Yard Bull Meats — Local services in Roanoke

Edit: Owner clarified that there was a miscommunication from the guys in the store about whether they could get us other cuts. I want anyone reading to know that maybe what they offer is better than the service we received when we went in. We also never asked for dry-aged meat, so I think they just made that assumption for us. Again, this was just our experience, not an "all knowing review" as the owner sarcastically notes. Read the review, response, and then check it out for yourself.

Yard Bull Meats presents itself as a promising butcher shop, but tamper your expectations if you have any experience shopping at butcher shops anywhere else. The store is a great additional to the neighborhood, but the selection was basically what you can get at a higher-end chain grocery store. Only one cut of dry-aged was available, and I think it was NY strip. They only had three of them, but that’s better than nothing. The shop itself was very clean and had a friendly atmosphere. However, the limited selection and lack of a pre-ordering system could be a dampener, as could the occasional lack of knowledgeable staff, especially on weekend when we visited. My recent visit to the shop was in anticipation of my upcoming birthday celebration. My wife and I were just at one of those natural grocer places and while looking at the butcher area said to each other, hey if we’re going to spend a lot of money either way why not see what we can get at the local butcher that just opened last year. They have great reviews and of course a butcher shop is going to have better variety. Background on us, middle class, retired military, lived in about 7 different states and 3 countries between us. We’ve been to butcher shops literally around the world, so this isn’t a first timer’s opinion. Anyhow, a nicely dressed couple in front of us were getting great service, so we were happy to have found a place with great customer service. They only got some type of seafood and I think one steak. The guy seemed very pleased that he was able to pick his own steak, so I can say they had a good experience from my point of view. However, the lack of specialty cuts was slightly disappointing. Despite being a butcher shop, the range of offerings did not significantly exceed that of conventional grocery stores. The request for porterhouse cuts was met with a non-committal response, and the suggested solution seemed to hinge on luck and timing rather than confirmed availability. The gentleman informed me they did not have any of those and suggested that I come back on Friday when they cut more. However, he could not tell me what they would be stocking and definitely could not promise I would get what I want. He said he would get me the owner’s business card and I could try calling him. The staff attempted to help, suggesting we call the owner to check on the availability of our preferred cuts, but did not provide any alternative solutions. They did tell me I could not reserve anything. They had no other suggestions. That’s okay, but well can I put in an order for steaks and just pick them up sometime. It doesn’t have to be porterhouse. I’ve been able to put in an order at every other butcher shop I’ve been to. You basically pick from a menu and they give you a price and time. Anyway, they didn’t seem to know, and told me I wouldn’t be able to get a “single” like that. I said no, we said we’re having a party, so I need to get a lot of meat. Again, nothing other than them telling me to come back at exactly 11:00am on Friday to see what would be available. While the shop does offer an array of deli meats, bacon, sausages, and prepared foods, the primary reason for our visit was to procure steak for a birthday celebration. The lack of a definitive answer regarding the availability of specific cuts was a drawback. I would love to stop by when they put out the latest cuts, but as a middle-class family we don’t really have the opportunity to cut out of work just to pick up...

Mothers day 2024. New York strips with bakes and sautéed asparagus. Served at 630 gone by 645. Here we go again. Easter Dinner. Grilled Denver steak with bernaise. Roasted potatoes with tyme compound butter. Grilled asparagus with lemon butter. Petit pain rolls. That was just one steak split between my wife and myself. A whole one would have put me into a coma. English sea salt and pepper. Bernaise wasn't really needed. Thanks gentlemen.Meat club rules. Pan-fried brats on a bed of creamed veg(yellow squash, mushrooms, spinach, and country ham. 3 cheeses added in for luck. Roasted yellow potatoes. Went quickly. Thanks gentlemen. Purchased pate, sausages and pork chops(bone in). Pate with pistachios excellent. Made grits and poached eggs with sausage this morning,excellent. Will be back for sure. Have been looking forward to a real butcher shop in roanoke for some time. These folks are the real thing. Rest assured. Just wanted to add DO not miss the scrapple. Grilled large filets with a little red wine mushroom and beef demi glace reduction. Buttermilk mashed potatoes green beans. Wife enjoyed. For me the weekend was perfect with scrapple eggs and nice ripe tomato slices. Only live once, best I can tell. Treat yourself... Latest is the smoked turkey. Best holiday meal I can remember. Flawless. Usual suspects. Annapolis crab dip, Japanese BBQ shrimp, the bird asparagus wrapped with country ham, Yukon gold mashed potatoes, stuffing with thyme and sausage. Mothers day 2025 porter house Saturday and soft shell crabs on Sunday. Sautéed soft shells in lemon butter, toast points and tomatoes from the co-op. Dukes mayo of course. Hadn't had soft shells in years. Wasn't...

The food is fantastic. Though when you speak to the manager of the store ( maybe he is the owner IDK ) he will speak down to you if he thinks you are not upper middle-class. When asking about ground beef be sure and articulate yourself correctly using proper English and do not call it the southern "hamburger / ground hamburger". He will quickly correct you to make sure you know his superior intellect. If you are any type of prepper or a country person who knows how to jar things like eggs they do NOT have unwashed eggs. When speaking with the gentleman about said eggs, when I inquired about if he could order some I was quickly told to seek eggs from one of the "many farms with fresh egg signs". When I stated I wanted to give him my business he scoffed and stated that he does just fine without it. While I was there I witnessed a man and his children come in for a large order. The manager waited until the man got there to inform him that he was not able to complete the order due to machine problems. He apparently did not even give this what appeared to be well off man with a large order a courtesy call so he would not show up at the store.

The quality of the meat is great. We tried the steak and ribs, both of which was well worth the money! The quality of the service however is not. I do not recommend coming here due to the fact of how you are spoken to by the gentleman. I have given three stars because it would not be fair to give one or two stars based on the service alone. All in all I just wouldn't give my business to someone who does not seem to...