Burgers with Buck: Tucker Meat Market
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - Despite several different owners, the Tucker Meat Market has been a part of the landscape in this DeKalb County community for some three decades.
Andrea Woolf took over the Tucker mainstay about five years ago, reworked it, remodeled it, and this local business is thriving.
Of course, for many this butcher shop is the place to go for high-quality fresh meats including beef, chicken, pork, even lamb and seafood, but it is the deli that attracted the attention of #BurgersWithBuck. Woolf started the deli concept because in her words, “she likes to cook”. And for all my fellow carnivores out there, there’s a really good chance you’re going to like what she is cooking. She has created several specialty burgers, but with a name like ‘The Mammoth”, it just makes sense to feature on #BWB.
So let’s build The Mammoth from the bottom toasted bun up, which starts with a little mayonnaise. On top of that is the half-pound patty that is a bacon/beef blend. Yes, you heard me right. The exact ratio is top secret, but #BWB has learned that it is about a 70/30, beef-bacon blend. Already sounds great, doesn’t it? The patty is topped with American cheese, grilled onions, grilled jalapenos, and then more American cheese. Sounds like it’s getting pretty tall already, right? Oh, just wait. On top of all that, sits a 1/3 pound of her special house-smoked brisket, with just a touch of BBQ sauce to accent the flavor. Add the top of the sesame seed bun, and good luck getting your mouth around this one.
You see why it is named The Mammoth now, don’t you?
The Mammoth is already a rock star in the burger world, taking several local awards in competitions like Atlanta Food Wars and Taste of Tucker, but this local celebrity of a burger also placed in the top 10 on planet earth in the World Food Championships.
Of course in this era of social distancing, Tucker Meat Market is taking precautions to help keep everyone safe. For now, they have taken out the tables in the deli and lined the meat counter with chairs to guarantee at least six feet of social distance between people, and they are also limiting the number of customers allowed in the store at any one time. They are also offering curbside and contactless pick-up and delivery, within reason (as Woolf does most of the deliveries herself).
The butcher shop is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00-7:00. Due to store volume, the deli hours have been tweaked a bit for the time being. It is open Tuesday to Saturday from 1:00-6:45.
One more thing, other than one cook, Tucker Meat Market is an all-female owned and run business, which is certainly a rarity in the butcher/meat world. And despite this current pandemic that has temporarily changed the way we live our lives, business is booming! Way to go ladies!
For more information about Tucker Meat Market, including location, menu, hours, and specials... go to their website, https://www.tuckermeatmarket.com/ or their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TuckerMeatMarket/ . And, as always, if you have a favorite burger that you would like to see featured on Good Day Atlanta, tell me about it on https://www.facebook.com/BuckFOX5 or https://twitter.com/BuckFOX5, and don't forget to use the hashtag #BurgersWithBuck and/or #BWB.