TOUR: The Meat House - Summit, NJ

The Meat House
Owner: Scott Ireland

Opened: 2013

Cooperative: none

Location: 321 Springfield Ave, Summit, NJ

Photographed: August 2019 and December 2020

The original Kings Food Market was located here on the eastern end of downtown Summit, with the new replacement store being located west of downtown, about a mile and a half west along Springfield Ave. Interestingly enough, that store was originally 5700 square feet with this one coming in at 5800 (now expanded to 6500). This one probably actually lasted a while after the new one opened, but later became The Luggage Center. In 2013, The Meat House opened in the space, a gourmet butcher-deli-grocery store-liquor store. It's quite a beautiful store. Interestingly enough, the chain has a rough history and today it appears that Summit is the only remaining location. Let's take a look inside the store.

A small grocery selection takes up the front left corner of the store, with deli, butcher, and seafood service counters lining the right side wall of the store. Assorted other groceries and fresh items take up the middle, with dairy, produce, and frozen foods on the left side wall. The liquor department then takes up the back corner of the store, with another entrance/exit to the back parking lot.

The grocery selection has some of the basics, but is mostly gourmet and specialty items. In both of the above pictures, we're looking from the front of the store towards the back wall (where you can see the second entrance/exit).

Deli and prepared foods along the right-side wall of the store in the front.

The butcher selection includes a lot of partially-prepared meats (such as pre-marinated selections, for instance). This store is very close to the Summit train station, at which many commuters come in from New York City. Commuters can stop by here after work and pick up the basics for an easy dinner: marinated chicken, some cut produce, and some potatoes. Or something like that. This is certainly not a place to do your whole food shopping, but it's not trying to be either.

A small seafood counter here at the back of the right side wall.

Produce takes up a lot of the left side wall, with some more items in bins in the middle. Here we're looking from the back of the store up to the front wall. It's a very nice small store and perfect for downtown Summit here. Up next, we'll be heading to the east for one more store here in Summit, a former supermarket on Grocery Archaeology!