Would you pay $60 for a piece of steak? How about if it came from Publix?
According to one Redditor, that’s an astronomical price to pay for a hunk of meat. In a viral thread that garnered over 1,500 comments, u/kmc0522 shared a photo of Publix’s Greenwise prime tenderloin steak with a price tag of $61.49.
“This is criminal,” they wrote. “Not only is this meat mediocre, it’s ridiculously priced. What the hell, Publix?! This is the store in Yulee, FL. Only tenderloin on the shelf at all.”
At 1.23 pounds, the steak isn’t astronomical in size. But it’s priced at roughly $50 per pound, resulting in a $60+ price tag that’s hard for many customers to swallow.
To Buy or Not to Buy
Many of the commenters were equally outraged by the exorbitant price tag.
“For that price, I’m going to [LongHorn Steakhouse] and have someone cook it for me too,” wrote one Redditor, while another advised that “You can get that for 1/2 the price at Costco.”
Others said prices at Publix were “definitely getting out of hand,” and that “Publix are thieves. Why people shop there I will never know. Publix is at least 20% higher [than other grocery stores].”
But a large contingent of commenters in the thread made it clear that consumers have a choice to just … not buy it.
“Just don’t buy these products,” stressed one Reddit user. “DONT PAY ABSURB PRICES FOR PROTEINS. Consumers have the power. If we don’t pay these prices, they will lower.”
Others noted that this was “prime tenderloin they just have that for the holidays. …I bought some a couple weeks ago and it was the best tenderloin I have made at home.” Fair.
So What’s the Workaround?
While most commenters were busy arguing between “just not buying it” and boycotting Publix forever, some had actual tips for scoring great steak without the sky-high costs. Namely: Head to the butcher counter.
“You do know you can ask to have a regular one cut fresh for you?” wrote one Reddit user, while another suggested buying a whole tenderloin and cutting it yourself.
“I’ve been taking advantage of the sales on meat at Publix and have been saving a bunch of money,” argued another Publix shopper. “Last week NY Strip roast was on sale 7.99/ lb which was over $12 off per lb. I got two and sliced them into individual steaks myself, ate some for dinner and froze the rest. This week Rib Eye Roast is on sale 9.99/lb which is $9.49 per lb. I did the same and now we have NY strips and Rib Eye through January so long as I don’t eat steak every day.”
Long story short: If you’re craving high quality beef but don’t want to spend $60 on a Publix steak, either look for a different cut or head to the butcher counter to specify exactly what you want — and at what cost.
