Low Cost Carniceria

The health code score here is 74.
The place is full of flies.
They handle money in the same rubber gloves that they handle meat.
The put the meat straight on the scale without cleaning it between orders or putting down paper. That scale is filthy.
I have called the health department who told me that they are repeat offenders — and yet they somehow stay open.
When I first moved to the neighborhood this butcher shop was fine. Though the staff seems to be the same guys, it has really changed. I’ve seen the same issues over and over. If it’s that bad in the front of the shop, I can only imagine how bad the back is.

I rarely buy meat from Safeway or any major supermarket anymore. Low Cost Carniceria has everything I need.
When you go in, the first thing you notice is the smell. I grew up in the Philippines where wet markets are the only reliable sources of fresh fish and meat so the smell is nothing new to me. If you can get past that market stench, you’ll be fine.
The meat isn’t the best quality but it suffices. Especially when I need to cook something in a pinch. I just walk over from my apartment, get some meat, go next door to Casa Lucas for veggies and herbs and I’m set.
The guys here are absolutely great. Despite the fact that they handle wet smelly meat all day, they are always smiling and eager to serve. Very helpful especially since most of the meats are labeled in Spanish.
And for the more adventurous foodies, they sell various entrails like liver, intestine, tripe and the like. And goat meat! Go check it out.
3.6 stars.

While I was was waiting to place my ordered I noticed that none of the staff ever changed their gloves or washed their hands. Not once. I observed several people handle raw meat then handle money and then go back to handling raw meat with the same gloves. I saw one person talking on a cell phone and another taking out the trash with the same gloves they had just used to handle raw meat. I didn’t stick around long enough to see if they ever took them off. Repulsive.

This carniceria, or mexican butcher shop was very accommodating the other day. My friend was throwing a bbq and «texted» me to pick up some meat. I hate those texts.
Well I was on 24^th street and decided to bring tacos. I took a gamble on their meat, and was nicely rewarded. I went inside and quickly eyeballed the clientel. I could tell there were local folks doing some regular shopping. So I had a feeling this place might be solid.
Since, I was confused by their massive meat selection, I went with their Carne Asada. It was cut fresh and it barbeque’d up nicely at the beach. I grabbed some chips, salsa and fresh tortillas at La Palma down the street and it was a wrap.
Please keep this understated little meat shop between us, okay?
Thanks.

The guys here are fantastic– accommodating and muy, muy agradables.
We came here to peruse the selection of chorizo-​making meat parts. Though it seems like Costco meat is the best deal for the quantity, you will find that LCC is competitive in its pricing. We actually needed some fattier pieces to compensate for the lean meat that we already had, and the helpful man was happy to sell us pure pork back fat. Why the back fat? Because no one likes a dry chorizo. Fact.
I had such a great experience that I will definitely be back!

Ahhh… some of my most memorable and traumatic childhood experiences resulted in the walls of this carniceria. This is the place my mom and I go to buy severed pig intenstines in order to make the deliciousness that is menudo. So don’t be thrown off by the fact that the shop owners often display an entire pig’s head in the meat display, with eyes intact and all. Personally, I don’t need a reminder that my menudo used to be named Charlotte or Porky. But that’s just the kind of place this is.
Anyway, on to the review…
They have a fairly decent (and fresh) meat selection, particularly for pork since it’s such a staple in Mexican diet. They cut the meat fresh on the spot, so you know it hasn’t been sitting around for days.
They’re also our go-​to guys for «masa» which is the corn-​based stuff that tamales are made of. They sell it by the pound either plain or «preparado» which means it comes mixed with lard and other goodies so you don’t have to do this at home. Plain masa is obviously cheaper, but it’s tedious to have to prepare it yourself, so I definitely recommend getting masa preparado, especially if you don’t already have a huge tub of lard sitting around in your house. And yes in case you’re wondering, lard is necessary — I’m sure there’s a healthier way to prepare it but it won’t taste as good :)
Notice I say «we» and «us» as if I was actually the one cooking. That would only be partially correct. My visits to this place are generally followed up by five to six consecutive hours of shoveling masa, pork and mole into corn husks «assembly line style» in order to produce a ridiculously large amount of tamales. Most Mexican kids (at least girls, anyway) have been forced in tamale-​making slave labor at some point, generally during special occasions and holidays.
But the point is… this place is a great, no-​frills, super clean butcher shop with excellent prices, whether you’re feeding one person or one dozen.

Looking for pork belly? Stop looking. $ 1.80/lb and great quality and meat/​fat ratio. Definitely not your heritage pork provider but when it comes to pork belly… mmmmmmmmm.
I remember that their bacon was very thick and delicious too. Don’t know now because I make my own.
In general, meat looks good, taste fair and it’s well priced.
i come here for all my though cuts, long-​braise needs.