Are there specialty meat stores in DC?

[Don Cornelius]

Does anyone know of a good meat market in DC? I'm looking to make hamburgers with ground meat that's about 20% fat. All I can find in grocery stores is ~15%. Surely there's a specialty butcher who can do this in town???

[zeezai]

For excellent meat, particularly pre-spiced hamburger patties - go to

Rockville Gourmet
1331-C Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852-1444

Their burgers are some of the best I've ever grilled!!

[JoshInDC]

You can't really beat the quality of the meat at Whole Foods. I don't know what the lean% is on their ground beef, and if there are different options. My guess is that their burger meat will more than meet your needs. (P street NW btwn 14th and 15th).

[Don Cornelius]

I agree on the general quality of meat at WF, but their ground beef is too lean for burgers (15% fat is as low as they go).

[KevinS]

Second Wagshall's. Excellent aged steaks, will probably have the ground beef you are seeking.

[tree]

Dude, there are some good places in DC. Forget all that VA business!! Check out Eastern Market and go to Union Meat, they will hook you up w/ whatever you want. If you reqiure something more specialized, call ahead and they will still hook u up. Also, check out Wagshalls up in Chevy Chase, just go up Wisconsin cross Mass. and they are up there. They are def. more expensive than Union, but good stuff too. Other places in Eastern Market have good sausages....

[debit]

If you don't mind going to Laurel, the Laurel Meat Market's ground chuck makes terrific burgers. I'm not sure it is 20 percent fat, it might be more. But it has to be at least that.

[JonParker]

I picked up some ground beef at the Laurel Meat Market on Saturday and grilled a couple of burgers yesterday. It was the best I've ever had. Their meat blows supermarket meat away, and it's not overpriced.

And oh yeah, get some pepper bacon to go on it.

[debit]

Oh yeah, their bacon and their house-made sausages both rock!

[monkeyrotica]

I've seen 20% (and even 25%) fat ground beef at Shoppers Food Warehouse and occasionally Safeway. Pretty cheap too. They reserve the high prices for the 97% lean stuff that turns into a hockey puck after 2 minutes on the grill.

Actually, you're probably less likely to find high-fat ground beef at a specialty grocer, since they don't charge a premium and everybody thinks low-fat=good.

[MikeR]

Magruders has ground beef that's 80% lean. I guess that means 20% fat. I buy it all the time for burgers. It's almost always on sale for $1.99/pound.

To me, a "specialty" meat store is one that has really good aged steaks, or oddball stuff like game. These days, halal butcher shops are about as special as we get around here.

[Don Cornelius]

Thanks Mike. I'll make the special trip to Magruder's. Where are the halal butcher shops?