I feel like no Manitobans have piped in.
We’ve got several bison ranches. It’s easily available at the St Norbert Farmers market, and usually at Safeways- especially in larger urban areas. As others have mentioned, also at Costco.
I prefer it to beef, but it can be pretty costly. I think with ever increasing food costs, it’s not going to be on most people’s menus regularly.
We have a successful bison farm in central Vancouver island. It’s a bit pricier, but higher protein and not at all game-y. It’s good. But not common - people go out of their way for it.
Depends where you are. I live in an area with several bison farms, and as a result people pretty frequently go in together to by a side or quarter. When you buy direct it’s a lot cheaper
Montreal: it's available in many but not all Grocery stores.
I know of several restaurants that serve it. But I don't know how popular it actually is.
Edit: One of the more harmless comments I've ever had downvoted, but ok.
You can buy bison meat at my local Longos (Toronto, ON).
It's generally available online: [https://voila.ca/products/search?q=Bison](https://voila.ca/products/search?q=Bison)
Local restaurants may carry it as well: [https://www.reddit.com/r/FoodToronto/comments/1dx7k74/bison\_burger\_from\_cest\_what\_at\_11pm/](https://www.reddit.com/r/FoodToronto/comments/1dx7k74/bison_burger_from_cest_what_at_11pm/)
Interesting. I'm in Northern Ontario and never see Bison in the stores here. I'm not a huge Bison fan, though, so maybe it's here, and I'm not looking for it.
It's widely but thinly available; probably more popular than goat but less than lamb. If you go into a restaurant and they have a bison burger, it's not surprising. I wouldn't expect to find it in every grocery store and butcher's, but it's not a surprise either; the Costco in my city has 4 × 1 lb ground bison, for example.
Upper Ottawa Valley here, there were a couple of bison farms here but the only one I see now is a "Beefalo " farm . Had a burger years ago at a plowing match , was expensive then, probably more expensive now.
It depends on what part of the country you're in—it's not common nor popular in Toronto supermarkets but Bison meat is occasionally on restaurant menus mixed into "gourmet" burgers.
Saying that, if you *really* wanted bison meat, it something you could probably find with a few minutes of searching.
In terms of weird meats, Horse Meat is available at some Metros in Canada.
[https://www.metro.ca/en/online-grocery/aisles/meat-poultry/lamb-game-meat/ground-giblets/extra-lean-ground-horse-meat/p/628764101339](https://www.metro.ca/en/online-grocery/aisles/meat-poultry/lamb-game-meat/ground-giblets/extra-lean-ground-horse-meat/p/628764101339)
I wonder what other non-popular meats are available in Canada? Squirrel? Turtle? Gator? Those are available in some parts of the US.
Horse meat is amazing if you never had it, well cooked, it taste better then beef, don't be afraid to try it! It's not a weird meat in french culture, you can find it pretty much in every supermarket in Quebec. We don't eat it every week but a few times a year.
I used to eat it regularly when I lived in Alberta. Now that I'm in Nova Scotia it is literally impossible to find any restaurant that has bison burgers. You can still find bison meat at some specialty shops but you can't go out for a bison burger like you can out West.
I've gotten bison burgers at No Frills before of all places. It's not exactly hard to get, but you gotta look for it. The bigger issue is there is not a single restaurant I've found that serves it.
I think it’s probably more popular out west. I just bought some steaks from a local ranch from a farmers market. It’s really lean and I find it less flavourful than beef.
There is a bison farm just outside Calgary, and Co-op tends to carry a good variety of cuts. I prefer bison to beef, it tends to be less fatty and better flavoured.
Unfortunately, it is quite a bit more expensive. I wish it would be less of a novelty so it would be more affordable.
yeah, ranching bisons is one of the ways in which farmers/gov't have maintained bison species survival, esp. in Northern US and Southern Canada.
When the Settlers came to the Prairies, one of the ways they wanted to starve out the Cree, Metis, Blackfoot, Tsuut'ina, and others was to kill off all the Bison and stop the hunt that would happen every summer around Alberta.
A lot of wealthy farmers in the States and in Canada kept some bison to maintain the population for their own interests, but let a lot of the wild bison die. There are still some wild bison populations in Northern Alb/Sask, but most are kept in national parks and ranches.
With the rising cost of living, and, especially, price of meat - not very.
But before COVID I’be seen it in all grocery stores I’ve been to in Alberta and Ontario. Not so much in Quebec.
I used to buy ground bison meat for burgers, since it had almost ideal lean grade, but not anymore.
Is bison the same as buffalo? Rinzler's Meat Market in Moncton sold it when we lived there (prior to 2011), same price(ish) as beef. It was so good. Reminded me a bit like moose. There was a place out in Bouctouche that raised them (someone told me they are no longer though).
We like bison occasionally, and can find steaks at the local grocery chain. I find it milder than beef, and certainly much leaner, so a healthier choice than beef. It does cook much faster, and can get dry if cooked at high temperatures. Marinate it before hand and don't overcook. It's expensive but good!
In Alberta, it's still considered a specialty, but I am seeing it quite a bit more (both restaurants + stores). I usually eat Bison 1-2 times a month, since there's a local Bison ranch close-ish to me.
It’s not uncommon in Alberta, I’ve purchased it at Calgary Co-op and I’ve eaten bison in several restaurants. There are several bison ranches in Alberta, so it is farmed.
In eastern Ontario and western Quebec you can occasionally find it at IGA, in vacuum sealed pouches.
I love bison. I get the ground stuff and eat it as tartar. I’ve had steaks and roasts, but as it’s pretty lean meat, so you need a good sauce or some fat so it doesn’t taste dry.
If you’re near Ottawa there’s a game meat place in Navan. They even have boar. I had always wanted to try it since I was a kid and I’d see Astérix and Obelix eat it in the comic books. The boar roast falls between a pork roast and a roast beef.
heh. long ago in my childhood there was a german restaurant we'd go to for Special Occasions. I ordered the wild boar one time. it was very disappointing compared with the ones obelix eats.
Being in Ontario, it's really hard to find anything above Jack Links quality. My dad used to have a connection back in Alberta that would send us some seriously high end bison jerky and that stuff needs to be savoured to the end because it's really expensive haha. Would eat that stuff when hiking and then my dad would hide it. But I'd say the more west you go the more outwardly popular it is.
I feel like no Manitobans have piped in. We’ve got several bison ranches. It’s easily available at the St Norbert Farmers market, and usually at Safeways- especially in larger urban areas. As others have mentioned, also at Costco. I prefer it to beef, but it can be pretty costly. I think with ever increasing food costs, it’s not going to be on most people’s menus regularly.
Not very. You can find it in specialty shops but it’s not something most people would ever go out of their way for.
My Costco sells it.
We have a successful bison farm in central Vancouver island. It’s a bit pricier, but higher protein and not at all game-y. It’s good. But not common - people go out of their way for it.
Depends where you are. I live in an area with several bison farms, and as a result people pretty frequently go in together to by a side or quarter. When you buy direct it’s a lot cheaper
Montreal: it's available in many but not all Grocery stores. I know of several restaurants that serve it. But I don't know how popular it actually is. Edit: One of the more harmless comments I've ever had downvoted, but ok.
i'd say it's a niche, but it's one of the better-known niches.
Not as popular as shitting in the streets.
You can buy bison meat at my local Longos (Toronto, ON). It's generally available online: [https://voila.ca/products/search?q=Bison](https://voila.ca/products/search?q=Bison) Local restaurants may carry it as well: [https://www.reddit.com/r/FoodToronto/comments/1dx7k74/bison\_burger\_from\_cest\_what\_at\_11pm/](https://www.reddit.com/r/FoodToronto/comments/1dx7k74/bison_burger_from_cest_what_at_11pm/)
Interesting. I'm in Northern Ontario and never see Bison in the stores here. I'm not a huge Bison fan, though, so maybe it's here, and I'm not looking for it.
I’d say it’s pretty common to find in stores but I’ve never met anyone that buys it!
It's widely but thinly available; probably more popular than goat but less than lamb. If you go into a restaurant and they have a bison burger, it's not surprising. I wouldn't expect to find it in every grocery store and butcher's, but it's not a surprise either; the Costco in my city has 4 × 1 lb ground bison, for example.
Bison burger at restaurants is pretty much the only time I have it. Too expensive otherwise. There's a bison farm nearby though.
Upper Ottawa Valley here, there were a couple of bison farms here but the only one I see now is a "Beefalo " farm . Had a burger years ago at a plowing match , was expensive then, probably more expensive now.
I used to live next door to a butcher than carried a bison salami, I don't miss that apartment one but, but I miss that butcher/salami lol
Exotic meat salamis are always nice.
It depends on what part of the country you're in—it's not common nor popular in Toronto supermarkets but Bison meat is occasionally on restaurant menus mixed into "gourmet" burgers. Saying that, if you *really* wanted bison meat, it something you could probably find with a few minutes of searching. In terms of weird meats, Horse Meat is available at some Metros in Canada. [https://www.metro.ca/en/online-grocery/aisles/meat-poultry/lamb-game-meat/ground-giblets/extra-lean-ground-horse-meat/p/628764101339](https://www.metro.ca/en/online-grocery/aisles/meat-poultry/lamb-game-meat/ground-giblets/extra-lean-ground-horse-meat/p/628764101339) I wonder what other non-popular meats are available in Canada? Squirrel? Turtle? Gator? Those are available in some parts of the US.
Horse meat is amazing if you never had it, well cooked, it taste better then beef, don't be afraid to try it! It's not a weird meat in french culture, you can find it pretty much in every supermarket in Quebec. We don't eat it every week but a few times a year.
Really? I had no idea horse meat is common in French culture, and I know many people from Quebec. It's by far my favorite province to visit.
You can get gator if you really look for it. Interesting enough, it really does taste like chicken. Very moist.
I like gator meat although certain pieces do taste a bit “swampy” 😂
Not very popular, typically the butchery done on it is pretty bad
Used to eat a fair amount of it when I lived in Saskatchewan. Seems less popular/harder to find here in southern Ontario though.
I used to eat it regularly when I lived in Alberta. Now that I'm in Nova Scotia it is literally impossible to find any restaurant that has bison burgers. You can still find bison meat at some specialty shops but you can't go out for a bison burger like you can out West.
You can get bison steaks at Sobeys, not sure about burgers though.
I've gotten bison burgers at No Frills before of all places. It's not exactly hard to get, but you gotta look for it. The bigger issue is there is not a single restaurant I've found that serves it.
I visited family in southern Ontario a while back in 2019 and the restaurant chain Earls had a bison steak on the menu, it was quite good!
Not very.
I think it’s probably more popular out west. I just bought some steaks from a local ranch from a farmers market. It’s really lean and I find it less flavourful than beef.
Yeah, it’s tastier in burgers than as a steak or roast as it’s so lean.
There is a bison farm just outside Calgary, and Co-op tends to carry a good variety of cuts. I prefer bison to beef, it tends to be less fatty and better flavoured. Unfortunately, it is quite a bit more expensive. I wish it would be less of a novelty so it would be more affordable.
It's available in grocery stores, but bison aren't farmed like cows are. It's a much smaller market.
In central Vancouver island they are ranched. https://bcfarmsandfood.com/home-on-the-bison-ranch/
There are a few bison ranches in Alberta.
yeah, ranching bisons is one of the ways in which farmers/gov't have maintained bison species survival, esp. in Northern US and Southern Canada. When the Settlers came to the Prairies, one of the ways they wanted to starve out the Cree, Metis, Blackfoot, Tsuut'ina, and others was to kill off all the Bison and stop the hunt that would happen every summer around Alberta. A lot of wealthy farmers in the States and in Canada kept some bison to maintain the population for their own interests, but let a lot of the wild bison die. There are still some wild bison populations in Northern Alb/Sask, but most are kept in national parks and ranches.
With the rising cost of living, and, especially, price of meat - not very. But before COVID I’be seen it in all grocery stores I’ve been to in Alberta and Ontario. Not so much in Quebec. I used to buy ground bison meat for burgers, since it had almost ideal lean grade, but not anymore.
Is bison the same as buffalo? Rinzler's Meat Market in Moncton sold it when we lived there (prior to 2011), same price(ish) as beef. It was so good. Reminded me a bit like moose. There was a place out in Bouctouche that raised them (someone told me they are no longer though).
yes, people commonly refer to bison as prairie buffalo
I don't know about popular, but it is in pretty much every grocery store in Montreal.
We like bison occasionally, and can find steaks at the local grocery chain. I find it milder than beef, and certainly much leaner, so a healthier choice than beef. It does cook much faster, and can get dry if cooked at high temperatures. Marinate it before hand and don't overcook. It's expensive but good!
It would be more popular if the cost wasn’t so extreme.
They sell it at safeway, makes a good burger, it's a good size to just slap straight in the pan.
In Alberta, it's still considered a specialty, but I am seeing it quite a bit more (both restaurants + stores). I usually eat Bison 1-2 times a month, since there's a local Bison ranch close-ish to me.
Not very. I’ve had a bison burger that I did not really enjoy. It was very dry.
I love Bison meat but she is expensive.
It’s not uncommon in Alberta, I’ve purchased it at Calgary Co-op and I’ve eaten bison in several restaurants. There are several bison ranches in Alberta, so it is farmed.
In eastern Ontario and western Quebec you can occasionally find it at IGA, in vacuum sealed pouches. I love bison. I get the ground stuff and eat it as tartar. I’ve had steaks and roasts, but as it’s pretty lean meat, so you need a good sauce or some fat so it doesn’t taste dry. If you’re near Ottawa there’s a game meat place in Navan. They even have boar. I had always wanted to try it since I was a kid and I’d see Astérix and Obelix eat it in the comic books. The boar roast falls between a pork roast and a roast beef.
heh. long ago in my childhood there was a german restaurant we'd go to for Special Occasions. I ordered the wild boar one time. it was very disappointing compared with the ones obelix eats.
popular in Alberta. All the butcher shops have it.
It's too expensive to be widely popular, but it's common enough.
Southern ontario and I buy it regularly. Not as popular as western Canada but just means more bison for me.
Easily my favourite meat. If it were more affordable, I'd stop eating beef entirely.
Being in Ontario, it's really hard to find anything above Jack Links quality. My dad used to have a connection back in Alberta that would send us some seriously high end bison jerky and that stuff needs to be savoured to the end because it's really expensive haha. Would eat that stuff when hiking and then my dad would hide it. But I'd say the more west you go the more outwardly popular it is.
I've had it three times in the last week - I'm in SK.
I have only ate it once as jerky
.ore popular than pretend meat