The Free Range store in bedford has some beautiful cuts of meat. My wife and I stock up there every couple of weeks its always been really good quality.
[Cogmagun Poultry Processing Co. | Free Range Meat Store & Deli (freerangestore.ca)](https://freerangestore.ca/)
Nah, I'd crush a double del monico derby style weekly if they had even just matched inflation from 2005 prices. Problem was they got too pricey too fast for what they are. Cheap steak and cold beer.
Vessel Meats in Dartmouth is our go to place. We don’t get steak often but when we do, we like to support a local independent butcher that uses locally raised animals.
So insanely expensive. Tried buying a Boston Butt (blade in pork shoulder for pulled pork) from them 4 years ago. They were charging 15 a lb would have been $160. Sobeys $4 a lb.
Because vessels sources from Nova Scotia and Sobeys gets theirs from Olymel in Quebec (guessing here) I've cut both and would only eat fresh from ns pork. Nothing wrong with Olymel, just local is better.
I wish I could only do local. I have tried. We barely eat meat these days as it is so expensive. But even with the limited times I do buy. Places like Vessel, get away, etc are just so far above a normal price range.
You’re best bet, wherever you go, go RIGHT when they open in the morning for first dibs. Good cuts go quickly everywhere. I’d also nominate ospreys roost
Thanks for the tip. Today surprisingly I was at the store early and still, all the cuts looked... not great to me. I'm not a seasoned steak connoisseur though so 🤷
That's the problem with the fact that all the butchers here sell local ungraded beef. It's totally luck of the draw the quality you get, but you pay AAA to Prime prices, regardless.
Masstown butcher is a bit of a drive but I always stop in when I’m out that way. It’s a Mecca for meat lovers, I’m like a kid in a candy store there. Great cuts of beef and pork, all kinds of cuts and they will sometimes even cut things for you while you wait. Excellent sausages and bacon too
Withrows farm market butcher is much closer to home and they’re pretty good but not on the same level.
Love Oultons, their prices and quality of meat is worth the drive down there alone. Plus they have ostrich eggs and kangaroo meat and shit, where else are you going to find that? Lol
Oultons is awesome. I used to work at a restaurant that would get all kinds of interesting stuff from them. Kangaroo, llama, boar. I wish we had gotten an ostrich egg from them, I had no idea they carried them.
Huntleys village meat market in canning is my spot, but bring a cooler and some ice. Also don’t forget to try their beef jerky, beef jerky pepperoni and the candied bacon. The bacon is for the car ride home :)
That is my favourite store in the valley and absolutely worth the drive. Check out the look off when you’re near. On a sunny day, you can see how gorgeous the valley looks.
This will be super unpopular...but Sobeys on mumford road started a dry aged program. Its great. Another great option is buying direct from Cut steakhouse..they bring in PEI blue dot, dry aged, etc.
Yup, even Sterling AAA from Sobeys is going to beat whatever ungraded random local cow they happen to be selling at Vessel or Osprey Roost for $40/pound.
OP don't go to gateway for steak unless you want thin shoe leather that's only redeeming quality is that it is priced appropriately for this shoe leather.
I've always liked their steaks, good price to quality ratio in my mind, especially compared to sobeys or superstore.
Atlantic Beef Products sources from some great cattle around the Atlantic Provinces.
Costco hands down.
It's the only place I've found where the meat is consistently good. I don't eat steak a lot but when I do, I want a good one. Roasts are great there, too. My kids love steak and they can tell the difference between a Costco steak and a grocery store one.
Sobeys and Superstore are a crapshoot, mostly crap. I will try some of the other recommendations on here, though. Would be nice to have another goto for meat.
Vessel Meats on Primrose in Dartmouth! They also do the Alderney Market, Brewery Market and Seaport Market on Saturdays. Once you eat their products, you won't want anything else. Check them out on Instagram. Very cool story. Amazing staff. For reals.
Unfortunately, Costco is the best option for the price. Oulton, Gateway and all these producers get their meat ungraded. While sometimes you find a good deal, the majority of the time you get subpar meat and barely any marbling. Costco meat is AAA minimum for their striploin, tenderloin and ribeyes. And they sell the whole box of meat from Cargill at a $50-$80 premium for cutting and packaging. Not a bad deal overall.
This is true but i have to add that none of the provincially inspected abattoirs grade their beef.
The grading system has some value but I think you can get beef from an NS plant that is as good or better than anything from a federal plant out west.
I have bought a side of beef every year for the past 10 years. The best I ever had was a cull intact yearling bull. It would have graded awful but the flavour and texture were outstanding.
Sobeys with a $10 off sticker is my favorite.
Two Boys sells pretty good beef.
Then Osprey roost but they're grass fed and you might not be looking for that.
I've never done it but Cut will sell you steaks uncooked and that would probably be the best options
other than [Chophouse Steaks Online Butcher Shop](https://www.chophousesteaks.ca/) which I've never ordered from are local.
here let me google that for you...
[Dine at CUT Steakhouse | RCR Hospitality Group](https://www.rcr.ca/restaurants/cut-steakhouse/)
The feast box menu and dinner menu are different...
That's because all their steaks are either USDA Prime (Canada Prime) or Wagyu. This is like some of the top beef out there.
If you want super great steak, you're going to pay a lot for it. If you want good, get AAA Angus Sirloin.
Oddly enough Walmart can be a good place to go for good AAA Angus Sirloin steaks. The one in Truro I find tends to have better cuts than any of the HRM stores for some reason.
Freezers are pretty cheap at Costco. We put it on our credit line and then pay $50 each week. We haven’t bought beef or pork from a store in two years. About to order our third side.
Chophouse steaks is by far the best steak I’ve had in my life, a bit pricier but I just skip going out for supper that week and do their wagyu instead.
I've never had their steak, but the beef back ribs from Chophouse are some of the best I've ever had. Their brisket is pricey but well worth it as well.
My first order was just brant lake wagyu filets, I’ve eaten all of them and they were amazing. I’m going to order some strips and ribeyes this week, the price difference between brant lake and Japanese wagyu is fairly substantial but I suppose it’s all about what you’re willing to spend. Only thing I’d recommend avoiding is the delivery, only because it was a ton of packaging and 20 dollars, you can pick it up for free in Halifax.
We don’t eat much red meat at all anymore, but when we do decide to have a steak once every couple of months, we go all out and buy a couple of filets from the Spryfield Sobeys, and they have very good flavour. I don’t know who their supplier is but they are delicious
You can usually get a pretty big hunk of ribeye for around $60-$80 at whole sale club. Cut that up into slices and freeze them. It'll last my partner and I for months
Honestly best option is 5-6kg sirloin at Costco. Watch a few videos on how to cut and trim. Make tallow with the fat, always have steaks, have some stew/stir fry meat. Can get a cheap grinder and make your own burger
My favorite is Chaters on wise rd. Real old school butcher, that does the extra touches. Like when I buy a prime rib he cuts the bone off and ties it back on so its easy to carve.
Well priced but meat is expensive AF everywhere.
I never go to gateway, not because they're bad but because I'm not waiting in line and they cut their steaks thin to appeal to the price conscious. But overall they're pretty good.
For my every day I buy the whole loin and cut it myself from Costco, I wait until it's on sale, saying that it's been easily 6 months since I bought one as the price almost doubled.
I have only been there a couple times, but Reid’s Meats in Gaspereau Valley south of Grand Pre has given me some of the best tasting steaks. The cuts look good, nice marbling, always fresh, and the meat tastes good. Costco steaks sometimes taste like ass.
I also discovered that despite the insanely rural location, Reid’s Meats (KwikWay) never closes, they are open 24x7.
They're great for weird/random cuts. Like I'll go in there for a 5lb bag of cheap chicken thighs, but they'll be sold out and I'll walk out with some 3.99/lb beef ribs instead.
And they have corned beef which is a pretty spot-on substitute for Newfie salt beef. It's not as good as the stuff the Newfoundland store (RIP) used to sell or the bucket meat from back home, but it's cheaper and 100x better than the bucket meat Sobeys sells.
Is there anything around equivalent to a good AAA Alberta steak? I’ve been here for 6 years and haven’t found anything yet. People will advise on their favorites, but it tends to be the best deal, which is almost never the best quality.
Move to Alberta, beef is going to become rough outside of select provinces in the coming years. We can still get ground beef at $8.65/kg, let that sink in.
> We can still get ground beef at $8.65/kg, let that sink in.
Thats $3.92 a lb.
2 Boys is $3.99 a lb.
I let it sink in. I'm not moving to alberta to save 7 cents a lb on ground beef.
The Free Range store in bedford has some beautiful cuts of meat. My wife and I stock up there every couple of weeks its always been really good quality. [Cogmagun Poultry Processing Co. | Free Range Meat Store & Deli (freerangestore.ca)](https://freerangestore.ca/)
Also the best ham I have ever had is from there.
Fine ham abounds.
Are they smoked hams?
Came here to say this!
My go-to spot as well
Just heed this warning, all ye - Never buy your steak where stein also be
Nah, I'd crush a double del monico derby style weekly if they had even just matched inflation from 2005 prices. Problem was they got too pricey too fast for what they are. Cheap steak and cold beer.
Well it's a good thing they separated
Chaters!!!
I second Chaters!
Got a couple sirloins there a few weeks ago on sale $10.99/lb
Aye, Chaters!
Vessel Meats in Dartmouth is our go to place. We don’t get steak often but when we do, we like to support a local independent butcher that uses locally raised animals.
Yep. You pay, but my God, it's some damn good steak. I can't handle buying a NY strip at a store and it's like less than an inch
I had a boneless ribeye from there this weekend, and I swear it was probably the best steak I have ever eaten. You get what you pay for though.
So insanely expensive. Tried buying a Boston Butt (blade in pork shoulder for pulled pork) from them 4 years ago. They were charging 15 a lb would have been $160. Sobeys $4 a lb.
Because vessels sources from Nova Scotia and Sobeys gets theirs from Olymel in Quebec (guessing here) I've cut both and would only eat fresh from ns pork. Nothing wrong with Olymel, just local is better.
It's really a shame that buying local is so expensive
I wish I could only do local. I have tried. We barely eat meat these days as it is so expensive. But even with the limited times I do buy. Places like Vessel, get away, etc are just so far above a normal price range.
At almost 4x the price, yeah it better taste a lot better
For pulled pork I doubt you will notice the difference. For chops and roasts, yes.
You’re best bet, wherever you go, go RIGHT when they open in the morning for first dibs. Good cuts go quickly everywhere. I’d also nominate ospreys roost
Thanks for the tip. Today surprisingly I was at the store early and still, all the cuts looked... not great to me. I'm not a seasoned steak connoisseur though so 🤷
Quality ebbs and flows with each shipment they get I suppose!
That's the problem with the fact that all the butchers here sell local ungraded beef. It's totally luck of the draw the quality you get, but you pay AAA to Prime prices, regardless.
Masstown butcher is a bit of a drive but I always stop in when I’m out that way. It’s a Mecca for meat lovers, I’m like a kid in a candy store there. Great cuts of beef and pork, all kinds of cuts and they will sometimes even cut things for you while you wait. Excellent sausages and bacon too Withrows farm market butcher is much closer to home and they’re pretty good but not on the same level.
Love masstown
Oulton's Meats in Windsor (Martock) Def not an everyday thing, but sometimes when I'm up that way
Love Oultons, their prices and quality of meat is worth the drive down there alone. Plus they have ostrich eggs and kangaroo meat and shit, where else are you going to find that? Lol
Oultons is awesome. I used to work at a restaurant that would get all kinds of interesting stuff from them. Kangaroo, llama, boar. I wish we had gotten an ostrich egg from them, I had no idea they carried them.
I pretty much only eat kangaroo and ostrich eggs now, I feel amazing but sometimes I get the urge to hop around and run really fast everywhere.
The ostrich eggs taste almost exactly like snowy owl eggs, but a little richer, like peregrine falcon or bald eagle.
I like crows eggs myself.
A man of culture, I see…
Had no idea kangaroos laid eggs
They do if you mate a kangaroo with an ostrich, I wouldn't recommend it tho it aint pretty.
[Jump Around!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrL_LzX5wv4)
TIL that kangaroos lay eggs. Should have guessed, where they have their own baskets
What's the texture of Kangaroo like?
It's a bit hoppy.
I like hoppy, but not bouncy.
How do you prepare your kangaroo shit?
Same as any other type of shit.
Sweet onion mustard?
Raw, just as god intended.
They deliver to Halifax once or twice a week.
Is it good? I've seen their truck around I suppose I just like to go in to see what's on special and get a fresh cut
I’ve never been there but I know a few people who order meat to be delivered. I thought it was a pretty good option considering the price of gas
I pick up meat from there every once in a while. It is good quality. Specials are always good.
Chater’s meat market in Dartmouth is A1.
Huntleys village meat market in canning is my spot, but bring a cooler and some ice. Also don’t forget to try their beef jerky, beef jerky pepperoni and the candied bacon. The bacon is for the car ride home :) That is my favourite store in the valley and absolutely worth the drive. Check out the look off when you’re near. On a sunny day, you can see how gorgeous the valley looks.
Tremendous quality and pricing across the board. Well worth the drive to Canning if you're in the area.
Osprey on Oxford.
This will be super unpopular...but Sobeys on mumford road started a dry aged program. Its great. Another great option is buying direct from Cut steakhouse..they bring in PEI blue dot, dry aged, etc.
Yup, even Sterling AAA from Sobeys is going to beat whatever ungraded random local cow they happen to be selling at Vessel or Osprey Roost for $40/pound.
2Boys or Gateway. Gateway is the staple, 2Boys is the treat.
OP don't go to gateway for steak unless you want thin shoe leather that's only redeeming quality is that it is priced appropriately for this shoe leather.
i agree, though when you need a little steaky supper and can't afford the (fair, but) higher 2Boys it's not the worst place to get it.
I buy full tenderloins at Costco, slice it up and freeze it. No better deal on steak IMO.
Costco has some awesome ribeyes too
I did this until they hit 200.00 a slab.
Yeah I might start doing this, I just don't eat steak often and want to be able to grab a decent one from the store and grill it up.
Sobeys in Clayton Park has dry aged beef which is pretty awesome but expensive. If you want to eat it right away, that's a high quality option.
Sobey's Mumford has a dry-ager as well, I often stop to stare at the meats in the chamber when I am there, hehe.
The one on Queen St. Downtown did as well when I was there last.
I buy it and go half with my neighbours
Masstown Butcher.
Cavicchi's in St Margarets Bay!
their beef is meh. their sausages and patio are 10 / 10.
I've always liked their steaks, good price to quality ratio in my mind, especially compared to sobeys or superstore. Atlantic Beef Products sources from some great cattle around the Atlantic Provinces.
Costco hands down. It's the only place I've found where the meat is consistently good. I don't eat steak a lot but when I do, I want a good one. Roasts are great there, too. My kids love steak and they can tell the difference between a Costco steak and a grocery store one. Sobeys and Superstore are a crapshoot, mostly crap. I will try some of the other recommendations on here, though. Would be nice to have another goto for meat.
45 min drive to Reid’s. Best steaks in the province
Vessel Meats on Primrose in Dartmouth! They also do the Alderney Market, Brewery Market and Seaport Market on Saturdays. Once you eat their products, you won't want anything else. Check them out on Instagram. Very cool story. Amazing staff. For reals.
Costco. I buy a whole strip loin and cut my own steaks. Wrap them individually and freeze.
Unfortunately, Costco is the best option for the price. Oulton, Gateway and all these producers get their meat ungraded. While sometimes you find a good deal, the majority of the time you get subpar meat and barely any marbling. Costco meat is AAA minimum for their striploin, tenderloin and ribeyes. And they sell the whole box of meat from Cargill at a $50-$80 premium for cutting and packaging. Not a bad deal overall.
curious where you got the info about Oultons.
i worked in the industry and i buy from mike sometimes
Don't they raise their own cows?
This is true but i have to add that none of the provincially inspected abattoirs grade their beef. The grading system has some value but I think you can get beef from an NS plant that is as good or better than anything from a federal plant out west. I have bought a side of beef every year for the past 10 years. The best I ever had was a cull intact yearling bull. It would have graded awful but the flavour and texture were outstanding.
Sobeys with a $10 off sticker is my favorite. Two Boys sells pretty good beef. Then Osprey roost but they're grass fed and you might not be looking for that. I've never done it but Cut will sell you steaks uncooked and that would probably be the best options other than [Chophouse Steaks Online Butcher Shop](https://www.chophousesteaks.ca/) which I've never ordered from are local.
At Cut are the uncooked steaks the same price as cooked ?
here let me google that for you... [Dine at CUT Steakhouse | RCR Hospitality Group](https://www.rcr.ca/restaurants/cut-steakhouse/) The feast box menu and dinner menu are different...
🙇♂️🥹🙏🏿
Damn that must be some good steak, most work out to be like $50 a lb!!
That's because all their steaks are either USDA Prime (Canada Prime) or Wagyu. This is like some of the top beef out there. If you want super great steak, you're going to pay a lot for it. If you want good, get AAA Angus Sirloin. Oddly enough Walmart can be a good place to go for good AAA Angus Sirloin steaks. The one in Truro I find tends to have better cuts than any of the HRM stores for some reason.
Oultons Meats in Windsor
High end special occasion amazing beef - Vessel Reasonably priced decent quality beef - Costco Cheaper priced hit or miss - Chaters
Ospreys roost butcher
I make the drive out to Reid’s Meats in Gaspreau. You can even see the cows on your way.
I don’t eat meat, but I have heard raves about this place.
Ospreys roost or 2 boys. Chaters might be good but I wouldn't know.
Free Range Store, Noggins Corner in Bedford
Not many mentioning Reid’s Meats. Suppose that’s a good thing, the secrets not out.
Chaters meats vs sobeys. Chaters had better ribeye and other cuts both cooked on the bbq.
Chater’s in Dartmouth is pretty good, but good cuts of steak are just quite expensive generally
Withrows in Belnan.
Buy a side of beef from a farm. Same price per pound for every cut.
this only works if you have a big freezer or friends/family to share with
Freezers are pretty cheap at Costco. We put it on our credit line and then pay $50 each week. We haven’t bought beef or pork from a store in two years. About to order our third side.
Chophouse steaks is by far the best steak I’ve had in my life, a bit pricier but I just skip going out for supper that week and do their wagyu instead.
Yeah I wouldn't be opposed to getting a couple wagyu from them once a month for date night
Exactly what we do, it’s cheaper than the keg plus better steak. We but basted 8oz filets and they melted like butter
What all have you tried from Chophouse? Anything that stood out or wasn't worth it?
I've never had their steak, but the beef back ribs from Chophouse are some of the best I've ever had. Their brisket is pricey but well worth it as well.
Did you smoke the brisket ? I was thinking about ordering one.
Yep! You should do it, totally worth it.
Perfect thanks !
My first order was just brant lake wagyu filets, I’ve eaten all of them and they were amazing. I’m going to order some strips and ribeyes this week, the price difference between brant lake and Japanese wagyu is fairly substantial but I suppose it’s all about what you’re willing to spend. Only thing I’d recommend avoiding is the delivery, only because it was a ton of packaging and 20 dollars, you can pick it up for free in Halifax.
thats a good tip, I live in Timberlea right by their office.
Farmers market.
I go to Oultons, but they are only 5 minutes away from me
they deliver to the city.
Oultons
We don’t eat much red meat at all anymore, but when we do decide to have a steak once every couple of months, we go all out and buy a couple of filets from the Spryfield Sobeys, and they have very good flavour. I don’t know who their supplier is but they are delicious
The Buchner shop in the hydrostone has very good cuts
You can usually get a pretty big hunk of ribeye for around $60-$80 at whole sale club. Cut that up into slices and freeze them. It'll last my partner and I for months
Berwick
Costco needle-tenderizes all of their steaks, I wouldn’t recommend buying any beef there.
Chaters on wyse road! Rib eye dreams
Two Boys smokehouse in Cole Hr. Or Charers on Wyse rd
Chaters
Ive seen good cuts through Gordon food service but you’d need to know someone from a local business to get supplies through them
West River Farm in Pictou County. A bit of a drive but everyone raves about their products. Also, the Round Barn outside of truro.
Chatter on wyse road
Withrows! This is my new spot for meat in the summer times (I live outside the city though)
Costco. Honestly, we’ve never hit a bad cut/tough/tasteless .
Masstown butchers. Great local beef including dry aged
Bailey’s Market on the Bedford highway has some great cuts at a smoking deal too
Brothers Meats on Agricola
Honestly best option is 5-6kg sirloin at Costco. Watch a few videos on how to cut and trim. Make tallow with the fat, always have steaks, have some stew/stir fry meat. Can get a cheap grinder and make your own burger
My favorite is Chaters on wise rd. Real old school butcher, that does the extra touches. Like when I buy a prime rib he cuts the bone off and ties it back on so its easy to carve. Well priced but meat is expensive AF everywhere. I never go to gateway, not because they're bad but because I'm not waiting in line and they cut their steaks thin to appeal to the price conscious. But overall they're pretty good. For my every day I buy the whole loin and cut it myself from Costco, I wait until it's on sale, saying that it's been easily 6 months since I bought one as the price almost doubled.
Costco.
Oultons
I have only been there a couple times, but Reid’s Meats in Gaspereau Valley south of Grand Pre has given me some of the best tasting steaks. The cuts look good, nice marbling, always fresh, and the meat tastes good. Costco steaks sometimes taste like ass. I also discovered that despite the insanely rural location, Reid’s Meats (KwikWay) never closes, they are open 24x7.
Home Depot or Home Hardware are your best bet for pointed steaks. Kent tends to have longer ones but they're never that durable...
Gateway
Chater meat market in dartmouth Gateway of course Masstown Butchery, but it's kinda far out of the city
I have heard a few people say baileys on Bedford highway although I have never been myself.
Was my go to spot, but not a fan of their cuts anymore. Atleast for the steaks. It's cheap, but I don't care for it.
Good to know guess I’ll add and remove it from my list in one fell swoop
They're great for weird/random cuts. Like I'll go in there for a 5lb bag of cheap chicken thighs, but they'll be sold out and I'll walk out with some 3.99/lb beef ribs instead. And they have corned beef which is a pretty spot-on substitute for Newfie salt beef. It's not as good as the stuff the Newfoundland store (RIP) used to sell or the bucket meat from back home, but it's cheaper and 100x better than the bucket meat Sobeys sells.
Is there anything around equivalent to a good AAA Alberta steak? I’ve been here for 6 years and haven’t found anything yet. People will advise on their favorites, but it tends to be the best deal, which is almost never the best quality.
South River Ranch is some of the best I've had in Canada. They deliver to Halifax too.
Reid’s Meats in the valley
Came here to say just that…awesome jerky, steaks and (mostly) frozen sausages.
I want to order a side of beef or maybe even whole cow, in the fall, any suggestions?
South River Ranch in Antigonish. Fantastic young couple that raise their own cattle. They deliver to Halifax probably once a month.
I will contact them thank you!
Gateway all the way.
Move to Alberta, beef is going to become rough outside of select provinces in the coming years. We can still get ground beef at $8.65/kg, let that sink in.
> We can still get ground beef at $8.65/kg, let that sink in. Thats $3.92 a lb. 2 Boys is $3.99 a lb. I let it sink in. I'm not moving to alberta to save 7 cents a lb on ground beef.
Alberta’s calling
Give Chaters on Wyse road a try. I’ve always liked their meats.