People who appreciate a good piece of meat know how hard it is to get your hands on one. The commercially grown beef can’t compare to grass-fed in terms of taste and texture, and unfortunately, less than 1% of cows in the US are grass-fed and pasture-raised.
After trying a cut of grass-fed beef, Mike Salguero, the CEO of Butcher Box, was hooked on the rich flavor, tender texture, and overall superiority of this type of meat. So he decided to create a start-up and offer quality meats to people all over the US.
Now, you can get 21 different cuts of 100% grass-fed beef, heritage breed pork, and free-range organic chicken delivered straight to your door. Read our Butcher Box review to find out how this online meat purveyor works and how to get some of the tastiest pieces of meat you will ever try.
Butcher Box At A Glance
- Best Match For: Meat lovers looking for premium-quality cuts from grass-fed or grass-finished beef, organic free-range chicken, wild-caught seafood, and cage-free pork.
- Commitment Level: Subscription with flexible delivery frequency
- Availability: The contiguous US (No Alaska or Hawaii)
- Value: $129-$149/month; Free shipping
- Type: Responsibly sourced frozen meats
How Does Butcher Box Work?
Butcher Box is not a farm, and it doesn’t raise its own animals. Instead, they are simply an online meat distributor. Their primary focus is on developing relationships with small farms with responsible raising practices, which leads to humanely raised animals and high-quality meat.
So, even though the company is not responsible for raising animals, they only collaborate with the best farmers. The cuts you get from Butcher Box is nothing like the meat you buy at your local grocery store or supermarket. In fact, many people may feel like they are tasting the first proper steak in their lives.
The first thing you need to do when you sign up for Butcher Box is to choose a subscription box you want. The selection includes:
The Custom Box is the most popular choice because it allows you to select the exact cuts you want instead of a curated selection you get with other boxes.
Once you have selected your box, it’s time to pick the size. You can choose between a 6 Cut Classic Box and 12 Cut Big Box depending on your needs. You also enter all your delivery details and frequency.
The Butcher Box default subscription option gets you a box every four weeks, but you can change it. If you are shopping for one or two, you may decide to get your Butcher Box meat every other month, while bigger families may get a delivery every two to three weeks.
While the whole experience is subscription-based, Butcher Box also offers one-time delivery of their gift boxes. The only downside is that you can’t choose what cuts go into a gift box, and you can only select one of the curated options.
The whole subscription is fairly flexible, and you can always skip a delivery, pause, or cancel your subscription before the cut-off dates. Keep in mind that you may have to contact Butcher Box’s customer service by phone, and the experience is not always the best.
A few people have complained about the lack of initiative from customer service to solve their problems, so the company definitely has some work to do in that department.
What You Can Expect From Butcher Box
Most meat-lovers would agree that nothing tastes like a good juicy steak. But to get that, you need to find some high-quality meats first. Luckily, that’s exactly what Butcher Box has to offer.
The secret behind the highest quality meat is excellent sourcing. Butcher Box collaborates with local farms where the beef is pasture-raised and 100% grass-fed and grass-finished, chickens are free to roam around and peck, and heritage breed pigs can explore the dirt with their snouts all they want.
The animals are raised as humanly as possible, and there are no hormones or antibiotics added ever.
This exceptional treatment of animals results in tender meats full of flavors and marbling. It is truly a completely different experience from the cuts of meat you are used to getting at your local grocery store.
At the moment, you can get 21 different cuts, including:
Butcher Box offers seasonal cuts and special offers, including bison, whole turkey for Thanksgiving, and more. There are also add-ons like breakfast sausage, bacon, and other options depending on the season and availability. In fact, Butcher Box made it on our list of the best bacon subscription services!
The beef, chicken, and pork from Butcher Box are more tender and juicer than the meat you are used to. The difference in flavor and texture is noticeable from the first bite, and you won’t be able to go back.
Another good thing is that most things are perfectly cut, and all you have to do is thaw, season, or marinate to taste, and they are ready to cook.
With delivery every month or every other month, you can get all the animal protein you need for your diet.
Sample Boxes
In the last section, we covered different meats available at this online butcher shop. Now is the time to find out what goes into every curated box so you can make an informed choice before ordering.
Here is what your box may look like:
The Mixed Box
The Beef and Chicken Box
The Beef and Pork Box
The All Beef Box
And of course, if you don’t like any of the curated boxes, you can always go for the custom option and pick your favorite cuts. One of the advantages of this option is that you can select up to 20% more meat than you get in the curated boxes, which is perfect for all meat-lovers who can’t imagine a single meal without animal protein.
Gift boxes offer a different selection, and you can always check them out at the Butcher Box website. The company also regularly offers promotions for all new members. If you sign up now, Butcher Box offers free lobster and fillet mignon with your first box.
Delivery Review
Butcher box takes a more personalized approach to each delivery. The packaging is created from recycled materials, and everything is 100% recyclable. The insulation is designed to keep your meat cold, and depending on where you live, the company will decide how much dry ice is needed to keep your order safe during transit.
You should put all the products in your fridge or freezer as soon as you receive your order. After delivery, the company states that your package can sit safely outside for another 6-8 hours, but you should still try and store it safely as soon as possible.
If all the dry ice has melted, but everything is still partially frozen, you are good. However, if the meat temperature drops below 40°F, you should discard it and contact customer service for a solution.
One of the most common complaints about Butcher Box is the quality of their insulation. It is thin and easily rips during transit, causing the products to get dry-ice burns, bruising the meat.
Besides the unpleasant look of these products, they can also spoil more quickly if the insulation rips, causing you to go into the unnecessary process of contacting customer service and receiving another order.
Butcher Box currently ships to 48 continuous states, with an idea to expand the delivery area to Alaska, Hawaii, and Canada in the future. The whole process lasts approximately 7 business days from your billing date or the initial order date.
FAQS
Yes, it is definitely worth it. The prices are actually quite affordable if you consider the fact that you are getting premium quality meats. You can have meat delivered directly to your door, which is incredibly convenient if you don’t have a good local butcher shop.
Sourcing is one of the most important things for this meat delivery service. Everything you order is coming directly from farms where animals are humanely raised and treated in the best way possible.
From free-range organic chicken, grass-fed and grass-finished beef that is free to roam around, to heritage pork rolling in the dirt, all animals are treated well. That significantly impacts the quality of the meat.
That really depends on the way you use this subscription service. A little tip that can save you money is ordering custom boxes and selecting more pounds instead of premium cuts.
For instance, go for whole chickens instead of chicken breasts or chuck roast instead of steak tips. Choosing these big roasts instead of individual cuts can help you save money considerably. It will require some cutting and carving on your end, but it is worth it.
Butcher Box has a better value than Omaha Steaks. Though the boxes are slightly more expensive (averaging $150/month for 9 to 11 pounds of steak), the cost evens out when you add delivery fees.
Yes, Butcher Box online meat delivery uses only premium free range, organic chicken; Heritage Breed Pork; and Grass-Fed beef. They also use wild-caught Alaskan salmon.
Yes. Depending on the cut of the meat, Butcher Box is often two to three times more expensive than grocery stores for similar organic meats. For non-organic grocery store meat, Butcher Box can be three or four times more expensive.
Yes, Butcher Box can be worth it if you enjoy premium cuts and quality meat. Having organic meat delivered is extremely convenient, and the Butcher Box meats can elevate any meal.
Yes, Butcher Box prioritizes high quality meats. They use organic, free-range chicken and 100% grass-fed and grass-finished beef. Compared to grain-fed beef, grass-fed beef is healthier. It has higher quantities of omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants.
Butcher Box sources meat from trusted ranchers. Their pasture-raised, grass-fed beef is from Australia, and they work with farmers and companies dedicated to doing right by their customers.
Yes, you can stop your ButcherBox subscription any time. Before the next billing date, email or call the ButcherBox customer support team or cancel your subscription from your online account page.
Yes, in addition to beef, pork, and chicken, ButcherBox also has salmon, lobster, cod, halibut, and scallops.
Yes, you can skip months with Butcher Box. There is no penalty for delaying your next box or stopping your membership before you get billed for the order.
Butcher Box has pre-curated boxes and custom boxes. The pre-curated boxes of beef, beef and pork, or beef and chicken cost $129 for 8 to 11 pounds of meat. The custom box costs $149 for 14 pounds of meat, plus any add-ons.
You do not want to leave your ButcherBox delivery outside for longer than 6 to 8 hours. When you open your box, it should still feel refrigerator cold at a temperature of 40 degrees F or lower.
For the best quality, you should store your ButcherBox fresh cuts in the freezer for no longer than 12 months and ground beef for only 3 to 4 months. However, your meat technically lasts indefinitely if your freezer is at or below 0°F.
Once you open the packaging and defrost it in the fridge, your Butcher Box beef is good for 3 to 5 days. If you keep the steaks or roasts in the packaging, you can leave the meat in the fridge for up to two weeks.
After you place your ButcherBox order, you’ll receive an email with the tracking information of your box once it ships. Generally, your box of meat ships 3 to 6 days after your order.
No, ButcherBox does not have organ meat. The company leans towards traditional cuts of chicken, pork, and beef as well as seafood.
Yes, you do not have to have a subscription plan to order from ButcherBox. You can also order one-time gift boxes for someone else or yourself.
Yes, Butcher Box can be a good deal if you want to switch things up in the kitchen and use quality cuts of meat. The company delivers organic meats and seafood to your door, which saves you trips to the store.
The Butcher Box site does not mention FDA approval. However, all of the Butcher Box beef facilities are USDA-inspected.
Yes, you can skip or delay your next Butcher Box at no charge. However, you must do so before your billing date. You can also cancel your ButcherBox subscription any time.
ButcherBox has different sizes and types of subscription boxes. The Big Box, which includes 12-26 points of meat, average $10 to $15 per pound. The Classic Box averages $10 to $16.55 per pound, as it comes with 9 to 12 pounds of meat.
To get the most out of your Butcher Box, you’ll want to select meats that are calorie-dense so you get more per cut. You should also browse the “member deals” section and add bacon and ground beef to reduce your per-pound costs.
No, ButcherBox does not recommend that you eat their salmon raw.
Butcher Box salmon comes from Bristol Bay, Alaska and is wild-caught.
No, ButcherBox does not ship overnight. The company ships boxes Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday for arrival by Friday. You will receive a tracking number when your box ships.
ButcherBox is a monthly meat subscription service. However, you can cancel the subscription any time. You can also purchase one-time gift boxes.
Your ButcherBox order can last about 6 to 8 hours outside since it comes with dry ice to keep your meats cool. However, you should bring your box inside as soon as possible for the best results.
If you sign up for a monthly or bimonthly subscription, your orders will ship automatically each time.
Yes, ButcherBox sends 100% pasture-raised, grass-fed and grass-finished beef.
Butcher Box Costs
You can select one of the pre-made boxes or choose your cuts with a Custom Box, and pay $129 to $149 per month. All orders receive free shipping.
Pros and Cons Review
PROS:
- Outstanding quality of all meats
- The website with many recipe suggestions
- Fully customizable box
- Free delivery
CONS:
- Subpar customer service response in some cases
Food for Thought
Looking for quality meats can be a challenging task. Especially if you want something organic, humanely raised, with animals eating real food with no antibiotics or hormones.
However, Butcher Box does an excellent job of providing premium quality meats to people all over the US.
This online meat purveyor investigates many farm practices across the US and only collaborates with ones that meet strict criteria of treating animals right, as they know it is essential for better meat quality.
The whole subscription service is quite flexible, and you should be able to pause, skip, or cancel deliveries at any time.
Keep in mind that you may have to go through customer service to do that, and there were some complaints in that area.
People reported not being able to work out an appropriate solution after problems with deliveries occurred, but Butcher Box claims to have improved the whole customer service experience.
The website is very easy to use, and there is plenty of useful information on there. For instance, you can find many delicious recipes for each cut of your order. That way, you will never run out of ideas on what to cook for dinner and lunch, and with tasty and tender meats, you know every meal will be delicious.
Free delivery is another great perk of using this service, and it is also relatively quick.
However, another con we find during our review is thin insulation used for protection during transit.
That can lead to some delivery problems, but it should be fine in most cases.
Other than that, the overall Butcher Box experience is amazing and an excellent way to get your meat if you don't have a good local source nearby.
Butcher Box is perfect for all meat-lovers looking to get a steady supply of premium quality meats every month.
Butcher Box