Urban Butcher Opens in Silver Spring
Thursday marked the grand opening of Urban Butcher at 8226 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, the DMV’s newest cured meats and cheese mecca. And it’s been a much anticipated time coming. As one Silver Spring resident put it, “We’ve been anxiously waiting for this opening, and Silver Spring is thrilled to see these doors open.”
Meats galore (Photo: Kristy McCarron/DC on Heels)
Urban Butcher, as you can imagine, is not for the vegetarians among us. This comfortable (you can enjoy you meats while sitting on a couch) yet clean (it’s a butchery, it has to be) restaurant houses just about anything you could need from the meat and cheese department, topped off with an incredible, made-from-scratch bar scene (Lavender margarita? Yes, please). In addition to fresh cuts, house-made sausages, pates and terrines, the nose-to-tail restaurant features heritage pigs, like Ossabaw from Virginia’s Autumn Olive Farms and Old Spot Gloucester from Whistle Pig Hollow near Baltimore.
“I want to create a place where the community can come and enjoy great tasting, honest food expressing the natural flavors of the ingredients in a care-free and welcoming atmosphere surrounded by their neighbors, friends and like-minded strangers they just met,” said Urban chef/owner Raynold Mendizabal, the former owner of Black & Orange.
I suggest the lavender margarita. (Photo: Kristy McCarron/DC on Heels)
Guests are invited to either choose from the extensive menu, ranging from crispy pig tails to mussels and even creamy polenta with mascarpone (great for the vegetarian friend who came along!). Diners can even choose any cut of meat displayed in the case and ask that it be cooked for them, right then and there. In addition to this option, each night a suckling pig will be roasted with a different flavor from the night before, and 20 cuts from the pig will be offered at 8 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis.
Urban Butcher’s dining room (Photo: Urban Butcher)
The restaurant includes a 30 seat coffee bar that turns into a lounge area in the evening, a 20 seat bar, a 50 seat dining room, a 24 seat communal table and an outdoor patio that seats 50. Splashes of bright, fresh color and texture accent the clean, white interior. Vintage and reclaimed furniture as well as more modern pieces create an eclectic mix of old and new. The jewel of the restaurant is the custom-designed glass-enclosed curing cellar located at the back of the restaurant.
The door to all things meat (Photo: Kristy McCarron/DC on Heels)
With a vast selection of cured meats (you can spot them aging in the back room) as well as an impressive cheese selection, Urban Butcher is not to be missed. Perhaps what’s best about Urban Butcher is it’s variety: one can choose to pick up something to make at home, dine in for a nice meal or share dishes while enjoying sips at the bar. Summertime will surely be the time to stop by Urban Butcher as the side garage doors will open and (similar to a Pearl Dive Oyster Bar) guests can sit at the outdoor bar. I have a feeling that’s where I’ll be over the summer.
Urban Butcher is open Monday through Thursday, 5 p.m.-midnight; Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m.-2 a.m.; and Sunday 5 p.m.-TBD. Dinner service begins at 6 p.m. Lunch, weekend brunch and daytime coffee service will follow in 2014.
Food blogger Kristy has been in love with food ever since she was building restaurants out of her plastic kitchen set at age 5. Now, she spends most of her free time exploring new markets, visiting local farms and perfecting the art of bread baking. Originally from Philly, she dreams of living in the mountains of New England or the Pacific Northwest someday.
