Costco Vs Walmart: Who Has The Better Meat Department?

Choosing between the meat departments at Costco and Walmart is a little like choosing between Disney World and Disneyland; you know both locations have spectacular stuff to offer, but there are bound to be differences that draw you to one over the other. The only way to get to the heart of the distinctions is to take a trip to each with your camera handy and capture the goods, then lay them side by side and compare them closely. So that's exactly what I did to figure out who comes out on top in the meat department battle between Costco versus Walmart, similar to my Mashed comparison between meat departments at Costco and Sam's Club.

Before I was a devoted plant eater, I did a fair share of consuming meat and chicken, so I also have a bit of personal experience to lend to the situation as far as pricing and quality. Selections among both stores are bound to change based on availability of stock and seasonal trends. So, taking into consideration what's currently on shelves, I did a side by side to see where your money is better spent and your appetite is better addressed. With both Costco and Walmart providing exceptional meat departments, the challenge was to encapsulate the differences to see which store tips the scales. Customer commentary and reviews helped guide me during the more evenly-matched moments. The results are a media mashup of two well-stocked meat departments that each offers its own benefits, with one edging the other out.

If you're shopping for steak of the utmost quality, you'll find supreme selections in the meat departments in both Costco and Walmart. Costco goes above and beyond the expected steak format by sometimes stocking larger slabs and sides of beef for the practicing home butcher to slice and prepare themselves. You can even find pre-seasoned boneless chuck steak ready to be turned into carne asada. Opinions bounce back and forth about the quality of steaks from the wholesale warehouse, however; some Reddit commenters are pleased with the ribeyes and praise the value-forward pricing, while others recommend purchasing the rib section to custom-cut steaks instead. Despite the differences, many agree the best steaks Costco offers are a real deal for the price.

Walmart doesn't exactly skimp on the steak possibilities either, wrapping up cuts like T-bone and ribeyes, though Costco provides better-looking pieces in larger quantities at lower prices. Despite the variety and availability, Reddit chatter counts Walmart steak as simply average, while reviews on the company site show selections like tender sirloin garnering a lowly 2.1-star average among over 1,000 ratings, which isn't great. Points go to Costco for providing a meatier array of steak options.

Ground beef in both chub and fresh ground forms are in plentiful supply at both Costco and Walmart. Walmart even stocks a super-sized 10-pound chub for around $40 that requires extra room in the freezer or fridge to be stored before use, thanks to its colossal size. Sure, there's grass-fed and wagyu ground beef available here. But considering the middling reviews from customers who point out the questionable quality of the beef beneath the wrapper, such as the 2.3-star average among 544 ratings and poor reviews for the 80% lean ground beef chuck that decry the strange fatty meat, buying ground beef at Walmart isn't recommended.

Not to be edged out by a big-box outlet — even one with a poor reputation for ground beef products — Costco also carries a 10-pound 90% lean super chub for under $5 per pound, in addition to smaller quantities in both chubs and wrapped packages. Costco shoppers rave about the incredible prices and the large packages, which can be broken down into smaller servings and help give bulk shopping at the warehouse a sterling reputation among home cooks who love stocking up. In short, you'll flip for the ground beef at Costco.

Chicken selections in both Costco and Walmart meat departments go well beyond the $5 rotisserie hens both chains have become famous for. Walmart mixes its own label legs and boneless, skinless breasts with packs of Foster Farms cage-free chicken selections, with prices ranging from $1.27 to $3.99 and up, depending on the cut. But the quality of Walmart's Freshness Guaranteed label is given a drubbing by shoppers, who rate the bagged drumsticks in particular with a 2-star average among 1,740 ratings, calling out the poor processing and meatless bones included in certain packages. Boneless, skinless breasts get similar treatment, with a 2.1-star average across 3,120 ratings and customers calling out the gristle, fat, and tough texture.

Costco's chicken case is a study in tidy organization, with a layout featuring packages of Kirkland breasts, thighs, wings, and drumsticks, as well as boneless breast fillets, tenderloins, and whole hens, most sold in the vicinity of $5.99 per pound. Commenters on Reddit have called out the "woody" quality of Costco chicken, referring to the tough texture resulting from a muscle condition in the chickens, which may be a regional issue. Others on the site note the inconsistency in finding high-quality chicken breasts. Though variety is a key feature for both retailers, chicken is a questionable purchase in the meat departments at both Costco and Walmart.

Though turkey is generally reserved for end of the year holidays, it's easy enough to pick up this premier poultry while shopping at Costco and Walmart. Ground turkey can be readily found in Costco's meat department, making it easy to cook up a bird during the non-festive seasons. Brands like Butterball show up as 93% lean multipacks priced at under $4 per pound, while Kirkland shows up with 93% lean organic ground turkey at $6.66 per pound, in a double 1.5-pound package for $19.99. Brined Diestel whole turkeys sold at the warehouse during certain holiday periods enjoy a positive write-up on Reddit.

Rather than hosting whole turkeys year-round, Walmart keeps it simple with Butterball and Jennie-O turkey breasts, ground turkey, and turkey burgers, as well as some unexpected Villari smoked turkey wings and legs resting among the shelves, ready to bring your Renaissance festival dining dreams a little closer to home. Though Jennie-O and Butterball options are decently rated by shoppers, a Reddit thread shares customers' accounts of having bad luck with Walmart's ground turkey selections. If you're talking turkey, Costco is a better deal than Walmart.

Whether you prefer your pork as chops or roasts, you'll find a savory selection waiting in Walmart's refrigerator cases. Smithfield pork ribs for $3.64 per pound share space with Villari smoked pork hocks and neck bones for around $3 per pound. There seems to be an unending collection of cuts, including picnic roasts, loin roasts, and tenderloins. Trays of Jack Daniels and Marketside seasoned pulled pork and a variety of hams with slightly above-average reviews give the pork case at Walmart a well-rounded sensibility, though the thin-cut, unbranded pork chops could use a more prominent label like Freshness Guaranteed or Great Value. Still, it's an impressive lot.

Costco doesn't shy away from piling on the pork options, either. Chops and roasts sit alongside pork belly and racks of ribs, giving cookout vibes and Sunday dinner feels to cover all your dining opportunities. Thick pork loin roast chops provide hearty eating at a reasonable $2.99 per pound, and Reddit aficionados are generous with their praise for the pork butt roasts when it comes to home smoking. Even with the more professional look to the cuts, the selection of pork at Costco feels limited compared to Walmart. All in all, you'll be getting a more premium pork purchase at Walmart.

You may reserve lamb as a special occasion meat, but no matter when that occasion arises, it's easy enough to pick up a rack, chops, or legs at Costco, thanks to the warehouse's steady supply, priced between $5.99 and $13.99 per pound. The tidy collection also incorporates ready-to-cook skewers and fancier flavored trays featuring pomegranate and fig lamb shanks, both found among the prepackaged meats that border the deli selections.

I wasn't able to locate any lamb items at Walmart; maybe my location was simply lacking, or maybe stock only comes in on certain occasions. With the abundance of pork cuts on hand, I was sure there'd be at least something of an equivalent in the lamb section; even the website shows a few cuts. Unfortunately on my scouting expedition, lamb chops were cheaper at Costco because they were only available at Costco, which made the comparison pretty simple. Points go to Costco for not being sheepish about its lamb selections.

Racks of ribs are standard selections at both Costco and Walmart, though each meat department carries its own configuration of cuts. Walmart showcases pork and beef ribs in endcap cases to catch the eyes of pit masters and backyard barbecuers who need fodder for their smokers and grills. At under $6 per pound, a rack of ribs may seem like your best beef purchase at Walmart, but the low ratings from customers say otherwise. Pork ribs don't fare much better.

Costco also offers full racks of pork and beef ribs for clever chefs to customize, at a budget-friendly $3.49 per pound. The warehouse adds trays of prepared burnt ends and already-sauced ribs among its more deli-friendly meat cases neighboring the fuller meat department. This makes it possible for home chefs to serve delicious finished dishes without having to start entirely from scratch. Pre-seasoned St. Louis barbecue ribs at $3.99 per pound are good to go on a grill or roasting pan, while smoked pork back ribs may ring up at close to $9 per pound, but they take the guesswork out of conjuring up sensational flavor. You're more likely to be tickled by the array of ribs at Costco.

If any sort of game is part of your menu, you'll have an easier time shopping in the Costco meat department than you will at Walmart. Costco stocks selections like venison and bison among the various beef options, with both meats displaying high ratings from customers on the Costco website. Some locations also offer elk, another well-ranked game that may be available for shipped purchases, depending on your location.

Aside from packages of Marketside bison, itself relatively well-rated, Walmart doesn't appear to have a game section, though this may be a regional feature; areas of the U.S. where game is more accessible may offer seasonal selections when game based meat products are readily available. As for my location, I was surprised to find bison as a Walmart item; I don't hold out hope for other game making appearances in the meat department anytime soon (though I could be wildly mistaken). If you're game for game when it comes to meat shopping, you'll have better hunting at Costco.

For fresh sausage in its most popular forms, the meat departments of both Costco and Walmart do a decent job of providing an array of possibilities. At Costco, chicken sausage flavored with smoked mozzarella, garlic, and artichokes stands out as a supreme selection for creating sausage sandwiches. Parmesan and cracked black pepper sausages sound like a perfect topping for pasta of any kind, and at under $13 for a three-pound package, there are plenty of links for the price.

Walmart sticks with familiar brands like Johnsonville for sweet Italian sausages and beer brats, which means you'll get dependable quality at under $6 for five sausages. While it's true that Walmart has a fair number of packaged and prepared meats on hand, Costco easily beats the big box store with a feast of seasoned and spiced selections that just need to be cooked and served. When it comes to sausage, Costco has things all wrapped up.

When preformed hamburger patties are your preferred picks for cookouts and backyard barbecues, you have a world of options waiting at your nearby Walmart grocery section or neighborhood market. Great Value 80% Lean Beef Burgers in frozen form hold a slightly-higher-than-middle review average of 3 stars across 487 ratings, which doesn't help tilt the scales in the store's favor. Neither does the 2.5-star average among 386 ratings for the fresh 85% lean Angus burger four-pack, leading to the conclusion that mid is the best Walmart can do with premade burgers. But Walmart makes up for this with a range of boxed patties from Bubba, Holten's Chop House, Butterball, Jennie-O, and Marketside to flesh out a premade burger catalog with tons of options.

To find premade patties at Costco, you'll have to venture out of the meat department — or at least I did while on my fact-finding mission. The ground beef options were limited to chubs or packages that needed patty-caking to become burgers, which isn't the worst thing in the world. But if you're a grab-and-cook kind-of home chef and you want nothing more than to peel back the wrapper and toss fresh ground meat on the grill without any intervention, Costco won't be able to help. For offering a greater variety, premade burgers at Walmart are a hotter option.

Exploring the fish and seafood sections at both Costco and Walmart is like discovering a fish market hidden among the usual meat and poultry options. Costco devotes an expansive case to fresh fillets of halibut, steelhead, Atlantic salmon, ahi tuna, and tilapia, many of which are wild-caught. You'll also see colorful lobster tails, crawfish, and shrimp keeping cool among the other catches, ready to make your special occasions even tastier. Prices for these cuts vary by type and market, which means you may need to shop a bit to find a little wiggle room for seafood in your budget.

Walmart tends to stick with packaged and frozen fish that may spend longer in the freezer before being purchased. Though the mid-rated bags of Great Value frozen shrimp, tilapia, flounder, and Pacific whiting are plentiful, the whole and fresh selections are lacking in comparison to Costco. It feels like the chain tries to compensate with more thoughtful packages of mahi mahi and swordfish, but it's not competition when bumped up against Costco's enticing fish market. Unlike comparing the fish sections at Walmart and Aldi, Costco is the clear winner when it comes to fish and seafood options.

If animal-based meat is not your preference, you'll have an easier time shopping for plant-based meat at Walmart than you will at Costco. Thanks to a promising expansion of brands like Impossible and Beyond, these alternative meats have moved outside of the frozen food section to become a member of the fresh meat club, with packages of ground and preformed meat substitutes among the traditional meats.

Costco's more reserved array of veggie-based meat products is kept far from the meat section, stashed in the frozen foods section with the brand-name products. This may be to keep it from being confused for full-fledged meat, or it may be for more accurate tracking of frozen versus fresh product. Regardless of the underlying logic, alternative meat eaters won't find anything suitable when cruising the Costco meat cases. Walmart wins the points for including plant-based products in its meat section.

Costco's reputation for providing quality and variety products at budget-friendly bulk prices continues with the chain's well-stocked meat department. Whether you're looking for freezer-fillers like super-sized ground beef or just tracking down a tray of dinner-ready meats for your evening meal, the warehouse has wonders in store that won't disappoint. And when you're ready to branch out into more sophisticated creations, the array of pork, bison, and top-shelf fish will give you plenty of thoughtful ingredients to work with.

You may think of Walmart as the price winner when it comes to shopping for affordable meats, especially since Costco requires a membership. But the cost of admission gets you a warehouse meat section that gives you more than just affordable food; it also gives you choices you can't find at Walmart, at a quality the big box can't beat, even with its well-stocked cases and familiar name-brand items.

To make sure I had the freshest take on both the Costco and Walmart meat departments, I did fieldwork by trekking to both stores to see what the story was first-hand. I scouted out selections from all the sections listed in the story and took photographs of examples that would best represent each store's stock. Having compared Costco's meat department to Sam's Club in a previous article, I was already familiar with the current selections, but I wanted to be sure nothing had changed drastically in the ensuing months.

Once I had my photographic research complete, I perused internet buzz from customers and reviewers who've put in their two cents about meat from both chains. Walmart's robust reviewing practices made it easy to hone in on the feelings of patrons who both favor and forgo the store's various selections. I also consulted Costco's corporate site and online forums to see what the scuttlebutt was on an array of products from the meat department there. Then, I compiled the results and weighed the pros and cons for each category, awarding points to the store with the most favorable profile in total.