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Bud's Custom Meats
Category: Food Specialty Food Meat Shops Meat Shops [Edit]
7750 Petaluma Hill RdPenngrove, CA 94951
(707) 795-8402
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 8 am - 5 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
40 reviews for Bud's Custom Meats
Review Highlights
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"Smoked hams (for wild boar) are outstanding." In 8 reviews -
"The Santa Maria and Bloody Mary tri-tips are always a big..." In 3 reviews -
"I look forward to the elk chops, Venison sausage and my..." In 4 reviews
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40 reviews in English
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Review from Keith W.
Cloverdale, CA
4/14/2012
love love love!
Greatest selection of grass fed beef we've found. Best prices too. We buy their organic chicken too. They have a great selection of wild and exotic stuff.
alligator, frog legs, wild boar, venison, buffalo etc......tried it all and it's all good.
cowboy jerky is the best and their bloody mary marinated tri tip to die for!!! -
Review from Anthony S.
Seattle, WA
10/16/2011
They should get 10 stars. Reason being there are two great aspects of Buds.
1. Custom Game Meat Processing
They do excellent work. Great cuts with little waste. Sausage selections are award winning. Smoked hams (for wild boar) are outstanding.
2. Meat Market
All you need to do is see and sample their long list of award winning sausages and meats to understand what a treat this place is. Want the best, most tender tri tip? Killer hanger steaks? Jalapeno smoked bacon? An amazing collection of killer sausage. Ultra premium top shelf beef steaks? Elk, Vinison or wild boar meat? Great jerkey? Its all here. Best meat market in the world, hands down.
THANKS!! -
Review from Joy H.
American Canyon, CA
3/9/2012
Bud's processed a hog we purchased from Falton Acres. From the second we got the call from Bud's to the time we drove off with our hog, we had amazing service. They walked us through the various choices for cuts, the smoking and the sausage prep. They were very friendly, helpful and professional. The meat we have had so far is amazing and we can't wait to try one of the hams. The bacon & sausage is fantastic. I can't say enough about the service we received.
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Review from .caroline C.
Hayward, CA
6/30/2011
Bud's takes care of our beef and lamb and they do a beautiful job.
When you're picking up 100+ lbs of meat, one might not think you'd need more meat, but they have such an incredible selection of other local/rare meats that it's hard to pass up.
These guys are awesome. We always look forward to meat pick-up day! -
Review from Marlene T.
Rohnert Park, CA
2/26/2011 ROTD 8/5/2011
I'd been dying to go here for soooooo long. I seemed to always stop by randomly when they were closed. Finally, after hearing such a great review of the eclectic rare meat selection from a friend (Elk, Venison, Alligator, Ostrich, Rabbit, etc) I knew I just had to make a point to stop by when they were open.
Today I called at 9 am and they let me know they were open (today = Saturday) until 5 pm.
When we followed the signs and started going down a small road appearing like a driveway I laughed at all the cute small signs posted on top of the fencing. One sign that I remember well was stating hick parking only! Another sign showed a bull outline with something witty.
It really does feel like you're driving to someone's house with all the twists and turns, and the passing of a house on the right side.
When we pulled up to the lot my boyfriend said "Wow, this place is busy." Really there were only a handful of trucks but even so, people walking out with arms full of bagged meats and whatever else fit their fancy.
I also noted they have some smokers on site and sell accompanying charcoals and wood. These included mesquite, maple, and more.
When we entered the shop it reminded me of Willowside, where there isn't much walking room and has an array of fridges and freezers to choose selection from.
The difference between Willowside's meats though, is there is no case in the front at Buds with fresh meat.
There is a nice selection that seems ever rotating and I thought the pricing was a little cheaper at Buds than Willowsides for the comparable meats.
Otherwise, when I went there was a selection of Kobe cuts, Alligator medalions, Elk, Bison, Venison, Rabbit, Lamb, Pork, and Beef. The special today was 4.99/lb ground grass fed beef.
I picked up a full ready to eat rabbit (I plan to make Rabbit Proscuitto, look me up and I'll share the recipe) for $26, some banger like sausages, and a couple of veal scallopini cuts. All in all it was around 30 something dollars, which I didn't think was too hefty, especially since the Rabbit was large ($7.99/lb) enough to feed at least two to three people in a full course meal.
My boyfriend picked up two different kinds of jerky. The bloody-mary marinated beef (medal winner it said) and a venison kind. The venison was sweet and finished with a peppercorn bite. I noted that both kinds used powdered soy sauce, honestly which I've never heard of. So I thought that interesting. We have yet to try the beef version.
The most notable to me of all though is no nitrites or nitrates and also no preservatives. A BIG plus in my book. So that equals the most freshest taste in mind!
I'm excited to go back and hopefully find some ostrich. My friend tells me it's like the most tender filet mignon which I am a huge fan of. And of course to get more Rabbit, check out some Kobe ($25/lb), and dig into some venison sausages and steak cuts. Oh and get a ham during the next holiday, maybe Easter?!
This place gets my thumbs up and more than 5 stars if I could give it. -
Review from Brendan W.
San Anselmo, CA
12/21/2010
Yesterday I somehow convinced the cabbie to drive me to Penngrove for Bud's Custom Meats. While not happy, I was, as I was planning on trying some elk and wild boar meat.
Once we were in Penngrove, we drove onto a country road, a mile or two up a large sign saying "Bud's Custom Meats." So in through a tight little street past the meadows filled with prime ribs and we drove up to Bud's.
Almost all the meat in Bud's is frozen, which is frowned upon by me, though especially me dad. I don't have as strong an opinion about it as he does, though, when meat is frozen, it does lose a good deal of its juices. nevermind- I just want to try some meats that I haven't had before. So out of the freezer popped a couple of elk chops as well as a couple of boar chops.
I noticed American Kobe rib eyes up a little bit higher in the freezer. Took one out and it looked spectacular. Wasn't even all that expensive ($25/lb.) as far as the prices go for this type of meat- though of course it ain't cheap.
My dad thought I was stupid for getting it, because it was frozen, but you know what, I absolutely disagree. Because of the intense marbling in Kobe beef, freezing it is much different than freezing normal meat. Freezing Kobe beef is very similar to freezing ice cream, actually.
So since I got my meat from Bud's I have tried them all. The wild boar chops tasted decent, much like a "wilder" pork. The elk tasted terrific, with a taste I cannot really describe. But what really was great was the American Kobe rib eye. Cooked it up today, in a very hot pan, to a nice rare, it was outstanding. One of the best pieces of meat I have ever had. And guess what? It was frozen.Listed in: My Meat List
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Review from Jake p.
Pleasanton, CA
11/2/2011
Bud's does the butchering for Clark Summit Farms, where I buy my beef and pork from. For a recent pork order, I requested all the back and leaf fat. Animal fat is especially important to me: I eat a low-carb diet, and animal fat is 2/3 of my calories. So, lard and tallow are condiments for most of my meals. For whatever reason, when I went to pick up my order, there wasn't any fat packaged with the order. After searching a bit, Matt (the owner) gave me a large package of fat that he said was usually for the shop's use (sausages, I guess).
I was delighted with his generosity! Processed meat products are a high-margin item for a butcher, so Matt's gift meant a chunk of money out of the store's pocket.
And, as others have mentioned, Bud's has a selection of exotic packaged meats. I always look for the venison summer sausage whenever I go there.
Thanks to Matt for being a decent human being as well as a good butcher. -
Review from Eric W.
12/20/2010
Another meat trek and another day of wonder.
So my Bud and I decided to trek to the north to search for Saber tooth Tiger meat. No, they do not have that (at least I do not think so) but they have other exotic varieties. Since I could care less what rattlesnake beef jerky tastes like I went to the regular menu. I had the "cowboy ribeye" that was in the non frozen section of their cooling devices. Having it tonight, it was good. Not great, not bad. Just good.
Going down a one lane paved road, towards Bud's is cool. I had no clue what to expect. Inside, if was a clean well lit and clean butcher shop. The staff was preparing fresh, no frozen, meat to ship somewhere but all I had was a bunch of frozen coolers and some no frozen items wrapped in some type of plastic. This does little for me. Now, I get the crazy game options they have here. From Boar, to Elk to Monkey (kidding). Really, these options are not to be seen anywhere I do. Totally cool, though not my thing. What I love is a freshly cut, well aged piece of prime beef. Sorry to say, that is not what they offer. Yet, on further review you can order it, so now I am a happy customer.
So, if you want some exotic meats frozen, or some local fresh meat in a cellophane fresh wrap, this could be your place.
One other point. The people are real nice, the prices are fair and it is a pretty cool out of the way place. -
Review from Jack D.
Petaluma, CA
10/29/2011
I've been a customer for about a decade and love the place, never had a single negative experience. I worked for a Butcher when I was in highschool, the trained eye can see right away what type of business practices are employed... Bud's is 5 Star. The place I worked for was 3-Star.
Matt (the owner) is a top tier professional who employs an excellent staff. They are very personal there, they remember faces and names and treat you like a friend once they get to know you a bit. Furthermore, Matt is a bit of good luck to those in the Sonoma County region as he has won State Awards for products that include his Bacons and smoked Pork Loin. Bud's carries dry-aged beef and that is not easy to find. Everything in the stores is wet-aged and believe me, on a prime cut of meat, this makes a BIG DIFFERENCE! Bud's carries a Prime Rib that is second to none and competitively priced with the wet-aged cuts you find in the supermarkets.
Bud's carries a deep line of both Sausage and marinated Tri-Tips that are excellent. They also carry a pretty good line of exotics. Things like Elk, Ostrich and Buffalo. Buffalo is a great option for certain dietary needs as it is leaner than it's Cow counterpart and has a flavor that is a bit unique. They also carry a limited selection of Kobe Beef. Even the stupid stuff, things like Ground Beef. Think all ground beef is the same? Make your next hamburger out of their ground beef and figure out what the difference is.
If you are a hunter, you probably already know about Bud's but if not, one of their primary services is processing and packaging.
I've a customer for about a decade but a resident for about 15 years... Don't make the mistake I did for five years, drive by the place, look at the sign and say "I've got to check that place out one of these days"... Pull into the driveway. -
Review from Eli G.
I had driven by the Bud's Meat sign for over half my life but myself and my family never bothered to try them until this xmas. My parents ordered a 12lb prime rib and it was almost perfect.
With the huge hunk of meat came simple instructions for cooking and a bag of spice rub. I consulted a bevy of food sites to compare other recipes and cooking methods and came up with a hybrid approach. I used the included rub and added some extra pepper and maple sugar. Set the oven at its highest temperature and seared the meat for 45 minutes.
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Once the skin was bubbly and crisp, we lowered the heat to 350 and cooked it for a little over three hours. The lack of perfection in the final product only came from the fact that my parents' 30 year old oven doesn't stick with the set temp very well and can get off by 50 degrees. But in the end the roast was marvelous! The ends were crisp and salty, the middle was pink and delicious, and the meat around the six giant ribs was rare and packed with beautiful ribby flavor.
I'm sure my parents will make use of this gem of a meat soup well before the next holiday. -
Review from Brandi G.
Alameda, CA
9/27/2010 4 Check-ins Here
Bud's Custom Meats has always offered top quality exotic meats ranging from wild boar, buffalo, quail, pheasants to all the typical barnyard animals! They are a must have when hosting dinners or parties with friends and family due to their excellent selection of all-natural marinated tri-tips, baby back ribs, and chicken, or even rabbit for those special occasions. The Santa Maria and Bloody Mary tri-tips are always a big hit! I drive all the way from Alameda to snag their meats, because YES, they are that GOOD!
Their cowboy candy is amazing! If your a jerky fanatic, you will fall on your knees after tasting some of the special flavors they offer. Mmmmmmm.....my mouth is watering just thinking about it.
Moderately priced and juicy meats without all the nasty additives! That's why Bud's is my favorite meat buddy! -
Review from Rita C.
San Francisco, CA
6/23/2008
I love meat... But I only eat red meat when it's a really good cut/good quality... You would think most people would only eat red meat if it were good quality/cut, but most people are dumbasses when it comes to food, cooking, and picking out what is a good quality food product and what isn't. Luckily for me, I know my food and believe me, I know it damn well.
So when I arrived in Petaluma, I immediately wanted to BBQ ASAP... So we headed out to the country (hello Penngrove!) to get to Bud's. I grew up with my dad BBQing various sorts of meat during my childhood, so due to that, I know of some pretty amazing butchers in the Petaluma/Penngrove area...
One of those butchers is Bud's. Now let me give you a little info on this butcher shop. It's very decently priced, however, all the meat is frozen when your purchase. I don't see this as a problem, but I guess some people find it annoying. I'm not the type of person to get annoyed over defrosting something, so this does not bother me in the slightest. Another interesting tidbit, you can bring your own meat/catch in for them to butcher... Pretty sweet if you don't feel like gettin' down and dirty with some raw meat! Also, I found out that they now BBQ during Saturdays till 2 PM I believe. And last, but not least, they have a HUGE array of rare meats such as Ostrich, Venison, etc... Lots of tasty, interesting things!
So if you're ever up in Sonoma County and need to get some good meat, then come here. It's way cheaper and more delicious than anywhere else I have ever been.
Also, if you get the chance, pick up some of their Bloody Mary Beef Jerky... Amazing shit right there!Listed in: Sonoma County Love..., (Grocery) Shopping
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Review from Kate B.
Cotati, CA
8/22/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Let's just say that I am so glad to have left my college-vegetarian phase long behind me.
Bud's Custom Meats has the best meat on the planet (sorry, honey!) and I am not ashamed to admit that my mouth is watering at the thought of it.
Of course, Bud's Meats are not for the beginning grillers & chefs, and I take no responsibility if you're disappointed because of the preparation! (Go to Safeway for practice meat before you try your hand at the good stuff!)
A few of my tried & true favorites include the Bloody Mary Tri-Tip, all of the sausages, and the Corned Beef. (My mom will not use anything but Bud's for her St. Paddy's Day feast!) I'm not big on bacon (never have been), but Bud's bacon cooks up like a dream & I'm told it's the absolute best (especially when I serve it with waffles)!
For those looking for an interesting, unique, or hard-to-find flesh ingredient - I can almost guarantee that Bud's has it. (If they don't have it, you won't be able to find it! At least, not around here..) After living in Florida, it's comforting to know that I can get 'gator locally if I ever have a craving. They also sell ground ostrich & buffalo - which makes for a killer meatloaf!
I could go on and on ... and on .. and mmm .. Bud's ..
But don't take my word for it. Stop by & see for yourself. And while you're there, pick up some cowboy candy jerky for me. -
Review from samanta v.
Healdsburg, CA
1/1/2010
We came out her to get the venison for our New Year's eve dinner and also picked up some elk as well as some amazing jalapeno and cheddar sausages.
Picked up some bloody mary jerky too... delish --- DELISH.
This is my new favorite speciality meat stop! -
Review from Linda L.
11/29/2010 2 Check-ins Here
I really like Bud's! Bud's will be a standard stop when up in the Petaluma area - which is quite often these days.
Pricing is great - I didn't feel gouged at all. And they are accomodating.
I ordered a roughly 10-lb shank end ham for Thanksgiving. When I got there to pick it up, I realized I had forgotten to ask them to shave off a few 1/8' slices prior to packaging. No problem - they accomodated my need quickly. Looking forward to ordering up another ham for xmas!
We have had a few of their tri-tips. The Bloody Mary being the best. The other's tended to be too sweet for us.
Their ham and cheese sausage just effin rocks!
Their 2010 Grand Champion bacon baked up nice and flavorful.
We also really liked their mild breakfast sausage. There was some confusion with the lady at the counter as to whether they sold bulk breakfast sausage. Alas, the girls standing next to her were wrapping some up as I posed the question. We bough four packages and look forward to getting more. If you are interested in the bulk breakfast sausage, you may want to call ahead to see if it is a standard item.
Bud's has a very visible sign from Old Petaluma Road/Hwy. Once you turn onto Petaluma Hill Road, prepare yourself for an old country road, a turn around a bend in the road (two-way traffic is dicey), and then - voila!
Bud's is closed on Sunday's. -
Review from KL W.
Cotati, CA
1/5/2010
Wow - After having meat from Buds I don't want to ever shop at Costco or Safeway ever again! It's so worth it!
Our first trip we got the Santa Maria marinated tri tip, and it was delicious. It was actually even cheaper than the pre-marinated tri tip from Costco, and a thousand time more delicious. -
Review from J N.
Oakland, CA
4/29/2008
I grew up in Rohnert Park, but had never tried this place until a good 7 years after moving away. It's fantastic! You know the phrase "Like a kid in a candy store"? Well, I love salt a lot more than I like sweet, so a more accurate phrase for me would be "Like Jocelyn in Bud's Custom Meats."
They seem to always have the wild staples such as venison and wild boar, but they also occasionally carry some delicious morsel I've either never tried or have been craving since that one time during childhood that my crazy grandma caught and cooked it.
My most recent purchases were elk chops (flavorful and unbelievably tender) and tiny little quails (which are almost as cute as they are delicious). I've also tried their venison and bloody-mary-marinated tri-tip. Yum! They actually have a variety of meats marinated in this raspy-voiced-hooker of a drink mix, and I intend on trying them all. Also in my future: bear, duck, alligator, pheasant, bunny-rabbits... -
Review from Krishna D.
San Francisco, CA
12/26/2010 3 Check-ins Here
It doesn't get fresher.Very pricy top quality beef. Shockigly reasonable gourmet sasuage, hamburger, bacon and specialty meats. (Try the ground Bision, makes the best burger in the world!) WILL NOT PAY the 25 dollar a pound price cut on the premium beef. But I have a couple time and it's worth every penny. Take your kids here is they never have seen a butcher shop, 50 50 they will turn vegatarian when they realize meat is so.... bloody. :)
Back in the day, before shrink wrapped steriity, you could find food like this. Good that places like this still exsist. Hunters and small farmers, they will dress out and butcher for you custom.
ps If you like Jerky, get a few packs here. Da best. -
Review from Peg S.
3/31/2011
I know nuttin' about huntin' or meat cuttin', but I sure do know that the meat they package and sell tastes good. The pounds of wild boar sausage (someone I know went all Bear Grylls on that poor piggy) was prepped with tasty spices and the other venison and elk sausages they sell were interestingly flavorful and fresh to be sure.
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Review from Lisa A.
Decatur, GA
8/4/2008
Wow, what a cool place.
Being a city girl, I can honestly say I had never been to a real butcher before. We were coming out to Sonoma for a wedding and the groom wanted to have a exotic meat extravaganza on Sat for a pool party. My husband did a little investigating on the Internet and found Bud's, so we decided to give them a try. We only wish we had found this place when we were living in SF! Fresh does not even begin to describe it. -
Review from Lisa K.
5/26/2010
Open 8 AM- 5 PM Saturday, closed Sunday.
We just got some jerky, since we didn't want to haul raw meat around. But I'd love to go back and get some! The jerky's good.Listed in: SF to OR
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Review from Sandra L.
Penngrove, CA
12/19/2011
Live practically next door to this place, but forget about it (how can that be) so do not patronize as often as I should. However for a special occasion or unusual meat, I cannot recommend this enough. Bought our Easter ham here last year and I have never had a better ham. Flavor was incredible (beyond the bland factory farmed pork in the supermarket) and very little excess fat. It was the best ham I've ever had and I love ham. Other meats are also exceptional and the people there are friendly and helpful. I try to order ahead so I can just pick it up. It does get busy. The other thing I like is that they get their meat locally so it is humanely grown and butchered as opposed to large feedlots (have you ever seen that horrific Harris Ranch feed lot on I-5?) and healthy animals. And you know you are getting really fresh food. Just ordered another ham for Christmas and can't wait to enjoy it. It's a bit out of the way and not your average meat market prices, but it is the best.
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Review from Tom S.
Kenwood, CA
3/18/2008
Everyone is awarding 5 stars. Get the picture?
Bud's has been here since the '70's.
Those cows you see in the pasture right outside the shop, Yep! future steaks.
This meat is clean kill, totally orgainic, processed with care.
Besides beef you may find pork, venison, ostrich, elk, bear, buffalo, duck, chicken, in the 2 'fridges.
The quality is world's best. The prices are lower than Costco.
The only way you are going to get better meat on your diiner table is to raise it and butcher it yourself. Bud's gives you the meat without the work.
Bravo Bud's! -
Review from Sahara G.
San Francisco, CA
2/26/2010
Vegetarian friends, avert your eyes . . . .
I'm smitten over Bud's sausage - all meat, no grease or mystery bits that you need to spit out. And the seasonings are perfection.
You can buy elk, venision, wild boar, and so much more in chops, stew, ribs, and sausage.
Their bacon looks good, but I make my own.
They sell an amazing looking smoker for the backyard - I'm told women love it because there are no fire flare ups to singe our eyelashes or hair. Plug it in, add the wood chips, add the meat or vegetables and smoke away. You can even bake bread!
Service from the guys is always friendly and helpful.
The long drive down the country road is always a nice trip for we city gals and guys. -
Review from Beth S.
Cotati, CA
6/4/2011
I can't believe it took me six years of living in Rohnert Park to discover this place. I've heard for years about how incredible Bud's meat is but I only recently went there myself.
The meat is fresh and the selection is crazy! They have venison, jerky, marinated tri tips, and so much more! I got some jerky and a marinated tri tip. I cooked the tri tip for my boyfriend without telling him where I got it and he said it was the most incredible tri tip he had ever had.
We are sold on this place and will try to get there anytime we can. -
Review from Jennifer L.
San Francisco, CA
7/15/2010 1 Check-in Here
I just called to understand how Bud's would be butchering the quarter cow I purchased from Stemple Ranch, and they didn't even treat me like a complete idiot!!
The woman I spoke to explained it to me (twice) until I could get the packaging into my little, tiny, not even cow sized brain. Which I appreciate. And now that I know about them, you are insane if you think I'm not going to be all over this place to try to get some wild boar to make a yummy ragu this fall. -
Review from Chris H.
San Jose, CA
9/10/2009
I recently bought a beef for the first time from Clark Summit Farm, who recommended Bud's Custom Meats. They did a great job and helped me to understand all the different options there were for the cuts.
Walking into their store to pick up my beef was like being in a candy store... I couldn't help but buy some elk sausage & beef jerky (I didn't try the bloody mary, but the original was mouth-watering!) while I was there. The store was very clean and the employees super helpful.
All the meat we've eaten so far has been very tender, fresh-tasting, and has gotten rave reviews from both my food snob and non-foodie friends. -
Review from Doug F.
Cotati, CA
12/30/2009
Great local meat shop. Family owned and operated, fantastic selection of meat, including some not so common items like bison, venison, elk, and even some exotic game meat like rattlesnake and alligator.
Matt is one of the butchers, really knows his products and customer service. Special orders are no problem, and most are ready within a day or so.
They also sell some BBQs and Smokers + accessories, nice high end ones. Its a really clean shop, friendly staff, and a great place to shop whether you're looking for something to grill, or entertaining 20 people on a nice rib roast. -
Review from R M.
Baltimore, MD
11/11/2011
Buds is a great place with a nice selection of meats. The staff is real accommodating and will answer any questions you have. I go there as my #1 choice for meats now.
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Review from Michael H.
Brooklyn, NY
8/3/2009
Stopped in here while visiting a vineyard in Bennett Valley. The bloody mary jerky is really, really good. Buffalo jerky also tasty. They have a huge selection of other meats (sausage, ribs, etc.) to choose from, but we didn't have a cooler, so this review is based mostly on how good the bloody mary jerky was.
Also, doesn't hurt to have 4 skinned pigs hanging up outside when you walk up, ready to get turned into tasty meats. By the time we left, they were gone. -
Review from Molly M.
San Francisco, CA
2/4/2011
So I decided to start buying meat locally, which meant I would be dealing with finding the animals and someone to slaughter and cut.
Bud's met the task!! they are very efficient at what they do, it was a very smooth business transaction.
I'm going back for sure! In fact I have a lamb waiting for me right there... right now. -
Review from L L.
San Francisco, CA
6/16/2010
Dear Bud- Sorry I did not drop in sooner but I just found out that you existed last week!
After only stepping foot in here just last weekend I can tell you I'm in love. Quality, fresh, local, (some) exotic, meats at great prices and a small yet good selection of jerky, rubs and sauces. Walked out happy as a clam with some boar, elk, smoked pork chops and a couple of rubs paying less than one of the many supermarkets in the area. So glad to have found you and I cannot wait to come back. -
Review from mr g.
San Francisco, CA
2/17/2010
Years ago an old girlfriend would pick up some cuts for us to eat when she was in the north bay on sales calls. On a recent drive to Sonoma county I decided to find Bud's...it is just a cool place to go. the prices are good and so is the meat. So far I have enjoyed boar sausage, elk burgers and buffalo franks. Last night I cooked gator which was bland and did not even look that presentable...no wonder it is most often deep fried, but this is not Bud's fault. I look forward to the elk chops, Venison sausage and my next trip to Buds.
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Review from Rachel E.
Seattle, WA
2/8/2009
I had gone there to get a Christmas gift for a family member. He said it was the best jerky ever. So while getting some for him got some for myself. HOLY COW!! The best jerky I had ever tasted. So i decided to try some other stuff. I would have to say by far the Bloody Mary Tri-Tip is what everyone should try. I promise you that you will never go anywhere else for meats!
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Review from Orlando W.
Vallejo, CA
6/26/2008
In a nutshell, Bud's is a fantastic place to go to buy great beef, pork, poultry and wild game. They age their beef 14 days and will go up to 21-day on some special orders. The beef steaks, tri-tips and ground are great and much better than anything you'll find at your standard grocery store. I picked up a couple of the American Kobe Beef steaks for a special occasion and it was so good that almost chewed my bottom lip off. You can pick up buffalo in the form of steaks, tri-tips (plain or marinated), ground, or franks. If you haven't tried buffalo, you're doing your tastebuds an injustice. It's very lean and not very gamey tasting. They have standard and organic whole standard fryer chickens as well as breasts and thighs in different marinades. The wild boar and apple, fire roasted elk, and hot venison sausages are fantastic, especially the fire roasted elk. It is wise to ask if you don't see something stocked in the freezers because they might have more in the back freezer.
In addition to the packaged meat products in the freezers, they also sell beef, pork and lamb in quarters, halves, whole that can be cut to your liking. This is great for families or folks with a good sized freezer. I actually found out about Bud's because a friend sold us one of their spring lambs which Bud's processed and packaged.
I can't forget the staff. They are all very nice and extremely helpful. Even if you live a distance away like I do, it's worth the drive.
I love those Traeger wood pellet grills for sale outside but already have a very nice charcoal/wood grill. One day... -
Review from Teri M.
Santa Cruz, CA
12/27/2009
What a great meat shop! I credit a wonderful Xmas dinner to the folks on Yelp who recommended this business.
I was driving from Santa Cruz to Sea Ranch (Mendocino coast) to spend Xmas with friends, and I volunteered to get the prime rib. My plan was to pick something up at the halfway mark of my drive, and Bud's seemed perfect. I called and reserved a prime rib.
It's a pretty drive thru the country and farmland. Bud's does not look like a commercial establishment from the road, but it is well marked with signs; you follow a driveway which winds thru farm buildings and farm yards.
The prime rib was better than exceptional -- it was the best I've ever had, let alone cooked. Bud's provided a good quantity of rub as well as instructions, and we followed them to the letter. The meat was beautiful, very tender and tasty.
I only wish I lived closer to Bud's! I would love to try some of the sausages and steaks I saw in the refrigerated cases. Since everyone raved about the bloody mary jerky, I had to try some, and it was just as good as described. -
Review from Kristen R.
Rohnert Park, CA
8/31/2007
This place is literally in our backyard. It looked sketchy; for weeks we eyed it, and finally mustered up the courage to head up the 1 lane road to what we believed would be someone's house. No, he has an actual shop, and oh my god I will never buy costco meat again. I picked up elk rib chops to start. The frozen meats are sealed up - no freezer burn - and the quality incomparable. I seared the chops and we literally ate every morsel off the bones. The bloody mary marinated tri-tip - to die for. BBQ pork ribs - so tender. Every week I hope to go up there for our special treat. Prices aren't too bad considering what you get!
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Review from Nancy M.
Petaluma, CA
Updated - 11/16/2009
Stopped by for a NY, some jerky, some beef sticks & venison last week. Same great quality, excellent jerky. So worth the stop!
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1/22/2008
Bud's is awesome. Great beef especially. Sometimes you might even run into a local hunter and his… Read more »
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Review from Samantha J.
Alameda, CA
5/14/2007
On the way up to Santa Rosa with my manfriend, we came upon a cute country lookin' sign about custom meat. Curious about custom meat, we spontaneously turned right and found this wonderful purveyor of all things meat. Bud's does everything meat related here and it's all fresh and natural. They can slaughter animals for you, they can process wild game, they can make fancy cuts, they can smoke meat, and they can even make sausage. They sell smokers, grills, and everything else you need to cook a piece of meat to perfection. They have two huge meat cases when you walk in. One has marinated meats and other things that should be eaten that day. We bought a monster of a tri-tip that was marinated nicely for 16 bucks, it was huge, fresh, and it fed two big men and two women. The second freezer has aged meats, exotic meats, and frozen portions. Great selection of buffalo, elk, venison, beef, pork, fresh hot dogs, sausage, pheasant, duck, rabbit, and other exotic things like rattlesnake and alligator. We bought three elk chops and had them, for dinner the next day, they were delicious, mild, buttery and far from gamey. Bud's also sells different kinds of beef jerky. I bought three kinds and I have been secretly eating them like rations in private. The staff was uberfriendly, helpful, and very down to earth. I heart meat, I heart Bud's. Mooooo...
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Review from Ivette S.
Merritt Island, FL
6/9/2010
Quality meats! you wont be disappointed! Meats are already vacuum packed, great for camping trips!
