This Old-School Illinois Butcher Shop Still Cuts From Hanging Cattle And Makes Over 80 Sausages

A carved wooden pig head hands out your number at the door. That’s how your visit starts at one of the most beloved butcher counters in Illinois.

The kitchen behind the counter turns out more than 80 kinds of sausages and brats. A smokehouse adds more than 10 kinds of homemade bacon to the lineup.

I like how this place feels old-school without feeling dusty. The same family tradition has carried it since 1949, and it still cuts meat from hanging cattle.

Very few shops in the state can say that anymore.

I can’t imagine a better stop for anyone who misses the neighborhood butcher of their childhood. It’s the kind of shop grandparents remember and kids get to discover fresh.

A Lakeview Corner Where The Meat Counter Still Rules

Chicago has plenty of flashy food halls, but this one is all about the butcher block. Paulina Market sits in the Lakeview neighborhood on the city’s North Side, and it has served the area since 1949.

From the street, you might not guess what waits inside. The brick facade has minimal windows along North Lincoln Avenue, so the building keeps its secrets well.

Step through the door and the picture changes fast. Cases full of hand-cut steaks, chops, roasts, and sausages stretch out ahead of you, and the smell of smoked meat fills the room.

Google lists it simply as a butcher shop. That label feels a little modest, though, because the shop also runs a deli counter, a sandwich corner, a grocery section, and a frozen food lineup.

Sausage is the headliner here. Beef, pork, and veal sausages share the spotlight with smoked meats and poultry made right on site.

For Illinois families who love a good old-fashioned errand, this is a fun one. It’s a working neighborhood butcher that has kept its traditions alive while the city changed around it.

That alone makes it worth a visit.

From Germantown Deli To Family Legacy

Back in 1949, Sigmund Lekan opened a German deli and butcher shop in an area then called Germantown. Traditional European recipes formed the backbone of the business from day one.

Sigmund ran the market alongside his sons, Jerome and Ray. Those early years built the reputation that still draws shoppers today.

Then came a new chapter. Bill Begale joined the shop as a manager in 1984 and took over ownership in 2006.

He didn’t come alone, either. Today Bill and Laurie Begale run the market with their children Joe, Johnny, and Jackie, keeping it a true family operation.

Long-time customers remember an earlier location, complete with sawdust on the floor. That detail says a lot about how deep this shop’s roots go in Chicago.

I believe that kind of continuity is rare in any big city. Ownership changed hands, yet the recipes and the focus on quality stayed put.

The German heritage still shows up everywhere, from cold cuts to weisswurst to leberkase. Even one of the sandwiches is named the 1949, a tasty nod to where it all began.

Grab A Ticket From The Pig, Then Wait Your Turn

Few shops let a pig run the line. At Paulina Market, a carved wooden pig head dispenses numbered tickets right by the entrance.

Kids tend to love that part. Pulling a ticket from a pig’s mouth beats a plain plastic dispenser every single time.

Pay attention once you have your number. The counter gets busy, and staff call numbers quickly, so daydreaming about bacon can cost you your turn.

There’s even a church pew inside for overflow crowds. It’s an unusual piece of furniture for a butcher shop, and it fits the friendly, no-fuss feel of the place.

The space itself is small, but the selection is huge. That combination creates a cozy, bustling energy on busy days.

Ordering goes smoother when you know what you want before stepping up. It isn’t unfriendly, but the rhythm moves fast, especially on Saturdays.

The butchers have a strong reputation for being knowledgeable and helpful. Ask about a cut or a sausage, and you’ll likely leave with a better dinner plan than the one you walked in with.

Eighty-Plus Sausages And Counting

More than 80 kinds of hand-crafted sausages and brats come out of the sausage kitchen here, year-round. Good luck picking just one.

The range covers a lot of ground. You’ll find lightly smoked Cajun Andouille, classic Smoked Polish, and Hungarian sausage near the top of the list.

Feeling adventurous? Jalapeno Pepper Jack Brats and Lamb Merguez bring some extra personality to the case.

Swedish potato sausage is another name that pops up often among fans. Weisswurst shows off the shop’s German roots in fine style.

What goes inside matters too. The sausages are made from lean trimmings of the same steaks, roasts, and fresh poultry sold in the butcher cases.

Many varieties then head to the smokehouse for finishing. That extra step gives them the smoky character the shop is known for.

Grilling season makes this place especially handy for Illinois backyard cookouts. Hot links and brats can turn an ordinary weekend into a proper barbecue.

Bring a cooler if you’re driving in from the suburbs. You may end up buying more links than you planned.

The Smokehouse Behind All That Bacon

Ten-plus kinds of homemade bacon would be enough for most shops. At this one, it’s only the opening act of the smokehouse lineup.

Smoked chicken, duck, and turkey all come out of the same operation. Duck pastrami has its own little fan club too.

Then there’s the beef jerky, made from sirloin. It’s one of the most talked-about items in the whole store.

The jerky is moister than the stiff gas station kind. Some fans even pop it in a dehydrator at home to dry it further.

Meat sticks earn similar praise, with dried lamb and beef versions in the mix. They make a great snack for the ride home, assuming they last that long.

For barbecue cravings, the Baby Back Ribs and Sig’s Pulled Pork are popular picks. Both make an easy family dinner with very little work.

I like that the smokehouse ties everything together. The same smoke that finishes the sausages also flavors the bacon, poultry, and jerky, giving the whole shop a signature taste.

Hanging Cattle, Prime Steaks, And A Little Wild Boar

Hanging cattle still arrive at this shop, which makes it one of the few left in Chicago that works this way. That old-school setup opens the door to almost any cut you can name.

Hanger steak? Tomahawk?

The butchers can handle both and plenty in between.

Every steak, chop, and roast gets cut by hand. The beef includes USDA Choice and Prime-Grade grain-fed options.

Whole chickens and fresh poultry fill out the cases too. Around Thanksgiving, the turkeys get a lot of love, and even Turducken has made an appearance.

Curious cooks should check the freezers. Ostrich patties, buffalo, venison, and wild boar are all part of the lineup.

That variety makes Paulina Market a fun stop for families who want to try something new. Kids who think ostrich only lives at the zoo may be in for a surprise.

Quality runs high, and so do prices compared with a chain grocery. Many shoppers save a visit for holidays and special occasions, when a standout roast really earns its place on the table.

Lunch Lives At The Sandwich Corner

Hungry shoppers have a problem at a butcher shop. Paulina Market solved it with the Sandwich Corner.

Homemade sandwiches here use the same quality meats sold at the counter. You can grab a ticket and wait, or pre-order online to skip ahead.

The star is the 1949 Sub, stacked with traditional German meats. It honors the year the shop first opened its doors.

Simpler choices shine too. A turkey sandwich with mayo and pickles proves good meat doesn’t need much help.

German cold cuts tempt from the deli counter nearby. Leberkase and other old-world favorites make it easy to build a picnic for a nearby park.

Watch the clock, though. The Sandwich Corner usually closes an hour before the main store.

That makes an early lunch the smart move. A sandwich and a bag of jerky add up to a fun, affordable city outing for the whole family.

Groceries, Mustards, And Dinners Ready To Heat

Shoppers often come in for two things and leave with twenty. The specialty grocery section is a big reason why.

The shelves hold dozens of pastas, sauces, oils, and vinegars. Artisan cheeses and an impressive collection of mustards and barbecue sauces round things out.

Niche gourmet products show up here that are hard to find elsewhere in Chicago. German treats add a sweet finish to the haul.

Busy weeknight? The commercial kitchen produces more than 40 Heat-n-Eat Entrees for exactly that situation.

Corned Beef Hash and Chicken Pot Pie are two well-known options. They taste homemade because they basically are.

Seasonal items rotate through the store as well. That gives repeat visits a little element of surprise.

I believe this part of the shop gets overlooked by first-timers focused on the meat cases. Take a slow lap before checkout, and your pantry will thank you.

Plan A Weekday Trip And Thank Yourself Later

Saturdays bring the biggest crowds, and holiday weeks can mean lines out the door. A weekday visit makes for a calmer, easier trip.

You’ll find the shop at 3501 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60657. Hours run 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.

Sundays are closed, so don’t plan a weekend brunch run that day. Off-street parking is limited, which is worth keeping in mind.

Modern touches make things easier. Online orders can be picked up inside or at a pickup window on the Cornelia Avenue side.

Neighbors within three miles can get home delivery on Wednesdays and Fridays. A minimum order applies.

So is Paulina Market worth the drive from elsewhere in Illinois? For anyone who misses the neighborhood butcher of years past, I’d say yes.

Families keep bringing their kids here so they can experience what their parents did. That’s a tradition worth adding to your own list.