10 Grocery Stores In New York Serving Up The Best Cuts Of Meat
New York City is a carnivore’s paradise with butcher shops and markets that would make any meat lover drool.
The Big Apple offers incredible options for premium cuts, from family-owned classics that have stood the test of time to modern specialty shops with farm-to-table philosophies.
1. Citarella’s Gourmet Market: Ocean-to-Table Excellence
Once a humble fish market, Citarella has evolved into a meat lover’s dream destination. Their butchers hand-trim each cut with surgical precision, ensuring you get exactly what you pay for.
The dry-aged prime beef program rivals steakhouses charging triple for the same quality.
Don’t miss their house-made sausages – the fennel and garlic Italian links have a cult following among Upper West Side foodies.
2. Fairway Market’s Butcher Shop: A New York Institution
Generations of New Yorkers have sworn by Fairway’s meat counter. The bustling, no-nonsense atmosphere might intimidate first-timers, but the quality speaks volumes.
Behind glass cases, ruby-red steaks and plump chicken breasts beckon. Their ground beef blend (chuck, brisket, and short rib) makes burgers that’ll ruin restaurant versions forever.
3. Wegmans Brooklyn: Supermarket Butchery Redefined
Forget everything you know about grocery store meat departments. Wegmans’ Brooklyn outpost has revolutionized the game with USDA Prime selections that rival specialty shops.
Their butchers actually want to talk meat with you – ask about that strange cut and prepare for an education. The family-pack values won’t break the bank, while their wagyu options satisfy splurge cravings. Pro tip: their marinated kebabs save dinner prep on hectic weeknights.
4. Eataly’s Macelleria: Italian Tradition Meets Manhattan
Step into meat paradise where Italian butchery traditions thrive in NYC. Glass cases display ruby-red veal scallopini so thin you can read through them and porchetta rolled with herbs that perfume the air.
Eataly’s butchers train in old-world techniques, breaking down whole animals with respect and precision.
5. Dickson’s Farmstand Meats: Chelsea Market’s Crown Jewel
Tucked inside Chelsea Market, Dickson’s is where sustainable meets exceptional. Every chop, steak and roast comes from animals raised within 400 miles of NYC on small farms practicing humane husbandry.
Their house-smoked bacon – thick-cut and maple-glazed – has converted countless “I’m cutting back on pork” shoppers.
The butchers here can break down an entire cow blindfolded (though they typically keep their eyes open).
6. Zabar’s Old-World Butchery: Upper West Side Heritage
Zabar’s meat counter has been slicing, dicing, and advising since your grandparents’ time. The no-frills approach focuses on quality over trendy packaging or fancy displays.
Jewish culinary traditions shine here – their brisket causes holiday table fights over second helpings.
7. Staubitz Market: Brooklyn’s 100-Year Meat Legacy
Walking into Staubitz feels like time-traveling to 1917 when they first opened. The sawdust-sprinkled floors and antique meat hooks aren’t hipster affectations – they’re authentic remnants of Brooklyn history.
Third-generation butchers wield knives like extensions of their hands, breaking down carcasses with balletic precision.
Their lamb crown roast – a special-occasion showstopper – requires ordering ahead but rewards with presentation that elicits gasps.
8. Pino’s Prime Meats: Little Italy’s Butcher Legend
Stepping into Pino’s transports you straight to southern Italy. The tiny Sullivan Street shop barely fits three customers, but regulars gladly wait outside for their number to be called.
Pino himself (now in his 70s) still hand-cuts veal so thin it’s practically transparent. His sausage recipe – unchanged for decades – features fennel seeds he imports from Sicily.
Celebrity chefs quietly source from here, though Pino treats everyone like family, offering cooking advice in his melodic Italian accent.
9. Lobel’s Prime Meats: Upper East Side Luxury
Lobel’s isn’t just a butcher shop – it’s a meat temple where the wealthy worship premium protein.
Fifth-generation butchers in pressed white coats serve customers who think nothing of dropping $100 on a single steak.
Their dry-aging room – visible through glass – showcases primal cuts developing flavor over weeks. The Kurobuta pork chops (the Wagyu of pork world) convert white-meat devotees to the other side.
10. End’s Meat: Brooklyn Navy Yard’s Whole-Animal Wonder
Hidden in Brooklyn’s Industry City, End’s Meat practices true nose-to-tail butchery. Nothing goes to waste here – even bones become rich stock sold in freezer cases.
Their charcuterie program transforms lesser-known cuts into salamis and pâtés that would make French masters nod approvingly.
