Tested and reviewed by: Nina Moskowitz, associate cooking editor
The ordering process: I ordered the July subscription box from the Vermont Wagyu website. The box is sent quarterly, and you receive a rotating selection of 100% full-blood Wagyu products. It’s $225 for 3-4 cuts, burgers, sausage, and guest products from local producers. Navigation of the site was easy, and the service provides clear and trackable estimated arrival times. I received two 1lb. packs of ground beef patties, two 1lb. packs of smoked beef chorizo, two beef tenderloin steaks, 1 beef sirloin steak, 1 beef NY strip tips, and two Ninjacue dry rub seasonings.
What we loved: I grilled the steaks, tips, and sausage, and had friends over. The steaks had beautiful marbling and were incredibly tender (I’m still thinking about the melt-in-your-mouth tenderloin). The smoked beef chorizo was snappy, spicy, and unbelievably juicy. I also made stove-top burgers in a cast-iron skillet for a weeknight dinner. The patties were consistent and succulent. Overall, the quality of the meat was superb.
What we’d leave: Unfortunately, three of the products I ordered came with slits in the packaging. When I notified the Vermont Wagyu team, they immediately remedied the issue by sending replacement products. This seemed to be a one-off hiccup, and the quality of the meat and expeditious service made up for this fluke.
How we tested meat delivery services
We had multiple BA staffers test each meat delivery service for at least one full order. Most testers were able to place their own orders to get a true sense of the shopping experience. We evaluated how easy it was to navigate the site, shipping speed and accuracy, packaging quality, and of course, the meat itself. Then we cooked, seared, and grilled our way through the boxes, paying attention to texture and flavor. Finally, we compared price points, variety, and overall value to find the services worth subscribing to.
Other meat delivery services we tested
Omaha Steaks
Omaha Steaks Spring Savings Bundle
Tested and reviewed by: Abbey Stone
Betcha you’ve heard of this one! Omaha Steaks has been shipping quality beef—all cuts available today are USDA Certified Tender and sourced from farms in the Midwest US of A—to meat lovers since 1917, when the company was started as a family business (although it was called Table Supply Meat Company then). Over the next 100-plus years, Omaha Steaks has grown to become almost synonymous with meat delivery.
Today the “steaks” in the name is a bit of a misnomer—Omaha offers a veritable grocery store of products, including chicken, pork, seafood, and even sides, desserts, and wine. Yes, you can get a bottle of California Pinot delivered in the same order as your burgers, dogs, and steaks.
I sampled the brand’s Butcher’s Cut Filet Mignon; as promised, the cut was lean and clean with limited excess fat (the way I like it) and seared up nicely with some salt, pepper, and butter on the stovetop. The caramel apple tartlets included in my delivery were also a nice surprise—sweet, homey, and easy to heat in the oven, microwave, or air fryer.
Boxed Halal
Boxed Halal Wagyu Steak Box
Tested and reviewed by: Christopher Hastings, contributor
