Meat & Essentials

Best coffee in the area and delicious, balanced, and creative sandwiches from a passionate and very friendly ownership team. The meat selection is top notch and the co-owner, Eagle is always willing and patient in giving ideas of how to best use it. Don’t miss the sausage rolls on the weekend! Truly a one stop shop and all items are sourced with intentionality.

Meat & Essentials is the local community butcher shop I have ALWAYS wanted. Eagle and Mel are so gracious and personable, patient with every question and enthusiastic in all your meat and culinary endeavors. It goes without saying, but the quality of meat is outstanding, far superior to anything you could pick up at a chain supermarket. Whether it is sausage or cuts of meat or roast beef/ham— everything is top notch.
On top of that they also have a revolving door of other surprises in their inventory, such as jun, house made pickles and sides, lu rou fan … plus much more. It is always a delight to step in and check out what’s brewing. Their sandwiches are amazing too!

We love this small gem. Their specialty goods are eclectic and always fun to browse, but we typically come here for a quick sandwich, coffee, or Japanese beers (sold as singles). The panini comes hot off the press in all its cheesy glory-it’s very tasty. The owner is cordial and always gives our dog a little slice of meat. Would definitely recommend this place for anyone looking for meats ready to grab or looking for something fun to try.

If you like lamb, get the lamb panini. It's the best sandwich I've eaten in 2023. It's got a lot of flavor and lots of balance. I would gladly eat this everyday if I could.

I didn't like the baguette sandwiches because the bread was so chewy. My jaw got tired eating it. I liked the butter and sliced meats in it, but the hardness of baguette was most disappointing. I would recommend against ordering all the baguette sandwiches for this reason.

Steaks turned out really nicely. Pan seared and then finished in the oven. Thanks so much!

Such a welcome addition to San Marino! This quaint store has amazing products, meat, coffee, and sandwiches. The dirty chai was fantastic and went great with the almond croissant.

Their sandwich menu changes frequently. I ordered the steak panini and ham baguette - both were amazing. You can tell the ingredients used (from the cheddar to the pickles) were of great quality.

I also loved browsing the grocery section. They have great products like fresh nuts (direct from the farm), Rancho Gordo beans, and all sorts of delights for your culinary needs.

Had the pleasure of eating here yesterday and we were really impressed. The store was clean, the pastries were excellent and the meats were excellent. We especially loved the owners who were very passionate and so creative. This is really a unique and special butcher/bakery!

A charming place to stop, grab a bite to eat, and a coffee! The owners, Eagle and Mel, are lovely folks, and Olivia was so nice! -- my recommendation for this place couldn't be higher!

Great place. Very nice to find a craft butcher in Los Angeles. He got me some beautiful pork jowls to make guanciale. Next time coffe and a sandwich when I pick up my order.

Eagle is a top end butcher and Mel is an artisanal coffee maker. The two of them make Meat & Essentials a gem in the quaint community of San Marino. If you want sustainable pasture raised meat, amazing coffee, the best breakfast sandwich in LA, and other small batch food items, Meat & Essentials is a great place to visit.

Gourmet sandwiches! The lamb and roast beef is amazing. Ask for the green sauce; it's delicious .

Awesome shop! Great coffee, friendly community and excellent eats. Nice to meet you Mel & Eagle!

Just devoured their lamb sandwich! Fantastic!!!! Definitely coming back to try everything else. I highly recommend this place, fresh ingredients and great service.

We tried a box of happies. A vegan cookie. Delicious. A little expensive at $16 but they were good.

Stopped in for lunch on a Thursday. Delicious food, great flat white, and friendly owners. Can’t wait to come back!

Absolutely a pleasure to work with. Great communication + follow up and attention to detail!

If you want the best, look no further. Eagle has the highest sourcing standards and skills in the business.

Great espresso coffee and love their vegetarian sandwiches options

Eagle’s Eagle wings!!!!!