A Cut Above

Southern Steer Butcher

Country music pours from the speakers, assuring you that this is Southern Steer Butcher. This new full-service premium butcher shop has made quite a name for itself early on with its incredible variety of marinated meats—this place is a carnivore’s dream!

An array of housemade sausages decorate the first display case and lead your eyes to the extensive selection of meats, sides, sandwiches, and an impressive selection of local and craft beers, which border the gourmet market.

SSB is the vision of owners Greg Snyder and Craig Pratt, but Southern Steer is very much a family-run business. Together with their team the first Southern Steer Butcher opened five years ago in Clearwater, the Sarasota location following earlier this year.

“I like to be out front taking care of the customer. I want to be a part of this community,” says Shay Black, managing partner of Sarasota’s SSB. Greg and Craig met Shay while he was working at Outback Steakhouse almost 10 years ago. “Hospitality first,” says Shay. This has always been of the utmost importance to the brand and when the opportunity to join the Southern Steer came knocking Shay was honored and quickly accepted the role.

“We sell and make more of that than anything else in the entire shop,” Shay says with a big smile about their most popular product, Argentine marinated steak tips. With a housemade chimichurri that is also available on chicken or pork, Sarasotians cannot get enough. Signature side dishes like sweet Asian chili broccoli, smashed potatoes or Brussels sprouts are the perfect accompaniment to any protein and could quite possibly steal the show.

SSB even offers private cooking classes, with new menus each month, teaching students fun and easy Crock-Pot meal prep for a busy lifestyle.

Equipped with the technology of a vacuum tumbler, Southern Steer is leading the way with this meat infusing and tenderizing process. This machine pulls oxygen from the tank, which infuses the marinade all the way through and tenderizes at the same time. The results, says Shay, “eat and cut like a filet, they are so tender and delicious. That is what Southern Steer is all about: bringing great delicious marinades to your plate.”

Giving back to the community is of the utmost importance to this “Mom and Pop.” SSB’s Project 52 began as a way to serve the families and individuals in our community who need a little help. “Each week we like to give back to someone in need,” says Shay. “I think in the short time I have been here I have met so many great people.”

Saddle up and ride on over, pick up a custom hand-cut, humanly handled Creekstone Farms USDA Premium Black Angus steak for date night or marinated Mountaire Farms chicken wings for game day. Either way, they wouldn’t steer you wrong.

Southern Steer Butcher: 4084 Bee Ridge Rd, Sarasota; 941-706-2625; southernsteer.com