Need something to do this weekend? Here are five Vancouver butchers that are a cut above the rest. 

Pasture to Plate, 1420 Commercial Drive

Sometimes the name says it all, and that’s the case at Pasture to Plate. The shop is located in the heart of the most politically correct neighbourhood in Vancouver—that would be Commercial Drive—so it’s no surprise that the journey from the field to the butcher block places a big emphasis on making things humane. All meat—beef, chicken, pork, and turkey—comes from the Rafter 25 Ranch, a 60,000-acre spread in the Chilcotin run by Swiss expats Felix and Jasmin Schellenberg. Cows spend their days grazing in irrigated pastures, pigs feed on organic produce when they aren’t out foraging for wild roots. To reduce stress, harvesting is done by the farm at its own abattoir. There is of course a small premium to be paid for organic beef koftas and meat from turkeys that have never seen the inside of a factory farm, which is to say that Pasture to Plate costs a little more than, say, butchers with names like Fattening Pen to Styrofoam Container and Raised In a Veal Crate. Neither of which, by the way, would last a month on the Drive.

Pete’s Meat, 2817 Arbutus Street

If you don’t like hormones and antibiotics with your roast beef, Pete’s Meat is the place for you. It’s become a go-to location for foodies on Vancouver’s West Side. That’s because the butchers at Pete’s know their craft. The shop also offers awesome deli sandwiches, including a mouth-watering rotisserie chicken. You can even order online.

Windsor Quality Meats, 4110 Main Street
Fewer and fewer of Main’s heritage businesses have managed to slip seamlessly into the neighbourhood’s newer hipster profile, but Windsor Quality Meats is still thriving even as it closes in on its 70th birthday. The red-marqueed shop just south of Main and King Edward prides itself on locally sourced, free-range, and organic products—ideas that are as 2015 as anything else on the thoroughfare. If the Fraser Valley pork T-bone chops don’t tempt you, check out Windsor’s house-made chorizo or Italian sausage, or go farther afield with a custom order of venison, goose, elk, or ostrich.

Armando’s Finest Quality Meats, 1689 Johnston Street, Granville  

This Granville Island institution has a wide variety of high-quality cuts, including marinated meats and steaks. It’s often crowded, but you can also count on a welcoming greeting from the staff. Be sure to keep an eye out for the rib-eye steak with marbling that is reminiscent of Kobe beef. The shop is in the heart of the Granville Island Public Market, which makes it easy to complete the rest of your shopping in one location. While Armando’s website may make you hungry for more information, his in-store selection will certainly leave you satisfied.

Tenderland Meats, 141–1689 Johnston Street, Granville Island

Truth be told, you only need one reason to visit Tenderland: the marinated rack of lamb. Sure, you’ll have to put in a couple of hours of overtime to pay for it, but some sacrifices are worth it. You know how some things—cigarettes, Breaking Bad, and crack cocaine—are instantly addictive? Tenderland’s marinated rack of lamb is one of them. You can also load up on honey-garlic ribs, double-smoked bacon, an expansive selection of luncheon meats, and tomahawk rib-eye steak the size of caveman’s club. Refreshingly, all of Tenderland Meats’ butchers actually know what they are doing, which is to say, you won’t get a blank, confused look if you ask them to cut you a Santa Maria tri-tip. But never mind that—go for the marinated rack of lamb. The only downside is that sooner or later you’ll have to kick a delicious habit, hopefully not cold turkey.