Best Of Minnesota: Butcher Shop

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Minnesota is a state of hunters and fishermen, so there aren't many things more important than meat.

The WCCO viewers' pick for best butcher shop in Minnesota? It's been on Main Street in Robbinsdale for 130 years --Hackenmueller's Meat Market.

"Let Hackenmueller's cook for you -- that's my motto," said a loyal customer.

The butchers at Hackenmueller's have decades upon decades of experience. A lot of that comes from owner Gordy Lindenfelser.

"I've been here, like I said, 33 years," Lindenfelser said. "And, I'll tell you one thing, anybody that doesn't want to go to work, they're crazy. I love going to work."

Who wouldn't be happy here? OK, maybe vegetarians. But, besides them.

"This is all the steaks, then we got burgers, stew, ribs, and we got some stuffed chicken breast," Lindenfelser said. "It's the smell. You come in, and you smell, and you can tell everything is homemade."

And high quality. You're not getting day-old steaks here. Lindenfelser and his team clean out the entire meat case, every day.

"I just want to make sure everything looks good and fresh," Lindenfelser said.

It's important to him as Lindenfelser practically grew up here. He was only 24 when he bought the shop from twin brothers Herbie and Harold Hackenmueller.

"Herbie took care of the counter, and Harold he made the sausage," he said. "And I expanded it from there."

But the shop itself is the same size it was when horse and buggies were hitched out front.

"He always told me, he says 'Gordy, I'd like to see a small place full, than a big place empty,'" Lindenfelser said.

And it seems like this small place is almost always full. That's a credit to Lindenfelser, as much as his wife Mary Kay.

Also receiving quit a number of votes was the Arlington Meat Market.