In an age of self-checkout grocery stores and service so impersonal it makes you wonder if you even exist, our local butcher shops remind us there are still friendly, knowledgeable people in this world. Maybe the staff knows you by name, but even if they don't, they'll treat you like a regular.
The best shops embrace our city's proud Porkopolis history with their closely guarded recipes for brats, metts and just about every other sausage under the sun. They help keep Cincinnati's food history alive, too, with their cases of mock turtle soup, goetta, cottage hams, city chicken and twice-baked potatoes, and shelves lined with local and regional products such as Ex-El pickles and Woeber's mustard.
Thankfully, even our newer, trendier shops have taken
a cue from their elders and know the key to their longevity is focusing on great service, a knowledgeable staff and, or course. some knock-your-socks-off goetta.
Here's a look at my 10 favorite butcher shops in Greater Cincinnati.
Eckerlin Meats, Findlay Market
Eckerlin has been serving Cincinnati carnivores since before the Civil War and remains a go-to for great pork, steak, chicken and sausages. In 2023, they embarked on a massive renovation that expanded their meat counter and added a butchering station and sandwich shop, but the historic neighborhood feel remains intact.
Their goetta is among Cincinnati's most beloved, thanks to their use of prime cuts, instead of scraps. And I'd be remiss if I didn't say they serve the best goetta, egg and cheese sandwich in Greater Cincinnati. If you want something different, though, ask if they have any banh mi sausages in stock and thank me later.
116 W Elder St., Findlay Market, 513-721-5743,eckerlinmeats.com.
Lehr's Prime Market, Milford
This butcher shop, grocery and taproom feels more like a community gathering space than a butcher shop. Co-owner Allison Homan knows her stuff, having grown up at the butcher shop her family owned in Neenah, Wisconsin. She keeps up with the times by focusing on sustainable, locally sourced meats, much of them from the Homans' own farm. Lehr's also carries locally grown produce and great sandwiches named after local celebrities (the Bootsy Collins is my favorite). Lehr's sells a wide selection or pre-made dinners and specialty products made by local producers.
A certified sommelier can help you find the perfect bottle of wine, and an ambitious beer program features hard-to-find craft beers from all over the United States. There are 24 on-tap beers, and the bar regularly hosts takeovers by breweries such as Fat Head and MadTree.
740 Main St., Milford, 513-831-3411, lehrsprime.com.
LK Cincinnati, Findlay Market
While it's just around 6 years old, LK has already developed a loyal following among sausage enthusiasts for the sheer variety (and deliciousness) of the tubular meats it sells. It also shares some DNA with another popular butcher just across the street, as co-owner Ryan Lillis is the nephew of Eckerlin owner Bob Lillis.
Along with his business partner, John Knodel (the K of LK), Lillis' focus is on sausage. Very friggin' good sausage. Everything is cut and ground on-site, ensuring it's fresh. You can choose from Hungarian sausage with paprika and garlic, English bangers, Portuguese linguica with red wine and marjoram, and chicken alfredo brats among many others. Also try their burnt ends, porchetta and house-made meatballs.
1801 Race St, Over-the-Rhine 513-345-8831,lkfindlaymarekt.com.
Avril-Bleh & Sons Meat Market & Deli, Downtown
Avril-Bleh Meat Market & Delihas been run by the same family since 1894. And like any butcher shop worth its salt pork, they know their customers by name. Along with steaks, chops and chicken, they also have every Cincinnati sausage variety you can imagine, including a wide assortment of brats and metts, and Cincinnati specialties such as ham salad, city chicken, cottage ham and mock turtle soup. And don't forget to order the turkey goetta. The recipe comes from owner Len Bleh's grandmother, and it's fantastic.
33 E. Court St., Downtown, 513-241-2433.
Bridgetown Finer Meats, Green Township
Bridgetown Finer Meats has some of the best vibes of any butcher shop, let alone any small business, in Greater Cincinnati. Customers all seem to know each other and can often be overheard catching up about their children's college decisions or their most recent vacation to Florida. This is more than just a butcher shop, though. Along with the butcher and deli counter (which carries very good homemade roast beef), you'll find a small grocery that connects to a dedicated produce market and, next to that, a dedicated wine shop.
They carry USDA Prime and wagyu beef, much of it sustainably raised in Indiana. Their twice-baked potatoes and chicken pot pies are popular, too. The service is beyond friendly and – lucky for forgetful types like me – there are framed photos of all of their staff members (accompanied by their names) above the counter so you can avoid any awkwardness when they greet you by name.
6135 Bridgetown Road, Green Township, 513-574-3100, bridgetownfinermeats.com.
Holzman's Fine Meats & Deli, Montgomery
Located behind a Shell station and a Dunkin' off Montgomery Road, Holzman's can be hard to find at first. But once you visit the first time, you might become a regular. Their deli serves mighty fine sandwiches, including a breaded pork tenderloin on a soft hoagie roll and a good cheeseburger. Or you can opt for a basket of shrimp and french fries.
The cooler is packed with a selection of soups, chili and chowders, and you can pick up a heat-and-eat dinner of lasagna, beef stroganoff or chicken parmesan.
10815 Montgomery Road, Montgomery, 513-489-1411.
Stehlin's Meat Market, Bevis
No matter where you live in Greater Cincinnati, Stehlin'sis worth a visit. For one, it's the only butcher shop in the city limits with an adjoining slaughterhouse. That might make some of you squeamish, but such is the Carnivore's Dilemma. Either way, the shop, which opened in 1913, offers the freshest beef and pork possible, as well as poultry and lamb.
There must be some sort of secret to their beer cheese because it's some of the best I've ever tasted, and their hickory-smoked cottage hams are worth the drive alone. Stehlin's customer service should earn it a Michelin star as the staff does everything possible to make sure you're satisfied.
10134 Colerain Ave., Bevis, 513-385-6164, stehlinsmeatmarket.com.
Wyoming Meat Market, Wyoming
Shelbi Nation and her team at Wyoming Meat Marketrun a neighborhood butcher shop that sells some of the best beef in town. Sure, they specialize in wagyu, sourced from Sakura Farms in Westerville, Ohio, but they also carry fresh, ruby red cuts of USDA Prime beef that are more affordable. Either way, customers come from all over Greater Cincinnati and beyond to buy it.
The shop, one of the city's few woman-owned butcher shops in town, also sells excellent sausages, including linguica, andouille, bratwurst or Korean barbecue, and is known for its sandwich specials that might include a southwest chili cheesesteak or an excellent meatball sub.
Wyoming Meats is the sister restaurant to Rekas Butchery & Delicatessen, in Covington. Along with the same great meat and sandwiches, Rekas also sell an assortment of Italian specialty foods.
513 Wyoming Ave., Wyoming, 513-821-1304.
Redden Fine Meats & Seafood Market, Madeira
Housed in a repurposed train station built in 1860, Redden Fine Meats carries restaurant-quality cuts, imaginative sausages and very good chicken pot pies, twice-baked potatoes and, my favorite, a premade tube of hanky pankies (just spoon it onto some rye toasts and bake). Their specialty sandwiches are, indeed, special, including the Tony Soprano Italian sub and the wagyu roast beef topped with Muenster.
Redden also has an impressive seafood game, selling sushi-grade tuna, scallops and oysters. Now that soup season has officially started, try their creamy potato, beef and black bean chili or a roasted red pepper and tomato bisque.
7701 Railroad Ave., Madeira. 513-407-8998, reddencincy.com.
Bill Finke & Sons Quality Meats, Fort Wright
Fifth-generation owner Bill Finke still runs this family-owned butcher shop and market, which originally opened on Main Street in Covington in 1876 and moved into its current location – a low-slung white building on Amsterdam and Sleepy Hollow roads – in 1962. While the meat case is packed with beautiful steaks, chicken, cold cuts and deli salads, the freezer case is worth browsing. Along with homemade sausages and frozen fish, there are frozen lasagnas, baked ziti and homemade meatballs.
And try Finke's horseradish-spiked beer cheese, too. The recipe was grudgingly given to Bill's father by a family friend named Pete after a lot of cajoling. Oh, and not to bury the lede, but Finke's is also the first known butcher shop to sell goetta commercially. Be sure and thank them next time you visit.
1502 Amsterdam Road, Fort Wright, 859-261-8899.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 10 great butcher shops keeping Cincinnati food history alive
