The Butchery, a custom butcher and gourmet grocery store specializing in high-end and premium meats, has opened in Manhattan Beach to enthusiastic crowds.
The shop is located at the corner of Artesia and Pacific Coast Highway. It is the first Los Angeles County location for the high-end shop. (The Butchery was founded in Costa Mesa and has additional locations in Crystal Cove and Del Mar.)
In addition to its wide selection of premium meats, customers can also expect deli cases stocked with curated charcuterie, a variety of artisan cheeses, and a fresh-catch, sustainable seafood selection.
The 6,000-square-foot shop also features shelves of
gourmet grocery items and wine. Additionally, The Butchery offers a full-service kitchen, a rotating menu of hot, made-to-order dishes that highlight the premium meats and ingredients sold in-store, and an elevated 45-seat indoor dining area.
The store has been open for four weeks, and it's already drawing crowds - particularly on Sundays as residents prepare for barbecues, parties, and concerts in the park.
“The Butchery began in Orange County, but expanding into Los Angeles has been a long-time goal of ours. For years, we searched for the ideal location—one that matched our vision for both the space and the community—and we knew we had found it when we discovered this location in Manhattan Beach,” said Brian Smith, co-owner of The Butchery. “Growing up in Boston, surrounded by the neighborhood butcher shops of New England, I developed a deep appreciation for the true butcher shop experience. I’m delighted to bring that experience to another SoCal area with The Butchery Manhattan Beach.”
“What started as an idea in a conversation while grilling at home, has become a business that Brian and I take great pride in," added Robert Hagopian, co-owner of The Butchery. "Over the years, we have been fortunate to build a strong reputation for offering the very best meats and curated selection of provisions in Orange County and San Diego. We’re excited to bring that same passion and dedication to the South Bay. At The Butchery, we believe that to prepare an exceptional meal, you need exceptional ingredients, which is why every cut of meat we offer is selected for its unrivaled quality and taste.
A Tour Through The Butchery
On a recent tour through The Butchery, Hagopian began with the meat counter, which he called "the reason we exist."
"We focus on the type of meats that you'd get if you go to the nicest restaurants and steakhouses in the country; the same quality that chefs are looking to impress their guests with. It's not a typical retail offering to have this level of premium [product]," said Hagopian. "We're very ranch-specific - we know the ranches that we're working with - and subsequently we're very specific about the genetics of the animal, about the feed, and about the grade."
Although more than 90% of The Butchery's offerings are domestically grown at boutique ranches, the shop does import some items from Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. "We also do unique custom orders," added Hagopian. "If it can be sourced, we source it."
The Butchery maintains the same standards elsewhere in the store. At the fish counter, for example, "We keep the inventory sparse; you'll never see fish stacked on top of fish," said Hagopian. "It's something that I will allow our store to run out of. I want low inventory, high turnover."
In the refrigerated cases are The Butchery's two top-selling items - house-marinated chicken breasts and lemon-pepper-marinated chicken breasts, ready to cook. Between the aisles is a tightly curated gourmet grocery section and two walls of wine.
Last but not least is the hot and fresh counter, which offers sandwiches such as the Classic
Italian (hot capicola, genoa salami, spicy soppressata salami, provolone
cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pepperoncini, pesto and deli dressing)
and the Smoked Deli Brisket Sandwich and Fries (smoked deli brisket with BBQ
aioli, pickled red onion and mustard seeds, pepper jack cheese, creamy
slaw, pretzel bun and fries), and plates including Steak Tips and Fries
(grilled and sliced 6oz house-marinated angus steak tip with fries).
Hagopian said that the "ideal customer" at The Butchery is someone who's there not just for the high-end standouts like the dry-aged bone-in ribeye, but for a higher-end overall experience.
"Not every day is a filet day; you don't need to go to the filet every day," he said. "Shop the entire case. There are a ton of different things you can create over here. Our red meats steal the show, but you can shop other items and not break the bank - while elevating the whole experience."
The Butchery is located at 1121 Artesia Blvd., Manhattan Beach. Phone 310-374-3671. Open daily 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
