• Great weekly specials
• Meat is high-quality and always arrives looking fresh
• Selection is well curated

• Beef can be expensive
• No subscription option

What I liked:

Rastelli's started out as a small butcher shop in New Jersey serving its local community, but it's always put a premium on the best meat possible and is driven by a love of good food. Prices vary depending on which butcher box you choose, and there are many options, includingsteak craft burgers,hardwood smoked bacon orgrass-fed filet mignon. You can buy any curated box as a one-off meat delivery service purchase but will save if you subscribe.

Who is it for:

Those who want quality beef that's a step up from most store-bought. Today it ships beef, poultry and seafood across the US from farms that produce responsibly raised meats free of antibiotics, steroids and hormones. It also sources wild-caught and sustainably raised seafood likeFaroe Island salmon.

Who should avoid it:

Rastelli's gives a good amount of information on each product but it's not exhaustive, for better or worse. You canread about where the market sources most of its meats, but the information is a bit general. If you're extremely meticulous about knowing the exact farm and farming practices associated with your meat, there are other delivery services that go a little further.

• Excellent value if you already eat grass-fed beef, organic chicken and wild salmon
• Eco-friendly packaging
• Sign-up offers are great

• Subscription only
• Can't choose what comes in your box

What I liked:

ButcherBox is a meat subscription service that offers a few types of meat but puts an emphasis on its 100% grass-fed and pasture-raised Australian beef.Grass-fed beef is said to be higher in antioxidants, vitamins and healthy fatty acids since it's pastured and its meat products are not raised on feedlots. Some say grass-fed has a purer beefy taste too. Australian beef is some of the most highly regulated in the world.

The company also offers heritage breed pork from pigs with plentiful outdoor access and an all-vegetarian diet from forage and feed, and free-range, organic chicken that's humanely raised, with no antibiotics or added hormones. It makes a point of mentioning that it works with "the best possible meat processing facilities" and believes in fair labor practices too.

All of the meat is vacuum-packed and frozen, and shipping is free.

Who is it for:

Those who eat enough meat to warrant a subscription but want to save over grocery store prices. Butcher Box starts at $146 a month. I compared this to what it would cost to buy meat from the grocery store and the supermarket tally was $30 more. As a bonus, the company is usually running some sort of promotion, like free bacon for the life of your subscription or a huge surplus of free meat in your first shipment.

Who should avoid it:

If you don't mind getting a surprise mix of meats in each delivery, ButcherBox is a great deal. When you sign up with this online butcher, you can choose from all beef, beef and chicken, beef and pork, a mixed box or create a custom box. In any case, you select from two different box sizes depending on how many people you're feeding (or how big your freezer is).

If you want complete control, it'll cost you. The Custom Box is $169 a month but allows you to take your pick of over 20 different cuts including ground beef, top sirloin steaks, strip steaks, chuck roast, pork tenderloin, boneless pork chops, chicken breasts and drumsticks.

• Sends mostly fresh meat, not frozen
• Sources from small farms and independent producers
• Small but carefully curated selection

• Shipping is more expensive for those on the West Coast
• Items frequently sell out

Why I liked it:

Based in Nashville, Porter Road offers a variety of cuts of prime beef, pork, lamb and chicken, sourced from Kentucky and Tennessee. Its beef is pasture-raised, grass-fed and grain-finished, but the company uses no added hormones or antibiotics and the animals are free to roam and graze. It's largely a subscription model, but you can order a la carte cuts including pork chops, NY strip steaks, filet mignon, ribeye and ground beef, to less common cuts like Denver steak, lamb T-bones and andouille sausage. You can also add items to your meat subscription. ("Put a bird on it" if you'd like to have chicken next week.)

Who is it for:

Those who want quality fresh meat. Most of the company's meat is shipped fresh, but depending on the cut, some will be frozen.

Who should avoid it:

Subscriptions start at $155. You'll get less meat than with ButcherBox's entry-level subscription but the quality is higher for many of the cuts. Specialty selections include the Breakfast Box and aGrilling Heroes Box ($110) with dry-aged steaks, dry-aged burger patties and bratwurst sausage links, with 6 pounds of meat.

• Huge selection of Prime and Wagyu beef and Kurobuta pork
• Free shipping on orders over $199
• Seafood available to add to order

• Meat is pricey
• No subscription option

What I liked:

Snake River Farms meat delivery service (and its partner, Double R Ranch) offer something special: Not only dry-aged, USDA Prime beef but American Wagyu (Kobe-style) beef, known for its rich marbling, tender texture and fantastic flavor. All Snake River Farm cows are raised sustainably and humanely in the Northwest, and it offers heritage breed Kurobuta Berkshire pork from pigs raised on small family farms in Idaho and the Midwest.

In addition to its exclusive (and accordingly expensive), chef-approved cuts of rare steak, it touts several sustainable ranching practices, from rotational grazing that promotes healthy rangelands to composting cattle waste and using beef tallow for fuel. Even the shipping foam in each butcher box can be dissolved and used as plant food, composted or used as a fire starter. In addition, the meat products company is a founding member of Beef Counts, which helps provide food to families in need.

Who is it for:

If you've come to Snake River, you're there for the Wagyu. While the company doesn't offer recurring meat delivery service subscriptions, you can buy all sorts of individual cuts likeAmerican Wagyu black grade cap andribeye (prices vary), not to mentionWagyu burgers and hot dogs. Plus, Snake River has Kurobuta pork bacon andbaby back ribs if it's pork you're after.

Who should avoid it:

Those seeking budget-friendly meat. Most Wagyu products are offered in both Gold Grade (the highest quality -- and price -- available) and Black Grade (still special but slightly less devastating to the wallet). As with most other meat delivery services, your cuts will come vacuum-sealed and frozen. Shipping costs $10 for standard shipping or $50 for rush shipping, or you can get free standard shipping on orders over $199.

• Recurring boxes and subscriptions can be customized
• Huge selection of meat and seafood
• Members get better prices

• Not as much transparency about souring
• $99 order minimum
• Paid membership required for best prices
• Options can be overwhelming

What I like:

Crowd Cow aims to "create an alternative to the current meat commodity system" by connecting consumers to quality meat from a carefully curated selection of small farms and independent ranches around the world. The specific offerings range from grass-fed beef and both Japanese and American Wagyu to pork, chicken and American-raised lamb (bison is a recent addition). There's even a grocery store selection ofsustainable seafood for those craving surf and turf. You have the option to search by specific cut or type of meat orby the actual farm itself.

No matter what meat box or seafood selection you choose, your haul arrives frozen and packaged in 100% recyclable and compostable materials. And it includes information on which farm it came from, making this a perfect option for those seeking transparency in addition to delicious meat.

Who is it for:

Customers who want the option for a subscription but also to purchase items a la carte, including organic,free-range chicken,bone-in pork chops orgrass-fed ground beef. You can set your order to recurring and it'll ship monthly. You can then modify it whenever you like.

Who should avoid it:

Those who prefer a simpler subscription. Crowd Cow has an expansive offering with hundreds of meat and seafood offerings.

• Large selection of premium cuts
• Perfect for gifting

• Very expensive
• Limited selection

What I like:

The newcomer to the high-end meat delivery game sells the best American-raised Wagyu with a deep portfolio of top A5-grade Japanese Wagyu producers on the planet. This includes ultrarare Hokkaido snow beef and beloved Kobe beef. On the website, you can sift through "collections" such as Japanese Wagyu, American Wagyu, USDA Prime Black Angus, Akaushi, steak flights and Wagyu burgers.

You can order one-time boxes or custom orders for yourself or choose from carefully curated beef boxes to send as a gift or care package. Enjoy free ground shipping when you spend more than $199 (not hard to do).

Who is it for:

If you're looking for the very best in beef and have a few extra pennies to spend on the good stuff.

Who should avoid it:

Budget shoppers. Holy Grail does sport an impressive menu, but it ain't cheap. Your best meat box bet here isbuying in bulkversus purchasing in smaller quantities, which is much pricier.

• Budget-friendly prices
• Offers full inventory of groceries, not just meat
• Good customer service

• Membership required
• Meat sold in large quantities

What I like:

Online grocery provider Thrive Market is also a one-stop shop, in a somewhat more traditional sense: The grocery store sells all manner of organic, 100% non-GMO, fair-trade products at wholesale prices, so you can buy various brands of things like paper towels, marinades and snacks, along with bundled boxes of meat and seafood.

The company's meat delivery options are many and include 100% grass-fed, free-range beef from small and midsize, family-run ranches and farms, pasture-raised chicken with organic options and wild-caught seafood. You can bundle and save withThrive's Paleo Box with as much as 20 servings of mixed meat and seafood for $136.

Who is it for:

Those looking for an online source for meat and other groceries.

Who should avoid it:

Subscription-phobes.To shop from the site, you must pay a $60 annual membership fee (which nets you guaranteed savings and free gifts, plus sponsors a free membership for a low-income family), but you can sign up for a 30-day free trial to test it out first. The company guarantees you'll make back your membership in savings every year, but if not, will give you store credit for the difference.

• Good deals on large orders
• Bundles with sides and desserts available
• Great for gifting

• Meat is not as high-quality as others on our list
• Website isn't the best
• Prepared sides and dishes are just OK
• A lot of salt used

Omaha Steaks bills itself as "America's Original Butcher" and has certainly been in the carnivore-feeding business for a long time. Keeping up with the growing preference for grass-fed beef, both grain- and grass-fed are now offered (both options start with grass-fed but the signature beef is grain-finished).

Omaha is solid but it's not where I'd turn for super high-end cuts. The company doesn't advertise organic meat as many others do, nor provide much specific information about how and where the animals are raised. But the range of items available is somewhat staggering. From various cuts of beef (steak galore, including cuts as big as 48 ounces) and some harder-to-find cuts of bison, veal and lamb. Omaha also stocks plenty of pork, chicken and seafood as well as charcuterie, full meal kits, a la carte side dishes and desserts and even dog treats.

You can find some pretty good value with this online butcher, especially if you're willing to buy in bulk. While Omaha doesn't offer subscriptions by name, there are plenty of gift boxes that will net you a whole lot of meat for an approachable price. There are also rotating discounts on some of Omaha's best sellers. Shipping prices vary based on order total and how fast you want your stuff, but you can find some "free shipping" deals and combos on the site. There's also a Steaklover Reward Points program for committed carnivores.

• One of the most affordable meat delivery service
• Most of whar we tried was fresh and easy to prepare
• Some prepared foods and grocery add-ons
• Good promo offers for new subscribers

• Not as big a selection as some of the options on our list
• No super premium selections
• Ribeye was dissappointing

What I liked:

Good Chop is a newer meat delivery operation owned by HelloFresh and a direct competitor to ButcherBox. It's also one of the more affordable. Subscriptions start at $149 a month for 36 portions of meat and seafood. While the meat here isn't quite as premium as others on our list, nearly everything we tasted was fresh, tender and easy to prepare.

You can customize your meat box with chicken breast, sausages, salmon, pork chops, shrimp and lots and lots of juicy cuts of beef. There are also a few prepared foods including crab cakes, meatballs and cooked chicken for meal prep, though I didn't try any of those.

Who is it for:

Those looking to have shipments of meat delivered without breaking the bank.

Who should avoid it:

The ribeye in my order was tough. Not a good pick if you're seeking super premium meat.

• Top-quality steak from a legendary steakhouse
• Includes a bottle of Peter Luger sauce
• Makes a great gift

• Very expensive
• Limited options

What I like:

The iconic Brooklyn steakhouse known for fatty t-bones, juicy burgers and a signature sweet steak sauce now send its beef to you or a giftee with a penchant for premium beef. The bundles of beef include porterhouse, strip and rib steaks along with burgers. Each shipment arrives fresh, accompanied by a bottle of legendary Lugar steak sauce. The porterhouse we tried arrived with intense marbleization and was a whopping 36 ounces. You can add some of the restaurant's famous thick-cut bacon or an extra three-pack of sauce for $20.

Who is it for:

A true beef fanatic or ex-New Yorkers who misses their beloved New York steakhouse.

Who should avoid it:

At $156 for one 36-ounce porterhouse, this is best saved for a splurge gift for a meat eater with fondness for the lauaded steakhouse.

• Best ribeyes we tested
• All its beef products were great
• Family-owned business
• Cattle is pasture-raised

• Limited to just beef
• Shipping is $49

What I liked:

While the selection is limited to only beef at family-owned Eagle Rock Ranch out of Colorado, the pasture-raised and grain-finished ribeyes were some of the best out of all the meat delivery options I tried. Juicy, tender, marbled and fairly priced considering the quality -- $38 for a 16-ounce cut and. In addition to the ribeyes, Eagle Rock sells strips, burgers, marrow, beef hot dogs and filet mignon and stew meat.

There's a subscription option or you can build a box of beef or choose from one of two curated bundles of cuts. If you're really hungry, you can order a whole beef package that includes 425 to 450 pounds of packaged meat.

Who is it for:

Lovers of quality beef, especially tender ribeye steaks.

Who should avoid it:

Anyone who wants a mix of meat types in their order, since this vendor sells only beef.