13 Internet Retailers Ranked

[Murdy]

SRF is 1; Omaha last.

https://www.thedailymeal.com/1457405/ranking-mail-order-steaks-worst-to-best/

[Huskee]

Interesting rankings. While it's been years, I seemed to continually have troubles with SRF. One time they even made a mistake on the replacement shipment for their mistake, so they sent a replacement for the replacement. I got a lot of steaks with that incident, but they were all small and misshapen so I quit using them. Maybe I was on the receiving end of a couple new guys who were learning how to cut and pack, who knows.

[radiodome21]

I was surprised Creekstone didn’t make the cut. I have a butcher box account but I am going to drop them. Too expensive and the steaks cuts are on the smaller side. We do like them, but I like Creekstone more.

[Huskee]

Creekstone is the real deal!

[STEbbq]

Creekstone definitely should have made the cut. Crowdcow definitely if you are going to list the overpriced Omaha, and would Wild Fork even qualify? Meat n’ Bones is another good one.

[rlozinak]

I am surprised at the rankings with Creekstone being left off. I have a tri tip in the freezer from SRF that I am looking forward to trying. I will let you know if they live up to being number one.

[Murdy]

There are some notable omissions. I doesn't seem like they included every internet retailer out there, just picked 13 and ranked them.

[Willy]

LOVE your Reverend Jim avatar! One of the funniest sequences ever was when he took his driver's test: What does a yellow light mean? Slow down. What....does.... a....yellow.... light....mean.....

ROFL!

[Murdy]

Willy -- Jim and Latka were two of the best off-beat characters in sitcom history. One of the late-night stations that run a lot of sitcoms (Catchy TV or something like that) are running Taxi reruns fairly frequently.

[DaveD]

No Wild Fork or Creekstone? Bzzzzzzzt!! Thanks for playing anyway!

[Uncle Bob]

Implying that 30% of meat eaters buy mostly online seems a suspicious number to me, love to see how they calculated that. I suspect their choices of vendors has more to do with advertising awareness of the general market than the ones we "foodies" are aware of.

Just placed my first order with Creekstone yesterday, so, hoping for the best.

[Mosca]

I’ve had good experience with SRF, but their steaks are too darn expensive. Even when I was working I couldn’t justify the price per. But I’ve had great briskets and rib roasts. I’ve had their most expensive rib roast (Gold Wagyu), and their cheapest (RR Choice) and both were outstanding.

How popular is Creekstone, not just among us cognoscenti but across all consumers? Everyone’s probably heard of Omaha Steaks, and the NYC/PHI/DC/BAL corridor knows about Pat LaFrieda. And SRF is getting pretty well known. I don’t know, it’s a genuine question.

[ecowper]

I like Creekstone, but I think that SRF is definitely top of the heap

[STEbbq]

I am sure this ranking is based off some kind of Alexa or web score. I would have thought Aaron Franklin’s endorsement of Creekstone would carry more weight though.

[ecowper]

I order pretty regularly from Snake River Farms and have never had something, whether beef or pork, that we didn’t really enjoy.

[fkrall]

Home address please

[BBQPhil]

I’ve ordered from SRF for years but have stopped about a year ago because of the high prices and variable quality. They overuse the term Wagyu and the gold Wagyu sirloins have been tough. Much prefer Creekstone.

[randy.56]

Interesting topic, have never ordered from an online meat producer, just buy local. Is it really worth it? is it that much better for cost involved. $11.00 per lb choice ribeye at Sams, $15 for prime. Sometimes I get prime filet's for $15 per lb.
Butcher shops are a little more but never been skunked.

seems many of you are involved in this online buying, help me understand why?

[BBQPhil]

I began a quest to replicate the quality of what the big steakhouses provide (like Ruths' Chris, Mortons, etc.) but not pay the $80-$100. First step in my effort was to begin with the same quality of meat, and if you read some of the steakhouse menus, they note their steaks come from Creekstone, SRF, etc. So paying $35 or even $50 to enjoy the equivalent so a $100 dinner makes sense. Now that I've perfected the cooking techniques and can make an equivalent steak, I look for other options.

[Murdy]

At one time, I would have ordered tri-tips online, because I couldn't find any near me. Lately, I've found a couple local sources, so I get them there. Mostly, for me, it's about choice and availability.

[DaveD]

I wish I had options locally to get meat as good as I do online, but it ain't happening. That's my main reason. It's shocking that on the Virginia side of the DC metro there is exactly one halfway decent butcher shop, and it barely rates halfway. I don't even bother anymore, I can get better meat at equal or better prices, delivered for free. Why wouldn't I do that?

[texastweeter]

Creekstone gets my vote.

[tamidw]

Never ordered meat online, I buy local as well. And more specifically, we generally buy 1/2 a cow each year or two. That does most of our beef for the year with a few exceptions of getting some cuts later.

[J-Melt]

I’ve been tempted a couple times to go that route. How much do you typically spend on half a cow?

[tamidw]

J-Melt here in NW Oregon, we paid $3.75/lb hanging weight plus $1/lb cut and wrap this year. What we’re getting is from a neighbor down the street that raises cattle. Other people we know have paid upwards of $1+ /lb more than we did. So I guess it’s really dependent on where you live.

[fkrall]

I'm intrigued, have often wondered. What's a typical cost all-in, and do you have much waste (cuts you don't care to eat; disproportionately large of one, not enough of another)?