The food of Frankfurt: Bichelmeyer Meats gives Kansas City a peek into German cuisine

Bichelmeyer Meats has been a Kansas City staple since 1946. It’s still a family run operation that uses family recipes that go back more than 70 years.

“The most special thing about it is the quality of ingredients that go into it,” said store owner Joe Bichelmeyer.

The butcher shop does things a little bit differently. One of their signature items is their German bologna.

“It’s a family recipe that we’ve had since 1946,” Bichelmeyer said. “A touch of garlic is added. It gives it the old-world flavoring. Some like to just slice it and eat it on bread with mustard or whatever condiments they love. Some like to fry it. It’s incredibly good fried bologna.”

The shop also features a wide variety of German bratwursts that are made in-house with in-house ingredients.

“What you are seeing is all in a natural casing,” said Bichelmeyer of the shop’s sausages. “We have the ability since we hand-link and hand-stuff to create a little bigger product.”

Bichelmeyer also harvests and ages its own meat, which they say makes all the difference when making a tailgating spread.

“What you are seeing here is some of the raw product that is ultimately going to end up in some of the sausages and lunch meats we make,” said Bichelmeyer. “These cattle are going through a dry aging period right now, which allows them to be as tender and as flavorful as they possibly can be.”