Butcher Shop Expands to Poway and Spawns Wagyu Burger Chain

Born in the midst of the pandemic, Swagyu Chop Shop was launched this past summer in Imperial Beach by chef Steve Brown, who pivoted his roving wagyu beef pop-up dinners into a butcher shop that sells the prized meat, which is sourced from Japan, Australia, and the U.S., including a Montana ranch that Brown is involved in.

The chef, who says business is booming, is determined open at least 10 locations in order to give better access to customers who travel from as far as Arizona to shop. This Friday, January 15, Swagyu Chop Shop lands in Poway where it will stock the full range of high-end meats and also serve as the new hub for Brown’s private dinners.

Courtesy photo

The butcher shop’s house grind, a blend of domestic and imported wagyu beef, will be the centerpiece of another concept, Swagyu Burger by Cosecha, that is opening in an adjacent Poway storefront by March or April. The quick-service eatery will feature smashburger-style patties on brioche buns with housemade sauces and pickles as well as Brown’s signature nitro potatoes.

Brown is also installing a walk-up window at his IB store that will serve the burgers, and plans to offer them at his pop-up butcher shop at Isabel’s Cantina in Pacific Beach.

Both the burgers and the butcher shop are also headed for North Park, where Brown has secured another location near the intersection of University Avenue and 30th Street, and he is actively looking for another spot in coastal North County.