Pros & Cons

The Pros

• ButcherBox offers a wide selection of cuts of meat and proteins including heritage breed pork chops, sirloin steaks, whole chicken and boneless and skinless chicken, chuck roast, ground pork, pork loin, filet mignon, chicken breasts, salmon, top sirloin, chicken thighs, pork tenderloin, and ground beef (just to name a few!). You'll also sometimes find breakfast sausage on the menu.
• You can customize shipments to feature your choice of protein(s) and add additional items to your order. Choose from four different curated boxes or create your own.
• ButcherBox works with you to fit your needs. It's easy to update your order or change your delivery date or shipment frequency online.
• Shipping is free.
• Animals are humanely raised, hormone-free, and are not given unnecessary antibiotics.
• ButcherBox meat is high-quality. Beef is 100% grass-fed, chicken is free-range, pork is humanely raised, and seafood is wild-caught.
• Everything arrives vacuum-sealed.
• If you decide to set up recurring shipments, you can cancel your subscription from your online account.

The Cons

• If you want to receive different products each week, you'll need to remember to log into your account before each shipment to make changes.
• You get what you pay for. The meat is delicious and high-quality, but it's not cheap.
• Subscribers report ongoing issues with torn packaging.

About ButcherBox

ButcherBox Cost

When you sign up for a ButcherBox subscription, you can choose a curated box or build your own. Curated boxes contain between 8.5 and 11 pounds of meat and cost $129.00 per month with free shipping. The following variations are available:

• The Mixed Box contains a selection of 100% grass-fed beef, free-range organic chicken, pork raised crate-free and wild-caught seafood.
• The Beef & Chicken Box contains 100% grass-fed beef and free-range organic chicken.
• The Beef & Pork Box contains 100% grass-fed beef and pork raised crate-free.
• The All Beef Box contains a selection of 100% grass-fed ground beef and whole cut beef.

Want to pick out your own proteins? Custom Boxes allow you to build your own box and select from over 25 different cuts. You'll receive between 9 and 14 pounds of meat for $149.00 per month.

What You'll Get

High-quality meat that's free from antibiotics and humanely raised. Every month, you can pick out a curated classic box or create your own. Add-ons are also available.

The Packaging

Meat is shipped frozen, and it's kept cold with dry ice packets. The box is insulated and the packaging is 100% recyclable.

Shipping Info

ButcherBox ships to all U.S. states except for Alaska and Hawaii.

This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

My Review of ButcherBox

With grilling season upon us, I've been looking for ways to source meat that I can feel good about serving my friends and family. Of course, I want meat that's delicious and high-quality, but it's also important to me that animals are raised humanely and seafood is sourced sustainably. I've been struggling with the products that are available to me locally, so I've started looking elsewhere. I recently discovered Crowd Cow, and I wanted to try out ButcherBox to see how the two compare.

Previous

2 of 2

1 of 2

2 of 2

1 of 2

2 of 2

Next

• 1
• 2

But before I get ahead of myself, let's talk about the packaging. ButcherBox packs and ships meat frozen, and it's kept cool in transit with dry ice. I sometimes get a little nervous about whether or not this type of packing can hold up to the Louisiana heat, but I'm happy to report that everything was frozen solid when it reached my doorstep. The one issue I encountered was a torn edge of one of the steak packages. Since the meat arrived frozen, this wasn't especially messy or troubling, but it is an issue other subscribers have reported, as well.

Previous

6 of 6

1 of 6

2 of 6

3 of 6

4 of 6

5 of 6

6 of 6

1 of 6

2 of 6

3 of 6

4 of 6

5 of 6

6 of 6

Next

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6

ButcherBox was kind enough to send me a selection of products to try and review, and they started with a Mixed Box (containing pork, beef, chicken, and steak) and added on a bag of sockeye salmon. Here's a full list:

• (4) 8 oz. Pork Chops
• (2) 16 oz. Ground Beef
• (1) Whole Chicken
• (2) 16 oz. Premium Steak Tips
• (2) 10 oz. Rib Eye Steaks
• 2 pounds Salmon

Previous

3 of 3

1 of 3

2 of 3

3 of 3

1 of 3

2 of 3

3 of 3

Next

• 1
• 2
• 3

I also received a BBQ Bundle, which ButcherBox is offering as a free meat bonus to new subscribers who sign up before the end of May 2021. The BBQ Bundle contains six burgers, five pounds of drumsticks, and two NY strip steaks. Honestly, I think this is an incredible bonus (7+ Pounds of meat for free? I mean, WHAAAT?), and it made unpacking my shipment feel like some kind of clown car circus act. I just kept. pulling. meat. out. of. the. box.

Previous

4 of 4

1 of 4

2 of 4

3 of 4

4 of 4

1 of 4

2 of 4

3 of 4

4 of 4

Next

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4

Given that this box contained a bundle designed with barbecuing in mind, it seemed only right that I should fire up the grill. I cooked up pork chops, a filet of salmon, and some burgers. I also marinated the steak tips in a mix of olive oil, lemon juice, and za'atar seasoning and made kebabs with a red pepper and summer squash. The quality of everything was fantastic, and the taste was excellent. First of all, let's talk about the burgers. Frequently, I find that the toppings I pile on top of my hamburgers overshadow the taste of the meat itself, but that wasn't the case with these. The meat was, well, meaty! The steak tips were good quality, and my za-atar marinade added a nice, earthy layer of flavor. The salmon was fresh and not at all fishy, but the real star was the pork chops. Now, I'll be honest. I tend to avoid buying pork chops because more often than not they dry out too much during cooking, but that was not at all the case here. Perhaps it's because these are thicker than the ones I usually see at the grocery store, but they weren't dry or rubbery in the slightest. They were super tender and very juicy.

Since my grill out, I've also managed to sample the chicken, steaks, and ground beef, and I've been very impressed. Everything has been fresh, and the quality is definitely there.

What are readers saying about ButcherBox?

"I have been getting Butcherbox for at least two years. Never had the torn packaging problem. Only problem I ever have had was my most recent box and I got Buffalo meat instead of chicken. I called customer service and they were quick to give me a credit. I gave the meat away and it was all good. Love having a consistent supply of fresh clean meat and fish that I don't have to go searching around for. The sausages are good when they have them. We are only 2 people and it is easy to extend the delivery if we need to or get one sooner. Got last years turkey from them also. It was great." -Sara

 

"I've been subscribed for a year now, trying to give it a fair shake, but it has been problem after problem. Every box has come with torn packaging that exposes the raw meat to freezer burn, and leaks everywhere as it thaws. They have substituted items without prior warning or giving me a choice, resulting in me getting meats I don't even eat. The convenience of having it shipped to me is completely outweighed by the how much I end up giving away or tossing because it's damaged." -Ken

 

"I have been using this for over 2 years and absolutely love it. It is a fantastic way to consistently have 100% grass fed beef on hand. I have only had one incident with torn packaging, and customer service was great and replaced the product in the next box." -Leslie

Read more reader reviews here.

Are there alternatives to ButcherBox?

If you like the idea of meat delivery, but you're not sure ButcherBox is the right subscription for you, there are a few competitors that might be a better fit.

Crowd Cow

Like ButcherBox, Crowd Cow specializes in high-quality meat and delivers it to your front door. One of the great things about this subscription is that they offer a wide selection of proteins, and there are a lot of high-end meats to choose from. Lobster, Wagyu, and wild black cod are all available, and Japanese Kobe is coming soon. Learn more about Crowd Cow by visiting our brand page.

Porter Road

Another meat subscription service is Porter Road. Interesting to note is that in addition to cuts of beef, chicken, and pork, Porter Road also specializes in sausages, broth, and breakfast meat. They do not currently sell seafood. Have you tried Porter Road? You can leave a review on our brand page here.

Snake River Farms

Snake River Farms specializes in quality beef and meat. (Think American Wagyu, Kurobuta Pork, and more.) The selection isn't as wide, and they don't sell seafood; however, their laser focus has won them a loyal fanbase. We haven't published a review of Snake River Farms on MSA before. Would you like to see one? Let us know in the comments section below.

For even more alternatives to ButcherBox, be sure to check out our list of the 18 Best Meat Subscription Boxes and Delivery Services!

My Verdict

I have to say, ButcherBox sent me a BIG box of meat. I've had a lot of fun cooking my way through it, and I'm happy to report that the quality is 100% there. Everything has tasted great, and it's clear freshness is tip top. I've been struggling recently with sourcing high-quality meat that's ethically raised, and I can't really argue with the convenience of having it shipped to my front door. Personally, my biggest concern with this subscription is that it might simply be too much for my family, but the fact that I can keep it in the freezer and adjust the amount of time between deliveries alleviates those worries a bit.

At $129.00 per month for 8.5- 11 pounds of meat, this certainly isn't the cheapest way to stock the freezer; however, given the convenience and quality of the meat, I think it's worth it. If you're feeding a large family, planning to host a lot of cookouts, or maybe just really love meat, I doubt you'll have a hard time eating your way through a box every single month, and the products are a good deal better than your standard grocery store offering.

Have you tried ButcherBox? Let us know what you think in the comments section below!