With the holidays around the corner, it’s time to get acquainted with your local butcher in Utah. A great butcher can help you with that special cut, ideas on how much to order and foolproof ways to roast, broil and stew your way to culinary success. Jacob Wilson, the GM at Snider’s Bros. Meats and his family team are standing by to help.
“We are a sixth-generation butcher shop,” says Wilson. “Starting in the 1920s, our family had shops in different parts of Southeast Texas, Oregon, Washington and numerous locations in California, including the San Gabriel Valley. Around 1980, my father, his brother and my great-grandfather started a shop in Ogden. Then, in 1990, my father started plans to move a shop down into the Salt Lake area, which is where we’re at today.”
Local butchers, like Snider Bros. Meats offer expertise in selecting mains for your holiday table spreads. Photo by Adam Finkle.
Experience You Can Taste
Jacob is proud that they have been in their current location in Holladay for 32 years. That legacy extends beyond just the meat case to the customers. People who visited the Ogden shop as kids are coming into the Salt Lake shop as grandparents, all for a love of food and connection. “It’s not about just putting the product in the case and selling it,” Jacob explains. “It’s about getting the highest quality we possibly can. My customers are passionate about food. It’s exciting seeing people get into a new recipe or learn how to cook a new cut.”
The team at Snider’s Bros. is hands-on when it comes to customer service. They will trim, season, marinate, custom cut and sprinkle in advice and cooking tips while bundling up an order. You might even walk out with an extra pot pie for dinner.
Custom cuts and high-end products may seem like a throwback but that’s how Snider Bros. still operates today. Photo by Adam Finkle.
Holiday Meal Experts
Snider’s Bros. Meats offers a wide selection of proteins prepared for the holiday season. The one they are most known for is their Turducken. “We’ve been making turduckens for quite some time,” Jacob describes. “It’s a boneless, skin-on turkey breast stuffed with stuffing, duck breast, more stuffing and chicken breast—jet-netted together into a big oval. It’s fantastic for roasting or smoking. My favorite version is with apple almond stuffing.The butchers make a special house-glazed honey ham, better than any other ham out there. They make wet-aged prime rib roasts and the team will tell you how to prepare them. “Once customers try our prime rib, it blows others out of the water,” Jacob boasts.
You need to pre-order most of the holiday special meats. “I sell about 1,200 turkeys every Thanksgiving,” he reiterates. “For Christmas, I sell about four tons worth of prime rib. Once orders are filled and we can’t take any more, we’re done. The best way to place an order is in person, about 4-6 weeks out from your meal.”
When You Go
Snider Bros. Meats
6245 S. Highland Dr., Holladay | sniderbrosmeats.com
Other Local Spots For Your Table
Caputo’s Market & Deli
A paradise of cured meats, imported cheeses and an entire section of tinned fish, this local market can bring global flavor to your holiday grazing board. The care, curation and creativity that Caputo’s team brings to the table will do nothing but improve your table. Aquarius Fish Co. is right next door, make this a two-for-one stop. 314 W. Broadway, SLC, caputos.com
Main Street Quality Meats
Cooking for a BIG crowd this holiday season? Family-owned since 1956, Main Street Quality Meats is your go-to for bulk orders. With fresh, never-frozen meats, they are trusted by local chefs and can provide you with orders of 20-50 pounds. 2680 S. Main St., SLC, mainstreetqualitymeats.com
Aquarius Fish Co.
Located near Pioneer Park, Aquarius Fish Co. will turn you from a you-can’t-get-fresh-fish in Utah doubter to a believer. They have seasonal, ocean-fresh catches flown in almost daily. Think whole branzino, sashimi-grade tuna and fresh crab. They are pros at making recommendations. Feast of the Seven Fishes, anyone? 314 W. Broadway, SLC, aquariusfish.com (UPDATE: Aquarius Fish Co. has announced its closure at the end of September, 2025)
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