Submitted by a verified foodie who wished to remain anonymous.
My friends and family decided to do a date night and try the new restaurant / Butcher Shoppe located off Gold Hill Road. We arrived around 5:15pm and the parking lot was packed. It was a bit chaotic with the brand new Donato’s Pizza also starting their dinner takeout rush. Cars were parked along the curb side and not in spots. We had to maneuver past 2 or 3 cars just idling.
When we entered the New York Butcher Shoppe you notice immediately to your right the meat counter. They have a splendid selection of proteins showcasing things like Tomahawk Ribeye’s, Faroe Salmon, and fist sized Scallops. They also make their own sausages there, with a selection of a few different varieties. Pricing was what you’d expect for a custom butcher shop. You’re not shopping there for meats like you buy at the grocery store.
In the center of the store they have a pretty large retail space. You can buy packaged products like Guacamole chips and other unique items.
On the left hand side of the store there’s a line of coolers with premade takeout dinners. I spotted a Gnocchi ala vodka that’s on my list to try during my next visit. Additionally, there are things like family style meals of chicken parmesan or lasagna, all priced pretty reasonably and under $25. If you’re looking to entertain, they also offer large trays for under $50.
I perused the substantial and well thought out wine section next. They had some Italian wines that you just don’t find in many places. I picked out a bottle of Amarone for dinner at $55, and it was exceptional. If you were at a high end wine shop and buying by the drink this easily would have cost $80, you get quite a savings by buying a bottle for your meal.
We sat at the bar and had a drink while waiting for a table to be ready. The craft beer selection featured some YOCO Brew Trail favorites as well as some of the popular Charlotte craft beers. They have maybe 20 different craft beers by the can/bottle and 8-10 drafts on tap at all times. You’ll certainly find something you like here.
I have to speak to the customer service as well. It’s unfortunately an exception to have superior customer service around here. I was thoroughly impressed with how personable each and every person that worked there was. They were all willing to talk to you about their beers, foods, wines, meats, whatever you’d like to have a conversation about. They were knowledgeable and helpful.
Our table was ready about 15 minutes after waiting at the bar, not too bad for a Saturday night. We sat and decided to start with a couple appetizers. My FAVORITE thing we tried there were their Pork Belly Burnt Ends with Brisket. This simple platter was cooked perfectly and served with a sweet and spicy sauce. The sauce was exceptional and absolutely made the dish perfect. We also tried the Tuna/avocado tartare. This dish was served with Sashimi grade tuna, cucumber, fresh avocado, ponzu vinaigrette, chili aioli, avocado chips, all for $15 bucks. This app also comes highly recommended by the whole table. It was fresh and the ponzu sauce was on point.
For the main course I decided to try the steak flight. The flight came with about 3 or 4 ounces of 3 different types of meats. The meats were very simply seasoned with salt and pepper and cooked a perfect medium (as requested). The hanger steak was topped with a green chimichurri sauce which complemented the meat very nicely. You could tell the meat was extremely good quality, as you’d expect from a real butcher shop. I decided to add the scallops to my meal as well. The only negative I have about this experience was that the scallops were slightly under cooked. Given the size of them, and knowing how to cook scallops properly myself, it’ s hard to get those big scallops cooked all the way through while only searing. Probably another minute or two on the hot pan would have made these perfect.
In addition to the regular menu, they also offer these daily specials during the week:
Mondays Meatballs Pomodoro $6
Tuesdays $1 Wings (Min 6) Naked smoked or Tomey’s glazed
Wednesdays BBQ Brisket Slider or Crispy Pork Belly Sliders $3
Thursdays Butcher Shoppe Lasagna $10
Overall, my impression was that the place was impeccably clean, had great knowledgeable staff, and exceeded expectations. This is definitely a wonderful new addition to our neighborhood and I’ll be back to frequent this place regularly.
