I stopped by to buy some beef. This is a small neat store. I got a pound of of ground beef for about $9 and a boneless ribeye steak for about $26 per pound. Both were really good. There was chicken in the freezer. I think the beef is the best thing to get from here, that too get the beef from display. There is more beef in the freezer, but I didnt find that as good as the one in the display. There were some other boutique items like expensive salt. read more

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Our favorite butcher shop in Madison. Excellent selection and everything we've ever brought home is excellent. Also the people working in the shop are friendly and help with questions. read more

We don't eat much meat, but When we are celebrating we will Get some filet from conscious carnivore... Always wonderful ! read more

Wow! My husband and I moved from WI to NC 5 years ago, and there are literally NO butcher shops that can hold a candle to WI butcher shops-let alone Conscience Carnivore! We tried the Beef Heart Burgers, recommended by the friendly gentleman behind the beautiful counter (with array of cuts of meat just speaking to you to take them home) this evening, and experienced THE CLEANEST meat we've EVER had! Friendly atmosphere, GREAT recommendations, and INCREDIBLE QUALITY and TASTE!!!!! Highly recommended Conscience Carnivore to any meat connoisseurs. What a great "Welcome back to WI". I will DEFINITELY be back before going back to the South. (A special "Thank you" to our son, Logan, for this "shopping detour" today.) read more

Everything I have purchased from The Conscious Carnivore has been exceptional, but my favorite purchase hands down has been the grass-fed ground beef. We bit the bullet and purchased the Super Grinder Box - 25 lbs of grass fed ground beef and 4 whole chickens - and it was a fantastic decision! We prepped the burgers by mixing the meat with garlic and onion powder, seasoning each side with ample salt and pepper, then grilling the burgers at 500 degrees for 3.5-4 min/side. THEY. WERE. INCREDIBLE. The grass-fed beef has a unique taste and I have come to prefer it. I will never go back to store-bought beef... and I love to be able to buy local. Next time we will go for the Ground Beef Box instead, though, as the chicken is a bit too messy to prepare for our liking. We ordered 4-Rib Roast for Christmas dinner and that, too, was wonderful. The Rib Roast is a bit too fatty to be a personal favorite for me but the men absolutely loved it. The dry aged New York Strips we ordered a few weeks back were absolutely wonderful, and I highly recommend the barbecue sauces for pulled pork/chicken recipes and the cheddar beef sticks are an awesome snack. You can't go wrong with anything from this store! read more

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Awesome meat market! Everything looks fresh and amazing and from grass fed meats. I picked up sausage and aged steak burgers which were delicious! Will definitely be visiting again. read more

I absolutely love this place! As a meat eating animal lover, saying that I value the humane treatment of farm animals is a huge understatement. Just because we eat them doesn't mean their lives don't matter. On top of that, I will jump at any opportunity to support local farmers. The store itself is immaculate. The meat display is arranged beautifully and everything is just so clean. The staff is very helpful and willing to answer any questions and really take their time to take care of their customers. The prices are reasonable. Some may say they're expensive but when you think about what you're getting and the ethics behind what they do, makes me more than happy to give them my support. On top of that, eating meat that is not mass produced and is grass fed/free range is healthier in general. I'm glad this place exists in Madison! read more

Amazing butcher all around. They treat animals how they should be treated. This results in the healthiest meats you could ask for. Also, wildly delicious too. The aged t bone cut like butter and melted in my mouth. Hands down better than any steak I've ever had from an expensive steakhouse. I am an insanely good cook though so that may have something to do with it. read more

I LOVE them - I get deliveries through Mercato, and every single time, CC have called me to verify my order, ask for preferences and substitutions, and once actually went out of the way to get the Duck Confit I loved for me, though it was out of stock. The meat is of the highest, freshest quality - the pork belly is to die for, and the fresh chicken is flavorful, not cardboard like the ones at Whole Foods or Trader Joe's. The gourmet items are fantastic as well. Support your local business y'all - these guys are gems, genuine, courteous, professional, fantastic! read more

I've been here a few more times since I last reviewed, and I continue to be impressed. The in-store events (free sandwiches, YES) are awesome and the cooking classes are intriguing. All of the products I've purchased have been fairly priced and fresh. The beef tenderloin filets is super tender and cut well, the grassfed ground beef is reliable. Stuffed chicken breasts are juicy with great filling options. BRING US MORE CARNIVORE read more

Conscious Carnivore, getting you in touch with your inner socially responsible caveman Geez, I'm getting a serious case of the meat sweats just thinking about all the meaty goodness contained with the four walls of the Conscious Carnivore. As a semi-serious home cooking enthusiast, it's a joy to have to join the Madison food scene. Not only do they have a wide variety of cuts (I've been searching for hanger and skirt steaks for several years), but I get to choose between organic, grass-fed and local options. The quality of the products I've purchased is top notch, especially the standing rib roast I picked up for Thanksgiving dinner. They also have excellent weekly specials and special cuts (like a skin-on Mangalitsa pork loin - WOW) communicated on their Facebook page LINK Generally, when I hear the terms like organic and locally sourced, I expect to pay a hefty premium, but that is not the case at CC. Their prices are on par with what I pay at the local Piggy Wiggly here in Waunakee. Pro tip: CC is a CSA pick up point for Black Earth Meats the third Wednesday of every month. I've experienced excellent service at CC. I get a warm greeting every time I've entered the store and a staff member (or two) always asks if they can assist in any way. The store offers various cooking and butchering classes and frequent product sampling events where you can meet their suppliers. CC also is a pick-up point for In addition to meat, they stock local beers and cheeses. They even serve Colectivo coffee! Food coma coming on. Must..finish...review... read more

The Conscious Carnivore - The standing rib roast that graced our Thanksgiving dinner table. Used the rib bones the following day to make Sunday gravy. - Butcher Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I've been a fan of Conscious Carnivore for years and routinely had wonderful products. Today I brought home their hickory smoked Berkshire pork spare ribs. Reheated them on a cooling rack in a 1/2 sheet pan with a couple tablespoons of water and covered with heavy duty aluminum foil at 350F for about 20 minutes. We were all totally blown away at how wonderful they were. Juicy, tender, toothsome (not falling off the bone which in my opinion is not the way to cook ribs!) I'll get these again and again. Thanks guys! read more

I appreciate the curbside pickup during COVID. Very happy with the great service and quality products.

Whew, the first whiff in the door almost left me running for cover. Fortunately, I braved it through to discover a whole new world! There is a great selection of different cuts of meat as well as a case full of different types of brats. With the help of the lovely young man at the counter, I ended up picking out a couple of the traditional brats and the pickle&cheese brats for a picnic/grill-out! Prices are reasonable, and everything - and I mean EVERYTHING - looked super fresh. I definitely wouldn't have minded paying a little extra for such good looking meat, but as I mentioned, the prices were comparable to a local grocery store. As for the brats, I really wish that I had all of the typical condiments to go along with them so that I could really get the full effect of a nice, juicy Wisconsin brat, but unfortunately, we only had dijon mustard at the grill-out so I ended having the brats au naturale - which honestly weren't bad either. I think they were quite a hit at the picnic! I'd definitely recommend The Conscious Carnivore to all my meat-eating, grill-loving friends - if only for the novelty. read more

Off the charts exceptional. Ive been trying this place out for a month or so now. Two dollar signs is not right. This place is pricey. Bone in ribeyes are $20 per pound. But it is sooooo worth it. The best steak I've ever made. Never buy, take home and FREEZE. Never. Use it fresh or don't bother. Try tip cuts are great. Meatballs are delicious. Jerky can be hit or miss. They carry duck fat. It's just awesome. But, bring the plastic. It'll cost ya. read more

I decided to order a standing beef rib roast to prepare for Christmas Dinner. It was not cheap - but I knew that they have good quality meats. I called about 5 days before to order, the person on the phone was very nice and provided recommendations on how many ribs to get based on the number of people that were going to be eating. I was so pleasantly surprised to see that they had cut the meat off the bone and then tied the bone back on as well as trimming some of the fat off- making it so much easier for me to cut the roast when everything was done. The roast was amazing. One of the dinner guests said "I have had plenty of prime rib dinners, and this is probably the best I've ever had" It was an awesome cut of meat - pricey, but worth it. read more

Friendly and knowledgeable staff who are very willing to share recommendations, new cuts and cooking tips. Plus a great selection of hard to find items like veal, duck, duck fat, Frenched rack of lamb and a nice variety of heat-up meals like Asian style meatloaf as well as classic meatloaf. read more

We purchased a bone in rib, 2.5 inch cut last week and it was fantastic and I will be ordering this again. The next morning we enjoyed the thick cut bacon and their farm eggs was again we were very pleased. Superb quality of meets and the staff so very friendly and knowledgeable. We can't wait to try the grinder box of meats next! read more

Come in and strike up a convo, these folks know meat! The prices are excellent (beat that dodgy chain across the street, Metcalf'es and the Co-Op) and you can tell these guys really care about their craft. I love walking in and asking them what i should make for dinner. The next time you are grocery shopping be sure to plan to stop here for your proteins. Sure it is another stop, but these guys are pros, the prices are excellent and the quality is unmatched. read more

Positive experience all around at the Conscious Carnivore. I went in for some bacon for a recipe on a Sunday afternoon. A butchering class was going on, which looked like fun. It sounds like they offer additional classes as well and I was told by the cashier that their suppliers often come in to host informal chats with patrons. CC offers house-smoked bacon, which ended up working well in a butternut squash recipe. I perused the offerings a little. Reasonable prices for high quality, fresh meats and fish. Since the class was going on and people were blocking the entire right hand side of the store, I couldn't check out one of the cases with frozen food (something they may want to consider accounting for in the future). Employees were friendly and helpful. read more

The absolute best butcher in Wisconsin. The staff is very knowledgeable, professional and engaging. The meat is locally sourced. The farms are environmentally sustainable. Conscious Carnivore is now our exclusive supplier of fresh meat. Thank you. read more

A great butcher shop but if you are reading the other reviews, you already know this. The CC has a tremendous amount of selection of quality meats. So far, I have sampled their chicken as well as their brats. Staff is super friendly and willing to offer suggestions when asked. I appreciate the fact of knowing where my meat comes from and the quality can't be beat. read more

I don't say this lightly. We're very fortunate to have this place in Madison. Steak, pork and chicken are unreal. Better than any restaurant in town. There. I said it. Burgers and sausage is a little dry due to the grass fed lean cuts. But bacon and hot dogs are best in the state. Not cheap. But cheaper than going out. And you don't need as big of a portion because it tastes so damn good. I'd rather eat less meat and eat CC meat than save a buck here or there for cruel, tasteless meat elsewhere. read more

The best butcher shop in town! Today's stop yielded a great selection of hard to find items: - a smoked ham hock simmering for bean soup - 4 hot links for tommorow night - a chub of braunschwager for noshing. Perfect for a cold blustery wet spring day! read more

There are no words to describe this wonderful business! They were recommended by a friend when I was seeking raw bones for our dogs, but I was so impressed by their philosophy (local and humane), their engaging customer service, amazing expertise, pristine store, and fantastic selection! We are now hooked! I just served "the best burgers" my family has ever had (pre-seasoned bacon and blue burgers). I can hardly wait to go back! Pricing is fair, wisdom provide free of charge, and ethical/sustainable/local practices are priceless! We will definitely be regulars! Amazing! read more

Have been here twice now and both times had a great experience. Very friendly and knowledgeable staff. Ground beef, bacon, and pork chops were all delicious. read more

We were driving past Madison to pick up a popup for camping and wanted to find a butcher near Arena, WI. I knew I wanted to pick up some pork belly for a breakfast meal so when looking up butchers we found the Concious Carnivore in Madison. I called ahead and had them cut some pork belly for me. When we arrived it was ready. While inside I could not believe how great their meat looked! So I added a huge ribeye steak, more pork butt and sausages! This was some of the best tasting meat ever! Everything is grass fed and you can tell! Great butcher shop! read more

After watching the show on Wisconsin Foodie, I decided to look for the shop in Black Earth and found it right in Madison. Bought a thick piece of bone-in ribeye steak and the owner told me how to grill it. The meat itself did not need much seasoning at all. The taste was exquisite and we are convinced that from now on I will only get the steaks and other meats from here. Highly recommended. read more

My first purchase will be my last! Went looking for a tender ribeye and willing to pay whatever the cost. Most fine restaurants serve aged prime beef. I asked the butcher for that and he said they only age the bone in ribeye, otherwise they lose to much on their end because the meet shrinks in the process. They go overboard and make you take an extra 3" of bone which I had to cut off to fit two of the steaks in my cast iron pan. So my 2 steaks @ $75. went home to be cooked and butter basted like they do in the top steak houses. After resting the meat, we cut into perfectly prepared medium rare shoe leather. This was the worst , both of our steaks had a heavy vein of gristle which means they came from the sirloin end of the roast. This part should not be used for an aged steak. It's a nice shop very clean, good assortment but buyer beware. I have had better at Costco. read more

My husband and I usually come once/month to stock up for the remainder of the month- I've found that the prices here are less than Whole Foods and Willy Street for a similar product, which I didn't expect. The staff are friendly and helpful, they always have samples, and the place is extremely clean....super clean. Great quality meat-everything we've purchased so far has been fantastic! read more

Shopped here yesterday afternoon for the protein we were going to include with our dinner. The first thing you notice when you walk in is how meticulously clean the interior is. All of their product coolers and freezers were very concise and well organized and again, immaculately clean. We stopped in particularly for pork tenderloin, but they had a wide selection of other cuts as well. They had chickens whole and butchered, pork sausages, summer sausage, steaks, lamb and pork chops, and a myriad of other free range, grass-fed, and heritage breed cuts and chops as well. The staff were both friendly, professional, and were able to answer any questions we had while we were there. We also had a pretty old coupon for 25% off, which had no expiration date but that they gladly honored as well. Obviously, a boutique butcher shop offering high quality cuts is going to be a little bit more expensive than the price tags you would find at a local supermarket. However, the prices are worth every penny. We got a large tenderloin for about $20 and it fed all three of us with a small amount left over. It was expertly trimmed the quality was superior to that of a supermarket. We seasoned it simply with kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper, and a small amount of good old fashioned Lawry's seasoned salt. We then seared it on all sides in a cast iron pan then finished it to 140 degrees then sliced it. It was super moist, with a very delicate flavor and firm but not chewy texture. We were very satisfied all around with our purchase and will absolutely be returning the next time we all dine together. read more

they are absolutely the best! We brought pork, beef, pig tongue, pig heart from them, the best and most fresh ones that I ever had. Just being supportive and we will be back. read more

Stopped in shortly after the grand opening. Everyone was extremely helpful and informative of the meats and products they offer. We bought a wide selection, including red wattle pork shoulder and halal leg of lamb. The pork, cooked low and slow, was fantastic. Buttery, great pork flavor that you miss from normal grocery store selection pork. The leg of lamb was a bit high in cost per pound but it was the freshest, most beautiful leg of lamb I have ever purchased. I can't wait to try the Red Wattle pork belly I tucked into the freezer. We will be back - often. read more

What a fabulous place. The meat here is amazing and the variety is far beyond what the grocery store can offer. The butchers were helpful and instructed me on how to best cook and cut the meat to ensure the best flavor and texture. They offer a play area and coloring for kids, as well as selling Colectivo coffee by the cup - this is a place to take your time and appreciate what they have on offer. I live not far from this place and am so glad to have a high quality butcher shop in the neighborhood! I do wish they would offer sandwiches or other takeaway cooked foods - maybe in the future? read more

One of the best things about living in Madison is the access to local, fresh food. You cultivate a relationship with food that's more than just about what looks great in a food photo. It's about understanding where your food comes from and the people who devote their careers to growing and creating the vegetables and meat that nourish you. The Conscious Carnivore is a full service butcher that is environmentally and socially conscious. The butchers are knowledgeable about meat and animals, and they also have a relationship with local farmers who raise the cows and pigs. The storefront is beautiful and clean, and things are packaged in the fridge so that you can browse and pick out what you want or need. They also do a Buyer's Club, which I signed up for. For $75, you get a monthly box of 10-12 lbs of meat. It's about 50% beef, 30% pork, and 20% other stuff. For my first box, I got 2 lbs of ground pork, 1 lbs of pork sausage, 1 lb of ground pork, 2 lbs of chicken, a t-bone steak, beef short ribs, london broil, and a package of beef snack sticks. You get 10% off anything in the store when you come in to pick up the box, and you can cancel at any point. I asked whether I could sign up for just one month to try it out and they said that'd be no problem. I just needed to let them know a couple of days before the next pick up date. After just one box, I'm looking forward to the next box and excited about the goodies that might show up. It's no wonder there's no minimum commitment. I'm continuing as long as my freezer doesn't get too full. read more

I had a good experience with the Conscious Carnivore. We ordered a 6lb beef tenderloin for our annual Christmas party. I called about a week beforehand, asked for the price of the beef, and the young woman on the phone couldn't answer me for sure. She offered to call back with pricing, and I said that was fine. She did return my call and tell me the price, which was satisfactory to me. So I ordered the tenderloin and specifically told her that I wanted it to be a whole 6lb tenderloin (not two three-pound tenderloins, for example). Unfortunately she either didn't listen, didn't write it down, or it got lost in translation somewhere. When my husband went to pick it up, it was two three-pound tenderloins. I was pretty unhappy because I had specifically asked for a whole one and the woman on the phone said that that would not be a problem. The quality of the meat was excellent, and the butchers go out of their way to make sure the meat is tied correctly for even cooking. That is a HUGE plus in my book. In addition, they make sure all the silver skin is off the beef, which is, again, a huge plus. Everyone at my party complimented the meat and asked where we got it, and it was tender and delicious even though I overcooked it slightly. I would definitely go back to the Conscious Carnivore again, but I don't know if I'd order a big cut of meat again because I'm not willing to chance that the order gets messed up. read more

I am a natural healthcare doctor who is constantly looking for sources of good quality food for my patients as I advise them to avoid hormones, antibiotics, etc .in their food supply. I am so pleased to be able to refer them to Conscious Carnivore. I checked it out yesterday and was incredibly impressed with the quality of the meat as well as the knowledge of the employees. It is so important that we are thoughtful with our food choices and we are lucky to have a place like this in Madison. Dr. Nicole Fenske read more

This is the first company for which I've felt compelled to write a yelp review. I discovered Black Earth Meats just a few weeks before Conscious Carnivore opened. I haven't bought meat from a grocery store since. If you haven't tried grass fed or Berkshire pork before, I would highly recommend it. You don't have to be foodie to appreciate what these folks do, you just need a refined palate. Apart from the ethics of humane farming practices, there is also a clear gain in the flavor and complexity of the meat. THE PRICES ARE VERY REASONABLE. The staff is not pretentious like their local competitors and you can expect honest and friendly service. If you take one of their classes, expect to walk away with a full stomach, a smile, and a generous amount of meat. Thanks Chris, Joe, and Ben! read more

So lucky we found this place. The guys running it were super nice and helpful. A little spend but worth every penny. The steaks were perfect and the brat was wonderful. I'll he back for sure read more

The selection is great but I was shockingly disappointed by the handling of he meat. The cashier cane behind the meat counter assisted a customer. Grabbed meat with washing his hands, no gloves ... The butcher assisted us. He too just grabbed me, no gloves nothing. Didn't even put paper in the scale. We headed to the cashier. He came back from he meat counted brushed his hands in his pants, didn't wash them and proceeded to take our money. Doesn't sound like good food safety. read more