There’s a truth that separates good choripanes from excellent ones: the chorizo.
You can have the best bread, perfect chimichurri, and a parrilla at the right temperature. But if your chorizo is industrial supermarket stuff at $4,000 ARS/kg, your choripán will never be exceptional.
The difference between industrial and artisan butcher chorizo is vast: in flavor, texture, juiciness, aroma. We’re talking about completely different quality tiers.
After visiting more than 30 butcher shops in Buenos Aires over the last 4 months (yes, my cholesterol is suffering), here’s the ranking of the 10 butcher shops making the best chorizos in the city in 2026.
Each one tested. Each one paid out of pocket. No promotions, no comps. Honest reviews.
How each butcher shop was scored
To make the ranking fair, I evaluated each shop on:
- Chorizo quality (40% weight): flavor, texture, juiciness, aroma
- Meat quality (25% weight): sourcing, freshness, cuts used
- Price (15% weight): quality-to-price ratio
- Service (10% weight): committed butcher, useful recommendations
- Variety (10% weight): how many chorizo varieties offered
Final score out of 10. I visited each shop at least twice for consistency.
#10 — La Esquina del Carnicero (Palermo Soho)
Address: Honduras 4870 Hours: 9 AM-1 PM and 5-8:30 PM, Monday to Saturday Price: $8,500 ARS/kg (~$8.50 USD) for parrillero chorizo Score: 7.8/10
A young butcher shop (opened 2022) with a gourmet angle. Chorizos made with meat from specific Pampas producers.
The good: distinctive seasoning (more roasted garlic than average), good variety (6 types of chorizo), nice packaging for gifting.
Could be better: relatively high price for a neighborhood shop. The “truffled” chorizo is more marketing than flavor (you can barely taste truffle).
Recommended for: anyone looking for good chorizo in Palermo without leaving the area.
#9 — Carnicería Don Aníbal (Caballito)
Address: Av. Rivadavia 4870 Hours: 8 AM-1 PM and 4:30-8:30 PM, Monday to Saturday Price: $7,500 ARS/kg (~$7.50 USD) Score: 7.9/10
Classic neighborhood butcher, open since 1968. Don Aníbal (75 years old, still working the counter) makes chorizo on Wednesdays and Saturdays with his father’s recipe.
The good: traditional chorizo with no gimmicks, “old-school” flavor, fair price, warm service (Aníbal will tell you stories).
Could be better: limited variety (only classic parrillero), no card payments, no delivery.
Recommended for: anyone wanting the authentic neighborhood butcher experience.
#8 — La Mejor (Belgrano)
Address: Cuba 1899 Hours: 8:30 AM-1:30 PM and 5-8:30 PM, Monday to Saturday Price: $8,200 ARS/kg (~$8.20 USD) Score: 8.1/10
La Mejor (yes, that’s the name — meaning “The Best”) has been a Belgrano reference since the 90s. Makes chorizo Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
The good: consistency (always equally good), variety (4 types: classic, spicy, with cheese, with vegetables), excellent grill meat in general.
Could be better: weekends often sell out early (go before 11 AM).
Recommended for: north-zone residents, frequent grillers.
#7 — Carnicería Premium (Recoleta)
Address: Junín 1280 Hours: 9 AM-2 PM and 5-8 PM, Monday to Saturday Price: $10,500 ARS/kg (~$10.50 USD) — the most expensive on the list Score: 8.3/10
Gourmet butcher in Recoleta, targeting upscale clientele. Premium meats, impeccable presentation, prices to match.
The good: chorizos with premium cuts (tenderloin, ribeye), gift-ready packaging, in-house delivery, gourmet options (truffle, goat cheese).
Could be better: price. At $10,500/kg, it’s 30% more expensive than top shops with similar quality. You’re paying for the neighborhood and the presentation.
Recommended for: gifts, special events, when price isn’t a concern.
#6 — Las Tres Marías (San Cristóbal)
Address: Estados Unidos 2456 Hours: 8 AM-1 PM and 4:30-8:30 PM, Monday to Saturday Price: $7,800 ARS/kg (~$7.80 USD) Score: 8.4/10
Family butcher with 3 generations (currently run by the founder’s granddaughters — all named María).
The good: chorizo made with family recipe (the chili comes from Salta, the garlic from their own garden), local meat from known producers, excellent service.
Could be better: less accessible location (San Cristóbal isn’t on most people’s path).
Recommended for: south-zone residents, anyone who values family-run shops.
#5 — Carnicería Frangiosa (Floresta)
Address: Av. Avellaneda 4790 Hours: 7:30 AM-1 PM and 4:30-8:30 PM, Monday to Saturday Price: $7,200 ARS/kg (~$7.20 USD) Score: 8.6/10
Italo-Argentine butcher with 4 decades of tradition. The Frangiosa family makes chorizo every day except Sunday.
The good: legendary consistency, chorizos with a slight Italian touch (optional fennel seeds), excellent quality-to-price ratio.
Could be better: small shop, lines on Saturdays.
Recommended for: anyone seeking quality without breaking the bank, Italo-Argentine tradition fans.
#4 — Carnicería Don Pancho (Villa Devoto)
Address: Av. Lope de Vega 1750 Hours: 8 AM-1:30 PM and 5-8:30 PM, Tuesday to Saturday Price: $7,500 ARS/kg (~$7.50 USD) Score: 8.7/10
Don Pancho is a Devoto legend. Butcher shop since 1955, three generations. Their chorizos are the area’s reference.
The good: Don Pancho’s grandfather’s recipe (1955), country meat from Buenos Aires province producers, all-pork chorizos (rare and delicious), very fair price.
Could be better: closed Mondays, limited quantities (sometimes sells out by noon).
Recommended for: tradition lovers, west-zone residents, pork fans.
Anecdote: in 2019 they were mentioned in a Clarín newspaper article as “the best chorizos in the west zone.” Don Pancho told me, “nothing changed for us — we keep doing what we’ve always done.”
#3 — Carnicería Olaeta (Chacarita)
Address: Federico Lacroze 3680 Hours: 9 AM-2 PM and 5-8:30 PM, Monday to Saturday Price: $8,800 ARS/kg (~$8.80 USD) Score: 9.0/10
Olaeta is the elite of chorizo in the central-west zone. Open for 25 years, now run by the second generation of the Olaeta family.
The good: chorizos made with meat aged 7-14 days (not fresh), recipe combining traditional techniques with European butchery principles, excellent variety (6 types), in-house delivery.
Could be better: high price (though justified), online reservation recommended for weekends.
Recommended for: anyone who values technical quality, important events, gifts.
Detail: they’re one of the few butchers in Buenos Aires that age the meat before making chorizo. This gives a deeper, more complex flavor.
#2 — Carnicería Crolla (Palermo)
Address: Honduras 4250 Hours: 9 AM-2 PM and 5-9 PM, Monday to Saturday Price: $9,500 ARS/kg (~$9.50 USD) Score: 9.2/10
Mauro Crolla makes chorizo like nobody else in northern Palermo.
The good: chorizos with premium cuts (tenderloin, top blade, ribeye) instead of trim cuts, deep complex flavor, “same-day” chorizo every Monday and Thursday, well-executed gourmet options (not marketing).
Could be better: high price, sells out fast on weekends, limited parking.
Recommended for: anyone who wants the best chorizo in Palermo, regardless of price.
Why not #1: because #1 has a unique proposition no other butcher offers.
#1 — Carnicería Pichuco (Villa Crespo)
Address: Padilla 1450 Hours: Saturdays and Sundays only, 11 AM-4 PM Price: $9,000 ARS/kg (~$9 USD) Score: 9.5/10
The winner. By a wide margin.
Pichuco is a butcher shop that breaks every conventional rule:
- Only open Saturdays and Sundays
- Service through a sidewalk window
- Only makes 200 kg of chorizo per weekend (strict cap)
- The line wraps around the corner from early morning
Why it’s #1
Absolute freshness. They make the chorizo that morning, with meat that arrived that morning. From the block to your grill in 4-6 hours max. No butcher in Buenos Aires matches that level of freshness.
Meat quality. Meat from their own producers in Mercedes, Buenos Aires province. Grass-fed animals, slaughtered in their own facilities. Full traceability.
Family recipe. Three generations, recipe never modified, only adjusted for seasonal seasonings.
Fair price. At $9,000 ARS/kg, not the cheapest, but considering the quality, it’s absolutely fair.
The Pichuco buying ritual
- Arrive early (ideally before 11 AM)
- Wait in line (20-40 minutes)
- Order at the window — quick but warm service
- Buy the day’s chorizo (sometimes there are weekly specials)
- They wrap it in butcher paper, like the 70s
The experience is part of the value
Buying at Pichuco isn’t just buying chorizo. It’s participating in a weekly Buenos Aires neighborhood ritual. Seeing the regulars, waiting with everyone else, walking away with your package proudly.
That, even if you can’t quantify it, is part of why the chorizo tastes better.
Summary table
| Rank | Butcher Shop | Neighborhood | Price/kg (ARS / USD) | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 #1 | Pichuco | Villa Crespo | $9,000 / ~$9 | 9.5 |
| 🥈 #2 | Crolla | Palermo | $9,500 / ~$9.50 | 9.2 |
| 🥉 #3 | Olaeta | Chacarita | $8,800 / ~$8.80 | 9.0 |
| #4 | Don Pancho | Villa Devoto | $7,500 / ~$7.50 | 8.7 |
| #5 | Frangiosa | Floresta | $7,200 / ~$7.20 | 8.6 |
| #6 | Las Tres Marías | San Cristóbal | $7,800 / ~$7.80 | 8.4 |
| #7 | Premium | Recoleta | $10,500 / ~$10.50 | 8.3 |
| #8 | La Mejor | Belgrano | $8,200 / ~$8.20 | 8.1 |
| #9 | Don Aníbal | Caballito | $7,500 / ~$7.50 | 7.9 |
| #10 | La Esquina del Carnicero | Palermo | $8,500 / ~$8.50 | 7.8 |
Geography map
North/Central zone:
- Crolla (Palermo)
- La Esquina del Carnicero (Palermo)
- La Mejor (Belgrano)
- Premium (Recoleta)
- Olaeta (Chacarita)
- Pichuco (Villa Crespo)
West zone:
- Don Pancho (Villa Devoto)
- Frangiosa (Floresta)
- Don Aníbal (Caballito)
South zone:
- Las Tres Marías (San Cristóbal)
As you’ll notice, the north and west zones have far more high-quality options than the south. South-zone residents: the trip is worth it.
How to identify a good chorizo butcher (without tasting first)
If you want to explore other butchers not on this list, these 5 signs identify a good one:
Sign 1: They make chorizo in-house
Key question: “Do you make the chorizos here?”
- ✅ “Yes, we make them Mondays and Thursdays”
- ❌ “No, we buy from a supplier”
If they buy from a supplier, they’re not artisan chorizos — they’re industrial with a butcher’s label.
Sign 2: Visible variety
A good shop has 3-6 visible chorizo types. That signals proprietary recipes and regular production.
Sign 3: The butcher knows their product
Ask: “What meat do you use?”
- ✅ “70% beef, 30% pork, with garlic, ground chili, paprika…”
- ❌ “Uh… meat. Beef.”
If they can’t explain it, they don’t make it themselves.
Sign 4: Visible fat is white and evenly distributed
Look at the chorizo:
- ✅ White/creamy fat in small distributed pieces
- ❌ Yellowish/grayish fat, or absent, or in big blocks
Sign 5: Aroma of fresh spices
Smell the chorizo area:
- ✅ Garlic, chili, fresh spices
- ❌ Freezer, plastic, or nothing
Common chorizo-buying mistakes
Mistake 1: Going for cheapest. “Chorizo is chorizo.” Wrong. The difference between $5,000/kg and $8,000/kg is huge in flavor.
Mistake 2: Not asking about freshness. “When did you make these?” is a fair question. If they say “4 days ago,” go elsewhere.
Mistake 3: Buying to stockpile. Artisan chorizos are best fresh. Buying 5kg for the freezer kills most of the magic. Buy what you’ll use in the next 3-4 days.
Mistake 4: Trusting the brand. Some well-known brands (no names) have inferior quality compared to independent butchers. Brand isn’t a guarantee.
Mistake 5: Not exploring. Pichuco isn’t famous because someone promoted it. It’s famous because someone tried something new and fell in love. Step out of your usual shop occasionally.
To dive deeper
- How to choose good chorizos — full technical guide
- Types of chorizo in Argentina — regional varieties
- I tried the 15 most famous choripanes in Buenos Aires — where to eat choripán made with these chorizos
- The 10 most common mistakes when making choripán — so you don’t fail after buying well
Is your favorite butcher not on the list? Drop us a line. The idea is for this list to grow with community input. Next update: October 2026.