The 7 Best And 7 Worst Things You Can Buy At Omaha Steaks

Good meat can be hard to come by, and even the most refined restaurants still get it wrong. But meat retailer Omaha Steaks has dedicated the last 100 years to providing only the best, top-quality meats to customers across the country, according to the company, and the popularity of their products, which can be bought online or in-store, most likely speaks for itself.

After escaping religious persecution in Latvia and immigrating through Ellis Island, a father and son duo, J.J. and B.A., settled in Omaha, Nebraska, and started their own butcher business in 1917 called Table Supply Meat Company. In 1929, B.A.'s son, Lester Simon, joined the company, and their Nebraska beef skyrocketed to popularity. The meat was sold on cross-country trains and covered the pages of magazines at the time. By 1966, the company changed their name to Omaha Steaks International, and it's became a celebrated household steak name ever since.

The history behind this company may prove even more impressive than the products Omaha Steaks sells. Spending a century in the meat business, they've now expanded into poultry, seafood and dessert offerings. Unfortunately, not every item on the Omaha Steak shelf is up to par with the rest of their best-selling items. To help you pick the right products, we've put together a list of the best and worst things you can get from Omaha Steaks.

Let's be honest, bacon-wrapped anything is good. Warm, perfectly crisp, candy-like bacon that's greasy in all the right places — it's enough to make your mouth water for days. Now, picture this heavenly hog meat wrapped around the most tender filet mignon steak. Bet we got your tummy rumbling now! This meat-filled dream is now a reality thanks to Omaha Steak's savory Bacon-Wrapped Filet Mignon.

Shoppers can now have this incredible steakhouse classic at home. "Super tender" and strategically seasoned, this dish is the preferred filet mignon preparation from the Omaha Steaks chefs. Their master butchers take great pride in this delectable offering and make sure to age each filet to "maximum tenderness." As if we weren't drooling already, the palatable process continues.

Chefs then take the company's best cuts of "smoky, sugar-cured" pork bacon and delicately wrap each steak filet, giving this meal the classic steakhouse look and flavor. If eating uncooked meat wasn't so sketchy, we'd gobble up this meal raw. And according to thousands of reviews, customers share the sentiment.

Earning 4.4-star rating, shoppers rave about this dish's delicious flavor, tender texture and affordable price, with one consumer exclaiming that "these are one of my favorite products from Omaha!" Another happy customer couldn't say enough about how the "filets are so tender that you can cut them with a butter knife."

The Bacon-Wrapped Filet Mignon may be the best of the best when it comes to Omaha Steak selections.

Cooked seafood is not for everyone, let alone a raw, still-living mollusk straight from the sea. If you do manage to stomach seafood, there's a great deal of added risk involved, from poor taste and food-borne illness to more extreme cases of toxic chemical poisoning. With pressure to provide the healthiest and highest-quality food, restaurants and meat retailers alike often struggle with their fresh-caught offerings. Keeping seafood clean and uncontaminated is an ordeal all its own if improperly transported, stored and prepared. Omaha Steaks pride themselves on quality, but even the most prestigious of food vendors can fall short with their seafood, and these Live Manila Clams are no exception.

Eager to expand into the seafood market, this famous steak company actually created their very own brand called World Port Seafood. While there may be some top-tier products available through World Port Seafood, this live clam plate is not one of them. Costing customers $200 per package, this seafood bundle sat with just one sorry review star on the website at time of publishing. We're not sure if it's the price that has pushed patrons away or the raw shellfish health facts that might prevent customers from enjoying these clams fresh that does this dish in. Either way, we're sure this may be one of Omaha Steaks' worst options.

No matter what your age, everyone loves a good serving of chicken fingers. There's something about that crispy finger food that brings us back home to our greatest childhood memories. Omaha Steaks capture that same nostalgic sentiment and added a slightly more sophisticated twist to create their Italian Chicken Fingers.

Marinated in savory Italian seasoning and breaded to perfection, these chicken fingers offer endless flavor, bite after bite. Considering their 4.7-star rating, it seems customers can't get enough of these boneless, skinless, chicken breast tenderloins. Superb flavor and easy-cooking claims flood the customer review section, with one excited patron, who gave a five-star review, stating "these chickens were fabulous. Seasoning was great, easy to prepare. A true winner in my book". 

These chicken strips are made from white meat, and each one provides about 12 grams of protein and 17 milligrams of calcium per three-ounce serving, according to Omaha Steaks. Whether you're looking for food to feed the whole family, in need of a finger-licking appetizer, or searching for a substantial meal for yourself, these Italian Chicken Fingers will do the trick. Pair with your favorite dipping sauce, sprinkle some cheese on top or enjoy as is, and it will be hard to be disappointed with this at-home dish.

An exquisite meat like filet mignon shouldn't be hidden from the world. Dumplings can be a delicious dish, but when it requires dousing the meat magic that is filet mignon with poorly constructed dumpling skin, we're going to have to pass on this plate.

Receiving a lousy 2.7-star rating, Omaha Steaks' Filet Mignon Dumplings arrive on the worst list for a few reasons, one of which is the somewhat mess-inducing food-based foundation. Trying to eat one of these steak-stuffed dumplings proved very frustrating for one customer, who wrote, "the dumplings didn't hold together while they cooked. I hoped they would be finger foods, but we needed a spoon to get all the tasty goodness off the plate."

Dumplings have deep-rooted history in many cultures from Polish pierogies to Cantonese har gow. Whether they are smothered in butter or dipped in soy sauce, dumplings have become an affordable delicacy enjoyed in restaurants and at home dinner tables for decades. As a premium provider of some of the country's finest steaks, it's surprising Omaha Steaks misfired with this meal. Perhaps this meat company should leave the dumpling dishes to more niche establishments and stay focused on what they do best.

There's nothing quite like a finely cooked fish that just melts in your mouth. While poorly prepared seafood might seem like a risk when ordering dinner online, Omaha Steaks knocked this seafood dish out of the park with their Marinated Salmon Fillets.

No hard work or hassle to enjoy this "moist and flakey" Atlantic salmon. The Omaha chefs claim they have taken the liberty of delicately marinating each boneless, skinless, fillet with just the perfect amount of seasoning, including olive oil, garlic, paprika, onion and pepper. You will look like a true gourmet chef when you sizzle up a couple of these bad boys at home. 

Strategically sourced from sustainable salmon farms, this dish is chock-full of Omega-3s and B vitamins, which is why the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends eating two servings of fatty fish, such as salmon, per week. When talking with AHA on the subject matter, Eric Rimm, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, says research has come a long way in regards to finding beneficial effects of seafood and prevention of heart disease.

No need to stress on keeping this fish fresh on its way to your door either. Each salmon fillet is carefully vacuum-sealed to preserve peak freshness, and the filets easily cook within 15 minutes. Customers give these Marinated Salmon Fillets 4.7-stars, and with good reason.

Bad bacon seems almost impossible to come by, but Omaha's Colossal Cut Bacon falls very short of expectation. 

The use of pigs for food dates all the way back to 7000 B.C. (via United States Department of Agriculture). You'd think with centuries of practice and knowledge revolving around pork products that every restaurant and meat retailer would shine with something as simple as bacon. But Omaha Steaks bit the big one with this meat cut.

Despite this oversized bacon dish receiving a 3.5-star customer rating, the Omaha Steaks website chose to highlight only the four and five-star reviews. We're not sure what the subpar-star-giving customers had to say, but we're guessing it has to do with the excessively large and insanely thick slabs of bacon that can crowd the pan or cooking these meat cuts at the wrong temperature, all of which are common mistakes folks make when cooking bacon.

Bacon may not be the healthiest option for you, but when you're searching for a stellar piece of pig meat, it better be the best bacon you've ever tasted. Customer Ernest from Connecticut wore that this Omaha Steak offering was just "ok," and that's enough for us to pass on the $40 package of bloated bacon.

A dish so delicious that a world-famous culinary school was named in its honor — of course it made our list of best items to buy from Omaha Steaks. But this chicken dish didn't earn its spot on reputation alone. The Omaha Chicken Cordon Bleu easily became a fan favorite for its plump, juicy flavor, tender taste and honey-sweet hickory smoked insides.

This isn't just a meal, but an art form served directly to your door. Each piece of additive-free, premium boneless, skinless chicken breast is thoughtfully tenderized, flavored to perfection and prepped for stuffing, according to the company. Once Omaha Steaks' "expert chefs" are finished methodically preparing the chicken, they then stuff the primed poultry with succulent Swiss cheeses which are, of course, hugged by a heavenly slice of hickory-smoked ham and gently breaded with panko breadcrumb. Is your mouth watering yet?

This Chicken Cordon Bleu was just shy of a perfect 5-star rating at time of publication, and we can only imagine it stems from not having this meal served straight to your plate from the Omaha Steaks kitchen. But fear not: This dish is flash-frozen and individually wrapped to retain optimal freshness on its way to your dinner table, according to the company. Don't delay the inevitable and treat yourself to possibly one of the best servings of Chicken Cordon Bleu.

Just the thought of ordering a slow cooker red wine beef stew through the mail is enough to make us skip this selection, considering we could customize it quite easily at home. Despite their best efforts to promote this dish as having a fancy Italian sauce, Omaha Steaks should put this Italian Red Wine Beef Stew recipe to rest.

Slow cooker cuisine is so easy even the most novice chef can manage this meal. Just dump in your favorite ingredients, let it simmer for a few hours and voila — a fully cooked meal ready to eat. Omaha Steaks tried to simplify this amateur recipe even one step further by supplying customers with all necessary ingredients and seasoning, including their beef sirloin tips, fresh-cut vegetables and custom Italian sauce made with Burgundy wine and beef stock. However, many beef stew purchasers were dissatisfied with this dish, giving it a 3.7-star rating. One displeased patron wrote that she thought "the sauce was a little much on the tomatoes and not enough meat..." Another reviewer admitted that there is too much sodium in all Omaha Steaks' crockpot meals, and left a lowly 3-star rating.

No matter how many stars this recipe receives or how effortless it is to cook, we're going to pass on this company's wine-drenched version of beef stew.

Who doesn't love a good hot dog. Similar to the Omaha Steaks Italian Chicken Fingers, this meal gives us major childhood nostalgia. Now picture the best hot dog you've ever had and times it by 10 — that's what biting into one of these Gourmet Jumbo Franks tastes like.

Crafted with Omaha's juiciest pork and beef and packaged into perfect, jumbo-sized franks, this dish is a flavor-filled meal for folks of all ages. Dubbed "the best hotdogs" by several customers, these Gourmet Jumbo Franks earned their reputation all on their own. One excited customer shared that he loves eating these dogs at NASCAR cookouts, and says he "put these bad boys up against my neighbors Ball Park Franks and these doggies blew them away. A neighbor asks what they were and where she could buy them. I replied Omaha, only Omaha."

You don't have to read the thousands of five-star reviews to know that these hot dogs are the best. Simply throw one on the grill, boil in water or poach and broil them, and you'll taste the reason why so many customers keep coming back for more.

Shrimp is usually a celebrated and extremely versatile seafood dish that packs a flavorful punch when added to any meal. Unfortunately Omaha Steak's pre-cooked, single-serve Lemon Garlic Shrimp falls a bit flat for its customers, who found the dish expensive and lacking in portion size. We don't expect much from a shrimp-based seafood dish with a 3.7-star rating, but for having a reputation for providing high-quality meats, we wanted more from Omaha Steaks. 

Shrimp may be one of most consumed seafood in the U.S. (via the USDA), but it might lose its luster if it has to travel across the country before hitting your dinner table. Scarfing down too many of these suckers also pose certain health risks. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, shrimp are low in fat and calories but surprisingly high in cholesterol. And according to Consumer Reports, most of the shrimp imported into the U.S. is farmed or grown in man-made ponds, where the shrimp are often fed pellets containing antibiotics to help ward off disease, and these pellet-fed shrimp inevitably end up in our bellies. Also, if these ponds aren't properly cared for, toxic chemicals and fecal matter can accumulate — can you say gross?

The meat masters at Omaha Steaks crafted this dish with flavorful vengeance. Only the best cuts of meat make it into Omaha's Private Reserve club. Each piece of this lamb dish is hand-picked and aged for almost a month for premium meat perfection. According to Omaha Steaks, the Private Reserve Rack of Lamb offers a "deep earthy flavor" and provides an exquisite "melt-in-your-mouth texture" — it's no wonder this dish has nothing but five-star ratings.

Good lamb takes time, and to quote NPR's feature on lamb shanks, "good things come to those who wait." For Omaha Steaks' lamb rack, they recommend coating the lamb with garlic, butter, salt and pepper and placing it on a rack in a shallow pan. Once this voluptuous meat is cooked to your liking, season lamb roast with chopped parsley and enjoy.

And if you're still not sold, listen to Liz from Mississippi, who wrote that the Private Reserve Rack of Lamb `was the best lamb I've had in a very long time! VERY tender – I could have used a butter knife to cut it!"

Let the masters of meat do what they do best: serve you some of the best seasoned meat in the entire country.

Another seafood dish bites the big one when it comes to the worst buys from Omaha Steaks. While beautifully seasoned fish may have rave reviews from customers, the Live Prince Edward Island Mussels earned one lonely star rating by time of publishing.

Mussels can be tricky. Along with their fellow mangey mollusk relatives, pose a particular health hazard when eaten raw or uncooked if harvested from polluted waters, according to the USDA. Mussels must also be kept alive, as once the mussel dies, the meat begins to deteriorate and can put consumers in danger of food poisoning, according to Livestrong. Omaha Steaks' World Port Seafood brand claims to have the best quality and safety standards, but consuming raw shellfish, like mussels, can put you at risk of ingesting bacteria and viruses, according to Seafood Health Facts. The minimal processing of these mussels is a bonus, but the hoops this company has to go through to ensure safe and fresh delivery to your doorstep might not be worth the risk.

Plus, this slimy, saltwater shellfish doesn't provide much in the way of meat. You'll have to scrape at least half-a-dozen mussels to get a few ounces of meat. Too much risk for too little reward in our opinion.

Omaha Steaks dessert offerings seem like a no-brainer addition to their best products list, but the Sticky Toffee Cakes take sweet confections to the next level. Drenched in tasty toffee sauce, this delightfully dense cake is packed with sweet-tasting dates that are baked just enough to create ultimate rich and moist gooey goodness. This "insanely indulgent" toffee cake comes in individually wrapped packages just waiting to be opened, heated and enjoyed. Warm up one of these savory suckers and you'll find yourself back on the Omaha Steaks' website for more.

It's no surprise that this dessert continues to receive five-star ratings from reviewers, with jubilant patrons praising the explosion of flavor and perfect portion size. Countless customer claimed it was the best dessert they'd ever had, and another exclaimed that these cakes are "ridiculous...Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream....and OMG!" We hope these Sticky Toffee Cakes are here to stay because we're not sure the country can go one without them, according to the many stellar comments on their website.

Pro tip: Pile on a few scoops of vanilla ice cream atop your warm toffee cake — it's nothing but "pure decadence!"

If it doesn't sound like a standard steak company offering then you should probably skip it. And stir fry from a 100-year butcher shop like Omaha Steak should definitely not be your first choice for a few reasons.

This Chicken Stir-Fry Kit aims to help patrons ditch their takeout menus and turn their boneless chicken into an Asian-inspired dish. However, this meal prep pack falls short of expectations and has received a 2.9-star customer rating to boot. Equipped with an "extra-juicy" chicken breasts, pre-cut vegetables, Asian-style sauce, white rice, as well as step-by-step instructions, this meal kit sounds mighty mouthwatering. While shoppers may agree on this meal's solid flavor profile and simple, easy-to-cook ingredients, multiple purchasers say there's not enough chow to go around. The stir-fry product shot on the company's website paints a pretty palatable picture with plenty to eat, but customer John from Maryland says that his family "thought the amount of vegetables and rice could have been more."

Omaha Steaks may know a lot about meat, but a stir-fry package misses the mark. If you're looking for an uncomplicated meal kit for the whole family, we suggest trying the Skillet Meal: Pork Carnitas Kit, which has over 50 five-star reviews and a stellar 4.3 average rating.