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Gary Bardine isn’t into social-media commenter flame wars.

The fourth-generation butcher at Bardine’s Country Smokehouse in Crabtree is into good, quality food — even if it generates a few negative comments on his Facebook page.

“I brought some American wagyu in as a gift for my brother,” Bardine said. “He said they were some of the best steaks he ever had. I thought, maybe it’s something we put out there that makes us a little different.”

There in the glass-front butcher counter, a couple vacuum-packed American wagyu New York strip steaks sit along with other gleaming cuts: T-bones, Delmonicos, flat irons, London broil and more.

Bardine’s American wagyu, which it sourced from an Ohio farm, sells for $50 per pound.

“It’s really tender,” Bardine said. “I went out to the farm where the guy raised them. They have to feed them a specific diet for a specific period of time. There are a lot of requirements you have to follow to make that (American wagyu meat) grade.”

Its appearance generated quite a response on Bardine’s Facebook page, ranging from people itching for a taste to others balking at the price.

“Looks great, but at $50 per pound, I’ll have to pass … for that price per pound I can fill my tank with gas, pay my electric bill and a few other bills,” one person commented.

“I’ll become a vegetarian before I spend that on a steak,” another posted.

“Not in my lifetime. I’ll eat my farm-raised USA meat and love it,” posted yet another, apparently unaware of the Buckeye State connection.

Not all the comments were so critical.

“Nicely done Gary!! Bravo you and your team are always on the cutting edge.”

“Nice! I’ll be picking some up next time I’m in town!”

“Wow I’ve been wanting one of these. Wagyu from Bardine’s: Now we’re talking.”

Wagyu is the common name for the ultra-pampered, richly-fed Japanese cows that produce certified wagyu beef that can cost up to $200 per pound. The bloodlines of the four breeds of cow are closely guarded in Japan, and their richness comes from their tendency to continue adding intramuscular fat as the cows grow.

Wagyu calves can cost up to 40 times the price of U.S. cattle, and adults can cost up to $30,000, according to Business Insider.

American wagyu is a cross-breed between Japanese and U.S. beef cattle, yielding a high-marble cut of meat with a taste that is more closely aligned with what American palates expect from steak. It’s also less pricey than the Japanese beef.

Bardine’s raises Angus cattle, which are fed grain for 100 days before being slaughtered and then aged a few weeks.

“And that’s a pretty good cut of beef,” he said. “I honestly don’t know how it compares to the American wagyu because I haven’t eaten it.”

Bardine said he’s no social media strategist. He just goes by the sales figures.

“The last few weeks, I’ve been buying it in,” he said. “We sold out, bought some more, sold that out, and finally I decided to bring a double load in.”

Patrick Varine is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Patrick by email at pvarine@triblive.com or via Twitter .

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