There is a 3rd, that's has much better prices. Remember USDA Prime is the same no matter where you buy it. Costco is the best deal going for high quality meat, bar none.
I agree that it is hard to beat Costco pricing. I find the price fluctuates significantly with some cuts though. Brisket is the only one that seems stable from visit to visit. I'd love to see Costco publish a weekly flyer on meat sales.
I have been trying to find some turkey legs and can't seem to find them anywhere in OC. Bree's said he would order them and forgot at least three times. Beef palace said they don't carry them and did not offer to order them. Costco doesn't have them. I tried Trader Joes, Aldi, Von's Albertsons, Whole Foods, etc. Everywhere that I know of. I can't even find them online. I did find one source in Houston, TX but they don't ship.
I've bought a few beef and pork items from The Butchery in Brea and Costa Mesa. It's been quite a while, though, so I honestly don't remember exactly what I bought. I do recall good quality and service, but definitely on the pricey side, which is why I haven't been back.
Equipment
Primo Oval xl
Slow n Sear (two)
Drip n Griddle
22" Weber Kettle
26" Weber Kettle one touch
Blackstone 36†Pro Series
Sous vide machine
Kitchen Aid
Meat grinder
sausage stuffer
5 Crock Pots Akootrimonts
Two chimneys (was 3 but rivets finally popped, down to 1)
cast iron pans,
Dutch ovens
Signals 4 probe, thermapens, chef alarms, Dots, thermapop and maverick T-732, RTC-600, pro needle and various pocket instareads. The help and preferences
1 extra fridge and a deep chest freezer in the garage
KBB
FOGO
A 9 year old princess foster child
Patience and old patio furniture
"Baby Girl" The cat
Forgot about them - cool place, but the one time I went there, parking was such a hassle it took the fun out of it. But probably my bad for going at lunch time.
SnS Kettle
Napoleon 500 Pro gasser grill
Weber Slate 30” griddle
Gozney Arc XL pizza oven
Instant Pot Duo Crisper 8 qt
Cuisinart food processor
Kitchenaid Stand Mixer
Breville Smart toaster oven
Anova Sous vide (Pro version and Standard Version)
Cabella 15” Vacuum Sealer
Combustion Inc Wireless Probes (Gen2 upgrades)
Fireboard v2
Fireboard Spark
Fireboard Pulse (2) probes and S1G antenna
ThermoWorks RFX gateway and 2 RFX meat probes
Thermoworks IR gun
Thermoworks MK4
Thermoworks Zero
Thermoworks Signals
Grill Rescue brush
7 Shun knives (paring to 12" slicer)
Misen Chef's knife
Dalstrong Phantom Series Boning Knife
8-9 other knives (enough to get an eye roll from wife!)
2 Mandolins, 1 veggie spiralizer
Work Sharp E5 sharpener
Chef's Choice sharpener
Further south, there is the El Toro Meat market on El Toro near the I5-405 "Y". Pricey as well. Good for special cuts and special orders. Even further south, is Billy's Market on Del Mar in downtown San Clemente. Again, pricey, but always excellent and again, great for special orders. Otherwise, I concur - its Costco hands down.
Pricey seems the common theme. In our search of cheaper and abundant I fear we have driven all the "Butchers" away and now they are boutique. Funny how that works.
I have a Costco Business Center about 2 miles form my home. So I usually go there. To be honest, I was surprised that they did not have any turkey legs there. I picked up a cellopack of Tri-tip last Saturday. It was $5.19 per lb. There was about 20 pounds in the pack which came out to 7 roasts. The two I smoked were among the best I have ever had.
Equipment
Primo Oval xl
Slow n Sear (two)
Drip n Griddle
22" Weber Kettle
26" Weber Kettle one touch
Blackstone 36†Pro Series
Sous vide machine
Kitchen Aid
Meat grinder
sausage stuffer
5 Crock Pots Akootrimonts
Two chimneys (was 3 but rivets finally popped, down to 1)
cast iron pans,
Dutch ovens
Signals 4 probe, thermapens, chef alarms, Dots, thermapop and maverick T-732, RTC-600, pro needle and various pocket instareads. The help and preferences
1 extra fridge and a deep chest freezer in the garage
KBB
FOGO
A 9 year old princess foster child
Patience and old patio furniture
"Baby Girl" The cat
LDimick I was at Sprouts an hour ago and they has all of the fresh turkey parts. Almost bought some legs and thighs if I wasn’t on my way to the Doctor.
The Beef Palace in Huntington Beach is worth the drive even if you are in LA County! Huge Selection LARGE cuts of meat. Cash only but they do have an onsite ATM. Happy Grilling or Smokin!
I just realized that this is a really old text stream.
I used to eat Thrifty ice cream next to the cows out in front of that shop when I was a kid.
I’ve got to go pick up some steaks now that you’ve got me thinking!
Irvine Ranch market in Costa Mesa is good butcher shop. Not sure about poultry though.
You can get free potatoes if you buy steaks from the Beef Palace!
Greg is the best old school butcher at Ralphs on Garfield and Golden West in Huntington Beach. Tell him BBQ Mike sent you and I’m sure he’ll call me.
I picked up a Tomahawk ribeye there earlier this week and yes, there was a 10 year old sitting on a cow eating an ice cream cone from the same Thrifty.
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