The Whole Ox is a whole animal butcher with house made foods and a small restaurant dedicated to all things meat along Main Street in Marshall, VA. The place is framed by black and white chequered floors, a black ceiling, white walls, stained glass windows, wood tables, iron chairs, and foodstuff tucked into lots of places. To the right of the order counter is the menu – which includes a couple of burger options, steak frites, a charcuterie board, soup, a few sides, and a day’s special. The Whole Ox is a rustic welcoming place for foodies.

During my first visit, on a cold January day lashing with rain, I ordered their double twox burger (twox abbreviates their name) with lettuce, tomato, and ketchup on a sesame bun, a small house frites, and a glass of Domaine Barreau. Officially a Bordeaux, but with a profile more like a Rhone, the velvety tannins and red berry flavors matched well with the pink double patties of beef held together with a fluffy soft roll. The frites, seasoned only with a bit of salt, which I prefer, were very good, but not quite in the same league as the burger.

The double stacked burger was excellent. The butcher team has an obvious love for beef and strong attention to detail, with nothing getting in the way of very fresh flavors, grilled aromas with a bit of char, and a simple presentation style.

After finishing my wine I wandered around, checking out various food stuffs. In the end, I bought one of the in-house frozen chicken pot pies to take home. A few weeks later, I cooked the pie according to the directions on their website and sat down to a lovely meal.

Housed in a wooden basket safe for cooking, the flaky, buttery golden brown pastry top broke away to reveal large chunks of chicken, potato, celery, onion, and herbs in a cream sauce. Along with a simple mesclun salad and a glass of Gruner Veltliner, the combination was very satisfying. My original plan was to enjoy half of the pie and save the remaining portion for another evening, but whole thing disappeared. I’ll get the bigger one next time.

On my second visit, while reviewing the 2020 BMW M340i, I ordered the steak frites and substituted the fries for a side salad of arugula, carrots and tomatoes. I also ordered a glass of Pantheon Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. Deep ruby red, the tannins provided good structure, and the plum and red berry flavor profile matched well with the medium rare steak – their default cooking temperature – with a bit of char at the edges. A small side vessel of brandy cream added an elegant dimension to the presentation.

On both visits the team behind the counter was very friendly, well versed on the menu options and meat preparations, their takeout choices, and their beer and wine selection. The owners were always on hand and maintained a watchful eye over customers and people in need of food guidance for in-house dining, takeout, or ingredients to make a meal at home more special.

I definitely enjoyed my two visits to The Whole Ox in Marshall, VA and look forward to stopping by again.  Should your travels have you passing through the area the shop and restaurant are certainly worth a visit.

The Whole Ox
8357 West Main Street
Marshall, VA 20116
(540) 724-1650
www.thewholeox.com

Notes:
-They are closed Sunday and Monday.
-They are only open until 6pm.
-Parking along Main Street is easy.