11 Pennsylvania Meat Markets Where Locals Pre-Order Their Holiday Turkeys

One family farm raises about 10,000 turkeys a year, from hatching all the way to the holiday table. That number stopped me cold.

I can’t even keep a houseplant alive.

The turkey world gets more surprising from there.

One shop sells a turducken, which is a chicken inside a duck inside a turkey. Another poultry stall has been selling birds since 1916.

Across Pennsylvania, butchers start taking holiday orders weeks before the first pie gets baked. Some ask for a deposit.

Some sell out of certain sizes. I love that a turkey can come with a real story and a real person behind the counter.

So why grab a frozen bird from a giant freezer bin? These shops cut, trim, and sometimes raise the meat themselves.

Which one would you trust with the centerpiece of your table?

1. Godshall’s Poultry

Back in 1916, Charles Godshall opened a poultry stall, and the birds have kept coming ever since.

That makes it one of the oldest stalls inside Philadelphia’s famous Reading Terminal Market.

The business passed through generations before Steve Frankenfield took ownership in 1984. You’ll find the counter in Aisle C, between Avenues 4 and 5.

Poultry is the main event here, and the lineup goes well beyond chicken. Think turkey, duck, goose, and game birds, all cut to order.

The shop’s chicken and turkey are locally raised and free-range, delivered fresh from the farm to the market. That’s a nice detail when the bird is the star of your dinner.

Holiday ordering is where things get fun. You can pre-order fresh turkeys, capons, geese, ducks, game birds, and even turkey hams.

Online ordering makes the process easier. You place your order ahead, then pick it up right at the market.

Planning a Christmas goose instead of a Thanksgiving turkey? You’re covered for both holidays, which is handy for families who switch things up.

Don’t skip the case of homemade sausages and smoked products. They make a smart add-on for stuffing or a holiday breakfast.

Plus, you get to wander one of the best food markets in the country after grabbing your bird. Not a bad errand at all.

Address: 1136 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107

2. The Meat House Market

Not every holiday host wants to wrestle a raw bird into the oven.

The Chadds Ford shop has a plan for that crowd too.

Fresh turkeys are available for pre-order around Thanksgiving and Christmas. But you can also grab a full Herb Roasted Turkey Holiday Meal.

Prefer something simpler? Look for the all-natural boneless turkey breast, slow-roasted with garlic and herbs and dressed with turkey jus.

That’s basically holiday dinner with the stress dialed way down. Your kitchen will thank you.

The Gagnon family has owned and run the market since February 2014. Co-owner Donald Gagnon started his career in a small butcher shop in the late 1960s.

That experience shows in the meat case. Meats get cut fresh in-house daily, and the beef options include USDA Prime, grass-fed, long-term dry aged, and Japanese A5.

Custom cuts and exotic meats are on the table too. So is a Sliced Roast Beef Holiday Meal, if turkey isn’t your thing.

Getting your order home is flexible. The shop offers in-store pickup, curbside pickup, and home delivery.

Before you leave, peek at the marinated steak tips. They might just become your post-holiday treat after the leftovers run out.

Address: 200 Wilmington West Chester Pike, Chadds Ford, PA 19317

3. Fat Butcher

A geologist walks into a butcher shop and decides to stay.

That’s roughly the story of Steven Dawson, who switched to butchery in 2014.

He opened Fat Butcher in Lawrenceville in 2023. The shop continues a long run of butchers on Butler Street, including Ferlan and Son and Foster’s Meats.

Everything here comes from local farms, and that’s a real 100 percent claim. Whole animals arrive and get used nose to tail.

So the leftovers become something useful. Think burgers, sausages, pâté, stocks, broths, lard, tallow, and schmaltz.

For Thanksgiving, you can pre-order whole turkeys plus brine kits. Brining nerves?

The kit takes some guesswork out of the job.

The holiday list keeps going. Boneless in-house hams, Thoma hams, Thoma kielbasa, and loose pork sage sausage are all on it.

Turkey orders require a deposit, and pickups happen during a set window right before the holiday. Plan ahead and mark your calendar early.

There’s also an on-site kitchen making sandwiches, soups, and grab-and-go food. House-made pickles and local pantry goods fill out the shelves.

And yes, they dry-age beef. Your Pittsburgh holiday table might end up with more than one star.

Address: 5151 Butler Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15201

4. Haring Brothers Meats

Need a 40-pound turkey? Somewhere in Bucks County, a country butcher can actually make that happen.

Haring Brothers Meats takes Thanksgiving orders for fresh turkeys from 10 to 40 pounds. That range fits a small dinner or a giant family reunion.

The holiday list doesn’t stop at whole birds. You can also order turkey breasts, turkey legs, hams, ducks, beef roasts, and fresh pies.

Wait, pies from a butcher? Yes, and that might save you a separate stop at the bakery.

This full-service shop has roots stretching back more than 100 years. It was founded by the father of Clyde and Wilson Haring, who originally delivered dressed meats to customers in the Glenside area.

In the late 1960s, the brothers stopped deliveries and focused on retail sales, custom meat cutting for local farmers, and wild game processing for hunters.

Today, the business is owned by Glen Moyer and Jeffrey Yothers, who continue its tradition of personalized service.

Meats get freshly cut to order and hand-trimmed the way you want. That kind of care is the whole point of shopping here.

Custom cutting is available for beef, pork, and lamb. The shop has earned Best of Bucks recognition for that work since 1996.

Take a look at the pantry shelves while you wait. You’ll spot handmade noodles, house black pepper ketchup, and chocolate milk.

Weekly specials change, so it pays to ask. Your holiday trip could turn into a freezer stock-up.

Address: 5484 Haring Road, Doylestown, PA 18902

5. Stoltzfus Butcher Shop

Few butcher shops let you pick flowers on your way out.

This central Pennsylvania farm market does in the summer, which is just delightful.

Mark Stoltzfus opened the shop on his property in 1998. He had switched from dairy to beef cattle, and the business kept growing.

A new, larger market opened in the fall of 2017. It’s still family-owned and focused on local, fresh meat.

Thanksgiving turkeys here are local and pasture-raised. They usually weigh between 15 and 25 pounds, a solid size for a crowd.

Christmas brings smoked cured hams, usually around 15 to 19 pounds. You can order those ahead too.

The sausage is made to order. You choose the style and seasoning, which feels like customizing a pizza, only meatier.

The deli case is packed with sweet bologna, summer sausage, and homemade Canadian bacon. Beef brisket bacon is another fun pick.

Need holiday extras? Local raw milk, maple syrup, honey, and homemade potato chips line the shelves.

Oncertain Fridays, you’ll find fresh-cut fries, burgers, and soft-serve ice cream.

Turkey pickup with a milkshake sounds like a winning plan. Address: 1784 East End Mountain Road, Mill Hall, PA 17751

6. Worrell’s Butcher Shop

Since 1966, one family has kept Malvern stocked with steaks, chops, and holiday birds.

John Worrell and his son Justin now carry on John’s father’s legacy. The shop sits in the Malvern Shopping Center.

It calls itself the town’s family butcher, and that title fits.

Holiday turkeys are available by preorder. So start that conversation early, before your calendar fills up with school concerts.

The poultry comes from Bell and Evans. You can also grab fresh-cut chicken, from whole birds to wings and tenders.

Feeling bold this year? The shop carries wild game such as ostrich filet, venison rib chops, and alligator.

Availability changes, so call ahead for those. An alligator might not be the easiest Thanksgiving swap anyway.

The prepared food case could rescue a busy week. Homemade pot pies, meatballs and sauce, and roast beef and gravy are all there.

Store-made beef and turkey chili makes a smart meal for the night before the feast. No one wants to cook twice.

Deli fans will spot Dietz and Watson meats plus store-made smoked turkey. There’s kielbasa from Philadelphia too.

Address: 111 W. King Street, Malvern, PA 19355

7. Lampert’s Fine Meats & Deli

Here’s a holiday plot twist: a chicken inside a duck inside a turkey.

Lampert’s sells turducken, and honestly, it’s a conversation starter.

Fresh turkeys are on the holiday list too. So are spiral-cut hams, crown roasts, standing rib roasts, and individual holiday dinners.

During the busy season, the shop advises calling ahead to reserve. Good advice, since no one wants a turkey-less Thursday.

The story stretches back to the early 1930s on Grandview Avenue. The Lampert family started it there.

Later, the Kugler family ran the shop for decades and moved it to its current spot in 2012. In 2026, Hitesh Desai and Neel Patel took over.

You’ll find it across from Renzie Park, next to McKeesport High School. Easy to spot, easy to remember.

The smoked and seasoned meats show off real Pittsburgh-area roots. Hungarian kolbász, hurka, and Polish smoked kielbassi are made in-house.

Paprika slab bacon and city chicken are also on the menu. Those could jazz up a holiday breakfast.

The full-service deli makes hoagies and homemade salads. Pizza by the slice may keep the turkey pickup crew happy.

Address: 2010 Eden Park Boulevard, McKeesport, PA 15132

8. Bolton’s Farm Market

Ten thousand turkeys a year. That’s how many Bolton’s raises, from hatching to processing, right on its own farm.

The story began in 1933, when Pop Bolton bought the land for chickens. By 1945, turkeys joined the farm and eventually took over.

The market started as a roadside stand in 1989. In 2015, it moved into its current building.

Today the third and fourth generations run things. Todd Bolton manages the farm, and Torrie runs the retail market.

Thanksgiving turkeys usually range from 12 to 40 pounds in 2-pound steps. Christmas birds come in 10 to 24 pound sizes.

They’re fresh, never frozen, and uncooked at pickup. Plus, they’re raised without antibiotics or hormones and cage-free.

Turkey lovers, the deli is your playground. Bolton turkey becomes oven roasted lunch meat, turkey ham, turkey bologna, and turkey bacon.

There are turkey hot dogs and turkey meat sticks too. It’s a bird-themed buffet, basically.

Need more for the table? Local milk in glass bottles, Hearth Bakery bread, and homemade baked goods are all here.

Remember, the market closes on Sundays. Plan your pickup trip accordingly.

Address: 1005 E.

Main Street, Silverdale, PA 18962

9. Safran’s Meat Shop

On July 7, 1975, a former A and P in Sewickley got a new name. Stanley Safran and his son Lew opened Safran’s Supermarket.

Lew was a butcher by trade, so the meat shop got serious attention. It still runs as an old-fashioned Pittsburgh butcher counter inside the store.

His daughter Gwendolyn Safran is now a co-owner. The store has been a Sewickley Village anchor for decades.

Holiday orders cover turkeys and geese. Prime rib, crown roast, and specialty cut-to-order beef are on the list too.

The smart move is to call and order early. That way, you skip the holiday rush at the counter.

Skilled butchers handle custom cuts and trimming requests. Need something specific?

Just ask.

Beef gets custom ground throughout the day in different leanness options. The shop also carries fresh poultry, veal, lamb, and seafood.

The seafood comes fresh from Wholey’s Fish Market. That’s a well-known Pittsburgh name.

Since it’s a full supermarket, you can finish your list in one trip. Bakery bread, homemade deli salads, and local produce are right there.

Even stamps are for sale. Holiday cards, sorted.

Address: 429 Walnut Street, Sewickley, PA 15143

10. Southern Steer Butcher

Joni’s Cranberry Casserole might be the most intriguing name on any holiday menu in Camp Hill. Southern Steer Butcher makes it as one of its homemade sides.

That’s just one part of the Thanksgiving pre-order lineup. You can choose small, medium, or large fresh turkeys that are never frozen.

Roasts are available too. So you can plan a turkey-and-beef double feature if your crowd is hungry.

The sides could steal the show. Sausage-Infused Stuffing, Smashed Potatoes, Rosemary Carrots, and Bacon Balsamic Sprouts are all options.

Sweet Potato Casserole rounds out the list. You can even buy a bundle of four small sides.

The brand started in 2013 in Clearwater, Florida, founded by Greg Snyder. A butcher shop he saw in the Northeast inspired the idea.

The Camp Hill shop is one of many franchise locations. It focuses on fresh meat from local sources and custom cuts from sub-primals.

Marinated meats are a big draw. Argentine and Bulgogi marinated beef tips and chicken thighs make easy dinners after the holiday.

Veterans get a 10 percent discount, and there’s a rewards program. Nice perks for a busy season.

Address: 3224 Market Street, Camp Hill, PA 17011

11. Prime Halal Meat Market

In 1975, a Vietnam War veteran named Wali Scott saw a need in Philadelphia.

He opened what became the city’s first Halal meat market. His youngest son, Amr Scott, joined in 1994.

He took control of the business in 2000.

Every product here is 100 percent Halal, hand-slaughtered according to Islamic law. The meat comes from local Pennsylvania sources.

Holiday turkey shoppers have a great option. The market offers pasture-raised whole young turkeys raised locally without hormones or antibiotics.

Sizes vary, with some under 12 pounds and some over 15. A deposit is required to lock in your pre-order.

Hosting a smaller group? Whole boneless, skin-on turkey breasts are available too.

You can also pre-order holiday turkey ham. That’s a fun twist for families who want a ham-style centerpiece.

The deli case is a turkey lover’s dream. Turkey pastrami, turkey salami, hickory smoked turkey bacon, and spinach feta turkey sausage all appear.

Beef deli meat and Halal cheese are on hand too. Grass-fed, grain-finished beef and fresh lamb fill the main case.

The shop has collected several local meat shop awards over the years. Not bad for a market that started by filling a gap.

Address: 500 S. 23rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146