Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Costco has the best meat among all warehouses. I don't know what's going on with HT lately, I had to return chicken I bought from them several time in the past 3 months that I don't even think about buying theirs anymore. It started to smell after only one day in the fridge.
Walmart, Foodlion, Sams, in that order. Only problems we find are portions are too big. Now if you want really good beef, Omaha Steaks is the best. This will cost a ton, of course, but my, oh my, oh my.
Costco steaks are disgusting but they and other "warehouse stores" are moot point as I'm not about to join, not worth it for just me (and none are close enough anyway). Carbarro way too far.......and I'd rather pay more elsewhere than go to the hellhole aka Walmart.
I will admit I have never been to fresh foods, whole foods etc
However, I get mine stuff at sams. They always have high quality steaks. I usually buy the entire loin for like 50-60 bucks. One fillet at HT is 20 bucks.
Food Lion is awful....I never buy meats there...yuck
Now if you want really good beef, Omaha Steaks is the best. This will cost a ton, of course, but my, oh my, oh my.
I've ordered from Omaha Steaks a few times - I wait until they have a big sale going on though. Their regular prices are crazy - I think they do that just so they can advertise large discounts. Anyhow, I find that the smaller steaks are a perfect size to cook up on my George Foreman for a quick dinner. The added bonus is that due to the packaging none wind up freezer burnt.
Harris Teeters don't have real butchers. Fresh Market is mostly about presentation, but I don't that think that quality of their meats are any better than anywhere else.
Why limit yourself to grocery stores? We have many farmers in this area that sell high quality, locally raised, and freshly butchered meats of all varieties. You can buy them direct from the farm, at the farmer's market, and through a meat co-op.
Another idea for those with a large freezer is to buy a portion of a cow from a local farmer and get it butchered yourself. You can save a lot of money on high quality beef this way.
A tip on freezer burn - get a vacuum sealer. That way if you have leftover raw meat or extra portions, you can re-package the meats and store them without freezer burn.
Because for me it's not worth a lot of additional cost/time/etc to do otherwise. I don't have to get the best steak ever, but when I buy a better cut I should be able to at least get respectable quality. PS I have had good luck w/Food Lion in the past, but most of the ones I've seen around here are pretty funky -
A tip on freezer burn - get a vacuum sealer. That way if you have leftover raw meat or extra portions, you can re-package the meats and store them without freezer burn.
I considered it - but they are fairly expensive and the reviews seem very mixed. I'll keep researching though.
As for buying direct from a farmer - not an option for me as I eat beef maybe 1x a month. I'll stick to Omaha or a very occasional dinner out at Longhorn!
Joey:
A lot of Food Lions have real butchers, unlike many other chains.
Depending on the farm and the level of quality that you are used to, the cost of buying directly from the farmer can be lower than buying from the grocery store. If you find a co-op (or if you visit a nearby farmer's market), then the time investment is minimal. Maybe an extra 30 minutes out of your week.
It is just an alternative suggestion that I brought up because of your expressed concern about the decline in/inconsistent quality in HT's meats. Grocery stores are in the business of moving a lot of product and not necessarily in providing consistency, quality, or freshness (as much as they can get away with it). Their supplier/warehouse/store model isn't that great for maintaining the quality of perishables. As such, grocery store meats, veggies, and dairy products can be a crap shoot.
adlnc:
I've had good luck with Foodsavers. The brand that I've heard to avoid is Rival.
We bought ours on clearance for ~$30. You can usually find them on clearance or at yard sales and thrift stores.
We probably eat meat maybe 2-4x a month and buy from a farmer friend. Most of the farmer's markets around here have farmers that will sell smaller cuts or a pound of ground beef.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
