Publican Quality Meats - Butcher & Sandwiches

I believe PQM is a deserving GNR because of their stellar provisions, passionate butchers and extremely helpful staff. It is near the top of my list of spots to take visitors to show off the Chicago food scene.

I frequently drive 30+ miles to PQM to score provisions for parties I am hosting. It is an easy decision; I know that anything I buy there will be of the highest quality and that the staff will help assemble a spread that my guests will rave about. To reward myself for my smart decision to shop at PQM, I’ll have a sandwich and soup while I’m there.

My excitement for PQM is shared by many on this board.

G Wiv's description of PQM is a fave:

G Wiv wrote:Publican Quality Meats is carnivore Disneyland...Publican Quality Meats, count me a fan!

...Many LTHers like to eat at PQM...

Khaopaat wrote:...this was one hell of a lunch...score one more for PQM.

CrazyC wrote: I really enjoyed that sandwich but only had half of it since I also ordered the ribollita.

RAB wrote:The Ribollita is one of the best bowls of soup I've ever had....I really, really like this place. A lot.

…LTHers also like to shop there…

ronnie_suburban wrote: The worst thing about PQM is that there's just too much great-looking stuff and it's hard to decide what to buy and order.

jvalentino wrote: Aside from the products the folks behind the counter are just great. Knowledgable, helpful, and seem to encourage tasting -I usually have to condition people on this . Great place.

AlekH wrote: The spanish style chorizo at PQM right now is awesome...soft globules of melting fat and a really aggressive fresh smoked pimenton flavor....The Faith's Farm spicy coppa at PQM right now is out of this world....

jimswside wrote: What a place, These cats are producing cured meats at the highest level. Staff couldnt have been nicer or more enthused when talking their craft.

edb60035 wrote: The butcher was awesome. He explained exactly how to cook it...

…and LTHers like more than PQM’s meat…

Jazzfood wrote:Their kale side for around $3. is one of my favorite veg dishes in town.

gastro gnome wrote: All of the little sides I've had (slaws included) at PQM have been fantastic.

…sure it gets crowded, but the service always delivers…

trixie-pea wrote: - Throngs of young professionals cramming offal, cured pork, and bread soup during their lunch hour was enough to warm the heart on such a winters day. Count me a huge fan of PQM.

mgmcewen wrote: …with PQM they are all super nice no matter how crowded it is.

Vitesse98 wrote: I had some of the best service of my life here the other day...

jimswside wrote: I really like the staff @ PQM, friendly folks who enjoy their craft.

I know as a community that we sometimes like to eschew places that are very popular or have a wide appeal, but I don't think we should here...

ronnie_suburban wrote: Seems I almost always run into an LTHer when I'm there.

Restaurants keep opening in the West Loop at a frenetic pace and PQM feels more and more like an established neighborhood gem.

JeffB wrote: This team can't lose. PQM seems more like a longtime neighborhood anchor than a new concept - closer in feel to Russ & Daughters, Paulina Market or Conte di Savoia than to a just hatched hipster grocer.

Should it be listed as a GNRestaurant or GNResource? I say one award, but listed both as a Restaurant and Resource. Unlike Butcher & Larder (who has a very limited dine-in menu and seating), PQM could exist solely as a restaurant.

Here are a couple LTH PQM threads:

Shopping & Cooking thread:
viewtopic.php?f=16&t=34081

Eating at PQM thread:
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=34331

-matt

This vegetarian supports.

How is this place NOT already on our GNR list? It gets my vote for the pork belly "gyro" alone. Great high quality selection of meats and provisions, even the cookies made in house are amazing.

Oh yes please - great supplies, great place to grab lunch - and the right attitude.

In addition to the excellent food, relaxed atmosphere, and stellar service (as well as all the specifics listed above), I will add that PQM is making the best bread in the city and has top quality farm eggs that you can pick and box individually - all for cheaper than any dozen you will buy at a farmer's market.

I fully support this nomination.

I have a hard time straying from Graziano's for my gut buster sandwich jones in the West Loop. I have loved many sandwiches at PQM– the better-than-the-gyro, their Italian sub, and even a simple roast beef on their fantastic bread. And the ribollita deserves a spot on any top 10 soups in Chicago list. What sets this place apart for me, beyond the insanely encyclopedic case of charcuterie, is the 300% service effort common to most One Off Hospitality endeavors. Paul's there, he wants to know how you are enjoying your cocido. Forgot to give you your coleslaw, how about a ginormous brown butter cookie. I'll quickly share an anecdote demonstrating their commitment to customer service. I splurged on a half pound of La Quercia acorn fed for a holiday date night. I opened up my parcel (a few days later) and found the delicate ham to be butchered into almost useless thick hunks and tiny fragments. Normally I'm not one to make a fuss, but this stuff is like $15/ oz. I called them right before their closing time, no problem, they'd wait for me. They called in their expert jamón hand slicer. The cuts were perfect, as good as any ancient master back on the peninsula. And you bet they sent me home with extra goodies to make it up to me, cookies, a few loaves of bread, and a charcuterie- plate to go. Any thing these guys seem to do, they do it to make you feel special. GNR for PQM.

Hell yeah

milz50 wrote:G Wiv's description of PQM is a fave:

G Wiv wrote:Publican Quality Meats is carnivore Disneyland...Publican Quality Meats, count me a fan!

First time I walked into Publican Quality Meats eyes got wide and I got a big stupid grin on my face. 3-years later the exact same thing still happens.

PQM for GNR, hell yeah!

Publican Quality Meats, count me a fan!

Yes!

I shop there regularly and eat-in once in a while (probably more now that they deliver). Some of the best steaks I've head recently have been from PQM. The butcher section may seem small, but they have a lot of stuff in back (down below, more accurately) and and can get pretty much anything with a little notice. Awesome selection of charcuterie, homemade sausages, and other things served at One Off's restaurants. The pub bacon from The Publican is one of our special treats. Super-friendly and helpful service. And eminently reasonable prices.

Great nomination!

Makes me want to massage some kale (one of the best sides in the city). Beats enduring the noise level of the mothership w/the same attn to product. Good choice.

Porchetta on a crusty loaf was the best thing I ate last year. My single favorite Kahan joint. Yes.

Overpriced mediocrity. Bad, incompetent service. Decent grocery. Of the places I've visited on this years' nomination list, this place is the worst.

Sounds like you didn't have the same porchetta.

Fair enough. I'll give it a second shot. Any thoughts on the Truffletta?

Haven't had it. Truth be told, my love of the place is based on the grocery. I sat down once and had a really nice bowl of soup. Another time a nice blood mortadella sandwich (more than a novelty lunchmeat, one of the better US-made morts I've tried). Otherwise, my experience has been picking up some stuff from the case, and a dry good or two while drinking a beer or a glass of wine. My porchetta brush with greatness came when I had them cut off the still-spitting crackling end piece/first pound of the roast the moment they brought it upstairs from the basement and stuck it on a loaf of their rustic bread. Maybe ten minutes later I was sitting on a stoop with my kids scarfing it down. So maybe not the most reproducible experience but definitely a good bite.

For me, the only question about PQM's GNR-worthiness is whether it should go in as a Restaurant or a Resource because it would be an excellent addition in either category. I posted a few details about my most recent experience here.

=R=

The quality of the butcher's counter and baked goods speaks for itself. What doesn't though is the fantastic customer service I experience every time I visit. The staff is trained to be generous with samples, knowledgeable and passionate about the product, and encouraging of letting you work your way through the offerings at your own pace. And as Ronnie said, I feel like I run into someone I know every time I visit. It's a total gem.