Coming up with a list of the best butcher shops in Seattle was easier than you might think. That’s because Seattle gives a damn about where its food comes from. As a result, the city is teeming with everything from nose-to-tail butcher shops to restaurants turned takeaway meat counters.
It’s worth taking the time to seek out these butchers because you’ll find stuff far beyond from your standard supermarket. Think high quality, locally sourced, and sustainably-raised meats you can trace back to the farm. Plus you can get unique cuts and expertise guidance on how to cook them.
Whether you’re looking to grab some responsibly-sourced meat on your way home from work or you want to dine in at one of Seattle’s many butcheries/eateries, you have a bunch of options to choose from. Here’s my roundup of the must-stop butcher shops in Seattle.
9 Butcher Shops in Seattle
Save this to Pinterest for later because I’m always adding to this list as I visit more Seattle butcher shops.
Beast & Cleaver
website | get directions | neighborhood: Loyal Heights | best for: bistro sandwiches by day, upscale tasting menu by night
Beast & Cleaver is my personal go-to butcher shop, so it’s safe to say they know their meat. In the daylight hours, they’re primarily a takeaway butcher with all types of locally-farmed meats and expertly prepared food like sausages, meat pies, and other British delicacies. They also offer crazy good sandwiches (usually on Thursdays) and some of the best burgers in Seattle as a pop-up.
Now, by night is a different story. Beat & Cleaver transforms into an upscale tasting menu restaurant called The Peasant. Similarly to Beast, Peasant emphasizes responsibly-sourced meat and produce from local farms.
If you want to experience the meat you can buy at a butcher perfectly prepared, definitely make a reservation for The Peasant. It’s one of my favorite date night spots in Seattle and definitely worth the splurge if you’re a meat lover.
Better Meat
website | get directions | neighborhood: Greenwood | best for: every cut of beef you can think of
Better Meat is, as the name suggests, a no frills and straightforward butchery. The building is fairly unassuming, but one step inside and you’ll instantly be greeted by friendly staff and a wealth of choices, with everything from wagyu top sirloin to porterhouse to buffalo.
I usually stop by Better Meat when I have a game plan in mind for dinner, but if I ever have any questions, the staff is always happy to help. The line, if there is one, moves pretty quickly since there’s no dining in or sandwiches to hold up the line.
Lady Jaye
website | get directions | neighborhood: West Seattle | best for: smoked meat and barbecue
Until recently, Lady Jaye was just one of my favorite spots in West Seattle for smoked and barbecued meat served up in a warm and comfy atmosphere. Today, they’re my favorite restaurant-turned-butchery.
Lady Jaye opened up their meat market during the pandemic as a way to keep up with their inventory. It was such a success that they now operate independently in the restaurant. The butchery caters to the specialty meat market and sells cuts like F1 Cross wagyu beef, Japanese A5 wagyu beef, and prime beef from local Pure Country Farms.
You can stop by their shop to grab what you need, or try their monthly butcher box delivery or pick up. I got this as a gift for my brother-in-law once and he said he’s gotten some of the best breakfast sausages he’s ever had and other quality meats.
If you want to try their meats at the restaurant, I highly suggest grabbing a seat on their patio and enjoying a fancy cocktail (or two) along with their bulgogi melt. Before you leave, pop into the butchery and snag one of their dry-aged, premium cuts to enjoy later.
The Shambles
website | get directions | neighborhood: Maple Leaf | best for: rotating steaks and custom butchery
I love Seattle, mainly because it’s one of the only places you’ll find a 21+ custom butcher shop. The Shambles is technically a steakhouse making some of the best steak in Seattle, though they also offer custom butchery. They’re super transparent and emphasize locally-sourced beef with a constantly rotating selection of cuts.
Beyond the beef, The Shambles serves up charcuterie, small plates, and a lengthy beer, wine, and cocktail list. The vibe is more on the easygoing side of steakhouses, though it still gets pretty busy so you’ll want to make a reservation. They sell out of specific cuts quickly, but you can call ahead and check for availability.
Pro tip: The custom butchery is available for special orders only, so you’ll have to call or email ahead to put in your order.
The Butcher’s Table
website | get directions | neighborhood: South Lake Union | best for: American wagyu beef
The Butcher’s Table is not only one of my favorite restaurants in South Lake Union, but they’re also one of the fanciest. They’re a multi-story steakhouse with a sleek design, an exceptional wine and craft cocktail menu, as well as a takeaway butcher.
Their menu features American wagyu steaks in a variety of cuts. If you’re indecisive, then you can order one of their steak flights. That said, whatever you don’t try in the restaurant you can easily take home with you. The beef is all Japanese wagyu though raised and bred in America and sourced from local farms.
Rain Shadow Meats
website | get directions | neighborhood: Capitol Hill | best for: housemade sausages and charcuterie
Rain Shadow Meats is located inside Melrose Market and offers locally sourced meat in a classic white-tiled butchery. They offer handmade charcuterie, custom cuts, and even weekly delivery if you live in the Seattle metro area.
I love stopping by Rain Shadow because you can get everything you’ll need for dinner in the same place. I usually grab some filets or a couple of housemade sausages along with a baguette, then pop into Taylor Shellfish for some oysters and Marseille for a bottle of wine.
Pro tip: If you’re in a rush or if you want to secure a specific cut of meat, then you can order online and pick it up the same day.
The Live Butcher
website | get directions | neighborhood: White Center | best for: dry aged beef
The Live Butcher is your classic neighborhood butchery. They offer quite a lengthy selection of dry-aged beef, poultry, pork, and even more exotic meats like bison and venison. They also have frozen seafood, cheese, and gourmet items like handmade sausages and stuffed loin chops.
Pro tip: They stop cutting meat an hour before closing, so if you don’t think you’ll make it in time, then you can call ahead and they’ll cut it for you.
Bob’s Quality Meats
website | get directions | neighborhood: Columbia City | best for: meat in bulk
Bob’s is easily one of the longest enduring meat markets in South Seattle. They pride themselves on being able to offer hormone-free, antibiotic-free, pasture-raised beef at an approachable price point.
They offer all the classic cuts like tenderloin and flank steak, along with housemade sausages, whole chickens, bacon, cheeses, free-range eggs, and deli meats. Their freezer section offers more unique choices like whole ducks, rabbit meat, lamb chops, and organ meats.
If you’re up for it, they’re one of the only butcher shops in Seattle offering over a dozen bundle meat packages. Buying in bulk will make sure you’re all set for weeks!
The Ruby Brink
website | get directions | neighborhood: Vashon Island | best for: deli meats and provisions
While not technically in Seattle, The Ruby Brink deserves an honorable mention since they’re one of my best resetaurants on Vashon Island. The owners used to have a popular popup spot called Meat & Noodle, which had a more Asian flare that they’ve re-introduced to the Ruby Brink.
Their butchery/grocery offers many of the same things on their dine-in menu, like their epic mac and cheese, salads, and cold sandwiches. As for the meat, they have everything from sandwich meat to salumi to ground beef and a lengthy selection of pork, lamb, and sausages.
Why buy local meat
If you’re curious about how Seattle butcher shops differ from grocery stores, here’s a run down of why it’s best to buy local meat.
It’s the highest quality
Buying meat from your local butcher helps guarantee that it’s as fresh as it could possibly be. Many neighborhood butcheries are quite small, and their product has higher turnover than a grocery store. Since the meat is typically coming from a local farm, you know it didn’t have to travel hundreds of miles in a refrigerated truck to get to you.
It reduces your environmental impact
Speaking of distance, the shorter the distance the meat has to travel to get to you then the less environmental impact it has. The energy it takes to raise, feed, and butcher an animal can be quite consuming, so every mile saved goes a long way. Also, locally-owned butcheries are more likely to use up every part of the animal, so you know nothing goes to waste.
It’s good for the local economy
This one may be obvious, but buying local food is the best way to support your economy. And when you buy your meat locally, you are supporting not only the butcher but also the farmers. Especially following the pandemic, it’s now more important than ever to back our local restaurants and shops so they can keep offering high-quality products.
Better service
When you walk into a small butchery, it’s safe to say the person answering your questions is likely the same person that cut the meat. This means you can get thorough and expert answers to all sorts of questions. Every time I pop into a butchery, I always ask what the best cuts are, what alternatives they’d recommend, and how to best prepare each cut. They also will typically prepare the meat for you as needed for a recipe, which saves you time or helps when you’re feeling less confident.
More choices
Butcheries and farmers that are supported by locals are able to connect with their customer base and curate what they offer. This means it’s easy to request custom cuts, exotic meats, organ meats, bones, you name it!
More to do in Seattle
After you make your shopping list for visiting these best butchers in Seattle, here are some other resources for picking up locally-made food items.
