Less than a year after opening at 7439 Highway N in Dardenne Prairie, The Quarter Butcher is expanding beyond its core butcher shop offerings with the launch of a new lunch menu built around house-made meats, local sourcing and hearty sandwiches perfect for dine-in or grab-and-go meals.
Opened in summer 2025, The Quarter Butcher has quickly carved out a niche in St. Charles County as a modern whole-animal butcher shop where customers can learn about local farms, explore both traditional and harder-to-find cuts, watch butchers at work and get guidance on how to prepare meals at home. Now, owners Eleni and Ryan Sommerkamp are adding another layer to the business with a five-sandwich lunch lineup.
Among the new offerings is an Italian beef sandwich made with red wine-braised beef and fresh giardiniera, which the team expects to become an early favorite. The menu also includes a gyro, French dip, pastrami sandwich and turkey sandwich.
Several of the meats are made in-house using products sourced from regional farms. The roast beef and pastrami feature beef from Price Family Farm, while the turkey comes from Buttonwood Farm.
“We’ve focused on our core offering of beef, pork and poultry, bulk beef and quarter cow options,” Sommerkamp said. “Now we’re adding more as we approach one year of being open.”
The shop offers seating for customers who want to stay and eat, though the sandwiches were also designed with convenience in mind for customers looking for an easy lunch option on the go.
Since opening, Sommerkamp said the response from the community has been encouraging, especially as regular customers continue returning week after week.
“Seeing excitement from customers when they find what they have been looking for has all been very special,” she said.
At the same time, she noted that introducing more people to the business remains a priority as the shop continues growing.
Beyond operating as a butcher shop, The Quarter Butcher also aims to spotlight the network of local farms and businesses it partners with throughout the region.
“By supporting our shop, you’re already supporting more than one part of the community,” Sommerkamp said.
The Sommerkamps, who both grew up in St. Charles County, said they have watched the local food scene evolve in recent years with more chef-driven concepts and independent businesses opening throughout the area.
“There are great spots around, but we’ve seen more unique chef-forward spots opening up,” Sommerkamp said. “[The] 636 [area code] is on the map now for restaurants and really great small businesses.”
The owners say they chose Dardenne Prairie because they see continued potential for the area’s dining scene and hope The Quarter Butcher can play a role in its next chapter through a focus on quality products, local ingredients and community connection.
