The Best Meat Markets in Chicagoland

While your traditional grocery store can supply the bare basics in the meat department, there’s something about going to a meat market that elevates your shopping experience to a new level. These local destinations feature traditional products that have been mainstays for customers for decades. You can find favorite family recipes, traditional European meat products, and gourmet specialties that aren’t available at your grocery store.

1. Josef’s Elegante Meats & Deli
716 W State St, Suite A, Geneva
7 miles from Springs at Orchard Road

Josef’s is a family-owned and operated meat market. Pat and Nanette Falcone named the shop after their fathers, both butchers who shared the name Joseph. With three generations in the business and more than 40 years of experience, the Falcones bring extensive knowledge and skill to their deli and butcher shop.

Josef’s homemade sausages are made from family recipes dating back to the 1930s. Gourmet options like feta and spinach sausage or beer and onion triple cheese sausage offer an alluring alternative to more traditional fare, but you can also purchase pork, veal, lamb, and beef from the meat shop. If you’re in the mood for seafood, shop their jumbo king crab legs, Alaskan halibut steaks, crab cakes, jumbo sea scallops, and more.

2. Wurst Kitchen Sausage Co.
638 Second Ave & Union St, Aurora
18 miles from Springs at Orchard Road

The Wurst Kitchen has been serving satisfied patrons from the same location since 1895. It has a strong German heritage and prides itself on producing European-style meats. The Wurst Kitchen serves an extensive menu of bratwurst including hot and spicy kicker bratwurst, tequila and lime bratwurst, and potato and cheese bratwurst. Some of the other options include lamb, veal, head cheese, jerky, and liver dumplings.

You can also bring your own wild game into this butcher for processing. When you bring in your deboned meat, the Wurst kitchen will use their special recipes to turn it into delicious sausage or other meat products.

3. Paulina Market
3501 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago

The Paulina Meat Market has been in business since 1949. This family-owned business is a combined butcher shop, sausage-maker, smokehouse, commercial kitchen, and specialty grocery. On the meat menu, you’ll find beef, wagyu beef, veal, pork, lamb, poultry, sausage, bacon, jerky, wild game, and offals. It’s definitely worth the drive downtown.

If you’re looking for the perfect accompaniment to your chosen meat, you’ll find a wealth of options at the Paulina Market including Felix lingonberries, crispy onions, limpa bread, and meat seasonings. When you don’t want to hassle with cooking up your own gourmet dishes with these products, you can choose from more than 40 Heat-n-Eat entrees like beef chili, chicken ala Karin, fettuccini Bolognese, or ribs and kraut.

What’s your favorite meat market in the Chicagoland area? Share your top picks for local products, meat-based recipes, and nearby butchers in the comments below.