The Wise Ox Butcher & Deli

Definitely one of the best burgers in san Diego get the double smash burger and you should be happy they also serve French fries fried in beef tallow service is always good parking is easy plenty

Tucked away in a quiet corner of The Beacon La Costa plaza, The Wise Ox is both a high-quality butcher shop and a casual spot for dining. They offer a range of premium raw and marinated beef, chicken, and pork products, including impressive dry-aged steaks stored in their refrigerator. While the prices are on the higher side, the quality of their offerings justifies the cost. For dining, they feature a small menu of prepared items. I tried the Dry Aged Burger, which came with a well-baked bun, a flavorful dry-aged beef patty, and crispy bacon. While the patty had a rich and satisfying beef taste, the bacon was overcooked and detracted slightly from the overall experience. As a side, I ordered the Beef Fat French Fries, which stood out with a subtle, savory flavor from the beef fat—definitely a step above regular fries. The interior of the shop is small, with no indoor seating, but their outdoor patio provides a pleasant dining space, complete with wooden tables, umbrellas, and a laid-back vibe. The wall decor includes fun and informative stickers showing different cuts of beef and their names, adding to the charm of this unique spot. Whether you're picking up high-quality meats or grabbing a bite, The Wise Ox offers a great experience for meat lovers.

Great sandwiches!!!! We have been here several times and each time has been fantastic. My favorite sandwich is the peppered turkey and Swiss with this awesome spread/dressing they put on it. Perfectly toasted sourdough bread! They also have a cheeseburger that is soooo good! Excellent place to get prime steaks...good selection at the butcher counter. This is our new favorite place for lunch when we are in the area. This place gets 5 stars!

Absolutely one if my favorite spots. A butcher shop that cooks their high quality products. You can't go wrong. Big hearty flavors and well crafted menu items. I love to peruse their meat locker and all of their specialty items like jams and pickles. The dry aged burger is one of my go tos along with their double cheeseburger that is like in n out's linebacker cousin, large and in charge. You can't miss with their cheesesteak or the smoked bologna sando. Love every bit of it.

An exceptional customer service experience. The staff were very helpful recommending comparing the dry aged rib eye to the regular. The meats are better or comparable to the seaside market which is great if you are in the Carlsbad area. Would definitely recommend stopping by for some choice meat.

Good location, high quality products. Less stars for hours & service. They stop making sandwiches exactly at 5pm - discovered the hard way: got there after closing, and then before closing but after they stop sandwiches @ 5, then right at 5. So 3 tries no business. I feel like 5 is too early for most to make it there by, especially for dinner. I recently tried to squeak in under the wire, I got there right before 5, no one came to the counter right away, so I looked around a couple minutes, then someone came up and I asked for a sandwich, and they (unapologetically) said they stopped at 5 - it was literally 5:02 (as I said they took a couple minutes to come up). I left. I feel like they are missing out on potential business.

The Wise Ox, Part 1 Switch hitters are both rare and dangerous in the game of baseball. They can be successful on either side “of the plate.” It’s like that with the Wise Ox and it’s why we believe that they deserve a doubleheader review. This review with focus on the deli side “of the plate” and our follow up visit will focus on their butchery. While the deli menu is limited (mostly lunch options with 1 breakfast item), seemingly all of them create curiosity and inspire a deeper review of their ingredients. Our Review Team sampled the “Philly Cheesesteak” and expected that it would be the fan favorite. To our surprise the voting ended in a tie with the…”Smoked Bologna” sandwich. Yes, you read that correctly. Not written into the starting lineup and expected to ride the bench for the entirety of the game, this player came to play! If your visit is for the deli “side of the plate,” just know that while there’s plenty of fan seating, all of it is located outside (and there is no retractable roof). Final Box Score: Thanks to our scout @holly14marie who recommended that we draft this prospect for a review! And that’s…Henry’s Take. Instagram (@henrystake) Facebook (Henry’s Take) #sandiegoswitchhitterbites

I stopped here for a roast beef sandwich. The guy in front of me was buying a 325 dollar steak which was....deeply impressive. The meat refrigerator was so cool I took a picture. They also have a breakfast sandwich that looks intriguing. The Butcher part has sausages and steaks. Recommended! Try ordering ahead!

I had a customer meeting this morning and offered to buy lunch for them. My customer suggested The Wise Ox Butcher. When they opened I ordered online: Double hamburger, bologna sandwich, cheesesteak sandwich, turkey and roast beef sandwiches. I stopped by early before food was ready. The space is small with only outside seating. They are a butcher shop with their dry aged on display and some grocery items to complement your meal. Back to my order and everything was delicious. I had the roast beef sandwich and the sliced beef was fresh. I will put this down as another lunch spot during my work visits to San Diego County.

Honestly, really good food and cool concept, I just think maybe my cheesesteak was missing something to tie it together. Also, I like the beef fat fries idea, I just wish that they were fried hard or crispier. The light fry made them a little oily and the rosemary flavor was good just, needed more texture to it. The service was fine, nothing crazy, but I think because we went during lunch you can't really expect someone go crazy. Everything seemed so neatly placed and would like to come back at some point to grab some meat to smoke to test it out. But great stuff nonetheless.

I have been wanting to try The Wise Ox, but the lot it is located in has horrible parking especially at meal times. A friend finally offered to pick up lunch today and I was in. I ordered the dry aged burger and a side of beef fat fries. My friend said it is one of the best burgers he has ever eaten. The dry aged burger had great meaty flavor and fresh ground meat. The fries were generously portioned and crispy. My biggest issue was how salty all the food was. It was great, but I drank 2 glasses of water while I ate and was thirsty for the rest of the day.

Wasn't as hyped as I wanted it to be. Cute place. Has a nice simple butcher aesthetic. Cuts of meat looked good, just a bit on the pricier side than your local grocery store. You can get packaged marinated meats as well. Good amount of patio seating outdoors. Menu was simple which I liked. Variety of sandwiches and two types of burgers. I went for the turkey sandwich which was OK. Not great, but not bad. Bread was a bit crispy for my liking (you know when it cuts the roof of your mouth type of thing) The dry aged burger was good, on a brioche bun. Only complain was that it was a bit too "saucy" aka too much aoili. It made for a very heavy burger and I was only able to eat half before feeling like my arteries were getting attacked. Nothing here sparked for me for me to come back ASAP. Maybe another day....

This is an awesome, tiny spot in a new, very cool little shopping center with delicious food and drink! The meat in their roast beef sandwich literally melted in my mouth! Great craft beer selection as well.

LOOKS LIKE MEAT'S BACK ON THE MENU BOYS Every time a heart-tugging TikTok video drops titled: "Girl learns math from billy goat" or "Baby chicken cures toddler's insomnia" or "Smart hog knits vest for cold duck"... butcher shops like The Wise Ox lose a customer. But instead of swearing off {adorable} animal protein and going vegan, you should consider buying your meat exclusively from Wise Ox Butcher & Deli. Why? Because they only procure meat from animals that genuinely deserved to be killed. You won't feel guilty because these meats are purposefully selected as the meanest, shadiest, and most freaky-deakiest sleazeballs in the barnyard. The animals they choose, though pasture-raised and healthy, have few other redeeming qualities. For example, it is known that pigs are emotionally intelligent enough to cry real tears. But not the ones you get at Wise Ox. These spiral hams are little creep pigs who shove small children in the back when nobody's looking. So, feel no remorse when you slice this Wise pig up and feed it to your grandma. Don't get me started on these extremely rude steer. I mean these steer are known to establish dominance over old people at the senior center by yelling BINGO even when they don't have it. And more than once has a LifeAlert button been unwittingly activated while the butterscotch candies somehow go missing. Finally, there's nothing more innocent than a sweet and tender lamb, right? Wrong. The lamb here are known for the worst insults. Like: "Where'd you get your outfit, American Apparently Not?" or "Love what you've done with your hair- the way it curls out your nostrils like that..." So, go ahead and smear its scrawny little legs with mint jelly. In conclusion, don't spend another minute avoiding meat by convincing yourself that cauliflower tastes like spare ribs. Visit one of the two San Diego area locations and get delicious hand-butchered meat that deserves to be eaten. Pro tip: power off your phone while walking down the canned meat aisle: spam risk Pro tip: in addition to hormone-free hand cuts of beef, pork, lamb, chicken, and sausages... don't forget to pick up one of their seven perfect sandwiches. You won't feel the least bit guilty.

Yummy yummy yummy the Wise Ox place is divine! The deli food is so good. Great wine. Fresh raw cuts of meat. There are a few seats on the patio that are always full. The service is super friendly. Located in the recently remodeled Beacon in La Costa near the Omni. Lots of great food here but this one is unique. Free parking but EV charging is on the other side of the Beacon lot from where Wise Ox is.

Philly cheesesteak not crispy enough and very mushy. Hamburger was ok nothing special. The macaroni salad was very mustardy. Fries were the best!!! Not a lot of choices, the butcher meats were crazy overpriced!!

Kind service and delicious food. Keep it simple and good. The Philly cheeseteak was on soft bread and plenty of cheesy goodness on top of thinly sliced beef. Too bad they don't sell the turkey as it was smoked with a lot of flavor.

Our favorite spot for turkey sandwiches! The sourdough and chipotle mayo go perfectly with the peppered turkey. The bread is always nicely toasted for the best sandwich. This is our go to spot every time we're passing Carlsbad and this time we decide to try the roast beef sandwich as well. The roast beef itself was flavorful and we enjoyed the sandwich but overall, it wasn't as flavorful as the peppered turkey sandwich. The horseradish mayo was very light and seemed to be missing something.

Have not purchased any of the fresh meat. All look outstanding and at a high cost. Many times have had take out lunch fried bologna sandwich. Always yummy except last time the bologna was salty. Had the french fries once nothing special to order again $$$.

Great lil spot, that's actually a meat market with fresh steaks, pork chops, etc. Couldn't have been more satisfied with a burger. Well done, great tasting meat, what more can you ask for in a burger. If you are a burger connoisseur, you have to tap in....service was A+ as well.

First stop while in the San Diego area and we felt so fortunate we randomly stopped here for lunch. We had the smoked bologna sandwich and a philly steak! Both were fantastic to the last bite. Best Philly steak ive outside of Philly. Staff were helpful and friendly. Sat outside and had a Cali Creamin beer. Great lunch

Saw a reel about the burgers at Wise Ox and started craving a burger again. Stopped in a week or two later to try the dry aged burger and it did not disappoint. I remembered last time I tried the double burger I felt it was missing the fresh toppings I enjoy so I just added lettuce and tomato to my dry aged burger today. It was truly delicious and a nice upgrade from all the smash burger style joints around. If you want a thick, quality patty on your bun hit this place up. You also have to try the fries that are fried in beef fat. They are not for the faint of heart but a nice treat when you've earned it. I typically like skinnier fries because they are more likely to be crispy but these thicker style fries cook up nicely in the beef fat. I will definitely be back!

Exceptional lunch from the Wise Ox Butcher. The Beef Fat Fries may be the best fries I've ever had - the right amount of crispiness and enough fat without being too greasy. The turkey sandwich had a great balance of flavors in between toasted crunchy bread. The burger was juicy and smoky. My husband and split this for a lunch and dinner. Looking forward to trying other items on the menu!

Came here on a whim for the lunch rush. Be prepared, parking here is nerve wracking. However, once you're able to get to the shop, it's actually quite small - a small fridge area at the front, then 2/3 of the width of the back is taken up by a beautiful butcher display case with various sausages and cuts of beef, pork, and chicken. Behind the register (the last third) was my target - the sandwich menu. I ordered the smoked bologna sandwich and some beef fat fries. 15 minutes later, I got a text that my order was ready for pickup. To one one of 7 possible sandwiches on a menu, your bologna has to be really great, right? Apparently, right! The salty bologna had simple accompaniments of mustard, mayo, and American cheese, but the flavor was really phenomenal. I would come back here in a heartbeat to satisfy a bologna craving. The other sandwiches sound just as simple and thus I'm excited to try them sometimes soon as well.

So far we've only been there once. The Philly Cheesesteak was delicious!! So was the burger per my husband. We love this spot.

Great dry aged beef burger. Place is on the pricey side but does have quality food. Parking is difficult.

Great burgers. We shared one double cheese and one dry aged and both were really good. The fries were equally as good too! Large portions, which can be good or bad! I was stuffed and ate every bit of both. We will definitely go back. We didn't buy anything in the butcher shop but will be back for that for sure. A great selection of meats.

Burger was cold. Didn't expect this quality from a "butcher shop". Absolute trash and don't recommend

Whenever possible I try small business for groceries over the big guys. The meat choices were definitely better that Albertsons and such but not necessarily better than some Costco choices. I definitely recommend giving this deli a try.

This place is legit super yummy! The staff that helped me was super nice and took the time to explain to me what is that drying meet. (It's super good steaks and I'm considering it for a special occasion) I got a Philly cheese steak and it was soooooooo good! The bread was apparently from Philadelphia too. So good. It's basically a deli with a short menu. But man oh man it's good. My buddy got the breakfast sandwich and it was messy to eat but looked so good. It's the kind of food you need a napkin for but your stomach is totally on board. The outside sitting is nice and you have some shade. The smells coming from the kitchen are insane, it made me drool before I started to eat. The parking is a bit tricky so make sure you're not too much in a hurry. It's worth the trip for me.

First time at the Wise Ox but certainly not the last after the cheesesteak we had. The service is great, the menu and deli selections are great, and the quality is, you guessed it, great.

Is there anything they do that's not awesome? No, it's all awesome. We tried the Philly Cheesesteak and the Dry Aged Burger. The cheesesteak is really good. No complaints at all. I ate this monster in about 4 bites. It just melts in your mouth. The Dry Aged Burger? It's worth driving for. It's worth driving a long way for. You get a big juicy patty with cheese, thick bacon, and pickles on a beautifully soft bun. It's fantastic. The fries are outstanding here. Do not leave without getting fries. I'm working my way through their menu and, so far, everything has been top notch.

Excellent fully stuffed sandwiches with delicious meats and cheeses! Everything is fresh and made to order.

I can't speak to Wise Ox's selection of meats; this is a review only based on their sandwiches and deli offerings. I will only observe that the meats on display looked of very good quality, were very expensive, and were somewhat limited. I can understand the premium price given the location and the quality of animal proteins they sell, but this is pretty much a beef and pork only spot (with a touch of chicken and sausage to make it look good). If that's your thing, great. Look elsewhere for anything that doesn't moo, cluck, or oink. As to the sandwiches. My wife and I ordered the bologna and roast beef sandwiches, with sides of chips and beef-fat french fries. We did have to wait a fairly long time for our meals, but we figured good quality is worth the wait The meats were first rate, as were most of the ingredients. The sandwiches themselves were ample and the twelve dollar price tag was worth it for the quantity alone. But sadly, they simply don't know how to dress a sandwich. I like melted cheese and the bologna sammie was drowning in it. It was far too salty (the bologna is fried) and it needed acid and perhaps something sweet to cut all that heavy flavor. A good, sharp sweet pickle would do wonders, for example. The roast beef was really good quality, but incredibly uninteresting. The sandwich does have horseradish mayo, which is good, but there is little else to make that quality pop. The fries were tasty, but again too heavy. I can't speak to their other offerings, but based on their descriptions, I suspect I would have similar concerns. Taken as a whole, Wise Ox needs to get a chef consultant in and give their deli offerings a thorough going over. The quality is there, but someone needs to sit them down and teach the owners about flavor balance. I suggest they start by reading San Diego-born chef's Samin Nosrat's book, "Salt Fat Acid Heat."

Sammys are good, meat is really good but REALLY expensive... looking forward to trying the cheese steak and the burger

Driving down to Chula Vista from the LA area and stopped here in Carlsbad for the Wise Ox after seeing it on TikTok. The shop is cute and clean. The seating area outside is quite spacious with large picnic tables and umbrellas (which weren't needed since the entire area was shaded by the building at 4pm). The service was great and it felt more personalized, likely because it wasn't too busy. The cashier was great! His name started with a C and he thanked us for waiting despite only waiting a couple minutes. After asking for a name for the order, he introduced himself too which was kind. He brought our order out to us as well. My partner had the burger and remarked that he suspects it's the BEST burger he has ever had. He's not a pickle guy either but he enjoyed them with the burger. The servings seemed small at first but was pretty filling. The fries were okay, nothing too special. The Philly cheesesteak that I had was amazing. It was unfortunate that I found this thick, coarse hair in it, but the cashier checked on us and I pointed it out to him. He acknowledged it was "gross" and immediately went back in to get me a new one. It was outstanding service and amazing food, so I can't be too bothered about that hair. It says a lot about both that I'm giving them five stars anyway!

This review is for the cooked food only. Holy smokes, I had the best Philly Cheesesteak sammie here! I went to check out the hype of their cheeseburgers last Father's Day and they were sold out of burgers. Thank goodness, because I was able to have the Philly Cheesesteak that was the BEST I've had in SoCal! I went back the other weekend to try their Dry Aged Cheeseburger and Beef Fat Fries and both met the hype! The patio is doggie friendly and shaded. The prices for the sandwiches and burgers aren't crazy since it's quality. I'll possibly grab some steaks or meats at another time when the mortgage industry I'm in gets better, lol. As of right now, buying excellent quality raw meats would not be appropriate. ;)

once you get over the sticker shock, you're in for a treat. the bad news is Wise Ox is ridiculously expensive. the good news is, they're also ridiculously good. the DRY-AGED BURGER (dry-aged beef with havarti, bacon, mustard, mayo, and house-made pickles) was awfully tasty. the BEEF FAT FRENCH FRIES were overly salty but still amazing. my wife's PHILLY CHEESE STEAK sandwich (shaved NY steak, sweet, pickled peppers, grilled onions, American cheese, and Duke's mayo on an Amoroso roll) was proclaimed the best around. but the real stars are the treats in the meat counter. we picked up two 3-RIB BEEF PLATES for the smoker and as you can tell from the photos, they were amazing. might have to sell a kidney on eBay, but we'll be regulars.

First timer enjoyed the dry aged burger with bacon (yum), added lettuce and tomato. Will order again! House thousand is good and offers little heat! Husband had the double double burger that's more like a smash burger. Fries cooked in beef fat and needed seasoning. All seating is outdoor, nice sunny day. We will be back!

Food was delicious! Service was quick and friendly. Came here for quick grub one day. Got the dry aged burger and the Philly cheesesteak. The only quality of meat is superb! The burger was quite delicious and I would definitely get that again. The Philly cheese steak was a bit small and I didn't like the bun it came in. The meat was still very delicious. They have really good selection of meat in store and the dry ager is pretty cool. Definitely will come back to get more food.

My family and I decided to go out for lunch this afternoon and I suggested we go to Wise Ox. I've been here twice before this, once here and the second time at the North Park location. Each experience I have had has been amazing. Since this place is also a butchery, I come in with high expectations with the quality of the food, and those expectations surpassed! To any newcomers, I would highly recommend the burgers. They are phenomenal. The fries are also extremely tasty and love that they use tallow instead of seed oils. Even though we came to eat at a busier time, our food came out quick! Time flies when you are wandering the store looking at all the other products they sell. I would definitely recommend others to come eat at this establishment :)

The Wise Ox has been on my radar and I'm so glad I stopped by to try the Philly cheesesteak sandwich. They had a great selection of meats and dry aged on display. The sandwich came out quickly and it really hit the spot. Talk about comfort food! The sandwich was filled with meat which was tender and flavorful. The cheese was abundant and the reason you need more napkins. I definitely want to try other sandwiches on their menu and maybe pick up one of their cuts as well.

Funky tasting store bought avocado on a Turkey sandwich. Most of their meats are overpriced. And my sandwich had virtually zero Turkey on it. Nothing better than 5 mouthfuls of iceberg lettuce. You can go to Sprouts or Lazy Acres and it would have been better.

Amazing burger and fries. Ice cold delicious IPA on draft. Portions are large and prices are reasonable. A+ experience. I will definitely come back.

Amazing sandwiches! I love the Philly cheesesteak and breakfast sandwich the most but all are a great option. The deli case is pretty pricey but I imagine it's worth the price. DO NOT ORDER ONLINE though. I did hoping it would get me food faster and then waited in the shop for way longer than the people that just ordered when they walked up. The staff are all knowledgeable of their stuff.

Phenomenal. I had the dry aged burger, no pickle. The bun was so soft it felt like a pillow in my mouth, the dry aged beef used in my burger was absolutely amazing. Highly recommend this place.

Delicious, I've tried the Turkey Sandwich, Double Cheeseburger and Dry Aged Cheeseburger now and all 3 are out of this world delectable. Would recommend to any of my friends in the area for a higher quality sandwich or even some great meats to grill at home! Hank Hill approved establishment.

Food was really good n simple process for ordering food and beverages Outdoor seating Lunch spot

Located in the same plaza as Jeni's Splendid, we came for some ice cream, but Wise Ox caught my eye so we also decided to stop by, and boy, am I glad we did! I ordered the Peppered Turkey Sandwich ($11.99) which was a decent portion of sliced turkey, swiss cheese, tomato, lettuce, avocado, and chipotle aoli sandwiched between two slices of toasted sourdough bread. The sandwich was delicious and definitely one of the best turkey sandwiches I've ever had. I honestly debated ordering another after my first because it was so good. I also ordered their Beef Fat Fries ($5.99) and they were amazing! As much as I loved the turkey sandwich, I think I liked the fries even more. The fries were heavily seasoned with salt and what tasted like rosemary, but not overly seasoned, and it was the perfect amount of flavor and deliciousness. Even though the Wise Ox is a butcher shop, they have a small but nice outdoor patio area where you can enjoy the food. Definitely a great place to grab some sandwiches if you're ever in the Carlsbad area.

I had the absolute best fried bologna sandwich ever!!! huge and succulent! A must try !!!

The Wise Ox, Part 1 Switch hitters are both rare and dangerous in the game of baseball. They can be successful on either side "of the plate." It's like that with the Wise Ox and it's why we believe that they deserve a doubleheader review. This review with focus on the deli side "of the plate" and our follow up visit will focus on their butchery. While the deli menu is limited (mostly lunch options with 1 breakfast item), seemingly all of them create curiosity and inspire a deeper review of their ingredients. Our Review Team sampled the "Philly Cheesesteak" and expected that it would be the fan favorite. To our surprise the voting ended in a tie with the..."Smoked Bologna" sandwich. Yes, you read that correctly. Not written into the starting lineup and expected to ride the bench for the entirety of the game, this player came to play! If your visit is for the deli "side of the plate," just know that while there's plenty of fan seating, all of it is located outside (and there is no retractable roof). Final Box Score: Thanks to our scout @holly14marie who recommended that we draft this prospect for a review! And that's...Henry's Take. #sandiegoswitchhitterbites

The first time I came here, I walked out of a neighboring restaurant because the food didn't look great and came over here to give it a try. Their cooked burger was fantastic. My daughter discovered that they sell locally made kimchi and is a massive fan of it. Enough that when she ran out, I made a trip back here. This time I picked up some burger meat and a steak to bbq for dinner. We don't consume a lot of meat but when we do, for the price you pay, it had better be worth it and it is! Forget the grocery store butcher counter. Come here. You won't regret it. Two thumbs up!!

Just what the neighborhood needs!!!! Say what?! A premium Butcher Shop that also makes magnificent Burgers, Fries, and Sandwiches?! Oh heck YES!!!! Came here yesterday just wanting to look around and left with a T-Bone Steak, Bacon Wrapped Pork Chop and... Some deeeeelicious BEEF Fat Fries and Dry Aged Burgers! Damn, thier Fries are probably the most delicious thing I've ever tasted. They were light, crispy, and had a unique and nummy umami. And the Burger was sooooo juicy, tasty, and satisfying! After one bite I seriously couldn't stop eating it! It's my new favorite! What's more the service was incredibly friendly and helpful considering they were slammed with customers on a busy Saturday morning. I forsee a long, delicious relationship with The Wise Ox! Welcome to the neighborhood!!!

The best burger is served here. Philly cheesesteak is very good as well. Don't come here if you're afraid of flavor or sodium lol. This stuff is greasy and AWESOME

The atmosphere is a bit lacking and didn't care for the fries which were cold and just not my jam. The sandwiches were ok, but a bit gooey and just not something we're gonna crave or want a second helping.

Mother's Day my son and I were so looking Forward to going there . The man at the register was not very friendly . I reluctantly returned the over salted fries to ask him if we could get another order with not so much salt . He kept saying over and over no salt? No salt? He was being a smart you know what . I didn't say anything and my so. Said he was rude ! Not going back ! The hamburger bun was wet and soggy !

This place makes an excellent burger and fries. Everything tasted so fresh. I'm excited to go back and try other options on the menu and proteins. I came for lunch but will be back to pair with some wine.