Cleaver & Co

First, the good news., my husbands birthday is Christmas Eve… I got a beef tenderloin which was delicious. Great beef flavor, well trimmed and tied making it easy to prepare.
NOT GOOD NEWS — I special ordered both the beef tenderloin mentioned above and a boneless pork shoulder roast with skin on and scored… I picked up both roasts on Wednesday… when I went to prepare the pork shoulder there was a shoulder blade bone (as it turns out the bone accounted for a good portion of the weight … I called and spoke to one of the butchers there about the presence of the bone … She advised then that that was the way they prepared a boneless roast… Patently untrue as I had them do the same cut last year with NO BONE… she was to ask the owner to call me… NEVER HAPPENED… while I didn’t object to the price paid ($ 200) I strongly object to NOT GETTING WHAT I PAID FOR… so if you expect customer service and customer satisfaction this is NOT your store!

Went to Whole Foods to get a 3.5 lb pork belly, skin on left on the bone. The butcher there not only didn’t have it — they wouldn’t have had a cut with the skin on much less the bone. Searched Unilocal for the closest butcher and found cleaver and co.
An easy drive from whole foods on magazine I called ahead and they said they had the cut I was looking for. When I arrived Becky was so nice, showed me the piece of meat and walked me through how they planned to cut it. Awesome!
While waiting for them to cut I noticed coolers full of meaty goodness and bought some green chorizo sausage that looked delicious as well as some tendon treats for my dogs!
I’m thrilled to start cooking tonight! Thanks!

Went there 5 days ago. Absolutely no customers on a Saturday afternoon. Very limited selections. Seems like everything was sold out. Rib eye I purchased was very tough. Bratwurst was okay.

This was a place my girlfriend and I were dying to try out. Local butcher, great Unilocal reviews and steak. This is right in our wheelhouse.
Long story short, we bought two grass-​fed ribeyes and they were tough, like tough as an old boot. Here’s an example. I took about 3 bites that were just a bit too big. I chewed as long as I could and had to spit the meat out. I swear. I couldn’t chew enough to get it down. Each steak was about 20 ounces. There was easily 6 ounces of meat on each cut that wasn’t worth eating. For the most part, I devour steaks. Check my Unilocal profile, it would be my last meal. I rarely leave anything left on the plate. I’ll chew the meat off the bone at a restaurant. We didn’t bother making fajitas out of these leftovers.
We walked in and loved the shop. A really nice, well-​informed guy cut us two good looking ribeyes, inch and a half thick. We had the choice of grass-​fed and wagyu beef. This was clearly a true butcher shop. And we love grass fed. So I have no complaints with our in-​store experience or our choice of steak. It’s just the actual steaks weren’t any good.
But still, this is a local butcher shop. I love red meat. I try to shop local, so I emailed cleaver & co. I just put it out there politely. I basically said, the steaks were tough. If the business wants to remedy the complaint, here’s my contact info. No reply. I even resent the email thinking maybe the first letter was lost in the shuffle. Still, no reply.
Even though we had a poor experience, I might try Cleaver & Co again. This is the type of local business I would love to support. But it’s hard to justify paying top dollar for a mediocre steak.

We were planning a dinner for friends from Chicago and San Diego and wanted to impress them with a fancy spread. The theme for the dinner was Swine Fest 2015. Pig product errrry thang!
I found clever and company after doing some research for a local butcher. My other half and I ventured out to visit them glad we did.
The butcher at Cleaver knows his stuff. Asked me how I wanted my pork chops cut, how I wanted my pork belly cut, suggested cured meats for a charcuterie board. I totally appreciated that demonstration of passion.
The meats were of high quality and local farmed. We spent about $ 150 on our swine. Will you you guys have a frequent buyers club? We for sure will be back.

This place is amazing!!! I’m bad at choosing steaks for anyone other than myself. The guy helping me was super patient and knowledgable.
We just got done eating our steaks and I can’t even begin to describe how yummy they were.
Best place to buy meat in the city!!!

How have I made it this far in life without having found this place?
It’s a travesty.
A meat travesty.
Because I love the Meat Sweats.
This place is now my Go-​To.
This is a meat paradise.
The staff is super passionate about their craft.
The products they push out are of pure beauty.
Everything from the mainstream to the unique.
Dry aged goodness? Check.
Offals? Chizzeck.
Prime Cuts? Oh yeah.
Cleaned Pig Intestines? Chickidy Check.
White Buttery Chunks of Lardon? Buttofcourse.
You can call ahead.
You can walk right in.
You can discuss (in detail) your meat project for the weekend (for me it was making fresh snausages).
Vac sealed little surprises in the freezer and in the fridge for quick grab and go’s.
Meatballs, Curing Salts, Sausages, Rabbit loins, Cured Meats… you name it… they got it.
This is a manly man’s domain.
The smell inside is of aged meat.
Like Truffle Sex.
I can close my eyes and imagine that delicious aroma.
I wish I could smell like that… always.
I also might need a meat intervention.

I’ve never been to a real butcher shop before (so i may be wrong) but this seems like the real deal. I just stopped in yesterday to check the place out and I decided to pick up some lovely Canadian bacon and chicken thighs. The thighs were cut from whole chickens while I waited. There were other guys working on other meat products. A tray of some fresh Hungarian sausages were waiting to be packaged. I forgot how happy meat makes me.
I’ve been trying to eat more sustainably for a while now. I was dissatisfied with the selection at Whole Foods. I’m less concerned with animal welfare than environmental impact. Cleaver & Co. addresses both concerns so I can have my flesh and eat it too. I love that they use the whole animal. I can expand my palette and repertoire with new cuts and offal. I love that everything is sourced locally (within 200 miles) and they visit and vet the farms personally. I love that the animals are entirely pasture-​raised so I don’t have to worry about GMO feed and it’s impact on our environment.
But, most of all, I LOVE the way I smelled when I got back in my car. The smell of delicious meat stuck to my coat a little. They should bottle that and sell it!
p. s. I’d be so super duper happy if these guys started making lunchmeat. I saw the bologna in the case, but maybe some roast beef or ham would round things out.

I love Cleaver. We had a private beef class with a couple of the guys there and it was so much fun. We learned all about the parts of the cow, different cuts, etc. would recommend this place to anyone and will definitely return!

Oh, yes. Ohhhhhhh, yes.
The quality (and range!!) of meat is incredible. There’s really not more for me to say. They have hot cracklin’ on Saturdays and Sundays (!!!) and it’s soooo good. Terribly good.
The prices are definitely not get-​this-​for-​every-​day-​eatin’ prices. But it’s perfect if you want to treat yourself or throw a dinner party with something special. The fridges have some awesome products, all different sorts of sausages, etc. The range of products makes it perfect for finding that special item.
The workers are so incredibly nice and helpful. They’re knowledgeable (as they should be) and just all around awesome. You can see the butchering area in the back, and it’s SPOTLESS. I’ve been to some really high end butchers around the country, and this is probably the one I felt best at — I could see the prep areas with my own eyes, and it looked nice.
In addition, I think all (or at least 95%) of their meat comes from Zachary. So yay!

The bacon.
The bacon.
The bacon.
That is all.

Amazing quality food. I came initially for rendered fat and organ meats, and ended up buying a bunch of other really cool/​delicious stuff.
— The jellied stews (head cheese, daube provencal) are great.
— Lots of choice of beef tallow, lard, etc.
— The cured meats are great snacks. I often ate a good chunk of what I bought on the car ride home!
As a dedicated carnivore I keep good tabs on the butchers in any city I’m in – and I love this place. I was stuck going to whole foods before I found Cleaver, and the selection there was way too limited. This place has *everything*.
Yes, you will pay a premium for some of this stuff. I don’t mind at all.

I cannot gush enough about this local gem. I love the fact that the folks in this place are so helpful and more than willing to accommodate your wishes. I saw the fresh prepared sausages they offer, and I asked who I presume is the owner about some «Latin Chorizo Sausage» and they tried to open my eyes up to all kinds of other things I had never thought about. After it was all said and done i walked out with a beautiful rump roast cap and ideas on how to make a Brazilian Picanha in my apartment. Will be back. It’s a little bit more expensive than what most folks may be used to but that’s the price for someone to take all the guesswork out of making sure you get the freshest and most delicious cuts of meat.

This is one of my favorite places to foodie-​geek out over. I cannot recommend it enough, whether you’re a foodie, a meatie, a locavore, or just a person who eats food on a regular basis.
One of the greatest things about Cleaver & Co. (and I mean this with no cheesiness intended) is the total passion these guys have for what they do. Want to learn more about a cut? Ask. They’re dying to teach you. I’ve actually gotten smarter by shopping here. Don’t know what you want? Need to impress a date? Just ask them for a suggestion, they can and will hook you up. I grew up on a farm and have missed real meat most of my adult life. But those days are gone!
Suggestion: Try some of their prepared food (terrines, etc.). They’re some of the greatest things I’ve tried yet.

Hmm, 3 or 4 stars? This is tough because I’m glad that they’re there but I did not at ALL like the head cheese I bought there and am unlikely to ever buy another $ 20 chicken. I love independent butchers though so I would like to support them but probably only for buying cuts for special occasions.

This is the place, stop searching for butcher heaven. This is it.

I have moaned and groaned about the lack of a decent butcher with locally sourced meat and a farm-​to-​table approach to food selling. Complain no more! These guys are informative, patient and loaded to the gills with things you know, things you’ve never had and inspiration to get your meat on. I have severely reduced my meat intake in recent years but when its time for some grilled goat ribs or raw dog food for the mutt, I am hitting this joint every time.

This place is great! The owner is very helpful and the hours are pretty good too. On the weekends they serve gumbo and cracklins. Both yummm. Would like to see them serve more, especially take out sandwiches.
Try the duck confit…
Very excited to have a butcher in town and so close to our place!

A fantastic enterprise if I’ve seen one. All the animals are raised locally and harvested locally, meaning all the parts are available. They also serve offal, sausage, rendered fats, and other bits. I’ve received nothing but wonderful products from this place.
Also, be sure to check out the whole animal card. One of the best ways to eat through all the parts!

It’s great to have a local butcher in town, you’ll get friendly service and generally great quality products with the main drawback being higher prices than you’re probably used to at the grocery store. However everything is local and the highest quality so in most cases you get what you pay for. We’ve had great cuts of meat, sausage, etc. but just be prepared that as a whole animal butcher it will sometimes be limited on the amount of tenderloin and certain «premium» cuts that people might want for the holidays for instance. If you ask for chicken thighs they’ll literally bring out a chicken and cut off the thighs while you’re waiting — hard to beat that.
Drawbacks include ground beef which on an initial try was more fatty and had more gristle than ideal. Offal is also more expensive than I would expect for the various internal organs which apparently have a larger market than I thought.
Heritage turkeys are also available at times such as the holidays as well as excellent smoked ham we had for Christmas dinner but just know that you’ll be paying a more than you would at the grocery store. Quite frankly, that’s the price of raising animals correctly rather than mass producing them in horrible conditions but the prices still take a bite out of your wallet so it’s important to know the true cost of well raised animals and set your expectations before going into someplace like Cleaver & Co. that works with farmers and ranchers who do things right.
Cleaver & Co. reminds me more of the young, slightly edgy butcher shops I went to when living in Portland rather than the old school Italian butcher shop Paulina Market I frequented in Chicago a number of years ago — though all have great quality meat. If you need chicken, duck, or beef stock you can also find it at Cleaver & Co. and for those who spend time in Wisconsin you’ll notice that they make their own Summer Sausage and Bratwurst in-​house which is incredibly hard to find (but apparently one of the guys at the shop is from Wisconsin or at least has a connection). Of course, there’s also andouille, boudin, head cheese (which is also served at the Little Gem Saloon), and various other local and homemade sausages too but everything is done with the fresh local meat and a lot of pride.
If you value the quality and provenance of your meat you definitely need to check out Cleaver & Co. You’ll rarely be disappointed with the product and it’s always preferable to support local businesses, farmers, and ranchers trying to do things the right way. Also of note, they take all credit cards through Square so you don’t have to worry about cash-​only or no Amex policies like you find at a lot of small businesses…