Butcher Shop vs. Grocery Store Meat: What You Actually Get at the Counter

1. You choose the thickness

Pre-packed steaks tend to come in one standard thickness. At a butcher counter you can ask for a 1½-inch ribeye for the grill, ¼-inch slices for bistec or milanesa, or paper-thin cuts for stir-fry. Thickness changes everything about how a steak cooks.

2. Cuts the meat case doesn't carry

Cuts like picanha, cross-cut short ribs for asado de tira, or thin top sirloin for palomilla are easy to ask for at a butcher counter and often hard to find pre-packed. Our Latin and Brazilian cut guide has the English names.

3. Trimmed your way

Want the fat cap left on for flavor, or trimmed for a leaner meal? Bones in for soup, or out for the grill? Butterflied for stuffing? Just ask.

4. Ground fresh

At Costa's, ground beef is ground fresh daily. Fresh grinding gives you better texture and flavor for burgers, picadillo, and meatballs.

5. Advice from the person who cuts it

Not sure what to buy for 12 people, or what's good today? Ask. A butcher can tell you which cut fits your recipe and budget, how to cook it, and what to try instead if something has sold out.

6. Seasoned and ready to cook

House-seasoned and marinated cuts make weeknight dinners easy: take them home and put them straight on the grill or in the pan.

7. Better value on bigger buys

Family bundles and weekly specials help stretch your budget, and buying exactly the amount you need cuts down on waste. Here's how to save on meat in Davenport.

8. Your money stays local

Costa's Meat Market is a neighborhood shop in Davenport, established in 2024. Shopping here keeps a local business going.

How to order at a butcher counter

1. Say what you're cooking and for how many people.
2. Give the thickness you want in inches, or just say "thin," "medium," or "thick for the grill."
3. Say how you want it trimmed: fat on or off, bone in or out.
4. Ask what's fresh today or on special.
5. For big or unusual orders, call ahead: (863) 422-2313.