University of Minnesota – Andrew Boss Meat Lab Sales

I really had high expectations about the meat lab, from what I had read. I did not realize everything was frozen.
I was very disappointed in the bacon. It was overloaded with sodium. There was no natural smoke flavor. I did like the Swedish Sausage. I would try to concentrate on the whole meat selections, and some of the sausages, and brats.

Despite the move to a single room for meat and cheese the selection is outstanding. Too many people were missing the meat in the basement (not as gruesome as it sounds) despite the hand printed signs. The only problem is the closet size room with freezers and coolers on each side can be a bit close when you have two students with wide backpacks and at least a 250+# shopper. Just wait in the hall until some space clears.
Now that the negative comments are over there are people who live for the cheese curds. This is somewhat of a rare item as they only produce curds occasionally but announce the designated day ahead of time. You can bet this will be a crowded day as evidently the plain or spiced curds must be a dorm party favorite. They are fresh because student workers bring them in directly from the dryer. Talk about a squeak in your teeth.
Not every blend of cheese or meat can be displayed at once so I come back every two weeks to see what is new and am never disappointed. Ever have Wild Rice Brats? Some of unique specialties include Lamp Chops, Pulled Pork, Chorizo. This is shortest shopping window as the «store» is only open Wednesday afternoons from 2:00 — 5:00 and that’s an expansion from their previous hours of 3 – 5. They take credit cards giving us meat lovers a feeling empowerment.

I almost turned and ran when I was lost down in the basement of the Andrew Boss building. I set aside the horror movie vibes I was getting, and wandered in to the meat lab. I had my list of things to get, but was sorely disappointed when not a thing I wanted was in stock. I decided to go with kielbasa and ground lamb instead. The kielbasa was heavily garliced. So much so that a Pole like me even had a tough time eating it.
Prices are pretty good here. Learn from my mistake though, call ahead and find out if you can get what’s on your grocery list.

Every Wednesday at 1 pm, my Google Calendar reminder pops up and says, «GO GET MEAT.»
So for starters, don’t be like me and assume that «Meat Lab» means something nefarious — there are no scientists creating frankenmeat here. In fact, it’s just the opposite — much of what you’ll find here is organically fed, and to my knowledge, everything is very local. As in «on campus local.»
I’ve bought whole turkeys, brats, bacon and cheddar burger patties, suet for my birds, New York strips, quartered chickens, and spare ribs here. And I’ve barely scratched the surface.
Here is the best part — you will likely never have to wait in line here, and even better, you’ll likely spend a LOT less — we’re talking quite a few dollars — than you’d spend on fresh meat at a grocery store.
They only take cash, so bring it with you. Street parking is usually pretty simple, but you may have to walk half a block to a block on a busy school day. Also, keep in mind that they’re only open from 2 – 5 on Wednesdays only.
And here’s a tip that I promise you will thank me for. On Wednesdays in the same building, the Dairy Store is open, too. You can buy fresh cheese in MANY varieties (including artisan styles with fruit or nuts in it) and … wait for it … ice cream! My favorite ice cream flavors are sweet corn (yep!) and red velvet cake.
I go over every Wednesday afternoon to get meat and dairy — I’ll see you there!

Brats and Sausages! (and so much more!)
Like the University of Minnesota Dairy Store, this is an on campus producer of food products. They have almost every kind of meat product imaginable, from poultry to pork, beef and lamb.
They have so many that even after frequenting this place for the past 5 months, we still have yet to try most things.
Our favorites are the sausages and brats (YUM!) and the smoked pork products. Our dog’s favorite is the marrow bones (they’re pretty much the only thing that she’ll focus on in her puppyhood). We’re also partial to the honey.
During the summer they also have organic produce grown on campus by a student club! We picked up some garlic scapes and turnips for completely reasonable prices.
They are only open regularly Wednesdays 2 — 5. Always check their website for hours (and specials!).