In Houston’s Tanglewood neighborhood, there’s a local grocer that home cooks, backyard barbecue fanatics and people who just want an easy, wholesome meal should add to their must-visit list. The New York Butcher Shoppe Tanglewood at 5886 San Felipe offers much more than its name suggests. Local residents Mike Prochaska and his wife, Kamile, opened the Houston franchise location of this company in November 2025. 

Mike, who left a career as a Chief Information Officer for distribution and manufacturing companies after 15 years to open the store, says he chose Tanglewood for reasons that included “market demographics, real estate availability, size of the space, but, most importantly, because the local residents have an appreciation for high-quality food and great service.”

At the back of the Houston store, a large glass refrigerated case contains row upon row of meat. There are Certified Angus Beef steaks, which Mike hand-cuts to order, and high-end selections such as Australian Wagyu ribeye. (During my visit, Mike sliced several beef filets for a lady to her specifications.) All of the Certified Angus Beef steak selections are aged. Most selections are wet-aged for 28 days, but for those looking for an extra-special steak at home, 40-day dry-aged ribeyes are always in stock. 

It’s not just all beef, though. There’s heritage-breed pork, chicken and a rotating selection of fresh seafood. The shop also makes its own sausages and crab cakes. Mike is starting to add more smoked meats, too. He already offered smoked chicken, and then added pulled pork. Still don’t see what you want? Mike says the shop has filled special orders for nilgai, frog legs, ostrich and even whole pigs. “We can accommodate just about any request and work with the customer on availability, cost and alternatives,” he said.

Despite the “New York” in the name, the first The New York Butcher Shoppe was opened in 1999 by Billy D’Elia and his family in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina when they relocated there from Brooklyn and found there wasn’t a full-service butcher. Jim Tindal and Todd Prochaska (Mike’s cousin) later acquired franchise rights, opened three stores in Greenville, South Carolina, and then bought the company outright. 

Like other food businesses where beef is an integral offering, such as barbecue joints, Mike’s had to face some price increases. “My cost per pound has risen on some cuts as much as $2, so, for example, the retail price of our High Choice Certified Angus Beef ribeye is currently $35.99 per pound.” 

For a relatively small store, the Prochaskas have managed to stock quite a range of products. Mike says that the freshly baked sourdough is a top seller. You’ll find it right by the checkout — and, of course, he’ll even slice it for you. 

Most of the left wall is taken up with shelving stocked top to bottom with wine, and it’s a selection growing in breadth. “I worked with the franchisor wine specialist to develop our initial wine list and since then have worked closely with my wine reps to broaden the selection,” said Mike. “We carry about 100 wines now ranging in price from $12 to $75. There are domestic selections from California, Oregon and Texas, and imports from Italy, France, Spain, South Africa, New Zealand and Argentina. The goal is to carry unique wines, not the mass-produced, available-in-every-store wines.” 

The right side of the store has a row of freezer cases. Inside, shoppers will find heat-and-eat entrées such as meatloaf and chicken Parmesan, a selection of cheese (as well as pimento cheese dip), wild game, locally made Della Casa Pasta and even foie gras. Mike has also recently added caviar, grab-and-go sandwiches, Tomahawk ribeyes, Wagyu beef jerky and wines from Row Bear, which sources limited-production wines from Sonoma County wineries and donates a portion of the sales to causes that help kids with autism. Again, they pack a lot into that little store. 

For those who don’t want to or don’t have the time to cook dinner, there’s a daily hot meal. The rotating selection of entrées includes smoked chicken, pot roast, baked spaghetti and, on Fridays, Certified Angus Beef prime rib. Many of the entrées serve two and come with sides such as salad, veggies and bread, with prices starting at $20.99. For those who want an easy introduction and an excuse to browse all the store has to offer, this is a good way to go (and you can pick up a bottle of wine to go with your meal while you’re there). It’s a same-day pickup situation, too; call (281) 219-9447 to order by 2 p.m. and pick up starting at 5 p.m. 

New York Butcher Shoppe Tanglewood also offers catering. “So far, we’ve done catering for groups as small as 10 and as large as 50, where we smoked brisket and chicken wings, and it’s been well received,” Mike said. “We have also made full meals for smaller, family-style dinner parties where we prepared whole tenderloin roasts and all of the sides.”

With grocery store chains growing more dependent on self-checkouts, automation and AI, and more devoid of a human touch, The New York Butcher Shoppe Tanglewood feels like the best parts of a throwback. An owner who’s often on site? A butcher who hand-cuts steaks to whatever thickness you want, then can recommend a wine and sides to go with them and cater your party? The ability to grab everything needed for a complete, wholesome meal within 2,000 square feet? This is one case in which choosing tradition over innovation makes a lot of sense. 

New York Butcher Shoppe Tanglewood is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Disclosure: New York Butcher Shoppe Tanglewood is currently a current Houston Food Finder sponsor, which helps make it possible for us to cover food news all over the Greater Houston area. This editorial coverage was planned before New York Butcher Shoppe became a sponsor. 

Phaedra Cook

Phaedra Cook has written about Houston’s restaurant and bar scene since 2010. She was a regular contributor to My Table magazine (now closed) and was the lead restaurant critic for the Houston Press for two years, eventually being promoted to food editor. Cook founded Houston Food Finder in November 2016 and has been its editor and publisher ever since.