few purchases from grocery store. All for our family of 4 ! We know we could stop service anytime but for now we shall keep it during this trying time in the world! Thanks Butcher box!
I’m happy it’s working out for you and that you’re getting what you need during these trying times. The subscription wasn’t for me, but everyone should do what works for them. Stay safe and thanks for stopping by!
I have really enjoyed my butcherbox. You have to cook the grass fed beef differently. It cooks much faster. The bacon, I feel is amazingly better than regular bacon. The food tastes cleaner if that makes sense.
Hi Derek, I’m glad you enjoyed your butcher box. I just didn’t have that experience. I’m very familiar with cooking grass fed and finished beef. We buy it all the time. I just didn’t think all of the cuts of beef were good quality. Some were good, others not. As I said, I agree the bacon was good, but I wouldn’t say amazingly better. My hangup was more that the meat isn’t really locally sourced and the price of it didn’t reflect the quality received. That’s me, but power to people that are fans of the service. During these times, people should do whatever they’re comfortable with to get food responsibly and safely. I appreciate you sharing your thoughts and for stopping by.
I loved the concept of Butcher Box, but I had to cancel my subscription, because I did not ever receive an order where the meat inside wasn’t already unthawed or beginning to unthaw. Adding delivery instruction were no help. Butcher Box said they have no control over the delivery times, so I was tired of taking chances receiving spoiled meat, when I was paying over $200 a month for their product.
That stinks, Paul. Definitely makes sense you would cancel if your meat kept arriving thawed. Thanks for sharing your experience and for stopping by!
I have had nothing but success and have been extremely happy with all cuts of meat as well as the fish and chicken, just yesterday, I did the chicken wings for a group of 10, i didnt have enough for all, so had to supplement with store bought.. no comparison, butcherbox much bigger and tastier, Beef tips were amazing, gonna do some buffalo burgers and bacon wrapped scallops today. The price is a little much , but saves that trip. All that being said, it does conpare to meat I get when I buy 1/2 a cow and have it butchered locally
I’m happy it worked out for you. I’m going to have to hard disagree on the steak tips and ground beef, but I hear you. I do agree the pricing is tough, but I understand the convenience of delivery so long as it arrives still frozen and on time. I think you nailed it though when you said you could get the same (or in my opinion, better) quality by sourcing locally. It’s usually cheaper, helps the local economy, and the environmental impact is less since the meat doesn’t have to travel or get extra packaging. As I said to others though, everyone should do what they like and what works for them with the priority being staying safe. Thanks for stopping by and sharing!
I’ve been very pleased with the quality of the meat from BB. I did have a problem 2 summers (2018) ago when a shipment was sent out & delayed due to the July 4th holiday.
Everything arrived totally thawed & not even cold to the touch. They immediately sent out a replacement box.
That’s great, Lois! I’m glad it’s working out for you and you’re happy with the service. I wonder if maybe the meat differs by location. I know they source from all over the place, but maybe certain areas get different product relabeled under ButcherBox. That could explain the difference in experience or quality. Or it could just come down to personal taste.
Thanks for the detailed review. I was thinking about signing up after a friend referred me, but this review will definitely make me reconsider. Even if the meats did taste good, I am still a bit confused about the price structure. I can get high quality meats from local grocery stores or farmers markets (and I don’t have to build up a stock in the freezer!) for half the price. So I am not really seeing the value proposition here…
“(roughly 3 to 5 times the cost of the grocery store)”
I good review for me except claims like that. I’ve have had several boxes of their meat so I was confused how you came to this math. Whenever I compare the prices to any local store, I found Butcher Box to be VERY reasonable! I usually get about ~12 lb of various cuts of beef for $149. Are you saying you get grass fed steaks for $3-5 a pound? Maybe you are ordering very different things but I have quite a variety.
My only gripe with BB is receiving some a few sliced open packages each shipment.
Hi Stefan, I appreciate you leaving a comment and reading the review. Regarding the statement about the cost that is based on a few factors. The first, is type of cut of meat and the second is the quality. You are correct that for some cuts of meat, the ButcherBox price is competitive, but for others it isn’t. Ground beef for example is more expensive and often cheaper elsewhere (even grass fed). Same for chicken tenders and things like that. The other issue might be quality. A quality grass fed steak, will be in the ballpark of what you might pay per pound at ButcherBox, but an average run of the mill corn/grain fed steak will be cheaper. I have no problem with quality cuts being more expensive, that makes sense – so long as those cuts really are a good quality. I thought the quality was a mixed bag for the price. However, when it comes to cheaper cuts, I’m personally not interested in paying $12+/pound for ground beef, chicken, or some cuts of pork. Those also often come in a box alongside the more expensive cuts, which affects the value. Lastly, the box I received had somewhere in the realm of 8-9 pounds of meat (not including the promotional “free” items). The price per pound was around $14-$16 Per pound. If you look up the average price of certain cuts of beef in the U.S., then I think 3-5 times makes sense on a case by case basis. My point was comparing just the cost of the meat to the cost of what most people buy at the grocery store (quality aside). I see what you’re saying in terms of trying to compare the same quality though. In that sense the price difference would be smaller for most, but maybe not all cuts.
I paid $149 ($25 each for the following):
1 Top Sirloin Steaks, 4 x 6 oz steaks
1 Tri Tip, 1 x 1.5 lb tri tip
1 Chuck Roast, 1 x 2.25 lbs roast
1 NY Strip Steaks, 2 x 10 oz steaks
1 Boneless Skinless Breasts, 3 x 1 lb packs
1 Bone-in Pork Butt, 1 x 5.5 lbs pork butt
I paid $14 for 2 pounds of pork chops.
I got 2 pounds of ground beef free and 10 oz of bacon free, plus free delivery.
I also gt $25 off, so paid a total $138 for 20.5 pounds of meat or $6.73 a pound.
Now the Pork Butt really throws things off but pulling it out make $7.90.
Everything *is* expensive to be sure, the NY Steak is $20/pound, but grass fed NY Steak from Costco is $18/pound and you have to buy 14 steaks to get that price. And I am not counting the free stuff and $25/off, which lowers the price by at least 20%.
Costco organic chicken breasts are $10/pound, here they are $8/pound (and that doesn’t include the free stuff.
Maybe they have gotten more generous and I don’t know if I will always get the discount but the prices aren’t too far out of whack.
Where do you buy your meat normally?
I buy both grass fed/organic and “regular” meat from various places ranging from the typical grocery store to wholesale clubs to farmers markets. I know there are premium costs associated with some of the options like farmers markets, but that’s why it’s great to have a variety of options where possible. I’ve said before that Butcher Box is a viable option for people struggling to source locally the kind of meat they sell. I will also say that I didn’t quite follow all of your math or how you figured you were paying different amounts for different cuts. I don’t know if they’re showing the breakdown differently for customers now or supplying more meat for less? I didn’t get 20 pounds of meat in my box. I got maybe half that. I wouldn’t count the promotions either as some of them are temporary and in my case, a free pack of bacon with every box isn’t exactly a massive bargain. It’s nice, but it’s not going to offset costs that much. I’d be interested to see if there have been changes to the service and pricing over time.
My experience with Butcher Box has been positive. I’ve been getting the custom box. My decision was to get 100% grass fed & finished meat without going to a farm & filling my car trunk with half a cow. This gave me variety & convenience (& hopefully quality) & I expected to pay more. I have not found comparable selections in the supermarket (Whole Foods) for example. I am new to the business of organic meats & am open to recommendations. It has to be apples-apples though. I didn’t get the point of comparing 100% organic to other meats (quality or price). Thank you.
Thanks for your comment Edith. Glad the box has worked out for you. With that said, I’m not sure what you can’t find at the supermarket? Everything I received in my box was readily available at the supermarket or farmers market. If you are having trouble finding these cuts (organic/grass fed) then it may just be the situation in your area. In that case, I believe I said ButcherBox was a viable option for people looking, but unable to find. However, if one can source meat easily and locally, I just didn’t see the point on a price, quality, and environmental level. As for why I compared the price to the grocery store, it’s because there are at least two kinds of people looking to try ButcherBox. One person might want grass fed or organic meat specifically and have trouble sourcing it like you. Another person may just want easy sourcing without caring whether the meat is specifically grass fed or organic. Yes, grass fed beef is more expensive, but how much more is the issue there. For someone looking for convenience of delivery mostly, there are cheaper options across the board. My personal experience was that I didn’t want to pay the ButcherBox costs because I didn’t think the quality was worth it (grass fed/organic as well as even compared to non-organic/non-grass fed at the grocery store). I’ve just had better meat for cheaper. I may be lucky in my area to have that option. But I also think there may be other delivery options or sources for people that are more local and may have better quality. That’s why I didn’t specifically say organic/grass fed when comparing price.
Just saw a commercial for Butcher Box and right to the internet I went looking for reviews.
Luckily & thankfully for me, yours was the first that Google showed under “Butcher Box reviews”.
I appreciate your detailed honesty and the time you took to try their products and write about it.
You have a new reader to your site!
Thank you so much! I appreciate you stopping by, reading, and sharing your thoughts.
My beef with the butcher box is my meat packages are not sealed. Each time I thaw, two or three just leak all over. I’m not sure it’s was unsealed when shipped. Butcher box didn’t seem concerned as I was .
I had the same problem with a couple of packages. In fairness, the issue isn’t limited to ButcherBox though as it has happened to me with other brands. I understand the feeling of unease though when it seems the meat wasn’t sealed properly.
I appreciate the review. I always read reviews and try to look at all aspects with an open mind. Some things you like and some you didn’t. That’s an honest review and I appreciate you doing it.
I just got my first box and it came in time and still frozen. One package had been unsealed due to a puncture but it was still frozen. One of the risks ordering frozen foods. Cooked up a pack of chicken breasts today and they’re very good but I seasoned them well so hats off to me. Lol. So far so good though. With Covid and not wanting to go shopping as much and with wanting sustainable, humane, grass fed meats, this is a good option for me. Hoping we don’t have issues but usually for me it’s due to the shipper rather than the company. Got a free Turkey with my sign up so looking forward to cooking that up Thursday. Happy Thanksgiving to you! 😊
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts, April! I’m glad it’s all working out for you and that you got a turkey out of it! I hope it continues to be a viable option, especially during covid. Stay safe and Happy Thanksgiving to you too!
I’m new to butchersbox as of 6/2021. I tried the steaks, it was ok, the bacon was ok, & the ground beef I’m not so sure about the taste is different in a bad way. Maybe not use to eating grass fed animals? I’m trying the ribs on tomorrow so I’ll see. I’m not completely sold on the quality of meat but I will try all the items I purchased & see if I need to cancel.
Thanks for sharing Tasha. Purely grass fed beed does taste different if you’ve never had it before. It may have more of a mineral or sometimes zesty taste. It’s sometimes a bit leaner too and some describe it as “beefier.” It shouldn’t taste bad though if it’s good quality, but you will notice a difference.
So far, I’ve enjoyed the quality of the meat I received in my first box. HOWEVER, I ordered steak and received chicken breasts instead. I talked to the person that referred me and they said that the first box they received was also incorrect. I referred my daughter, and her box also contained a incorrect items. Butcher Box said they would correct it in each of our next orders. Is this a new marketing plan to make sure you continue to order from them? They didn’t offer any other option, so my guess is that’s exactly what is going on. Either that or they need to get new packers. I won’t be referring anyone else for this very reason. Not a good way to build your business!
Thanks for sharing, Sue! I’m glad you’ve enjoyed the meat you received, but it is odd that there are that many mistakes. That’s definitely a concern I didn’t even address, so thanks for bringing it up!
I know this is going to be long but I need to get this off my chest. I ordered my first box and received a small Turkey as an incentive item. Everything arrived fine, nothing thawed, in fact it was solidly frozen and contained dry ice. The items were well packed, no holes or leaks in packages of meat. I received exactly what I ordered. I do not normally buy organically grown, grass fed or free range food so I felt this was a good way to give it all a try., I have not cooked or eaten everything I received but I have had one package of Rib Eye Steaks which were good. I cannot say these were the tastiest of steaks but they were good and I would eat them again. I received a Pork Sirloin Roast which was about 1 1/2 pounds. I love this cut of meat so I was looking forward to it. I cooked this as I normally do, roasted with just salt and pepper, some garlic and an olive oil rub. The meat was ok but not as tasty as what I usually get and it was tough. I would not order this again. I also got 4-8oz. pork loin chops. This is also a cut of meat we enjoy often. Again, these were prepared simply and the way I usually cook them. They, too, were not as flavorful and less tender than what I am used to. I received 2 pounds of bone-in, skin on chicken thighs. These 2 pounds came in three packages with 3 thighs per package. I don’t know how they figured 3 thighs per package but I cooked all for the same meal. A few of the thighs were a nice size but the rest were small and two were so tiny, I wasn’t sure what from what kind of bird they were from – a pigeon maybe? I am not exaggerating when I say they were about the size of my thumb area! I roasted them with olive oil, Italian herbs and garlic. Due to the fact that there was a lot of extra skin and fat on these, there was very little meat. There are only 2 of us and they made one dinner each and a couple left over for my hubbys lunch the next day. I also received a 2 1/4 pound chuck roast, some bacon and 2 pounds of salmon which I have not yet cooked. I roasted the 12 pound turkey for Thanksgiving. I should point out that I am a cook – self taught and have done catering and have owned a food related business before retiring so I know what I’m doing – I’m not a novice in the kitchen and normally host 13 to 15 people every year for Thanksgiving. This year it was just four of us and a plate for a neighbor. This is hands down the worst turkey I have ever cooked or eaten. First off, I brined the turkey because it just had an odd looking skin like it was going to be dry and tough. I thawed it in the refrigerator, brined it overnight and put it in the oven at noon thinking we would be eating by 4 PM. At 4 PM it was still raw inside! I raised the temp in the oven and we finally ate around 6 PM. Actually, we ate all the sides and dessert before we finally carved the bird and ate it. It was dry and tasteless. Terrible. Even the leftovers were awful. I will never order from this company again and absolutely would not recommend them to anyone.
Thank you for your comment. I was considering this but I get meat and vegetables from an ugly/ imperfect food vegetable company. The quality is very good and I’m not going out of my wheelhouse.
“The small, thin sliced pieces gave off an unappealing zesty mineral flavor while the tough texture shocked me” You can’t cook grass fed beef the same way you would grocery store meat.
Hi, Violet. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. Actually, if the quality of the meat is good and it was finished properly, you can definitely cook grass fed beef like you would grocery store beef in many situations. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t pay attention to the type of cut you have, fat content, and the quality of it, but if you can’t simply grill a steak tip, then it’s the meat. As I said in some other comments, I eat, prepare, and enjoy grass fed beef frequently. I’m aware that it can cook tougher or more quickly if you aren’t careful in some cases. I’ve even reviewed other companies and grass fed beef products, so when I say there was an obvious difference here, it’s not based on just having grocery store corn/grain fed beef.
Finished properly? 100% grass fed beef would never be ‘finished’. And you cannot cook it the same. I came across your review and have just dismayed by the inaccuracies you are presenting.
I think perhaps you’re jumping all over a slight misuse of a term in one of the comments. Perhaps I should have said “processed properly.” The cut, trim, and packaging of meat also plays a role in what you’re getting. As for 100% grass fed beef never being finished, I used the term earlier in the post to make a distinction between grass fed and grain finished beef of which there is plenty out there (i.e. the cow eats grass throughout the entire process). It was just to make the point that before butchering, the cows still eat grass where other cows may be finished with grain. As for cooking the meat differently, that’s your preference I guess. As I’ve said numerous times, I regularly eat grass fed beef and haven’t had issues cooking it.
How much did Butcher Box pay you for that comment?
Wish I had seen your review before buying. We just got a Butcher Box and I decided to cook the ribeye steaks last night. They were just bad. I think you were on the money about the meat being waterlogged. There aren’t too many ways you can mess up a simple steak–unfortunately we will be canceling.
As someone who knows their proteins I found butcher box to be overpriced and very underwhelming. But how could it not be? I know that out of my $150, $30 are shipping / packaging, $30-$50 is going to marketing, $30-40 is their margin… so the cost of the actual product I get is probably no better than what I get at a mid-tier supermarket.
There is a reason all good beef purveyors are so much more expensive… I have learned with proteins, there are no deals. You get what you pay for. Good high quality grass fed beef is priced comparably to USDA Prime.
Thanks for this review. I LOVED ButcherBox at first (especially the concept), but after 3 boxes had to cancel. At least one package of meat per box arrived with cuts/holes in the vaccum-sealing, which I didn’t realize until defrosting, and numerous packages were freezer burned and liquid-logged, despite being vaccumed-sealed. Not once did the meat arrive still completely frozen. I found the meat to taste great when it was packaged well and safe, but unfortunately after several of these quality control issues in every box, I don’t trust the meat. I always buy high-quality, grass-fed beef, and the discoloration/smell issues I had with defrosted ButcherBox cuts was NOT simply an issue of grass-fed versus conventional beef, as some have suggested. Basically, I WANTED to love it, and was willing to forgive a couple missteps, but won’t keep paying for a service where I’m routinely trashing some percentage of the product I receive (not to mention how extraordinarily wasteful that is, especially when the meat is being shipped and processed all over the globe).
They market poor quality meat under the guise of “healthy”, free range, grass fed, etc. We had a gift box and everything was very poor quality, dry and tasteless. Chicken was terrible and even hamburger was poor. Yes, they were cooked properly. Unless you highly value the “healthy” choice, save your money and pass on this high priced service. You can do better at the grocery store. You won’t find many negative reviews, because they make it almost impossible to publish something negative. I couldn’t do it on their site.
Thank you for having the integrity to state your honest experience with them. I have read several glowing reviews and then get to the part that says “if you want such and such deal use this link” a fair sign of bias in my opinion.
I have been a member since 2019 and when I first started the quality was great. I am a beef person, and noticed with the past 2 shipments that the quality has gone from a 8 or 9 to a 1 or 2. I cooked 2 rib eye for last night perfect med rare. If II had ordered these in a restaurant – i would have sent them back !! It had a lot of gristle and no taste. For a rib eye to taste that bad was surprising. – I did a survey put out by BB less than a month ago and told them almost the same thing. Never heard a word. They just don’t care – guess it is time to cancel my membership.
All beef is grass-fed. Do you think cows out there in the pasture are dining on Carmel-flavored popcorn? I live in a county that has 16,000 people and 65,000 cows. When they are ready for market, they go from a pasture onto a truck and ship to market. They are never “grain-finished”. Someone here said you have to cook grass-fed beef differently. Huh? There is no way I’d pay the ButcherBox prices for frozen, perhaps freezer burned, and waterlogged beef. You are paying for water! It’s a ripoff. If that’s for you, then go right ahead and buy it.
I wish I would have looked at the reviews before ordering! Well we ordered and supposed to get some free items. Our order came and we did not get our free items! Called and they told us we will give u $10.00 off on your next order. Unreal because there will not b a next order! I told them to cancel me. Don’t waste your time because they really don’t care if they lose customers.
I’m very disappointed in the quality and taste of the Butcher Box products. I included beef tips in my first order and ended up throwing out the cooked product as it had a rancid taste. Just tonight I cooked a ribeye and could only eat about half. It also had a funky taste and it almost fell apart when I removed it from the package. Do they use something that over-tenderizes the meat? The chicken and bacon are nothing to rave about. I’ll be cancelling my membership.
I tried their tenderloin and prime rib and was VERY disappointed. It had a very unsavory smell before touching my lips and the flavor was not at all pleasing. We threw it out.
I signed up for their promotion and never received the entire order. Now I am fighting with Citibank and BUTCHERbox to reach some time of fair settlement. They tell me it will be in my next order which I refuse to order until they send me what I paid for in the first order
If you have been scammed by BUTCHERbox to never receiving and paying for what you order please post as many have
Prices are ridiculously high. Got a gift certificate from my kids for a sample box (60 points). I was quite surprised as to how little that gets you. I ordered some rib-eye steaks which were suppose to be between 9 – 12 oz and you guessed it….they were all just a touch over 9 ozs. That calculated to about $42.00 per pound. I can get a larger steak in a restaurant with all the trimmings cooked and served to me for that price. Another issue was there customer service. One of the steak’s packaging was not vacuum sealed properly, there was air inside. When I emailed them to let them know they blamed it on the courier (Fedex). They said it probably bounced around in the truck which caused the seal to break. When I wrote back to tell them that the seal wasn’t broken and it was just a case of not being vacuumed properly. they just wrote that off saying the they inspect everything before boxing it. I wrote back saying that for the crazy high prices they charge, they should upgrade their quality control. Just to conclude, the steak wasn’t anything special. I’ve bought steaks at Provigo which were equivalent to theirs.
My order sat “processing” for two weeks. I emailed for a refund, hopefully they actually do it. Pricing is way too high. Wild fork is way cheaper even with the “free ground beef” offered by butcher box. I ordered $500 in food from wild fork and had it delivered in 2 days. Zero complaints with wild fork.
I recently tried butcher and I’m a little Leary about som of their meats. I am thinking that their are filler like meat supreme in the ground beef. There are white specks which I thought was normal fat, but it seemed very weird so I removed some and inspected it. As it dried up it turned to a dry piece of plastic. Try it! It looked suspicious to me. I’m curious to know. Very strange
Anyone tasted bad gamey flavor from their beef? So far all beef I had with them had that flavor and I was disappointed. (I had to submerge in the marinated liquids overnight to somehow remove that flavor🥺) Chicken and pork were fine. I’ve had grass fed steaks from the Whole Foods in the past and didn’t have gamey flavor. I really really wanted to like butcher box because it’s very convenient. Maybe I will just omit beef from my next order. Your review seems to be not sponsored and the first one that had some issue with the quality of their beef.
Thanks for the great product review. I signed up and I found the customer disservice untenable, ridiculous, and terible. You should try MOINK. I have beein incredibly happy with them and their customer SERVICE as well as their products. I want to support small local farmers while eating grass-fed unvaccinated meat and chiclen.
My experience over the last year with BBox has been … a resounding 2 thumbs down.
The products are represented as healthy sourcing – wonder if that’s ever been challenged with testing?
Beef is fine but not noteworthy. Chicken is fine but not worthy. I’ve had much better pork and salmon.
However Customer Service is nonexistent with real issues. For example, I received an email about ‘Wings for Life’ no details unless you hit the button in the email. I decided wasn’t something I wanted. 12 hours later my bank was charged for a box with ‘Wings for Life.’ Used chat – disconnected and then on second try “Nothing can be done.” Tried calling Customer service – 1st call = “Nothing can be done.” 2nd call = “Will get back to you.” Never did.
I requested a Mgr or Supervisor contact me. Received an email around 9:30p that night – “Nothing can be done. I’ll send a manager to you.” No manager called.
Received another email from Paula from quality control – relayed the issue – Nothing.
Reported as an issue with the box … so far nothing.
Customer service is nonexistent for issues!
We have had Butcher Box for a few years, putting up with the meat packages that aren’t sealed, causing freezer burn, weights of meats which they admit are only estimates, a lot of grizzle, non-traditional cuts (I suspect they are left over from the good stuff sent elsewhere). We stayed with them because of a reasonable price and because of periodic promotions that were reasonable….but recently I received and email on a promotion that when I opened it within an hour, it was no longer available. Customer service (contacted immediately) didn’t care and refused to help. They didn’t care if they lose me as a customer. This company has lost it’s customer focus clearly. Find a different company.
ButcherBox has plummeted in quality. My first few shipments were fine and suddenly boxes are coming late and partially thawed and their customer service has given me the run around. They literally want me to open each package and take the temperature of the meat and fish that was delivered an entire day late, partially thawed, ripped open packages. I’m canceling as soon as I get a refund. I counted on this service as a caregiver! SO MAD.