DJ’s Butcher Block

For special occasions, I always get my meats from DJ’s.

I have thoroughly enjoyed everything that I have bought here. The beef jerky is absolutely out of this world. DJ is a great guy. Stop by if you’re in the area!

I stopped in on a Tuesday asking about getting a large pork shank for the weekend. I asked if I could pick it up on Saturday. They said sure, put my name and number down along with my request. Come in Saturday morning to be told sorry, we don’t have any — didn’t get any pigs this week apparently. At least they seemed apologetic about it.

Best bacon ever. And the chicken — I finally bought some that actually tastes like chicken! I’m disappointed and can’t go back though, as they handled all my meat (bacon, flank steak and ground steak) with bare hands. The ground steak is actually dished up by grabbing it with their ungloved hands. The butcher did put on one glove to take out the chicken.
I was thinking «ok, I’m sure he washed his hands prior to serving me», but then watched the same butcher use the scale keypad, pen, calculator, put his hands on the counter and even handle my money — and then turn around and start gathering the next customer’s meat without any hand washing, hand sanitizer or gloves. There’s a big butcher block next to the meat case, and it was dirty & covered with bits of meat. I watched another butcher put a largish cardboard box down on the dirty block, and then moments later cut two steaks (again, no hand washing and no gloves) on the grimy butcher block. I’m sorry about it, because the meat was very good.

We stopped by here on a Saturday morning after having it recommended by a friend. The place is small, but has a charming neighborhood butcher feel with a touch of hipster trendiness. The prices for all of their cuts of meat seamed very reasonable and they had a wide selection.
We decided to try some of the house made sausages and got three each of the chipotle raspberry chicken, and three of the blueberry jalapeño maple (pork based). Each sausage is about ¹⁄₃ of a pound and you can customize your order with any of about 6 available varieties and an additional 10 or so varieties which require 24 hours advanced order.
They had a big basket of what looked like roasted cow bones and as we were headed to our friend’s dog’s birthday party later in the day, couldn’t pass up picking up a big knee joint for the pooch. The total four two pounds of sausage and the dog bone was about 15 bucks.
Both of the flavors of sausage were delicious and easy to grill. I preferred the blueberry jalapeño maple as it had savory yet balanced flavors and was wonderfully juicy. The chicken sausage was on the lean side which made it somewhat dry, but still with great flavor. The chicken one was the spicier of the two. Lastly, as I’m sure everyone was wondering, the dog treat was a big hit as well. We will be back to sample more offerings from DJ!

I dig that they make a lot of stuff in house and work with local farmers. The meat quality is good, and DJ is very nice and helpful. Unfortunately, all of the good stuff came crashing down one day as I went in for my weekly order. There were 2 younger guys behind the counter and they greeted me nicely and such. However. While they were handling raw meat they were also texting, touching their clothes, hair, etc. Ick. And I figured if they do that in front of me, who knows what safety measures slide elsewhere. I didn’t see DJ anywhere so perhaps this doesn’t happen while he’s there, but it was enough for me to have to find a new butcher

This place is fantastic! Great products and even better prices. The staff was extremely helpful in helping me get exactly what I needed

So I went here on New Yrs eve to pick up a nice steak. My husband actually had come to this place before and was quite pleased, so I decided to give it a shot.
This place is small, what you would expect from you neighborhood butcher… although I have never really been to one before. Anyway, I asked for a sirloin, but unfortunately, they had run out of it, which is undersantable being that people would want to eat a nice steak of new yrs eve or day. So I went with a nice NY strip. Me being not a fan of fat, the butcher trimmed all the fat and made it leaner. I also specified what thickness, which is something I am not used to as I tend to go to the grocery store and get their pre cut stuff. Anyway, this was much better. I also got some of their eggs from a local farm, which I had this morning and they were pretty awesome although a little on the steep side for $ 4, but if you want quality this is what you pay. I also noted that hey had milk from a local dairy and had a large variety of sausages, and meats. I also enjoyed the butcher’s sense of humor and the patrons were pretty cool… seemed like it had this community feel, which I really like. Despite the fact that it is street parking right off Liberty and kind of a pain, this place is totally worth it. I will certainly be back

Stopped in after we had dinner at a friend’s place and the chicken was spectacular. My wife and I decided to get some chicken and a steak. DJ pulled out the strip and cut our steak to our desired thickness right there! Both were great, we will be back. Fantastic place, could not recommend more.

DJ’s is a gem in the Bloomfield neighborhood. They have an incredible selection of local meats, I have to decide what I’m getting before I go in there, or I come out with far too much meat-​stuffs.
In addition to the local meats, DJ’s has Brunton Farms. Their varieties come in these big glass jugs, and I have to grab one every time I stop in. The 2% Chocolate Milk is a dream.
My only issue with DJ’s is their credit card policy. You can only pay with a card over a certain amount, and even then there is a fee. No worries though, there’s a Citizen’s Bank ATM down the street that I frequent before grabbing meats.

Stopped by their stand during Little Italy Days after I was pulled in by the aroma of their roasting meats. Tried the roasted lamb, which did not disappoint at all. I did not know that lamb could be so tender and flavorful – what made it interesting was that they sold the item as a sandwich, so it was basically all meat and no bone. The meat literally infused the bread with the taste of lamb, which made the whole thing that much more irresistible.

This place is awesome. I went for the first time yesterday to surprise my fiancé with a rack of lamb for dinner. They frenched it right there on the spot for me. I made sure to take a look at some of the other meat while I was there. The steaks all had a beautiful marble. I wanted to order pancetta but they were out. The guy behind the counter sliced up another thick kind of bacon and let me try it, and I ended up purchasing it and throwing it in some risotto. It came out great! We were very pleased with the lamb as well. I will definitely return very soon!

Went here for the first time and service was horrible. Prices and food is 5 star worthy but the young dude behind the counter looked pissed he had to stop what he was doing and take my money. On top of that just «what do you want» hands it off and nothing else. Went in planning on spending a lot of money and just got one thing.
DJ tell your staff to cheer up a little. Went into 6 different shops in bloomfield today and this was the only place with bad customer service.

I’m a very satisfied with the meats I have purchased here (especially the lamb). Some of the meats are priced a bit more here than elsewhere (e.g. boneless chicken breasts are about $ 0.70 more per pound), yet I have been satisfied with the quality and am happy to support a local butcher like DJ. His service is what separates this butcher shop from some of other places you can buy meat in urban Pittsburgh. He is able to answer questions and offer keen recommendation. He is also willing to cut up meats for you if you don’t have adequate cutlery.
This shop is definitely worth stopping in if you live in the city. It is one of the best butcher’s shops I’ve been to in Pittsburgh and is certainly worthy of a four and a half star rating.

Today was our second visit to the shop. I would give this another star and a half if I could. why not two more stars? Their meat display case is not as organized as I think it should be, but I am OCD. Their lamb is great, sausage made in house and wonderful. Bought two N.Y. Strip steaks, which were great. But what I must say… is today we bought a chicken pot pie that they sell. DJ told me they don’t make them in house, but they provide all the meats to someone who does make them up. They are beyond great… orgasmic! They also make an all meat pie with veal, beef, pork, lamb and something else I’m forgetting! I can’t wait to try that… they have great product. DJ has a great beard, couple tats, but is very helpful… don’t be intimidated… just ask… please support them… they are working hard, support local farms, and are doing a great job

I can’t stop telling people about this place!
I had purchased bacon and ground beef — simple, right? Well, the ground beef was ground right before my eyes from select cuts of meat. We made burgers that night and they were the best I have ever eaten! The meat was so fresh and had so much flavor! It was unreal!
When I asked for a pound of bacon, I was asked, «how thick?» Excuse me? How thick? You mean I have a choice?! LOL!
I do wish they had Sunday hours, which is when I do my grocery shopping, but I’ll have to start trying to get there on Saturday with my list!

We love having a local butcher nearby like DJ’s. The staff is awesome and their offerings are even better! The sausages that they make in-​house are excellent. We’ve had the pumpkin sage, chicken chorizo, raspberry jalapeño and chicken basil sausages. All worth trying. Our favorite is definitely the chicken chorizo, but it’s often hard to get when we drop in closer to closing time. Fortunately, you can call in an order for pickup ahead of time if you know what you need and you’re not going to make it in until later. We’re actually huge fans of getting the chicken chorizo out of the casing and using it for things like tacos. It’s awesome stuff, and highly recommended!
We’ve tried t-​bones, ny strips, and filet mignon. You order your steaks by the width and they’ll cut them to order. We also love that they’ll cut the fat off of the meat, so you end up paying for mostly the quality meat, and not a bunch of scrap.
Speaking of paying, the prices are really good. Gerber’s Amish chicken breasts are cheaper there than basically anywhere else that we get them. We typically stop in for all of our meat-​based needs, but DJ’s also offers milk and eggs from local farms for good prices, as well.
With a great, helpful staff, you definitely feel the neighborhood vibe of the shop. Just know that it’s a small shop, so things can run out quickly. If you’re looking to stock up on tailgating needs or even a few specific items, try to call ahead. Stopping in on a whim, or later in the day may leave you walking away without your favorite meats!

First– I wanted to say that they DO ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS but with a $ 2.00 service fee (which based on the quality and yummy factor of their meats, I will never complain about). I saw in the description that it said no, but really wanted to clarify as I would hate for anyone to miss out on this great little neighborhood gem.
We had been trying to get here for some time, but many times, we would want to go on a Sunday which is the one day that they are not open. We finally were on our way home one Saturday, and made it in here. Finally!
Staff was friendly from start to finish– just nice people. With their staff/​service levels and the quality of their meats, etc. I am quite certain that this place will become one of your trusted favorites as it has ours. They definitely know their meats and seem to have high quality stuff.
We got a few Filet Mignons (when made healthier on the grill w/​no butter, and just a little steak seasoning, they melted in our mouths. So good. You can tell the meat was fresh– good grass fed, no crazy additives, antibiotics, and other bad stuff causing agents. I have to say, it was one of the best steaks I have ever had at home. We also had the Chicken Chorizo— YUM. Such great flavor. My only disappointment was they did not have the Tomato Basil cheese… it sounded amazing. They sold out (which means now I have to stalk DJ’s Butcher Block regularly until it is back in stock).
It is apparent that they take a pride in what they do. I am looking forward to becoming a regular here because of such pride, quality and great service. If you have not checked out DJ’s, you really should. Prices are good for what you are getting and your bellies will not ever be disappointed.

I didn’t know that I needed a butcher. But I did know that I care where my meat comes from, and I also knew that while Whole Foods does offer some information about where their meat comes from, their prices were pushing it for me.
This is where DJ’s came into my life. He knows his meats, like every single thing he has in shop he can tell you what farm it’s from and what kind of life the animal lived. I think that is just amazing AND his prices are super reasonable. Top everything off with the fact that DJ himself is very nice and always has recommendations if you aren’t really sure what it is you want, and basically this place cannot get any better.
I now do all my meat buying here and often egg buying and me and my budget are both very happy about it. I’d definitely recommend you check it out.

This place is amazing. All grass fed meats. No anti-​biotics. All local product. I recommend it to everyone I know.