Otto's Sausage Kitchen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Otto's Sausage Kitchen |
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The kitchen's front exterior in 2012
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| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1922 |
| Current owner(s) | Jerry and Gretchen Eichentopf |
| Previous owner(s) | Otto Eichentopf; Edwin Eichentopf |
| Street address | 4138 SE Woodstock Blvd. |
| City | Portland |
| County | Multnomah |
| State | Oregon |
| Postal/ZIP code | 97202 |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 45°28′44″N 122°37′11″W / 45.47900°N 122.61974°W |
Otto's Sausage Kitchen is a popular spot in Portland, Oregon. It's a restaurant and a meat market. They are famous for their sausages! It used to be called Otto's Meat Market. You can find it in the Woodstock neighborhood.
A German immigrant named Otto Eichentopf started the business. He opened his first meat market in Aberdeen, Washington in the 1910s. Then, in 1921, he moved to Portland. Otto's Meat Market opened there in 1922. They built a new store in 1936-1937. Otto's son, Edwin, took over the business later. Then, Edwin's son, Jerry, took charge in 1983. Jerry and his wife have made the store even bigger. The family still runs the business today. They make over forty kinds of sausages right there! Some recipes come from Otto's home country, Germany.
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The Story of Otto's Sausage Kitchen
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Otto Eichentopf was born in Germany in 1890. He started Otto's Meat Market in Aberdeen, Washington in the 1910s. In 1921, Otto moved to Portland, Oregon. He came with his wife, Selma, and their son, Edwin.
Otto's Meat Market first opened on Southeast Woodstock Boulevard in 1922. A new building was built in 1936–1937. This new building had a big two-story smokehouse. The front of the building was a market called Moreland Market. Otto and Edwin kept making sausages in the back. Edwin later took over the meat market from his father.
Jerry, Edwin's son, started working full-time at Otto's when he was eighteen. In 1976, Jerry married Gretchen. They met at Otto's! In 1983, Jerry and Gretchen took over the store. Gretchen has helped the store grow a lot. Today, their three daughters, Heidi, Christie, and Bereka, also help run the business. Heidi's husband, Justin, and their two children help too.
The family has passed down their sausage-making skills for generations. They make more than forty different kinds of sausages. Many of these are based on Otto Eichentopf's original German recipes.
What You Can Find at Otto's
Otto's has many tasty items on its menu. They serve British bangers and bratwurst. You can also find chicken, ham hocks, and frankfurters. They have many other types of sausages, like German and Swedish ones.
The kitchen makes its own relish and sauerkraut. They also sell chocolates from Europe. You can buy German beer and wine there too. They have imported mustards and locally-made honey. Don't forget to check out their peppered jellies!
Cool Murals at Otto's
In 2014, an artist named Michael Burge Smith painted a huge mural. It was almost 1,000 square feet! The mural shows the beautiful Swiss and German Alps. Smith and Gretchen Eichentopf worked together on the idea. Smith had seen the blank wall outside the building. It was 64 feet long! He showed Gretchen some of his art.
Before painting the outside wall, Smith painted inside Otto's. He also painted a mural at the Eichentopfs' daughter's house. The family loves skiing, and this inspired most of the mural. Smith's business partner, Kenny Spurlock, helped at the start. Sadly, Kenny passed away in August 2014.
Smith worked on the mural for two months. He often painted late at night, from 9 pm to 3 am. He likes choosing his own hours. He also travels with his band. Smith has painted many murals in Portland. He has also taught painting to high school students.
In February 2019, Smith came back to paint another mural. This one was 33 feet long! It's on the north side of the building. This "magical" mural shows German folklore. It has castles, fairies, and flying horses. A "tree sprite" is in the middle. A "Lord of the Forest" figure is painted over a column. It even goes onto nearby benches! Smith painted the tree bark to look either "friendly or fearsome." The staff at Otto's say Smith usually paints new murals four times a year.
See also
- List of companies based in Oregon
