Laurel Meat Market

So disappointed for so many reasons. First let me say, I have shopped here on and off for years with my mom and for my own household and had fairly decent experiences until now.
My mom died on May 9, 2016 and she loved Laurel Meat Market. It was her second favorite spot in Laurel to buy fresh meats. So when Memorial Day rolled around, I decided to do some therapeutic cooking to ease my grief.
I dragged myself into my car and drove from Silver Spring, to Laurel just to visit Laurel Meat Market. The woman at the cash register greeted me and I responded in kind. I purchased a beef brisket, some Delmonico steaks, a slab of ribs, Italian sausage, chicken quarters and some seasoning at the meat counter. The young man behind the counter seemed bothered by me merely being there. He was much nicer to the woman standing next to me. I have no idea why he would throw my meat unwrapped in butcher paper. It’s almost like I repulsed him by being there ordering all the meats.
I got to the check out and the nice cashier lady said, «I can’t believe they threw your meat in there like that as she double bagged my things in plastic bags so they wouldn’t be totally exposed. I spent $ 120.00 on Memorial Day meat and the nasty man behind the counter probably laughed all the way to the bank.
I learned a lesson today. Never again get nostalgic and stand for that sort of treatment and I should have gone to my mother’s favorite spot in Laurel for fresh meat and produce…The Dutch Farmers Market!

I wanted to give this more than one star, but I just couldn’t. The cashier in the front greeted my daughter and I the moment we walked into the store. My daughter loved all of the large figures of different animals found around the store. I was surprised to see a grocery section in the front. Before heading to the back to get meats, I picked up a few random items that we needed (onions, tissues, and clorox bleach). We made our way back to the meats and I began placing our order. The lady helping us was far from pleasant. I ordered lean ground beef, chicken breast, lean beef, hot italian sausage, and fresh caught shrimp. I asked the lady the percent of fat the beef was and if the shrimp was previously frozen. She grunted and said that she works the deli section and doesn’t generally work back here. Another more pleasant lady working (who clearly worked the section) said the shrimp had not been frozen.
The next day, I go to cut up the chicken for a recipe and it had that slimy (week old) feeling. It wasn’t rancid so I washed it off and cooked it. I wasn’t going to use the shrimp right away so I went to peal, devain, and then freeze the shrimp. As I was peeling the shrimp, I came across the plastic glove that the oh so friendly lady used to gather the shrimp. Perhaps, she was unaware of where the trash can was in the store… Then, to top it off, I went to use the clorox bleach this morning, opened the cap and found that about ¹⁄₃ of the bottle was previously used.
Needless to say, I will not be going back. I personally prefer my meats to come without used gloves and for my other products not to be used as well.

When you walk in to this grocery place, please keep one thing in mind. This is just not another grocery store in this city, this place has history. Its one of the old time meat market in Laurel. The only place to get local meat. There was always a butcher every time I walked in. They haven’t changed much though, and the people that are working there somehow have been the part of many generations that are associated with Laurel city. They take pride in their job, but could seem a little stuck up sometimes. But overall good people. You will love their cold cut!

Just FYI: if you’re looking for a butcher who buys their protein from a local farm with ethically raised animals, this is NOT the place for you. Their meat and poultry is from factory farms. If you’re looking for reasonably priced cuts, friendly staff, and delicious pies then you’re in the right place!

I must say, this is the first time I’ve reviewed an establishment’s odor, but I found Laurel’s Meat’s market odor noticeably stenchy.
Upon walking into Laurel’s Meat Market on this particular day, my nostril’s were slammed with a most foul odor, similar to that of an Asian grocery store meets a week old fish market, kinda smell. I walked in — the smell too over powering for me, then high tailed it out.
Still love your pies, though! Fill your store with the scent of your homemade pies, hmm.

Great place for select cuts of pork, beef and poultry. Sausages are made fresh in the store, and staff is knowledgeable and pleasant.
Fresh homemade desserts are great too!

Love this place! Country feel, but modern environment meaning the staff is unique — not whole foods unique — real people who have worked there for years — friendly (when they are having a good day) not friendly when they are having a bad day — but they are human — kind to all races, sizes and genders! The star of the show is the meat — you can’t get good meat like this at Harris Teeter and they only keep seafood which is fresh and good — so you may not a lot in the ice laden cupboard but what’s there — rest assured is fresh as a seafood daisy. As for the ladies at the front — they are hard working women who again are human — but always polite and always friendly and yes it’s interesting — this isn’t Wal-​mart — this is the LOCAL meat market — worth the trip — I never buy meat from the regular grocery store — and the other beautiful part is the pie section — we don’t always indulge but there are plenty of options! It’s kind of wonderful!

Went there Friday July 31^st very friendly staff purchased some steaks, hotdogs and scallops. All I can say is excellent. I’ve been looking for a place like this no steroids or antibiotics and fresh.

Small market with a nice assortment of meats and seafood. The staff wasn’t the most friendly. When you walk in nobody acknowledged you even though as soon as you walk in there’s a cashier staring directly at you. The staff member that helped me with selecting meats was nice but all of the staff have a thing with saying «what else» after you select an item. It would be more professional and courteous to say «is there anything else I can help you with.» There was another lady helping a different customer with selecting meats and she was extremely rude and nasty to him. I was shocked because the customer was very nice to her.
Overall, the meat was fresh and they had some decent deals but they definitely need to work on their customer service skills if they want customers to come back.

After searching high and low for a market that is open 7 days a week I stumbled across the reviews for this spot. The reviews are pretty mixed so I decided to check things out for myself.
I went to market on a Sunday around 3pm. Parking was plentiful and the market wasn’t crowded. When I entered there were 2 older cashier ladies at the front who immediately greeted me with a smile and a «hello, how are you?». Which striked up a conversation about «Ooohh my are those the pies I see in that refrigerator that I have read so many good things about on Unilocal?!?» and lo and behold why yes it was! My friend was super excited as he drooled over the different kinds of pies. Chocolate Cream, Lemon Meringue, Dutch Apple, Blueberry and they even had a few sugar free pies that one of the cashiers vouched for saying that’s all she eats and it’s pretty good. After our conversation and of course grabbing a pie I headed on back to the main part of the store that I was anxiously waiting to see. THE BUTCHER!
The first thing I noticed is the smell. What smell you may ask. EXACTLY! There was NO smell which is always a good sign when you go into a meat market. If they can keep all of that raw meat and not have any smells lingering that speaks volumes to their cleanliness!
Once I was in the meat area I noticed that they had a variety of the typical meats. Some of the things I saw were hamburger, baby back ribs, delmonico steak, T-​Bone, chicken (all parts). They case there own sausages. Only a few selections of bacon (country and pepper). Tilapia and shrimp. Those items were in the open butcher area but in the freezer they had other meats such as hamburger patties (they made themselves), oxtail and bison. There space isn’t as big as your usual «farmers market» BUT they have all of the «usual» meats you would be interested in. It was a little crowded but the line went rather quickly.
There were several guys helping people out. I noticed in the reviews there is this one particular butcher that some has referred to as the «big mean/​rude guy». Well, yep, he was there too. How do I know? I heard one customer ask a question about trimming fat off a steak and weighing it and he snapped at her and said «YES AFTER I WEIGH IT I CAN TRIM» as he rolled his eyes, turns his back and goes another direction. I’m thinking lawd you know how I am so please for goodness and peace sake don’t let me get this guy to help me with my order on my first trip here. HA! MY PRAYERS were answered! The guy who took my order was nice, patient and helpful and so was I. I told him thank you several times and was very pleased with his work ethics. I was pleasantly surprised and pleased with my meat experience at the Butcher.
I went to the cashier to pay for my items and everything went smoothly. Everyone treated me with respect in the store. Was helpful when I needed help and didn’t make me feel out of place or like I «didn’t belong». I plan to go back soon to check things out again and will definitely update my review if necessary. So far no complaints from me!

My review is based not on the meat because in actuality it is very good. The service here is HORRIBLE… and we keep returning because we like fresh meat and during the week the Amish market is not open. They are frequently dismissive and act like they do not want to serve us. No matter how many times we go in, it seems like they could do without our business and going forward they will. It is such a shame, that in 2014 in Laurel, which is very diverse that I would be saying a business is racist but it appears the Laurel Meat Market is.

I came here because of Jackie A’s review. This place is known for it’s meat but I came for it’s home made pies!
They have a fridge full of different pies and other sweet treats right when you walk in, to your left. I saw the box and it only has the name of the treat like «Apple Pie» or «Pumpkin Pie». It didn’t have an expiration date or when it was made.
But I still got their Apple Pie, went home and had a slice. It was definitely tasty, not too sweet and the pie itself had a great texture to it, holding everything together nicely.
The Market is like a mini grocery store with a wide selection of deli meats in the back plus a hot bar where you can get some things like ribs, fried chicken and cooked veggies.
If you’re around the area and feel like having something delicious and sweet, this place would be great for ya!

When I was a kid I would get excited about dinner at my aunt’s because I knew that meant bacon wrapped filet mignon from the meat market. Always a good memory. and it’s just that, memories. Customer service has gone to. it’s non existent. When you do get someone to wait on you the choice is hard, and not because of their large selection. Simply because it seems they need new coolers. The steaks are drying out. I’m not sure if they’re just not fresh, or it’s equipment failure? Anyways, not worth getting two mediocre steaks for $ 40. At all. Do yourself a favor and head over to Wegman’s in Columbia. Seriously.

Quaint old fashioned meat market well know for their quality of meats. If they don’t have it they can order it for you. Seafood counter usually well stocked with fish, crab meat, shrimp etc. My go-​to place for crab meat. Groceries available… just the basics. Produce too, although it’s not always the freshest around. Deli counter has everything you need & offer hot lunch selections weekdays as well as an assortment of sandwich & sub options. Staffed by mostly local folks friendly enough to help you with any questions.

Been here once.
I walked in and walked out. yet manage to buy a gum ‘coz I felt sorry for the store, was so uncomfortable and felt being watched.
I was curious, stop in, I got attracted to the life-​size cow and signage.
Discovered they have great cut meats for grilling with a good price for the cuts. Seafood section looked empty with few pieces here and there that did not make me comfortable purchasing anything
as not sure if they were left– overs or just a sad seafood section ?
I don’t appreciate not being welcome… I maybe alien but I sure don’t look like an ALiEN (UFO LIKE?)
I am not white skin yet I am human…
Here it goes…
I walked in saw a woman by the register… and I said HI… no reply (maybe she did not hear me)…just went on her way stocking… I help myself walking around the aisles… a person behind the meat section. looked at me then hide behind… even bend down a bit… LOL.
Enough said
I will agree to all the negatives in this reviews… nice cow but never AGAIN !!!

Pretty impressive deli aisle and butcher section here, as far as size and selection goes. I came here on a very specific mission, to obtain a very special custom grind for Memorial Day burgers. I asked the big guy behind the counter, who I will refer to as «rude dude», if he had any favorite or recommended mixes, and he basically gave me this look as if I was stupid and wasting his time. He offered no help and seemed to want to complete the transaction as quickly as possible. I winged it and got ½ brisket and ½ peppered bacon, which ended up being divine on the sizzling grill. Other than rude dude, everyone else was very nice and very helpful.
The deli section looks to be nothing special on appearance and the rest of the store carries the same basics that you can find at most general store/​country market type places. The butcher section is clearly the star of the store though, and if you can stomach an uncomfortable interaction with rude dude, it’s certainly worth your time, effort, and money.

Excellent service and outstanding quality.
I pre-​ordered a leg of lamb, butchered in a certain way so I could grill it. When I arrived a few days later, it was all bundled up and ready to go, exactly as I ordered it.
While I was there, I spotted their seafood counter with shrimp, crab, and lobster. I asked the manager when the shrimp came in, and he said «This morning. We get fresh shrimp almost every day.» It looked fresh too, not gray and smelly like the supermarket.
On my way out, I noticed a cooler with pies. The type of pie was written by hand on the sides of the box, like «Coconut Custard» and «Blueberry». I asked the cashier where the pies came from. She said, «Here. We make them fresh right here.» OMG.
So the lamb was a HUGE hit at my party, shrimp were delicious, and the pies disappeared quickly.

A real butcher shop with quality meat — so rare these days. I truly depend on them. They grind the ground beef themselves daily, and can cut to order. They dry age — also rare. We helped a journalist do a taste test of mail order steaks from high end places in NYC — and the controls were laurel meat market and giant. First place? meat market. Last place? Giant. I often get convenience store necessities and some produce here when I am in a hurry. The pies: look for the white cardboard boxes with handwritten labels. The ones with the cellophane windows are NOT the same. The service can be eccentric at time, but it’s more than worth it.

I had an horrible experience here and the ppl are racist

Well, I have to give them one star, but I’d give them a zero if I could, because they didnt show up to the venue. Bill was so nice to me when I went in and discussed my event. (A pool party for 300 seniors). He listed the menu items, sides, and told me he would just expect the check on the day of the event. I signed his form and got my 2 copies and walked off.
About a week before the event, I called to see if everthing was okay. I could not get in touch with Bill, so I would just call back the next day at a different time.
On the day of the event, I called them again and although Bill was not there, I asked if they were catering an event that day. The person that answered said, «no.» To which I responded…“wrong answer.“
What it all boiled down to was they forgot and could not do anything to help me because it was too late. Too late wont feed 300 kids, but Famous Dave’s will. I wont go back here ever!