Zachary Ladner's Passion for Meat Shines at Smokehouse 91 and Village Butcher in Mayfield

A heat emanates from the corner of SOM Center and Wilson Mills roads. It’s not just from the billows of two smokers, a box-style for ribs and a reverse-flow for brisket, sitting behind the Mayfield strip mall, but also from the buzz surrounding some of the best new barbecue in Northeast Ohio.

In side-by-side storefronts, chef Zachary Ladner offers two unique odes to meat. Opened in March, Smokehouse 91 is a straightforward Texas-style, counter-service barbecue joint with all the fixins. Next door, the Village Butcher, which has been around since 2022, provides the locally sourced beef, turkey, chicken and pork and delivers its own lineup of protein-packed sandwiches. 

Ladner is a busy man. A Texas-native, his first foray into the Cleveland dining scene was Smokin’ Qs, just down the street. Underappreciated and misunderstood, perhaps, the concept made our Best Restaurants list in 2019, combining barbecue and tacos into a spectacular Tex-Mex adventure. Since Smokin’ Qs closed in December 2023, the space has been revamped into the Italian-American Cuoco Bello.

Meanwhile, his Tutto Carne in Little Italy is an Italian restaurant for carnivores, putting a fine-dining polish on his artisan butchery. He’s also the executive chef of Giovanni’s Ristorante, a Chagrin Boulevard classic since 1976, and two concepts in Shaker Heights’ Van Aken District: Paloma, which serves stellar tacos, and Haute Donuts & BBQ, a mashup doughnut and barbecue stall in the Market Hall. 

He doesn’t do it alone. Alyssa, his wife, helped found Haute. Carl Quagliata owns Giovanni’s Ristorante, where Ladner is executive chef, and serves as a partner in others. Chef Bradley Zaremba heads up the kitchens at The Village Butcher and Smokehouse 91.

Ladner is passionate about meat, especially butchery that uses the entire animal. Much of the product from The Village Butcher, as well as Paloma, which is also equipped to break down whole cows and hogs, is Ohio-raised from farms within 50 miles.

“At the end of the day, eating a whole bunch of meat is not the most ecologically friendly thing to do,” Ladner says, “but I feel if I’m using the whole animal and sourcing it from responsible farmers, I’m doing my due diligence to satisfy the needs of people who want to eat meat, but in a way that is best for the local economy and ecosystem.”

The focus on reducing waste is why we’ll start at Smokehouse 91, not with the meat but with the phenomenal sides, if you should even use that word for something so central to the experience. On the surface, the lineup screams “no, duh.” But each offering delivers more complexity than your average barbecue accompaniment.

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The collard greens ($5.50) are so loaded with smoked pork neck that you could eat them alone for lunch. The chefs use baby back rib trimmings to make a stock with huge chunks of slow-roasted pork. The brisket chili ($5.50) uses leftover brisket to create, possibly, our favorite bite of the meal. Chipotle chilis and Frank’s Red Hot crank up the heat just enough to make you sweat, giving Mexican mole vibes.

The mac and cheese ($5.50), more reminiscent of a Velveeta mac than the baked steakhouse style, is another star. American cheese gives the sauce its consistency, which pulls as much as it goos, while a pepper jack-Colby Jack combo brings dynamic flavor. The real secret, though, is a deep pan that allows the chefs to place cooked mac and cheese on the bottom and then add more cheese on top to be broiled, creating a layered texture. Round it out with Alyssa’s Cornbread ($5.50) served with honey butter, a fan favorite from Smokin’ Qs.

Meat, served by the half-pound, exemplifies textbook execution. Fatty or lean brisket ($31.99) gets a simple salt, pepper and sugar rub before hitting the smoker for 18 hours. The result is flaky without falling apart. The pulled pork ($17.99) is saucy and finely shredded. The sausage ($15.99), traditional or poblano, is served sliced but leaves enough of that coveted snap casing on the bite. While smoke can overpower white meat, the turkey breast ($18.99) is a good example of walking the line.

Ladner uses a herby rub and a 72-hour brine, the vinegar in which helps prevent over-absorption of smoke. Pair these with seven house-made sauces, our favorites being Alabama White and Hot and Spicy.

The counter-service approach is inspired again by Ladner’s upbringing in Texas. You can eat in, but the restaurant has fewer than 20 seats. Service starts with a meat carver, who lets you try before you buy. Move down the line to snag sides and a house-made lemonade before checking out. 

“We were trying to do very traditional Central Texas barbecue, where you sort of build a rapport with the staff there,” says Ladner. “We didn’t want it to feel like you were at, like, a Chipotle.”

Next door, at The Village Butcher, the lunch and early dinner rush can be overwhelming, especially leading up to the weekend. Some customers shop for prepared foods, pantry items or one of nearly 100 unique cold cuts, steaks, sausages and more. But most are there for the sandwiches. 

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The original concept was a butcher shop that served smashburgers, which The Village Butcher does to great success with the classic cheeseburger on a brioche bun ($12). The two dry-aged patties are much thicker than your average smashburger, but still present some crunch on the edges. The menu has grown to include 13 staples, including sandwiches with meatballs ($12), chicken cutlets ($12) and steak ($15).

Specials like Nashville hot chicken rotate in based on whatever’s exciting the butchers at the moment. The most popular among the standards is The Larry ($14), a take on a Philly cheesesteak that puts a boatload of shaved, grilled beef on a baguette with caramelized onion and American cheese before smothering it in Jacques dressing, a mustardy mayo vinaigrette that fans of Giovanni’s will recognize. 

The Village Butcher and Smokehouse 91 are two separate concepts, but pairing them feels organic and cohesive. Each excels in celebrating the meat Ladner so loves, no pretense necessary. It’s the perfect addition to Ladner’s quickly growing culinary universe. And the best part? Trying them both only takes one trip.  

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