Iowa Meat Farms

Excellent gourmet market which sticks harder to find organs and meats, such as ostrich, venison, boar; beef sweet breads, fries, kidneys; rabbit and quail; pork heart, liver and brain. Amazing selection of condiments and an impressive selection of wines. I highly recommend this shop!

Easily the best butcher I’ve been to in San Diego. They have a fantastic selection of red meat, poultry, pork, sausage, bacon, and more. What I really love is their range of specialty items like different types of vinegar, salt, hot sauce, and other niche pantry goods. I expect a place like this to be significantly more expensive, but the items I’ve price-checked were actually cheaper here than online. The meat is definitely pricier than your average supermarket, but this is a *prime* example of "you get what you pay for." The staff are also incredibly friendly and seem like they genuinely enjoy being there. Hopefully that’s true because everything about this place is top tier.

Awesome market that may be small but truly has everything, including an incredible meat selection. Wine, produce, cheese, tasty condiments + military discount. We got 4 baseball steaks for friend’s bbq and they did not disappoint. Thanks so much guys!

So glad I found this place because they sell rabbit! Yum! Staff is super nice and helpful. I was helped within moments of walking in, and then again when my broken brain couldn’t find anything. Nice selection of wines too! Picked up a French Malbec that I am also super excited for. Thanks guys for the service!

There meat is so fresh and tasty! The cashiers are incredible. Fresh baked banana nut bread and concierge ice service by Nadine!!! You wont be disappointed. 🥩 served with love ❤️ 😘

Iowa Meat Farms is a great place to get the highest quality premium meats, wines, beers, and other gourmet food items. The selection is broad, the quality is second to none, and the people are friendly and accommodating. The funny thing is, I usually just buy one of the cheapest products in the store. It's a specialty food product that almost no one else carries, but Iowa Meat Farms has it.

My favorite butcher shop in SD. Good variety and lot's of niche and hard to find products. Staff is always friendly and helpful. They are knowledgeable and can do custom fabrication if you need

It would have been the usual 5 starts, I go in about every 6-7 months and buy a big meat package... and they have always given us a 10% discount... so that is a big deal in today's everything is thru the roof prices. HOWEVER, this last time in early March of 2025 I ordered a meat package and when I picked it up it was about $150 more than before.. no problem.. at the register I inquired about the 10% discount and was taken aback to hear that's suddenly it is taken in account in the price.... my bill $724 and change, had the 10% been applied at checkout as always before it would have been a little higher than the previous times ( but prices goes up I know over time).... Bottom line my next trip to the butcher is gonna be a competitor of Iowa, they just may appreciate the business and be glad to help with a small discount..... Sorry Iowa time's are a tough.

The meat always seems to be excellent if you're going for a tri-tip or some homemade sausages. I mentioned it before but the "baseball cut" is one of my favorites and something that you can't easily find elsewhere. Sure, this review is short and sweet, just like their friendly employees that have built a meat church with plenty of loyal and non-vegan worshipers. I can't blame them, this place is awesome!

Owned by the Cohn group. Used to be amazing. Now it is overpriced. You are better off getting your meat from online sources. I wish this was not true.

Love this place! Whenever I feel like making something fancy for dinner, I come here! This is my go to for fresh meat. They have a good selection of steaks and also other prepared meats in case you don't have time to make dinner. Love that! We'll typically pick up a ribeye or two when we stop by here for steaks. They also have marinated chicken and chops. The biggest chicken wings, you don't see those any more! Even a small slab of pork belly in the freezer. I absolutely love their Siesel's potato salad and baked beans. They also have a selection of specialty sweets...dangerous! Not huge store, clean and organized. For specialty store, you can grab everything you need to make a nice dinner. Note, you pay for what you get, so don't come here expecting to leave on the cheap. Parking lot is a bit small, and can get packed, but for the most part you can always find a spot. Staff is always friendly. Great neighborhood store! 2024: 29

My husband loves this store, we came today to purchase and assortment of sausages. We can never decide on which to choose: bourbon sausage, hot Italian, sweet Italian, are our favorites so we got all three. They have a great selection of steaks, chops, ground beef, and so much more. 2024(18)

My partner and I came in to buy a standing rib roast and they had two options: choice (24.99 per lb) or prime (34.99 per lb). We went for prime as we wanted to use the best cut for our prime rib at home which turned out perfectly! It was great service. They also offered to easy cut which was left just a bit of the meat attached to the bone with a butcher's twine which was exactly miraculous for our prime rib. They said one bone feeds about two people and we got two bones which came out to four pounds. Definitely will visit again!

Well...It's a love hate thing. I bought our Christmas roast here and they were awesome (although the line was looong). But then the other day I called to see if they had a prime tenderloin to make Beef Wellington. I explained exactly what I was doing. I needed the center cut so that it was an even thickness. You know, like Beef Wellington. Yep, he says. Come on in. No need to special order it. We have those all the time. A completely different story when I get there. "We only have choice and nothing over 2 lbs". I told them I just called 2 days ago and they said you always have it in house. "Well I don't know who you talked to but we don't carry that". I said "Can you show me what you have"? Cause I'm thinking beef tenderloins are always over 2 lbs. And he brings out this large beef tenderloin and says "Wow, I've never seen one this big". So I still got some meat, although it isn't prime and I had to ask them to bring it out to show me or I would have left empty handed. An experience like this makes me never want to go back there.

What again for another round of shopping here. The selection has always is very extensive. I got him some elk, alligator and wild boar sausages this time. Addition they had a little barbecue/market out front with a company, promoting chilies and various sauces and marinades. All the staff for this market along with the staff inside were very pleasant and friendly as always. I just cooked the alligator sausages today and they are delicious. I recently moved and I will continue to make the drive even though it's a 30 minute commute to this place for my meat selections.

Amazing place with anything you might need for a main course. Customer service is top shelf. The stuffed pork chops and prime rib we bought were great.

Iowa meats is the best place I have been in order to buy fresh and also has a good selection of meat. We go for the fillets and when cooked they are like butter and are just delicious. The employees behind the meat counter are very helpful and they will assist in dish ideas or if you want to pound out the protein you buy. The store is small but carries a great selection that covers every course of a meal. The store is also very clean, organized,and contains a great deal of options for any course. Appetizer,salad, main dish, wine/beer,and dessert.

Wow the beef patties are so flavorful and so tasty to the last bite. You got give this place a try and believe me your taste buds will be thanking you and begging you for more.

Love this place for price and quality! We have ordered the chicken sausage, steak, burgers and Korean pork chops, all were excellent

Iowa Meat has such a great offering of super tasty and high quality meats. They also have an excellent selection of other items like sauces, dips and frozen specialty items as well as wines. It's not only meat! Everyone in the store is super helpful and the butchers give excellent advice about cooking meat. I always look forward to going to Iowa Meat Farms.

Great selection of meats and a fairly large choice of groceries as well. They have it all including exotic meats if you are into that and the customer service may be brisk but I always walk out with a with something good!

If you can't even find a good cut of meat at a place called Iowa Meat Farm, then where? Husband and I went here for 8 year stop get all our steaks. Expensive but worth it every time. Then, the last two times, we paid almost double the price we were used to and the meat was LOW QUALITY. Just awful. Insulting, really. I found better steaks at Vons. Disappointing.

I needed duck confit. There was none in the display case. I asked, they took a look and had it. They also had Frank's horseradish. If you're into horseradish, I prefer it over wasabi, this stuff is the bomb. They were great.

Amazing meat! And a great selection of specialty foods. Got our Thanksgiving turkey there and picked up some Prime rib eyes as well! Awesome quality and great service. Pricey, but worth it!

Love this place! Got some AMAZING steak and burgers to grill up. Huge variety of stuff in here . They have everything you need to accompany any type of meat. Super friendly service as well :)

This is a great meat market and small essentials grocery stores. Full selection of meat. Great service. Friendly people.

The butchers and the staff are friendly, accommodating and professional! Having a knowledgeable meat cutter for me is very important because I cook a lot!! They are always happy to do what I request. Iowa Meat Farms is our favorite store to procure our meat, and being an Iowa girl myself, it's like going to my butcher back home!

Good quality meats and workers have recommendations for preparing dishes and they are always very professional with dealing with questions we have on their products.

This place has been here since before I was a kid but I never got a chance to check it out until now. Parking lot looked small but had no issues finding a spot. It was cool that they had more than just meat there, it was like a mini grocery store with a small produce section and I was able to even pick up a frozen Julian pie while there. We pre-ordered a turducken roll (boneless, weighs 8-10lbs, feeds 8-10 people) a week before Thanksgiving and paid a $25 deposit over the phone. Picked it up the Saturday before Thanksgiving which worked out perfectly since the roll was frozen and we just defrosted it in the fridge for the next 4.5 days once we got home. When we picked it up, there seemed to be some confusion with them finding my order but it wasn't a big deal and everyone there was very nice. We paid the remaining $100 balance and went on our merry way. The cooking instructions were straightforward (cook at 250F for 7 hours, remove foil, up temp to 325F and allow to brown, rest for 20-30 min). The turducken tasted just ok, we have a ton of leftovers we won't be able to finish but I'm glad we got to try it for the first time.

Picked up 2 packages of hangar steaks, some pork chops and a few choice ribeyes. I love the quality of their meat but mostly their selection of items you can't find anywhere else in town.

On Saturday, I visited Iowa meat. I was having company over and wanted some good Carne Asada and Pollo Asada. The young man that helped me told me that the Benny Asada was the best. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed and not only the taste, but the thickness of the meat. It wasn't thin like Carne Asada usually is and it had a weird taste. I spent a lot of money on something that was very disappointing. I think you can do a lot better!

Fresh meats, poultry and pork products. My son recommended this place on our recent visit to San Diego. The marinated Tri-tips are amazing! So much variety to choose from. The staff is very helpful and friendly. We couldn't help but load an ice chest with a variety of meats and sausage to bring home with us. Small mom and shop feel. Definitely stop and shop around if you are in the San Diego area.

Been shopping at Iowa Meat Farms for decades now and always walk out with something good. Their fresh meats are top quality and you will find all the usual cuts as well as some not seen in your typical grocery store. A multitude of spices, meat rubs, sauces and condiments are always in stock for those ready to try something new. If you are into wild game or exotic meats, you will find many choices available in the display freezer. I do miss the Sabrett's natural casing hot dogs previously stocked here, but not seen on recent visits. The staff here are friendly, knowledgeable and always available to answer your questions.

Awesome meats. I'll never buy grocery store meat again! I expected good steak but even the pork chops were so tender and juicy and the sausage was amazing.

I may have reviewed Iowa Meat Farms before, but in case I haven't this is where you want to buy your meat. I think I've been going here for about 20 years and I don't even live in the San Diego area. I gave myself the nickname of the Huntington Beach Meat Mule because I'd come down and by burgers and racks of RibEyes sliced into steaks. I don't eat as much meat as I used to so lately I've just gone for the burgers that are my wife's favorite. Meats, rubs, pies, spices, and everything else in between they are the best. The people are just awesome and are willing to help you with anything. Iowa Meat Farms, the best there is!

I come here to buy ox tails to make myself a delicious soup. The quality is great and I will definitely be returning to explore other meats. Thank you.

Best cut meats in San Diego. I love the atmosphere when shopping at Iowa Meat Farms .

I visited this store a few days ago and had a horrible experience. An associate was working near the entrance and made eye contact with me when I walked in but never said hello. Instead, she looked through me like I was invisible. I picked up a handcart as I was excited to explore the store for the first time. Then, I noticed another associate glaring at me and would immediately would look away when I turn in her direction. As I start to walk aisle by aisle looking at all the store had to offer, she would move to the walkway of the aisle watching me. Without a doubt, I was being profiled!! There was no one else around and each time I moved so did she. The associate never asked if I need help. By this time, I was extremely disappointed with this experience. After picking up about $200 worth of items, I took them to the counter. I placed my items at the register and it took about 20 seconds for this associate to say a single word to me. I felt totally insulted at the blatant lack of any customer service and profiling!!! I has regret about purchasing anything and will not recommend this store to anyone, despite the fact it has many things I would enjoy.

I'm sooo upset. I spent 6 hours cooking their point cut corned beef. $33 for what looked like a beautiful cut. I've bought many briskets from them in the past. Same point cut. They were perfect. Tender & delicious. The brine they used on the corned beef was spot on. Smelled delicious. However, when it became what appeared to be tender, when slicing ACROSS THE GRAIN , all I got was strings! So, not happy. I will speak to management when I return.

The team is super helpful and willing to answer questions. Meat is super high quality. Seasonings and snacks are healthy and tasty.

I like their hot Italian sausage, sweet onion sausage, and honey mustard chicken. Good cheese and beer selection

Iowa Farms is great if you have the time and patience to wait for service at their most counter. Otherwise the store is old, cramped, a bit pricey and bad parking. It is on Mission Gorge Rd and easy to miss. I went recently since it was the only place that carried Taylor Pork Roll, by the lb unsliced package ($15-18, don't exactly recall) or 8 slices ($5) in a box. Fun for a Jersey-style breakfast sammie with egg, cheese and ketchup but the meat is a little salty. It is a cross btw ham and spam.

Good service and steak choice's. We got the tomahawk steak and it was delicious. We would recommend.

This review is specifically for Benny's Carne Asada. Avoid this shit at all costs. They've ruined this beautiful piece of Skirt Steak. The flavor profile is that of Ranch Style beans with at least 5x more salt than what's needed. You WILL burp up paprika and chili powder for the rest of the day. $32 bucks down the drain. Either Benny has lost his taste buds or he forgot he'd already seasoned that piece of meat a couple dozen times. It's borderline inedible but I'll be damned if I'm going to let that money go to waste. Do yourself a favor and get the Carne Asada with the sweet marinade. It's been my go to for 30 years. Don't know why I tried that other shit.

Simply the best beef in town! Great service. Good selection of wines and seasonings. All kinds of fresh meats. Also several exotic meats. Their Tri Tip steaks are absolutely delicious. They have seafood, desserts, cheeses, and more.

Came here on Memorial Day weekend and it wasn't too busy! The staff are friendly, accommodating, and knowledgeable. I ordered the USDA Prime Delmonico cut, which had beautiful marbling. I cooked it super simple but it was delicious! I'd definitely come again, the meat there is quality!! I see why they are highly rated.

Best butcher shop! This market is located in San Diego off mission gorge road. Mission gorge staple market, it's been here for years. The meat is so fresh. They offer a vast variety of fresh meats from chicken sausage to Baja chicken to rib eye. Extremely reasonably priced. Not to mention they vast variety of hot sauces, marinates, seasonings and dressings. Omg!! They have all the hard to find sauces. You will get lost in this place. Not to mention smokin Joe's bbq brisket made outside in the parking lot. That brisket is too die for. Must try market plus bbq. Smokin Joe's Jones bbq is amazing however it's only available on certain days.

I visited this butcher for the first time and found pre-sliced top round to make jerky. The crew there was awesome, and my first forte into beef jerky was outstanding. Thanks to their team Ryan

I love the flank steak marinated in the sweet teriyaki sauce. The flavor is amazing and the meat is very tender. I buy the same thing every time I go there. Outstanding butcher shop. The have a small produce section and specialty section with seasonings, pasta, etc. They have something here for everyone. Trust me on the flank steak. It literally tastes like meat candy.

MEAT MEAT MEAT Great place to buy meat for those big gatherings. They seem to have everything available for a good price. I specifically come here for my dog's fresh protein. When the recipe says to add 3oz of chicken gizzards and chicken liver I'm like ewh. I prepare her meals (she doesn't eat kibble) and get that specific organ meat here. They sell them in larger frozen quantity and one small pack lasts me 2 months - they don't sell a tiny 3oz because that's so tiny. So I buy in quantity ($5 worth) and portion out 3oz and freeze and defrost when need be. The employee helping me helped me gather all the necessary proteins for my dogs meal prep and I asked why on top of the chicken add gizzards and liver and he told me those organs have a lot of nutrients. Good to know! I did buy chicken thigh fresh from the deli and thought it was a little over priced then what I can pay at Trader Joe's. Until the next review...

This place has great selection of all kinds of meat. They also have other items like international grocery items. I got chuck roast for pot roast, it was so so tender and delicious. I'll never buy meat from other grocery store ever!!

Iowa Meat Farms is definitely one of San Diego's best kept secrets! Two of my favorite things to do in life is Travel and Eat. Because of this, I often find myself recreating dishes from my trips near and far. As anyone that loves to cook knows, the ingredients are sometimes much more difficult to obtain the the recipe itself. After my most recent trip to Italy, I wanted to make one of Tuscany's famous dishes: Pappardelle al Cinghiale. The challenge was that I needed to get Cinghiale (wild boar) and that is not easy to find here. That is when I discovered Iowa Meat Farms, which carries wild boar meats of various cuts, as well as many other hard to find meats - from alligator to rabbit to pheasant to elk. Another time, I needed to get Guanciale, an Italian cured meat made from pork jowl/cheeks (similar to pancetta but different). This was an essential ingredient in making the infamous pasta dish: Bucatini all'Amatriciana. Thanks to Iowa Meat Farms, I was able to replicate my two favorite Italian pasta dishes, using the proper traditional ingredients for the perfect authentic taste of Italy. Aside from the hard to find or exotic meats, there are many many wonderful cuts of beef, pork, lamb and chicken. I have not been to a butcher shop that has such an extensive selection of fresh and frozen meats. There is also a whole refrigerated section dedicated to pre-marinated meats for quick cooking or grilling. There is also a wonderful selection of fresh made sausages - perfect for any grilled sausage board! The service here is great and the butchers are so friendly and can give you cooking advice too. I don't know what I would do without this butcher shop, but am so glad that they are in the heart of San Diego.

Love this place! It's little but has everything you need. There are tons of great quality meats. I usually go in looking for ingredients for homemade bone broth. They pretty much always have organic chicken feet and other chicken parts as well as beef bones that I need. They also have an amazing array of seasonings, sauces, and rubs! I end up finding something new to take home and add to dishes every time. They have options from organic to sugar free to gluten free and spicy options of all ranges. They have a small but sufficient set of options for fresh veggies, dairy products, and frozen items. Also with organic choices, pre-cut/marinated, and unique local brands. They have a nice selection of beer, wine, and seltzers too! The front of the store has a few aisles that sell dry, canned, and jarred goods. There is an amazing selection of oils, vinegars, and dressings as well! When it comes to prices, I don't have many other little markets to compare items like the rare cuts of meats or bones so I am guessing that they are average. Prices otherwise are comparable to places like Windmill Farms or Frazier Farms... maybe a little more costly with certain items. I highly suggest checking them out - their customer service has always been wonderful and very friendly! *I had some video of other areas that aren't pictured but they are not uploading*

Be careful what you order. The smokehouse burgers were great! The Korean ribs had so little meat on the 3 ribs I bought for $15.63 I couldn't believe it! Not enough for a snack. 1/2 fat, 1/4 bone and 1/4 meat

I was a first time shopper looking for some beautiful boneless short ribs that I could braise with red wine and veggies for a party of four, and damn it: nobody was disappointed! And when I say nobody, I primarily mean ME, as I made the rookie mistake of sampling the goods before serving. Those short ribs were so great that my guests were instead treated to a beautiful alternative main course of meatloaf, due primarily to a last minute shortage of short ribs!

I just bought 10 pounds of ground beef it was soo bad and made me very ill . I don't recommend it . I through it all away , sticking with Costco grass fed .

It's very difficult to find specialty meats. Iowa Meats not only has a great selection but also the highest quality.