If you’re a home chef or a backyard griller, you know the best meals come from having the best cuts of meat. This week on “Eat Like a Local”, host Chris Shepherd visits two meat markets that have been taking care of Houston-area customers for decades.
From a deli to a barbecue counter, both now also offer you a chance to eat before you shop -- and as Chris shows us in this episode, that’s something you’ll definitely want to make time to do.
Bellville Meat Market | 36 S. Front St., Bellville (Retail Location)
Bellville Meat Market, which is just about an hour outside of Houston, has been proudly run by the same family since its start in 1981.
Over the last four decades, the operation evolved from a straight butcher shop into a full-service meat market with retail cuts, wholesale smoked products and custom wild-game processing.
“This is one of my favorite butcher shops in the country,” said Chris. “You can pick up their ribeyes, their strips, their T-bones, summer sausage, cheese -- Go down the list of things that they do here... all great.”
Brothers Jerrod and Marcus Poffenberger now own the market and split up the duties of managing the retail side and the production side -- one focuses on in-store retail and prepared foods, while the other handles smoking and wholesale.
The market still breaks down whole animals for customers who want custom cuts, a practice the owners say has regained popularity.
If you’re not ready to commit to a whole cut, there’s dozens of sausage flavors to try, jerky you’ll want to always have on hand, and regionally-influenced food worth trying like their boudin tamales.
Want to enjoy lunch before bringing your meat-haul home? Bellville Meat Market has barbecue ready for you to eat there, including their pecan-smoked brisket, turkey, and pulled pork. Be sure to save room for sides, like bacon mac and cheese and their new smoked street corn.
Pete’s Fine Meats | 5509 Richmond Ave., Houston
Pete’s Fine Meats has developed a devoted following for more than 60 years. The family-run shop can be found on Richmond near the Galleria, but the brothers who run the market traced the business back to their father. Mike and George Cruz say their dad started it all with a grocery store out in Fulshear before moving operations into Houston.
Customers find an unusually wide selection of meats and prepared items, including things many modern grocery stores do not carry, including wild game, exotic proteins, and house-made sausages.
The deli side of the business pairs old-school butchery with homemade touches: grill-your-steak service with no extra cooking charge, ribeye hoagies, buffalo burgers and a club sandwich built with house-cured bacon and smoked ham.
Pete’s Fine Meats may have meat in its name, but the cookies made from Mike and George’s mom’s recipe are also worth the trip. You’ll want to indulge in this sweet and soft combination of macadamia, chocolate chip, and coconut.
Chris’ advice to people visiting Pete’s for the first time: “Come for ribeye, stay for the steak hoagie or the club sandwich. Don’t forget your cookies on the way out.”
“Eat Like a Local with Chris Shepherd” is your guide to the best food in Houston. Watch new episodes Saturdays at 10 a.m. on KPRC 2.
Season 3 of “Eat Like a Local”
- SEASON 3, EPISODE 56: Season 3 of ‘Eat Like a Local’ launches with chefs recognized by the James Beard Awards
- SEASON 3, EPISODE 57: Beer + Bites: Discover two of the Houston-area’s best craft breweries
- SEASON 3, EPISODE 58: Hungry for a short trip? 4 flavorful restaurants to try in Baytown
- SEASON 3, EPISODE 60: From tortas to paletas: Generations of Mexican-American flavor in Houston
- SEASON 3, EPISODE 61: Farmed Fresh: Gulf Coast oysters make waves in Houston restaurants
- SEASON 3, EPISODE 62: Houston’s pizza scene is rising: Chris Shepherd explores top spots for every style
- SEASON 3, EPISODE 67: Discover Houston Asiatown’s unique snacks with Chris Shepherd
- SEASON 3, EPISODE 69: Chris Shepherd’s Houston-area burger picks include a hot new spot and a 50-year classic
- SEASON 3, EPISODE 71: Win the Hosting Game! 🏈 Game Day recipes & crowd-pleasers from Chef Chris Shepherd