Best Steak butcher in Chicago

I used to love Fox and Obel when it was open for steaks and other high end items, i now buy my USDA prime from prime n tender in Hinsdale but is there a high end butcher butcher like Flannery or similar in the Chicago land area that im missing ? im not looking for cheap or bargin steaks, im looking for gourmet quality steaks.

Any thoughts anyone ?

Eataly’s meat counter has some seriously aged beef - I have not tried it but have been pleased with the basics I’ve ordered. Their service is mixed with at times really knowledgeable folks and at others, meh

How’s Gepperth’s or Paulina - I’d likely head to either if I was not ordering from Flannery/

PQM (Publican Quality Meats) on Fulton has very high quality meat and you will absolutely pay through the nose for it. You might also try Butcher & Larder, Paulina Meat Market, Gepperth’s Meat Market and Gene’s Sausage Shop & Delicatessen in Lincoln Square.

Rob Levitt is at PQM now. A great addition, but they only do whole animals (like Butcher & Larder), so steaks are rarer than at some butchers like Bryan, Otto and Paulina. Nice product, though

Publican is great but horrifically expensive and i did not see many good steaks, mostly cured meats. Butcher and Larder was OK but not tried the others. Does Eataly have a real butcher ? or more selling pre packaged stuff ?

Alan - they have a butcher and a separate fish counter. Towards the back on the second floor. A lot of Piedmont beef and some unexpected items – and a cases of aged beef. I tend to pop in if I’m in the area and don’t want to go grocery shopping - I know I can grab some good produce and a steak or such that’s good. (I miss Fox & Obel btw - I loved going to a movie then wandering over for some snacks to take home for the weekend and some good meats - no where else quite fits that niche)

Fox and Obel was great, good meat, fish, cheese and then loads of other stuff for fun. The wine was never great but that was OK.

Sigh, this is a tough one. I used to go to Olympia Meats on Randolph before it closed. That was indeed a very sad day.

Now, I do my best to eat Slagel Farms. You can find it either by contacting them directly or going to certain grocery stores. I go to Fresh Market Place on Western ave and they carry it.

Smoked a prime slagel brisket yesterday that was outstanding!

I remember Fox & Obel. Neat grocery store. And yes, good meat.

JD

What happened to Olympia meats, that place had been there forever

Real estate was too valuable.

I liked Olympia and used to walk there from my condo, but it was a value play, not as high quality as the places mentioned upthread.

Olympia was a good place to get a whole lamb or goat. Not much call for that in my family.

The wine selection was quite excellent when it first opened. Didn’t last long.

It was a nice section in the beginning. I think they were a retailer who had issues figuring out who they were. I believe there were plans for additional stores but that never panned out.

IMHO the only game in town is Eataly. The others are interesting and despite credentials I’ve never had a mind blowing steak from PQM—always disappointed. Paulina is great for sausages and they are real butchers but their meat is Choice. So for me it’s Eataly or ordering via fed ex.

Eataly steaks are very good, but they absolutely charge you through the nose. IIRC, the last time I bought prime cowboy ribeyes at Eataly they were $40ish a pound. Costco – also prime, though not as well-marbled – was literally half the price.

I would also vote for Eataly and PQM as the best but priced so.

One real find is the butcher counter at the back of Big Apple market at 2345 N Clark. All their beef is prime from a downstate IL supplier. Very good stuff and fair prices (below the fore mentioned above Costco/grocery). If anyone checks it out, let me know your thoughts.

They have prime, also. But I agree that steak isn’t their focus.

Good suggestion … I just recently discovered them when picking something up across the street at Pharmacy (a lovely pharmacy to deal with btw - and they deliver which is better). Big Apple is a funny place but that back butcher counter is a gem.