The 11 Best Cuts Of Steak To Buy At Sam's Club, According To Customers
It doesn't take a foodie or a carnivore connoisseur to tell the difference between a good steak and a bad one. A good steak is juicy, tender, and flavorful, while a bad one can be fatty, tough, and bland. While there's an argument to be made for finding a favorite local butcher and going there, there's also Sam's Club. It turns out they're pretty great for steak, and their meat is one of the best things to buy at Sam's Club.
There's something we need to say upfront to anyone who's going to be a bit of a skeptic about Sam's Club meats following a less-than-stellar experience at sister store Walmart — the two siblings are definitely not created equal. That's not just us saying that, it's the consensus over at the Pitmaster Club forums, too.
One administrator volunteered, "I too have to give a shoutout to Sam's, rarely ever disappointed." Another said, "We buy 90% of our meat at Sam's and have for years," while another offered a tip along with praise saying, "I have had consistently good meat buys with awesome markdowns on Wednesday evenings at my local club." Great steaks and the possibility of deep discounts? It's hard to beat that, so let's look at what other customers have to say about the best steaks to be found on the shelves of Sam's Club.
1. Ribeye
Sam's Club offers a few types of ribeye steaks, including Prime and USDA Choice cuts, as well as a thin-sliced option and a priced-per-pound whole ribeye for anyone who wants to cut their own steaks. Between the different options, there are several thousand reviews on the Sam's Club website, and they're all sitting comfortably at around 4.5 out of 5 stars. When that many people agree on something on the internet, you know there's something to it.
The most popular is also the highest-rated (although not by much). That's the USDA Choice, with recent reviews raving, "Delicious. Scrumptious. Great price too," "Tender juicy fresh," and "Excellent ribeye steaks for a lot less than you pay from a restaurant. Easy to grill, difficult to mess up, and cook really juicy and tender. Contains a lot of marbling and the right thickness for that premium feel."
Opt to make the jump up to Prime Ribeye, and customers are saying that you're not going to be disappointed. When Sasquatch 92.1 did a review of Sam's Club Prime Ribeye for their station, they said, "$2 more per pound might as well be $10 more because that's the quality jump in my opinion." That's impressive enough, and they went out of their way to stress that you're not going to go wrong anywhere along Sam's Club's steak selection. Confused about the differences between grades of steak? If so, we've got a helpful guide on what steak grades actually mean.
2. T-Bone Steak
What is a T-bone steak? In brief, it's the best of both worlds, a single steak that contains both a New York strip steak and a tenderloin. It's no wonder that this cut is so popular whether you're going out to a steakhouse for an extra-special dinner or celebrating at home. It's a popular cut for Sam's Club, too, and this one comes with a caveat — it's so popular that if you're planning on heading to Sam's to pick some up for a special occasion, you might want to plan ahead as they warn on their website that it's so popular that they can't guarantee it's going to be in stock at any particular location.
Reviews for their USDA Choice T-bone steaks are pretty unanimously good, with only a few outliers. Most laud the quality and price point, with reviewers writing, "Best steaks around and at a great price. Always fresh and just the right amount of marbling. Great on the grill or in the pan." Others wrote, "Nice big steaks, great for grilling," and "Big hit at the cookout."
While T-bones should definitely be a special occasion sort of meal, we also love the idea that they can also be a "just because it's Tuesday" sort of meal, too. Customers overwhelmingly agree that Sam's Club offers a great opportunity to treat yourself to a T-bone without breaking the bank.
3. NY Strip Steak
Sam's Club doesn't just have some great NY strip steaks on offer, but they have some serious variety, too. In addition to their own Member's Mark USDA Choice and Prime NY strip steaks, they also carry Rastelli's Prime NY strip steaks. And here's the thing: Those are expensive. Like, really expensive. While they have good reviews from Sam's Club customers, both of their Member's Mark selections actually have higher ratings that have accumulated from hundreds and hundreds of reviews.
One recent reviewer wrote that not only did she love the steaks, but she also gave a shout-out to the Sam's Club butchers. "My Dad was a specialty cut butcher and he showed me what to look for in my steaks," she wrote. "You know, Sam's Club butchers ALWAYS meet the expectation. For our special occasions, I come to Sam's to get the best."
Redditors agreed, with many chiming in on a post showing the final results of a dry-brined, pan-seared NY strip steak from Sam's Club ... served alongside some amazing-looking homemade onion rings. Not only was the price point much lower than other grocery stores, but Redditors lauded Sam's quality, and availability, and shared another great tip: Talk to the butchers, and you might just get some serious discounts.
4. Bottom Round Steak
When it comes to steak cuts that even chefs won't eat, round steak is actually on the list. There's a caveat here, though, and the reason it's often avoided is because it typically has little fat, which makes it too tough to cook and serve like a traditional steak. But if your family loves steak tacos or fajitas, steak sandwiches, beef stew, or steak stir fry, this is the cut you want. Pound it out, slice it up, and cook it fast for some delicious steak-based meals.
With that in mind, you should buy the Member's Mark bottom round steaks from Sam's Club, because it's not only more affordable than some other cuts but pulling this pack out of the fridge will encourage you to get a little more creative than usual when it comes to serving up your steak.
Those in the know recommend picking this cut of steak up at Sam's Club because there's no way you can beat the quality and price point. Although some recent reviews say the cut was tough, a lot of that comes down to the cooking method. Follow some of our suggestions, and you'll agree with those who rave, "These steaks came in handy for a quick meal during the week," and "Love the steaks. I use them to make steak sandwiches. A minute or 2 in the frying pan."
5. Inside Skirt Steak
Skirt steak is another less popular cut of steak that, when cooked wrong, can come out a bit like eating a shoe. Done right, it's amazing — and we're talking about some nontraditional preparation methods like this cheese-filled skirt steak. Sounds amazing, right? Who says steak dinners need to be the usual steak-on-a-plate with some potatoes and veg? When you want to get creative, skirt steaks from Sam's Club are ideal for keeping on hand.
Although some reviewers warn that they ended up with an incredibly tough cut of meat, that's exactly what can happen with this cut — regardless of where it's purchased — if it's not cooked carefully. The vast majority of customers are thrilled, not only with the value but with the final product when cooked into something like carne asada or fajitas.
One recent review declared their skirt steak made "The best fajitas I ever tasted," and another added, "Of the four meats on our Mexican-themed taco bar this was, by far, the most popular. I can't help but think that those people who mentioned the meat being too tough and chewy were cutting it incorrectly," and went on to recommend that to get the most out of this cut, some research was needed. Do it right, and you'll find yourself in the same situation as other reviewers, who needed to buy and make extra for leftovers. Reddit agrees, with one comment calling Sam's skirt steaks, "the best-kept secret."
6. Top Sirloin Steak
One of the things we all love here at Mashed is getting creative in the kitchen, and thinking outside the box when it comes to weekday meals. It's way too easy to fall into the same old rotation, and life's too short for that. The other thing that we love is making the most out of our money, and customers have lauded Sam's Club top sirloin steaks for allowing them to do both of those things.
One of the things some reviewers love about this cut is that it's easy to divide the package into smaller amounts that can then be used for things like kabobs — and that's a great way to make steak go even further. Others say, "Always a crowd favorite!" and "Love these. Tender and delicious. Better than the NY strip in my opinion," and that's some high praise.
That said, there are a number of reviews in which customers have complained that the top sirloin ends up being tough, but here's the thing: It's just a tough cut of meat, and sirloin steak has to be cooked correctly to get the most out of it. That means marinating it first and being careful not to overcook it, and overlooking either of those things makes it incredibly likely that you'll end up with a less-than-stellar steak no matter where it comes from.
7. Tenderloin Steak
Ask people what their favorite cut of steak is and there's a good chance the answer is going to be tenderloin. Ask Sam's Club customers what they think of the Member's Mark tenderloins, and the answer is also kind of unanimous: Several thousand people have taken the time to sit down and review their tenderloins, with ratings hovering around a respectable 4.6 out of 5 stars.
Customers took their time to write, too, with one saying that they had been looking for decent steaks at a decent price, calling these "the best steak we have had in a very long time." Another said that even though they used a Sam's shopper and bought the steaks sight unseen, "It was wonderful! Steaks were delicious!" And another shared, "Only place we purchase our Filet Mignon is from Sam's. They are always very tender and price is great."
Many, many people laud Sam's Club tenderloin for being tender and flavorful, with some taking to Facebook to share how good they are. One of the other things that we love is that Sam's Club also sells whole beef tenderloins, which allows customers to cut their own steaks in the thickness they want, while easily packaging them in whatever quantity suits your family. The only thing better than a great steak dinner is multiple steak dinners made easy.
8. Flank Steak
Hear us out on this one, because we know — we've even acknowledged that it can "taste like scrap meat." That said, when it is done right, it's pretty amazing and you just need to make sure you pair flank steak with the perfect toppings. Flank steak is great for Taco Tuesday as the best accompaniment for lean, meaty flank steak is rich guacamole, full of healthy fats and all kinds of goodness.
Sam's Club offers a delicious Member's Mark flank steak at an affordable price. Seriously, do you have enough steak fajitas in your life? Customers are very, very generous when it comes to reviewing Sam's flank steaks, lauding them for not only being perfect for tacos, but great for stretching to feed a whole hungry family ... with bonus leftovers as well.
One wrote, "I have bought flank steak in other places and this is the best. It is very tender and tasty when grilled. Great texture and flavor for sure. Best flank steak." Another called them "Great steaks for stuffing or just marinate and grill... quick, easy, and so delicious," while another simply called them a "Reliable family favorite." And that's the other thing, once you find something the family loves, you want to know you're going to be able to get it again — and Sam's Club is going to be there.
9. Sirloin Steak
If you're the type who walks into your favorite steakhouse already knowing that you're going to get the sirloin, you're definitely not alone. If you could have that same steak in the comfort of your own home and also be secure in the knowledge that you didn't spend steakhouse prices, that would be pretty amazing, right? Sam's Club has you covered, because they offer a Member's Mark Prime Sirloin package that customers can't get enough of.
Hundreds of reviewers have given this product the five-star treatment, with some saying that when they prepared them, they did a variety of steaks to a variety of doneness, and "all were very flavorful and tender." Another confirmed "Prime Sirloin at Sam's is our meat of choice for quality and price," while another said, "Love these steaks. We butterfly them and cook them on the grill. Love that they are lean cuts, but not tough as long as you don't overcook them."
A quick look at reviews and there are a lot of customers saying the same things: They're just downright good steaks, made even more popular by the price point. We particularly love giving sirloin steak a garlic-herb butter upgrade, and that's precisely the kind of thing you can do with Sam's sirloin. While you might cringe at adding some flavored butter to a steak that you paid top dollar for, pick up some sirloin at Sam's and you'll find a delicious, affordable steak you can get creative with, guilt-free.
10. Cowboy Ribeye Steak
Sam's Club is known for its good deals and bulk buys, and you might not think that they'd be great for those times when you need to pick up something extra-special for that meal to impress. While almost any steak is great, few steaks are more impressive than the cowboy ribeye, or tomahawk steak. This on-the-bone steak is a restaurant favorite, but thanks to Sam's Club, you can try your hand at making these impressive steaks at home. If you're wondering whether they're worth it, according to reviewers, it's a definite yes.
Sam's Club offers a USDA Choice cowboy ribeye that has an impressive 4.7 out of 5 stars from customers who have also posted photos of the finished product, and they're enough to make your mouth water. One reviewer called it "The best steak I have ever eaten," with an important caveat: "Know how to cook it before you buy." Interestingly, other reviewers note the same thing, saying that it's important to research cooking methods and make sure you're prepared before taking the plunge, which makes sense.
For those who have taken the plunge, there's more good news: Sam's Club also offers a whole beef cowboy ribeye for those who want to cut their own steaks. Harder? Sure. More rewarding? Absolutely. Most agree with the sentiment of this reviewer, who simply wrote, "Yes."
11. Tri-tip Steaks
Any steak is only as good as the method that's used to cook it, and in the case of tri-tip, it's easy to end up with a piece of meat that's way too dry. We have some tips and tricks for making sure your tri-tip steaks end up juicy and delicious, and what better way to try it than to pick up some tri-tip at Sam's Club?
There are plenty of customers that agree, too, giving Sam's Club high marks for their Member's Mark USDA Choice tri-tip and their USDA Prime. Reviews lauded them for quality and price, but one stand-out review came from a customer who had known the head of their local health inspector. "He told me 'by far Sam's Club had the freshest meat,'" they claimed, adding, "I have found that the same cuts of meat from various stores are not as good as my Sam's Club."
Their Prime tri-tip has a whopping 4.8 out of 5 stars, with the biggest critics complaining they're not as tender as filet ... which is sort of stating the obvious. Others say, "We found this cut tender and very flavorful," with another simply saying, "Tender!" Again, it's important to stress that cooking method is incredibly important if you want to get the most out of this cut, so after you head to Sam's Club and pick up a package, check out our garlic and black pepper tri-tip roast recipe for a meal that's sure to be on your family's list of favorites.