Fatted Calf

I don’t buy a lot of meat, but I like quality: I found that here at Fatted Calf: quality and service !

This is a wonderful place. Often I’ll stop by to get a meatloaf sandwich while on the way to Isotope Comics. However recently they really saved my hide.
I was suddenly making Christmas dinner for 8 people and they hooked me up with a perfect already stuffed and seasoned duck along with cooking instructions. I was complimented all night on the great duck that all I did to was stick in an oven and check periodically until it hit it’s temperature.
I also picked up a last minute Christmas gift for myself, a book on whole animal butchery which I’m really quiet enamored with. Thanks a bunch!

This shop has a very good selection of meats and cheeses. Came over to pick up two pre-​made porchettas for Christmas Eve dinner. Yes, we were going to make our own, but found out Fatted Calf makes them up all ready to roast. They came out amazing! Juicy and the skin was super crisp! We let the puppies stand out in our fridge for a couple days, so I think that helped too. Would say this isn’t the most inexpensive butcher, but they do know their stuff. And the service is super. Parking is a little tricky, but it’s worth the trip.

GO TO THE MARKET ON MARKET!!!
Worst customer service I’ve seen in a while. The cut of meat I received was 60% fat. When I called to tell them I was unhappy I was brushed off and told to email their contact@fattedcalf.
I was shockingly responded to in a swift matter, but before I praise them for doing their job it was still unsatisfactory service. If they had handled this in a better mater I would have gone back weekly.

Fatted Calf has phenomenal meat and cheese (along with a variety of other goodies), and a knowledgable staff with plenty of suggestions.
Tip #1: Slightly on the more expensive side. But keep in mind — you’re in SF, getting charcuterie and cheese, at a place with a hipster name…
Tip #2: The staff is great with suggestions — and samples! We tried almost all of the salami before picking the types for our picnic.
Overall: Delicious! Worth the extra $.

I can’t stress how phenomenal this place is. It is a haven for true gourmands and takes flavor, quality and selection to the next level. Also, they appear to give unlimited free samples. Weds nights they have some kind of wine and tasting event in the evenings.
It is expensive but nothing is not worth what you are paying. This is how meat should taste.
Try the beef jerky, which has a totally unique flavor, at $ 40/​lb.

Great place to pick up some snacks before heading to GG park. They have a great variety of snacks from their cured meats, cheeses, breads, to beer. I highly recommend the «picnic plate» it has 3 meats, pickled veggies, & bread.
I am a sucker for roast beef… It’s my favorite deli meat… this place has some of the best roast beef I’ve ever had! They’ll give you a taste if you ask… which i like because i’m always hesitant to commit to a pound of anything before i try it.
The service is very friendly and unlike some of these bougie places in SF they actually treat you like a customer and not a burden.

Low quality meat, bad butchery, expensive prices.
Some background – lived on the East Coast for a bit, where fantastic butcher shops with grass fed beef were pretty much the standard. Ate at some of the best steakhouses in the country in Chicago and New York.
Since previous reviews seemed so positive, we decided to give it a try! Some of the meat looked a little brown, but that could’ve just been the light or packaging. (They vacuum seal some of their meats, which I haven’t seen in a fresh butcher shop before.) Opted for a couple grass fed beef options (I like bavette, since it’s relatively lean), with no help from the manager (?) as to what cuts were good that day, even after we asked. After opening the vacuum-​sealed package, fiancée notices that there is a huge chunk of sinew along the side. No wonder they vacuum seal – so you can’t see what you’re getting!
Fiancée cuts the sinew off himself. He’s a master with the cast iron skillet, so he grilled them up with salt, pepper and some olive oil, as usual. Half of mine was decent… the other half was so chewy and tough. Waste of $ 25/​pound.
This little butcher shop has a cute name, and sells some decent soft pretzels. But that’s about it. PASS on this place. So far, the best we’ve tried in SF is Avedano’s in Bernal Heights.

Such a great place. Here’s what to get:
Spicy Italian sausage– take it out of the casing and mix with pasta sauce, SO good.
Sweet baguette– the ones in the white paper, they use these for their sandwiches so sometimes you have to ask if they don’t have them out. Best baguette ever.
Sicilian salumi– it has orange in it. Get it cut super thin, delicious.
Burrata– the cheapest burrata I’ve seen in the city! $ 4! If you see it grab like 10 of them because they sell out almost instantly.
You’re welcome.

1. My office is right by Fatted Calf. I walk by it at least 2x a day
2. I love meat and cheese
1 + 2 = Why am I not here more often?
I went in for the first time yesterday (I know. First time?! What???) looking for some cuts of meats. I had previously looked on their website to see what cuts they offer at the Hayes Valley location, and I was also leaning towards getting some ground lamb to make kebabs. Buut it wasn’t listed. Bummer.
So I walk in and omg. Cheese. Booze. Olives! Meaaat… So pretty. I decide ‘what the hell, I’ll ask if they have ground lamb” and they did! Well, no, they didn’t. But they offered to ground some fresh for me. YES, PLEASE. So good.
They’ve got a great selection of meat, charcuterie, cheese and booze, and everyone there is so nice and welcoming.
As our former governor says, «I’ll be back».

Last weekend we met some fellow Ridge fans at the winery in Lytton Springs. They introduced themselves and we shared some wine. They also shared some picnic items they had brought with them from the Fatted Calf. Wow.
We are heading up to Montebello this weekend and although I was looking forward to the wine, I kept thinking about the torchon. What to do?
I drove to the Fatted Calf this morning. Really? Yes, I did. Now I have a lovely picnic of torchon, speck, sopressata, and lomo along with some cheese for tomorrow.
All is well.
I can’t wait to go back and try it ALL.

This place is a meat-lover’s dream. Their refrigerated display case is one of the most impressive tributes to meat that I’ve ever seen — lots of different cuts of different animals, some of them seasoned for you already, everything clean and well-​lit. Whenever we’re in the neighborhood we’ll stop by to pick up something to take home. Their charcuterie selection is great as well. I am jealous of my friends who live nearby.

OMG. Leave your willpower at the door, especially if you consider yourself a carnivore. Pork loin. Prosciutto. Foie gras. Pig out! You won’t regret the calories you consume here.

I’m not a huge Unilocaler, but I wanted to leave a review to thank Fatted Calf for their exceptional customer service today. I’m a caterer and found myself in need of boudin blanc sausages at the very last minute. After unsuccessfully trying to track down this specialty sausage at several shops in the city yesterday morning, I called fatted calf in the afternoon. They informed me that they could prepare a custom order of 5 lbs. boudin blanc for me for pickup today (waiving the typical minimum 3 day lead time). The sausages were ready ahead of schedule and were the true star of the entire meal. While there, I also impulsively purchased some lamb bacon, which was seriously one of the best culinary decisions I have ever made– SO GOOD. I will be heading back soon to stock up for breakfast, braises, etc.
Thank you again for going above and beyond and for your amazing product!

I just got home from a visit to the Fatted Calf. I’ve recently started eating more of the types of high-​end charcuterie and meats like they produce, and am impressed with their sourcing and their service. The two people behind the counter this evening were friendly and patient, as I debated what to go. I ended up sampling three different items, and buying a ¼-​pound each of two of them. They were delicious!
White Rock — very flavorful with Cabernet
Saucisson Sec — great mix of spices with some brandy
I never felt rush or hurried or pressured, and look forward to eating this salumi and returned for more. I was eyeing both their lamb bacon and their merguez sausage. Yum!

Amazing charcuterie place. And of course, meat ! Turkey, saussage meat, Nice cuts of beef!
Service is awsome.
Choice of picnic Plate for 10 $ (you have an egg, 2 choices of meat, Green beans and yellow beets and bread. Satisfying!)
There is a Nice sélection of sandwichs for about 9 $.
Quality bread available.
Wednesday: dont miss The happy hour Where they chop pork parts. Meat tasting and drinks.

4.5
Alright, San Francisco… now, you’re just showing off. I never expected to have my culinary mind blown by a butcher shop but I should have known better. I don’t know how they do it but, somehow, food gets taken to the next level out here in the city by the bay.
The name was a bit of an initial turn off. I don’t eat much (any) beef and definitely stay away from calves… but I forgot all about that as soon as I saw the pear soda. PEAR SODA!!! I’m yours, Fatted Calf. I’m yours! Since I was slow dancing with my beverage, it was up to my friend and colleague to figure out what we were eating. Since this wasn’t her first time at the rodeo, she devised an expert plan: picnic box full of cheese, soup and a sandwich to split. Cool. Done.
The cheeseS? One stinky. One hard. It was difficult to make a decision seeing as the FC has a huge assortment of the milky moldy stuff. This is a good thing. The soup? Potato Green Garlic with came with croutons and a piece of bread. Green garlic soup is usually awesome on its own. Adding big chunks of tender potato added depth, flavor and even more sustenance to the meal. It got to the point where we were both attempting to drink our soup… like beverages. What? The sandwich? Pulled pork with cabbage slaw. It was the special of the day and, oh my, was it special. Pork is another meat I am trying to get away from eating (pigs are cute and intelligent). But the FC lured me in with soft bread, crunchy, vinegar-​y slaw, and tender, lightly-​sauced but deeply-​season pulled pork that melted in my mouth.
Easily one of the best lunches I’ve had in recent memory. Easily.

We came for their Wednesday happy hour, which was casual and fun. It consisted of:
— Free Prosecco
— Crostini with pâté samples
— Watching them butcher an entire pig
We were really close to getting a pulled pork sandwich and the girl was really sweet and offered a sample of the meat. It wasn’t quite tender enough for me (though the sauce had a good strong flavor) so we didn’t end up getting anything.
My friend says amazing things about their sandwiches and I’ve got to come back sometime when I’m more hungry for a real meal here!

12-​January, Sunday
Classic Pork and Beef Meatloaf sandwich with house smoked bacon, whole grain mustard, lettuce and pickled red onion.
Smoked Beef Jerky: locally grass-​fed beef marinated with molasses and bourbon, lightly smoked, and dried
Fatted Calf has a delectable menu of consecrated handcrafted sausages, pates, salumi and bacon. In a flash I was brought back to First Communion in which my conviction as having lived formerly as the form of a delectably cured meat of some sort –my spirit animal.

We came here as part of the Gourmet Walks Hayes Valley tour, and got to try a Charcuterie Platter (
). Unfortunately, I can’t remember exactly which cured meats I tried, but I didin’t really like any of them on the plate. However, I have purchased guanciale and pancetta here before and thought they were good. I also like that they sell a lot of different items like olive oils, balsmic vinegars, etc, that are all very good quality.
Although I didn’t like anything I tried this time around, the Fatted Calf has some excellent cured meats and other food items. They also have some good sandwiches to choose from like their meatball and porchetta, so make sure to give those a try.