Cabalar. Best burger in Lancaster. Now their specials are always LEGIT. Lancaster Restaurant Week was serving up a Jibarito, corned beef, fried plantains, melted cooper, pickled onions, and mayoketchup. The sandwich was incredible! Such a good touch on a cultural favorite! I myself prefer it without pickled onions, but if you love onions, this is perfect! Cabalar is massively popular and will always require a decent wait for made to order items. I believe we waited about 25 minutes for this sandwich. Love the green and white throughout the restaurant. Awesome shirts for sale. The decor in here is awesome with paintings everywhere. Tons of seating and kids area upstairs! read more

Cabalar Meat - Jibarito Special with fries - Butcher Near Me - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

An old style butcher and restaurant The space is bright, airy, and inviting. The sandwiches are creative and delicious. The Beef Tallow French Fries are outstanding. The staff is helpful. read more

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Honestly thoroughly enjoyed this location. I had heard about it in passing and then my fiancé saw it online and really wanted to try it. The only negatives I have is there's no physical menu and you have to look on your phone and I could not get service - and also it took a long time. I don't mind waiting so it wasn't bad but like it was awhile. I think they allow you to order online ahead though which would probably help. You order at one counter and then pickup at the back of the shop. I think that is also where you order drinks. I love their branding and the display of merch in the meat bunker. The food was also really really good. I loved that the fries were cooked in beef tallow. I didn't get a stomach ache from eating this which was crazy. So it's gotta be good quality. I did however not really like their ranch. It just kind of tasted like a funny pickle dressing. I got the patty melt and the burger was so good the onions on it were melt in your mouth. I definitely will be going back when I'm in the area. I could only eat half so I had leftovers and they were just as good! Definitely a must stop but beware it does get very very busy! And they're only open Thurs-Sunday. read more

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Got the steakhouse burger and wings. Friendly service and the food was excellent. I've gotten steak from the butcher side before and they were also excellent. Great food overall! read more

Cabalar Meat - Steakhouse burger and wings. - Butcher Near Me - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

A friend and I stopped here for a late lunch over the weekend. She got the patty melt and I ordered the classic cheeseburger. We both opted for a side salad, which ended up being lettuce with vinaigrette on it. My friend loved her patty melt, but my medium rare burger was so messy, between the drippings from the burger and the abundance of ketchup on it, that it was hard to eat. I must have gone through a dozen napkins. I do like a juicy burger, but this was undercooked in my opinion. I would try something else if I'm ever back in the area. read more

Cabalar Meat - Classic cheeseburger and side salad - Butcher Near Me - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

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We went to Cabalar on a Saturday to try their special, which they were sadly already out of. Pivoted to the Mac Daddy burger instead- a great option! Plenty of seating, and we enjoyed some hot cider while we waited for our order to be ready. Food was ready much quicker than we were told the wait would be. The burger was outstanding, and definitely grab some homemade ranch for their fries. read more

Cabalar Meat - Mac Daddy burger with fries and homemade ranch - Butcher Near Me - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Such a cute aesthetic with plenty of seating. Quick service. TALLOW FRIES. No disgusting seed oils here. Cheap upcharge for a good gluten free bun. Burgers coked perfectly and the toppings are *chefs kiss*. Will come back here anytime I visit Lancaster!! read more

Cabalar Meat - Tallow fries burger on GF bun - Butcher Near Me - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

I came in for the Reuben or the Cuban but they were all sold out when I got here. So I got the Bahn Mi. and of course the delicious fries. Staff is friendly as always, and I like the open seating. I got here after 1:30 so that's probably why they were all out of my choice. Next time. read more

Cabalar Meat - Cabalars - Butcher Near Me - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

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Cabalar Meat is a very hip and trendy place to grab an amazing meal. I went with my family of 6. Seating is great- cafeteria style and they have additional seating upstairs. There is also a bar in the back and an outdoor patio. I had the Cuban and it was amazing. Portion size is very good too. Fries are delicious! Everything we got was very good! Love this place- we will be back! read more

Cabalar Meat - Macdaddy - Butcher Near Me - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

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Great food! Great atmosphere! If you haven't tried their onion rings, I highly recommend them - but make sure you have someone to shares them with. We'll definitely be back. read more

Top tier burgers and fries. They have so much more but I honestly have not gotten past the burgers and fries. My favorites are the bacon jam burger and the classic burger (BB pickles is a total subtle but significant game changer in the burger experience). Fries are cooked in beef tallow (insert chef's kiss). They have milkshakes, beer, and soda beverages. Soda is a local soda maker which I think is cool. Ordering is easy and there is plenty of room in the queque. Drawbacks to some folks is the wait time to get your food, but to me it's worth the wait. Other drawbacks...not much parking . Very spacious venue indoors there are two floors. Upstairs is an area for children to play which is family friendly. There is also outside seating. They have an easy online ordering system as well. For a local restaurant highly recommend! read more

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Food is very good but the wait time is terrible. Last few times we went there was over an hour wait. I know it's not fast food, but why so slow? read more

Delayed review: visited Dec 14, 2024 Depression is a mfer and I have had an awful time trying to gather the energy to write my reviews. We stopped here after spending the day at the Yuletide rennfaire at Mount Hope. Renn-food is so expensive and we prefer to spend our money on drinks, so we were ready to devour some cheeseburgers. Calabar Meat does have a meat counter, but it's clear that they do most of their business selling burgers and other prepared foods. They also have a brewery, so there's that, too, if beer is your thing. It was really busy when we arrived. We placed our order at the counter by the door and took a seat and waited, and waited, and waited for our buzzer to light up. Of course it didn't go off until I went to the bathroom. We sat at the table closest to the door because it was the most accessible one, but the draft from the door did make it slightly uncomfortable. Jeremy had the Macdaddy (special Sauce, minus lettuce, Cheese, Pickles, Onions On A Seed bun) which he did not care for, claiming the mac sauce wasn't right. He's done a lot of research in order to make mac sauce at home so he can be choosy about when other restaurants make it properly. And some chicken wings - they only offer one flavor: hot sauce. Just average, boring wings. I got the Sweet Heat (jalapeño jam, spicy fresno aioli, crispy onions, cooper sharp). It was all right. I feel like for all the hype calabar talks about getting their meats and other ingredients from local farms, it could have been better. D got the Bahn mi, but it took her a while to eat it, which is not like her, so that's not a resounding thumbs up either. The onion rings were probably the biggest hit. Everyone at the table enjoyed those. It was fine. No one left hungry but I wish we had gone somewhere else. read more

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Take a restaurant with fabulous food, not enough tables and crappy parking, shake it up, put it in a new space with LOTS of seating, a parking lot, the same great food and Boyton Soft drinks on fountain and you have the new Cabalar Meats on Lemon street. Never wanted to go because of claustrophobic space and impossible parking. Well now I have ZERO excuses to come back very regularly. Good job squad! Much continued success!! read more

The steakhouse burger is really good! Mushrooms, blue cheese sauce and arugula. The patti melt is super good too! It has an onion jam and cooper sharp cheese. Lots of seating. Casual. Parking in the back. Order at the counter. They also sell tallow and beef products. read more

Cabalar is a new favorite in Lancaster. Delicious food, great open space, and a (not so) hidden playground out back for the kids with long tables for the adults. Order at the front and pick up your food and drink along the side. Seating available outside, and upstairs, too. read more

Cabalar Meat - Butcher Near Me - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

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Entering through the parking lot was a bit challenging, with no clear signs about where to order or sit. Only a mobile order and order pickup at the kitchen. There was no host, and the cafeteria-style seating--especially upstairs--was loud and crowded, with no elevator access. With no visible menus, we assumed ordering was done online and placed our order at 6:22 p.m., receiving a pickup time of 7:15 p.m. Only later did we realize orders were supposed to be placed at the front butcher counter, which one would assume is just for ordering meat, though signage walking in never indicated this. The long wait time and unclear process made the experience frustrating, and the food and milkshakes tasted only average. Overall, the visit was disappointing, --2 stars until service improves. read more

Cabalar Meat - Crispy Chicken Salad. - Butcher Near Me - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

(Visited on 01/15/17). I was visiting the area and originally went to purchase some meat (they have a variety of less-conmon cuts, along with dry-aged steaks; this review is just for the prepared food - if there's an issue with the meat when I prepare it, I'll update this review), but was encouraged by friends to get a burger. I enjoy burgers, but almost never order them out, as there's usually something else I like better, but I went against my instincts and followed the recommendation, and I'm very glad that I did. When I arrived, the place was packed (about a 30 minute wait for the order to be ready). The atmosphere is somewhere between a 1950s malt shop/deli, a cafeteria, & a butcher shop (a color scheme of mostly white, with pops of green throughout), but it seems to fit the vibe well, working for both the prepared food side, & the meat market side I got the "House Special" burger, and my expectations were surpassed in a massive way. This is in the conversation for the best burger I've had. The quality of the beef, along with the aged cheddar, the sweet pickles (I was expecting dill, but this was a surprise that really worked), & onions created a well-balanced umami bomb. The fries were hot & crispy, and beautifully seasoned, so no complaints in that department either. I would go back and wait another half hour to experience it again, which is something I never thought I'd say about a burger. Outstanding! read more

When Taco Bell is too good for you. Cabalar's used to be amazing; that was back when they were on Queen St, now they are on Lemon St and the quality is horrendous. (See photo). The pulled pork mac n cheese is disgusting. It's more like cheese soup with oily bread crumbs on it. The quality of their menu has dropped a lot. Everything is greasy and low quality. read more

Cabalar Meat - It is supposed to be $14.00 pulled pork mac n cheese. - Butcher Near Me - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Our first time to Cabalar will most definitely not be our last!!! The restaurant is very open and organized, it's just a welcoming environment, the star of the show however is the handcrafted burgers and sandwiches they make, not to mention the fries fried in beef tallow, and you must try the sweet pickle mayo to dip them in, cabalar is just flat out an amazing dining experience!! read more

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Not a good location swap. Navigating this parking lot and parking in general is awful. The first time I picked up food while on Queen, but trying to order in this time I definitely don't like the digital menu and overall inaccessibility of this place. The lack of direction of how to order and overall ambiance felt unfriendly/very loud environment. Unfortunately my food review remains the same as a couple years ago- everything is either overly greasy, overly saucy, and everything has too much salt - just a mess in all honesty. Wish I could say something positive but wanted to give an update after a return read more

Always a fantastic experience at this restaurant! The food is great, though be prepared for a long wait time. The fried pickles and fries are especially delicious, and many of their burgers are fantastic as well. The big, open space adds to the bright vibe of the place. If you're in the mood for a greasy, delicious mess, this is the spot for you! I always end up feeling full and taking leftovers home. I definitely recommend checking it out! read more

Cabalar Meat - fried pickles - Butcher Near Me - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

New location is AMAZING. Just go here if you want a delicious sandwich and stop searching around. Plenty of seating now and bar. read more

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4 stars for the food, 3 stars overall. We were greeted by a standoffish register employee who seemed like she'd rather us leave than wait 45 min for our burgers. Rolled her eyes when we asked questions. Only QR code menu available. Orders 2 burgers with fries, fried pickles, and two sodas, price was $45!! Far too expensive in my opinion. Ambiance was a huge open place, self service, but honestly not that crowded for a Saturday evening. Still had a 45 min wait which I think was more to support the bar and sell drinks. Food was pretty good. I had the sweet heat burger and tried my fiancés burger which was the classic. Patty's were relatively flavorless burger meat and mine was cooked well done despite ordering pink (not a big deal but again it was $45). Fries and fried pickles were both very good. Would return but not in any rush, and did not live up to the hype. read more

Ok let's start with a rant on the fact they don't have a menu except online via QR code. I get not wanting paper menus but I can't believe they don't have board menu. It's one thing to have QR codes at a table but they have a line ordering concept so you just stare at your phone in this little line area. I don't love the lack of inclusivity of not having at least one display menu. Ok end rant. Food which is why we're all here: not bad not great. If you are coming from any large city, do not come here! you have a better burger place in your city. Fried pickles: ewww, and I love pickles. They use sweet (bread and butter style) pickles and this does not work with frying concept. Ideally what I want out of fried pickles is a fresh/fried take on salt and vinegar chips, this is not it. Fries: decent, but very salty. Texture is inconsistent some are crispy and some are soggy. Again there are better fries out there. Burger: I was told this was the best burger in Lancaster so I was pumped to try it. It literally had no flavor. I got the secret sauce on the side but even that wouldn't add much to it. I got a more plain burger to taste the meat. It might taste good dressed up but the meat isn't a cut above like I thought it would be. Bun was also dry. Mushroom burger - fried portobello mushrooms with some coleslaw sauce was actually pretty good. If I came back I would get this. Ambience: overall the decor is cool! I love their graphic designs. The place is noisy but I could see how it could be fun to grab beers with friends. Service: again rant on menu, but also you order up front so it's very fast causal which is kind of at odds with the ambiance. You also have to bus your tables again fine but weird for the space. It felt odd in a way I can't quite put my finger on. I won't be returning. read more

Cabalar Meat - Portobello mushroom burger - Butcher Near Me - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

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Left disappointed. It's a nice place inside but can get very busy any day of the week. We waited 45+ minutes for 2 burgers on a Friday at 5:15. The burgers were good but not worth the 45 minute wait. The fries were disappointing as they ended up soggy. The fried pickles were awful. They used a sweet pickle that did not work at all. So overall nice place if you have time to wait and just want a decent burger read more

Mid. It's like an expensive/dressed up/overpriced five guys. You won't have a bad meal here, but you also won't be blown away either. Don't go out of your way to eat here, if you're already in the area, sure stop in. read more

First time trying as we were looking for a good burger. I had the Swiss Patty Melt and they put no salted onions on which is usually the best part. The burger was average. The frieds are soggy and limp, but had some flavor but my wife couldn't eat them as they were so soggy. The onion rings were the best. We got it to take out since we like a good wine and beer and they didn't have that there. We are still looking for the best burger around town if anyone has suggestions. read more

We have been here before, and it was really terrific. We showed up at a weird time today though, and it was really lame. The fries were cold. The burger might've been cooked yesterday or something, but it sure wasn't cooked when we came in. Considering that I ended up paying $67 for two burgers, two sets of fries and two milkshakes that is insanely infuriating. If it wasn't for the previous positive experience, I would've given them one star. If you're gonna stay open during odd hours, you should still do quality stuff and actually give a shit. read more

Typical trendy spot, food was fine, although the burger was dry and not very flavorful, def not "the best in town" by any means. I like the outdoor seating options, inside felt like a cafeteria and food pickup location could be better labeled. Wish they had a big menu posted somewhere in the front when you don't have or want to look on your phone (don't we already do that enough in our day to day?!). Not a bad spot but also not rushing to return. To each their own. read more

New to the area and tried Cabalar twice. Had to scan a WR code to get pricing, was given a paper menu with resistance and a stare. 2 Burgers , Basket of fries and 2 sodas was $43! Waited 45 minutes and was underwhelmed by the size of the Classic. Very noisy self serve food hall. I expected better. read more

I've been here several time for a their pastrami sandwich. The hour drive is worth it. The price is reasonable and the sandwich is delicious. read more

The food is consistently amazing! The Bahn Mi is my favorite but nothing has ever disappointed.

Food outstanding, great burgers, fries and shakes. They had a little computer glitch with our order and the manager, Jordan handled it flawlessly !!!!! Hats off to him. A well run eatery that will be our go to for burgers. Try the Patty Melt it is outstanding!! read more

It's our 3rd visit of Cabalar meat. Great lunch/brunch/dinner stop. Menu is great for burgers, sandwiches , fries, onion rings...and drinks! I like their house burger . Meat they use for the burger is really good - I order it medium rare and it's very flavorful and juicy. Not crazy about onion rings( though I love good onion rings) - but Cabalar's onion rings are have too thick batter and over oiled - cannot feel the flavor of onion rings . Fries are good while hot but again to my taste too much oil . I always prefer to order salad with my burger. Definitely recommend this spot once you are in Lancaster and craving for good burger! Tip- most of the time crowded add some time to hang for a while read more

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So good. The bbq bacon burger was the perfect mixture of sweet and savory. Indulgent without being overly huge like a lot of other burger places. Perfect size, perfect flavors. The chocolate milkshake was a perfect combo. Service was quick, and i love that they still use the little buzzer things. The inside is also beautiful, with awesome paintings all over the walls. Can't wait to try again! read more

Cabalar Meat - BBQ Bacon Burger - Butcher Near Me - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

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Amazing! Eat here. You won't regret it. Quality, flavor and love. Special Sandos just hit it here. Had the pho melt. Phonomenal! It's a butcher shop. So you know where the beef is coming from, just take a look at the case! read more

Cabalar Meat - Pho Melt! I wish I took a better picture! - Butcher Near Me - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

All I can say is get here! Plenty of space, great beverage collection and the best burgers in Lancaster. Enjoy! read more

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Back one year later and actually tried a burger this time and WOW absolutely incredible like all the reviews say. Honestly one of the best burgers I've ever had. If we weren't just visiting the Lancaster area, I'd be here weekly...daily... monthly. Amazing!! I ordered the Steakhouse which was topped with marinated mushrooms, blue cheese, steak sauce, arugula, and dijonnaise. My mom ordered the Patty Melt and it was STACKED - if you love Patty Melts you will definitely want to try this one. The parking situation definitely sucks, but Lancaster City is an odd area to navigate. Try have online ordering which is very easy through Toast! Chips or salad comes standard, but the chips might be Good's brand which are fried in lard.. so if you've never had chips fried in lard before, it's definitely a shock with a weird aftertaste. I would skip. The onion rings are INCREDIBLE and the sauce they pair them with was a perfect combo. They were a bit greasy, but hey, we aren't here to eat healthy. read more

Cabalar Meat - Butcher Near Me - Lancaster, Pennsylvania

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First time here! Their new space in Lemon Street has plenty of tables and a small outdoor space. We visited on a rainy day so we were glad that there was plenty of seating because it looked like there was a group of 15 people from a local employer had popped in for lunch. They already had their food so that didn't slow us down at all, but it is obvious that this can be a busy place. We watched all the to-go orders being prepped for pickup...so it seems like their lunch business on a Thursday wasn't lacking. My friend has a party melt and fries and she enjoyed it. I had the chicken sandwich which was tasty. The side salad that comes with it had the perfect amount of dressing on it. Not too much! I always drink tap water with meals so my only suggestion would be for bigger cups for water drinkers...it was too small. I think I filled up my water 3-4 times. We had no problems finding free parking on the street, but it was a Thursday at 1pm. Overall, a very nice place! read more

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