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Karls Sausage Kitchen
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Photo courtesy of Erik Wunderlich
Just up Route 1 in Saugus, there is a special place, a magical delightful wonderful place. While this place is not Disneyland, it is perhaps the equivalent for the local gastronome, Karls Sausage Kitchen and European Market. Behind the quaint facade and cutesy faux-chalet styled exterior lies a tremendous find, a real old-school German charcuterie. Featuring such popular favorites as Weisswurst, Frankfurters (made in house and nitrite free), Landjaeger, Polish Kielbasa, and Sweet Italian fresh sausage (all made in-house); this humble house of sausage (and more) is one of the best.
Just minutes from Boston, it is just close enough to be accessible yet far enough away to make it a "destination." While specializing in many German treats, there are many traditions represented here from both near and far, exotic and the commonplace (but never mundane). To explore this maybe you should try the "Frankfurter" which is familiar to all, but hearkens back to days past when hot dogs were a point of pride, not the alternative once all of the hamburgers were consumed. For a walk on the wilder side try the Rouladen, Head Cheese, Teewurst, or Blutwurst (blood sausage very mild and delicious). Each product is made by hand using artisanal techniques and a tradition passed down from one generation to the next.
Opened in 1958 Karls is one of a dying breed of smaller operations dedicated to carrying on the old world traditions hand chopping and seasoning each batch of charcuterie products using tried and true methods. Unlike many of the delicatessens or butcher shops operating today, virtually all of their sausage and charcuterie products are created fresh in house (not from the Hormel or Boars Head factory and then shipped to everywhere). Karls smoke house operates daily, and you can order special products for events.
Though independent Butcher Shops and Charcuteries have been declining in number since the early 1900's a recent trip to Karls showed that there is no lack of people who know about quality ingredients and products. While some specialty butchers are willing to gouge consumers for specialty goods, Karls pricing is a pleasant relief on the pocketbook (to me). I walked out with an armload of goodies (including the hard to find Teewurst) for much less than I was prepared to spend, and happy to have made the acquaintance of such nice people. At Karls not only was I charged a reasonable price, but also felt as though we were a part of the family (the Gokey family that is, the people who took over from Karl in 2008).
There are also other wonderful products available from Karls: they also have a lovely cheese case, an impressive array of Chocolates, preserves and other European specialities (such as Herring in a wide variety of sauces). So in summation, come for the sausage, but stay for the atmosphere and enjoy it, places like this are rare these days!
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