McCall’s Meat & Fish Company

I visited McCall’s today for the second time. I had just driven over to shop at the new Whole Foods 365 store and with all the money I saved, I was in a good mood and ready to buy some top quality meat from a real butcher. When I got into the shop, I took a number and waited, and finally someone asked what I would like. I think I got the slowest butcher ever who took his time finishing up whatever he was doing before he started helping me. The other butchers served probably 10 – 15 customers in the time that it took this one guy to get my order together. What was my order? One whole chicken cut in half. Four pork chops. They only had huge ones, so he offered to cut smaller ones for me. A 3lb pork roast that he had to cut from a larger one. And two pork tenderloins that were already packaged. During this time I was concerned that the 20 minutes I had put on my parking meter wasn’t enough so I headed outside and was horrified to discover that I had put money in the wrong meter and had a $ 63.00 parking ticket on my windshield. I headed back inside and told the butcher. He was like «oh bummer» and continued working on my order. When I went to pay I wondered if he might offer me a small discount, but he did not, and so that trip to the butcher cost me $ 118 plus $ 63 for the ticket. When I got home I checked times on the parking ticket and on my shopping receipt and I was in the shop at least 30 minutes if not more. (The ticket is marked 12:19 and the receipt is marked 12:45. I was in the store for almost 20 minutes before I went out to look at my meter.)
Really, it shouldn’t take me 30 minutes to buy meat. While I think the meat here is good quality, four pork chops were $ 40. and I think that’s a bit on the high side. The parking situation sucks and because of all of the above, I might not be coming back.

Love the baguettes here and nice selection of gourmet cooking ingredients, but the meat counter is a bit of a con. Prices are exorbitant and the quality is not great. This is one of those places for people who feel better about what they are cooking if it costs an arm and a leg than because it actually tastes better. Go to Marconda’s in the farmers market or make the drive out to Taylor’s in Sierra Madre if you want knowledgable butchers, incredible meat and real value.

I don’t come here often and I generally only buy chicken liver when I do. But it is worth the trip for just that one item as the superiority of the product is incredible. Elsewhere chicken liver ends up tough and not the nicest choice, but the liver from here is like butter! It melts in your mouth and is creamy. Oh my.

Great place! Plenty of wonderful choices of meat, fish, poultry and gourmet goods. The best thing for me is the amazing, delicious and fresh baked bread. The croissants are as close to a Parisian croissant you’ll find outside of Paris. The fresh baguettes are delicious. Everything here is just fantastic.
Update: May 2016 They’ve now opened Twenty40 down the street where you can find yummy baked goods. Stopped carry certain items at this spot, like croissants.

For special occasions or as a way to treat ourselves, my husband and I go to McCall’s and cook fancy dinners with all the goodies we buy. We’ve tried the steaks, ground beef for burgers, and scallops from McCall’s. Sure, you can go to your neighborhood grocery store and not spend as much, but the difference in quality is just out of this world. Plus, there’s also something satisfying about interacting with the staff, hearing their suggestions, and then taking home your carefully selected meat wrapped in butcher paper.
Their meat and seafood selection is always fresh and delicious, and our dinner guests are always impressed with what we serve. Recently, we made some burgers and had it with their brioche buns!
McCalls also has an impressive selection of cheeses, cooking oils, and spices, as well as items like charcoal and wood chips in their market area.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST. Do not ignore their dessert case! So many delicious items to choose from. My faves are the delicate but surprisingly addicting heart cookies, the chocolate chip/​toffee/​cherry cookies, and the macarons. Everything is fresh and tasty, but the star of the pastry case has to be the Kouign Amann — layers of buttery sweetness that go so well with coffee.
If you’re in the neighborhood and planning a dinner or special event, stop by!

Who knew they had some great treats at a meat market? I needed to satisfy my sweet tooth to check out the treats. After checking out the small display they have, I went for the sweetheart cooke and banana bar. The small sweetheart cookie was very buttery, light, and airy; and the cream inside was amazing! The banana bar was a nice size and lightly topped with a thin frosting. The flavor was amazing and balanced.
The lady, I’m assuming she’s Karen after reading one of the other reviews, behind the counter was very nice. She overheard my friend mention the kouign amann (which we couldn’t find in the display) and let us know to call ahead in the morning to reserve the kouign amann. Good to know! She also mentioned that most of the «treats» are at their café down the street. Wished I asked the name of the café. I guess it’s a great excuse to come back and ask (the simpler would be just to call… lol)
We did browse the meat and seafood case. It all looked fresh and quality choices, but the prices are pretty high. Maybe I’ll return for some meat, but I would definitely come back for the treats!

I (almost) love McCall’s more for their «other» goodies besides the meat. I’ve picked up duck fat and several cheeses that were so amazing, and have been eyeing their pastries for quite some time. I’ve tried the beef short rib sausage with gruyère (so delicious, but it exploded and the cheese oozed out, did I cook it right?), and of course tried their steaks (filet and bone in rib-eye)…see my photos! I keep wanting to grab some whole fish, but they’re always out by the early afternoon when I get there, maybe try early morning for best selection.

This is an amazing place run by two serious chefs. They know the best and only sell the best which reflects in their prices. They have gotten specialty items for me before like white truffles that met their exacting standards. I’ve dined at many Michelin starred restaurants and their items meet or surpass those standards. I bought shrimp there yesterday and they were some of the plumpest, juiciest shrimp I’ve ever had.
Their establishment passes the smell test and when you walk in there isn’t a hint of seafood or meat smell. I drive 2 hrs round trip once a month to buy their offerings. Don’t miss their amazing cheese and salami selection. I’ve been a faithful shopper for 2 years and have yet to get a bad item. You can trust them completely provided you are willing to pony up the cash which in truth isn’t much worse than whole foods prices (for much lesser quality).

No much options when it comes to grass-​fed beef. It’s «whatever» meat (USDA.) presented in a nice shop. I was disappointed about their knowledge of meat in general.

Super service and a super product! They’ve got an excellent signature burger blend, and soft brioche hamburger buns, too! If you’re making dinner or bbq’ing for guests, come to McCall’s instead of the butcher at your local market. It’s just more *special*. You can also pick up a great baguette and pastries (they have one of the best kouign amann in town!).
If you need veal, call two hours ahead so they can defrost it for you.

An incredible addiction to the EASTSIDE, McCall’s is our family’s «go to» for all things meat and fish related. Nate (owner) and his team are always helpful with prep tips and have improved the results of my meals.
Karen (Nate’s wife and co-​owner) makes incredible pastries and cookies. The toffee-​cherry cookie is solid along with Nate’s grandmother’s sweetheart cookies which literally melt in your mouth.
This place just keeps getting better!

I was looking for place to score a nice cut of pork belly and ended up walking away with probably four times as much meat than I had originally anticipated. Talking to the butcher about how I wanted to make porchetta, they were very nice in offering ideas on how to maximize that cut of meat. The butcher ended up butterflying the belly for me in such a way that allowed me to double the seasoning I would be able to use, and have a more workable piece in rolling up the belly.
In the midst of waiting for this cut, a 45 day dry aged prime ribeye caught my attention. It was like that sexy lady in the black cocktail dress staring right at you. It was impossible to resist. That lead to a purchase of a couple of those guys for an impromptu dinner party. This dinner party was also supplemented by some of the housemade lamb merguez sausages that turned out absolutely delicious too.
It’s the kind of place that can probably procure any cuts of meat you might be looking for as long as you give them a few days’ heads up. Additionally, McCall’s also has a slew of fresh baked goods (had to use all my willpower to resist), a carefully selected list of artisan cheeses, and other spices, oils, and vinegar. I ended up picking up some foie and butter to make some foie butter with (will report results later), and miscellaneous meats for prepping.
At the end of it, it was the quality of the meats, friendliness of the staff, their deep knowledge that really impressed me. It went beyond just the knowledge of the meat, but with general preparation that helped get the most of the meat.

Everything I’ve had here has been great. Except for the burger blend – definitely don’t buy that.*
*Because then there won’t be any left for me.

I’ve been coming here for a few years now and there is no other meat shop I feel the need to go to. Every time I’ve wanted to cook a nice steak, pasta, or anything else calling for good meat, I head here. Their prices can be a little high, but the quality and service are outstanding which more than justifies it. And the people here are great at recommending different types of meat or side dishes to serve with your meals if you ask. Awesome place!

Finally made a trip here after reading rave reviews and seeing scrumptious photos on Instagram.
The butchers were super-​friendly and the place is really cute. It’s a boutique shop, so obviously expect to pay more than you normally would.
I don’t eat red meat but I do eat chicken and fish. I can say the swordfish was delectable and tender! Love the pretzel rolls and small selection of cheeses. Peanut butter cookie is a big thumbs up. Grabbed a few other staples as well, such as yogurt, etc.
I wouldn’t go here every single week but at least once a month to treat myself to a special neighborhood, boutique experience that feels like «olden times».

I’m very disappointed with them. I drove all the way from Pasadena today (Wed) excited since my in-​laws are in town and I’ve been bragging about the berkshire pork and they were closed. Completely random. Apparently they’re on vacation which is fine but maybe a little heads up (I was there two weeks ago) or putting it on their webpage.
I don’t think I’ll make this trip again if I can’t even tell wether they’re open or closed. No, I’m not going to call every time I want to buy meat. It’s little things like this that makes you stop going. They’re unreliable. Is it really that hard to put this info on their webpage?
I’m going back to my old meat stores, the one in Sierra Madre. They’re almost as good and they’re close. And more importantly, I know when they’re open.

Man I love this place. The staff here is really amazing and are real pros. Since moving to America, I’ve stayed away from eating meat. I find the quality is very low and is full of hormones in general.
This butchery really makes me feel like back home. Where the meat is handled with care, sourced selectively and the person over the counter knows exactly how to handle it, cut it and prepare it. I will come here for all my meat — thank you!

Finally made it into McCall’s last weekend on a Sunday and quickly fell in love with this neighborhood butcher.
I was told that fish is purchased towards the end of the week on Wed/​Thurs, so offerings were pretty slim on Sunday close to 5pm. They recommended that I phone in ahead of time, not to miss out on the selection, and pick it up at my convenience (fresh cuts or vacuum packed).
I went in looking for a steak and a piece of fish. (Have I mentioned yet how amazing the service is?!) When I asked for a beef recommendation from the case, the server suggested a piece of skirt steak that was currently being cut in the back. He picked a winner because my dinner that night was very memorable! I also purchased a piece of Scottish salmon, which tasted so fresh and satisfying.
Everything is raised as humane and organically as possible, including the fish. The quality is very high and the customer service sits above the standard. Definitely planning to make routine visits here.

McCalls is a fine addition to the Hillhurst strip. It’s a real haven for home cooks and foodies seeking higher end meat and seafood. Prices are double what you might expect to pay at the grocery store, but at McCall’s you really get what you pay for.
Their house ground beef blend, at $ 9.99/lb, is off the chain. It makes the best burgers and needs nothing more than a sprinkle of salt and pepper. They sell freshly baked hamburger and slider buns, which take the already awesome burger to another level.
In addition to great, aged steaks, McCall’s also has a great variety of seafood. I have never purchased diver scallops so huge, fresh and juicy in my life. At $ 29.99 a lb, they are so worth it, especially for a special occasion. Seared in butter, with salt, pepper and a drizzle of fresh lemon, they are divine and luscious. I would eat them by the plateful if my wallet and waistline could afford it. They also have unique items like skate wing which I have never been able to find at any butcher.
Service is efficient and friendly. These guys really know their meat and it feels like a true small neighborhood establishment every time.
Tip: If planning a special holiday meal (Thanksgiving, Valentines, Independence Day, etc), come EARLY and expect to wait in a line that spills out onto the street.

The quality is unquestionable but the mark up prices are laughable. I can get 70% of these items at the same quality or better without the hipster overhead or attitude.
Shop around guys.