What are the best grocery stores for good price and variety in meat and seafood? (Kansas City: sales, how much) - Missouri (MO) - City-Data Forum

jason87x · 03-07-2012, 07:34 AM

As part of my low carbing diet, I've been buying a lot more meat. However, I'm finding that all grocery stores are not created equal when it comes to this department. I find seafood at a reasonable price to be especially lacking.

First of all, as for the dedicated meat shops....
McGonigle's had a tiny meat counter and higher prices.
Bichelmeyer is pretty good, though I only go there on occasion due to crappy hours and bad location.
North Oak market, eh too tiny and even worse hours.
The Store in Raytown isn't bad, great prices, though not much variety.

888 Market near where I live in Olathe has a good selection, though I wonder about the quality sometimes (plus I like shopping at more than one store). Do any of the other Chinese grocery stores have much of a meat selection? The one on 95th and I-35 doesn't really have anything in that regard, and I don't remember the one at 103rd and Metcalf very well.

I wonder, do WalMarts have a good seafood selection at good prices? I would never trust their meats though.

I find that not only do HyVees vary greatly in their product selection, so do Price Chopper and Hen House. For example, I found the Price Chopper at 103rd and Woodland to not have that much meat/seafood, but the one in RoPo had fairly good selection.

What about Dean&Deluca? I've never been and keep forgetting about it, what's it like? I don't remember what the selection is like at TJs, though it looked like they have good stuff.

KC area folks, where do you shop to get good and reasonably priced meat and seafood, and really food in general?

Versatile · 03-07-2012, 08:01 AM

My employer raises my beef. My Ribeye's melt in your mouth.

aragx6 · 03-07-2012, 08:26 AM

We've been generally impressed by the meat counter at SunFresh for our daily needs and the prices are great, but anything specialty we get at Cosentino's Brookside or Whole Foods. Neither are cheap, but both are of a very good quality (I'm cheap in many other ways, but with the food I put in my body I won't be!)

I rarely buy seafood in the midwest -- only frozen shrimp. We go out for seafood.

What about Costco? SO's mom swears by the prices and the food she regularly gives us is of very high quality as well.

xenokc · 03-07-2012, 09:21 AM

You can get a wide variety of whole fish (they filet on spot) relatively cheap at Chinatown Market at 3rd/Grand - a real fish counter. Also various live crab/lobster that is probably cheapest in metro. A variety of shrimp too, some with heads still on. We get shrimp there for the actual flavor (compared to sanitized shrimp in stores) but it's a pain to de-vain and peel as the backs aren't split. Little Saigon across the street has all kinds of unusual cuts of meats that are a good deal.

I used to do Consentino's for higher end meats but the Westport Sunfresh grabbed the head butcher from Consentino's and is now good quality with decent price, especially the daily 'bargain bin'. They often carry soft shell crab too when in season.

Whole Foods is a ripoff but nice variety. If Consenitino's doesn't have a fish you want, they will get it and will beat Whole Foods on price. I asked for monkfish once at the downtown store. He said they normally carry but will make sure they have it next day and asked how much I needed - got it next day. He said they'll order any fish a customer asks for that is available from their suppliers. KC does have pretty decent fish suppliers for the Midwest, supposedly with ties to the morning boats, not lots of middle handlers.

MOKAN · 03-07-2012, 10:01 AM

Jason-

Hen House, Cosentino's Brookside, and Sun Fresh are the best general grocery stores in Kansas City. They're slightly upscale and offer the best selection of premium and local products as well as variety of meat and seafood. Considering the quality of their stores, they're the best bargain. Lots of sales and not too much of a premium. Considering Walmart is even in your equation, I think these stores will have what you're looking for. Price Choppers are hit or miss, some are slightly upscale while some are downtrodden. Dean and Deluca is very expensive.

All that said, the Hen House store across from Town Center Plaza in Leawood is considered the best grocery store in town by many and even sought out by people in town staying at nearby hotels, and the McKeever's Price Chopper at 133rd and Mission Rd in Leawood is one of the few stores that have prime grade beef. Costco also has a great selection of everything, very high standards, as well as prime beef, and is worth the cost of membership.

aragx6 · 03-07-2012, 10:08 AM

^That is a really nice Hen House; I agree.

Okey Dokie · 03-07-2012, 10:22 AM

Ditto on Town Center Hen House. When I worked in Overland Park, I loved to go there for lunch. Their chicken salad in the deli is fabulous.

I like Sunfresh and HyVee for meat. Price Choppers' meat, at least at the N. Oak and Barry Road store, is not good at all. I'm not much into fresh fish so I can't help you there - although HyVee seems to have a good selection and it doesn't smell "fishy" in there so that must be a good sign.

luzianne · 03-07-2012, 10:59 AM

I like Hen House's meat better than any other. I know Ball's owns both Hen House and some Price Choppers, but I find there is even a difference between Hen House and Price Chopper meat. I tried buying meat from Costco instead because it was cheaper but in the end we decided we liked Hen House meat much better. I like their rotisserie chicken too! Hen House will also season/cook (steam) shrimp for you while you wait.

I do buy salmon from Costco, mostly because they have it already seasoned with gorgonzola butter and some kind of herb(s) and all you have to do is bake it in the pan you buy it in - and it's delicious!

MOKAN · 03-07-2012, 11:08 AM

All of the local store names are owned by Ball. Price Chopper, Hen House, Sunfresh, Thriftway, Apple Market, as well as a few others. "Best Choice" and "Always Save" also belong to Ball, because they also own Associated Wholesale Grocers. It's all HQ'd/based in KCK on Kansas Ave. Hen House is specifically an upscale store brand, as is Sun Fresh - although to a lesser extent.

luzianne · 03-07-2012, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MOKAN

All of the local store names are owned by Ball. Price Chopper, Hen House, Sunfresh, Thriftway, Apple Market, as well as a few others. "Best Choice" and "Always Save" also belong to Ball, because they also own Associated Wholesale Grocers. It's all HQ'd/based in KCK on Kansas Ave. Hen House is specifically an upscale store brand, as is Sun Fresh - although to a lesser extent.

No they're not. All Hen Houses are owned by Ball. Some of the Price Choppers are Ball Price Choppers and others are Cosentino. I don't know about Sunfresh, Thriftway and Apple Market.