Comparing Chicago Steak Company vs. Kansas City Steaks comes down to what you actually want in the box: Chicago Steak Company is the better pick if you want clearly labeled grading and true dry-aged cuts, while Kansas City Steaks is the better pick if you want a full meal with sides, a wider range of gift packages, or smaller orders at a lower entry price.
Which One Fits Your Buyer Type
If you’re a steak-first buyer who cares about grade transparency and aging method, lean toward Chicago Steak Company. Every steak is certified as either USDA Prime or upper-third USDA Choice, and the company offers both wet-aged and dry-aged options.
If you want dinner rather than just protein, or you’re shopping for a gift under $150, lean toward Kansas City Steaks. Their catalog includes prepared sides, finishing butters, and desserts, and they list over seventy gift packages at various price points.1The Kansas City Steak Company. Steak Gift Packages Under $150
Beef Grading and What You Actually Get
Chicago Steak Company restricts its entire lineup to USDA Prime or the upper third of USDA Choice, which by the company’s estimate places its beef in roughly the top two percent worldwide.2Chicago Steak Company. Best Sellers The upper-third Choice piece matters because standard Choice covers a wide marbling range, and the low end can eat noticeably lean. Trimming to the top third narrows the gap between the two tiers, so the cheaper grade still eats close to the Prime.
Kansas City Steaks centers its premium offering on USDA Prime under its “Private Stock” branding, a tradition the company traces to 1932, with hand-trimming before shipping.3The Kansas City Steak Company. USDA Prime Steaks Grading on its non-Prime products is less clearly stated. If you want to compare grades across the whole catalog, Chicago Steak Company makes that easier.
Aging: Wet vs Dry
This is where the two companies split hardest. Chicago Steak Company sells both wet-aged and dry-aged steaks, and specifies the timing on some cuts. Their ribeye, for example, is dry-aged for approximately six weeks.4Chicago Steak Company. Learn the History of Dry Aged Beef and How to Age Your Steak Wet aging in vacuum packaging keeps moisture in and produces a cleaner, traditional beef flavor. Dry aging exposes the beef to controlled air circulation for weeks, drawing out moisture and concentrating flavor.
Kansas City Steaks also ages its beef for tenderness, but the site is less specific about duration and method by cut, focusing on the result rather than the technique.3The Kansas City Steak Company. USDA Prime Steaks If dry-aged is what you’re after, Chicago Steak Company gives you the clearer answer before you check out.
What Comes With the Steak
Chicago Steak Company pairs its beef with a deep seafood selection. Along with lobster tails, the catalog carries barramundi, mahi mahi, yellowfin tuna, crab cakes, oysters, clams, and several shrimp preparations.5Chicago Steak Company. Seafood Assortments Building surf and turf from a single order is easier here. Sides are not their focus.
Kansas City Steaks fills the other half of the plate. Their menu includes twice-baked potatoes, potatoes au gratin, creamed spinach, finishing butters, and desserts.6The Kansas City Steak Company. Buy Steak Side Dishes and Extras – Online Delivery The practical difference: Kansas City Steaks is closer to a complete meal delivery service, while Chicago Steak Company is a premium protein shop where you bring your own sides.
Prices, Shipping, and Where They Deliver
Neither is cheap. Chicago Steak Company’s ribeye collection starts around $300 for a multi-steak package.7Chicago Steak Company. Ribeyes and Prime Rib Kansas City Steaks prices individual ribeyes roughly $20 to $50 each depending on size and cut, which often comes out lower per steak on smaller orders.8The Kansas City Steak Company. Premium Ribeye Steaks for Sale Both companies run frequent promotions, so check before you order.
Shipping is where the addresses matter. Chicago Steak Company offers free standard shipping on orders over $179.99 to the contiguous United States, with a $59.99 surcharge to Alaska, Hawaii, or Canada.9Chicago Steak Company. Shipping Kansas City Steaks ships to the continental United States plus Alaska and Hawaii, but does not deliver to PO boxes or APO/FPO addresses.10The Kansas City Steak Company. Shipping Locations Kansas City Steaks also runs $5 flat-rate shipping and free shipping on select packs, which can beat Chicago’s threshold on smaller orders.11The Kansas City Steak Company. Promo Codes
Two boundaries worth noting. Military households and anyone using a PO box will need to look past Kansas City Steaks. And if you’re sending a gift to Canada, Chicago Steak Company handles that with the surcharge; the file doesn’t indicate Kansas City Steaks does.
Packaging is essentially the same on both sides: frozen, vacuum-sealed steaks in insulated coolers with dry ice.3The Kansas City Steak Company. USDA Prime Steaks
Gifts and Subscriptions
The gift strategies are genuinely different. Chicago Steak Company runs steak gift clubs on a subscription basis, delivering monthly for up to twelve months.12Chicago Steak Company. Steak Gift Clubs A year-long club is a fundamentally different gift than a single cooler.
Kansas City Steaks goes wide instead of long. Over seventy gift packages at varied price points, many under $150, and the inclusion of sides and desserts means the recipient gets a whole dinner rather than raw ingredients.1The Kansas City Steak Company. Steak Gift Packages Under $150 For a recipient who doesn’t cook elaborate meals, that changes the value of the gift.
Returns and the 45-Day Catch
Chicago Steak Company advertises a “100% Satisfaction Guarantee” and works with customers on refunds or replacements when a product falls short.
Kansas City Steaks is more structured. You have 45 days from the shipment date to contact them for a full refund of the purchase price (minus shipping) or a replacement. After that window they may still make exceptions, but the clock is defined. Gift recipients who didn’t place the order can get a replacement or gift certificate of equal value in place of a refund.13The Kansas City Steak Company. Terms of Use Agreement Some Kansas City Steaks products carry separate guarantees that extend past 45 days.
If you tend to load a freezer and cook through it over months, the Kansas City Steaks deadline matters. Check the first package soon after it arrives rather than waiting until you thaw the last one.