All Natural & Exotic Meats — Local services in District of North Vancouver

I have visited this shop a few times over the years. The plus: The meat is always good, and that’s why I have returned. The negative: The shop always seems dark, unclean, smelly and dingy. It’s like they do not have pride in appearance. That’s still okay because the meat and eggs are delicious! Lately, I have noticed the customer service and sanitation has diminished even more than usual. The fellows were never friendly and happy to serve me in my humble opinion. I always had to wait as they cut, minced meat or packaged it. They have never said “hello, be right with you” or even acknowledged my presence. Sometimes, I stand at the counter waiting for 4/5 minutes as they finish their tasks! I would be okay with this if they at least smiled, waved, greeted me or acknowledged me in any way. I also don’t believe that customers are always right because, let’s face it, some customers are entitled, unreasonable and unethical. I believe it goes both ways! However as a small business, I believe that proprietors need to go out of their way to offer the best customer service, considering today’s economy and how many small businesses are closing left right and centre! I am all about supporting small businesses in my area as I believe that it is very important! That is the reason why I have disregarded the unkemptness, the subpar customer service, the unappealing smell and the overall appearance of Exotic Meats, because I wanted to support local businesses and their meats and eggs are high quality! Today, my patience was tested! I have come to accept the lack of customer service, the appearance, the smell, the dirty appearance etc! Today was a different day! As usual no acknowledgment, no greetings or niceties. I went ahead and put my order through! The meat did not seem fresh and on top of all that, the gentleman (and I use this term lightly) handled the meat without gloves! I politely requested that he grind me some fresh lean ground beef with gloves on. This request seemed to really bother him and he sighed and actually rolled his eyes! My request seemed to really bother him. Firstly, he was violating health codes right before my eyes and the fact that I reminded him to wear some gloves “put him out”! I know, I know at that point, I should have walked out, and I am mad for not honouring myself! He then took his sweet time wearing his gloves, getting the beef from the back and grinding it! He did all this unwillingly and begrudgingly. I clearly had another item I wanted to purchase from the freezer that was also on the counter. When he packaged the meat he only charged me for the beef and omitted the other items on the counter. I then reminded him about the additional items and that also seemed to annoy him! What?? This was my second chance to simply walk out, but I didn’t! Again, I blame myself. All I could think about was how I am patronizing their establishment, yet they seemed bothered by me??? I paid and left promising myself that I would never again set foot in this establishment. I would also like to add that I am a woman of colour. I never assume that people are racist unless they clearly show me that they are! Of course, I have experienced racism in my life and it always shocks me, especially when it’s open and blatant, however, It is rare in our little hamlet of North Vancouver but it does occur. I have read the other reviews and most of them seem positive! I know Caucasian family and friends that have had great customer service at Exotic meats! Yes, they complain about the smell, the darkness of the store, how disorganized it is etc, but they like the product and the service! That is what made me wonder if the people that run this establishment may be racially biased? Plain Racists? In any case, I am not going to hang around to find out! I will NEVER set foot or spend another penny at exotic meats ever again. That is my story and I’m sticking to it. Very...

Nice people and I generally like to support small businesses, but I have had too many bad pieces of chicken, too many times recently, even stuff that's supposed to be fresh is often discolored when you buy it. Some pieces for noticeably bad after just a day despite refrigeration and careful handling. It doesn't help that they prices are higher than most other places. Some sausages have also tasted off. This has lead to some disappointing family meals and significant money down the drain. I won't be back, and I recommend The Meat Shop & Deli...

We've shopped at this market for years. Not only is the selection of meat and other products quite excellent, it is always a convenient place to shop. Business there is steady, but the store is never crowded. With free parking in front, a customer can be in and out in minutes. I particularly recommend the thick cut bacon. This lean and perfectly smoked pork (bison available too) is a premium product. I also like to buy eggs here. They are typically fresher than eggs that have gone through a supermarket's storage and...