In this Butcher Box review I’ll go over the costs, cuts of meat that come in curated and custom boxes, and also share the meats that have come in the boxes I’ve ordered. I’ve been a Butcher Box subscriber for over 2 years and I love the quality of the meat. I order custom big boxes every 1-2 months and create meal plans around the boxes to make it fit within our grocery budget.
Updated September 24th, 2020
Butcher Box is hands down my favorite source to purchase high-quality meat. Their organic chicken, ground beef, ground pork, ground turkey, steak, and seafood are delicious. The best I’ve ever eaten!
And don’t even get me started on the bacon or ground Italian sausage. Yum! The best meatballs I’ve made have been prepared using Butcher Box ground beef and sausage.
But it’s not just the quality of the Butcher Box meat that has me singing their praises – it’s the availability too.
For reference, I have access to numerous grocery stores including Whole Foods, Wegmans, and many butchers. However, Butcher Box makes it easy and convenient to get the high-quality cuts of meats without needing to leave the house.
Ordering from Butcher Box was especially helpful when grocery stores were out of meat or didn’t have any organic chicken or beef available.
As a Butcher Box subscriber, I never went without meat at all – even when the stores were completely sold out. They totally pulled through!
For these reasons, I continue to be a happy Butcher Box customer.
Okay, let’s get to my Butcher Box review.
**This post contains affiliate links. I will receive a small commission if you decide to subscribe to Butcher Box. However, this is my completely honest review and you are by no means obligated to use my links. If you do thanks so much for supporting my site.
Butcher Box Review
What is Butcher Box?
Butcher Box is a meat distribution company. What does that mean? Basically, they are the middle man. They source out the meats, build relationships with the farmers and cooperatives, and then sell that meat to you (and me).
What makes Butcher Box unique is they only source the highest quality meats. All of the beef is grass-fed and finished, chicken is organic, and pork is heritage breed. Not to mention all the animals are humanely raised.
So, when you purchase a box of meat from Butcher Box be assured you’re getting the highest quality meats AND supporting local farmers.
Butcher Box also offers seafood and just like their meats, everything is of the highest quality.
If you’re ready to give Butcher Box a try, but don’t want to read my entire Butcher Box review, then subscribe here!
How Does Butcher Box Work?
Butcher Box is a subscription service. Depending on your needs, you can order a box of meat every 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 6 weeks. or 8 weeks.
However, you’re not necessarily married to that time frame. If your needs change then you can reschedule your shipping date to be sooner or later.
The important thing to remember is your billing date. This is shown at the top of the website after you log in. You’ll also get a reminder email when it’s getting close.
So, if you want to reschedule your box then it needs to be done before your billing date. You also need to make any changes to your box before your billing date.
Butcher Box Package Options
Butcher Box offers 5 package options:
- Mixed Box (chicken, beef, and pork)
- Beef and Chicken
- Beef and Pork
- All Beef
- Custom box
In the first 4 boxes, the meats are curated. You’re able to pick the type of meat you’d like but not the cut.
Some cuts of meat that I’ve received in curated boxes are:
- chicken thighs (bone-in and boneless)
- chicken breasts
- chicken tenders
- pork ribs
- pork chops
- round roast
- shoulder roast
- sausage
Basically, they choose from the selection of meats they have available. You choose the type of meat but Butcher Box decides on the cut. The mixed boxed is the most popular option so many people are happy with the cuts of meat they’ve received.
In the custom box, you choose the exact type and cuts of meat that’ll be sent to you.
Please know you can change these selections at any time before your box ships.
How Much Does Butcher Box Cost?
All of the mixed boxes are $129 and provide 8.5 – 11lbs of meat.
The custom box is $149 a month and has 20% more meat than the curated boxes.
After you register, you’ll be brought to a page with a large selection of meats and seafood to choose from. Then, whenever you order a custom box you’ll have the option to change the selection of meats.
For all the boxes you can choose to purchase a larger box. This is great if you have larger families or need more meat.
Another benefit of buying a larger box is it’s cheaper. So, just like with most bulk purchases, the more you buy the less you pay.
The big curated boxes are $238 and the custom big box is $270.
The type of box (and how much) you order depends on your needs.
If you’re ready to give Butcher Box a try, but don’t want to read my entire Butcher Box review, then subscribe here!
How I make Butcher Box affordable for my family?
Plan meals around the meat.
When I first started using Butcher Box I ordered the $129 mixed box and was happy with the cuts. It was a great way to get familiar with the service. However, I found myself trying to use up cuts of meats that I wouldn’t normally purchase.
So, after a couple of mixed boxes, I decided I wanted more control over the meats put into my box so I decided to order a custom box and have been doing so ever since.
Ordering a custom box makes it easier to plan out my meals in advance since I know ahead of time the meats I’m getting. This means I can purchase the other ingredients I need before my box gets delivered. This saves money and also time because I’m able to plan out our meals for 3-4 for weeks.
This essentially helps keep Butcher Box affordable because:
- I can plan meals ahead of time so I’m able to grab other ingredients in bulk or on sale.
- I can plan recipes to stretch the number of servings.
For example, if I order 2 sirloin steaks I can plan to make fajitas that will feed 4 people or I can turn a 3lb package of chicken breast into 5 meals by making a couple different shredded chicken recipes. Same with a chuck roast – I can turn that into 3-4 different meals.
Other meals I make to stretch beef, chicken, and pork:
- Classic chili
- Homemade hamburger helper
- Pasta Fagioli
- Chicken quesadillas
- Detox Chicken Soup
- Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese
- Steak salad
- Shredded Sweet and Spicey Pork
All of these meals can be made with one small custom box of meat. And often, there’s meat leftover!!
So, to make Butcher Box cost-efficient for my family it’s better if I order a custom box AND plan our meals around that box.
Fortunately, Butcher Box provides different options depending on the needs of your family. So, if you decide to subscribe, then choose the box that works best for you.
Grab exclusive member deals and add-ons
One of the biggest perks to being a Butcher Box subscriber is the add-ons and exclusive member deals. These are great!
The add-ons include things like chicken breasts, ground pork, ground beef, ground turkey, and bacon. Basically, the essentials. Once you choose an add-on it will go into your box every month unless you make changes.
Every time I order a box I include add-ons. My favorites are the ground turkey and bacon! But I always throw in an extra package of ground beef or chicken too because it won’t go to waste in my house.
The exclusive member deals are my favorite. These deals change up depending on the season and stock they have.
In the past they’ve offered:
Stock-up bundles (Chicken breast, ground beef, and/or bacon)
Grilling Bundles
Breakfast Bundles
Salmon, Scallops, and other seafood bundles
Typically, I grab a member-exclusive deal when I’m ordering my box, especially if they’re having a big stock-up bundle sale.
If you’re ready to give Butcher Box a try, but don’t want to read my entire Butcher Box review, then subscribe here!
Is Butcher Box Worth It?
When I started on my journey to clean eating habits one of the things I didn’t compromise on (and still don’t) was meat quality. I’ve been purchasing grass-fed beef and organic chicken for years so I’m used to paying a premium for meats. I know high-quality meats cost more than conventional and, personally, I think it’s worth it.
It’s a cost I put right into my grocery budget.
So, do I think Butcher Box is worth it?
Yes.
Of course, a common question is “can’t you purchase high-quality meats at the grocery store?”
Yes and no.
Here are my thoughts….
I live near a Wegmans and Whole Foods, both offer organic chicken and grass-fed beef. Their prices are very comparable. Depending on the cut, the price can be a little lower or higher. For example, organic chicken tenderloins are $10.19 a pound and grass-fed strip steak is $18.09 a pound.
I paid around $10 – $11 a pound for my custom meat box, so when all was said and done it was cheaper to order from Butcher Box. And, to be honest, I felt the quality was better.
Not to mention, I need to drive to the store if I want to purchase meat. This cost me time and money. Is this a huge deal? Maybe, maybe not but something to keep in mind.
Also, I live near 2 other grocery stores, and a wholesale store, that don’t offer organic chicken and grass-fed options. So, it’s likely that some people don’t have access to high-quality meats at their local grocery store.
Last, we can’t ignore the fact that it’s possible many grocery stores can quickly sell out of organic high-quality meat. As a Butcher Box subscriber, I had access to high-quality meats when all my local stores were completely sold out. This alone will keep me a loyal customer.
Another argument is it’s cheaper to source your own farmers and purchase meat locally. Again, this is an option for some but certainly not all.
I can tell you it didn’t work for me. I loved the idea of purchasing locally but couldn’t find a farmer that offered organic or grass-fed. The one time I did purchase beef from a local farmer (not grass-fed) I needed to organize with 2 other people because there was a lot of beef to go around.
It was a huge hassle, took a lot of time, required a large upfront cost, and I didn’t think the meat was that tasty. Also, keep in mind, this was just for beef if I wanted pork or chicken I had to repeat that process. In my experience, sourcing farmers didn’t work for me.
With all that said I think Butcher Box is absolutely worth the cost. I find their prices to be comparable considering the high-quality meat they conveniently deliver to your door. Boxes can easily be ordered online and, if you order a custom box, you know what you’re getting.
Overall, I feel Butcher Box is worth it for these 3 reasons:
- Prices are comparable to organic meats at Whole Foods and Wegmans.
- Member-exclusive deals that allow you to stock up at great prices.
- Conveniently delivered to your door so you can limit your time in stores.
Butcher Box Deals
Butcher Box is always offering big deals to new subscribers. You can click here to see what their latest deal is.
Who Would Benefit from using Butcher Box?
Like I’ve said, I think Butcher Box would work great for people who put high quality meat on the top of their priority list. Even more if you don’t have time to go to the store or source farmers. So, if high quality meat + convenience = you then I recommend giving Butcher Box a try.
It’s also a great option if you want to limit the time you spend in grocery stores. All you need to do is put in an order and within a few days, a box of high-quality meat is delivered to your door. You don’t have to worry about the stores being sold out or even leaving your house to purchase meat.
It could be the meat solution you’ve been looking for.
Who Shouldn’t Even Bother using Butcher Box?
I don’t think Butcher Box is for everyone. If you’re not concerned with organic chicken or grass-fed beef then this service isn’t going to be of interest to you.
If you have access to high-quality meats, and don’t mind grocery shopping, then you probably won’t experience the benefits of Butcher Box.
If you’re ready to give Butcher Box a try, but don’t want to read my entire Butcher Box review, then subscribe here!
My personal experience
Okay, let’s get to my own personal experience with Butcher Box
I have to say out of all the products and services I use, Butcher Box is one of my favorites.
Like I said, organic meat is a priority to me and I love when my box of meat shows up at my doorstep!
Speaking of doorstep, one of the first questions I get with Butcher Box is ‘does the meat stay frozen’?
How long can Butcher Box Stay Outside For?
When I first ordered Butcher Box I was a little apprehensive because other Butcher Box reviews, and Facebook comments, mentioned that the meat was thawed by the time the box got delivered.
So when my first box came I didn’t know what to expect.
When I saw it on my front porch it was sitting there for at least a half hour or so in the blazing heat – it was over 80 degrees the day I received my first Butcher Box. Regardless, there didn’t seem to be any leaking and the box was still cold.
I opened it right away. The meat was kept frozen with dry ice and thick insulation.
My box came with a large black freezer bag as well. I thought this was cute.
free bag from butcher box
Now for the moment of truth. Was the meat still frozen? And the answer is…
Yes! All of the meat was frozen solid. I was pretty shocked because it was super hot outside and the meat felt as if I just took it out of my deep freezer. I actually grabbed my phone to do a quick video so you can see for yourself that all the meat is frozen. I didn’t think pictures would do this justice, I wanted you to hear me slam it on the counter. This was completely on the fly so please excuse my minimal makeup and basic clothes 🙂 #bloggerlife
Butcher Box Video
This is everything I received in my first box.
- 4lbs of ground beef
- 2 package of bacon
- 4 top sirloin steaks
- 2 strip steaks
- 3lbs of chicken tenders
- 4 boneless porkchops
If you’re ready to give Butcher Box a try, but don’t want to read my entire Butcher Box review, then subscribe here!
I’ve ordered about 10 boxes since then and every time my box showed up cold and all the meat is frozen solid. So, I’ve never had a personal experience with meat being thawed.
Like I said, I order custom boxes now because it makes more sense with meal planning and budgeting. Here are a few pictures of the meat, chicken, pork, and seafood I’ve received in my boxes since becoming a subscriber.
Does The Meat Taste Good?
Of course, none of this means anything if the meat tastes gross, right? Good thing that’s not the case. Not even close. Butcher Box is the best tasting meat I’ve ever purchased.
Every recipe I make is elevated because of the quality of the Butcher Box beef, chicken, pork, and seafood. Whenever my husband, kids, or guests say “wow this recipe is so good” I say right away it’s because of the high-quality meat.
I’ve made just about everything with Butcher Box meat.
- Meatballs
- Meatloaf (also made this with ground turkey)
- Pasta Fagioli
- Stuffed Peppers
- Pasta and rice bakes
- Casseroles
- Sheet pan dinners
- Sauce, chilis, and soups
However, even though the taste is important, along with everything else I talked about, I have to say I feel really good eating meat that I know was humanely raised. These animals lived a good life and were treated with respect.
This is important to me because, without getting into all the horrors of the conventional meat industry, I want to know that I’m feeding my family quality meat. This makes Butcher Box worth it to me.
Overall Thoughts
- Prices are comparable to grass-fed and organic meats in the store. Depending on the cuts it could be a little more or less. I think having the option to purchase a larger box for less is good.
- I like that you can get a custom box. This can be a deciding factor for many people. Personally, when I’m spending money I like to choose my items.
- The company seems to go over and beyond to assure that you are successful with their service.
- Meat continues to show up frozen solid.
- The quality of the meat was as expected. Amazing!
- They offer exclusive member-only deals!
- Overall, I think Butcher Box is a great service for those that would benefit from it.
If you’re looking for a service that delivers high-quality organic meat directly to your door then I recommend trying out Butcher Box.
I hope my Butcher Box Review helps you make an informed decision about whether or not it’s a good fit for you. If you’re ready to try Butcher Box you (new subscribers) you sign up here for their latest deal!
I would love to hear your opinions on Butcher Box? What’s been your experience?
Other reviews:
**This post contains affiliate links. I will receive a small commission if you decide to subscribe to Butcher Box. However, this is my completely honest review and you are by no means obligated to use my links. If you do thanks so much for supporting my site.
We’re downsizing to a large apartment complex soon, so how would delivery be handled to an inside door, nothing to stop theft?
That a great question. I would ask the apartment complex how they handle deliveries like this. I would think it’s the same with any larger delivery. I know in my sister’s complex they deliver it right to their door (inside the complex). But I would think every complex is different.
How did it work for you that all of the meat was frozen? I can NEVER seem to remember to thaw meat before I need it!
I agree! Ha! I actually prefer to freezer meat as part of a recipe. Basically, I just had to remember and plan our meals around what was in the freezer. I also thawed a few things at once when I prepped for the week.
I’ve actually had a bad experience with them. I signed up during a bacon for life offer and they will not honor it. I have a screenshot with date and time metadata on it and they are not budging. They also have forgotten things in each of the three custom boxes I received so far. They resolve to make it up by sending bacon in the next box but they’ve forgotten that all three times too…
I’m sorry you had that experience. I’ve had great experience with their customer service. I hope it all work out for you.
I just got my first box and signed up during a $20 off first two boxes + free first box bacon.
Also! Was looking on the site and at the bottom there is a “student” link! $20 off every box + bacon in every box through a Unidays account (easy to sign up for). Very excited to keep using this service especially with the student discount.
wow that’s great! I didn’t know about the student discount.
Received my first order today after finally getting through to Fedex on a Sunday and they were very nice and within 15 minutes my meat was here but unfortunately it took four days to get to Cape Cod Massachusetts and that should not have been. There was no longer any dry ice. All the meats were defrosted and close to room temperature. I was so disappointed Especially with company coming for Fourth of July
I called butcher box and they will replace my order after next week when I return from holiday. I was advised by them to throw it all out because it was too close to room temperature and that was sickening to have to do that.
What “GRADE” is the Beef? There are three Grades of Beef from which to choose. They are “PRIME,” “CHOICE” and “SELECT.” Which GRADE is the Beef from Butcher Box?
I was not impressed with Butcherbox.com. While it was great for convenience purposes, the meat itself was not great and the cuts were clearly skimpy. I did get the feeling that there was not much care in the product. I had a terrible customer service experience. In the end I cancelled when they refused to cancel my order after I was evacuated for a hurricane. Although they knew that the hurricane was imminent, they sent the box. Of course, since I was forced to evacuate all the meat was rancid and the food sinfully wasted. They had the option to postpose the order but chose not too. I disputed the charge to my account, and prevailed. They not only lost the product, their profit but they lost a customer.
My recommendation, find another service provider who has some respect for their product.