Okay, so Norcal is not ground zero for BBQ. I know that because my product is in the same league as many of the local places, and it is still no match for the best of Texas. But there are still plenty of us that try to make do, and it'd be great to compare notes on sources of meat. Here are some starting points:
* At the high end, Adam Parks of Victorian Farmstead (https://vicfarmmeats.com/) will sell you some awesome product for a sky-high price. He cuts his own meat, so you can get what you need if you are willing to pay for it.
* Schaub's in Menlo Park is a very competent butcher with very good product, also at (what seem like to me) high prices. I can get what I need from them, but it isn't cheap, and they clearly cater more to a different crowd, but they are better than the others I've found locally.
Disappointing: Harris Ranch is a massive producer of beef in NorCal. Yes, it is a factory farm, but it is family-owned and does have some pride, so I stopped there to see what was on offer. They don't even sell much in the way of what I'd call BBQ cuts (mostly high-priced steaks and some ground beef). Too bad, as they have the capacity to do better.
* At the high end, Adam Parks of Victorian Farmstead (https://vicfarmmeats.com/) will sell you some awesome product for a sky-high price. He cuts his own meat, so you can get what you need if you are willing to pay for it.
* Schaub's in Menlo Park is a very competent butcher with very good product, also at (what seem like to me) high prices. I can get what I need from them, but it isn't cheap, and they clearly cater more to a different crowd, but they are better than the others I've found locally.
Disappointing: Harris Ranch is a massive producer of beef in NorCal. Yes, it is a factory farm, but it is family-owned and does have some pride, so I stopped there to see what was on offer. They don't even sell much in the way of what I'd call BBQ cuts (mostly high-priced steaks and some ground beef). Too bad, as they have the capacity to do better.
