My Favorite Animal is Steak: The Musical

April 15, 2012 9:28 PM

Who sells the best beef in the Bay Area?

I live in San Francisco. I want to buy the best possible rib steak to cook using this method. Money is no object. However, for a few reasons, I do not want to order the meat on the internet and have it FedExed. I want to go somewhere, buy it, and take it home.

What's your pick for the best butchery in the Bay Area for steak?

posted by eugenen to Food & Drink (8 answers total)

Both Marin Sun Farms and Prather Ranch sell at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. Bi-rite Market also carries a great selection of high-end beef, including the seasonal meat from BN Ranch (Bill Niman's new project after leaving Niman Ranch), and 5 Dot, which is also available at Avedano's. If money is truly no object, you might sample them all and see which you prefer. Talk to the butchers at Bi-Rite and Avedano's - they're all incredibly knowledgeable and helpful.
posted by judith at 9:44 PM on April 15, 2012 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: Awesome, thanks. To be clear, since that's kind of an obnoxious thing to say, "money is no object" in the weaker sense that I'm resigned to paying up and won't use price as a primary factor in choosing where to go, not in the strong sense of having unlimited money to spend.
posted by eugenen at 9:58 PM on April 15, 2012 [1 favorite]

Seconding Marin Sun Farms, as we've had their beef and it's amazing. Note: it is grass-fed beef and is both more flavorful and lean than beef you'd normally see at a supermarket.
posted by Lynsey at 10:36 PM on April 15, 2012

4505 Meats at the Ferry Building Farmer's market has beef some weeks. Their beef is fucking amazing. Ryan Farr is a meat god. (The also have pork, lamb, rabbit, and killer sausage. Selection varies weekly.)
posted by mollymayhem at 11:27 PM on April 15, 2012

Belcampo.
posted by jeb at 8:16 AM on April 16, 2012

Yeah, I think that for this application you do not want grass-fed beef. (I say that as a grass-fed proponent who mainly buys local beef from Holding Ranch.)

For a one-off streak-stravaganza, though? I would buy USDA Prime beef ... from Costco. (I know! I know! But it is so buttery and so beautifully marbled, and you just have to walk in and buy it!)
posted by purpleclover at 9:07 AM on April 16, 2012

Nthing 4505 Meats. Their steaks are thick--almost roast-like--and amazing.

Two fantastic butchers with great quality meats and fantastic, friendly, helpful service: Avedano's in SF and Local Butcher Shop in Berkeley.

And, yes, Costco beef is shockingly high-quality! They sell only Choice and Prime meat, and for special occasions, my partner and I will pick up what we call "primeprime": Prime-grade prime rib roast from them--for much cheaper than the same, lower-grade cut at a local grocery store. It's always amazing. We get wonderful ribeye steaks and filets there as well.

All of these are equally wonderful. I buy based on where I am at the time--or if I'm buying in advance and not on the spur of the moment, I tend to just go for Costco since it's going to be the best value, unless it's a cut I can't get there.
posted by rhiannonstone at 12:16 PM on April 16, 2012

If you're looking for dry-aged beef (which is generally served in high-end steakhouses) check out this thread http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/708632
I've bought some great stuff from Cafe Rouge, as it is nearby for me, but Harris' Restaurant seems like a good answer for withing SF.
posted by ...tm... at 2:09 PM on April 16, 2012