Finally found quality brisket (semi) locally

[CSchieck]

I live in pork country.... Every grocery store, big box store and local butcher has every conceivable pork cut at reasonable prices. Locating quality whole brisket, however, has proven to be quite the challenge. Nothing in the grocery stores. The big box stores locally (BJ's and Sam's) will carry choice grade flats and charge $5.69/lb for them. I have 2 butchers within 45 min of me that can get me choice whole packer briskets, and they charge me (on a good day) $3.69/lb. I have seen them charge up to $4.99/lb for the same product to others (with them wanting me to think they are cutting me a deal because I often buy quantity). Wally World would SOMETIMES have choice grade whole brisket at $2.89/lb, but finding those were the exception rather than the rule, and I can count on one hand the good looking ones that I had found there in the past three years.

Read on here about Costco prices and grades, and decided I was going to have to take a road trip. I have two Costco's that are about equidistant from my home at an hour's drive. Little bit of a hike, but very much worth it. Prime grade brisket at $2.79/lb that looked very good, and the butcher let me dig through cases from the back to find what I liked since I was buying 6 of them. I have not been disappointed with the quality of the meat, and it was well worth the trip. Costco for finding brisket locally is probably the best tip that I have picked up on this forum.

[MountainMan]

CostCo and Wally World are the only big box choices within 120 miles of me.

CostCo wins out on any protein choice for me.........

[OklaDustDevil]

I work with food scientists/quality assurance executives who are the best in the business, and they tell me the CostCo Kirkland brand has very high quality food that is held to very high standards. Particularly the meat. So I buy there all the time.

My neighbor did a steak taste test for a dinner party, including steaks from a high quality local butcher, some grocery stores, and CostCo. The CostCo steaks won unanimously . . . .

[jmedder]

Says you're in Statesville? Supposedly Costco bought a large piece of land at exit 35 in Mooresville off 77.

That might cut the commute to one down for you...

[jasonjax]

My Costco just started carrying prime packers that have varied from 2.89 to 2.99 a pound. Quality has been fantastic!

[SmoothBoarBBQ]

Costco in Wilmington has Choice FLATS for like $4.50 per pound. Funny enough I went with a buddy to Sam's in Jacksonville last year to take a look at their meat selection and they had Choice full packers for like $3 per pound. So I got a membership and come to find out they don't normally carry full packers, but somebody had ordered a few cases but never came to collect them. LMAO I could have ordered Choice packers but I wasn't confident the butchers knew how to trim them properly. SO many gashes the size of caverns in the flat so it wasn't worth it.

I opened my own BBQ business so I have been going to Restaurant Depot in Raleigh and they have CAB (Choice) but it really seems to be "high-choice" as the marbling in the flats is very close to what I have seen in Prime. Usually about $2.50 per pound (even cheaper if you buy cases rather than individuals) so I spend some good time in that freezer picking out the best briskets I can find.