Charlotte: Where To Buy The Best Turkey

With just three weeks from Thanksgiving Day (11/28), we start to focus our attention on the Thanksgiving meal, whether you’re cooking it yourself, having the family over, or bringing a dish. It’s a lot to think about as we get into the fourth week in November.

Every year without fail, my mother-in-law would send us ads from grocery stores to find the best and the cheapest turkey. We managed to get a pretty good one every year.

And then there’s the subject of fried turkey. My husband and I recently chatted about the possibility this year and he said, "Oh wow, there’s so much you have to do to fry a turkey. I think we’ll just stick with the oven," but a lot of people love fried turkey.

As we near what some people call their favorite holiday, a time when we sit with family, eat, and tell each other what we’re thankful for, I looked around a bit and found some good places to get a turkey in Charlotte… A good one and maybe even a cheap one.

At Willie Bird’s, they use nothing but the highest quality poultry. First, they wet cure it in a mild, low-salt marinade, conceived of special oils and spices, where it is then aged to perfection. Next, they smoke it over natural wood (sweet maple hardwoods). It is during this process that it absorbs the depth and character of flavor that has become the famous Willie Bird trademark.

All of their smoked products are fully cooked, immediately cooled, and vacuum-sealed so that they will remain fresh for a minimum of 6 to 8 weeks. If not used in this time period the turkey can be frozen for up to six months. This is an online only store.

At Fresh Market in Charlotte, you can get the entire turkey dinner catered for $199.99. Also, you can get a traditional holiday meal, which serves 8 to 10 for $99. Fresh Market has fresh turkey and slices or the whole bird. It's located at 7625 Pineville/Matthews Road Charlotte, NC 28226

Note: Fresh turkeys are typically more expensive than frozen turkeys because they are often harvested and transported quickly to ensure freshness.

Walmart has pretty cheap prices on turkeys. Some turkeys are $21 to $12 to $18. They have butterball turkeys and Honeysuckle White Whole turkey. Most turkeys are $.88 a pound right now. It’s a great deal at Walmart locations right here in Charlotte.