Millenium Meats

There is a reason butcher shops keep outliving the supermarkets around them. Millenium Meats keeps a counter at 3233 Coast Meridian Road, on the Mary Hill side of Port Coquitlam, where the road is lined with the practical businesses a neighborhood runs on. The premise of a place like this is directness: meat and seafood in a case, a person behind it who can cut to order, and a shop small enough that the regulars get greeted by name. Shoppers come for the cuts the big banners do not stock, for portions trimmed the way they actually cook, and for the chance to ask a question and get an answer from someone holding a knife.

Practical notes for a first visit: the listing does not carry hours, a phone number or a website, so expect to confirm details at the counter itself. Ask about special orders for holidays, whether the case takes requests for thickness or portion size, and what is in season at the fish counter. Parking on Coast Meridian Road is straightforward, and the stop pairs well with the other errands that bring people up the hill. Bring a cooler bag if the errand list is long; the drive home along the bypass is short, but a warm car in July has its own opinions about meat.