International Meat Market opened it’s doors nearly 20 years ago, and has been serving up amazing meat ever since. Give Me Astoria sat down with John Stratigakis, the skilled butcher behind it all, and learned everything there is to know about meat.

There’s a reason International Meat Market has been around for so long– they know what they’re doing. John and his team are friendly and warm, welcoming everyone into the store with a big smile… but there’s more than that. Every butcher at International knows meat like the back of their hand. Not sure how long to cook a piece a meat? They’ve got an answer. Don’t know what seasonings to use? They’ll give you four. Want a cut that no one else has? They’ll slice it up, wrap it, and ship it to your door.

There’s a genuine difference between supermarket packaged meats, and the meat that International cuts up. You can taste the freshness of the meat. John truly prides his store on using the highest quality meats, and this quality shows in all aspects of the meat– how it tastes, how it smells, and how it cooks. They’ve got more than just meats, too! There’s loads of pantry goods, like truffle oil (which makes your food AMAZING, by the way) and lots of seasonings and additions. They also make ALL their meat products in store. We’re talking sausages, burgers, skewers, the works. They’re great at mixing flavors that mesh perfectly, like their Jalapeno Cheddar Burgers.

International Meat Market runs a monthly contest called #SteakSaturdays on their Facebook, and each Saturday one lucky Facebook fan wins two huge, fresh, juicy steaks. They’re also on Instagram, and love seeing what customers cook up with their meat– under their hashtag #INTmeat.

For the health conscious, International carries organic, all natural, free range chicken. They’ve also got wild game for those that like to live on the wild side– everything from rabbit to pheasant and duck. But for people like us…who aren’t exactly the best chefs in the world, International Meat Market makes completely prepared, gorgeous, ready-to-cook cuts, like this Pork Crown Roast that we’re totally ordering for Easter. No one will know :).

International Meat Market is a truly a great, welcoming store, with amazing meat. So, all we can say is… good-bye supermarket meats, we’ve found a new a home. We’re joining John’s family… cause they clearly love great meat.

John’s adorable son! And some amazing looking meat, yum.

You can find all of International Meat Market’s amazing cuts at their online store here or drop by the store at 36-12 30th Avenue.