Big ButcherBox Review, 7 Years In [2025 Update]

Let’s talk all things ButcherBox. If you’re thinking about trying this service and have questions, I’m certain you can find some helpful information here. This is my honest and comprehensive review after being a ButcherBox member for more than seven years. 

I joined ButcherBox a few months after a big family transition, when we moved back to the US after living overseas. I was looking for ways to streamline our family life and to improve the quality of our food. ButcherBox — a subscription service that delivers meat, poultry, and seafood to your doorstep at regular intervals, with a promise of high quality and sustainable sourcing — seemed like an obvious two-for-one on those goals, so I signed up to give it a try.

When you’re considering a new service like this, especially with the price of meat these days, you may have a lot of questions. In this comprehensive ButcherBox review, I’ll share what the product is; how convenient it is in practice; the cost; and how we incorporate the boxes into meal planning. My goal is to help you decide whether ButcherBox is a good fit for you.

What is ButcherBox? 

First off, let’s review exactly what ButcherBox offers. The meat subscription service promises to provide 100% grass-fed and grass-finished beef, free-range organic chicken, crate-free pork, and wild-caught fish and seafood. These are delivered in boxes to your door on a monthly, bimonthly, or more periodic basis. 

ButcherBox is not itself a farm, nor is it an online grocery store such as Thrive Market. The company works with family farms and co-ops to source protein, then manage delivery and some of the processing.

My Overall Verdict

You’re probably not shocked to learn that I still really like ButcherBox, even going on seven years. Why else would I still subscribe!?

As a busy Mom, I do like some of their products more than others, and have refined a few ordering practices over time to make it work best for our family’s needs. Here’s what I like:

The Quality.

I cook a lot and am very confident that ButcherBox quality equals or exceeds what is typically available in my local grocery stores. This shows in the visual appearance and freshness of the cuts, as well as their taste and tenderness when prepared. I especially like the quality of ButcherBox beef and pork. Their chicken thighs, chicken breasts, and salmon, in my opinion, are good but don’t exceed the air-chilled and wild-caught options I can buy at Whole Foods. The ground chicken and some of the ever-expanding line of ButcherBox convenience options, like breaded chicken tenders, have been excellent.

The Convenience.

When planning meals, it’s so nice to start out by “shopping the freezer” to see what I already have and can build meals around. This provides inspiration, shortens my grocery list, and simplifies life. This also comes into play for me on those nights when I just didn’t manage to make a plan to begin with. Hey, it happens! At least once every few months, there is a day like this, and it feels pretty dang good to go from having no plan to pulling out some sirloins to defrost and serving up a delicious steak dinner.

Ease and Flexibility.

Some months we cook more meat than others, and the anti-consumerist in me hates being locked into subscriptions that pile up excess product. I have never once had a problem delaying my ButcherBox order, and it’s super easy to do so via their website. No cumbersome email or phone call required. 

Ethics.

ButcherBox is the only service of its kind to be certified as a B Corp, which is a third-party evaluation of how well a company meets the highest verified standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. In fact, as of this writing ButcherBox has earned an exemplary 98.7 overall B impact score. This is far above and beyond what is required for B Corp status, and light years ahead of the median for ordinary businesses.

I really care about the sourcing and sustainability of what we eat. I’m also super busy and don’t always have an extra 45 seconds to scrutinize packaging or research brand reputations from the middle of the grocery store. ButcherBox has staked its reputation on providing proteins that are high-quality, humanely-raised, have no antibiotics or added hormones, and are always third-party animal welfare certified. To me this is a way to honor my values with no uncertainty, worry, or stress.

Are all ButcherBox meats grass-fed and organic? 

All ButcherBox beef is 100% grass-fed and, importantly, grass-finished. This means their cattle have been raised on pastures their entire lives. It is not certified organic. What is the impact of this? Grass-fed beef tends to be leaner than conventionally-raised beef. It is typically even more flavorful and makes it a valuable source of omega-3 fats. I personally elect to eat higher-quality red meat less often, and this service makes that easy to do.

All ButcherBox chicken products are USDA-certified organic, meaning the chickens are free-range and fed exclusively organic chicken feed. 

Cost vs. value: Is ButcherBox worth it?

On average, the cost per serving is comparable to Whole Foods, The Fresh Market, or another higher-end grocer. The cost per serving tends to be slightly higher than sale prices from big box grocers.

Here is a breakdown of ButcherBox pricing as of this writing: 

• Curated Box, Classic Size – $146 (8-11 pounds)
• Custom Box, Classic Size – $169 (9-14 pounds)
• Curated Box, Big – $269 (16-22 pounds)
• Custom Box, Big – $306 (18-26 pounds)

Shipping is always free, and you are welcome to pause or cancel at any time, no questions asked.

You control how often you pay this/receive a box. Current default options are every two weeks, every month, every six weeks, or every two months. Again, once you sign up, it’s very easy to adjust and postpone the delivery schedule as needed. You can also add on individual items as needed.

How to get the most value out of a ButcherBox

One way to get the most value out of your ButcherBox is to sign up when there is a great special. ButcherBox is careful about scaling in a sustainable way, so they don’t always have a big special running, but in my experience when they do, it’s a good one! So if you time your enrollment right, you may be able to get an offer like 2 pounds of ground beef, 3 pounds of chicken breast, or the like included free in your box for a year or more. This can significantly increase your value proposition.

There are also periodic members-only specials, such as free chicken breasts in your box or discounted turkeys in the run-up to Thanksgiving. These are a nice bonus and cost savings, as well.

ButcherBox does also typically offer one-time purchase gift boxes. They make great gifts to a friend, associate, or family member.

What we get in a typical box

You can do ButcherBox one of two ways: you can custom select your own cuts, or have the company curate a box for you. The price point is higher for a custom box. Both are available in two sizes — “classic” and “big box.”

I personally have always opted for the custom box. I want to have a lot of choice in what I make — I run a recipe website, after all — have two choosy kids to feed, and like to be certain we’ll use everything. The website interface makes it super easy to customize each box, which I appreciate.

What I order has evolved over time, which is part of the fun of it! My go-to selections at the moment include sirloin steaks, pork shoulder (for Instant Pot carnitas!), ground chicken, and ground beef. l add a whole chicken every other box or so, and on the off months add scallops or try a new convenience option for fun. We always get one or two bags of the breaded chicken tenders. I used to squirrel these away for “Mom-only” use in my lunch salads, but now my 10-year old loves them, as well.

Bonus: they actually warn you when your next box is coming! 

I love this “no surprises” mentality. It’s all too rare among subscription services these days, when it seems like most of them are trying to trick you into forgetting and spending more money.

ButcherBox sends an email several days before your next box is scheduled to ship, leaving you time to either adjust your cuts or delay the whole shipment if you will be traveling or just don’t need it quite yet. I love this so much and really think it speaks to the whole mentality of the company. They’re not trying to lull you into ordering more, or more often, than you need.

How’s the packaging? 

One final note, and it may seem small, but the packaging is effective and ethical, too. It’s 100% recyclable materials. The cuts have always — even in the dead of summer — arrived rock solid frozen on my doorstep. In fact, I admit that even if I am home when the box arrives, I don’t always rush to unpack and stash everything in the freezer. Obviously I would not do this if I had the least concern that the items were even beginning to thaw.

The only downside of this is that the very low temperatures at which the meat is frozen can occasionally cause micro-tears in the individual cuts’ packaging. This seems to have gotten better over the years for me, but I do thaw cuts on a plate or in a second bag just in case of any leaks.

Summary: Is ButcherBox right for you? 

To sum things up, here is my take on key factors that help determine whether ButcherBox is a good fit for you. 

Who is ButcherBox good for? 

• You value both sustainability and convenience. So often one of these comes at the expense of the other, whether it’s needing to track down products from multiple stores or ask lots of sourcing questions that the store clerk may or may not be able to answer. ButcherBox makes it truly easy to prioritize both.
• You believe quality is key. If you love a good steak, pork chop, or ground sirloin, ButcherBox is a good way to ensure you have high-quality product in your freezer at all times. And it’s nice having pre-seasoned convenience options that meet the same standards.
• You don’t have local access to a wide variety of high-quality meat. There are lots of potential reasons you may not have easy access to grocery stores that carry what you are looking for. Free shipping everywhere in the lower 48 states solves for that.
• You like a mix of the old and the new. ButcherBox makes it really easy to get your staples consistently and also use one or two “slots” per box to change it up and try a new cut of meat or seafood. It’s a nice balance.

Who can skip ButcherBox? 

• You have an established local resource for quality meat. Eating local is a great practice in general, and if you buy from a local farmer, rancher, or CSA, by all means keep it up. The only caveat here is that if, say, you buy a quarter cow that lasts you all year, you may still find a subscription worthwhile as long as you can customize it to just provide, for instance, your pork, poultry, and seafood.
• Freezer space is an issue. Taking advantage of all this convenience does require some storage. If you are really strapped for freezer space, you may find it frustrating to stash a full box of meat when it arrives. That said, hopefully that arrangement is temporary, because even a small chest freezer can really help you reap the savings of buying in bulk, whether from a subscription service or just from big box store sales.

Obviously if you do not eat meat, ButcherBox isn’t for you, but I trust that goes without saying!

ButcherBox Alternatives

Although ButcherBox was one of the first services of its kind — fun fact, it debuted in 2015 and raised $215,000 on Kickstarter, exceeding its initial goal of $25,000 — several similar companies have launched since then. These are the most prominent alternatives, but full disclosure: I’ve been so happy with ButcherBox that I haven’t tried any of these personally.

• Crowd Cow. Crowd Cow also began in 2015 and has a great mission: “creating a meaningful connection between you and the food you eat.” They have a reputation for exceptional quality, particularly their beef, as fits the name. Their beef is grain-finished, which I consider a drawback. You can customize boxes, which default to a monthly delivery, but it is reportedly easy to postpone or change shipment dates any time, which is a definite plus.
• Good Chop. This service may be the most similar to ButcherBox. They focus on the fact that all meat is sourced from the US, but of note the beef is grain-finished and not all of the poultry is organic. They also emphasize the value — “inflation-resistant pricing” — but at a glance the costs seem similar to ButcherBox. 
• Primal Pastures. This is another subscription services that offers pasture-raised, high-quality meats, with prices comparable to ButcherBox. I dock them slightly for convenience factors, as changes to delivery dates require you to email, and you can only choose what types of protein you want (beef, pork, or poultry), not specific cuts.
• Wild Fork. This is another service that gets really good reviews for its quality, as well as some of its more exotic offerings, to include bison, elk, venison, rabbit, and even alligator meat. Although Wild Fork began as an online-only retailer in 2018, they’ve since opened quite a few brick-and-mortar storefronts around the US. They are owned by a subsidiary of Brazil-based JBS, the largest meat processor in the world. There is a delivery option or options to pick up if there is a storefront near you.

In Conclusion

Whew! That’s a lot of information. I really hope this comprehensive ButcherBox review answers any questions you might have and gives you some insight into the service.

This post is not sponsored and is 100% my own personal experience and opinions. I am a ButcherBox affiliate meaning that if you click through my links and try the service for yourself, I will receive a small commission. Thank you for supporting my website!