From left, manager Matt Faulkner, owners Rick and Jeff Brown, and assistant manager Eric Vaillancourt, part of the 10-person crew (COURTESY BROWN AND BUDNICK MEATS)
Where’s the beef?
Well, as September is National Prime Beef Month, we’re glad you asked.
There is only one place in Dracut to find hand-cut and hand-trimmed beef, ribs and brisket – as well as marinated chicken, several different kinds of sausage, homemade BBQ sauces, salsas, dressings, meatballs and buffalo chicken dip – and that is Brown and Budnick’s Meats, Dracut Economic Development’s September 2024 Business of the Month.
Brown and Budnick’s opened at Bridgewood Plaza, 1794 Bridge Street, Suite 16, in 2003, but its origins date back decades earlier.
In 1975, Richard “Brownie” Brown took over E. Budnick & Son’s, a slaughterhouse in West Boxford. Brownie worked for Budnick part time while also working as a hunting guide and commercial fisherman. When no one in the Budnick family wanted to take over the slaughterhouse, Brownie bought the business, though the Budnick family retained the land.
When the family decided they wanted the land back, Brownie and his sons, Rick and Jeff, found the Dracut spot and opened Brown and Budnick’s – even though there hasn’t been a Budnick involved in the enterprise for several decades.
“I have people come in and they’re on the phone, and they’ll say, ‘I’m at Budnick’s,’” Jeff says. “Hey, whatever, as long as they’re here.”
These days, Brown and Budnick’s is well-established as the go-to spot for meats and prepared foods for many residents of Dracut and beyond. But when they first started out in the plaza, things weren’t so meaty.
“I remember we had a Friday where we had $24 in total sales,” Jeff said. “We’ve come a long way. Now we do catered BBQs, pig roasts. But when I look back at all the stuff we did to make ends meet back then …
“When C&C Lobster Pound was down a little way in the plaza, after we’d close for the day, we used to change their fryolator oil for 25 bucks a piece. Then we’d see people walk up to the shop and we’d open back up for them. Hey, that was another 25 bucks in sales.
Here’s the beef! (COURTESY BROWN AND BUDNICK MEATS)
“In the summertime now, we can do 1,000 to 1,200 pounds of steak tips in a week.”
Marinated steak tips are the top seller at Brown and Budnick’s, and they have several varieties.
“They’re hand-cut, hand-trimmed. You can see the whole steak tip and see what you’re getting,” Jeff said. “If someone comes in and orders 25 pounds of steak tips to grill over the weekend, we’re ready.”
But beef isn’t the only meat on the menu. Chicken and pork (pulled or not) are also favorites, and Brown and Budnick’s also has the homemade sides to go along with any main course.
There’s BBQ sauces, including the newest, peach habanero. There’s homemade sausages, including steak-and-cheese sausage and bacon macaroni-and-cheese sausage. There’s bacon, meatballs, potato salad, pasta salad, twice-baked potatoes, dressings, spreads, dips, salsas, baked beans, pickles.
If you’re planning a cookout, Brown and Budnick’s has you covered.
“If someone wants ribs but doesn’t want to smoke them for four hours, they can get them here and heat them up on the grill for 20 minutes to a half hour,” Jeff said.
Here’s the rub. (COURTESY BROWN AND BUDNICK MEATS)
And don’t forget the prepared meals, like chicken parmesan, pulled pork and shepherd’s pie.
Brown and Budnick’s also has a catering menu.
“Back when we opened, we didn’t do any catering,” Jeff said “Now we’re doing two or three parties over the weekend. We’ll be at Old Home Day (on September 7 in Dracut) selling sandwiches and cooking the burgers. We provide the meat for the Centralville Sportsmen’s Club’s annual Steer Roast.”
And if you’re in a hurry and want to pick up a quick sandwich, they also have a deli featuring Boar’s Head meats.
“We even make our own jerky and snack sticks, something to snack on when you’re doing yard work,” Jeff said.
The change of seasons that we’re witnessing right now means changes in Brown and Budnick’s offerings, especially in winter, “when we have to switch gears,” Jeff said.
“In summer, we’re big on marinated meats, grilling steaks, but in the colder months, people are looking for short ribs and stuffed items. We have some new casseroles lined up, something you can take home and pop into the microwave or on the grill.”
Although long weekends like Memorial Day and Labor Day present challenges, it’s Christmas and the Fourth of July that are the two meatiest times of year.
“The Fourth of July is busy, especially when it falls in the middle of the week,” Jeff said. “People are doing barbecues the weekend before and the weekend after. And Christmas is crazy. Everyone wants a roast. It’s like organized chaos in here. You just try to get everybody what they want.
“Like any other small business, you try to do as much as you can do.”
One other thing to know if you’ve never been to Brown and Budnick’s: If you’re easily offended, you’re hereby warned. This is a business, after all, whose motto is “You can’t beat our meat.”
The Browns never let a good pun pass. (COURTESY BROWN AND BUDNICK MEATS)
“We like to joke around with people when they come in,” Jeff said. “I like Dracut because it’s a blue-collar town. A lot of people who come in have, like, HVAC shirts on or they pull up in a landscaping truck or they’re plumbers. A lot of customers have become friends over the years. We’ll go fishing with them or play cards.”
So where’s the beef?
During National Prime Beef Month – and every month – it’s at Brown and Budnick Meats.
They’re open Tuesday through Friday, 10-6; Saturday, 9-5; and Sunday, 10-4; closed Monday. Check them out at www.brownandbudnicks.com, call 978-452-6113, or email brownandbudnicks@yahoo.com.
