A Birmingham butcher shop built on three generations of family know-how has just been named the best in the state—and the honor says as much about heritage as it does about meat.

The Son of a Butcher, tucked into Pepper Place in Birmingham, has been named Alabama’s top butcher shop by Tasting Table, the national food and drink outlet, as part of its “Best Butcher Shop in Every State” list. The recognition comes with the outlet’s Quality Business Award for 2026, a distinction reserved for the top one percent of American businesses based on reviews, service, community involvement, and long-term track record.

For a shop that’s only been open a few years, the honor is the payoff of a much longer story—one that traces back to the 1950s, when James T. Evans Sr. founded Southeastern Meats. His son Butch carried the trade forward, opening Evans Meats in 1998. Today, Butch’s sons Addam, Chase, and Hunter lead the company, which has grown to serve independent restaurants across six states. Along the way, Evans Meats added fresh seafood and, in 2019, a specialty program of high-end cheeses and cured meats—rounding the business into what it is today.

Then came 2020. With restaurants shut down and a warehouse full of perishable inventory, Evans Meats faced a problem it had never had to solve: how to sell directly to the public. The team posted a menu on social media and set up in their parking lot on Finley Avenue, unsure what to expect. Cars lined up for blocks. “That first experience really showed us the power of the community,” says J.T. McKissack, Evans Meats’ Head of Sales. “One of the reasons TSOB exists today is because of the people who rallied behind us. We got to know names, faces, and families.” The pop-up markets spread to Greystone, Auburn, Fairhope, and Huntsville, keeping employees working and the community fed through one of the hospitality industry’s hardest stretches.

That momentum led the family to open a permanent storefront at Pepper Place in July 2021—a name-checking tribute to where it all began. “We wanted to honor Butch, who started the company, and his three sons who carry it on,” McKissack says. “That’s how we came up with The Son of a Butcher. It might be a little cheesy, but it’s perfect.” The reception was immediate: “That first year felt like Black Friday,” McKissack recalls. “It was so busy, but such a good sign.”

It’s that lineage—not just the cuts of meat—that seems to be at the center of the shop’s appeal. Tasting Table’s write-up singled out the team’s insistence on knowing exactly where the food comes from, praising the shop for putting a premium on knowing the ranchers, fishermen, and cheesemongers behind every product. The Son of a Butcher’s community ties run deeper still: the shop partners with nonprofits like Oyster South to support Gulf Coast oyster farmers and protect wild resources, extending the family’s sense of responsibility beyond the counter.

Walk in today and you’ll find premium meats and cheeses alongside a menu of first-come, first-served sandwiches made with the shop’s own specialty products. “We’ve become a destination and a part of people’s households,” McKissack says. “That’s what we wanted.” It’s a full-circle expression of a family trade that started long before the storefront did—and one that a statewide award has now put a name to.

The Son of a Butcher is located in Pepper Place in Birmingham, for anyone looking to taste what three generations of family craft—and a community’s worth of pride—looks like on a plate.

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