At Iverstine Farms Butcher‘s new digs at 7731 Perkins Road, shoppers will find the same high-quality cuts of meat the brand has come to be known for in the Baton Rouge area. And they can order breakfast or lunch during their grocery trip, too.
At a traditional three-meat lunch counter, diners can have their pick of a protein and sides. The opening menu includes beef chuck roast, smoked pork loin and big-ticket thighs. Sides include boudin dirty rice, beet salad, roasted potatoes and collard greens, among others. There will also be fixed daily lunch specials, including red beans and rice on Mondays and Cuban sandwiches on Wednesdays. On Sundays, a brunch menu will include items like grits and boudin breakfast bowls.
Earlier this month, the brand made the move down the road from 4765 Perkins Road, where it first opened its full-service butcher shop in 2016. “We opened on kind of on a hope and a prayer, and it turned out to be successful. We outgrew that space pretty quickly,” says Galen Ivestine, owner of Iverstine Farms Butcher.
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Emerging into the full-service restaurant sphere will allow Iverstine to expand its services, building on the butcher-to-customer relationships it has accumulated over its more than 10 years years of selling products in the Baton Rouge area. “We have customers who still come through our doors who were the first customers to walk up to our booth at the farmers market,” Iverstine says.
The new shop has enough space for a full kitchen and dining room. It gives the Iverstine team and diners alike the chance to try exciting new things. The restaurant menu will highlight some house cuts, especially those that are more challenging for the home chef such as osso buco.
“Being a whole animal butcher shop there are certain cuts that are less appealing to the retail customer and we can, with our culinary team, serve it to them in a way that they will really enjoy,” Iverstine says.
From the restaurant’s menu to the market’s shelves, the shop is dedicated to local farmers, including names like Fullness Organic Farms, Feliciana Creamery, Two Dog Farms and Greener Pasture Farms.
“Our goal has really been a synergy between our retail and restaurants. … We’re not a full grocery store, but we like highlighting as many Louisiana goods as we can,” Iverstine says. “That fried egg that you’ll have on your breakfast bowl? You can (also) buy a dozen of those eggs that are pastured eggs from Two Dog Farms out of Flora, Mississippi, and Greener Pasture Farm out of Singer, Louisiana.”
Though Iverstine no longer works out of its original farm in Kentwood, the brand acts as a processor for other local farms—about eight in total, ranging from Eunis to Shreveport. Iverstine looks for these farms to have the same sustainable and humane farming practices Iverstine has been known for. This ranges from making sure the farming is environmentally friendly, to ensuring the practices are financially fair for the farmers involved.
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“I think a lot of the reason people come to us is knowing where their food is coming from,” Iverstine says.
Even as customer demand has grown, especially with the rising price of meat due to supply-chain issues and a larger push to shop local, the company remains true to its ethics. This new chapter, Iverstine says, will only strengthen the brand’s reputation for fair farming, strong customer relations and tasty recipes.
Now located at 7731 Perkins Road, Iverstine is open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Follow it on Instagram at @iverstinefarms and Facebook at @IverstineFamilyFarms.