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| - No one can deny that The Meat Lab is Champaign's best kept secret - especially when you walk out with a bag full of meaty goodies!
While the hours are a little funky & make it hard for someone working an 8-5 to swing by - the meat pricing makes the trip worthwhile. Even the sale prices at local grocery stores can't complete with the low cost & the quality product! They stock beautiful, luscious cuts of pork, beef, & lamb - & also sell whole chickens perfect for roasting - and it's all extremely fresh; I've heard the employees mention that the various animals were butchered that morning! Just ask an employee if you need ground pork & beef, hamburger & pork sausage patties, or bacon - these are available in the walk-in fridge behind the counters. You'll be able to pick up a tray (30 eggs) of either brown or white eggs, or any of the smoked or processed sausages in the cooler by the customer area.
So do yourself a favor - grab a pound of thick sliced bacon ($2.79/lb - cheaper than Sam's!), pullet eggs when there are some in stock, then peruse the meat counters and one of the employees will help you with your meat selection, & then head over to the line to get rung up.
If you're a severely cash-strapped college kid, or if you're of the offal persuasion like me, then head in early on Tuesday, when they usually stock offal tidbits like tongue, liver, hearts, & pig tails/ears. I've scored lamb hearts for $1/lb, which is delicious when sauteed with garlic & kale!
Just keep in mind that you can place a special order by calling in - but make sure you reach a live person! They might not get to it by business hours if you leave it on voicemail. They also run special promotions every once in a while; i.e. a free pound of bacon with a minimum $25 purchase. You might be able sign up for the mailing list; I've emailed my info in a few times but haven't gotten a response yet.
*I've also uploaded photos of the pricing board.
**They accept credit cards - just Visa & Mastercard though.
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