This veteran butcher shop serves up an impressive array of sausages and smoked meats, all backed by friendly staff and a selection of gourmet products you won’t find elsewhere.
"Lakeview/Roscoe Village Paulina Meat Market has been around since 1949, opened by now-deceased Sigmund Lekan, and is now run by owner and head butcher Bill Begale and their three children (Joe, Johnny, and Jackie). In this shop that both pays homage to their original German roots and the diversity of Chicago, you’ll find every kind of meat you need, from pork, chicken, beef, and veal. And if you’re on the hunt for more uncommon meats, this should be your first stop. Their freezers are pleasantly stocked with guinea fowl, duck, squab, quail, venison, bison, rabbit, and goose. You can also find some delicious smoked lamb bacon that non-pork eaters and pork eaters alike will go crazy for." - Nylah Iqbal Muhammad
"Aside from being around for over 75 years and appearing on The Bear, this Roscoe Village market has a greater accolade—it’s the home to our favorite italian sub. Even with some sogginess from travel, the sturdy french roll remains crusty on the outside while soaking up tart housemade dressing and juices from the spicy giardiniera. Combined with the excellent house-cured salami, mortadella, and hot capicola—a casual flexing of their meat market muscles—this is a true work of sandwich artistry." - adrian kane, nick allen, john ringor, veda kilaru
"Before you do anything at this busy 75-year-old Lakeview deli, grab a number from the pig’s mouth up front. Whether you’re there to get an excellent freshly made sandwich—like the 1949, with leberkase and Hungarian salami—or secure cured meats from their store-wide butcher counter, you’ll get to interact with the butchers, who are featured in the season three montage. " - adrian kane, nick allen
"Paulina Meat Market is one of the city’s top butchers, a wonderland for for top quality meats. Their sausages have earned a reputation for years, and they enjoy a close association with the reining sausage king of Chicago, Doug Sohn. Sohn’s now-shuttered restaurant, Hot Doug’s, employed Paulina to produce its mouth-watering sausages — customers can continue to enjoy them by snagging a Hot Doug’s branded pack from Paulina’s freezer section. The brats are plump and are great soaked in beer." - Ashok Selvam
"Before you do anything at this busy 75-year-old Roscoe Village deli, grab a number from the pig’s mouth up front. Whether you’re there for an excellent freshly made sandwich—like the 1949, with leberkase and Hungarian salami—to eat at their picnic tables outside, or you're securing cured meats from their store-wide counter, you’ll get to interact directly with the butchers. While you wait, stroll the aisles of frozen meats and sausages you may have never heard of before. But be ready to order (or pay for your basket items) once your number is called, because the friendly staff here is also mighty efficient." - Nick Allen
