Butchers of Distinction — Local services in Toronto

Butchers of Distinction or I Do Not Dream of Brussel Sprouts

At one point in their late 80’s, my father and his best buddy were asked to name some accomplishment that gave them a strong sense of pride. We expected these survivors of The Great Depression, two wars and great social upheavals to reference successful kids, strong marriages, or even owning homes but they surprised us. As my Dad put it, the one thing he accomplished that neither his father nor his grandfather ever could was putting meat on his family’s dinner table every night.

Granted, during lean financial times, “meat” could be fried Spam or tinned corn beef, but during better days, “meat” to these old warriors meant the steaks and the chops for which it was worth putting in their dentures.

When I shared this moment with a group of friends - all carnivores, all in our 60’s and all with our own teeth - the nodding was unanimous. Each of us could think of moments we had journeyed great distances to reach some restaurant renowned for its meats. None of us had ever travelled for turnips. None of us, Dear Reader, had ever dreamed of brussel sprouts.

Meat – more than cheese, bread or even wine - had its own place in our personal mythologies and, fortunately, its own temples where we, the faithful, could gather. One such place, especially during these pestilential times, is Butchers of Distinction at 738 Queen Street East.

Why? Obviously, as the old Dominion Store jingle said, “it’s mainly because of the meat.” It’s all there, every imaginable cut, hormone free and sourced from farms known for ethical and sustainable practices. Butchers of Distinction also offers in-house prepared main dishes and sides, including the best meat pies and fried chicken thighs I’ve yet to find in Toronto. Still, other butcher shops offer wonderful things. What makes Butchers a safe “escape”, especially these days?

Simply put, the knowledgeable staff working there “get it”. They honour and work hard to preserve the comforting myth. Whether I am there for the holiday roast, the celebratory steak or the Friday night burger, something almost ritualistic is taking place. Cross-counter discussions of everything from preferred breed to best cooking method are commonplace.

The outside world – all of it – disappears. For a moment it’s only about the marbling or the marinade. Was the animal grain or grass fed? Should preparation be slow and low or fast and high?

I’ve always lived in cities. Getting groceries usually means simply crossing the street. Getting here, on the other hand, requires an hour long walk. The question then becomes, is the overall experience worth the extra mile and the extra buck? In the case of Butchers of Distinction, the answers are yes and...

I am done with this butcher. I've been going to this butcher for 4 years and they've gotten worse and worse. The service is lousy, they are consistently out of product and the attitude is ridiculous. I have only continued to go because they are the only butcher my neighborhood, but I'd rather plan in advance and order meat elsewhere. Here are a few examples of what I have experienced -Consistently overcharged. They weight meat at a price higher than the listed price. This has happened to me and my partner multiple times. Check your bill if you shop here

Attitude -The attitude is ridiculous. When I correctly showed them they overcharged, they had no idea what to do. I had to offer solutions like maybe a refund or a free bulb of garlic I asked for 1 pound of chicken thighs to have the skin removed, and the older man huffed and puffed and said "fine I guess". I asked if there was a problem and he said "well you came in 5 minutes before closing. We packed up". I acknowledge I came in 5 minutes before closing, but if you can't do it, just be polite and say "I apologize but we only can offer services up to 6:30pm." Or, "I am happy to do it, but if you would like services next time, please time to come in a bit earlier." There is a way to communicate to customers.

General incompetence I asked for a whole chicken to be cut into its individual piece, for it to de-skined, and for the larger pieces, like the breast, to be cut into thirds for a curry and for the thigh and drum to be separated. I asked this well in advance of closing. When I tell you the commotion this caused. "This is a lot of work" "This is too difficult" "This is not possible". I don't understand what was so difficult about my request. You're supposed to be a full service butcher. They finally did it though, but not without a heavy dose of attitude on top of the incompetence.

If you're going to be a premium butcher, then provide a premium service. Personally after years of buying meat here, I'm done. I'd rather go vegetarian than deal...

Ive been going to this butcher for 6 plus years, after my last visit it may be my last unfortunately. They have alot of positives but it’s over shadowed by the awful attitude most of the staff have.

Their boneless/skinless chicken breast is great. But as of recently, I’ve noticed the chicken is poorly cut with lots of cartilage on the meat and for the price, that shouldnt happen.

The only staff that is super helpful is Randall. He is great, polite and knows about the meats. Give that guy a raise. The attitude by the other butchers(besides Randall), has been awful, they always seem upset or unwilling to answer questions and it comes with attitude when you ask simple things like is the meat grass fed or grain. I’m not asking to be best friends but the people working there should have at the very least a friendly attitude. I have to single out Ben, I see him everytime I am there and no matter how long the lines are he is unwilling to help out or answer questions about the meats. The last time I was in I asked if they had any chicken bones that were in the price range of $5-9 as they only had $20 and up in the freezer. The kid serving me, said that was all they had. When asking Ben he just said whatever he said is what we have but then upon realizing I was asking about bones he was like oh yeah we’ve got some that I...