Butchr Bar - Review - Echo Park - Los Angeles - The Infatuation

"Butchr Bar looks like just another cutesy wine bar. The Aussie-owned spot in Echo Park has pink-hued walls, pop playlists, and a menu featuring orange wine and small plates. Don’t be fooled though. Because hiding behind a somewhat generic aesthetic and snack-y dishes you’ve seen before is something you might not expect: big plates of meat that rival some of the best steakhouses in LA—without the steakhouse prices. Look for the row of refrigerators behind the bar if you’re not sold. Lamb chops, Australian wagyu, and cured boar legs hang in illuminated dry-aging chambers—one of many reasons (along with devout sourcing from Australia) why meat should be taken seriously here. It’s also why the generic-sounding charcuterie boards arrive with non-generic things like house-cured lamb speck, decadent tri-tip, and boar. photo credit: Jessie Clapp photo credit: Jessie Clapp photo credit: Jessie Clapp photo credit: Jessie Clapp photo credit: Jessie Clapp Pause Unmute Few restaurants in LA make popping in for some wine and a steak feel doable, and Butchr Bar is one of them. While dates in hand-stitched denim and groups of graphic designers fill the airy dining room, we prefer snagging a seat at the cement bar. It’s first-come, first-serve, and the leather stools are cozy and comfortable. Most of the food is plated in front of you and bartenders will chat about everything from which part of Queensland your steak came from to last night’s episode of Survivor. But the main reason Butchr Bar works for a breezy carnivorous meal is the price. There are two six-ounce wagyu cuts on the menu, and each is under $52. In the world of high-end meat, that’s the equivalent of Chi Spacca putting a LIQUIDATION SALE: EVERYTHING MUST GO sign out front. But a good meal at Butchr Bar isn’t necessarily dependent on red meat. We’ve swung by just for fermented tomatoes and salad topped with dill and dukkah-roasted macadamia nuts. Plenty of people are there just to drink chilled reds while traffic dies down. At least, until they see the steak come out. Food Rundown Charcuterie Charcuterie? At a wine bar? Groundbreaking. Don’t be fooled though—Butchr Bar’s version is different. Everything from salty boar salami to peppery lamb speck is dry-aged in-house and comes alongside buttery, crackly bread from Clark Street next door. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Fermented Tomato This dish is admittedly best during the summer months, but it’s still worth ordering regardless what the calendar says. It’s simply dressed in olive oil, salt, parsley, and lemon, and split into individual pieces for easy sharing. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Market Salad As the name suggests, Butchr Bar’s salad changes depending on what’s at the market. Expect something incredible no matter what. These people know meat, but they also know vegetables, too. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Dry-Aged Purebred Wagyu Available as a ribeye or NY striploin, this is one of the best petite-sized cuts in LA—and not just because it’s $52 for six ounces of wagyu. The steak is evenly charred with a buttery, medium-rare interior. Smear a little of the shallot marmalade on each bite for some sweet acidity. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Seared Sausages NSFW: The first time we cut into one of Butchr Bar’s excellent sausages (one pork, one mutton), we got squirted in the face. You should hope for the same experience. photo credit: Jessie Clapp Olive Oil & Lemon Shot There's an above-average chance your bartender will put this in front of you. Drink it. It's literally a layered shot of fresh-squeezed lemon and Australian olive oil—and it's oddly soothing/refreshing. photo credit: Jessie Clapp" - Brant Cox