Butcher Shop, Market, and Barbecue Spot Landing in La Jolla

Valley Farm Market, a fixture in Spring Valley for over six decades, is coming to La Jolla. Landing in the Windansea neighborhood, the butcher shop, grocery, and eatery will anchor a new mixed-use complex being built at the corner of La Jolla Boulevard and Nautilus Street by the Murfey Company, a local developer.

Scheduled to open in August 2019, the new 5,000-square-foot Valley Farm Market La Jolla fulfills an expansion dream for owner Derek Marso, grandson of the founders of the East County market. It’s also a homecoming for Cali Comfort BBQ owner Shawn Walchef, who grew up in Bird Rock and is a minority partner in the new location. Walchef and Marso host a barbecue-themed podcast and collaborate frequently on festivals and charity events; they say that they hope to bring the same community focus to La Jolla.

The market will feature an in-house butcher shop stocked with USDA prime Black Angus beef, grass fed beef, organic chicken, and wild-caught sustainable seafood. It’s known for its ready-to-cook meats too, including carne asada and stuffed chicken as well as poke made fresh every day. In addition to produce, pantry staples, specialty grocery items, and beer and wine, Valley Farm Market La Jolla will also offer prepared food — everything from rotisserie chickens to its award-winning barbecued brisket, tri-tip, pulled pork, and sides.