Stock Yards vs ButcherBox (2023's Complete Comparison)

A meat delivery service is an excellent way to bring some freshness and creativity to your meals.

But, with so many meat delivery services, it can be difficult to know which one is best for you.

As a huge carnivore, I’ve been trying out different meat boxes for the past several years. I’ve tried and reviewed all the meat deliveries available on the market, and today I’ll focus on Stock Yards and ButcherBox.

I’ll explain how they are different and their features so you can choose the best meat subscription boxes for you.

ButcherBox vs Stock Yards: Key Differences

The main difference between Stock Yards and ButcherBox is how you can order your meat.

Stock Yards is more of a la carte meat selection, which means you can order as few or as many cuts of meat as you want.

That being said, they also offer some subscription boxes, but their main focus is on individual cuts of meat.

On the other hand, ButcherBox is a monthly subscription only. They offer five meat subscription boxes. You can’t buy an individual piece of meat, but only a box.

Another difference is in the products these companies offer. Stock Yards has several other products apart from meat, such as appetizers and sides, meal prep packs, and desserts. ButcherBox only sells meat.

Finally, ButcherBox is a company that only focuses on meat subscription boxes. They work with small family farms and ranches, while Stock Yards is a part of 1-800-Flowers Corporation. Meat delivery is only one part of their business.

They have a vast family of brands and other businesses apart from selling meat.

Comparing Their Features Head to Head

These are the biggest stand-out features for both meat deliveries.

1. Meat Selection

These best meat subscription boxes offer different kinds of meat.

Stock Yards

Stock Yards online meat delivery is primarily focused on steaks. They specialize in USDA prime steaks and certified Angus beef, but they also sell different kinds of meat, such as pork, veal, lamb, poultry, and seafood. They offer both dry and wet aging meat.

Here are some of their most popular meat options in each category.

Beef:

• Beef jerky
• New York Strip Steak
• Flat iron steak
• Japanese Wagyu
• Porterhouse steak
• Filet mignon

Pork:

• Baby back pork ribs
• Spiral sliced ham
• Ground pork
• Five-bone natural pork roast

Poultry:

• Oven-roasted turkey
• Smoked turkey
• Chicken pot pie

Lamb and veal:

• Frenched lamb rib chops
• Frenched veal rib chops
• Lamb porterhouse chops
• Rack of lamb

Seafood:

• Jumbo shrimp
• Surf and turf
• Cold-Water Lobster Tails
• Alaskan halibut filets

They also have a special section for burgers and hot dogs, which is a good choice when you’re planning a BBQ party.

ButcherBox

ButcherBox offers a selection of beef, pork, chicken, and seafood. They have a smaller food selection compared to Stock Yards — they don’t offer lamb or veal and only occasionally turkey.

Some of their popular meat options include:

• Boneless pork chops
• Whole chicken
• Ribeye steaks
• Boneless skinless chicken breasts
• New York strip steak
• Ground beef
• Beef burgers
• Ground turkey
• Sea scallops
• Uncured hot dogs

2. Subscription Boxes

Here are the subscription options these companies offer.

Stock Yards

Stock Yards has two subscription boxes:

• Stock Yards club starting at $199 — This is a monthly delivery of different products from their website. Some products that are included include pork, seafood, lamb, and beef.
• Steakhouse Club box starting at $349,99 — This is a monthly delivery of different steaks and chops.

ButcherBox

ButcherBox has five subscription boxes you can choose from:

• Custom box — You can choose up to 25 cuts of meat. It comes in two options:
  1. 9 to 14 lbs $159
  2. 18 to 26 lbs $288
• Mixed box — Includes a selection of beef, pork, and chicken. There are humanely raised beef, organic chicken, and heritage-breed pork.
• Beef and chicken box — Includes a selection of humanely raised beef and organic chicken.
• Beef and pork box — Includes a selection of humanely raised beef and pork basics.
• All beef box — A selection of humanely raised beef.

Apart from the custom subscription box, all other boxes come in two different sizes:

• 8 to 11 lbs $137 per box
• 16 to 22 lbs $253 per box

The larger meat subscription box is a good option for a family of meat lovers. However, this could be too much meat for a single person. In that case, go for the smaller size.

3. Meat Sourcing

Stock Yards doesn’t offer much information on how they source their meat. They say their meat cuts come from Midwestern corn-fed stock [1].

“Stock Yards proudly offers only USDA Choice and USDA Prime grades, giving you the widest possible selection of only the very finest beef. We select from only Midwestern grain-fed stock and naturally age all of our USDA Choice and USDA Prime for 21 to 30 days in their own juices to maximize the tenderness and flavor.”
- Stock Yards Official Website 

They pay the most attention to their steaks. The steaks are hand-trimmed by master butchers who supply their restaurants. They want to ensure the steaks are juicy, tender, and flavorful.

They also have wet and dry-aged ground beef and steaks.

The wet aging process is done to enhance the richness and tenderness. The dry-aging process is done to produce a deep, woodsy flavor.

Their beef matures under ultraviolet light, and each steak is carefully inspected.

ButcherBox provides much more information on how they source their meat:

• Beef — They have 100% grass-fed, grass-finished beef. The cattle are humanely raised and never given antibiotics or growth hormones [2]. 
• Pork — Humanely raised crate-free, without antibiotics and hormones. They have heritage-breed pork, which means the pork comes from breeds such as Duroc, Berkshire, and Chester White. This pork has a slower maturation process, which enables better marbling.
• Chicken — Humanely raised organic chicken and USDA certified organic.
• Sustainably sourced seafood — Seafood is sustainably harvested and includes salmon, cod, lobster, scallops, and halibut.

4. Shipping and Packaging

Here's the low down on these companies' shipping and packaging practices.

Stock Yards

They ship on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday and process orders during the working week. You don't have to be present for delivery, as there's no signature required.

They don't offer free shipping. Instead, the shipping fee depends on your total order amount, ranging from $6.99 to $23.99.

You can also opt for express shipping, which costs $9.99 to $24.99 per item + the standard shipping fee.

Depending on your order, they ship fresh or frozen meat in a reusable shipping freezer. A gift box is included to protect the products and can be used for storage. They also include dry ice to keep the meat fresh.

The company has a guarantee they claim is the "strongest in business." If you buy a product and it arrives damaged or is lost, you'll receive a refund or a replacement.

If you opt for a replacement and it's out of stock, you'll get another one of equal or greater value.

ButcherBox

ButcherBox meat subscription service offers free shipping on all of their orders. Plus, no matter which meat subscription box you opt for, you'll get free ground beef for the duration of your subscription.

ButcherBox delivers all over the US, except for Alaska and Hawaii.

This online meat delivery company will ship your meat within 3 to 7 days of ordering. I received my custom boxes 3 days after placing my order.

I was particularly impressed with their free shipping policy, which meant I could spend more on high-quality meat every week.

ButcherBox sends an email confirming the delivery and another one when delivery is done. Like Stock Yards, you don't have to be home to get the delivery.

The meat is packed in 100% recyclable cardboard insulated boxes, and each cut is flash frozen and vacuum-packed in a freezer bag with dry ice. Because of this, meat can stay outside for up to 8 hours.

Stand Out Features

I mentioned that Stock Yards offers other products apart from meat. It includes appetizers such as:

• Cauliflower risotto
• Crab cakes
• Black truffle and almond green beans
• Twice-baked potatoes

They also have an ample offering of desserts, such as:

• Cheesecake
• Salted caramel apple pie
• Tiramisu
• Baklava
• Brownie assortment

These come in handy when you’re hosting a party and don’t want to bake yourself.

Finally, they offer a selection of corporate and personalized gifts. These include everything from aprons, drinks such as wine and beer, pizza sets, and different meat cuts primarily intended as a gift.

Related Articles:

• Cratejoy vs ButcherBox
• Goldbelly vs ButcherBox
• Good Chop vs ButcherBox

ButcherBox vs Stock Yards: What’s the Best Meat Service for You?

Both Stock Yards and ButcherBox are among the best meat subscriptions. However, my vote goes to ButcherBox.

I like that they aren’t a big corporation but a company that only does box subscriptions. Most importantly, they have premium quality meat that’s some of the best I’ve ever tried.

Their shipping is reliable and always comes on time. But, in case of an issue, they offer a complete satisfaction guarantee so that you can order their high-quality meats with peace of mind.

Finally, I’m impressed with their sourcing practices. Unlike other meat companies, ButcherBox only sells humanely raised meat that’s never given antibiotics or hormones.

Click here, and start your monthly subscription today.