Michael Phillips
LV Life Editor
Walking into La Verne’s Corner Butcher Shop on Foothill Boulevard I was struck with the aroma of sweet tangy barbecue. The smell of the barbecue and the restaurants décor instantly impressed me.
The restaurant looks like a butcher shop, with an assortment of meats lined up and cut for customers inside of glass display, along with the scales, and of course the butchers.
However, the Corner Butcher Shop does not feel like a traditional butcher shop. Besides the meat display there is a large and elegantly placed wine selection toward the far back of the restaurant and near the entrance were three sets of light wooden tables.
The set up of the tables made it feel like a Thanksgiving dinner. On the side was a large shelf that carried seasonings and meat sauces.
Walking up to the register, I had no idea what to order. Behind the counter there were two chalkboards that displayed some of the restaurants entrees and specials, ranging from meatloaf sandwiches and various types of barbecue.
At the register I picked up the menu which was simple yet well organized. It consisted of meal size salads that ranged from tri tip salads, a barbecue chicken salad garnished with roasted corn and black beans, an artichoke salad and many others.
There was a sandwich section that contained pastrami sandwiches, paninis, hamburgers and hot dogs which all came with a salad option. The barbecue section of the menu made my mouth water. Reading the description of the chicken and rib plates I imagined feasting on tender meat, smothered in tangy barbecue sauce, but soon thought of burgundy stained fingers and drops of barbecue sauce all over my clothes.
Playing it safe, I chose the next best thing a pastrami sandwich with a chicken salad. While waiting for my food I noticed how good the customer service at the butcher shop was. My server was nice, helpful and made me feel at home while I decided what to order, I also noticed the employees’ friendly interactions with each of their customers.
The shop has been open for three years, and makes their products in house from scratch. The restaurant is owned by John Fuelling and his brother Will Fuelling.
The butcher shop recently created a menu to compete with the Panera Bread restaurant.
“Everyone always wanted us to have a menu, especially since Panera Bread opened up we wanted to be different than them,” John Fuelling said.
Though the two restaurants both serve sandwiches Panera Bread lacks barbecue options.
“We’re the only guys in town that will cook a whole turkey and have it ready for pick up Thursday,” Fuelling said.
My food arrived quickly and smelled delicious. I can only describe it as meaty goodness; the sandwich was packed with pastrami and was flavorful and tender. The salad was a good addition to my pastrami sandwich. The salad was especially yummy; having eaten salads at other restaurants, I can say the Corner Butcher Shop’s was probably the most memorable.
My total came out to about $9, which was not bad considering I had a sandwich a salad as well as a soda.
My meal was great but walking out of the butcher shop the engrossing smell of the barbecue made me regret not taking a risk and getting messy with one of the many barbecue entrées, but there is always next time.
Michael Phillips can be reached at michael.phillips2@laverne.edu.
