Groundhog/Ground Hog Day 2023 in Portland

For a couple of years on this blog (2022, 2019) I’ve written about Groundhog Day, aka Ground Hog Day—and you know, that play on words never fails to delight me. After doing a little research, I’ve gotten a better hold on where to find the ground hogs in Portland, better known as sausages. So here is oure roundup of some reputable places for sausages—even early enough so you can consider which ones to access on February 2.

On the Topic of Sausage Traditions from Asia

When I think of sausages, I’ll admit I mostly think of them in a European context—Germany, the Balkans, and Poland all come to mind. But sausage making is a worldwide practice. To be honest, I know very little about the Asian traditions of charcuterie and sausage-making, but I would like to learn more about it. That said, Dumpling Week falls on February 2 this year (2023), and there are all sorts of ground hogs involved in the dumplings at the Asian restaurants participating.

But there are a handful of things I want to highlight when it comes to Asian sausages. Lily Market (11001 NE Halsey Street, Portland) has come highly recommended for Southeast Asian-style sausages. I like the salad rolls at Wok Shop Kitchen (2120 NE 82nd Avenue, Portland), too, one of which is made with Nem, a grilled Vietnamese pork sausage. Cully Central/Khao Niew Lao Street Food (4579 NE Cully Blvd, Portland) makes a great plate of Lao sausage and sticky rice, too.

EC Kitchen (6335 SE 82nd Avenue, Portland), home to “Portland’s first house-made Chinese & Taiwanese Sausages,” offers a variety of Chinese sausages and Taiwanese sweet sausages in vacuumed packages. They’ll serve you a plate of sausage there, too—Chinese, Taiwanese, or Pork Liver (sweet or spicy).

I have also seen sausages at Hong Phat Market in Montavilla (101 SE 82nd Avenue, Portland). I love going there—their pandan waffles are a lightly sweet treat.

After looking into the world of sausages in Portland I’d like to do a dedicated post on sausages from traditions around East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands, so look for that on a future date.

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For now, here’s as much of a roundup of spots you can buy your sausages, as well as where you can eat them, dine-in style. NB: I am not limiting my sausage recommendation to just pork sausages because the sausage world is fun and varied. This is also not totally comprehensive (if I’ve missed something you think is important, please shoot me an email).

Many thanks to the participants in the Eats & Drinks of Montavilla group for their input and help with this article.

European-Style Sausages

Edelweiss Sausage & Delicatessen

Over the years I have heard great things about Edelweiss. It opened in 1981 and the staff prides themselves on their craft and the variety of sausages (and other meats) they offer: “Fine handcrafted meats are the hallmark of Edelweiss. Nearly every sausage and meat product imaginable is handmade on-site.” As for sausages, their large variety includes Fine Mettwurst, Bierschinken, Hungarian Sausage, and Landjager. They also offer European foodstuffs like chocolate, bread, and mustard.

3119 SE 12th Avenue, Portland. Edelweiss Deli website

Gartner’s Meats

Opened in 1959, they are an important shop on Lombard (used to be Killingsworth) in the Cully neighborhood. They are very busy, too: “With three full smoke houses running  nearly non-stop, we’re dedicated to turning out fresh, flavorful sausages for every taste and occasion.” You can also find German Bratwurst, British Bangers, and Knackwurst there, among others.

7450 NE Lombard Street, Portland. Gartner’s Meats website

Olympia Provisions

Olympia makes my absolute favorite summer sausage (sometimes it’s shaped like a football) and the operation feels very modern to me. There’s a lot going on: “Adjacent to our offices is our 38,000 square foot meat plant, where the entire gang is pulling thousands of pounds of meat from smokehouse to curing rooms, raw coolers to wrapping rooms. We do it all by hand and quality control everything from the moment animals arrive to the time salami ships out the door.” They are also interested in developing a new sourcing model that involves regenerative agriculture.

In their online store you can order sausages like Cotechino, Bratwurst, Kasekrainer, and Loukaniko. Catch them at the PSU farmers market, too. They also have a couple of restaurants where you can enjoy their cured meat products and other taste treats—Olympia Provisions on SE Washington and Alpenrausch on SE Division.

107 SE Washington Street and 3384 SE Division Street, Portland. Olympia Provisions website

Otto’s Sausage Kitchen

Otto Eichentopf opened Otto’s in 1921, and at this family owned and operated meat market they offer over 40 kinds of sausages. Many are made from recipes he brought from Germany. “The smokehouse, built by Otto himself, has well-seasoned walls that give the smoked sausages and meats that one of a kind distinction that can only be Otto’s.”

Their sausage offerings are truly varied, with things like Medisterpolse (Danish Onion Sausage), Kielbasa, Swedish Potato Sausage (made with whole potatoes, beef, pork, and spices), and Cajun Andouille.

4138 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland. Otto’s Sausage Kitchen website

Variety

Here are a couple of shops that offer sausages with a variety of flavors and ingredients you’d find from around the globe.

Sheridan Fruit Company

Looking at their selection, it’s pretty impressive. You’ve got your Hot Italian and Sweet Italian, Beer Brats, Bokwurst, Merguez, and Chorizo—and then there’s the “Taj Ma Sausage,” “The Angus Khan,” and “The Reuben.” Something for everyone.

409 SE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Portland. Sheridan Fruit Company website

Scratch Meats

I know these guys from the Hollywood Farmers Market; I usually pick up a couple of chicken parm sausages from them, and I like using their mild Italian sausage for this kale-sausage casserole I make for holiday breakfasts. They sell hand-made, locally sourced sausages at a variety of Farmers Markets, but did you know they have a little storefront in North Portland? They are open Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays there from 8am to 4pm.

2998 N Russel Street, Portland. Scratch Meats website

Russian/Eastern European

I still mourn the death of CityMaxx, which offered a whole aisle of imported sausages, salamis, and cured meats—the sour plum piroshki was also a fave. Thankfully, there are other places to go for your Russian sausages and other foodstuffs. Here are some of the Russian/Ukrainian shops that come recommended:

• Roman Russian Market, 10918 SE Division Street, Portland
• Russian Elegant Food, 10121 NE Glisan Street, Portland
• Imperial Euro Market, 11050 SE Powell Blvd, Portland
• Overseas Taste, 4431 SE 64th Ave, Portland

Sit Down and Eat

Here’s where you can enjoy a meal In Portland with sausages on Ground Hog Day.

Otto and Anita’s Bavarian Restaurant (Schnitzelhaus)

In Multnomah Village sits this great little restaurant serving a variety of German dishes, and sausages are on the menu: Bratwurst (pork), Weisswurst (veal), Knackwurst (pork and beef)j and Currywurst (made with Knackwurst). The schnitzels are very good, too, and the Dill Pickle Soup, while perhaps odd sounding, is really tasty.

And while it’s not a sausage per se, the Maultaschen—a Swabian dish—is filled with ground hog. They take ground pork and beef and stuff in a handmade noodle, which is then poached and panfried.

3025 Southwest Canby Street, Portland. Otto and Anita’s website

Prost!

This German restaurant offers sausages: Currywurst, Bratwurst, and Knackwurst. “Each bite of food is made with the best local ingredients, in the traditional German way.” They offer plenty of beer to wash it all down with.

4237 N Mississippi Avenue, Portland. Prost! website

The Slide Inn

The Slide Inn serves German food along with its Modern American menu items. The Chef/Owner, Eugen Bingham, draws inspiration from his world travels when it comes to deciding what to serve. They do offer sausages, but they are unlike the others on this list: Vegan Tofu, Turkey, and Hungarian (pork). P.S. Loved seeing the restaurant when I rewatched Grimm late last year.

2348 SE Ankeny Street, Portland. Slide Inn website

Stammtisch

While I was waiting for my car to be worked on this past week, I took a walk down NE 28th Ave and passed by Stammtisch and thought, “Man, I should really stop by one of these days.” This German pub from Chris Navarra and Dan Hart offers small, medium, and large plates of German food, including sausages: Currywurst, Bratwurst, Weisswurst, and Knackwurst.

401 NE 28th Avenue, Portland. Stammtisch website

Swiss Hibiscus

​​I love this little Swiss restaurant up off NE Alberta. It’s warm and inviting, and the food is very good. They have one sausage on the menu and it’s a Bratwurst: Traditional Swiss-style sausage sautéed and topped with browned onions and au jus or with sauerkraut. Their fondue is also very good—creamy and delicious.

4950 NE 14th Avenue, Portland. Swiss Hibiscus website

Two Brothers

Ćevapi have got to be one of my favorite sausages. They are popular in the Balkans, especially in Bosnia: “Traditional Sarajevo style grilled ground beef little sausages, served with our homemade pita bread, Ajvar, sour cream, and onions.” I’ve had the ones at Two Brothers and they are really tasty. They also offer Sudzuka, a link sausage made from beef and veal. Stop in before they sell the place and retire.

829 SE Cesar E Chavez Blvd, Portland. Two Brothers website

Urban German Wursthaus

I know about Urban German Wursthaus from their raclette nights, but sausages are also a big deal, and “are made just 40 miles south of Portland at Carlton Farms with locally raised pork.” It was founded by David Gluth in the early 2010s, first starting out with a sausage booth at farmers markets.

At the restaurant in St Johns, you’ll find sausages in sandwich form (though does this brush up against the “is a hot dog a sandwich?” debate?): Bratwurst (Thuringian), a spicy Bavarian bratwurst, a mild frankfurter, a Nürnberger bratwurst (Franconian), and a Currywurst.

6635 N Baltimore Avenue, Portland. Urban German Wursthaus

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I hope you will enjoy some ground hog on February 2! Here’s hoping the groundhogs and their cross-country crew give us good news that day, too.

Updated January 21, 2025.