From Submarines to Sandwiches: A Norfolk Butcher Shop That Does It All
“There’s not another butcher shop like Pendulum,” and Guy Fieri discovered exactly why when he rolled into Norfolk, Virginia to check out one of the most unique Triple D joints he’s encountered. The story alone is wild: a husband and wife team bought an old house, converted it into a butcher shop, then turned it into a restaurant, and even rent it out to another guy to run a restaurant at night.
But what really sets Pendulum apart is owner Dylan Wakefield’s journey. Before he started slicing meat and crafting sandwiches, he spent eight years cooking underwater on a Navy submarine. After his service, he attended culinary school and learned butchering both there and on the job. Now customers can watch their sausages being made, their meat being cut, or their sandwiches assembled right in front of them.
The Butcher’s Roast Beef Sandwich
Guy dove into the signature Butcher’s Roast Beef Sandwich, and the process behind it showcases exactly why this place stands out. Dylan starts with top rounds—tender, lean cuts that slice beautifully. He trims the exterior fat, but nothing goes to waste. That fat gets ground up and rendered down slowly with garlic and rosemary to make tallow, which they use on the griddle for cooking.
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The roast beef gets rubbed with a paste of salt, pepper, garlic, and red onions, then tied to keep everything contained so it doesn’t dry out. After roasting at 350 degrees, the meat rests and chills so it slices paper-thin. “So thin it only has one side,” Guy joked. The sandwich comes together with caramelized onions and Swiss cheese on house-made focaccia bread grilled in that rosemary-garlic tallow, finished with spicy mayo.
Guy’s reaction? Pure nostalgia. “I’m having full flashbacks on this—the roast beef sandwich at the meat market when I was a kid.” He praised the craftsmanship, saying when you can appreciate the time, energy, and effort that went into making it, “it’s worth everything that you’re getting.”
The Cuban Sandwich
The Cuban Sandwich showcased Pendulum’s whole-animal approach. Dylan breaks down a whole pork leg, separating it into individual muscles, then rubs them with salt, pepper, and garlic to create a wet paste. The meat smokes low and slow—four hours at 175 to 200 degrees using pecan wood—until it develops that beautiful pink smoke ring.
Sliced thin and piled on flatbread with cheese, spicy mustard, and pickles (the one thing Dylan admitted he doesn’t make himself), then pressed down classic Cuban-style. Guy declared it “by far one of the best Cuban sandwiches I’ve had,” praising the amazing smoky essence and how the thin-sliced pork had none of that fatty pulled pork texture.
More Than a Sandwich Shop
Pendulum is a full-service operation. They cure and smoke their own ham and bacon, sell meats by the pound, offer butchering classes, and even do knife sharpening. Guy was in heaven exploring what he called “a gigantic playground” complete with a caveman smoker, old butcher paper rolls, and butcher twine (which he joked about stuffing in his shirt).
If you love spots where the craft of butchering meets a DOUBLE-Fried Chicken Sandwich level of sandwich dedication, or appreciate the same attention to detail you’d find at places serving Fingerling Potato Poutine, Pendulum delivers.
As Guy put it: “This experience has been unforgettable.” Find Pendulum and other Triple D favorites in our restaurant directory.