Why Some Kroger Customers Urge You To Avoid The Meat Department

Unfortunately for shoppers, not all grocery store meat departments are created the same. Some of the best ones, according to customer reviews, include Costco, Whole Foods, Fresh Market, and Publix — to name a few. Then there's the worst — a sad list that includes Walmart, Homeland, H-E-B, Shoprite, and Kroger. About that last one: As the fourth largest grocery store chain in the U.S., with more than 1,200 locations, you would think Kroger would have a better meat department. But, according to a lot of customers, that's just not the case. And it also might be partially responsible for why the grocery store chain is struggling overall. 

Let's start with the sell-by date. One Redditor asks the question, "Does anyone else feel like the meat, especially beef, from Kroger is just constantly going bad before the sell by date? ... Sometimes it's already smelling rancid when I use it the same day I buy it." Another commenter on the same thread wholeheartedly agreed: "Absolutely! I bought a pack of 3 ribeye steaks from the Kroger on July 3rd, went to cook them on the 4th and the smell about knocked me over when I opened them."

The criticism continues on Facebook. One user says, "Has anyone had issues with Kroger brand meat? ... Our meat has turned brown within a day or 2 with horrible odor, had to throw away." Other commenters agree, saying the meat is slimy, and suggested going to other local grocery stores and butcher shops instead of buying from Kroger.

While the smell and sliminess of Kroger's beef is definitely a massive red flag, even the non-expired beef at this grocery store chain has issues. Some Redditors have commented on the lack of marbling and fat in Kroger's New York strips and ribeyes. Others on Reddit complain about the thickness: "... I just cooked a strip and a prime ribeye from them and tbh I'm going to throw them in the trash, way too thin to properly sear."

In Kroger's defense, some customers do have positive things to say about the meat department. One Redditor wrote, "Our Kroger has wonderful ribeyes. And good sales. I recently got a 7.8 pound ribeye roast for $27.22 total. We got 8 steaks out of it and they were delicious." Another Redditor comments that they always have bought meat from Kroger and never had a problem with it going bad. That said, while quality may vary across location, that still speaks to an inconsistency that some of the better grocery store meat departments mostly avoid.

Kroger does a lot of things right, but it seems the meat department is somewhat suspect if you believe many customer reviews. So, bottom line: If Kroger is your only option, give it a try. But if you have other grocery store meat departments in your area — or, better yet, a local butcher store or two — then you're probably better off getting your meat from them.