By Hannah Danforth

Once through the doors of B&E Meats and Seafood in Burien, you might notice the hum of fluorescent lights, a waft of freshly-smoked salmon, or the large case and it’s hand-painted sign exclaiming that this refrigerator contains the highest quality of grass fed beef. But the most striking first impression is the one made by the staff. Customers are greeted with a genuine sense of appreciation for their patronage.

This butcher shop is a destination.

In 1958, brothers Bob, 19, and Earl Green, 24, opened B&E Meats at Ambaum Boulevard and 149th Street. It quickly became a successful family business. In 1975, the brothers opened their second location in Des Moines where B&E Meats became one of Des Moines' oldest and best known businesses.

Bob’s son, Jeff, started working at his father’s shop after school when he was 14-years old. After graduating from the University of Washington, Jeff spent a period of time in corporate retail management. In 1999, feeling disillusioned with the impersonal nature of a corporate environment, Jeff and his wife Trisha Green took over the family business when Bob and Earl retired after nearly 40 successful years. In 2004, Jeff and Trisha purchased the neighboring building in Burien – the old Gastro’s Deli. After remodeling the building, B & E moved into their new location offering a larger selection of goods and ample parking.

Jeff and Trisha continue to uphold the credo; if you truly take good care of your employees and suppliers, you are in fact giving your customers the best service possible. “We hire great people, then we train them to be knowledgeable about our products,” says Green.

B&E’s grass fed beef comes from Harlow Ranch in Roy, Washington, owned by Mark and Becky Weed. Their natural beef come from Painted Hills Co-op of eleven ranches in Eastern Oregon who all are dedicated to raising their beef under high standards without the use antibiotics. Cooper River Salmon is flown in fresh fish from Alaska and they get their oysters fresh the same day they are harvested from shellfish farms in Shelton.

B&E’s support of local farmers combined with consistent friendly customer service, have helped push their business to grow through recessions and hold their ground against major grocery retailers. Opening a third store in Federal Way in 2010, offering online shipping through their website and opening a fourth store in Newcastle just this past September, show that after 55 years, B&E Meats and Seafood has become a destination.