Don't forget about Hometown Sausage Co. in East Troy WI. I have not been there but I tasted some of their sausage. It was very good. Tom Cicero is up there now.

Meatheads Meat Market


Milan, IL

jimswside wrote:Hit the QC (Quad Cities) two weekends in a row - a couple repeat spots that will find their way into the regular rotation. Meatheads Meat Market in Milan, IL. has made for a really good early stop on the past 2 visits to stock up on some meat as well as take advantage of their daily cookouts from 10:30 - 2. Pork chop sandwiches,chicken sandwiches, burgers, etc. As well as some of their housemade brats. From their meatcase I have purchased basics like some nice ground chuck, I have also gotten Iowa cut pork chops, brats and snack sticks.. Back to the brats.. their original recipe is a good one. Their "Hawaiian" snack sticks disappeared soon after I bought them.

Cool Place

Nice call. Though they've only been around since 2004, this is an old fashioned meat market. The owner, a longtime meat vendor, opened the spot as a "quality fresh meat alternative to the chemically enhanced, factory cut, pre-wrapped, and gassed meats that most local supermarkets and superstores sell. Customers enjoy more than 50 homemade smoked meats and more than 30 varieties of fresh homemade bratwurst." on top of all that there was also all sorts of regional sauces, spices and seasonings available as the food truck out in the lot where they hold their daily cookouts as jimswside mentioned. I think we both agreed we enjoyed the original house brat more than the chop though both hit the spot.


Parking Lot Cookouts - Tuesday through Saturday (10:30a - 2p)


Pork Chop Sandwich


House Recipe Bratwurst

Meatheads Meat Market
520 10th Ave W
Milan, IL 61264
(309) 787-2466

Da Beef wrote:Black Earth Meats

Today we're off to one of the great spots to shop for meat in all of America. ...

Black Earth Meats
1345 Mills St
Black Earth, WI 53515
(608) 767-3940

Black Earth Meats closed about a year ago, but within a few months a successor company started selling at farmer's markets and through a buyer's club. In early 2016 they'll open a butcher shop and (eventually) a USDA-inspected processing facility in pretty much the exact center of Milwaukee, not far from Miller Park:

When Black Earth was forced to close its doors, Bearce says, there was a huge void left in the marketplace.

"Two shareholders at Black Earth and two animal suppliers contacted me," he says. "And they expressed an interest in continuing the work Black Earth began."

By February of 2015, thanks to collaborations between a variety of small meat processing and packaging facilities – including Hometown Sausage Kitchen in East Troy – along with the cattle procurement and expertise of longtime farmer Brian Bradley of Denmark, the company began selling its humanely raised meats at farmer's markets (including locations in Cottage Grove, Racine, Kenosha, Lake Geneva, East Troy and South Milwaukee).

<snip>

Once open, the butcher shop will carry a range of both fresh and frozen meat cuts, along with a small selection of complementary products primarily from local vendors. A window in the butcher shop will provide a view into both the meat processing space and a dry aging room. A limited variety of heat and eat entrees – one beef, one pork and one chicken – will also be available in a variety of sizes to accommodate consumers and their families.

Meanwhile, the partners will be working toward USDA certification to turn the remainder of the first floor into a meat processing facility where they can butcher their own meats as well as create sausages and smoked meat products.

- from "Conscientious cuts: Kettle Range Meat Co. butcher shop coming to West Side", onmilwaukee.com

Kettle Range Meat Co.
5501 W State St.
Milwaukee, WI 53208 (soon, "as early as late January")
http://www.kettlerangemeats.com/

I've made a brief mention of Louie's Finer Meats in Cumberland WI in the Grub en route to Minnesota thread. They've been in business for over 40 years, and are a family run meat market and sausage shop. Yes, they will sell you a beer, in the attached Louie's Lodge. Yes, they will process your deer and other game. In the summer, you can buy a grilled brat in the parking lot from Louie's Brat Haus (operated each day by a different non-profit or school as a fundraiser).

All of the walls of the store are adorned with and endless array of bratwurst and sausage making awards. I'm partial to the Applewurst and the Three Berry brats. The sweetness from the fruit in the brats seems to make for a slightly caramelized casing, especially when grilled. I have never seen so many different varieties of brats in one place.

Applewurst
Apple-Cranberry
Bacon Cheeseburger
Badger - Mozzarella & Pimento
Barbecue
Beef
Beer
Berry Weiss
Bleu Cheese
Blueberry
Brewer - Beer, Cheddar, & Bleu Cheese
Buffalo Wing
Cajun
Cavatille
Cheddar
Cherry Almond
Chicken
Chorizo
Cranberry
Cumberland Beaver - Pepperjack & Cranberries
Da Bear - Honey, Blueberries, & Cheddar
Greek - Allspice, Oregano, & Garlic
Green Onion
Green Pepper, Red Onion, & Cheddar
Gyro
Ham & Cheese
Hawaiian - Cherries, Pineapple, & Coconut
Horseradish
Jalapeno & Cheddar and Jalapeno & Pepperjack
Jamaican
Low Salt
Maple
Minnesota - Wild Rice & Blueberries
Munich - Parsley, Chives, Salt, & Pepper
Mushroom & Swiss
Onion & Garlic
Packer - Cheddar & Sauerkraut
Pepperjack
Philly Steak
Pizza Supreme
Russian
Salsa
Southwest Chipotle
Sun Dried Tomato Basil
Three Berry - Cranberry, Blueberry, & Cherry
Traditional
Turkey
Viking - Purple Cabbage & Mozzarella
Whiskey Fennel
Wild Rice
Wisconsin - Cranberry, Cheddar, Maple Syrup, & Honey

There must be at least a dozen varieties each of summer sausages, salami, jerky, cured and smoked meat snacks, bacon and breakfast sausages. They also have a small bakery section and a rack near the check out counter to tempt you with hard to find candy such as divinity.

Louie's Finer Meats Inc.
2025 Superior Avenue
Cumberland, WI 54829
(715) 822-4728
http://www.louiesfinermeats.com/
https://www.facebook.com/louiesmeats/

Thank you. I go to Hayward several times a year on business. A stop in Cumberland is definitely on my itinerary.

Louie's Finer Meats


Cumberland, WI

Its been a few years since I stopped into Louie's on a trip up to Bayfield but it was a fine butcher shop then that sounds to be the same now. No surprise as they've been supplying the people of Barron County with damn near everything they need since 1970. On my trip I got some original brats that were top of the line as well as some breakfast sausage that was also first class.


Blue Ribbon Winning Brats

I'm not in the area often but if you are or will be and are en route to a cabin or rental of some sort than Louie's is a must. One of the better butcher shops in a state with many great options for local meat.


Butcher in Statue Form

Louie's Finer Meats
2025 Superior Ave
Cumberland, WI 54829
(715) 822-4728

Da Beef - thanks for adding photos. I still have not mastered that skill.

lougord99: Louie's is on HWY 63 which is the highway that connects Cumberland to Hayward. If you have a sweet tooth, be sure to stop along the way for cinnamon rolls at the Red Brick Cafe.

Happy travels all!