Mario’s Neighborhood Butcher Shop & Delicatessen

As the name suggests, this neighborhood shop located on the corner within a strip mall in Newport Beach (on the cusp of Irvine/ Costa Mesa) specializes in high quality cuts of meat and sandwiches. They also have delicious breakfast burritos in the morning. The space isn't very large, but it's a pretty good size for a specialty shop like this one. The folks here are very friendly and knowledgeable. There's some table seating along the side of the building.I came here specifically to try the steak sandwich, but my buddy and I arrived here on the early side. I can't remember when the exact time the lunch menu is available (10:45am? 11am?), but we got there too early to order the sandwich. Well, that gave us an opportunity to try the breakfast burrito as well! And the timing worked out where once we finished the burrito, it was close to the time when we can order and split the steak sandwich. Best of both worlds!Both the burrito and the sandwich were very, very good. The burrito came with a good sauce and the burrito also came as two smaller burritos. Not sure if they did that because they knew we were splitting or if that's how it usually comes, but it was perfect! The steak in the sandwich was perfectly cooked medium rare and it came with a wonderful (chimichurri?) sauce on quality bread with a slight crunch. Definitely a great spot to grab lunch and/or breakfast. Parking was easy especially in the morning.

FoodSteak sandwich - 4.6/5. Excellent bread, tender steak, flavorful chimichurri. Would be a 5/5 if chimichurri was in every bite, mine was a little stingy.Mortadella sandwich - 4.5/5. Fresh af.Beef tallow fries - 4.5/5. A distinct flavor of 90s McDonalds fries but with a medium cut. Overall excellent and would be a 5/5 if fresh out of the fryer. Mine were under a heat lamp but they were closing soon so I understand. Salted well.Service5/5Ambiance5/5

No lunch until 10AM. Their breakfast options are pretty and affordable, especially in Newport Beach. The best part of their display are the under for the marble steaks and marinated meats.We ordered the breakfast burrito along with the breakfast sandwich. They are made to order so be prepared to wait a little bit. The ingredients are fresh and the bread is nice and thin.Will be coming back to try out the Smashburger and pastrami sandwich which seem to be very popular. Lots of seating outside and a nice spacious parking with places to walk in the morning.

At Mario's Butcher Shop, the deli cases are filled with high-quality cuts of meat and gorgeous steaks. There's a fast moving line that leads to a sandwich counter. The great care and attention to the exceptional meats and fresh ingredients result in incredible sandwiches and burgers.Steak Sandwich: The baguette is a solid vehicle for the wonderful meat. The steak is medium rare (or however you like it) and coated with a zingy chimichurri sauce. The really fresh lettuce and tomatoes addcrisp bites between meaty chews. Rib Sandwich: This is an elevated rib sandwich. The pork rib meat is tender and tasty. The pickles and onions add acidity to the mix. And the sticky BBQ sauce sweetens the savory richness. Dining Area: There's a tiny patio area squeezed off to the side of the shop with about half a dozen little tables. You most likely have to take your sandwiches to go.Parking: The little lot is packed to the gills. Be patient and a spot will eventually open up.

The moment you walk in this place you can tell it was all about high quality meats. The steaks they had on display looks so good. I couldn't decide between a smash burger, a steak sandwich or the reuben sandwich. But decided to go with the Reuben...and i'm glad I did, it was so good. I also got a bag of chips and lemonade which came out to be $22.00+. I got here about 11:15 am and it was slowly starting to get busy. By the time I got done eating the place was packed. There's about 24 seats, all outside. I noticed a lot of people were just ordering their food to go. It's unfortunate they didn't have indoor seating because it was a little cold and windy outside. This place is located in a little strip mall with other food places so parking during lunch time can be scarce. I noticed a few cars parked illegally. I will definitely will be returning here to try their smash burger and steak sandwich.

Monday night dinner: we got here at 515pm and luckily it wasn't too busy! We ordered the must-try's and I must agree!! -"Big dill" sandwich with turkey deli meat: if you like pickles this is for you! Low carbs/keto and salty! I wasn't able to finish half of the "sandwich" bc it simply was too salty for me. The avocado was a nice balance to all the salt!-steak sandwich: you must get this and have it cooked medium rare! Wow!! The steak was so good!! The chimichurri sauce was a nice addition to this skirt steak! -double smashed burger lettuce wrap: solid! I'd eat 10 of these next time! ;)-fries: large cut fries fried in beef tallow!! Crispy and smelled delicious!If you're keto or carnivore this place is for you!! The steak, burgers, and deli meats are just high quality! A plus that they cook using beef tallow!Customer service: nice and friendly staff who are polite on the phone and in person! You do have to wait for your food but it's fresh when it comes out! The shop is nice, bright, and clean. Parking: plenty (at least in the evening)!

Just basing this review on the cheeseburger and fries.Perfect, honestly, one of the best cheeseburgers I have enjoyed.It is not pretentious; you just walk in order, and they bring it to your table on the patio. In and done in 20 minutes. Don't change a thing, ever.

Parking is a bit of a hassle here so if you can, park on the street and walk over. Inside is sort of like a mini market with fresh to order sandwiches. It looked like all of the seating was outside on a patio which has had zero open seats both times I've been here. Our food was mostly all amazing. In our first visit we ordered the breakfast burrito, steak sandwich, sourdough bread loaf and some hamburgers to grill for dinner. We loved absolutely everything except that I felt the burrito was lacking something, maybe it was the texture, I'm not sure. Flavor was good tho. My kids thought the burger patties are the best we've brought home and we shop at great local butchery's often. Overall, worth checking it out for the meals or meat selection.

Delicious sandwiches! We came here on a weekday lunch and it was busy, that's how you know a sandwich joint hits. We of course ordered the smash burger and the steak sandwich. The quality of the burger was insane. One of the better smash burgers around. The steak sandwich was also super tender and I love the chimichurri in it. Also, you can't go wrong with the fries as well since they are fried in beef tallow! There wasn't a lot of seating area on the patio but just make sure to ask around for unused chairs. You may have to squeeze into a small table, especially groups over 3 people. In my experience, the customers were basically locals and they were very friendly.

The best sandwich I've had recently! Saw Mario's pop up on my IG feed and this place lives up to the hype! The pastrami on rye was meaty and I enjoyed the dressing and cole slaw that came with it. Also had the Italian sub, which was loaded with the meats. At ~$15 each, these sandwiches aren't cheap but they will fill you up. Also got a side of fries which were shaped like diner fries to me, and were hot and crispy but soft on the inside. They have a lot of food options, a cold section with sauces, salad, and sides, and a drink fridge. There's a small patio outside where you can dine in and they'll bring out your food to you. Definitely give this place a try.