Bucky’s Varsity Meats

Wow, tucked away in the University campus is this fantastic meat shop. Although they have a very nice array of meats in their fresh counter and an extensive selection of frozen meats from steak to pork to veal to lamb, the biggest plus is in custom ordering. Their prices are very reasonable. The staff is incredibly helpful. You park across the street where several spaces are reserved for Bucky's customers.

The predecessor of this store is "Bucky's Butchery." This store opened in 2020, which is located on the first floor of Meat Science & Animal Biologics Discovery building. There is a fee-based parking structure next door. It also offers curbside pickup and takes online orders. The store staff can provide more details. The store carries lamb, beef, chicken, and pork products, raised at the UW-Madison's own farms. It also carries cheese products but unsure if they are all made by the UW-Madison.The store is clean and well organized but seems to be a bit low on some stocks due to its popularity. The prices is average.This is a unique concept because the shop is student-run with education and innovation focus instead of just "selling meat." This store provides an additional option to support the UW-Madison and a way to obtain good quality meat. In the lobby next to the store, it has a timeline and exhibitions showcasing meat cutting history and technology. While the staff there wasn't able to fully answer my inquiries but still provides helpful info as a first-time visitor.What's unusual is that it also sells Asian products like dumplings, which doesn't seem to be something one would expect from a specialty meat shop. Unsure if it's one-time only, seasonal, or long term.An interesting shop, worth a visit at least once.

The quality of the meat is great and the prices are unbeatable! Even better, they have the customer service of a small town butcher that you just can't find anymore. There aren't many places you can special order unusual or custom cuts anymore. I also love that the meat is from the UW animal science farms. I trust that they are upholding high standards of animal welfare on the University farms.