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  5 0 I hate Whole Foods with a passion, but it is undeniable that they are the leaders. I don't know anywhere else you can get THICK (1.5"+) 100% grass-fed beef steaks, prime or choice. For megabucks, of course. And skip the "buttery" but tasteless filet mignon; get a t-bone or rib eye with some flavor. Other than that, the best place to buy meat is almost always a butcher: Bob's Quality Meats in Columbia City is the gold standard. Cascioppo Bros. in Ballard is good, as is A&J in Queen Anne (and the Market one). For fish, Mutual Fish on Rainier, University Seafood, or (my favorite) Sandy's Fish Store way up on Greenwood (if the fish's mouth is opening and closing, she's open). Despite all the above, I usually buy my fresh meat at the market -- Central Market in Shoreline has the best meat counter I know of. The best way to get beef, pork, lamb, goat, rabbit isn't fresh, though; it's frozen, from one of the small suppliers at the farmers markets. Grass-fed is the only way. Fnarf answered in Cooking Tips & Tricks over 3 years ago | Report 1 comment by Bella… 0 0 I agree with Central Market, if you are looking for somewhere where you could also purchase other grocery items - they have a great butcher counter, featuring lots of family farmed options. If you are looking for a stand alone butcher, but don't want to hit the chaos that is Pike Place Market (and especially if you get north of downtown much) Better Meat (305 NW 82nd St) is great. I just recently started going there after wondering about it for ages, and they are very reasonable and super helpful. I have no idea what I am talking about and I just go in there and start asking dumb questions, and they always seem to be able to figure me out, and make really good suggestions. Pretty darn reasonable prices, too. Bella commented over 3 years ago | Report Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  4 0 I'm not someone who only buys local, so trust me on this one, Fero's Meat Market at the Pike Place Market is the best. The meat is very good, the prices are decent, and you get old-timey butcher service! New Radio answered in Cooking Tips & Tricks over 3 years ago | Report 3 comments by Katy Abby, Karla Pacheco, and O my captain… 0 0 Agreed, these guys are amazing. Plus, they'll order anything they don't have (think of the possibilities!!). It's located kind of under the Crumpet Shop, on the east side of Pike Market. Katy Abby commented over 3 years ago | Report 0 0 Try their Turducken...it's AMAZING. They also put together awesome "bundles" of tasty, tasty meat at a discount, and they'll totally customize them for you. Karla Pacheco commented over 3 years ago | Report 0 0 ewwww...kinky! O my captain commented over 3 years ago | Report Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  4 0 I actually really like the meat department of Uwajimaya. They have grass feed beef, waygu beef, and berkshire pork. The butchers will cut to order, and are always friendly. Andrew Beck answered in Cooking Tips & Tricks over 3 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  3 0 You're sending out some mixed signals here, so I'm going to address each of your criteria separately. If you want better, you're going to have to pay a premium. USDA Prime or Choice cuts of beef for example would run 20 - 50% higher at the very least, and are generally only available at specialty butchers like A&J on Queen Anne or Don & Joe's in The Market. However, many grocery butchers can also special order these cuts by-request, although it may take a couple of days to fill. As for fresher, well, exactly what do you mean by that? The best cuts of beef for example, wouldn't be the "freshest", if by that you mean the most recently cut, since high-end commercial and private consumers prefer beef that's been aged (preferably dry-aged for at least 21 days), which allows the protein in the muscle tissue to break down a bit, resulting in a more tender cut, and also allows for a small amount of dehydration, which concentrates the flavors. For other types of meat, the butchers listed above are probably going to be your best bet, since they deal in much smaller quantities that grocery stores, and so are likely to reorder much more frequently. For the freshest locally caught seafood, you should head over to Fisherman's Terminal and purchase directly off-the-boat, if available. The Market fish mongers are also going to have a respectable amount of same-day catch. Avoid frozen if at all possible. As for cheaper, well, all I can say is you gets what you pays for. Obviously, the better the quality, the higher the price, but if you're really on a tight budget, most grocery stores have some sort of "quick sale bin" in their meat departments where they will significantly reduce cuts getting within a couple of days of their expiration, often as much as 50% off the normal retail markup. So, if you plan to cook it right away, say within 24 - 48 hours, you can frequently find some real bargains here. Christopher Comte answered in Cooking Tips & Tricks over 3 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  2 0 Check out the University District Farmers' Market. They have three different beef ranchers with very different product--all of them pastured, and in one case (Olsen Farms), the grass is supplemented by their own potatoes. These farmers control every step of production, from closed herds to slaughtering. Different breeds and different pasture create different flavors and textures, and if you're going to eat beef, it's nice to know the steer had a contented, healthy, stress-free life. If you eat a lot of beef, check into buying (or sharing with friends) a quarter or half-side of beef. I just did that (a quarter is about 120 pounds of meat, we shared it among 4 households) and the total came to about $5.50/lb, for a mix of ground beef, roasts, and steaks. Porterhouse is my favorite cut--you get the super-tender and the slightly-tougher-but-beefier sections, and the fun of gnawing on a bone. I spoke with the butcher and was able to have it all cut to our specifications, and even score stuff like fresh liver, suet and soup bones. alight answered in Cooking Tips & Tricks over 3 years ago | Report 3 comments by Fnarf, alight, and Fnarf… 0 0 Right on for porterhouse -- it's one of my Big Three. And also right on for grass-fed farmer's market beef -- it's by far the most ethical and ecological choice, and tastes fantastic -- though you will give your teeth a bit of a workout. That's what they're for. Fnarf commented over 3 years ago | Report 0 0 I'm convinced Olsen (the one who adds in winter potatoes to the grass-feeding) is more tender than straight grass-fed. Their butcher even uses paper, not the sealed plastic bag nonsense. I look forward to living off of beef marrow when I am an old and toothless woman. Do they still make marrow spoons? alight commented over 3 years ago | Report 0 0 I dunno. I always suck out my marrow. As for tender, that's a negative in my book -- I like to chew. Fnarf commented over 3 years ago | Report Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  2 0 It is a bit of a drive north, but DD Meats in Mountlake Terrace is incredible. The meat is delicious, the selection wide, and the prices low. I am not usually someone who drives far for food I am going to cook at home, but the meat there is worth it. I got a 9 lb Prime Rib that was very cheap and very tasty. Horrible Person answered in Cooking Tips & Tricks over 3 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  2 0 Central Market. LJH answered in Cooking Tips & Tricks over 3 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  2 0 Don & Joe's at the market is very good. They'll debone stuff if you want (for free), and have an excellent selection of not-so-common-anymore cuts (like, tongue, kidneys, etc.). Their prices are comparable or lower than most supermarkets Slugbiker answered in Cooking Tips & Tricks over 3 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  2 0 Fero's meats at the market is great. Best bacon in the world. Bake it on a foil-lined cookie sheet and it's to die for. jasper answered in Cooking Tips & Tricks over 3 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  1 0 Don & Joe's at Pike Place has always delivered, in both service and quality, even the strange Midwestern cuts I occasionally ask for. Their sausage and other charcuterie is pretty good, too. Ryan Leidigh answered in Cooking Tips & Tricks over 3 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  1 0 Fred Meyer of all places has pretty good rib roasts. Leshi Market makes some tasty sausages and makes their own hamburger, plus their overall quality is pretty good. The big problem is that almost everybody gets their meat form the same places, which is why its damn near impossible to get a rib roast with the feather bones attached and a good inch or two of fat. Giffy answered in Cooking Tips & Tricks over 3 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  0 0 If you can find a stand-alone butcher that's in a convenient location for you, that might fill the bill. The quality is usually high and the prices are lower than Whole Foods, in my experience. My grandfather decided decades ago that A&J was the only place in Seattle that he'd buy meat. I'm not that extreme, but I love going there. They're knowledgable, helpful and their meat is always excellent. I'd also like to offer two more anecdotes: I grew up eating seafood out of Mutual Fish. It's where I go when I want to make a lot of seafood or if I want to be sure that it's high quality. And I've also been surprised by my good luck with the Fred Meyer just off Leary Way, west of Fremont. I wasn't expecting them to have great meat or seafood, but I've been pleasantly surprised on a number of occasions. I wouldn't call it a mainstay, but it's a great fallback if you're shopping when your mainstay is closed or if other places are out of what you need. Mike answered in Cooking Tips & Tricks over 3 years ago | Report 1 comment by Mike… 0 0 Oh, and local farmer's markets are a great source of meat, especially grass-fed stuff and other moderately exotic local fare. Mike commented over 3 years ago | Report Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  0 0 I care about quality, but I am price sensitive. Both Costco and Safeway have some great deals if you watch prices and are willing to do some of your own processing. I got a whole pork loin (not the little tenderloin, but he big, 2 foot long whole loin) for more than half off on sale. 5 minutes with a butcher knife and I had a pile of boneless pork loin chops for way less than half the cost of the same thing shrink wrapped by the butcher. Costco is also good. Used to have great deals on beef tri-tip, one of the best boneless cuts for BBQ grilling or broiling. I've also done the buy half a cow from a farmer deal. For me not a great value. The ground beef was worth the money, hands down the best ground beef I've ever tasted and it was good to know it all came from the same animal. But I've got to disagree with Fnarf that grass fed is the only way to go. Great for steaks and other quickly cooked cuts, but very tempermental when braised or stewed. The extremely low fat content makes it hard to get good results with the tougher, slower cooking cuts. Westside forever answered in Cooking Tips & Tricks over 3 years ago | Report 1 comment by Heather Kraft… 0 0 the grass fed issue isn't about the taste, its about the consequences corn has on the animal, environment, and us, the consumers. If you're at all responsible, you should be eating grass fed animals. Heather Kraft commented over 2 years ago | Report Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  0 0 Double D's MLT!! Dale Brennan answered in Cooking Tips & Tricks over 3 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  0 0 Just exactly what do you mean by "best place to buy meat?" A meat market bar? (My, aren't we sly now...) O my captain answered in Cooking Tips & Tricks over 3 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  0 0 Shawn & Ted's Meat Market in Renton.  These are the guys who were at Crystal Meats in the Market.  Natural ground beef that smells so good you want to eat it raw and smoked products that are just perfectly done.  Real butchers, too - the kind that will sell you the best cut for your recipe, not just the popular or high priced stuff.   The Heretic answered in Cooking Tips & Tricks over 3 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  0 0 The Barbequtioner says Bob's Quality Meats in Columbia City is the shiznit. I agree. http://www.yelp.com/biz/bobs-quality-meats-seattle Mister Elwood answered in Cooking Tips & Tricks over 3 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  0 0 A&J Meats at Queen Anne & McGraw. I'm not sure they're much cheaper than Whole Foods, but they've got (or can order) what you want, great service, and it's a family run business. Joe M answered in Cooking Tips & Tricks over 3 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  0 0 Farmers Markets... U District on Saturdays and Ballard on Sundays. Skagit River Ranch has a booth at both markets, and their beef and pork are both excellent. Their bacon is cured a bit sweeter than some prefer, but I love it. They also make their own sausage etc. You can do the buying-a-whole-cow thing from them, which has been very successful among my friends... they custom butcher and package your cow for you, and you can choose to purchase the organs and/or bones depending on your needs. (On the other hand, we have some friends who did the buy-a-whole-pig thing, but the rancher only did really rough prime cuts, so they had to take it to a separate butcher to prepare it further... added some expense and inconvenience... so make sure you know what you're getting in to if you go that route.) Also, apparently Costco has the best chicken in town. Who knew? Lindsey answered in Cooking Tips & Tricks over 3 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  0 0 B&E Meats in Burien and Des Moines Cam Bruce answered in Cooking Tips & Tricks over 3 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  0 0 <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/bobs-quality-meats-seattle">Bob's Quality Meats</a> at 4861 Rainier in Columbia City.  Great little shop.  Great service. Great meat. MHG answered in Cooking Tips & Tricks over 3 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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  1 2 Someone already said it...Bob's Quality Meats in Columbia City. Rotten666 answered in Cooking Tips & Tricks over 3 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question preview THIS IS A PREVIEW: Click "Post" to submit it or "Edit" to make changes. edit Please wait… This could take a minute if the tubes are clogged.

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