I will say that I've always been a fan of mobile food trucks as the majority of ones I've been to…read moreover the years have been tacos. However, I had the opportunity trying out one of the more well-known butcher shops to serve San Joaquin County. This is none other than "Fagundes Meats & Catering" which has been a staple in Manteca for decades. Their actual brick-and-mortar location is off of N. Main St/E. Louise Ave in the heart of Manteca while their food truck ventures out to various locations for a variety of community events. In this case, I saw them serving hungry patrons at the Manteca Watermelon Street Fair that took place during the weekend of 6/6/26-6/7/26. To those that know this business already is that they are famous for their tri-tip. In addition to that, they also have other amazing protein options including rib-eye, brisket, pulled pork, Italian sausage, linguica, chicken, and the order I went with, their pork belly. I ended up going with their "Pork Belly Kabobs" and went for the combo deal which included a side (I went with their macaroni salad) and a drink (I opted for a Diet Pepsi). Total price for everything was $17 (which included tax + tip); not bad especially at a public outdoor event. I will say that the pork belly was quite delicious; a little bit on the salty side but nonetheless still a fairly decent portion in each and every bite. I paired it up with their homemade BBQ sauce which had a sweet yet tangy flavor. The macaroni salad was just average for me as it had too much of a vinegar taste while lacking a whole lot of flavor. Overall, I enjoyed this meal as it held me through the majority of the afternoon. I am definitely curious to try their other meats if I end up visiting their actual butcher shop. Overall, the service was excellent considering I was at a busy outdoor event. The line moved quickly while the prices were quite reasonable, even these days where meat prices have become quite outrageous. With that said and done, I am giving the mobile food truck portion of "Fagundes Meats & Catering" an above average four stars. Hopefully I can make a future visit to their butcher shop in the coming months so stay tuned!

The tritip sandwich comes nicely loaded with meat and is a decent bite. I'd be curious to try a…read moretritip order on its own to see if it stands out more. Mac and cheese wasn't at all my cup of tea- too bland for my liking. I've also never had potato salad with black olives in it... That is a "no thank you" for me as well. I'll be back around to try more menu items but for now, I'd say around a 3.5.

Austin's is a true gem for Ripon residents and anyone who appreciates quality meat and great…read moreservice. As you walk in, there's a refrigerator on the left stocked with a wide selection of meat cuts and flavored sausages, with plenty of marinated and non-marinated options to choose from. I highly recommend the Yukon Gold marinade. If you don't own a smoker or simply don't have the time, Austin's will even smoke your meat for you and have it ready when you need it. For hunters, Austin's also offers game processing with a variety of seasoning options and preparation options. The process is straightforward, making it easy from drop-off to pickup. The staff are consistently friendly, knowledgeable, and enjoyable to work with. If you enjoy quality meats and excellent customer service, Austin's is absolutely worth a visit.

Premium meat here! The prime rib we ordered for Christmas was a great cut…read more Thanks, Rick!

Really like their BBQ ribs and chicken. Smokey and moist. Also, to see locals buy take out trays…read moreof entrees to make their own tacos and burritos with the many meat choices available. Unusual finding was a cherry pit in a Hostess Cherry Fruit Pie! Had to be careful not to crack a tooth on that one!

I have been going to this store for several months from Stockton to Mantaca not a bad drive it's 22…read moreminutes. I went earlier and something made me check my receipt and when I did I noticed she charged me my espaldilla twice. It was the same amount and sku for both $36.48 unless the people at the carniceria are magicians it would be impossible to get two separate bags of meat to weigh the same exact amount to the gram and for the machine to accident generate the same sku # 2 times. I drove back to get my money back the girl Celina asked to see the meat, I assumed she needed to scan it to do my refund but she was just checking it. I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed and could tell it was double scanned by the sku# the fact that she tried to insinuate that I was trying to get money back for an item I received was beyond insulting. She was not apologetic and it seemed like she does this frequently. I would have had no issues if she would have just said it was a mistake and apologized. We are all human and make mistakes. This definitely made me not want to go back. Customer service is a big determining factor when I choose where I spend my money

What an excellent trimmed beef brisket! Slow cooked on my…read moreRecteq pellet smoker for 17 hours & 3 hours rest in a cooler! I will not buy anywhere else for briskets!!

The service is amazing but the meat is fresh and incredible. The only meat I'll eat now. I haven't…read morehad beef in over ten years because I only eat happy cows. The quality for the price is unbeatable

I used to see him in Ripon at Mar-Val grocery store grilling with his sauce and talking to him…read moreabout grilling and many other cultural food. Like Fritada from Guam ! Great marinade, full of great flavor. I have recently moved to southern Indiana. I gave a coworker an unopened bottle of MMM sauce and he lost his mind! He will be searching the internet for it now ! Now I need to replace the bottle I brought in my move ! I think I could be a distributor in the tri state area !

First time I ever tasted Chaka's MMM Sauce was around 16-17 years ago, back before you could find…read moreit anywhere. Wife and I were shopping in a bay area store and a lady had some chicken samples cooking in the Chaka's MMM Sauce and served on toothpicks. We both instantly loved it! We bought a couple of bottles, expecting to be able to buy more, if desired, after those were used. Well, we went back to the store a month later, and Chaka's MMM Sauce was nowhere to be found. We had to practically beg the store manager to special order some for us at a premium cost. Introducing the internet- a couple years later, still jonesing for that flavor, I found out that Chaka's MMM Sauce could be ordered directly from the company. I ordered a whole case. We took several months to use it up, but alas, it did get used up. Didn't see it anywhere for the longest time. Then, suddenly, we started seeing it here and there, and always bought some when we saw it. Now, it is carried by my local grocer. Yippee!! There is a slight difference between the first Chaka's MMM Sauce we bought and what is available now. The most obvious difference is that on our first bottles of Chaka's MMM Sauce, it said right on the bottle "No refrigeration required". However, on all the Chaka's MMM Sauce in the stores today (and for several years now), I see on every bottle "Refrigerate after opening" in bold font. The ingredients in the new Chaka's MMM Sauce are: Soy sauce, water, vinegar, dehydrated onions and garlic, spices, lemon juice, xanthan gum, citric acid, and sodium benzoate. If I recall, the older version of Chaka's MMM Sauce didn't have the xanthan gum, citric acid, and/or sodium benzoate. It was also a little bit "thinner". But, the taste is almost identical. No matter what, this is still a solid performer for nearly any meat. Even delicate salmon can be enhanced by Chaka's MMM Sauce. Warning- For delicate fish, do not marinate in Chaka's MMM Sauce for more than two hours. Otherwise it will be very overpowering. As for beef and chicken, marinate for a day or two, and it's just fantastic. The excess can be heated in a saucepan for an au jus. Though, be advised- Chaka's MMM Sauce is VERY "in your face" flavor, and you may have to thin it down with some stock in order to make a traditional au jus. The aroma and instant tastebud perk makes it just wonderful for BBQ and gatherings.

My husband and I have driven past this jerky stand for years and have never stopped. I love beef…read morejerky and it is one of my favorite snacks so we told ourselves we would have to stop this time on the way home from visiting friends. The owner was super nice and personable and gave us lots of free samples! They offer so many different flavors and textures -- from beef to buffalo to even alligator! We opted for 4 different flavors of beef since I loved the softer texture. I'll be coming back soon to check out the meat sticks I was eyeballing in the corner! He takes card payments or cash, but definitely prefers cash! His little stand is located just off the side of the road and was loaded with so many jerky options and it was such a welcoming vibe when we walked up! We will make sure to visit every single time we drive by now!

Amazing jerky great customer service really kind owner. He has been in business for years all the…read moreexotic flavors top notch quality.

Stopped by Livermore's farmers market and wow this did not disappoint. Given I was hangry after my…read morehair appointment but I knew this was the right move. Got the 1 meat 1 side plate for $16 and was more than full. The rub on the ribs I got was insane and the mac n cheese creamy. Ribs fell off the bone wow. When I got home I added some veggies cuz i am that girl now , and some pickled jalapenos. 100 would get again.

My fiancee loves BBQ (especially brisket sandwiches) so we had to try this stand at the San Ramon…read moreFarmers Market. We shared a brisket sandwich and a 1 meat + 1 side combo of sausage and mac. I will say, the bread was insanely soft, the brisket was so fatty and moist, and the Mac was super cheesy and thick.....but we threw most of it away. The sausage was not juicy at all, had a crumbly texture, and was quite salty. The brisket was also insanely salty. I love savory flavor, but just trying the brisket alone was hard to tolerate the amount of salt. Also, both items came with a red sweet jelly which did not help. I really wish they had tangy BBQ sauce instead to cut through the fat and heaviness. Overall- there's potential here if they dial down the salt, get rid of the jelly and sub a good BBQ sauce, and fix the sausage recipe.

Just tried the hot italian sausage. It was good. The meat was ground coarsely, unlike mass…read moreproduced sausage. This gave me more confidence in the quality of the meat used. I could taste the spices(thyme?). It was just spicy enough and had a nice bite to it. I can't wait to try the island and Texan sausages we bought. Grandma's sauce is just like my husband's grandmother made. There were lots of meat chunks. No leftovers in our house.

Very good tasting sweet Italian sausage. $7.00 for 2 links. I will try a different type next time I…read moresee him when I drive by.