While walking around town, we decided to stop by a local butcher shop for some goodies to make for dinner. We stumbled upon Al's and decided why not check it out! When walking in, to the right you'll have the authentic Italian pastas and the assortment of sausages in the freezer. The center of the store has a variety of condiments, most of which were sauces and rubs for barbecue. The remainder of the store were the meat counters. Al was helping us when we checked out. Please keep in mind it is cash only but there is an ATM in the store for your convenience! read more

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This is a legit meat market. Smells clean, great selection. Cash only but he's got an atm. I'll tell you what, i only went in for a few things but the quality and prices were so good, I had to pull more money out of the atm!! I'll be back. read more

We have been going to Al's for about 40 years when we want the best meat available on the Chicago Northshore. The store is very basic, and it has zero ambiance and the owner Joe can be gruff at times but I go there for the meat, not the ambiance. Buster B read more

Beef Tenderloin for Christmas melted in our mouths- the Hit of the season worth every penny

It was my first experience with Al's Meat market. I needed some Veal Chops for a dinner. I had called first to see if they had any and he said just come on in. They were freshly cut to my thickness preference. We had the chops last night and my son really enjoyed his first experience with stuffed veal chops. The service was great and the meat very fresh and well kept. I'll be back for all my meat purchases. read more

Ridiculously overpriced meats processed by a jerk. I'll steer clear, thank you. There are plenty of other better offerings in Wilmette. See the other review with a photo of the egregious sign encouraging people to violate state and Wilmette laws requiring masks inside places of business. He also has a "guns welcome" sign. No thank you. I bought meats here a couple of times; didn't find it necessary to review until now. I'll get my meats from other local shops where I'll save money and the egregious attitude. read more

Very big fan of Al's. More of an old school butcher shop with seriously good cuts of meat, both dry and wet aged. The dry aged ribeye is amazing, cowboy cut, as is the hanger steak. Bone in strip in the line up tonight :) Joe has been in Wilmette for many many years and knows the business well. A nice assortment of sausages, brats, bacon, condiments and unusual pastas available too. Very much worth the visit for a meat lover. Also, when I get ground chuck, he takes the chuck and grinds it then, and I also have 4 rabbits on order for my fire pit :) read more

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Inexplicably violating Wilmette's regulations requiring wearing of a mask to enter. Walk in and you will find maskless folks behind the counter, and customers are free to enter maskless as well. Complained about this to the city 10 days ago, but the sign is still up. Makes no sense. read more

Al's Meat Market - we sell masks here - Meat Shops Near Me - Wilmette, Illinois

Old school. Was visiting from out of town and told I needed to stop in. Prices are a premium but you get what you pay for. Had a whiskey with Al, bought some steaks and went on my way. Rad place--will visit again once back in Willmette read more

Best butcher shop in the Midwest. Without a doubt. If you are looking for a meat market , then look no further. This is the meat market for you. If not, that's your fault. read more

Here we go--the real deal. Al's is an old-fashioned butcher shop like (I hope) everyone used to have in their hometown. Cases of MEAT, a freezer with some more MEAT, and some spices, sauces, pastas, and other miscellaneous items in case you aren't satisfied eating just MEAT. None of the chops or steaks are pre-cut. I ordered two pork chops and two ribeyes, and the guy took the big slabs out of the cooler, put one on the machine (pork chops) and busted out the long knife (ribeyes). He even asked me what thickness and gave a recommendation on the chops when I was indecisive. The steaks I ate fresh and were very, very good--among the best steaks that I have ever cooked at home. The pork chops I froze and may have suffered, because they did not seem to have any pizzazz when I cooked them about four weeks later. I got bratwursts and Italian sausage too. The brats had a nice, traditional flavor; the Italians were kind of bland--good meat, but needed more seasoning. I wanted chicken thighs but they had only legs, wings, and breasts at the time. The guy told me that if you call ahead with a couple days' notice, the owner will make sure to have whatever you need on hand. The only drawback is that they do not take credit cards. That is not quaint, people. That is annoying. When you're racking up (har har) a $40-50+ meat purchase, you need to be able to pay with plastic. read more

Best meat shop on the NorthShore They will supply you with what ever you are needing. Pork, steak, ribs, bacon, etc... Go every day, go every weekend, go whenever you are BBQ'n. Stock your freezer. Say hello to Al. Very nice and accommodating all the time. read more

My husband loves to grill and smoke meats, so naturally we have tried lots of butcher shops in Wilmette & glenview. Als is the best, hands down. Also, cash only. And for everyone complaining about his mood or lack of masks, don't you have a grandfather? Get over it ;) read more

There is no other place to buy meat. My boyfriend is a chef so he is super picky and the way he feels about Al's is the way most people feel about religion. The owners/workers are so friendly and helpful and the meat is unbelievable. They have everything imaginable and will get you anything you need. A few weeks ago we called to see if they had veal, and not only did they have it, they stayed open until we got there even though they were closing! Once there we weren't rushed at all, in fact, the guy talked to us for awhile. Everyone we recommend Al's to ends up swearing by the place, just like us. read more

Just got back from a trip to see my sister and brother, and we had gone into Al's to get steak for dinner. Really went in because Joe was a high school classmate, and I had not seen him for 50 years! The steaks were amazing! I was very impressed with the quality. I'm sad I don't know any place like this in the Denver area. read more

Al's has chosen not to follow the mask mandate in their store. I'm told no one inside is wearing a mask. I do not support this nor do I recommend shopping at this establishment. read more

Today I did not pay as much attention to whether or not the steak I was buying was local, grass fed and humanely raised, tho normally I care dearly about these issues, because I found myself in front of the coolest old school ( not ersatz but truly old) butcher counter. They had a beautifully aged beef rib rack sitting in the case and I knew I had to get some ribeyes. In spite of lisa's protestations, I went ahead and ordered 3 rib steaks, each of which weighed in at about 1.6 lbs. Dinner was going to be awesome. And it was. When in Chicagoland and looking for really great beef and pork from guys who know, definitely go to Al's. read more

Our (my family and my) favorite butcher. If I could, I would get all of our meat needs met by Al's Meat Market. We definitely go to Al's when we want the very best quality meat and always for certain dishes like bone-in lamb for lamb stew. The only short coming of this butcher shop in my opinion is its hours of operation which I wish were a little longer. In addition to the quality of their meat, you would be hard pressed to find a better butcher in terms of knowledge, service, and personality. I really wish there was a similar store (in quality of its products being sold and service) for my produce needs. If there was such a produce shop next door to the butcher I would probably not use a supermarket at all for my meat and produce requirements. This place is truly awesome. read more

Old school butcher shop with amazing everything!!! Go and see Joe for all your meat needs. He knows what's up with everything meat related. They have a bunch of awesome barbeque sauces also.Try the Old Arthur bbq sauce, it kicks you know what! If you are anywhere near here do not buy your meat from anywhere else!!! read more

This is the closest butcher to my home, but I won't shop there. No prices on the meat, and they seem to charge by how they feel about you. I sent my adult children there to get meat for Christmas once, and they came back almost in tears. They asked for fat for yorkshire pudding and he didn't seem to know what they were talking about. He was always rather mean when I was there too. Strange way to do business. read more

Hardcore old-school butcher who knows and guarantees his meat. I have bought his meat for 15 years now and have never been disappointed with the product. No frills shop - prime meat has its price regardless of where you buy it from but here you are getting what you are paying for. read more

Joe is as good as it gets. I asked about something good for the grill and he showed me the rib eye. I received some good grilling advice and that made all the difference. I would recommend this shop to everyone. I know I will go back. read more

North Shore's best butcher shop! Wonderful meat and fabulous service. Al, owner/butcher is very nice, personable, polite, funny as well as extremely knowledgeable about meat. He caters to his customers and provides great advice. Al is happy to go the extra mile for his customers. He knows his customers by name and is beloved by the community. If you want the best meat and best service, Al's is your place! read more

I go to Joe at Al's for dry-aged prime beef so that I can serve steaks that rival Chicago's finest steakhouses. My wife says she'll never again order steaks at restaurants. "Why bother?" Joe's sausage (made in-house),) Amish chickens, and smoked pork chops continue to please. We call in our orders, which are always prepared with care and receive a monthly handwritten statement. The personal, friendly, loyal, trusting service reminds me of earlier times. Good times. read more

Al and I are in a fight. I really do try my best to support local small businesses, but Al's definitely lost a customer today. I ordered a boneless lamb loin to be picked up today. When I walked in, the guy looked at me like I had no business in there. When I told him I was there to pick up my order, he looked kind of confused and shuffled some papers around. He finally found my order slip and sort of looked at it, looked up at me, looked at the order again. And then he pissed me off. He told me that the lamb loin was in the freezer. I asked him why it was in the freezer. He gave me some weird combination of excuses that didn't make any sense...something about there being a lamb shortage and people needing to buy lamb chops. So at first I thought he was telling me he had sold my lamb to someone else. But no, he said, he had it. It was just in the freezer. Why would you do that, I wanted to know. He had no real answer. I told him that if I wanted frozen meat I would have gone to the grocery store. When I special order fresh meat from a butcher, I expect, you know, fresh meat. He argued that it WAS fresh. Excuse me, my friend, but if it's frozen, it's not fresh. That's kind of how it works. He said, "It was fresh when we boned it out yesterday, dear." Okay, so why did you freeze it? (A side note to salespeople: Don't ever call me dear, sweety, or honey, especially when you're already being rude or condescending. That does not fly with me. I've worked a lot of retail, so when I'm a customer I'm very careful to be kind to business owners and store employees, because I know how difficult it can be sometimes. But you know what, I expect the same courtesy I've always extended to my own customers.) Why would you ruin a beautiful piece of meat by putting it in the freezer!? When someone has ordered it fresh!? I told him I didn't think I wanted it. Then I started to feel bad because he had taken the time to bone it out, so I said, well, how much is it? $38.85. HAHAHAHAHA ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? You want me to pay $40 for like one pound of meat THAT YOU'VE RUINED!? You can keep that shit. Good luck selling it to someone else. I'm just glad I didn't need it for a dinner party or something, because I would have been forced to take it. It was pretty clear that he had sized me up as some dumbass kid (I'm 26 and look young/sound young on the phone) and he thought he could put one over on me. He probably cut up the loin I had ordered and sold it to someone as chops, and then was going to try to give me a frozen one he had laying around. OR, he ordered the loin too early and thought it was going to go bad if he didn't freeze it. Either way, I'm not having it. read more

I love this place. So freaking old school. Joe presides over the butcher block and meat lockers with a blood-stained apron and leather suspenders. It's all about the meat here. Tell 'em how much you have to spend and he'll hook you up with the best cuts and hand trim it in front of you. No credit cards. For that matter no cash registers, either. He hand writes a ticket, you hand over the cash and he hands you a choice piece of flesh wrapped in butcher paper. Full disclosure: I'm part-owner of the wine shop across the street and I think Al's is one of East Wilmette's hidden treasures. read more

BLOT: It's great meat! Little background: I grew up in a smallish town in the heart of the midwest. I never wanted for good meat or vegetables. Great local products. We also have lived in Europe for 7 years and exposed to some of the best products and went to very nice restaurants. I'm a true experienced foodie now. Al's is a wonderful old fashioned experience...reminds me of the small town I come from. It also reminds me of many of the European experiences we had going into local food markets. The quality of the meat is great. So far I have bought ribeyes, oxtail for soup, ground chicken, ground pork, ground beef and looking forward to trying more. The meat is pricey, but no more pricey than that of Europe. It is not 'typical' meat. You get what you pay for. It's worth it! p.s. Also the other products look great but I have not tried them yet. read more

Best steaks money can buy and true old school service.

What can I say about this place that has not all ready been said. Hands down the best place to buy steak in the city! Yes, I know you have to drive or take the metra out here; but seriously the best nothing can touch the quality of meat here. Steak that has been aged perfectly, and of prime quality that will blow any restaurant out of the water. In fact I will not even go to another steak house since finding this place, because nothing can come close to comparing this place with what they serve. Buy one cowboy cut prime bone in rib-eye steak, cook it the way you like with just salt and pepper. It will make you a believer. read more

I was very disappointed in my experience at Al's. When I arrived to pick up my brisket on the day and time agreed, the butcher says "Oh, I forgot all about your order." He then proceeds to take a brisket from the case, quickly put it on the scale and then tell me what I owe. He was trying to sell me a 9 lb brisket for 9 people! He assured me it would shrink. After I protested, he found a 7.5 lb brisket which I reluctantly agreed to buy, because I did not have the time to wait while he went in the back and cut a new slab for me. The quality of the meat was excellent but it cost more than anticipated and I ended up with far more cooked meet than I needed or wanted. Poor and dismissive service. read more

I stopped going to steak restaurants because I get better meat at Al's Market. Aged, Prime beef. The ground beef and bacon are not even comparable to store bought. If you need a rare or difficult cut for a recipe, Joe will make it happen. And the fresh Turkeys for the holidays will keep your family from arguing. I bring steaks as house warming gifts and all my friends thank me. I really could not be happier with a local retailer. read more

I had the same experience as Molly when I walked in. I was looked at, as if I should not have been in there. This was not my first time getting a Prime Rib roast from a butcher. He prewrapped it, and assured me it was what I had ordered but I should have requested to look at the meat before I purchased it. When I got it home not only was it very small for the amount of money I paid but it was starting to turn and it was cut crooked, so that it did not stand properly in the roasting pan. Don;t worry Al, you don't have to worry about my business. There are other butchers in your area. read more

Al's is wonderful. The steaks are fresh and tasty. I mostly grill, but my wife also cooks up the meat and Al's really is very good. Also, just going in there is fun. Joe is very personable and affable. Just a good guy. If you like meat, you will like Al's. read more

Busy place on Christmas Eve but pleasant helpful service. I wasn't sure if I had enough cash (no credit cards) for the purchase so the immediately opened a house account without even asking for identification! Steaks were delicious and expecting the lamb chops to be as good tomorrow. read more

I agree with Joe, the bystander--Al's has amazing meat, and real butchers who know their cuts. They used real butcher block tables that are uneven with an indent where decades of meat has been cut up. There is classical music playing in the background. The whole area is neat for gourmet foods--Leonides Chocolates a few doors away and good wines across the street from equally knowledgeable purveyors. read more

Wow. I shopped here for the first time yesterday. I needed some steaks for a special dinner and I needed to be able to pick them up on my way home from work. Al's was the most convenient store on my way home so that's where I went. First of all, the beef was fabulous. Tender and very tasty. But more importantly, even though I was a first time customer, I was treated like someone who has been buying from Al's for decades. I won't go into details except to say that I was given special consideration for an unanticipated situation. The man behind the counter did not need to extend the courtesy that he did and, as I said, I felt as if I was his most loyal customer. Well, I wasn't then but I am now. Al's is not in the neighborhood where I live and is not even on my usual route home from the office. But I intend to do as much buying from them as I am able to. This is really a first-class business. read more