From the outside, Reid’s Super-Save Market looks like what it is—a mom-and-pop grocery and Charlottesville institution that’s been serving the neighborhoods along Preston Avenue for decades. The store was in the news last winter, as the community rallied to help it survive changing demographics, post-COVID supply challenges, and inflation hitting food prices hard.
But for foodies in the know, Reid’s has always been a mecca for those who love their meats. What makes Reid’s stand out? It’s one of the few places in the Charlottesville area that has its own butchers.
“We’ve always been known for our meat department,” says operations manager Billy Clements, who’s been working at Reid’s for more than 35 years (his wife Sue and her sister took over the store after their father’s death). “Most stores have moved away from fresh-cut meat. But here, that’s what draws people in.”
The meat department takes up the store’s entire back wall, with packed shelves of carnivore’s delights. Its beef offerings run from minute steaks and ground-in-store hamburger to New York strip, T-bones, filets, and every cut in between; “we sell a lot of carne asada,” notes Sue. Long-time butchers Domingo (15-plus years at Reid’s) and Robert (at least 10 years) are happy to have customers call ahead to get their meat cut to order. “You want your steak two inches thick? No problem,” says Billy.
As for pork, Reid’s offers cuts from the head to the toes—literally; “we sell everything but the squeal,” in Billy’s words. If you’re craving pork loin or short ribs, great; or you can pick up some pig’s knuckles, hog maws, trotters, or pig’s ears. And when you can’t find a Kite’s Virginia ham anywhere in town, Reid’s stocks them.
If you’re shopping for chicken, look over a good 8 feet of shelf space, with everything from roasters to wings and feet (if you’re into dim sum). Sue Clements says the poultry comes pre-cut, but Reid’s packages all its meats in store.
Reid’s gets fresh fish delivered once a week, but its selection doesn’t compare to the acres of meat. One of the hard lessons Sue has learned is that while the grocery business used to be about options, “people don’t shop the way they used to.” She’s working to cut back to a smaller number of low-, mid-, and higher-price options for the staples her customers need. “We’re trying to serve all the genres of our neighborhood,” she says. The shelf labels letting shoppers know what’s eligible for SNAP benefits will stay, and so will the butchers behind the counter.
The Clementses are committed to keep meat and produce the heart of the store, which serves an area of town that would otherwise be a food desert. And it’s appreciated. Long-time customer Norman Lamson, who has shopped at Reid’s for more than 30 years, says, “I live five minutes away—I would rather get everything there than [run around town] trying to save money. And Reid’s has the best meats in town.”
Gordon Sutton agrees. Sutton is president of Tiger Fuel, which owns The Market across the street from Reid’s and donated to the GoFundMe page customers set up to support the store.
“I live downtown, and I shop there all the time,” he says. “The people are really friendly and service-oriented. It’s one of the few places that has an old-school butcher.” Sutton especially appreciates that service; he’s a hunter, and says he stops by Reid’s to get fat trimmings for his ground venison.