Where's the beef?

March 8, 2009 8:35 PM

Please recommend a butcher or meat market where I can get 100% grass fed organic meats in the Bay Area.

We don't eat meat often, but when we do, we'd like to eat the best.

Ideally I'd like one stop shopping for the best tasting, freshest, most local, most organically raised beef, chicken, lamb, and pork. It is very important to me that the animals have been fed their proper, natural diets they evolved eating.

Other animals, such as Ostrich, Alligator, Frog, etc. a bonus.

I live on the Peninsula, so I'd love for it to be somewhere between San Carlos and San Jose, but I will travel for the best meat.

posted by jeffamaphone to food & drink (17 comments total)

I would recommend going to farmers' markets! You might have to go to various stands to find what you want, but I get amazing meat at my local market and chat it up with the folks selling it.
posted by ORthey at 8:40 PM on March 8

A list to start from, or Bay Area Meat CSAs, and Polarica (PDF) will have some more unusual stuff.
posted by milkrate at 8:43 PM on March 8

I've bought grass-fed beef at both the Sunnyvale & Mtn View farmers markets.
posted by GuyZero at 8:49 PM on March 8

Since you're on the Peninsula, I'd try the Whole Foods near Hillsdale and 101. I'd also check Trader Joes. They've been known to carry grass-fed beef on occasion.
posted by dws at 8:56 PM on March 8

Here's a place in the city.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 10:09 PM on March 8

These cattlemen are in Oregon, I would contact them to see if they have a market in your area that buys from them. I promise you, once you have tried theirs you will never go back...
posted by shoeman at 10:13 PM on March 8

Thanks all.
posted by jeffamaphone at 10:15 PM on March 8

Since this is answered, hopefully it won't be too rude to piggyback: what does free range, grass fed beef cost, in a big city like SF?
posted by paisley henosis at 10:21 PM on March 8

Not sure about all these places that have been suggested, but grass fed beef at the Whole Foods in Palo Alto is about $7 / lb.
posted by jeffamaphone at 11:00 PM on March 8 [1 favorite has favorites]

Berkeley Bowl has grass-fed beef.
posted by zippy at 11:22 PM on March 8

If you're in Palo Alto, there's definitely a stand at the weekly Sunday morning farmer's market on California Ave that does grass-fed beef. They have lamb and pork, too, but I'm not sure about chicken. The stand is maybe halfway up the market on the right side if you're headed in the direction of the Caltrain station.
posted by loulou718 at 12:19 AM on March 9

Since this has been answered, I'm going to register my disappointment that nobody came up with places to get "bonus" animals: Ostrich, Alligator, Frog and etc.

Unless the OP meant "It is very important to me that the animals have been fed their proper, natural diets they evolved eating: Other animals, such as Ostrich, Alligator, Frog, etc."
posted by Dunwitty at 2:10 AM on March 9 [1 favorite has favorites]

Thanks, Jeff.
posted by paisley henosis at 7:51 AM on March 9

I would strongly urge you to consider buffalo, it is a much lower impact meat, and is also healthier then beef.

I don't know where you could get it in S.F. as I haven't been there since I was little, but I would imagine anywhere that you can get high quality grass fed beef would stock it, or know where you can get it.
posted by BobbyDigital at 8:37 AM on March 9

My local safeway often has 1 lb packages of ground buffalo next to the organic ground beef. As for an actual buffalo roast, I dunno.
posted by GuyZero at 9:58 AM on March 9

+1 for bison (though it technically isn't buffalo). All of the local grocery stores here have it, and this isn't an especially progressive area. It is lower fat and higher protein, and we prefer the taste. Both the ground packs and the steak medallions are very widely available.
posted by paisley henosis at 11:21 AM on March 9

Yes, it wasn't on my list but I do go in for the buffalo.
posted by jeffamaphone at 10:22 PM on March 10