By Jim Walker
Signal Staff Writer
A program from a 1978 SCV Boys & Girls Club charity auction, wherein Bob’s Country Meats has donated a steak and lobster dinner for two, confirms what longtime SCV residents have always known — Bob’s has been a touchstone for our valley for well-more than 40 years.
In 1992, Keith Mowry purchased the location from the original owner and became part of that touchstone legacy for many years. Regrettably, Mowry passed away last October.
After being closed for a few months, Bob’s Country Meats & Deli was purchased by Richard Schwartzberg, who had known Mowry for more than 30 years. Schwartzberg was in the same business, running Bob’s Market in Santa Monica for more than 20 years. He described that shop as a “similar operation.”
Bob’s Country Meats & Deli in Canyon Country will now be Schwartzberg’s only focus, and he said, “We’ve been fully back open for about two weeks for dine-in, takeout or delivery.”
Schwartzberg is very aware of what Bob’s has meant to Santa Clarita all these years, and the high standards of quality, service and “community” established there. He intends to match and even exceed those.
“I will carry on the traditions of supporting the local community and local businesses,” he said. “Like Keith, I enjoy waiting on customers, providing the finest meats out there, with an emphasis on special quality and good, old-fashioned service.”
“Bob’s is one of the few old-fashioned butcher shops in the area, and we will continue to offer beautiful gourmet meats, cut to order — something you won’t find at a supermarket,” Schwartzberg said.
“Keith and I were trained by the same people. Cutting meat is a bit like artwork, and we’ll have a little bit of Keith and what I do in the best of everything.”
He emphasized that all meats are hand-trimmed, and seasoned to your choice with either the rub Mowry created or Schwartzberg’s own. “It’s ready to put on the grill. You might pay a little more, but you get a whole lot more,” Schwartzberg said. “Something you won’t get elsewhere.”
Also carrying on tradition, Schwartzberg said you will recognize several of the staff members. “Some of the same folks that worked for Keith will be back. They know the customers and will provide that good, old-time feel.”
And though you will see things have been spruced up a bit, the general look and layout of Bob’s will remain the same, he said. There are still dining tables inside and outside. “People can listen to country music while they eat,” he said.
One special tradition that won’t change is the daily outdoor mesquite barbecue of tri-tip, chicken and ribs, wafting its heavenly smell around Canyon Country, and enticing eager customers in for a hotoff-the grill lunch.
“Our menu will be pretty much the same as Keith’s, with a few more barbecue-related items,” Schwartzberg said. “These might eventually include Italian sausage, grilled corn on a stick and other goodies. We’ll have a good mix. I think people will love it.”
Along with all your barbecue favorites, there will be a selection of salads, and the deli counter will still feature Boar’s Head lunch meats, sliced to order for sandwiches. And then, of course, there’s the exclusive meat case.
“It will have everything from ground beef and pork, all the way to prime tomahawk steak,” Schwartzberg said. And, those of you who liked to get your holiday meats at Bob’s will find that tradition continues. “We will have fresh turkeys for Thanksgiving and Christmas, as well as all of the traditional holiday meats, such as prime ribs and hams.”
The deli will offer a great selection of soft drinks, including classics you won’t find elsewhere, such as old-fashioned Boylan craft soda in glass bottles.
“There will be flavors kids like, such as Shirley Temple and grape,” Schwartzberg said. “We’ll have Wise potato chips, Tastykake products and other specialty foods.”
Schwartzberg said he hopes loyal Bob’s customers and new friends will come in and give his operation a try. “Once in, I know they’ll come back. It’s really going to be nice,” he said. “Quality meets service at Bob’s Country Meats & Deli.”
In addition to dining in the deli or picking up your own orders, you can order food delivered from Bob’s via WeGo, with DoorDash and Grubhub expected to be onboard soon.
The Bob’s Country Meats & Deli website is www. BobsCountryMeats.com, but it is very basic and under construction. For up-to-date information and to make food orders, call (661) 251-5995. The restaurant/deli is located at 19012 Soledad Canyon Road, Santa Clarita 91351. Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week.
