When you hear “meatpacking district”, all sorts of images probably float to the front of your mind: the stark, dangerous world of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle, Rocky tenderizing sides of beef, and a rather unpleasant smell. The last thing that comes to mind is upscale dining and trendsetting social spots. However, Chicago’s meatpacking district, located just west of The Loop (colloquially known as the West Loop), is changing the narrative with quality eats from establishments like Publican Quality Meats. 

Formerly known as The Yards and cradled by I-290 on the south and the Chicago River on the east, it was once the hub of sophisticated railway transportation and the headquarters of numerous well-known meat distributing companies. Until the 1920’s, The Yards was the largest meat processing center in the world. 

Fast forward to today, where you’ll still find those old school neighborhood businesses, right next to Instagram worthy restaurants owned by the trendiest chefs in the biz. Nestled right at home in The West Loop and encompassing the best of the old and new world is Publican Quality Meats. In partnership with Vertu | Architecture + Design, Yagla Engineering Services made extensive upgrades and renovations specifically needed for this combination butcher shop, cafe, bakery, and market.

Coming in at #2 on Yelp’s list of The Top Ten Restaurants in the Meatpacking District, Publican Quality Meats offers something for every visitor. Visit the cafe for fresh baked pastries or a premium charcuterie plate. The bakery offers artisanal breads made with locally grown organic flour. Foodies will love the market where they can purchase hard-to-find ingredients as well as pantry stock items. Lastly, Publican’s whole-animal butcher shop offers custom cuts from steaks aged to perfection to sweetbreads which are NOT what they sound like.

Make sure to visit the West Loop and Publican Quality Meats soon and experience all it has to offer. No need to go Rocky on the sides of beef, they are tender enough.