Vancouver Restaurant: Pete’s Meat Butcher Shop and Deli

My husband and I both like to cook, and try to avoid most types of “fast food”, but the post-work marathon of picking up our kid and rushing home often leaves us little time to sort out just what we are going to eat for dinner. One of our dinner saviours is Pete’s Meat Butcher Shop and Deli, which just happens to be a few short blocks from where we live. We’d been eying the space below the building at 12th and Arbutus for some time, hoping that something interesting would go into the retail area, and were overjoyed last fall when we found out it was going to be a decent Vancouver restaurant and butcher shop.

Sustainably Raised and Local

Don’t get me wrong – we are no carnivores – but when we do eat meat, we make sure it was sustainably raised and local. Pete’s meat is all organic and naturally raised. The pork is from the Fraser Valley, the beef is grass-fed, and the poultry is free range. One of our go-to meals involves their in-house roasted chicken. You can pick up one on your way home and voilà – half of dinner is sorted. We also go for their amazing ribs that are pre-cooked and smothered in their homemade barbecue sauce. Hungry yet? For your next dinner party, call ahead and they will cook you up a pork roast, complete with herb-based rub and crackling. Pick it up just before your guests arrive. Your friends will cheer.

In addition to great ready-to-eat meal solutions, Pete’s has the traditional butcher shop fare of sausages (made in-house, of course), pork chops, marinated chicken wings (hello, hockey playoffs), kebabs and steaks. They’ve also got lots of recipe basics such as eggs, cheese, onions, and garlic, as well as sauces and dried pasta. A frozen case near the back of the store houses soups, stocks, perogies, and even gelato.

Vancouver Restaurant and Deli

The deli side of Pete’s offers sliced meats such as salami and roast beef. They will build you a “design your own” sandwich as well – pick your meat, bread, veggies and toppings and they will make it just the way you like it. Recently they’ve started offering hot sandwiches – like meatloaf and cheddar, meatball with marinara sauce, and the classic reuben. They’re all good. The Vancouver restaurant has both indoor and outdoor seating (weather-permitting).

All the staff at Pete’s Meat is knowledgeable, nice, and friendly. They are happy to answer questions about their product, and will cut to order. More often than not it’s Pete who serves you himself (he actually lives in the building upstairs). They are open 10:00am – 9:00pm daily. We love this place.