Barb the Butcher in Beacon

A butcher.

Not something you’d generally think–hmm, sounds interesting.

But never followed up with.

They say things happen for a reason.

Kismet.

Which is how, on a rare sunny day, I ended up in Beacon.

Ostensibly to try out a new burger joint —  Meyer’s Olde Dutch — and also to check out Barb’s Butchery shop.

As it turns out, my partner in HudsonValleyEATS.com sold Barb the store she has.

And a recent guest on the radio show, Jennifer Solow, the editor of edible hudson valley, had just featured Barb on the cover, striking a jaunty pose, a haunch of beef slung over her shoulder.

So now I had two good excuses/connections to meet Barb.

After burgers, we went down and met Barb and her team.

The shop is on a quiet corner in Beacon, lined with butcher cases filled with pristine looking meat.

Great looking sausages, perfectly cut steaks and short ribs, everything looks like something you’d be happy to cook and eat.

We watched them making a batch of what they call NAM North African Mint. It smelled wonderful and is their version of merguez—a little spicy, with pork replacing the traditional lamb. She set some aside for me to pick up a couple of days later and they quickly became a favorite.

You might want to keep an eye out for their monthly specials, especially if you have freezer space and/or are expecting a crowd. We got a great assortment of steaks, pork chops, a chicken etc. in ours and all the meat was delicious (and local).

My husband went down to pick it up (order in advance please) and discovered the lunch counter side of Barb’s.

He got what he considers to be one of the best brisket sandwiches ever—her own smoked brisket topped with slaw and her onion BBQ sauce—all made in-house and topped off with homemade potato chips, hot from the fryer!

It was so good that after our second brunch at the Roundhouse, we went over so everyone could get one to take home for dinner (and they were yummy)!

While we like to support local businesses and especially women-owned ones, it’s great to want to go to Barb’s. Hang out, watch them making up batches of sausages, have a great sandwich and take some great local meats home with you.