Cincinnati’s Hometown Goetta

When we Taste the World at Findlay Market, samples may include everything from Thai eggrolls to Italian gelato. However, one food that always gets everyone’s attention is the hometown goetta served at Eckerlin’s Meats. Eckerlin’s goetta has been voted “Best Goetta in Town” more than once by Cincinnati Magazinereaders, and its taste brings a smile to the faces of both locals and out-of-town visitors.

If you’re not familiar with goetta, it is primarily a breakfast dish that originated with the Germans that populated the neighborhood around Findlay Market in the 1800’s. Made with pork, beef, pinhead oats, onions, and spices, it is cooked for several hours, formed into a loaf, chilled, and then sliced to order at Eckerlin’s. They’ve been doing it the same way, using a family recipe and the best pork shoulder and beef chuck for over 100 years. The guys at Eckerlin’s fry up a few slices for our tours and then sit back and listen to the compliments. It’s no wonder Eckerlin’s sells 400-500 pounds of goetta EACH WEEK. All you need is one taste to know why Cincinnatians gotta have their goetta.

Update: Taste the World at Findlay Market is now called The Original Findlay Market Tour.