This is our third year in a row ordering Thanksgiving Dinner from Primal. That should be testament enough to indicate that we are enjoying the food they are serving. Nothing has really changed from my last review. Price has remained the same, $45 for a meal for two. The turkey breast is moist; the mashed potatoes are best with some gravy; green beans, carrots, squash, and stuffing are all enjoyable. I will say that some of the thigh meat was a little tough this year, but the dark meat eater in the family was still picking on that meat well after dinner while adding some mayo to it. We still are ordering two separate dinners-for-two to feed three of us. Love those leftovers. read more

First, I have to say this place is spotless! Second, the staff is friendly and patient! Finally, the food.... Cuban - 4.8 out of 5 Rowdy cowboy - 4 out of 5 Cheese steak - 4 out of 5 These hero's hit! Please do yourself and your tastebuds / appetite a favor and go eat here. I cannot wait to go back. read more

PRIMAL: Your Local Butcher - Meat Shops Near Me - Albany, New York

Nice guy at the counter he had a backwards hat on. Roast beef was gas and sliced perfect. Price wasn't bad.

Pricey, but good quality food. I'd rather spend money here than at a grocery giant. It was my first time in and I got a Cubano plus groceries. Really high quality sandwich. I also go pork loins and some condiments. I think it all came out to $60. So yeah, pricey but not unheard of these days. read more

I usually get their House-Marinade Steak Tips which are tasty, and do them on the broiler out back. My only qualm about them is their lack of any intelligent help behind the counter...when you can't get heating instructions for up-front items like marinaded asparagus etc. you can just imagine asking for $50/lb specialty beef instructions. I usually pop in there mid-afternoon, but can imagine long waits over lunch hour. I see their Albany store ownership changed this week; I look forward to seeing new hires andmaybe some new tee-shirts. read more

Amazing prices and even has a reward program!! Amazing deals of bundle packages!! More importantly started going to primal based on their fresh made hot subs!! So amazing in a food coma afterwards!! So amazingly good read more

Primal meats is more than just a butcher that offers a good selection of some local sourced, grass fed meats. They have a small selection of craft beers such as Ommegang and a variety of spices and pre packaged, marinated meats. Some of my favorites are their Maple steak tips. They are also a great deli with plenty of to go offerings. Some of my favorites include their primal steak and cheese, buffalo and caesar chicken wraps. I am looking forward to trying their other to go options as well like their shepherds pie and fajita bowl. Primal is a great place to visit and pick up some inspiring stuff for your summer barbecues and a to go meal when you are looking for something quick and easy from a slightly off the radar deli. Definitely check it out. Their offerings are downright inexpensive compared to most things in this plaza. read more

I couldn't be more pleased with the supply available, fast and super friendly service. They will help you pick, give cooking advice, and are all around a great place to be able to count on when you need serious meat. read more

PRIMAL: Your Local Butcher - Rib eye for me, cowboy steak for the birthday boy. - Meat Shops Near Me - Albany, New York

From the sandwich specials, to the chicken breast, to the amazing filets, to the seasonal fresh pies Primal delivers. The "Meaty Monday" $3.50/lb chicken and ground beef specials should not be missed. The significant difference in quality vs the grocery store - and the delightful chicken marinades - are well worth the extra dollar or so per pound. Staff is always extremely friendly and helpful. These dudes are excited about purveying quality meat and eager to coordinate any special orders. Their prices have crept up a bit in the past couple years but that's totally understandable. I doubt there was much profit to be made when the sandwiches were $6.00 and the chicken breast $2.99/lb. One last tip - The absolute best deals can be had with the meat package specials they offer around holidays, so keep an eye out! read more

The service is terrible. Rude butchers who refuse any kind of custom cut. The store is insulting.

Food was very good but I waited almost an hour for 2 stake and cheese wedges.A very Frat. House environment.. I get the feeling they don't need their customers ..Staff is a bit rude and dont not give a damm read more

Wasn't sure that this was going to be a good choice for my butchering needs. Boy was I wrong. I went in and as I was browsing the beautiful meats and sides on display in the glass case, I was chatting with the guy behind the counter about why my meat selection process is so important. I am a barbecue afficianado, and when slelecting meat, I have to choose what will cook best, and what is butchered and trimmed right. I cannot go with the vacuum packed injected nasty crap from Wal Mart. As a first example, I stopped by looking for a ribeye steak for my christmas dinner. I left with a 28 day dry aged single rib prime. And it was absolutely spectacular. Great marbling. Perfect flavor. It was over the top good. I will return for this alone over and over. Second example. I was looking for fresh pork butts for a low and slow cook for my co workers on a Monday after the holidays. He didn't have them on hand, but said he could order them. I told him what I wanted, and 1.5 days later, I had 2 well marbled 10 pound pork butts with a 1/2 inch fat cap on them. Just as I asked. Just beautiful pieces of meat, and beyond fresh. Could not have been happier, and I will post pictures to go with this. Go to this butcher shop. Talk to the people. Get your favorite cut. I guarantee you will not be disappointed. read more

PRIMAL: Your Local Butcher - One of two 10 pound pork butts I special ordered to make low and slow BBQ. They were perfection. - Meat Shops Near Me - Albany, New York

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A 14 doller Ruben, the meat was not there at all very disappointed. I would not recommend anyone else waste their money

Two words: Mind blown. I went here with two of my classmates were weak and lacked taste, so they ended up going to Chipotle. Man... I asked the gentleman at the counter what he would recommend and he promptly had them make me a steak and cheese sandwich. That was so amazing. The bread, the meat, the cheese, everything. The meat was perfectly cut, and had the sweetest spice to it, the cheese was melted, but not dripping, and the bread was durable, yet soft. The price was also fair considering it was something so beautiful. I highly recommend this place for its food and A++++ customer service. read more

So disappointed! My husband ordered the ham dinner (take out) for Christmas. Looked great: lots of sides, colorful, all packaged, directions to warm it were attached and seemed so clear. But... after following directions to a t, food was at best room temperature. We put it back in the oven for another 20 minutes. Still lukewarm. St that time I was too hungry to wait any longer, so I tried it. Result: ham was barely tepid and very salty. Vegetables were at most slightly warm. Beets (which I love!), cauliflower, potatoes and green beans (which I also like a lot!), were totally undercooked, almost crunchy. Do bizarre. Left me frustrated and sad, on Christmas, no less! Now, I do not make a big deal of Christmas. But if this was my favorite holiday, and if I had family to dinner, I would have been insensed! What happened? Cooks were drunk? Staff was not competent? Sick? But we picked up the dinner the day before Christmas, and kept it refrigerated, as per instructions. So read more

Just used curbside delivery for the Family Pack $134.00. The meat looks amazing: 3 lbs each chicken breasts, bacon, pork chops, London broil, steak tips and burger. Very well packaged although i repackaged it for freezing. Ordered yesterday picked up today. Will recommend to family and friends and will definitely reorder. read more

This was my first time visiting The Meat House in Albany. I have been to the Clifton Park location a few times but this one is a lot closer to me. The Meat House is primarily a butcher shop but they also carry other food stuffs like cheese, frozen foods, vegetables, sauces, fresh baked bread and rolls, etc... Among the meats they have a great slection of marinated meats, especially steak tips. The first time I bought steak tips I was very hesitant seeing they are from the bottom (which can be tough) and considering they were $10/lb. I am glad I took the risk because they are absolutely delicious and incredibly tender. I have not tried any other meat but I want to try the dry aged beef they sell to see how it is. On Sunday I picked up a few pounds of the "Meat House Marinated" steak tips, which is their own blend of spices and seasonings, and 2 baguettes which happened to be from Ninos Bakery in Albany. I cooked the steak tips medium-rare and they were a hit with the family. I wish I was able to spend more time during my visit because I would have probably picked up a few more things but the fire alarm was going off since I had walked in. Thank you to the manager who allowed me to grab my few items. I also noticed that they have a deli counter towards the back of the store and seem to make sandwiches to order. If you are looking for quality meats and products I strongly encourage you to check out The Meat House. read more

PRIMAL: Your Local Butcher - "Meat house marinated" steak tips - Meat Shops Near Me - Albany, New York

My son has been raving about their sandwiches. As a result, I decided to not only get a roast beef sandwich..but ordered a New York Strip Roast and chicken for New Years. Their meat was tender and tasty. I will be ordering again to be sure. read more

Walked it got bad vibes should have turned around!!!! Ordered 2 SANDWICHES one roast beef other was an Italian mix guy didn't ask us what kind of veggies we would like which I found really odd since the menu said comes with your choice of veggies and you can't see over counter on what they are doing ... got home 20 bucks later opened the wrappers and mine was a wrap ( whole reason I went here is because I was craving a crusty breaded SANDWICH not a nasty soggy tortilla) we live to far to drive back but will never ever go back meat was good quality but that's where it ended his sandwich was grossss nooooo dressing not even mayo or mustard And just looked at the Receipt and they charged us for 2 turkey sandwich's with no prices on menu board I really don't know what I paid for! read more

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I generally do not want to review a food place after one visit. But I need to comment on Primal with a newly very happy beef-filled belly. Now mind you, I am not a beef fan, nor have I been accurately labeled a devoted carnivore. I don't eat meat often -- I don't crave it and I know a dinner plate filled with vegetables will keep me healthier than meat. And those sorry plastic-wrapped packages at the supermarket lead my thoughts to Temple Grandin and the horrid conditions in slaughterhouses and the overflowing lagoons of pig waste in North Carolina, and then I head to the produce section empty-handed. But of course I did not keep to the vegetable path today or I would not be at the keypad now. I was in Stuyvesant Plaza today and saw the Primal storefront sign and thought: hmm, I think I heard something about a prime meat market opening up. (I NEVER go to Clifton Park. I have nothing to add on that score.) Primal. Walk in to a big meat display case, as I would expect. A nicely appointed, airy and bright space. And meat. Not an overwhelming amount, but a good stock. It all looked pretty good. There was prime and there was choice beef. Some nice pinky porky chops. Meatballs and some kinda burger, in front of which I talk/flirted with a nice male business-suited fellow customer who was boosting them as kid-endorsed for his grilling obsession. I don't dislike meat per se, but I do dislike the texture of hamburger/ground beef. So I opted for some marinated "tri-tips" which is a new-fangled butchering term that may or may not have butchering meaning (it's sirloin I was told). Back at home, I popped a couple pieces under the broiler and cooked up some side vegetables I picked up separately -- they need a green market, I say. Results: DELICIOUS! Soul satisfying. So I need to endorse Primal. I don't think the experience will turn me into a craven daily carnivore (no offense you know who you are), but I see the light if you're into it. I bought some chicken breasts because how can one not at $2.99/lb -- I'm told a Monday regular special -- particularly since those boneless breasts were sitting next to beautiful pale whole chickens. They know what they're doing here at least in buying; Service was "eh". I interacted with several of the guys (all guys) behind the meat counter and almost all didn't know stuff like what the marinade was that the meat in front of them/me was; what's in the house marinade. Duh, you'd think that would be day 1 training, but maybe day 1-1/2? Or perhaps they bring in the B team on Monday and they can't read a sign, or post one? Anyway, a longwinded way of saying/typing that this is a very, very good meat market of the new hipster school of butchering, which I endorse heartily and I would gladly help keep in business if I ate meat more than a few times a month and trekked to Albany more, which I have no intention of doing. (There's Guido's and Meat Market in Great Barrington, and all roads lead to Guido's for moi!) Enjoy the meat/pig fest! Good job Primal! read more

Fabulous! I won't buy meat anywhere else ever again! What a difference and such top quality! My first delivery, during the pandemic, has made a very positive change read more

Primal puts a new meaning on prepping, cutting and servicing meat that will blow your mind. The service alone will make you feel right at home, butchers/meat clerks not just asking how your day is but to the point of exchanging funny stories, down to earth professional establishment. The selection of beef, chicken and deli meat is plenty even for the pickiest of eaters. But what makes primal special is that all the chicken and beef are all natural, no hormones!!!! The pricing is quite higher than other places but the quality by far beats the competition. If you're watching your wallet go on a Monday...... Chicken breast are 3 dollars a pound!!!! 3 dollars. If you have a large family or a gym bro, take advantage. I usually stock up for the week. Plus, it's fresh unlike chain supermarkets. Overall, Primal is a clean establishment with a heart warming staff willing to help the consumer out in anyway possible. Try something fresh and new, no disappointment here. read more

Slightly disappointed with my experience here. This isn't my first visit where I've had better times with Primal. I'm not sure if the person that made my sub was new but literally ordered a Turkey Sub that seemed to take forever and I was literally not in a rush. The the sandwich paper wasn't event sealed or wrapped in a presentable way. 8$ later when I go to eat my sub I have what looks like 1 1/2 slices of turkey, a tomato and cheese in a nicely soft oversized bun. I just find that if I wanted a mediocre sub I could of gone to Subway and got exactly that. It's pretty ridiculous that I paid for a most bread sandwich. Hope all staffing gets proper training because even though it might be a small error it's an inconvenience and disappointment. read more

PRIMAL: Your Local Butcher - Meat Shops Near Me - Albany, New York

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Superior meats to anything at Hannaford or Price Chopper. I've purchased several types of meat from this place and thoroughly enjoyed the marinated meats. They have non-flavored dry aged cuts as well but I found their marinated meats the best value. I find the marinated beef tastes much better if you let it sit in the refrigerator and eat just before the "use by" date. Sound gross but you'll notice a flavor improvement than if you eat it the day you buy it. I wouldn't go beyond the use by date though to avoid spoiled meat. This is my experience but you may find doing this makes no difference. The store is very clean and the staff is helpful. Prices are high so expect to pay. read more

The primal steak and cheese is the best steak and cheese I've ever had. Quality steak tips, with cheese, peppers and onions on a garlic roll. Amazing! read more

LOVE THIS PLACE!!!! Moving from an area that had WHole Foods and I was concerned about where to buy good quality meat until I found this place. They have affordable options..like the Asian Park Marinades, and meat under 5 dollars a pound. I stick to a budget and get my chopped meat here. I do choose to get my hormone and antibiotic free chicken at The Fresh Market because it is cheaper there. They sell 5 avocados in a bag for dirt cheap!!! Love it! I had the best burger of my life prob from here because it is fresh and grass fed. Even better than Whole Foods and I LOVE Whole FOods. I dont understand why anyone would complain about the steep prices of natural meat. YOU get what you pay for. Watch Food Nation and then get back to me if paying A LITTLE extra isn't worth your health. read more

The house steak tips and hot Italian sausage are really good and the employees are actually normal now so I don't mind coming here.

Quite a selection of different tips of meat in marinate. Lots of neat specialty items and local cheese, deserts and some produce. They also have a good selection of their own spices which are reasonable in price. The staff goes out of their way to help you and is very knowledgeable. First time visitors get a nice little sample of a marinated meat. read more

PRIMAL: Your Local Butcher - the entrance to a meat house - Meat Shops Near Me - Albany, New York

Fabulous customer service, all three of the employees were so helpful! Everything looked so fresh and the quality of the meat is assured through their standards i.e. free range, antibiotic free. As someone who does not eat meat, I feel comforted feeding this to my family members who eat meat. read more

PRIMAL: Your Local Butcher - Bacon and bleu burger - Meat Shops Near Me - Albany, New York

My favorite place to shop for a variety of meats, vegetables or to grab a sandwich. Primal is conveniently located in Stuyvasant Plaza. You can be helped by one of the many staff members choosing through assorted marinated meats from their display case, or choose your own from the prepackaged selection. They have excellently flavored meats and vegetables. My recommendations would be to try the: Meats: Maple Bacon Steak Tips Burgundy Wine Steak Tips Chicken: Lemon Pepper Chicken House Seasons Chicken Veggies: Marinated Asparagus Black Pepper Green Beans I have also stopped in during lunch and got a pulled port sandwich. Very generous portions or pork and excellent flavor. I read other comments about the price being a little on the high side. I can agree to an extend you will pay a little more for steak tips and meat cuts but the taste/flavor you're getting is well worth the extra cost. Also be sure to sign up for the email list and keep an eye out for specials they do throughout the month. Give it a shot, you won't be disappointed. read more

They have a wide selection of marinated meats and specialty grocery items. Lots of local products, some local dairy (Ronnybrook). A small selection of fresh veggies. The butcher was very accommodating to my requests and ground up some fresh natural ground beef and butterflied a pork loin for me. Prices are a little steep for natural meats - you definitely pay the Stuyvesant Plaza tax by shopping here. Not a bad little place, but didn't really have an authentic butcher feel to it. read more

Delicous lunch. Primal is a butcher shop with many types of meats in their case. I had "The Ivy" wrap. Basically, it's roast beef with a horseradish spread, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and onions. Primals meats are local, hormone and antibiotic free. I will most definitely be back. Happy eating!!! read more

PRIMAL: Your Local Butcher - Cafe area. View from back of store. - Meat Shops Near Me - Albany, New York

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No question that the steak tip sandwich blows away most sub shops, and I could eat it weekly. The steak chunks were super tender, and the bread had a nice chew to it, but firm enough to not end up a soggy mess. Top that off with a super-friendly staff, and that's a winning combination. The ordering & paying system isn't intuitive, but it's very laid back and they must have a way to know who's paid and who hasn't, but it seems to work for this shop. Side note: As I was trying to find a Diet Coke to drink, it looks like they don't carry any products that have synthetics like aspartame. I can easily recommend this as a great lunch stop! read more

First of all, writing reviews is grotesque. I'm only doing this because of how awful my last experience here was. I hardly get a chance to go here, but when I do find time I'm ecstatic. Went here earlier today for the first time in months and bought a reubin. Not hard to make. One of the simplest sandwiches a person can do. I ordered... during the ordering process I hear the disgruntled clown behind the sandwich counter crying about how he planned on "beating someone up" when he got off work. Cool. Could care less. Then he handed me an overly loaded sandwich, and turned out to be ICE COLD in the middle. The cheese wasn't melted. The bread was hardly grilled. And took this dude at least 10 minutes to make... not entirely sure what the hell he was doing that entire time. Perhaps I ordered too late? I showed up before 2pm so their grill should have been hot and ready. The Middle of my sandwich literally felt like it hit the grill for maybe 15 seconds before he put it all together. I ended up eating a quarter of the thing and had to bring it home so I could make it the right way by evenly distributing the meat and bringing everything up to the right temp.. next time I'm in the area I'll probably hit peaches cafe for a reubin. Guess thats what I get for buying from a bunch of dude-bros. read more

It's been a tough decision to write this review but I've been encouraged by friends to do so. The GOOD: Quality of their meats cannot be beat but you do pay for it. Those steak tips in the bourbon maple marinade are to die for but a splurge @$14 a lb. The BAD: offered a "Grill package" for memorial day weekend at a great price. Knowing that this would be a grilling weekend and I had 16 people coming for a cookout I decided to pre-order 2 of the Grill Packs. Called, ordered and told them specifically what time 28 hours later I would be in. Got there and the place was moderately busy but there were 5 employees so no one was waiting - well, except for me. Told the young man I had an order and he disappeared; told the 2nd person I was being helped, and the 3rd, and the 4th. When the 5th person asked me, 20 minutes later, I expressed my frustration especially since I had groceries in the car and it was 94 degrees out there. Out comes the 5th person to tell me that my order had been placed at the register area all along.... How would I know this? It GETS WORSE: I head home and am anxious to get my perishables out of the heat I just put the packages of meat into the refrigerator... I have 2 days before I need them but my ice cream needs serious attention. The next day I decide to prep the pork ribs.. good thing because this is where the real problem comes into play. I have only 1 pkg of steak tips and 1 of the pork ribs... should have 2 of each. Noticing that these seem light for 2# pkgs I decide to weigh everything. In the end I am short almost 5 lbs out of 12 lbs of meat. It's 4pm on a Sunday... panic!!! I call to tell them that I am on my way and that a manager should be waiting.. RT to the Plaza is 40 minutes for me - not horrible but not pleasant as I am trying to prep for the BBQ. Manager tells me that they were slammed (they were not - I was there) so (1) pre-ordering does not seem to matter because it is not pulled and waiting for you. (2) The weights - well I am nervous about their scales because I weighed the new packages and they were off as well. BUT a 2 lb pkg of pork weighing in at 1 lb 1 oz is a serious problem. (3) Resolution: provided the missing steak but could not provide more pork ribs as they were out of them so he gave me an additional lb. of steak (Price Chopper saved the day with the pork ribs - another stop!!!). (4) would not honor my request to discount the purchase AND when I asked to purchase ground chuck at the special Monday price so that I would not have to visit a 3rd time in one weekend I was told that he could not do so as this was "a popular item". I told him that he would have one less customer to be searching for this Monday special. I love those steak tips but am I going to buy them again? Falvos & Price Chopper will have to suffice. I can't see myself bringing my accurate professional kitchen scale into their shop should I want to buy again because I can't trust theirs. read more

Obviously the quality and selection of meats is the number one reason to visit Primal, but their deli sandwiches are also top notch! I normally shop at the Saratoga store, but found myself in Albany recently and decided to stop in for lunch. The service was excellent, just as I had come to expect from their other shops. My order was ready quickly and was filled with the perfect amount of sliced roast beef. Primal will always be my number one for quality meat! read more

I have been a customer of Primal for some time. But recently I have noticed a serious decline in the quality of their product as well as their standards for fresh meat. During Christmas I purchased Prime Rib. I paid top dollar and expect top quality. What I received was the worst prime rib I have ever had in my life. I decided to give them one more chance. I purchased ground beef and a rack of ribs. When I entered the store I smelled a strange odor. When I got home the meat I purchased had this same odor. I cooked the ribs and all I could taste was the rancid stench of a rhino's ass. I will never go back and I feel our meat shops should set a high standard of quality and cleanliness. read more

It was my first time coming here. I ordered the steak sandwich. The roll was extremely soggy although I specifically asked for toasted. It was DRENCHED in mayo, they forgot my cheese and the steak was terrible, tons if gristle, so much I couldn't eat it and tons of fat. Needless to say, I got through about 5 bites that I mostly spit out and tossed it in the trash. Maybe they're not ordinary like this because they've gotten tons of great reviews, maybe I just went on an off day. read more

The place carries some of the most delicious meat I have ever seen and their steak & cheese sub was like getting to 3rd base on the first date: totally awesome. read more

I should have done this review a long time ago, just never thought of it until right now. Great meat as expected from a butcher shop, I never worry about the quality and it's always clean inside store. The staff? Always ALWAYS pleasant! Why is that a big deal? Now at days a lot of people who work with the public are miserable. I'm going to miss this store when I move not just because of their products, but their friendly staff as well! read more