I love this cart. I use it as an island (not as a butcher block) to prep meals, roll out dough (on top of a pastry block). I do not do anything directly on the surface, but it's a great piece in the kitchen. Looks very rustic and elegant. I do not have any experience with building things from scratch, this took me 4-5 hours to put together by myself. I'd highly recommend doing it with a buddy ( so they can help hold parts up, etc.). I also love that it can hold bottles on the bottom tier (of olive oil, wine, etc.).