Sal's Smokehouse Meats's Page

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The shop features many of the Berger specialties customers enjoyed in the 1940s, '50s and '60s.

Onweller re-created the old-time favorites with the help of Sue Berger, who offered husband Wilson's smoked meat recipes, and Randy Rousch, who interned with Wilson Berger back when the family owned the store.

''Randy doesn't deviate from the recipes,'' Onweller said. ''If a recipe calls for a certain kind of salt and I get a different kind, Randy won't use it.''

The two use the same old smoker that has churned out those meats for years.

Customers will find mettwurst - a German sausage that is Onweller's favorite - Polish sausage, knockwurst, bratwurst, sweet Italian sausage, ring bologna, liver and pork sausages, and beef, turkey and game jerky.

Prices range from $3.39 to $3.89 a pound. Beef and turkey jerky cost $19.99 a pound, and game jerky is $23.99 a pound.

The men also will process deer meat into sausage and burgers, cut to customers' specifications.

''They can call and drop it off,'' Onweller said.

While meat is always available in the meat case, Onweller says it takes two days to make that happen. Before it's ready for customers, meat must be ground, seasoned and marinated - in the same old cooler that's been used for years - before it is smoked.

Sue Berger says she is delighted to see her husband's recipes being put to good use once again.

''I think it's good,'' she said with a smile. ''I'm happy on how everything turned out.''

The ambiance is there as well. In one half of the store, the walls and ceiling are finished in old copper and wood wainscoting. Just like an old-fashioned market, the meat case runs along one wall and shoppers will find groceries as well - everything from soups to nuts and candies.

The other side of the store is decked out like a 1950s diner, complete with red and white vinyl chairs at black tables and red, white and black tile lining the counter. An old-fashioned Coke machine rests against one wall.

Onweller says his shop serves up the best pizza and sandwiches around, noting everything, including the bread and pizza dough, is made from scratch.

''I feel we have one of the best brick-oven pizzas around,'' Onweller said. ''I don't think anyone else around can match our sandwiches.''

Those sandwiches, called grinders, come in chicken, ham and cheese, beef and cheddar, turkey, club, veggie or Italian for $5.99. The crowd favorite seems to be Sal's Special - ham, turkey, bacon, green pepper, onion and mushrooms.

Onweller says each sandwich is so big it will feed two people.

Brick-oven pizzas run from $6.99 for a 12-inch with cheese to $17.99 for a 16-inch supreme topped with homemade meat.

This is also the place to stop by, at 6 p.m. Wednesdays, for classic cars, food, music and fun. Homemade brats are on the grill.

For more information on the smokehouse and deli, log on to www.salssmokehouse.com or call Onweller at 391-9771.

What do you like to do (e.g. vintage race with...)?

1966 Chevelle

Location

1489 Ameltih