What Are the Four Types of Wagyu?

There are four breeds of Wagyu, and they are as follows: Japanese Black (the most common brand exported to the U.S.) Japanese Brown (which in the U.S. is referred to as Red Wagyu) Japanese Polled and Japanese Shorthorn—neither of which is bred outside of Japan.

Why Is Wagyu More Expensive Than Other Beef?

The answer is fairly simple: It’s a lot more expensive to raise wagyu cows, and the beef itself is usually imported if it’s high-grade. That contributes to its rarity and escalates its price accordingly.

What Country Has the Best Wagyu?

Japan is known for its wagyu, given that the breed of cattle originates there, but as our findings indicate, they’re not alone in the game. American ranches have been breeding American versions of wagyu and also offer wagyu beef, but it’s typically labeled “American Wagyu” to differentiate. Which is better? Taste is a matter of preference. There are also Australian versions of wagyu.

What Grade Is American Wagyu?

American Wagyu is purebred wagyu that’s crossbred with other non-wagyu cattle breeds, such as Angus. The end result? Steaks and other cuts with rich marbling and that typical American beef flavor. There is no specific “grade” for American Wagyu, but some purveyors, such as Snake River Farms, offer a Black and Gold Grade. Both of them are generally thought to be cuts above both USDA prime and choice.

Best Places to Buy Wagyu Beef Online

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Raw Wagyu Beef Strip Steak — Photo:
BURCU ATALAY TANKUT / Getty Images

If you have fallen in love with wagyu beef at a restaurant and can’t stop thinking about how you might prepare such a steak at home, you may have noticed it’s not something that every grocery store or butcher shop stock. (You might not even have a butcher shop near you!) That’s because this is a specialty kind of beef, one which comes from rare, prized Japanese cattle. People love it because the meat typically has a lot of marbling in it, making the beef taste incredibly rich and decadent. You don’t need to eat much wagyu to experience its unique qualities and that’s a good thing, too, because it’s not exactly the cheapest cut of beef. Luckily, we have found the best places to buy wagyu beef online.

What you select will depend on what you’re looking for: a luxurious steak, a restaurant-quality experience, excellent transparency about sourcing, or some combination thereof. Some companies even offer subscriptions, which can help defray the cost and provide you with a steady supply. Read on to find out how you can find wagyu beef with that decadent restaurant quality you fell in love with—all without leaving your home.

Best Places to Buy Wagyu Beef Online of 2023

Best Overall: Snake River Farms
Best Variety: Crowd Cow
Best for Japanese Wagyu: Holy Grail Steak Co.
Best Subscription: Market House
Best Homestyle Butcher: Rastelli's
Best Restaurant-Quality: DeBragga

Best Overall: Snake River Farms

Snake River Farms

Key Specs

Delivery Area: 50 states
Free Shipping? Yes, with orders $199 and up
Products Arrive: Frozen, except for dry-aged cuts

Why You Should Try It

This company prides itself on being the pioneer of “American Wagyu,” a result of cross-breeding Japanese Wagyu and high-quality American cattle. Snake River Farms also offers a variety of cuts of beef, along with pork and seafood.

Pros

High-quality meat
Sustainable ranching practices
Extensive selection

Cons

No subscriptions available
Not organic

Overview

Snake River gets the vote for best overall due to its wide range of offerings. You can order a filet, sirloin, tomahawk steaks, ribeye, New York strip, and more. Cuts are available in two grades, black or gold, which are rated under higher standards than the USDA ratings of prime and choice. Plus, the website features many recipes for beautiful ways to cook the meat, which can be really helpful if you’re new to such a rarified cut. You can order the different beef cuts whole, already prepped (the company offers everything from ribeye to flank), or in other preparations such as hot dogs or burgers. Cattle are grass- and hay-fed for the first year, and then offered a sustainable diet that includes other grains, forages, potatoes, vitamins, and minerals to ensure their meat is of the highest quality.

Pricing and Plans

You can order à la carte from Snake River, or purchase mixed boxes.

The Wagyu Way offers four different cuts of Black Grade filet and top sirloin: from $159
Gift of Gold: Gold Grade filet, two Gold Grade top sirloins, and two ribeyes: from $239
Just a Taste Weeknight Dinner comes with seasonings, ground beef, tri-tip, tenderloin pieces, and Kurobuta pork tenderloin: from $199
Other options include specialty steaks, prime filet packs, a 12-pack of ground beef (from $144), and a hot dog 12-pack from $129.

Best Variety: Crowd Cow

Crowd Cow

Key Specs

Delivery Area: 48
Free Shipping? Yes, with $125 minimum order
Products Arrive: Frozen

Why You Should Try It

Crowd Cow sources from independently owned farms and ranches that practice regenerative agriculture, which goes a step beyond organic with practices that sustain soil, water, and plants, as well as the animals themselves. The company lets you select from which farm you want to buy, including those offering the prized A5 wagyu beef (the highest quality and most expensive grade of them all).

Pros

Domestic and Japanese Wagyu
Can select the farm you buy from
Free membership entitles you to perks and savings

Cons

Next-day shipping possible but not guaranteed
Minimum order of $99

Overview

One of the advantages of Crowd Cow is the fact that you can choose either Japanese or American Wagyu beef. The cuts are available at a variety of price points, and you can select the region/farm of origin, allowing you full transparency as to the origin of your wagyu beef. The company’s sustainable practices extend to the other items on offer, such as pork, chicken, lamb, and/or seafood.

Pricing and Plans

Select from à la carte services or a monthly subscription, which will vary based on contents.

You can order boxes such as Best of Beef from $188, but subscriptions are offered on a monthly basis and are easy to change. Subscriptions prioritize variety but you have the final say over the contents of each box and can swap out different products to suit your liking.

Best for Japanese Wagyu: Holy Grail Steak Co.

Holy Grail Steak Co.

Key Specs

Delivery Area: 48 states
Free Shipping?: Yes, on orders $199 and up
Products Arrive: Frozen

Why You Should Try It

For Japanese Wagyu that will most likely exceed your expectations, Holy Grail seems aptly named. It offers a variety of extremely rare and exclusive cuts and grades (A4, A5, BMS 12) and sells what it calls the “most luxurious steak in the world.”

Pros

Beef is pasture raised with no added hormones or antibiotics
Extremely high quality and exclusive offerings
Sustainable, well-cared-for cattle

Cons

Expensive
No subscriptions for wagyu beef options

Overview

Holy Grail partners with farms that go to great lengths to ensure their cattle have the best possible care, and it’s evident in what it offers. The farms feed the cattle a specialty diet in order to optimize flavor and texture and, in some cases, that includes the byproducts of beer and sake (i.e., the “mash”). Holy Grail’s emphasis is on treating its cattle in a superior manner in order to yield a superior product.

Pricing and Plans

Pricing varies based on what you order but, in general, these are some prices for à la carte delivery of Japanese Wagyu:

Least expensive: A5 Japanese Wagyu chuck tips from $69 for 6 to 8 ounces
Most expensive: A5 Japanese Wagyu ribeye and strip flight (14 ounces, one each): $529

You can also order flights (like the ribeye and strip one), packs, and à la carte. The only subscription option that includes wagyu beef is a burger pack.

Best Subscriptions: Market House

Key Specs

Delivery Area: 50 states
Free Shipping? Yes, with orders $150 and up
Products Arrive: Frozen

Why You Should Try It

If you want to stock up on high-quality wagyu beef, Market House is a good choice. The company’s vibe is that of an old-school market that sells all the best of the best, all in one place.

Pros

Easy streamlined ordering process
Subscription options come in two sizes
Affordable subscription box for the quality

Cons

No free shipping
Deliveries to HI and AK are more expensive

Overview

Market House is dedicated to high-quality and sustainable meats, paired with stellar customer service. If you need some direction (or maybe inspiration), the site’s cooking blog can guide you through prepping one of your new steaks. The Prime Perks club is worth joining; it tracks your spending and rewards you accordingly with special discounts and savings. À la carte purchases are possible if you’re just getting started, but for those who know and love wagyu, the subscription is the way to go, offering a range of cuts that the company tries to uphold every month (due to supply, substitutions may be needed).

Pricing and Plans

Opt for a regular or large box, with delivery options every four, six, or eight weeks. Market House attempts to provide you with the cuts listed in the box, but sometimes changes need to be made at the last minute.

Wagyu Beef regular box: from $166.60 for 4 to 6 pounds of meat (3 different cuts, plus 2 pounds of ground beef).
Wagyu large box: from $371.45 for about 9 to 14 pounds: You’ll receive about 8 steaks (2 apiece of 4 different cuts) plus an entire chuck roast.

Best Homestyle Butcher: Rastelli’s

Key Specs

Delivery Area: 48 states
Free Shipping? Yes, with $200 order
Products Arrive: Frozen

Why You Should Try It

Despite its online presence, Rastelli’s maintains a local butcher shop vibe. Its products present good options if you’re new to wagyu beef and not sure where to start, as the options are straightforward and the least expensive wagyu item is under $20.

Pros

Affordable products
À la carte purchases and subscriptions
Antiobiotic-, steroid-, and added hormone-free sourcing partners

Cons

No overnight delivery
Orders under $100 incur a $25 shipping fee.

Overview

Rastelli’s feels like a butcher shop, and that’s because it still operates as a brick-and-mortar business in New Jersey in addition to its online business. The wagyu beef comes from small family farms in the Ohio Valley, and they call the process “holistic cattle ranching,” with animals grazing on pasture and also receiving high-moisture, vegetarian grains. We like the butcher’s blog-–it’s got lots of suggestions for serving, newsy items, and recipes for your purchases. Plus, you don’t have to buy a whole ton of beef to try it out, which may be great for your budget and/or your family size.

Pricing and Plans

The wagyu beef pricing is all à la carte.

Wagyu sirloin steak (one 6-ounce steak), $15'
Wagyu ground beef (75/25), 1 pound, $15
Wagyu burgers (six 5.3-ounce burgers), $30
Wagyu filet mignon: (one 8-ounce steak), $65
Wagyu ribeye (one 16-ounce steak), $75
Wagyu New York strip: (one 14-ounce steak), $79

Best Restaurant Quality: DeBragga

DeBragga

Key Specs

Delivery Area: 48
Free Shipping? No
Products Arrive: Fresh or frozen, depending on the item

Why You Should Try It

We like how extensive the website is—you can order a few different kinds of wagyu (American, Japanese, and Australian) and a ton of other products, too, which makes it easier to stock your freezer in one go. There are many options, from American Wagyu Kobe-style beef burgers to tenderloins and filets and even more.

Pros

Extensive selection of American, Japanese, and Australian Wagyu
Can call during business hours and talk to a real butcher
Weekly specials and sales

Cons

No subscription option
Additional delivery fee plus shipping minimum

Overview

DeBragga’s is known for being a go-to source for many restaurants, and it wouldn’t still be in business if the company wasn’t doing something right and doing it well. We love the fact that you can call during business hours and speak to a butcher to get your questions answered. Most of its products are bundled so that you aren’t ordering a single steak, for example, so make sure you’ve got freezer space.

Pricing and Plans

American Wagyu Kobe-style ground beef (1 pound, $25.95)
Japanese A5 Kobe-style sashimi cut rib cap (12 ounces, $115.95)
American Wagyu Kobe beef, bone-in dry-aged strip steak (18 ounces, $121.95)
Australian Wagyu Kobe beef marble score strip steaks (two 12-ounce steaks), $173.95
Japanese Kobe-style beef sampler (several 12-ounce steaks), $419.95

Final Verdict

For a wide variety, fair pricing, and a high-quality selection of wagyu beef, Snake River Farms is our best overall choice. DeBragga’s wagyu selection is extensive, with several dozen products. It’s a great way to introduce yourself to high-quality beef with the signature marbling wagyu beef is known for, and customers rave about its incomparable taste and texture.

Compare the Best Places to Buy Wagyu Beef Online

Company	Delivery Area	Free Shipping	Products Arrive	Same-/Next-Day Shipping?	Minimum Purchase
Best Overall: Snake River Farms	50 states	Yes, for orders $199 and up	Frozen, except dry-aged cuts	Yes	$49
Best Variety: Crowd Cow	48 states	Yes, for orders $125 and up	Frozen	Not guaranteed	$99
Best for Japanese Wagyu: Holy Grail Steak Co.	48 states	Yes, for $199 and up	Frozen	Yes	No
Best Subscription: Market House	50 states	Yes, with orders $150 and up	Frozen	Yes	No
Best Homestyle Butcher: Rastelli’s	48 states	Yes, with orders $200 and up	Frozen	No	No
Best Restaurant-Quality: DeBragga	48 states	No	Fresh or frozen, depending on cut	Yes	No

Guide to Choosing a Place to Buy Wagyu Beef Online

What to Consider

Price: Wagyu beef is, of course, an investment. Due to the way the cattle are raised and the superior quality of the beef, wagyu will not be the cheapest option on the market.
Type of Cut: Since wagyu refers to the type of cattle, wagyu beef comes in as many forms as any other type of beef. Most people think of steaks when wagyu is brought up, but it also comes in cuts like brisket or even hamburger patties.
Wagyu Grading: Wagyu beef is graded on a scale of one to five, with a rating of five being the highest grade. You will often see an “A” included in the grading (for example, A5); this indicates the yield (ratio of meat to carcass weight) of the meat.
Certification: True Japanese Wagyu often comes with a certificate of authenticity to show it has been graded by the Japanese Meat Grading Association. Here in the U.S., we have American Wagyu Association. However, since “wagyu” refers to a breed of cattle and not the grade of meat (resulting in a lot of confusion, especially here in the U.S.), it’s worthwhile to research how your supplier classifies its wagyu offerings.
Packaging and Delivery: The companies on this list clearly outline the shipping methods used to ensure your order arrives in proper condition. Most have this information clearly listed on the website, should you have any questions. Customer service should ideally be able to resolve any issues with shipping or deliveries that don’t meet expectations.
Company Reputation: Those with some longevity in the business, like a couple that we’ve featured here, is an important consideration. Any company you order wagyu beef from should be transparent about its sourcing and grading.
Refund Policy: Refund policies vary in flexibility, and most companies should state them clearly on their website.

What Is Wagyu Beef?

Wagyu beef comes from a type of Japanese cattle breed that’s known for producing intensely marbled beef. It’s unique for many reasons; as the cattle grow, they continue to add intramuscular fat. Because of the high levels of fat marbling (which are visible to the naked eye), it yields a very rich-tasting cut of beef. You don’t need much to enjoy it and feel satisfied.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Are the Four Types of Wagyu?
There are four breeds of Wagyu, and they are as follows:
- Japanese Black (the most common brand exported to the U.S.)
- Japanese Brown (which in the U.S. is referred to as Red Wagyu)
- Japanese Polled and Japanese Shorthorn—neither of which is bred outside of Japan.
Why Is Wagyu More Expensive Than Other Beef?

The answer is fairly simple: It’s a lot more expensive to raise wagyu cows, and the beef itself is usually imported if it’s high-grade. That contributes to its rarity and escalates its price accordingly.
What Country Has the Best Wagyu?

Japan is known for its wagyu, given that the breed of cattle originates there, but as our findings indicate, they’re not alone in the game. American ranches have been breeding American versions of wagyu and also offer wagyu beef, but it’s typically labeled “American Wagyu” to differentiate. Which is better? Taste is a matter of preference. There are also Australian versions of wagyu.
What Grade Is American Wagyu?

American Wagyu is purebred wagyu that’s crossbred with other non-wagyu cattle breeds, such as Angus. The end result? Steaks and other cuts with rich marbling and that typical American beef flavor. There is no specific “grade” for American Wagyu, but some purveyors, such as Snake River Farms, offer a Black and Gold Grade. Both of them are generally thought to be cuts above both USDA prime and choice.

Methodology

Our panel of testers assessed dozens of companies to determine the best place to buy wagyu beef online. The criteria consisted of various elements, including selection, freshness, and quality, starting price where applicable (we know wagyu is not cheap), and the accessibility of customer service. Because people are increasingly interested in where their food comes from and farming practices in general, we also considered how transparent companies were about sourcing and sustainability. Knowing that an ingredient like wagyu beef needs some special consideration, testers also looked at supporting information and documentation on the companies’ websites. Those that offered videos, recipes, helpful articles, and tips and tricks were also favorably viewed. Our testing team consisted of a variety of people, ranging from food writers to dietitians to home cooks, to capture as many voices as possible.

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