Summertime is grilling season, and gone are the days when you have to schlep to the supermarket through Saturday morning heat to get the best pick of cuts. Meat delivery services offer a reliable, convenient alternative to buying in-store, often with access to types and cuts of meat that you may not find at your local grocery. I spoke to Coco Pierrel, certified integrative nutritionist and founder of Eat Shed Glow, as well as Dr. Susan Kais, a dual board-certified gastroenterologist and IBD specialist at UC Health, to find out more about picking the best meat delivery service before your next BBQ.

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Below, I rounded up the best meat delivery services that have been tested and reviewed by NBC Selected editors.

Butcherbox uses a subscription-based model that allows you to choose from their full selection of meat and seafood, which includes over 80 core and specialty cuts, according to the brand. The subscription allows for a choice of a medium, large or extra-large box with your choice of proteins, with prices ranging from $179 to $319 per box. You can also choose how often your box is delivered depending on your cooking needs.

Although the offerings include chicken breast, shrimp, salmon and more, the star of the show is definitely the beef. The brand has a wide range of beef options, including grass-fed, pasture-raised, grain-finished, free-range and more. The meat is sourced in the US, aside from the grass-fed and grass-finished cuts, which are from Australia due to its ideal grassland climate, according to the brand.

I received an assortment of beef, chicken and seafood from the brand, including my favorite, the sockeye salmon. It was juicy, tender and one of the meatiest salmon I’ve ever tried — it was thick, firm and had the telltale bright pink hue of high-quality salmon. I also like that the products came in smaller packages, rather than boxes, which makes them easier to maneuver around your freezer, and I also noticed how well the dry ice packs held up, even in the summer heat. After unpacking the meat, the ice was still cold in the box hours later — my roommate even ended up using it as a coolant for making some homemade ice cream.

If you’re looking to order a full family meal, Omaha Steaks is your best bet. The brand sent me an assortment of meats, including beef tenderloin, filet mignons and strip steak, all of which I enjoyed. However, what really drives it home are the sides. Alongside the meat, I also received frozen scallop potatoes and desserts like caramel apple tartelets and chocolate lava cake. I love the all-in-one approach the brand takes, since it takes away the hassle of deciding on side dishes — although I personally love dreaming up sides, this is probably really convenient for those who may be in a rush to cook, or more on the indecisive side. The brand’s wide selection also extends to its pricing — you can find selections for as little as $10, along with deals on bigger boxes and customizable bulk options.

The food arrived in separately packaged boxes, inside of a box filled with dry ice and freezer bags to keep everything cold and frozen. Inside of each box, the meat and desserts were also individually packaged, which I appreciated since it made everything easier to separate for meal prepping and helped to save space in the freezer.

Of the meats, my favorite is the strip steak, which I love using to make quick and simple steak meals for weeknight dinners. The steak was juicy and tender, which speaks to how well it was frozen since the texture wasn’t compromised at all. I also like the preparation instructions for each type of meat on the brand’s website (which, after accidentally reducing a wagyu burger to little more than a burnt disc, I highly recommend following).

Porter Road sources meat from farmers across the US and hand-cuts every piece at its facility in Kentucky, according to the brand. You can choose between beef, pork, chicken, lamb and seafood products, along with market items like beef tallow, wood chunks for smoking and grilling, BBQ tool sets and more. A la carte options include sirloin filets for as little as $14, with the most expensive steak cut, the tomahawk ribeye, priced at $135. You can also choose from a selection of curated boxes, or build your own for a personalized touch.

NBC Select editorial operations associate Jem Alabi bought the Butcher’s Choice and Grilling Heroes boxes from the brand, and says it’s “some of the freshest meat [she’s] ever had.” The assorted boxes were ideal for a 4th of July family gathering, and she likes the range of options like sausages, burgers and bacon for people like her who aren’t big fans of steak. “Everyone was impressed with the quality of the cuts,” she says.

Lobsterboys is the perfect option for seafood lovers. The brand partners with licensed lobstermen who catch lobsters straight from the North Atlantic, which are shipped to your doorstep while still alive for maximum freshness. The lobsters can be kept in the box in your fridge for up to 24 hours; however, the brand recommends avoiding putting them in water, since they’re very sensitive to water quality and can drown in fresh water. The brand offers à la carte options and boxes for bigger orders, including options for chick lobsters, quarter lobsters, jumbo lobsters and more. The prices range from $18.77 for a single chick lobster to $127.12 for a jumbo lobster, making it very accessible for a range of budgets. You can also select your delivery date at checkout, with the brand offering to refund and reship your order if it doesn’t get there by your selected date.

Alabi received a few small select lobsters from the brand, and says they were “incredibly tasty and fresh.” “The lobsters came live and there were more than enough for seconds and thirds,” she says. She also liked that Lobsterboys provided detailed tracking and preparation instructions to help her family get started.

Here’s what we kept in mind when testing the best meat delivery services:

The first factor you’ll want to consider is the type of meat offered. While various services specialize in specific types — for example, Omaha Steaks is known for its high-quality cuts of steak and beef — many offer a range of beef, poultry, pork and even seafood. That being said, your personal preference is most important in this case, so you’ll want to look for a service that specializes in your favorite types, or at least has a wide enough selection that you’ll be able to find the cuts you’re looking for.

According to Pierrel, two non-negotiables for raising meat are avoiding antibiotics and added hormones. Adding hormones is banned in chicken but still legal in beef, so Pierrel suggests checking for third-party verification, like the USDA Process Verified shield, which shows that a brand’s processes have been independently audited by the USDA.

She also says it’s important to understand these various certifications. “Words like ‘premium’, ‘natural,’ and ‘butcher’s cut’ have no legal definition; they just sound official,” she says. However, there are a few terms she suggests keeping an eye out for when looking at how your meat was raised.

There are pros and cons to both fresh and frozen meat, according to the experts. The choice will ultimately depend on your personal preferences and uses for the meat.

The regulatory oversight for shipping frozen meats is handled by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Safety Inspection Service (FSIS). Below, I’ve outlined a few requirements for safe meat delivery packaging for fresh and frozen meat.

Beef in the US is graded by the USDA, and primarily focuses on marbling, which is the intramuscular fat that’s woven inside of the muscle, according to experts. “Marbling is important because it melts during cooking, helping keep the meat more tender and flavorful,” says Kais. However, Pierrel says that many shoppers aren’t aware of exactly how the grading is assessed. “The grade is assessed on the ribeye, between the 12th and 13th ribs, the fattiest section of the animal, and that single measurement grades the entire carcass, so every cut from that animal is sold under it,” she says. Since the grade measures taste, rather than nutrition or lifestyle conditions, leaner grass-fed and pasture-raised options may be graded lower simply for the lower fat content. Given that, she suggests looking at those kinds of meat, along with USDA Organic meat, if you’re more concerned with nutrition and animal welfare. “The best steak is the one that matches your goal,” she says.

The USDA grades meat into Prime, Choice and Select categories, with Prime being the highest, says Kais.

At NBC Selected, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.

I’m an associate SEO reporter for NBC Selected who has been covering beauty, wellness and deals and sales for three years, including pieces on the best clear stadium bags and the best sunscreens for oily skin. For this piece, I tested meat delivery services to see which was best in terms of selection, pricing and quality.

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