Brooklyn Biltong at Costco: Worth the Cart Space? An Honest Look

Brooklyn Biltong at Costco is real: shoppers report finding their bulk bags in select warehouses and on Costco's site, and it's one of the better things to happen to American biltong — a proper vinegar-cured, air-dried product in front of millions of people who've never heard the word. If you spotted it and you're wondering whether to grab it: probably yes. And I say that as a competitor.

Full disclosure up front: I run a biltong brand here in Austin. Brooklyn Biltong is a rival. They're also good at what they do, and pretending otherwise would insult your intelligence. So here's the honest breakdown.

What is Brooklyn Biltong, and is it actually at Costco?

Brooklyn Biltong is one of the established US biltong brands — South African method, made in America (like all legal US biltong; imports are banned, which is a whole story). Availability at Costco varies by region and season, the way most Costco specialty items do. If your warehouse has it, it's usually a larger bag at a per-ounce price that undercuts most craft biltong. That's the Costco deal working as designed.

Is Costco biltong good?

It's real biltong — air-dried, vinegar-cured, not cooked like jerky (the difference matters; here's the full comparison). At warehouse scale you trade some things: bigger production runs, longer time in the bag before it reaches you, and one or two crowd-pleasing flavor profiles rather than a range. None of that makes it bad. It makes it the Costco version. If biltong were coffee, this is a solid supermarket bean — and some of us are fussier than that.

Bulk bag vs craft biltong: who should buy which?

Buy the Costco bag if: you're new to biltong, you go through meat snacks fast, and per-ounce price is the deciding factor. That bag converts jerky people into biltong people, and I genuinely want that to happen.

Go craft if: you care about the specifics — grass-fed beef, small production runs you can ask questions about, moisture level (wetter or drier cut to preference), and spice blends that aren't focus-grouped to the middle. Ours is my family's Cape winelands recipe, grass-fed, air-dried for days, protein-packed. Different product, different job.

Plenty of people do both: warehouse bag for the desk drawer, craft order for the weekend braai. No judgment here — that's a balanced biltong portfolio.

The Texas problem with warehouse biltong

Costco stock is regional and rotational — here today, gone next quarter. If your warehouse drops it, you're back to square one. We're not going anywhere: order online, shipped USA-wide (free over $99), free hand delivery within 5 miles of downtown Austin, $6 across the metro. You buy direct, and I answer every email.

FAQ

Does Costco sell biltong?

Availability varies by warehouse and region. Shoppers have reported Brooklyn Biltong and other brands appearing in select Costco locations and online — check your local warehouse, as specialty items rotate frequently.

Is Brooklyn Biltong made in South Africa?

No US-sold biltong is made in South Africa — USDA rules ban importing it. Brooklyn Biltong, like every legal US biltong brand including ours, is made in America using the South African method.

How is craft biltong different from bulk biltong?

Smaller production runs, typically grass-fed sourcing, more control over moisture and cut, and a wider spice range. Bulk biltong optimizes for price per ounce; craft optimizes for the eating.

What's the best biltong in the US?

Depends who's judging — we've got a horse in this race. Try a warehouse brand and a craft maker side by side and let your own mouth referee. Start with ours.

Costco run fell through? Get biltong delivered — grass-fed, air-dried for days, no membership card required.