Fire It Up: Portland's Essential Butcher Shops for Grilling Season

Hi, reader,

Memorial Day weekend just fired the starting gun on Portland's grilling season, and if you missed the kickoff, don't worry — the best cookouts are still ahead. As the city finally trades its rain gear for barbecue tongs, backyards across the metro area are transforming into smoky sanctuaries where the art of open-flame cooking takes center stage through Labor Day and beyond.

While grocery chains offer convenience, Portland's rich ecosystem of independent butcher shops provides an unmatched selection of locally sourced, expertly prepared meats that elevate any grilling adventure. From century-old institutions to innovative newcomers focused on whole-animal butchery, these meat specialists are your secret weapon for summer cookout success.

Portland’s Best Butchers and Meat Shops

Cason’s Fine Meats

5015 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., in the Alberta neighborhood
Hours: Monday 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (closed most Sundays)

Portland butchery legend Theotis Cason leads this Northeast Portland butcher shop that focuses on all-natural meats, meticulously sourced from farms that don't use hormones or additives. Cason's specializes in diverse beef cuts from oxtail to porterhouse, smoked meats including ribs, turkey and hot links, and value-oriented meat packages.

Cason's also dishes up hot food, allowing customers to dine on barbecue and sides like mac and cheese and collard greens. On Fridays they fry fish, and Saturdays feature barbecue pork ribs.

Gartner’s Country Meat Market

7450 NE Killingsworth St., in the Cully neighborhood
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (closed Mondays)

This Portland institution operates with a refreshingly simple business philosophy: "Make people happy and they'll keep coming back." The family-run operation has been serving customers since 1959.

They're known for their 35+ varieties of house-smoked sausages, extensive deli counter with housemade lunch meats, custom cutting and game processing services, and convenient meat packages specifically designed for grilling season.

Join the Savers Club For Access