@TK: The middle eastern store next to Old Jerusalem restaurant on Mission sells a good locally made merguez — it is frozen but I don’t think that matters. Ground lamb can be found at most butcher stores or groceries.
seriously.. ??? i thought i was dreaming when i found them. quality meat with an amazing price tag. not fair. someone needs to step up and realize our neighborhood needs a lil market…
I was walking by about 9:45pm when this was going on. I can totally relate. Last February and last May, my wife and I closed our stores in the middle of the night at two Westfield malls in San Diego County. Our combined leases were about $24k a month. No matter how much people love the store and the product, they need to keep shopping there constantly to pay those rents. All that perishable inventory and all the utilities he must have been paying, I can only imagine. That’s why when I read that post about the Bee store on Valencia, I cringed. I only hope this Halal guy is cutting his losses and moving on with what he’s got left, instead of losing everything he has like we did in San Diego. And good luck with the Bee business. I don’t know how people can do it this market and especially in an environment where no one wants you to be “too” successful, lest you cause everyone else’s rents to go up.
[...] The story was all Noe Valley, all the time. Meanwhile, our 24th lost a little something today: Goodbye, Alhambra Halal Meat Co. We’ll miss you in the [...]
Thanks for the tip on the merguez. You’d think most everyone would have ground lamb, but most places don’t. Alhambra would grind it fresh for me while I waited. It’s a shame.
This makes me so sad. I hope the family that owned this butcher shop didn’t lose too much in it. I went there every week when I lived on 24th street last year, and when I moved to a new neighborhood, I stopped going as regularly. I had just driven there on Tuesday night to load up on fresh, cheap meat to put in the freezer (a la the recession) when I saw they were closing down. It made me sick to think that though I had loved this place, I completely let it down by simply not continuing to shop there regularly. We need to support our local businesses and not just sometimes. If I could take back all the Safeway trips and put some money in New Halal’s pockets, I would. It was a great addition to the neighborhood.
I am do sad too see them go. I found a place in San Bruno which is just as good, they have a Moroccan butcher who makes his own style of merguez and its amazing. the place is called Besan’s International Market on 480 San Mateo Ave in San Bruno. There is a middle eastern restaurant right next door too, they make their kebobs on wood burning fire!
Talked to another storefront renter near the old Alhambra spot. They said the Alhambra folks moved out because of trouble with the landlord, rent increase (?) and that the former proprietor is driving a cab now. Apparently the family lost a lot of money in the sudden closing.
Allan Hough (7858)
Brittany Janis & Katie Cruz (104)
Sad. Their meat was so good and they were really nice.
Oh, crap. Now where am I supposed to get ground lamb and merguez sausage?
We loved shopping at the Halal Butcher. Boooo!
Ahhhh crap. They just got here, didn’t they? Great place. What happened?
Israel Kosher Meat & Deli (richmond)
Tel Aviv Kosher Meats (outer sunset)
Noooo!!! I guess you just can’t sell really high quality meat at a reasonable price in this town.
@TK: The middle eastern store next to Old Jerusalem restaurant on Mission sells a good locally made merguez — it is frozen but I don’t think that matters. Ground lamb can be found at most butcher stores or groceries.
we want halal, not kosher.
seriously.. ??? i thought i was dreaming when i found them. quality meat with an amazing price tag. not fair. someone needs to step up and realize our neighborhood needs a lil market…
I was walking by about 9:45pm when this was going on. I can totally relate. Last February and last May, my wife and I closed our stores in the middle of the night at two Westfield malls in San Diego County. Our combined leases were about $24k a month. No matter how much people love the store and the product, they need to keep shopping there constantly to pay those rents. All that perishable inventory and all the utilities he must have been paying, I can only imagine. That’s why when I read that post about the Bee store on Valencia, I cringed. I only hope this Halal guy is cutting his losses and moving on with what he’s got left, instead of losing everything he has like we did in San Diego. And good luck with the Bee business. I don’t know how people can do it this market and especially in an environment where no one wants you to be “too” successful, lest you cause everyone else’s rents to go up.
Super lame, I loved this place. I know that I can find halal meet in the Tenderloin or other neighborhoods but the point was to have it close to home.
[...] The story was all Noe Valley, all the time. Meanwhile, our 24th lost a little something today: Goodbye, Alhambra Halal Meat Co. We’ll miss you in the [...]
@ SFDoggy -
Thanks for the tip on the merguez. You’d think most everyone would have ground lamb, but most places don’t. Alhambra would grind it fresh for me while I waited. It’s a shame.
This makes me so sad. I hope the family that owned this butcher shop didn’t lose too much in it. I went there every week when I lived on 24th street last year, and when I moved to a new neighborhood, I stopped going as regularly. I had just driven there on Tuesday night to load up on fresh, cheap meat to put in the freezer (a la the recession) when I saw they were closing down. It made me sick to think that though I had loved this place, I completely let it down by simply not continuing to shop there regularly. We need to support our local businesses and not just sometimes. If I could take back all the Safeway trips and put some money in New Halal’s pockets, I would. It was a great addition to the neighborhood.
@N., then quit yer bitchin, and use google.
butcher shops:
Salama Halal Meat, 604 Geary St. (at Jones); (415) 474-0359
Halal Food Market (Berkeley)
restaurants:
Cabbies Burger, 393 Eddy St. (at Leavenworth Street); (415) 931-3500
Naan N’ Curry, 478 O’Farrell St. (near Jones); (415) 775-1349
Old Mandarin Islamic, 3132 Vicente (near 42nd Avenue); (415) 564-3481
Pakwan, 501 O’Farrell (near Jones); (415) 776-0160. Also, 3180 16th St., (near Guerrero Street); (415) 255-2440
Shalimar, 532 Jones St. (between Geary and O’Farrell); (415) 928-0333
Star Thai, 791 O’Farrell St. (at Larkin); (415) 441-5635
Sultan, 339 Taylor (in the Ramada Inn); (415) 775-1709
Taj Mahal, 398 Eddy St. ( at Leavenworth Street); (415) 922-9055
I am do sad too see them go. I found a place in San Bruno which is just as good, they have a Moroccan butcher who makes his own style of merguez and its amazing. the place is called Besan’s International Market on 480 San Mateo Ave in San Bruno. There is a middle eastern restaurant right next door too, they make their kebobs on wood burning fire!
Talked to another storefront renter near the old Alhambra spot. They said the Alhambra folks moved out because of trouble with the landlord, rent increase (?) and that the former proprietor is driving a cab now. Apparently the family lost a lot of money in the sudden closing.