Sawyer’s Butcher & Delicatessen to Open Portland’s Only Whole-Animal Butcher Shop This Summer

Portland’s only whole-animal butcher shop is set to open this summer as chef Chris Wilcox launches Sawyer’s Butcher & Delicatessen at 10 Cotton Street. Wilcox has leased the 4,606-square-foot former Thistle & Grouse space, where he plans to combine a full-service butcher counter with a sandwich-focused café.

Sawyer’s will center on whole-animal butchery, with Wilcox sourcing livestock exclusively from Maine farms. Drawing on relationships built over more than a decade working as a chef in the state, he hopes to create a shop that supports local producers while offering high-quality meats to both home cooks and restaurants.

While running Judy Gibson in South Portland, the restaurant developed a deep pantry of house-made ingredients. At Sawyer’s, he plans to continue building that pantry, this time with sandwiches as the centerpiece.

An in-house charcuterie program will produce items like mortadella, pâtés, and terrines, alongside house-made sides such as coleslaw, sauerkraut, and pickles. The café menu will feature about six regular sandwiches, including a traditional New Orleans muffaletta made with house-cured cold cuts, plus rotating specials based on what’s coming through the butcher shop.

READ MORE: Check Out These Amazaing Farm-To-Table Maine Restaurants

Sawyer’s will seat about 15 guests inside, with additional patio seating along Cotton Street during warmer months. Wilcox aims to open by early July.