Mr. Steak vs ButcherBox (2023) Choose the Best Meat Delivery

Last Updated On: April 19, 2023

After countless runs to the grocery store and coming back empty-handed or with subpar cuts of meat, I turned to online meat delivery services.

I’ve made it my mission to test all meat delivery options available on the market, and today I’ll talk compare Mr. Steak and ButcherBox.

I’ve tried several different subscription boxes from these meat delivery services.

I’ll explain what I liked and the main differences between them, so you can choose the best meat delivery service for you.

ButcherBox vs Mr. Steak: Key Differences

The main difference between Mr. Steak and ButcherBox is how flexible their orders are.

Namely, Mr. Steak doesn’t require a subscription.

You can subscribe if you want, in which case you’ll get 10% off on every box, but you don’t have to. You can make a one-time offer without subscribing.

Mr. Steak meat delivery is much more flexible compared to the ButcherBox.

You can mix and match your favorite cuts of meat or choose one of Mr. Steak’s best-selling boxes. The choice is up to you.

On the other hand, ButcherBox is a monthly meat subscription service. You can choose what meat package you want and how often you want it delivered — monthly or every other month.

They have one subscription box (Custom Box) where you can choose each of the 25 cuts sent to you. The other subscription box options don’t let you decide.

Comparing Their Features Head to Head

Here are all the features of Mr. Steak and ButcherBox meat delivery services.

1. Meat Selection

Both Mr. Steak and ButcherBox claim to offer high-quality meat. However, there are significant differences in the types of meat these meat delivery services offer.

Mr. Steak

Mr. Steak meat delivery service only offers beef cuts and no other kinds of meat. That being said, their choice of beef is outstanding — they have almost every standard cut of beef, plus specialty steaks such as Japanese and American Wagyu.

You can choose between:

USDA Prime
Wagyu
Burgers & Brats
Curated boxes

Popular products from Mr. Steak include:

Filet Mignon
New York Strip
Flat Iron
Ribeye
Porterhouse
Brisket burgers
Craft steak burgers

They’ll have something for every beef-lover. I also liked that each meat option, and there are quite a lot of them, has a comprehensive description.

You’ll see a photo, a short paragraph, and bullet points that explain each cut. Some even have videos included. This made the selection much easier, especially if you’re a steak newbie.

“Mr. Steak was one of the best steaks I’ve had at home. It was devoured by everyone in my family, and it was delicious. The quality of the meat was high, and there was a lot of marbling which added a lot of flavor.”
- Food Box HQ YouTube Channel

Apart from selling individual cuts of meat, Mr. Steak also has curated boxes. There are 8 options in total. The boxes include USDA Prime, Starter, Wagyu Wonderland, and holiday boxes.

Whether you’re a steak beginner or want to cook a holiday feast, Mr. Steak has an option for you.

ButcherBox

ButcherBox works on a subscription basis, so the cuts of meat you’ll get depend on your chosen plan.

Compared to Mr. Steak, they have a smaller variety of beef. However, they also offer other kinds of meat, such as free-range organic chicken, heritage breed pork, and wild-caught seafood.

Compared to Mr. Steak, they don’t offer as much information on the cuts of meat they sell.

There’s only a short description for each of their boxes that lists an example of what you can expect to get.

Popular products from ButcherBox include:

New York strip steaks
Ribeye steaks
Humanely raised pork
Sockeye salmon
Grass-fed ground beef
Ground pork
Sausages
Pork loin
Boneless skinless chicken breast
Dry-aged steak
Cured meat
Boneless pork chops

2. Meat Sourcing

Here’s how both of these meat services source their meat.

Mr. Steak

Mr. Steak sources all its meat within a 250-mile radius of Omaha, Nebraska.

This area is also called “Napa Valley of Beef.” The meat is sourced from local ranches that have pasture-raised cattle finished on grain. It ensures the best marbling.

The company also says they only work with local ranchers who raise the cattle humanely. The meat is hand-selected and shipped directly to the user.

ButcherBox

I was impressed by how transparent ButcherBox is when it comes to its sourcing practices. They go into much more detail compared to Mr. Steak.

Here’s how ButcherBox sources its meat:

Beef — They have 100% grass-fed and grass-finished beef that’s humanely raised in pastures [1]. The beef is never given antibiotics or growth hormones. Most of their beef comes from Australia [2].
Pork — Pork is raised crate-free, on a vegetarian diet, and it’s also antibiotics and hormone-free. A lot of their pork is raised from heritage-breed lineages, such as Duroc, Berkshire, and Chester White. The pork has a slower maturation process and develops fine marbling thanks to these genetics.
Chicken — The free-range chicken is USDA certified organic and raised without cages or crates.
Seafood — Wild-caught seafood is sustainably harvested to ensure there’s enough seafood for future generations. Seafood includes salmon, scallops, cod, halibut, and lobster.

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3. Box Options and Prices

Even though Mr. Steak isn’t a subscription delivery service like ButcherBox, they have various beef boxes on offer. Here’s a breakdown of all of them.

Mr. Steak offers the following boxes:

Santa’s Sampler Box $135.
Merry Meats Holiday Box $195
Merry Meats Deluxe Holiday Box $266
USDA Prime Super Starter Box $163
USDA Prime Grill Masters Box $289.95
USDA Prime Big Boys Bone-in Box $374
USDA Prime Family Favorite Box $209
Wagyu Wonderland Box $499

All these are available as a one-time purchase, and there’s no need to subscribe.

ButcherBox offers the following boxes:

Custom Box — You can choose up to 25 different cuts of meat, including cured meats, grass-fed beef, sirloin steaks, breakfast sausage, wild-caught salmon, boneless pork loin chops, and more. It comes in two options:
1. Smaller box $159, weighing 9 to 14 lbs
2. Bigger box $288, weighing 18 to 26 lbs.
Mixed box — Includes grass-fed beef, free-range organic chicken, and pork raised crate-free. You don’t have the option to choose what you’ll get with this box.
Beef and Chicken box — Includes organic grass-fed beef and organic chicken. It can include chicken breasts, whole chicken, NY strip steak, and more.
Beef and pork box — Beef and pork raised crate-free.
All beef box — Includes a curated selection of beef cuts, such as chuck roast, steak tips, ground beef, and more.

All of the boxes come in smaller and bigger versions:

The smaller box is 8 to 11 lbs, costing $137 per box or $5.71 per meal.
The bigger box is 16 to 22 lbs, costing $253 per box and $5.27 per meal.

The bigger box is an excellent option if you have 4-5 family members and some freezer storage room. It is a great way to save money and have meat on hand without running to the local butcher.

4. Packaging and Shipping

Meat is a perishable good, so your meat delivery service must have good practices. Here’s how these two companies ship their meat.

Mr. Steak

You can choose between ground or express delivery options when you place an order on the Mr. Steak website. They ship on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday [3].

They ship to all US states except Alaska and Hawaii. You must have at least $94 in your cart to checkout, and if your order is higher than $175, you’ll get free shipping.

Mr. Steak is currently offering free insured shipping, so your money will be safe no matter if the order is damaged, stolen, or lost during transit.

What impressed me the most was Mr. Steak’s eco-friendly, biodegradable packaging. My order arrived in a Green Cell Foam cooler packaging made of compostable corn. When you put it in warm water, it’ll dissolve.

Each of the steaks in the package was vacuum-sealed and carefully wrapped with dry ice so it didn’t thaw while in transit.

As soon as I placed my order, I received an email with tracking information, so I could follow my meat box every step of the way and know exactly when it would arrive.

Finally, I liked that Mr. Steak has carbon-neutral shipping on every shipment. This shows they put a lot of effort into not harming the environment.

ButcherBox

ButcherBox gets a huge plus for having free delivery on all orders. They also send an email with the tracking information. My tracking info was correct, and I could prepare for the box’s arrival.

ButcherBox says you’ll get your first order within 3 to 7 days of ordering. My box arrived four days after ordering.

If you decide to continue with the subscription, you can choose to get a box every month, every six or eight weeks.

During the months I used their delivery service, my box always arrived on time, with no delays or mix-ups.

They also ship to all US states except for Alaska and Hawaii.

As for the packaging, they have meat delivered in 100% recyclable cardboard insulated boxes. The meat arrives with dry ice, which can keep it cold for 6 to 8 hours upon delivery [4].

I couldn’t be there when my Custom box arrived, so it was outside for an hour at ambient temperature.

The meat was still frozen when I opened the package. The meat was also vacuum-sealed to make sure it was fresh.

Overall, I was satisfied with ButcherBox shipping. While their packaging is slightly less eco-friendly than Mr. Steak's, it’s still done very well, and the meat stays frozen.

They also offer a very tempting offer of free ground beef for your membership.

Stand Out Features

Mr. Steak has more stand-out features compared to ButcherBox. They function more like local grocery stores, as they give you more flexibility.

You can choose between tons of high-quality beef and how much meat you want.

On the other hand, ButcherBox offers more types of meat, including chicken breasts, pork tenderloin, pork, chops, salmon, and more. But, they are more restrictive in terms of customer freedom to choose.

The only box that allows you to select which cuts of meat you want is the Custom box. All others, such as the Mixed box, two kinds of meat boxes, and all-beef, don’t let you choose.

That being said, Mr. Steak is more expensive than ButcherBox.

Mr. Steak has another stand-out feature. Apart from high-quality meats, they also offer:

Grills — There’s a selection of 5 Mr. Steak grills. 3 propane, and 2 infrared.
Gift center:
1. Cards — Mr. Steak offers five different gift cards, ranging from $50 to $250. These are a great gift for your meat-loving friend.
2. Gift boxes — Choose between 4 different meat boxes. Each contains grass-finished beef, such as steaks, brisket burgers, and Wagyu beef.
Grill school — A blog full of homemade recipes, such as Blue Cheese Crusted Filet Mignon, Pork Chops, and more. There are also guides for beginners. You can find an explanation on Prime Rib vs. Ribeye, Japanese Wagyu vs. American Wagyu, and others.

Related Articles:

ButcherBox vs Mr. Steak: What’s the Best Meat Delivery Service for You?

Both Mr. Steak and ButcherBox are good delivery services. They have high-quality meat that's sustainably and pasture-raised.

But, my #1 choice is ButcherBox. They have a better meat variety compared to Mr. Steak. Even more importantly, their meat is high-quality.

ButcherBox meat delivery puts a lot of emphasis on sustainable sourcing, so you can be sure you’re getting meat that’s been raised according to the highest standards.

I was impressed not only with the meat quality but with the packaging. It really showed they put a lot of effort into every aspect of their business. My meat arrived frozen in recyclable packaging.

With ButcherBox, there’s no more need to run to the local butcher shop or go grocery shopping when you feel like eating meat. Click here to make your online order, and enjoy eating top-notch, juicy cuts of meat.

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ButcherBox