John Dewar & Co, Inc.

This is a great find. Helpful and courteous counter service. High-​quality specialty foods to go with your meal. And most importantly– amazing meats. I think I had the best steak of my life last night.

Food here is amazing. Been going here since before I could walk. Everything is excellent. You should really talk to the staff to ask what to get. Some of my favorites are the dry aged steak, cold cuts, bacon, dried sausage, duck, venison and pork. The prices are going to be more then shaws but worth every penny. They will hand cut to your specs, don’t be shy!

I shop here for the service — I don’t believe the quality is any better than you get if you buy premium cuts at the butcher shop at Roche Bros. I won’t be returning to John Dewar after today. I placed an order for 10 cornish game hens two days ago, and asked them to be split (to save myself time time and effort — that is why I go to Dewar, right?). I picked them up, didn’t check the package since it is Dewar after all. Got home, opened the bag and not only were the hens not split, they expired the previous day.
Now everyone makes mistakes from time to time. It isn’t the mistake that counts, it is how you recover from it that is the mark of good service.
So I called ahead and returned to the store. Bill, the manager thanked me for returning the hens and bringing this to his attention. What was I going to do? Serve expired poultry? Throw out $ 70 worth of bad food?
They replaced the order –splitting the hens while I waited, which they could have done ahead since I called before coming in — and sent me on my way. No one ever offered to discount the price, or give me anything, for my inconvenience. That is not the mark of good service.
Next time I“ll ask my friendly butcher at Roche Bros. if he’ll split the hens for me.

There is something so comforting about having an old-​fashioned local meat shop. I am so excited to have found this place and will no longer be getting my meat from supermarkets if I can help it! It is bit more pricey but you really do get what you pay for and its totally worth it.
Came here to get skirt steak for dinner last night and it really is true what they say about good quality meat. DELICIOUS! The little store also sells gourmet cheeses, high quality deli meats, and specialty products that you won’t ever find at the supermarket.
Definitely will be coming back here again!

A good old-​fashioned butcher like the one I grew up with. There is literally no packaged hamburger meat – it is ground pink and fresh for you. You walk in, tell them what you want, and they grind or cut it fresh for you. Then they package it how you want – for immediate eating or freezer.
The meat makes your mouth water it is *so* much better than the supermarket. Dewar supplies local restaurants so they sell their meat quickly and it stays fresh. I put Dewar meat on the grill and my friends say it is the most delicious steaks and burgers they’ve ever had.
Price is cheaper than Whole Foods and on par with chain supermarkets when you compare the same cut. The only problem is that this place makes you want the excellent cuts.
Service is very friendly, especially if you are a regular, and often you will be served by someone with an ownership stake in the business. I come here less often since I discovered Kinnealney butcher in my neighborhood but I still make the trip to Dewar when I can!
If you’re in a hurry you can call ahead to Dewar and place your order on the phone so you can just waltz in, pay and be on your way.

Came in last night after work, and picked up a few fillet Mignon’s for dinner. While I was in there I also got a baguette and some sliced pastrami for lunch tomorrow.
With a sweet cheese selection and other gems like various pates, Foie Gras, duck breasts, top quality (albeit expensive) meats made for an awesome little butcher spot. The guy behind the counter was helpful and polite. These things added up to a small little neighborhood butcher.
I can see myself coming in here to grab a few little things, attempting to avoid the chaos that is Whole Foods.

I really don’t think they’re that expensive. The price of their rib eye is very competitive with Whole Foods and I would sooner buy from a butcher, where I can get cuts of meats exactly as I desire. I’ve also NEVER had a problem with customer service.
Plus: They have managed to get me everything I’ve asked for. The first time I called them, I asked for a dozen duck eggs (turns out the minimum purchase was 2 dozen). Okay, I ended up with more eggs than I needed but I called on a Tuesday and they had it for me on Saturday. Fabulous! Their truffled foie gras is also heavenly!
Minus: They don’t routinely carry their dry-​aged meats so if that’s what you want, it takes a little preplanning and I tend to cook on impulse.
I’m Asian. I like all cow parts. So I’m going to see if they can get me tendon and cow tongue one of these days. Will post an update when that happens!

Yep. People aren’t lying. Every time i’ve needed some obscure meat or something cut a certain way I hop in the old CR-​V and head out here. Super attentive staff, über-​clean and they haven’t been able to not get me what I wanted in a timely manner. It’s not cheap for sure but if there’s one place you don’t want to scrimp on it’s meat. The best part is you can call ahead and they’ll have what you want ready for you when you get there. Now all we need is to get this place closer to Russo’s and a Trader Joe’s with a wine section and I’m on my way to looking like Mario Batali! Minus the crocs of course…

Fine, they have terrific meat, but bad customer service really bothers me. I know I am somewhat young looking (even if I am knocking on 30’s door) and I don’t always dress to impress, but treat me like you would anyone else. I am a professional chef, I know what I’m talking about, so please don’t give me attitude.

Top-​drawer, full-​service butcher. Broiled some prime New York strip steaks for my folks and they had to admit that «it was the best steak they ever had.» It seems pointless to go out for steaks of this calibre, since you can do so much better yourself. Prices are comparable to what you’d find at Whole Foods, but quality is a cut above. Give them a call in advance if you want bones or variety meat, and they’ll get some for you.

I needed a good butcher for a quality piece of brisket and boy, did I definitely find one at John Dewar! This is a carnivore’s wet dream come true. Just about any cut is available from a large variety of meats — from beef to duck and everything in between. They are more than a mere meat shop, but carry a good selection of sausages, jams, small desserts and such.
This meat institution in Newton Center attracts a very loyal clientele and rightfully so. Lines form quickly but they tend to move them out pretty well as long as you know what you want. The folks who work here are professional, friendly and very knowledgeable about their meats. I’ll sound like a broken record and say that prices are certainly on the high end, but it rings true that you get what you pay for. You’ll be sure to find top quality meats and unbeatable service from a fantastic local butcher.
Go carnies!

hey if you want a good steak — party on garth… this place has the best beef one could ask for — well since i know the bone saw guy i usually get whatever i want but you cant get a better steak anywhere else — one comment — dont eat the complimentary snacks that everyone has had their hands on…

On any adventure to make a potentially dangerous Steak Tartare at home, there are only 2 places one should even consider frequenting for the all important meat (which, remember, was to be consumed raw): Savenors and Dewars. Since Savenors is a bit off the beaten path for me, Dewars was the decision. I was nervous — any poor decision making on my part could land me in the hospital with trichinosis, but the guys at Dewars assured me that with the proper product and care, my proposed culinary undertaking would be no more dangerous than deep-​frying a turkey with a jet engine. Although they suggested tenderloin, I prefer sirloin. So one gorgeous 18 dollar piece of steak later, I’m chopping away happy as a clam.
Truthfully, all the meat in the greater Boston area (With very few exceptions) is purchased wholesale from only 4 or 5 separate purveyors — so you’re getting a similar product if you go to any high-​end grocer, but Dewars knows the product so well — different preparations, storage and safe handling methods that go above and beyond most stores. They also carry a variety of ‘alternative’ (read: froofy French) meat products that really set them apart from, say, Whole Foods: Salt Pork, Foie Gras, Duck, real Aspic, Terrines and Pâté. You’ll pay out the nose for it, yeah, but when quality (and more importantly safety) matters most, you can’t go wrong with Dewars or Savenors. The two should get together and join forces or something. It’d be food nerd Frenchy paradise!

Meat, meat, meat. I love meat. Cooking it, eating it, serving it. But these guys REALLY love meat — and know alot more about it than uh, anyone I know. It took me a long time to actually go into the store — not really sure why. but now I look for reasons to go back. Its not just a butcher, by the way — JD’s has alot of awesome gourmet sauces, berads, meats, cheeses and other prepared foods. I know a good deal about food, and I learn things every time I walk in here. Its pretty humbling.
To keep the list going, they often have high end charcoal (Basques, its oustanding) as well as smoking woods.
Ok — now, lets talk about the meat. I go there for regular stuff like pork and beef — but they’ve got duck, rabbit, and occasionally venison, and who knows what else. I love the weekly emails because you never really know what’s next.
Anyway, yes, some items are pricey — for instance the pork butt and baby back ribs — much more than you’ll pay at the grocery store — but you can tell just by looking at this meat, that its high end stuff. Not only is it fresher than (what is that saying, a spring chicken?) most anywhere else, its clearly trimmed and prepared much more carefully. The beef short ribs I got last weekend — perfectly prepared — no work was needed to prep them for the smoker. I LOVE that!
The staff here is flat out awesome. They are incredibly helpful and knowledgeable, and happy to answer any questions (like, wtf is that hunk of meat over there?). They’ll custom prepare meats for you and fill you in on all kinds of information. For instance, the «chinese red ribs» they now have — you know, like spare ribs in the restaurants — its not just some pork with dye and corn syrup. These (that they stock — not the restaurant) are incredibly difficult to produce, requiring specialized (expensive) equipment that few suppliers have. I got the full scoop and was lucky enough to get a sample. Holy CRAP — thats some good meat.
The guys there are proud of their stuff — its fun to do the ‘culinary’ thing there. And yup, like mentioned in other reviews — they know cooking just as well as butchering. Always fun to talk about smoking and throwing parties with them.
And so you know ahead of time. as you just read this absurdly long review (clif notes: good meat, good people) — you might find service a bit slow since conversations and prepping can take some time. but don’t worry about it — these guys are aware of the customers and you too, will get that very personable service.
Oh, and parking can be a pain, aim for parking on Beacon St, across from the Post office. No meters!

huh! i always thought this was john dewer, i guess thats why everyone looks down at me when i go here.
hey its the real deal, i love this place and i envy the Newtonians who do their everyday here, here or WF, which on the plane i believe is not nearly as good as dewers. KEY: most importantly is that we refill our EVOO here so we can come back once a month and i can get a tiptop pork loin, oh so good i want to slice it raw and eat like a maki, however and thankfully common sense kicks in and im breading it in panko and with a nice orange sauce… sounds good right?
today they had a few shortribs on the sample table, i didnt think it was proper to grab one for any reason, too bad for me, they looked sweet.
price city, but you want crap meat go cheap.

A little pricey, but you more than get what you pay for.
My wife stopped by here on her way home from work and picked up a t-​bone steak for my birthday dinner. It was worth every penny. I cooked it Tuscan style. Salt, pepper and rosemary and some olive oil rubbed on then four minutes per side over open flame. Nice and rare in the middle and extremely juicy.
Not a place for your everyday cookout, but worth splurging for those special occasions.
I also have a cookbook with a recipe for french fries that are fried in duck fat. Dewar sells duck fat. How cool is that?

John Dewar’s makes me remember why I’ll never be able to be a vegetarian.
They’re friendly and they have a lot of options! They keep marinated meats in the refrigerator.
We tried some turkey burgers that were great. ½ pound burgers for about $ 3 a piece :) FANTASTIC.

Best butcher I’ve ever been to. Period.
They know their meats, really well. I came in to pick up a Boston butt once, and the butcher guessed that I was making pulled pork, and we talked for a few minutes about the way we like to cook it. Another time I overheard an employee expounding upon the various ways to enjoy the different kinds of steaks they carry. I know a lot about meat, but I learn something almost every time I go there!

The selection of meats (of all kinds) that you can get at Dewars is fantastic.
They also offer specialty foods, cheeses, etc.
As a foodie, I will recommend John Dewar until I’m blue in the face.
Just as Russo’s is the purveyor of veggies and fruits for the best restaurants in the Boston area, John Dewar is the purveyor of meats for these same fine restaurants.
I have been to Dewars several times, and each time, I wonder why it has taken me so long to go back.
Friday found me purchasing marinated steak tips. My god. I have no choice but to go back for more.
I recommend that you go also. Soon. Often.
It is rare to have a butcher shop still in existence, what with Costco, SuperWalMart and Stop and Shop, in addition to the great meats available at Whole Foods pushing out the individual butchers.
John Dewar & Co IS that rare butcher shop that has survived. And I know why.

I think this is where you should get meats. This is where we get thanksgiving and christmas food and my dad always gets really excited about it. GREAT FOR: Father’s day.