Ye Olde Butcher Shoppe vs. Ye Olde Butcher Shoppe

There is a decent butcher shop here in Rochester called the Ye Olde Butcher Shoppe (est. 1974). My wife orders special cuts of pork there for summer grilling and I like their grill sausages too. We also get our Easter ham there, and that's why we stopped in yesterday. Of course, I seldom walk out without a meat snack too.


Ye Olde Butcher Shoppe
Rochester, MN
1oz Beef Sticks

Noteworthy ingredients: Sugar, Corn Syrup Solids, Red Pepper

Taste: At first taste, this is a what I consider sweet beef stick. Not sweet like a cupcake, but sweet like a dinner roll. After a few chews, the peppery flavor emerges and lingers.

Texture: On the bite, the stick compresses before my teeth break through, suggesting sponginess. The casing is slightly rubbery, but after a few chews this stick has a nice texture.

Overall: This beef stick reminds me more of a venison stick. It's good in that context, but nothing special. I think this stick would improve with some aging...just snip a corner off the bag and let sit in the fridge for a few days.


Ye Olde Butcher Shoppe
Rochester, MN
"Naturally Smoked" Beef Jerky

Noteworthy ingredients: Brown Sugar Cure, Sugar, Maple Syrup, Worcestershire

Taste: Despite an apparent preponderance of sweet ingredients, this jerky isn't sweet. It is satisfyingly salty. It claims to be "naturally smoked" and one of the ingredients is "hickory smoked salt", but any smoky flavor was subtle at most.

Texture: These are solid strips of lean beef, not chopped. It is very dry but sliced at the right angle with the grain of the meat to facilitate a nice bite and chew.

Overall: This is a top notch beef jerky. If it is too salty or dry for your tastes, then pair with strawberries or beer. I have noticed some inconsistency in this jerky over the past few years, severely affecting the taste and texture. The last few bags have been good, so I hope they've got things straightened out.


Conclusion: I'm reaching for the beef jerky at the Ye Olde Butcher Shoppe. They have a variety of other meats and flavors in their meat snack cooler, so there is plenty more to explore.

Have you tried either of these? Let us know what you think of them in the comments.