The rue des Bouchers was cited in a document of 1294 as Vicus Carnificum and, in 1364, as Vleeshouwersstraat. In the Middle Ages, the street was lined with the stalls of meat and sausage merchants, but only goat meat and mutton could be sold as beef was reserved for sale at the Great Butchers' Market (Grande Boucherie) located behind the Broodhuys (today the Maison du Roi). Until 1853, the street was called Longue rue des Bouchers to distinguish it from Petit rue des Bouchers. One of the hubs of the Îlot Sacré, it is a favored site for restaurants that cater to the tourist trade.
Historical Dictionary of Brussels. Paul F. State.