Gambrel & Co

Can’t possibly say enough about how excellent this place is!!! The customer service to the excellence in meats, cuts, sausage and the raw food he prepares for our puppy (83 pound 1 year old rottie «Maya») is EXCELLENT and she LOVES it! Thank you for your friendly service, your passion for what you do and going above and beyond! Glad we found you! If you haven’t already, you must check this place out!

YUM!
We got some amazing steaks here. I’ve been hearing a lot about the new butcher in town. I guess that I am a bit late to the party on this one, but I am glad that I finally made the trip!
I am so excited to have a great place to buy meats (and even a few cheeses and other food stuffs).
He sells stock and these game hen/​chicken hybrids which are delicious.
Professional, knowledgable, friendly and helpful. I cannot wait to order some cuts not in the display case.
My next purchase will be a crown roast of pork.

FIrst of all, how cool is it that Redwood City has this amazing butcher? Woohoo! It was our first time buying anything at Gambrel, so we got a a little assortment: bone-​in ribeye, a sausage with ancho chilies, and a wild boar and veal crepinette. We are all moaning throughout dinner. Excellent quality meat and such knowledgeable, nice guys. This is definitely a cozy, neighborhood store where you’re made to feel right at home. We’ll definitely be back!

Yes to everything about this place. High-​quality grass-​fed meats that are healthier and tastier than any other meat anywhere. Simply upgrading the meat in my same old recipes has given them new life. You can see, feel and taste the difference. I wish I started coming here sooner! Great service and great meat. Seriously stop buying meat anywhere else and come support your local butcher!

Hey, I’m glad to be able to rate a business five stars. Benjamin, the owner, is a super knowledgable butcher who has a small but high quality selection of meats and other foodstuffs, mostly Italian. I called and requested a porterhouse and he said it would come in the next day, which is when I got it. Beautifully marbled, tender and juicy. Fantastic meal, especially because of some of the tips I received about proper grilling. A place worth recommending that’s for sure.

This place is a real find! A very proper and legit butchery… I highly recommend this place… Quality meats for a reasonable price. You can order specialty cuts with a day or two advance notice. Benjamin, the owner, is friendly and knowledgable.

I love this place. Staff is so helpful and often can fashion a cut of exactly what I want, even if it’s not already displayed in the counter. They are very knowledgeable and give great meal prep advice. I can’t wait to go back and try other things. So far I’ve enjoyed tasty:
Peking duck breast
Whole chicken
House-​made pork sausage
Pork chops
Rib-​eye
Best quality local butcher.

I feel stupid writing this review because I know very little about meat cuts and could be described as a competent home cook at best. I don’t do fancy stuff, but when I buy meat here, I don’t need to. Everything I’ve bought here has turned out to be the best I’ve ever had. Pork Chops: I just brined and grilled per butcher’s suggestion and they were ridiculously good. Seasoned Pork Loin: I shoved it in the oven with a digital probe and pulled it out when it was done. I literally did nothing but buy it and slap it on a pan and it was the best pork loin we’ve ever eaten. I was a little intimidated the first time I came in because of my aforementioned lack of knowledge, but I was reassured when I read the chalkboard sign that stated the butcher was a chef and would be happy to offer cooking suggestions. I asked, he answered very patiently, and I will be going back again and again.

Benjamin knows how to butcher! This hole in the wall adds a serious level of culinary excellence to the sleepy side of downtown Redwood City. I have tried a wide cross section of the Gambrel meat case and I am seriously impressed. This is the best butcher shop on the peninsula. No need to try the competitor in Los Altos, Gambrel takes the prize!

Have gotten several cuts here, Ribeye, ny strip, flank all of which were the best quality available. Sausages are house made and good. Particularly a fan of lamb merguez and spicy Italian.
As they say, support your local butcher!

I’ve been on the hunt for a good butcher on the peninsula that was somewhat convenient to where I work (Mountain View) or live (Santa Clara). I’m a bit of a snob when it comes to my beef, and have been consistently disappointed by all of the supposed meat shops and butchers I’ve visited before. Sure, they have stuff better than the big groceries around here, but they charge (in my opinion) a little more than the meat is worth (Whole Foods, unsurprisingly, is the worst).
I can happily say that my search for a place that has quality that matches the asking price is over. I called them on Saturday, 10 minutes before opening, asking if they had any hanger steak (oddly hard to find around here), and they did. I told him to wrap it up, I’d be there in 5 minutes. I was a bit worried about buying hanger steaks for $ 15 a pound, but I thought I’d give it a shot, since I was really craving it and haven’t been able to find it anywhere. After arriving, all my apprehension went away. All I can say about this place is wow. They know what they’re doing, and the meat is worth every penny. Not only did I get the hangers, but I walked out with 2 new york strips to sous vide as well. The people inside (the owner, I believe) were very friendly, knowledgable, and happy to talk shop. They clearly care as much about good product as I do, and they’ve earned my business, despite them being a bit of a trek. As for the results, the strips came out amazing, as did the hangers. Both were the best I’ve ever made at home, and I credit the meat more than anything for that.
A few things to know, however… They do charge a premium, but you’re getting your money’s worth. This is seriously some quality meat. I also wouldn’t recommend buying from here unless you’re confident in your ability to cook this stuff properly (it’s really upsetting to ruin a $ 40 steak). Finally, call ahead before you show up. They don’t over-​stock the place (he buys a ¼ cow a week or so to avoid waste), but they can order anything you want and get it pretty quick. It looks like he tends to keep the fairly common items in stock (strips, ribeye, etc.), but given the small amount they purchase at a time, you definitely want to make sure they’ve got it on hand before going.

We just finished eating the tri tip, which came with dry rub. It was sooooooo good. Loved going to the store and checking out all the delicious looking stuff. So good that the meat is sourced from a small farm, and raised naturally. Cannot wait to try more steaks!!!

Absolutely LOVE Gambrels. This is a serious butcher shop reminiscent of some of the European butcheries where you can find extremely high quality cuts. The owner, a previous executive chef of a top rated San Fran restaurant, is a really great guy and very knowledgeable. He’ll help you select the right cut of meat, educate you in the process and even recommend how to cook your selection. The meat is all grass fed and is locally sourced from the farms in Marin. I picked up a few of the infamous sausages to try (made this morning) but the aged beef and lamb cuts looked nothing short of stellar. It might seem a little pricey to some, but trust me, it’s worth splurging now and again for meat of this quality. Gambrel’s also takes special orders so if you’re looking for something specific or unusual, they can secure it for you, just be sure to give them a few days notice. You’ll find some other goodies in the store too. There are some very nice cheeses, European chocolate and pasta too. I’m definitely a fan and I will surely go back. Since it’s good to know your butcher, get to Gambrel’s ASAP!

Benjamin is the man, guy lives, sleeps and bleeds butching. The cuts are fantastic, the homemade sausages are out of this world. Always has new stuff coming in and takes feedback and suggestions. Would 100% recommend buying your cuts here, worth the extra money

I’m really happy that this business is open again hence the three stars. I love the concept and the store is super cute. The meat that I got, however, was a disappointment:
— ribeye steak aged 32 days: 1 star
the piece that I got was nicely marbled but on the thin side. I expected the buttery flavor and texture of well aged beef, and very little moisture. Gambrel’s steak had no flavor and was tough, the connecting tissue had not broken down at all. After cooking on a super hot cast iron pan for a couple of minutes per side the meat got nicely browned, but a tablespoon of bloody water pooled in the plate, which happens with non-​aged meat. It felt like the meat was aged 10 and not 30 days, and not worth the $ 24 per pound. The aged steak from the Little City Market in North Beach is by far superior.
— 2 kinds of fresh sausage: 2 stars
Beautiful looking, fresh sausage. The favors were nice and subtle. The texture however was bizarre. I pan fried the sausages whole but they expanded to double their size, so I pierced them in a couple of places. A cup of water gushed out from 4 pieces, and I had to pour it out twice. The final result was a dry, very mealy sausage. Perhaps more fat would help?
I love meat and butcher shops, so I’ll keep on trying other things from the store but for now it doesn’t look like they know what they’re doing.

This place seemed like it was a goner. Which was too bad, since I liked the concept.
The previous guy was never there, had limited stock, and was totally unreliable.
The new guy is friendly, interested in what customers want, and trying to stock requested items.
He’s very knowledgeable, pleasant, always has a smile on his face, like he’s actually glad to be there.
We’ve had some steaks from there as well as a few varieties of sausage.
Some of the sausages were better than others.
My husband eats them more than I do, (i have a couple bites)
Unfortunately, we both found a few of them VERY over salted.
It could just be our personal taste, but wouldn’t get them again.
While not all the products nutritional preferences, it’s great to have a place like this in the neighborhood.
We keep returning and trying new things, and highly recommend stopping in!

I just noticed this place driving by a week or so ago. I stopped in today. There are local cured meats, cheeses, oils, cheeses, etc. The butcher and the clerk were very helpful. There weren’t many meats displayed, but they had some great house cured bacon, pancetta, sausages, and a french sausagy patty thing wrapped in caul fat. I bought that and some thick korean cut short ribs. The ribs were really nicely aged and grilled up perfect after some marinating.
The service was great, and the quality and skill were evident. I understand they will do special orders, etc so I definitely plan to test that out in the future.

A few months ago, I was quite sad to see this business marked as ‘CLOSED’ on Unilocal.I called a few times with no luck. Every time I was in the neighborhood, I’d swing by to see what was going on. One Friday night about a month ago, I was really excited to see the door open.
The ownership has changed and Gambrel is back. Benjamin is really friendly and knowledgeable and really happy to help out (doesn’t hurt that he’s a chef too). There are more options (some interesting meat sauces), cheeses, and a few other goodies. The hours are more reliable (in the past we’d swing by around 7pm on a Friday and most of the time it would be closed). Really happy to see this place in good hands. Most recent purchase: 10 pounds of spare ribs.
Only one bit of advice: the white butcher paper is a bit light and will stick to the meat if you leave it for too long, be careful opening up your packages. Also, bring your own bag if you’re planning to buy a lot.

Benjamin is a very knowledgeable butcher. I enjoyed meeting him today. I love the hometown feel. The prices are reasonable. I enjoyed a flavorful pork chop this evening! I highly recommend this butcher shop. Thank you for the wonderful and attentive service.

Lord knows how many times I’ve tried to go here. First someone was sick, then there was a refrigeration issue. Then the last time there was no reason at all. Just closed in the middle of the day. Luckily i was in the area recently and boom they’re actually open. 4 times a charm? I like the old time space. Very cool aesthetic. However there’s not a ton of things to choose from (at least from the perspective of the butcher I normally go to). However they’ve got a decent selection of sausages. Mimld Italian and Brats were what I went with. Grill em up and you’re good to go.