Smokehouse of the Catskills

My husband’s mother was German, so he was delighted to find what he considers to be the best German specialty butcher/​charcuterie on the East Coast. They are excellent butchers and smoke a variety of cheeses. He stops here regularly, usually once a week, to pick up German sausage, smoked cheese, smoked pork chops, duck bacon and ham steaks, as well as pretzels, fresh bread, German butter and beautiful wild mushrooms. Our friends joke that we moved to Saugerties so that my husband would be less than 10 minutes from the Smokehouse. It’s certainly worth getting off I-​87 and taking a short detour to stock up on German charcuterie, fresh meat and smoked products.

My daddy was a butcher catering to the upscale restaurants on the upper east side of Manhattan and the walk-​in folks who knew the difference between the meat from a butcher shop and that from a supermarket. I know the difference because the best came home to his family. The emphasis is on German specialities and smoked products. One of the best such shops I have ever experienced.

What a great butcher on the road between Saugerties and Woodstock. The place had an excellent selection of steaks, chops and such. They also, as the name suggests, smoke their own stuff in-​house. Given we were having a BBQ for my parents anniversary we just stuck with the raw goods. Lamb chops, skirt steaks and filets did not disappoint. The really friendly butcher showed us whole side of tomahawk chops but the bones were so big we reasoned our smallish weber would not suffice, but would have loved to have eaten that off the green egg.

German style sausages and other types of butcherie. Everything you need for a choucroute.

Very sad to see staff not wearing gloves. They handle the money and then handle the meats.

Probably the best German pork store this side of the Atlantic. No joke.
It was run for probably 50 years by two German master butchers. Always excellent. But they got old and were only working Limited hours. Then about 15 years ago, the daughter, Heidi, of one of the brothers took over. Now the store is open for the customers convenience.
The real story is the meat. They smoke everything on the premises. My favorites are their Landjaeger, Hungarian kielbasa, whole smoked chicken and smoked pork chops. That is only the beginning. The fresh meats are incredible. On weekends a local bakery brings in fresh bretzen and other breads. You can also find many German import foods and treats. If you are lucky and it is not sold out, try the lambburgers. Awesome.
It is conveniently located only 10 minutes off of the NY Thruway exit 20.
You will not regret stopping in!

Double smoked bacon is sinful. The whole place is great, good selection of meats and friendly competent staff. Prices are reasonable.

City folks heading back down 87 from Saratoga or Montréal, or up to the Adirondacks, stop here for your provisions.
This is a wonderful butcher shop/​charcuterie, near the thruway and worth a stop.
As you enter, be sure to pick up some pretzels or pretzel rolls from the display on the table. To your left, choose the onion rye from the selection of breads on the shelf on the wall.
Once your number is called, try some butterkase or gelbwurst. Both were sliced expertly by a young lady who I suspect is a family member. Despite her youth, she was a real pro and the cheese was perfectly sliced and wrapped. For wurst, I thought the Munchener sausages with peppers and onions were outstanding, the weisswurst pretty typical. Many others to choose from
I also tried fresh meats. The rib steak was well worth the price at 12.99, the boneless chicken breasts were a steal at 3.99. They were big and needed some pounding. But best in show went to the meaty short ribs.
A refrigerated case holds German butters and other dairy products and there are some dry goods as well.
I believe the store also offers butchering to local hunters. On the day I visited, they were featuring cook your own sauerbraten, which I did not try.
Oddly enough, there weren’t all that many smoked items on display and if you are used to the hanging meats you see in a place like Muncan, there were only a few racks of ribs visible. Maybe there’s more in the back.
Highly recommended. I can’t wait to return.

Awesome place. Has rarest chocolate in America: Kinder! Best Rib Eye Steak ever! Went here with class on a class trip. Recommended highly

Amazing selection, lovely people. Great homemade German pretzels. Try their beef jerky.