Bay Meat and Deli: A Neighborhood Throwback

Open late on weeknights.

​The days where everyone knew the first name of their local butcher are long gone--unless you count reading Publix employees' name plates. But the Garcia family in Cutler Bay is counting on the fact that many of us yearn for those days. They recently opened Bay Meat & Deli, 20230 Old Cutler Road, in a strip mall dotted with take- out restaurants. The idea: to serve as the meat purveyor of choice for increasingly discerning consumers.

Customers want more choice, say Bay Meat owners.

​"People are looking for a neighborhood butcher. A place to go where they actually know about the meat they are selling and where the customer service is much better than at a supermarket," said Rafael Garcia, manager and brother of owner Jorge.

They hope to educate the public on the different quality and cuts of meat. "When we say it's choice, we mean choice. Prime, we mean prime and select, we mean select," Rafael says.

Some of what they hope to offer is subtle but still important... "things like how its important to leave a thin layer of fat on the end of (sirloin strip steak) which helps when grilling. Your supermarket butcher doesn't know that," Rafael says.

​They have all the traditional meat and pork cuts as well as high end products like the Angus steak, Borukuta pork, buffalo and Kobe/Wagyu beef, which they are only to happy to wax poetic about.

Here's the beef.

​Nestled close to both Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay, and, um, Biscayne bay, Bay Meat and Deli offers deli meats and prepares a variety of sandwiches you can eat in a small seating area or take out. The deli is one of the few distributors of Thumann meats (which they say are superior to Boar's Head) in South Florida. They tout the cold cuts as a healthier and better tasting alternative.

Bay Meat & Deli

20230 Old Cutler Road

Cutler Bay, FL 33189

Monday-Saturday 7:30am-10pm

Sunday 9am-6pm

www.baymeat.com