I’m always trying to recreate at home the foods and drinks I’ve enjoyed in Germany. I’ve tackled spezi, Jägerschnitzel, Linzer cookies and Zimtsterne to name a few. But there are some things I can’t recreate. Some of the ingredients I can’t always get. Some of the condiments will just never be the same — and who would make their own mustard, anyhow? Most importantly, the sausages at the local grocery store chain are just never going to be the same as fresh German-style sausages. Luckily, I discovered that Philadelphia has a secret. It has an authentic German butcher shop Rieker’s Prime Meats.
Rieker’s is far more than just a place to get sausages and they’re far more than merely a butcher shop. In addition to a huge case of fresh meats that are butchered in-house — a large variety of sausages, Landjaeger (a favorite of my husband!), pre-prepared Wiener Schnitzel, seasoned chickens, and so much more — they’ve also got delicious pre-mades like German potato salad. They’ve also got a large selection of groceries. Some are Philadelphia favorites, like pepper pot soup, and others are German favorites — cookies, candies, baking supplies, breads, you name it. I love paging through the German magazines they have, such as crossword puzzle books and Der Spiegel.
If you’re in the greater Philadelphia area you have to stop by Rieker’s. They’re a wonderful, family-run business, the kind that seem so hard to find these days. Since we live in the suburbs, we don’t get to visit Rieker’s as often as we’d like but when we do we always leave with an embarrassingly large amount of goodies. You won’t be disappointed. I promise!
Rieker’s Prime Meats
7979 Oxford Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19111
Photo from Rieker’s Prime Meats’ Facebook page.
