A 70-Year-Old Vegas Butcher Shop That Makes Everything From Scratch

“When I find out there’s a 70-year-old butcher shop up here in northwest Las Vegas that’s making their own sauce, their own rubs, their own sausage, their own barbecue, and they’re serving it in their own backyard—I just got to check it out.”

That’s what brought Guy Fieri to John Mull’s Meats and Roadkill Grill back in 2012. This time, he returned to see how the place has transformed since Triple D put them on the map. What started as a butcher shop opened by Deck Frommer’s grandfather in 1954—back when there was no electricity and the land was nothing but “sticks”—has become a full outdoor patio restaurant serving some of the most legit barbecue in Las Vegas.

Hot Links Made the Old-School Way

Guy dove straight into the hot link production, and this is where John Mull’s butcher shop roots really shine. They start with beef shoulder clod, processing and casing everything in-house. The sausage gets a serious spice blend: milk powder, salt, black pepper, sodium nitrate (for that pink color and preservation), coriander, garlic, caraway, crease smoke powder, nutmeg, paprika, and cayenne pepper.

After mixing and stuffing the casings using a hydraulic stuffer, the links smoke for six hours over apple wood, then hit the grill for finishing marks. When Guy bit in, the verdict was clear: “When it snaps, you know it’s good.” He admitted it was spicier than expected but called it “one of the best” hot links he’s had.

Brisket Meatloaf: Zero Waste, Maximum Flavor

The meatloaf here isn’t your grandmother’s recipe. John Mull’s created it specifically to use up brisket trimmings—smart butcher shop thinking. The mix combines ground pork, ground beef, and brisket shavings with egg, cream of mushroom gravy, Ritz crackers, spicy jack cheese, jalapeño, and green onion. No additional seasoning needed since the brisket comes pre-seasoned from smoking.

It smokes for two hours at 325 degrees, rests for 30 minutes, then gets sliced and grilled. A simple gravy made from sautéed onions in butter, flour, and beef stock tops it off. Guy’s reaction: “There’s a ton of flavor. It’s really light, not heavy dense. This is delicious.” Similar to the creative dishes found at spots like JACKPOT Duck Pizza & Chicken Riggies, this meatloaf proves that reimagining classics can yield incredible results.

Ribs and Burnt Ends Done Different

The ribs get a house-made marinade featuring salt, sugar, tomato powder, garlic, onion, red pepper, hickory smoke powder, vinegar powder, and black pepper. Guy watched the tumbling process and couldn’t help but comment: “Feel like you’re Willy Wonka and I just ate like that nine-course meal.” The ribs boil for 45 minutes, then finish over charcoal with a dusting of “ninja dust.” No sauce required—and Guy confirmed the flavor holds up on its own.

For burnt ends, they use chuck flap injected with a marinade of kosher salt, hydrolized soy protein, turmeric, powdered garlic, powdered onion, red pepper, MSG, and celery salt. The rub layers white sugar, brown sugar, kosher salt, turmeric, black pepper, chili powder, granulated garlic, cayenne, mustard powder, paprika, powdered honey, and MSG. After nine hours of smoking and wrapping at 180-185 degrees, the meat gets diced and tossed with brown sugar, hickory seasoning, and honey.

Guy called them “meat lovers candy” and admitted he couldn’t tell they weren’t traditional point cuts.

From Catering to Destination

When Guy first visited, John Mull’s wasn’t even serving barbecue from the shop—just catering. His advice back then: “Dude, get yourself ready. You build it, they will come.” They listened. Now customers line up for brisket dinners with yams and mac and cheese, calling it the “best barbecue place in the world.” Much like the from-scratch cooking at Scrapple at a Roadhouse in New Mexico, this Vegas spot proves that doing everything yourself—from butchering to smoking—creates something special.

Find more Triple D locations in our restaurant directory.