These Are The 9 Best Grocery Store Chains For Prime Rib

Nothing says the holidays in many households like a prime rib roast. My family has had prime rib on Christmas and Easter for as long as I can remember. Prime rib can also be called standing rib roast, holiday roast, or ribeye roast at the grocery store. There are both boneless and bone-in options that leave many meat aficionados divided. So what exactly is prime rib? The ribeye roast comes from the rib primal of the cow, which gives it the rich flavor and generous marbling. In selecting prime rib, you will first decide between USDA Prime, Choice, and Select. Experts say there are other qualities besides the beef grade to consider, like the meat's coloring, fat content, and weight.

The topic of discussion turns to where to get the best deal on prime rib about two weeks ahead of the holiday. Over the years, our family has typically stuck with the tried-and-true regional grocery store options near us. However, national grocery chains have some great options for prime rib. We have rounded up the best grocery store chains to find prime rib so you can check out which options are available near you before you shop this holiday season.

You may be thinking that a bulk buy of prime rib is not attainable for pricing reasons or simply because the quantity is too much. However, shoppers say that you shouldn't write off the big box chain, as you would be missing out on quality meat for a great price. Costco's meat department is well-known for having a large inventory with high quality. The same goes for its high-quality cuts of meat like prime rib. Costco carries USDA Prime beef, the highest quality rating, which means more marbling and better flavor. In fact, professional chefs have placed Costco on their shortlist of best grocery store meat departments, specifically for its prime rib cuts.

It is also known for good pricing on high-quality cuts and a large variety of offerings depending on your warehouse's availability. You may even be lucky enough to find the Japanese wagyu boneless ribeye roast in addition to the more typical 7 pound and 12 pound Choice rated Black Angus prime rib. Check your local warehouse to see if you can find a USDA Prime bone-in rib roast in the store and take your pick.

Another big box store with a big following for its meat department is Sam's Club. Some customers claim that Sam's meat department is better than Costco by pricing alone, making it an easier justification to buy your meat in bulk. Sam's Club offers the Member's Mark USDA Prime Angus beef for $14.99 a pound on its website, though specific pricing may vary by warehouse and sale availability.

Customers rave on the Sam's Club website about the prime rib, rating the Member's Mark USDA Prime Angus Beef Boneless Ribeye Roast a 4.4 out of 5 stars, with the most recent reviews praising the quality of meat and the butcher's cut. Marbling was also rated highly, as well as the amount of fat left on for flavor. It should be noted that some customers reported issues with pickup orders containing errors like bones in a boneless cut, so the safe bet would be to pick your own roast at the warehouse.

Originally being a Southerner, Publix has historically always been our family's go-to for prime rib. It carries a standing rib roast that is boned and already tied to make carving easy, but you will also likely find boneless options as well. Both customers and critics agree that shopping is a pleasure there, as you can find never-frozen offerings cut by trained professionals in the meat department. Customers have also described their butchers as top of the line and helpful, as they will grind and repackage meat to customer specification, even cutting your rib roast to whatever size you prefer.

Not only is the service unparalleled, but you can also expect a high quality of meat in stock. One chef noted that they will check their local Publix to source meat at the beginning of the day, with the store typically selling USDA Choice. The meat is also fresh-cut, as indicated by the packaging, according to experts. While higher-quality meat can be pricey, you can likely count on holiday sales on prime rib, which can even extend to its health-conscious Greenwise brand.

Another grocery chain with a huge regional fanbase is Wegmans. Only available on the East Coast, Wegmans is known for its in-house cutting and custom Prime-graded beef cuts. Some customers say that the Wegmans' Choice-rated beef even rivals Prime options at other stores, so you aren't necessarily forced to opt for the highest grade beef.

Wegmans also offers an antibiotic-free rib roast and a dry-aged rib roast that is extremely popular with customers. Shoppers say Wegmans runs sales on the dry-aged meats, with one calling it a must-buy when you catch a sale. Fans of the store's prime rib have reported finding a preseasoned, already-tied roast that you can just pop in the oven for the ultimate convenience. Whatever your prime rib fancy may be, Wegmans is a solid supermarket choice if you have one available in your region.

Though Whole Foods Market can get a bad rap for higher-than-usual prices, it may be the best grocery store chain choice for you if price isn't necessarily a factor. Professional chefs cited Whole Foods as one of the top grocery store chain meat purveyors, with experts sourcing their prime rib from the store. Whole Foods calls its bone-in beef standing rib roast the "ultimate no-antibiotics-ever roast sure to impress with flavor." You can also expect a higher end shopping experience with custom cutting services, meaning the butcher will cut your prime rib to order.

Some customers have said they have found even the Whole Foods Choice cuts to have the same taste as higher-ranked Prime. Whole Foods' commitment to sourcing meat that follows Animal Welfare Certification standards and traceability to the source is also a plus. However, some Redditors do warn that if the beef is grass-fed or finished, you may end up with a slightly less tender prime rib than you are used to. With that in mind, try picking out the most marbled roast in-person to ensure tenderness.

Being that this chain is based in Texas, the land of beef, the meat department better deliver on its promise of good beef. And that is the case for prime rib at H-E-B. The chain has a loyal customer base in the South, and that extends to its beef and its meat counter. H-E-B has a plethora of beef options, with multiple in prime rib alone. Shoppers can find a USDA Prime Natural Angus beef standing rib roast (both dry-aged or not), as well as Choice-ranked dry-aged. H-E-B also includes its beef's origins, such as where the ranch is located and whether it is grain-fed or not.

If you don't see what you like out on display, shoppers say that the butcher will cut a USDA Prime rib roast specifically for you — or you can order one ahead of time. While it may be a bit pricier than other chain options, you know that you are getting fresh, high-quality beef. Plus, customers report there typically is a sale on prime rib around the holidays.

Depending on where you live, you may have either a Safeway or an Albertsons near you. Either store should be on your list to try if you are looking for the best-priced prime rib. This grocery store chain is known for having big deals on prime rib around the holidays. Shoppers have said in previous years the price goes down by nearly $2 to $3 per pound when on sale, making the roast a good enough deal to buy a couple and freeze one for later in the year. Safeway stores typically carry USDA Choice beef, while it has been reported Albertsons carries some Prime options. Exact availability may differ by store and time of year.

Some shoppers have claimed the quality of the meat isn't as high as you can find at other butchers. But if pricing is your main concern, Safeway or Albertsons is worth checking out. Reviews have raved about the fat to meat ratio of its prime rib, while others have said to avoid delivery orders in lieu of picking your own roast for quality reasons.

Kroger stores and its other chains are another good budget-friendly option. Stores typically carry USDA Choice beef, but the boneless Prime Angus beef rib roast is posted on the Kroger website through its Private Selection brand label, so exact offerings may vary by store and region. Kroger stores also have a butcher service in-store, but also offer online ordering and delivery for convenience factor — though you are giving up the freedom to select your own roast.

The price point is what keeps customers coming back to Kroger for holiday roasts. Kroger is known for its frequent sales on prime rib around the festive season. Some customers say Kroger prices on prime rib roasts are so good that they'll buy them in bulk and cut their own steaks to take advantage of the deal. Kroger operates its traditional stores in 16 states, but you may luck out with its other supermarket brands like Harris Teeter, Fred Meyer, or King Soopers.

For those who love Whole Foods but hate the pricing, enter Sprouts Farmers Market. The chain based out of Arizona focuses on organic and natural foods similar to Whole Foods, but at a lower price point. It isn't as common as some other grocery store chains, with roughly 500 stores across the U.S.  Shoppers say the quality of food is great for the price, including the specialty natural meat selection. Sprouts adheres to the Animal Welfare Standards for all meat like its more expensive counterpart, as well as boasting 100% grass-fed options for beef. The chain also puts an emphasis on sourcing and offering fresh, never frozen beef.

Though Sprouts won't be as cheap as some of the other grocery store options on this list, customers rave about the quality of the USDA Choice premium Angus rib roast for the price. Sprouts trims the meat from the bone, then reties it for easy carving and bone-in flavor. The quality and price make Sprouts a go-to for prime rib.

To find the best prime rib offerings throughout major United States grocery store chains was no easy feat. We scoured the internet for customer reviews on the prime rib product itself, as well as purchasing experience with service. We also considered input from chefs and experts through interviews with national online media and food publications.

We also looked at the quality of the meat each store stocked via the USDA beef grading scale, the product price point, sales and other special pricing events, if in-house butchers were available, and general availability to customers in different regions of the country. Taking all of those considerations into account formed our list of grocery store chains with the best prime rib.