The Whole Ox

Love this place. The new location looks great and the staff is amazing. They love what they do and it shows! Been shopping from here for the past year and everything is great.

Really good lunch spot to grab a quick burger. Good wine and good atmosphere. Love the fresh meat.

The quality of meat… amazing!!! The hack job they call «butchering», if you know what you’re looking at… sub-​par at best. I can order a 4lb steak at any chain store for less than $ 7/​lb and have MAYBE a bite with fat that’s not edible. When you spend $ 20/​lb for a beef steak, having almost 1″-1.5″ of fat around the ENTIRE steak BEFORE cooking is less than acceptable and only adds to a higher price per pound. SKETCH! Personally I don’t like paying for fat. I get marble in the meat, this meat had the PERFECT amount… it lacked an honest butcher that removed the layer of fat prior to cutting into steaks. Maybe a new butcher or someone not wanting to add ½lb to each steak sold is needed… then…and ONLY then would I go back… unless they are okay with me asking them to re-​process every piece of meat I buy!!! ;) (I also had pork chops and the butchering job, likewise wasn’t great.)
I will say the staff was great and the quality of meat was phenomenal!!! A better or HONEST butcher for steaks would make this a 5 star review!!! I haven’t tried the ground meat or sausage but I’m good for. Ow based on the cold cut meats.

I purchased an assortment of meats and
cheese, excellent quality. Especially
liked the sausage and bacon burgers.
Everything was quite good!!!

One word, SOUP! Although all their food is good, their homemade soup is to die for.

Excellent small butcher shop, and enough variety to completely provision our families last minute picnic. Loved the salami! Wish I lived close enough to sign up for the weekly «meat box».

This is the coolest little place in all of the Shenandoah area they must go to destination for unique meats veggies and the like I highly recommend it

I love this spot. It is adorable. Cute and quaint, and the staff is super friendly and nice. They have great wines, snacks, fantastic food finds and specialty items (duck eggs!) and of course — amazing meats and unique cuts that are hard to find anywhere else like picanha. They also make their own stock– lamb and beef. It’s small, but it’s a great experience to pop in here. They give you treats, and make you feel right at home. They also have wonderful cheeses and dairy. If you love food and wine, then make sure you stop by if you are anywhere near the Plains.

Nothing bad to say about this place, its got selections of beef, wine, beer, and cheese that are difficult to find at any other place. The staff couldn’t be friendlier. I shop here on a regular basis and recommend everyone to check it out if they are looking for top quality food products.

This is a small independent butcher shop that started in a grocery store then opened a store by the train tracks in The Plains. Now, as of October 1, 2015, they are in Marshall at a larger location. They have friendly staff and pretty good selection of meat along with beer and wine, cheese etc. I have gotten some very tasty items here. I purchase their sweet Italian sausage once and it turn d out to be very spicy with lots of pepper flakes. This ruined the pasta dish we made. So I will not be buying anymore sausage meat. Also, we bought half and half and it has a sell by date of the 5^th when we purchased it on the 7^th. It is still good but they should inform you of this and discount it at least as it will not last as long in our fridge. I still give them four stars based on other visits and that I support small business, especially when selling local products.

One of the only real butcher shops in the area, or the east coast for that matter. Better than some of the «hippest» new shops in Brooklyn and at least as good as the ones I grew up with in NY. Do not miss their sausages or meat loafs. Absolutely as good as it gets. Derek and Amanda always go the extra mile, so far as to make a special request Boerewors for my good South African friend. Don’t miss their wine selection either.

My favorite local VA butcher shop and lunch stop. Their selection of local, organic quality meat is fantastic and they always have a good selection of cured meats and cheeses, and especially the house cured bacon and sausages. Don’t forget the beer and wine. Derek, Amanda, Jeff and crew are the best, always helpful and will special order anything I ask for.

We are fairly new to using The Whole Ox but my husband is addicted to it! He orders their pork belly to make his own bacon and there is a significant difference not only in the taste but in the handling of the meat as well. When we got it home (yes, we gulped at the price!) the pork belly was nicely trimmed and my husband didn’t have to do a thing! NICE! The brisket we have ordered from them a couple of times really ticks us off because the taste is BETTER than the nice grocery store we usually buy ours at. DANG! We kind of wanted it to taste similar so we didn’t have to go to the Whole Ox to buy ours. :) Oh well! There is a huge taste difference and it will be hard to go back.
We haven’t tried the Ox Box yet but looking forward to it.
The service is outstanding every time we have gone. You feel like it’s the old fashioned butcher where they actually talk to you and take pride in what you want. Amazing place!!!

My wife and I have been purchasing from the TWOX for over the past 2 years. We couldn’t be happier, the meat quality is off the charts. In particular any and all Pork Chops, slight burnt, are priceless! This is definitely the type of local place we all should be supporting! Thank you Amanda and Derek for always knowing our first names, and giving us service unimaginable anywhere else. We have recommended them to many neighbors and family.

For someone from Texas who knows good meat, this place is awesome! Why else would I drive from the other side of Virginia to pick up my meat for the week? What started as a business meeting has now turned into a bi-​monthly addition into my weekly routine. I started out with purchasing a few sausages and what not, but was easily converted to their Ox Box by Tyler. Jeff is amazing, as normally he is the one who slices the meat right in front of you or suggesting to post your gourmet photos on one of their social media avenues to share with customers and cooks alike! The owners Amanda and Derek are not only knowledgeable, but will help with any questions you may have about how to cook the product, cut, prepare, etc. Oh and did I mention they were friendly?
From salmon filets, to lamb chops, to house cured smoked bacon, I cannot get enough of this place. A friend of mine and I do brunch every other weekend, and I swear I’ve seen more of her in the last three months, than I’ve seen her all year due to the quality of meat I serve during these gatherings.
Finally, their meat is a great gift idea, and they gift wrap on the spot. Always accommodating and never rude, I appreciate their customer service and product. For those who are looking for the «real deal,» and not the steroid injected «stuff» they serve at your local grocery store, give this place a try… you won’t regret it!

It is tiny they had 2 whole cuts of beef and $ 9 lb hamburger, this is not a butcher shop it’s a waste of time. They had 6 people working and no customers, how do you do that?

Very cool little country butcher shop! All sorts of meats are available here, as well as other local food products, and from farther out around Virginia as well.
I purchased two Lamb sausages, plus a 2 lb package of their smoked bacon, which I had them slice for me on the spot.
I noticed they were carrying ciders from Albemarle Ciderworks (which is located down south of Charlottesville) — first time I’ve seen their ciders available outside of their Cidery (they make awesome English Style cider!)
The sausage and the bacon was very good! The folks running the place are really nice!

My wife and I made our first visit to the The Whole Ox this afternoon when we found the shop by chance driving through The Plains, VA. The location in the old train station was charming. We purchased a good sampling of their sausage as well as some of their ice cream and house-​made shepherd’s pie. All were outstanding! The staff were very friendly and knowledgeable about their products. This place is definitely a gem. We’ll be back.

I bought a pound of their local grass fed ground beef to make cheeseburgers with, it turned out better than I could have imagined.
This is the good stuff folks.