I used to regularly order premium steaks from SRF, but over the past several months they’ve more than doubled some prices. They use the term “Wagyu” unsparingly for steaks. Tried their Gold Wagyu and they were very similar to Costco prime. I know the price of beef has risen, but they seem to outliers. Anyone have other recommendations?
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Last edited by BBQPhil; August 6, 2023, 05:00 PM.
Reason: Added clarification
I agree! Both SRF and Porter Road seem to have gotten expensive. Great Western has been totally crazy! Someone here did a comparison of the different suppliers and Wild Fork came out the cheapest. I have been using them as of recent.
That was me. WF definitely wins out on price by a lot. But I learned after that post from the helpful comments that they may have an advantage from being part of a large multinational in the way the other outfits do not. I'm in the midst of my summer hiatus from ordering online (too risky in the hot weather), so we'll see how things look next month...
Mosca yeah, maybe I just need to suck it up and do Creekstone once. I have had Porter Road, grass fed brisket, and prime Costco. That said, I also need to see how my beef navel experience is for pastrami as I may need more navels than briskets as we make pastrami pretty much exclusively.
Haven't ordered from SRF in 2-3 years because of the price with their Wagyu prominence. I have ordered from Creekstone many times and been completely happy.
I can't afford any of those places - I did put together an order with a buddy from Wild Fork, we split it.
I dunno how people can afford any of this stuff. Really. My wife about loses her mind if I order meat online - you know, WalMart is fine, right??? There's NO reason whatsoever to order ANY special meat or cuts or ANYTHING anywhere but WalMart. Even the local butcher shop gets me the rolled eyes... <sigh>.
We don't really do steak, either. Too expensive. Only thing I'm 'allowed' to cook without grief is usually ribs or pulled pork. Anything else, it feels like I'm having to convince her. <sigh>
Hellz, I can't remember the last time I grilled a steak. I know it's been 2, maybe 3 years? Possibly 4...
The only steaks I've done in a long long time are the ones I've gotten each year by catching the prime rib sales around Nov-Dec at the grocery store, when I can buy a full rib roast for $5.79 a pound, and then slice it into a rack of beef back ribs, and a dozen or more big ribeyes. We just recently had the last couple of ribeyes from the freezer, and I doubt I'll have more until we get the sale again towards the holidays.
I buy what’s on the shelf at Sam’s or Winn Dixie. Publix is too expensive. I don’t mind taking cheaper cuts and making them taste good. I thought that was the origin of BBQ. Yes, mostly pork, chicken and brisket. Choice whole roasts are cut into steaks.
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Everything is expensive these days. I am sure it will only get worse. Meat, in particular, will continue to go up as new "policies" (I will leave it at that) are put in place as time goes on. Just wait, you have not seen anything yet.
SRF is gonna be expensive, regardless. I like them, they have great products. Prices go up, that is the way it works now.
I hope places like SRF survive. Once Conglom-O buys them and all the other small guys, we will have zero choice.
I've given up on all mail order but for a rare few specialty items I can't obtain locally. Reason number one, the ever increasing cost, as others have said it ain't going to end. Reason number two, I do not like to count on others choosing my cut of beef. Sorry I'm too damn picky and been burned too many times. Reason number three, although I've been pretty lucky, the reliability and cost of shipping has gotten to be customer unfriendly. And number four, I'm blessed with a variety of prime and American wagyu just a stone's throw from my house.
I'm content with just shopping local boys and girls. You all can have the name brand stuff.
Same here. Last online meat I bought was when Click Red Akaushi was still in business, and it was cuts I don’t find as easily locally. I’m done with mail order meat after several ruined shipments.
I've never bought meat online, mainly because of reason #2. I've got to see and touch what I'm buying. Plus, the meat online is way too expensive for my wallet.
My next large beef purchase is going to be from a local farm (Cook Family Farms), probably their 100% grass fed, or grass fed/grain finished. They can be expensive, but they take very good care of their animals and it's supporting our community.
I mean, we have what is arguably the best butcher in the state a mile from my house, but their prices are too high for my liking except for when I require a really special cut of meat. I learned how to trim a beef tenderloin by watching one of the butchers prepare mine. Pure artistry.
I've ordered various foods via mail order, but it is now rare unless it is something really special, like my Guggisberg baby Swiss. We have great options locally, so I could never justify mail-order meat. Even Purdue (with chicken farms just to the south of us) is offering 'premium' chicken by mail order, at more than $10/pound. Ouch.
I have used Creekstone and Porter Road, but not recently. I have a couple pretty good butchers nearby, and the Fresh Market puts beef on sale every so often. If there are things that I can't get locally, like lamb neck or pork "wings", I'll turn to the online guys again.
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