Reviews of Willy's Butcher Shop (Butcher Shop)

Rich DeForest

Absolutely superb butcher shop! I have been searching all over Knoxville to find St. Louis style and cut ribs, and this is the first actual butcher shop that I found that stocks them! Additionally, they will fresh cut any kind of meat that you desire. I can’t wait to get these ribs home and on the smoker!

Suzieqacez

They are very nice people and very helpful ,they care about there customers. I plan on going back to buy the things I need for my bone broth.

Robert McGrath

Pretty much the only butcher shop I know of in the area. Nice selection of meats and the butcher certainly knows his craft. Inarguably has a lot of Prime meat.

jeep now

Worst ever called to place order on Tuesday offered to pay in advance was told I could pick up Thursday they didn't even order

W Wallace

This review will give pros and cons: Pros: (1) I preordered the beef Wellington, this may have been the best meat I have ever tasted. The pastry crust was well madd, the pate delicious. There are no word for how delicious this was and he gave great prep information. (2) I also bought some of the free range chicken breast. Very good!! Will be going back for more. (3) The butcher seemed more than happy to prepare anything as long as he had enough notice. Examples are haggis and turducken. Will be asking for "sweet bread" soon. Cons: (1) he did mention that anything special such as haggis may be expensive. (2) if you are used to grocery store prices then you will be shocked here. But if are familiar with grass fed beef prices and true free range prices then it is ok, especially since there are so few butchers in the area (maybe two or three?!) (3) Extremely limited fish and sea food options, most likely due to the proximity of the shrimp dock. (4) The location is a bit hidden, but easily found on maps. It is also a small place, hopefully this may change in the future. If the store owner reads this I suggest having a monthly special of something like haggis or beef Wellington. Something that is uncommon to the area but still taking special orders. I look forward to discovering more great traditional and custom creations in the future. I will return! I hope this business flourishes in this area. Knoxville needs a great butcher and this is it.

Gregory Stark

Good service. Incredible selection of meats. Love their steak rub. Would recommend to family and friends.

Taylor Hundley

Visited Willy’s for the first time looking for quality meats and ideas for a special occasion dinner. Staff was friendly, knowledgeable, and very eager to help out. The meal turned out great and we are looking forward to visiting Willy’s again.

Janet Simpson

Very awesome shop . Willy and his staff are very knowable and go out of there way for you. You can feel his passion for his skill and customer service. This is the place to go. Thank you Willy..Your amazing !

Geomo

Wonderful shop. They trimmed a prime cut of tenderloin for me and even tied it to make it easier on the recipe. Great selection of meat and a friendly staff. It is worth your time to go check out what they have and their selections of in-house sausages look wonderful. Buy local, these guys deserve it.

Randy wallin

Great little gem off kinston pike. Right by shrimp dock but down back street. Knowledgeable staff, friendly, helpful. If ya need advice on anything feel free to ask.. great selection that you won't find in supermarkets also..

Shawn Breaux

Best butcher I've ever been to in my life. Willy and his staff are great!

Anna Mason

Haven't tried the meat yet, will get back to you after that and update our review. In the meantime, the shop was clean, the service was friendly, and the selection had what we needed. We will be shopping there again.

Jordan Parkhurst

This is the only butcher shop I know of in Knoxville, but this guy has a great selection! He answered my questions and guided me to great decisions. Its a little more pricey than the grocery stores, but it TOTALLY worth it.

hangnitup

What a Fabulous Butcher Shop! Very educational butcher with some of the Best Sausage I have had in East TN. Also, their fresh sliced bacon was great as well......Looking forward to trying the "Hanger Steak" tomorrow night!

Marshall Stephens

Friendly staff, great selection of high quality meat. Definitely not cheap, but you get what you pay for!

Jay Roach

Good service. Will do business with again

Charles Weaver

Incredible service, only consistent place to buy true PRIME beef in East Tennessee! The bone broth is amazing and the amount of insight is over the moon! Highly, HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Leigh Garrett

Just purchased 4 prime filets for $100.00, I get home to sous vide them and 2 of the four are end pieces folded over. one of them is pyramid shaped. I called and the person told me it was my fault for not specifying center cut. Willy was not there. Super disappointed. Customer service is a big goose egg when Willy is not there.

Katherine Moore

Second to none! What a gem of a place. Really enjoy everything we get here. Most recently Kielbasa. Super good. Thank you.

rick sexton

Very nice people!!

jeanne munday

We have been to Willy’s Butcher Shop twice. Our first experience was pleasant, we bought some rack of lamb that was good quality. Our second excursion to Willy’s wasn’t very pleasant. I do not know if he sold us some rancid rack of lamb or what, but like I said it was rancid. It was so bad that we will not be going back to Willy’s. There are other very good places in Knoxville that sell lamb chops and rack of lamb that are of great quality.

Leo Enriquez

Great service, really good homemade sausage and wonderful cuts of meat. seemed superbly clean, and definitely abiding by all CDC regulations... this is my new goto when I’m in the Knoxville area. Thank you Willy!

Eric Nelson

Great quality meats!

James Griswold

Buyer beware. Got a $130 brisket and went to cook it and it smelled like cat fish bait. Told the company weeks in advance of what I needed, when I wanted to pick it up, etc. Sent messages to the company, no response. Life is full of lessons, some are more expensive than others, but don’t waste your time or money here. Their quality and customer service don’t justify their price or bad location. I found a much better product, price, quality, convince elsewhere.

Tim Tipton

I got the Prime New York Steak cut. The best steak I have ever had! I will definitely be returning.

Harvey Abouelata

If you want to know what you are eating just ask Willy. Never been disappointed in anything of bought there.

Doug G

If you're looking for great fresh pork skin to make pork cracklings then willy's is the place

Wayne Christensen

BIRDS, COWS & PIGS TO GO Been shopping here since the day it opened simply because it's a fabulous butcher shop . . . mostly because Willy really throws himself into creating an unusual experience for shoppers. Cuts of beef I'd never heard of or can't get anywhere else such as a long-bone cowboy rib eye, whole pig heads, wonderful cold smoked pork chops, Berkshire pork cuts, designer organic birds from small farms nearby, a $1 million veal glaze ---figuratively speaking, fresh foie gras, heavenly smoked duck breast, and on and on . . .

Mike Landon

Willy knows his stuff, meats are free range and fresh.

Chris Taylor

Lovely place!

Justin Moritz

I came to Willys butcher shop not knowing what to expect. I wanted to find an alternative to buying premium steaks online. When I entered the shop I was greeted by very friendly staff members eager to help me pick out the exact pieces of meat I desired. I ended up buying all sorts of meat from dry aged to the famous wagyu. Come to willys if you want to delight your taste buds with superb, incredible, and hand cut steaks!!! I will be back for more!

Melissa Rowe

You can tell they're passionate about what they do. Great cuts, very delicious!! Not cheap but great price for quality (esp dry aged steaks)

Joe

WAY overpriced for simple cuts, four times the price of other shops in town that sell local meats. The employees are rude and don't want to be there. They don't seem to know about meat other than how to take it out of the cooler and charge too much for it.

Aaron Wheeler

My secret weapon! I get meat for get together and celebrations here. Beat quality, exceptional service, and reasonable pricing

Thad Glick

This is the best butcher shop I have ever been to. It is clean and doesn't smell like dead animals! The owner is the kind of guy that remembers your name when he sees you come in the door. The meat is better than restaurant quality meat for just over grocery store prices. I have tried everything he has to offer from his andouille sausage, pork butt, whole chickens, brats, bacon, and even his smoked meats. All of it is just amazing. Between the atmosphere, the service and the quality, you cannot find a better place to find meats in Tennessee, let alone Knoxville!

Pete Pratti

At first, I had a rough encounter. I was pretty excited about the place and went there a few times, as there is not really any butcher shop in town. After placing a Phone order with the owner, the order was not what I thought I had ordered. Apparently there had been a large miscommunication. I went in and picked up the right order only to still be disappointed again. I called Willy and explained my concerns, he explained his side fairly and calmly, and we worked out a fair solution. I would absolutely keep going to Willy’s In the future, and it was partially my fault for not being super specific. You should go in and try out his product. He is a reasonable guy and will help you with your needs in the area.

Jacob Gonzales

Friendly staff. Good meat.

Zachary Sass

Great butcher shop. Tons of variety. Prime and choice cuts only. Got a beautiful prime Ribeye awesome marbling. Tons of selections. Dry aged beef. Chicken duck, pork, etc.

Ben Kolt

This place is a great butcher shop. Willy is very knowledgeable, helpful, and clearly cares about both meat and his clients. The meat we purchased was top quality. We were very impressed and will be regular clients.

Robert McCoy

First time there. Friendly service and great selection.

Jeff Olmsted

These guys are the real deal! Unique cuts and they know what they're talking about.

Rick Spanbauer

Ordered ahead of time to get filet mignon and two capons. Since this was an advance order, they didn't have the pricing per pound available. The filet mignon turned out to be reasonably market priced, but the capons ended up at almost $10/pound!? I'm not sure whether I should keep the capons and pass them down to my kids as an inheritance, ie $200 for two capons! The birds had the feet/head still on, so we asked to have the birds cleaned. Turned out they left the heads on in spite of that request, yet cleaned the (presumably valuable) livers/heart/kidneys. Beware!

Matt Davis

This is the place to go if you want top notch quality meat. Willy is an awesome butcher if you go you won’t be disappointed.

Brie Ostrom

Staff is very knowledgeable and helpful! The guys were so nice and clearly so passionate about their products.

Merilyn Goeltz

We went to Willy's today, 6-5-20, for the very first time to spend a gift certificate. The certificate was for 150.00. We came home with the best beef we have ever eaten, and since I am 70 years old, that is saying a lot! We absolutely will go back. No more grocery store beef for us. Red meat should be eaten in moderation for health reasons. I think if I am going to eat red meat in moderation, I want the best! Also, Willy's son works there and he will tell you how to cook the steak. We followed his instructions. The man knows his meat. Listen.

Patrick Jadwin

If the meat you are buying doesn't get bought at this place often, it's likely to be expired. I've tried buying chicken and other various meats that aren't steak cuts, and they were almost always expired.

Andrew Moncier

Called last Tuesday and specifically ask for 2 prime ribeyes 1.5 lbs each, said I would be there sat when off to pick up. Wanted to take to beach for my son and I. Got there no cuts went to case and got 2 out. At 34.99 a lb I want my steak fresh not in a bag that's been sitting. Paid for 2 got them home and really looked over. Decided to cook at home instead of taking it to flordia. Not impressed at all. Really tender but flavor lacked at best! Don't be fooled by their website pic. My steak looked like it was 2 days from turning. I'll get meat in south mississippi or flordia where real butcher shops are! Not very good service either.. $74 for two subpar steaks that woulda had more flavor from food city!!!!

Eddie Teems

Best place to buy fresh meat in my opinion. Staff was very helpful, price was competitive, the steaks were perfect.

Keni Master

Being a chef in this region is exceptionally hard to find quality meats at decent price especially Wild Game another premium products. Vince was exceptionally helpful and knowledgeable all the product in the store thanks again vince for an exceptional experience

Bill Fea

You can not beat Willy's, if you appreciate quality meat there is no one better in our area. I have been buying meat from him for over fifteen years.

Paul Pruett

Excellent service and the best quality meats. Highly recommend Willy's!

Billy Price

Great people, Wygou Beef awesome

Travis Monroe

Excellent meat duck breast is unreal it's so good. Ground beef is excellent you get the real deal. Prices could be a little better. You pay for what you get.

Matthew Whisman

Excellence.

benjamin libon

Great quality products, extremely friendly and always take the time to serve their customers!

John Rooke

Extended discussion with the butcher. Awesome products. No equal locally.

melissa lee

1st class butcher shop.

Quin hap

First time going, loved it and the gentlemen there all are super helpful. Will return!

Beth Buzzell

Very interesting place with free education on the difference between Supermarket meat, and farm raised. Definitely returning for more, as they were just beginning to stock the shelves with more meats and other natural products.

Anton Stevens

Some friends and I recently purchased a whole hog from Willy's Butcher Shop and were extremely impressed! The shop was very clean and sanitary as this was very important to us considering the type of purchase we made. The price was reasonable and Willy personally called me to make sure we were happy with our purchase. As we will have the need to make purchases in the future, it is great to know we've found such an exceptional place as Willy's to do so. Thanks Willy!

Broc G

I’m not the type to deal with personal matters in a public forum, but I think customers deserve to know what kind of business owners they’re supporting, and Will Carithers, the owner of Willy’s Butcher Shop, is one to steer clear of. I worked at Willy’s Butcher Shop for about two weeks back in September. No job or employer is perfect and that was certainly the case here, but I enjoyed the job for the most part. Will wasn’t ever around, but the other guys in the shop were really cool. My big issue with the owner didn’t come up until I told him that I needed a few days off work to figure out my housing situation. I had been living in a really cool apartment in the Old City, but the landlord informed me that the building was being resold as condos and I’d have to move out within 38 days. Ultimately, if I wasn’t able to find a new place quickly, I’d have to temporarily move back in with my folks, which meant moving back to my home state. It was a pretty inconsiderate thing for the landlord to do, but that’s real estate I guess. Anyway, I told Will I needed a couple days to figure things out. He wasn’t very flexible, and ultimately we decided that we would part ways and that would be the end of my employment there. It sucked because then I had no job OR housing, basically cementing the reality of my move back to my parents house. Fast forward a few months: Will STILL hasn’t paid me for the time I worked for him. I’ve reached out plenty of times and offered a variety of ways to pay me (check via the mail, direct deposit, even Apple Pay), but he still hasn’t managed to pay me, and is alleging that the postal service just won’t deliver the check, which sounds like a pretty lousy excuse to me. It’s been 82 days since I left: there’s no good excuse at this point. I realize it wasn’t very long and I was only supposed to be getting $10/hr, so it’s not a ton of money, but for me it’s the principle. Even if it is only a couple hundred dollars, wage theft is wage theft, and no employer should get away with ripping off their near-minimum wage employees. Please, don’t support Willy’s Butcher Shop.

Clarence Black

Great products and service

joseph bennett

Unfriendly staff

Steven Horn

Great place to get meat. The guys working there are really good at answering questions and helping figure out what to get for you. Only place I go now for steaks, pork belly, and sausages!

Sharon Haire

Wonderful and great to work with

Bob J

Vinnie was very helpful. Knew exactly what kind of meat to get for my tiger sandwiches. Lady at the counter was also very helpful. Not our first time here and won't be out last.

Susie Price

Great service and nice looking meat.

andy fisher

Got the airline cut chicken breasts, were delicious. Met the owner who was very personable and told us about some unique pork cuts they had recently made. Very impressed with the store, employees, and meat quality.

Tyler Blevins

Extremely shady and unethical business owner who does not pay employees nor does this business require new hires fill out employment paperwork in order to easily “part ways”. There are plenty of other butcher shops in this area worth using. I won’t digress with promoting those shops simply to make a point that this is not a business worth supporting.