The absolute best butcher in the capital district friendly courteous perfect cuts of meat would not think of going anywhere else.

I also remember coming here as a kid with my dad who loved the knockwurst on the charcoal grill. Their sausages of any kind and hotdog are absolutely a cut above anything anywhere else and I am not even a big hotdog lover, but these are good. Low salt, creamy they don't have a chewy skin. Short ribs, lamb chops absolutely gorgeous. They are a true local butcher. Make it a point to get there. read more

Friendly staff with a wonderful range of products at reasonable prices. Don't let the Neighbourhood keep you from stopping by., you'll be fine. Oh and be sure to buy a jar of More than Mustard, you be can thank me later. read more

Bought horseradish dogs, pepper jack dogs, beef jerky and sauerbraten which needed to be cooked. Absolutely delicious stuff! Great customer service and cute store. read more

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My wife and I have been coming here for year's , and my wife's father brought her here when she was just a little girl ( don't tell her that I told you this , but she's in her 70's now ) so she's definitely a long time customer. Terrific meats , groceries , and many good things directly from Germany Rolfs is a wonderful place to shop , you won't be disappointed ... read more

There's a reason they've been in business for so long. It's a family run business. It's been a staple in Albany for many years. It's excellent quality no preservatives no nitrates authentic German food. What else could you ask for? Please give it a try or return if you haven't been there in a while it's just wonderful read more

The owners and staff are always so friendly and welcoming. When they are running the smoker it smells great in the neighborhood. Everything in the case always looks so good and is fresh! I like that I can get a good sandwich there on days I don't feel like bringing a lunch to work. They have a lot of seasonings and items you can only get at an import store. They do have a parking lot for easier access. As others have stated the neighborhood itself is a bit dicy but don't let that scare you away from supporting a good business and enjoying some good food. read more

We stopped at Rolf's and took in all that they have to offer. Great service and the man who served us was so knowledgeable and helpful. We purchased smoked pork chops, steaks, bacon, liverwurst, hot dogs, sauerkraut, baked baloney and baked beans. Every item has been fantastic and it is even better knowing that products are made with no fillers, no preservatives, no nitrates or nitrites and all prime ingredients. These meats are fresh and healthy as well. This is a one of a kind store and we are lucky to have it in our area. read more

First time going there and definitely won't be the last. Everything we tried was absolutely delicious. Personally I think they are better than Oscar's. read more

So welcoming and helpful. We purchased a variety of the brats, frankfurters and salads. All excellent - we served at our last 2 barbecues with company. Thank you. read more

Amazing food here!! Guy was very pleasant and helpful! Grillers were so tasty and i was shocked when he said no preservatives or nitrates! I am so glad i found this gem ! Growing up in the city we ysed to have s many of these great mom pops pork stores . I was so haooy to find this near ny daughters school! I almost troed one of everyhting! read more

Hosting an Oktoberfest, yelp lead me to the only real German deli in my area code. When I called the women was very informative and helped me with my order even offering to par-boil my brats for easier grilling at my event. As soon as you walk in the door the smell is overwhelming and in a really good way. All sorts of fresh meats, brats, bologna, kielbasa and a nice German non-perishable section. Id come back for more often that Oktoberfest. This place can make any grill master a champion with their meats. A real treat that everyone should know about read more

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This is like going back in time a fine German meat market with great service fair prices and you cannot go wrong with their pork or anything else read more

Personal service, friendly staff, accommodating and great products! Family run- top ingredients. Germany imports to NYC then to Albany! Open 8am on Saturdays! read more

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I visited Chester's and Rolf's a day apart and was struck by the similarities. One is relatively new with a fancy smoker, the other has been around forever, but both have an abiding dedication to the widest possible variety of cured meat products. Rolf's flavor profile tends toward paprika and Chester's to a more traditional curing blend of mace, cloves and bay, so you could probably blind taste the products and guess who made them. But that doesn't mean one is better than the other. I asked if they had 'njuda which is pretty silly of me since this is a German deli. They don't but they have teawurst which is similar with a finer grind (and pork and beef combo, while I believe 'njuda is just pork). Good stuff. I asked about custom cuts--I wanted to know if I could order flanken-cut short ribs--and they said that's not custom, we do that all the time. I liked the mystery box labeled Sauerbraten in the cooler which turns out to contain pre-marinated top round at $6.99/lb, a fair price for Certified Angus. And I especially liked the basket of recipes for the taking in front of the counter so you can cook up their products to perfection. Arbor Hill is off my usual Albany/Troy rotation but i am just going to have to find a way to get here more often read more

Rolf's Pork Store - Basket of recipes for the taking at Rolf's - Meat Shops Near Me - Albany, New York

The only thing that is missing from Rolf's are happy pigs. Yes, they should be incredibly happy that their lives were given to make such delicious ham hocks, teawurst, smoked pork chops, hams, sausages, and bacon. But I do wish that Rolf's would assist me in my goals of eating incredibly tasty things while avoiding CAFO meats. But I can't avoid the meaty treats from Rolf's. Once I tried to get a ham hock at a farmers market, direct from a pig farmer. His pigs were great, but his ham hocks sucked (and were very expensive to boot). I'd gladly pay the money, but at the end of the day it comes down to what tastes good. And inarguably what you get at Rolf's is delicious. It may sound a little strange, but now I'm addicted to their teawurst. It's a blend of raw pork and beef that's been cold smoked. In today's day and age, something like that sounds like it should be illegal. But not at Rolf's. So I can bring it home, spread it on some rye bread, and watch my wife avert her eyes as she tries to pretend I'm not eating something she considers to be revolting. As far as I'm concerned that just means more teawurst for me. But it's not for everyone. While you are there, do not forget the little case of warm meat treats above the far right side of the counter. In there is a pink loaf of Leberkäse, which is essentially bologna. They will cut off a slice and put it on a bun for you to eat in the car on the way home. Also there are some amazing little patties called frikadellen which are a kind of pan fried meatloaf burger. On its own it's $1.50. But you can walk out with a sandwich of the stuff for a paltry $2.50. This place is amazing, and it's the last of its kind for miles in every direction. If you haven't been, you owe it to yourself to go. Get some wurst and be happy. read more

Place is absolutely awesome u will find no better service. Old world flavor plenty of German imports Quality at its highest.

Great stuff. I had trouble stopping myself from buying everything in the place. They have some ingredients for cooking that you can only get in German grocery. read more

Best damn meat butcher and smoker in the area. Tough part of town but nice parking lot too. Always a pleasure when you get the meats here! read more

Rolf's Pork Store - Still operating - Meat Shops Near Me - Albany, New York

While in the Albany area to attend a friend's Oktoberfest, I was searching (Yelp, of course) for a place to find German meats. Rolf's was the obvious choice, based not only on the overall reviews but numerous extremely positive write-up from several of my Albany Yelp friends. I figured this was the only place to go. And that is SO true! The meats are fresh, the wursts are prepared often, with two other words that are very important to me - nitrite free! They have quite the assortments of mustards and confections too, though not all of the confections appear to be German. The staff of this family-run business enjoy chatting with their customers, and first-timers like me were made to feel as welcome as their regular customers (which is how I imagine the first-time customers remain to become regulars). At the local Oktoberfest, the sweet sausages we brought went over really well. Several people there admitted they were not familiar (yet), with Rolf's, but they said now they have to visit Rolf's - so word of mouth, as well as taste, bring more good people to a great local business. read more

Best pork store in capital region. From brats to their hotdogs all is excellent. especially items that are smoked (their smoke house has been around for a century). my best of includes: liverwurst, ham hocks for split pea soup, smoked pork butt for an easy delicious meal, landjaeger, hunter sausage. Plus they have specialty German imports. Load up the grill and enjoy. read more

I visited Rolfs to prepare for a Memorial Day picnic. This place is incredible - just walking in smells so good. Great assortment of German wursts and hotdogs. Purchased a variety different wursts: weiss wurst, brat wursts, spicy brats as well as regular Hot Dogs and Pepper Jack Hot Dogs. All were INCREDIBLE. So much better than what you get at the grocery store. The homemade sauerkraut (with applies, onions and bacon) was the best I've ever had. We also had some dried sausage as appetizers. Service was very good. Answered all my questions (including that the meats are gluten free). Will definitely be back! read more

I have had venison sausage and liver wurst made at Rolf's. The quality and flavors were excellent. The staff is courteous and helpful. I highly recommend their meats. They also have smoked salmon which I will try soon. read more

If you're looking for homemade Bratwurst you don't have to look any further than at Rolf's! They've got everything you need regarding pork... also, bought bulk hamburger which everyone liked! read more

I came here recently with my wife expecting to find a full-service butcher shop that also focused on smoked meats. I was a bit disappointed. It felt more like a small, Euro-deli. There were plenty of sausages and processed meats, but there wasn't much variety of raw meats. Specifically, I wanted ground pork and beef and they didn't have them. They did have raw hamburger mix which I could have used for the beef, but I still would have had to go somewhere else for the ground pork. And this place calls itself a Pork Store. All in all, it was okay. It didn't meet my expectations, but as a stand-alone store it was fine. I bought some frankfurters and they were very good. The store isn't in a nice part of town, though, so get in and get out. read more

Boy do I love this place. With a call ahead, you can pick up pig cheeks, belly, and any other cut imaginable. They make their own everything, including bacon, onsite, and never use nitrates. The selection of wursts will leave you drooling, and they're always a hit at cookouts. read more

Nothing better than the wurst!!! Incredible tasting. The woman behind the counter helped me figure out what I needed. Everything she suggested I brought. From smoked sausage /Kielbasa . Got franks with cheddar cheese, some with jalapeño and horseradish . Beyond tasty!! We got to grab some good fresh Rye bread too. Some fine meats. And 2 sandwiches to go topped with smoked liverwurst and onions. Go try this place. They explain great meats, and the smoked processing Very customer friendly and helpful! Can't wait to go again!! read more

After hearing about this place for years since moving here I finally made the trek to check it out. Definitely a sketchy part of the city - there was a wonderful domestic dispute going on outside across the street - but hey if they don't own the building I bet the rent is cheap! Anyhow, first thing I noticed after walking in was how small it was for a store that according to their website has a lot of product. Next thing that stood out was the middle-aged woman customer blatantly walking around with no mask, the older gentleman customer with his mask on his neck (the same demographic that we're trying to protect) and the guy behind the counter with no mask at all. This was all noticed by me in the first 30 seconds. Then it got really weird. These 3 were all talking politics and made it blatantly clear who they liked. The woman made some insane comment about how she heard Ivanka was going to run for Governor of NY and the older man and worker all chimed in about how much they like her etc...Now I'm no Democrat (never voted for one in my life) and had they been gassing up Biden I would have felt mostly the same. Just doesn't seem like proper conversation to be having in a public place where other customers and co-workers who may feel differently have to be subjected to it. So, about the food: being a first timer I wanted to keep it basic. Got bologna, liverwurst, and potato salad. The bologna was fantastic and the liverwurst may be the best I've ever had. The potato salad was tasty with lots of smoky bacon but something was off with the texture. It may have been over mixed or something because it was like a few chunks of potatoes swimming in what could be best described as having the consistency of loose mashed potatoes. Maybe that's the authentic way or their own style but it was just unexpected. In closing, I liked the food a lot and would love to try literally everything there. It all looked so good. But they made me feel unwelcome and uncomfortable. Plus my conscience is being torn about giving anymore of my money to a Trump humper. You can make great food that I will be willing to pay for so long as you keep your bad politics to yourself. It's a risky proposition to put that kind of stuff out there and cause business loss. Damn that liverwurst was good though.... read more

My husband looked online in several cities before deciding that Rolf's was where he wanted to get a cooler of meats for our home fridge and freezer. We hadn't been in Albany before, and it took a bit of effort to get here, but there was a side parking area for this family owned treasure. My husband and son picked out German potato salad, meat sticks and an amazing assortment of flavorful, fresh and lean other meats. We have lived in Germany and Switzerland and can be picky, but everything we got is wunderbar! We just wish that this store was close to where we live. read more

Quintessential old style German butcher shop. Smoked ham,ham hocks and sausages. Not to mention good advice: out of ham hocks at the end of the day, they recommended smoked pork chops for the soup I was planning. Great. Choice. I go there whenever I am in the area. read more

Their White Wust is the best I've ever tasted.

Such an awesome place. Called in and placed an order, a little while later I picked up a beautiful brisket (they have both point and flat). It was vacuumed sealed and ready to go, crazy helpful if you're getting a bunch of stuff to freeze. Their sausage game is unparalleled and those ham hocks look gorgeous. There are treasures here. read more

An Albany standout. I've always been satisfied with my purchases. Everything pork and more available.

They don't have a ton of prepared food you can get for lunch but the woman did recommend this meat patty on a roll with some cheese and mustard and being the trusting lad I am, I went with it. And boy am I glad I did. The seasoning on the patty was delicious and the cheese mustard pairing was perfect. The meat itself wasn't just ground beef, making for an interesting fluffy texture. My only regret was not getting two. read more

Bockwurst is one of many reasons this place gets 5 stars. Last night, I enjoyed some boiled bockwurst, with fresh apple sauce and bread. Needless to say it became breakfast as well. I thoroughly enjoy their selection of all sorts of meats - and you need to stock up on all their mustards... I purchased bavarian as well as a really spicy one this time around, but need to start stocking up on everything. They have an amazing selection of products you didn't even know existed in a small space. I love this store. You will too. read more

I sought Rolf's out on a recent business trip to Albany on the recommendation of Yelpers and I was not disappointed. Though the neighborhood Rolf's is located in is otherwise a residential one short on other businesses, I can assure you this is a destination well worth seeking out. The meat case, which runs the entire length of the room, is full of hand selected cuts of meat, hand made sausages of about a dozen varieties (mostly german, and polish, but I'm pretty sure I saw some italian links as well), hand made hot dogs, and some often hard to find butcher's specialties (tongue, hocks, etc.). Sadly I was early on in my travels and could not buy anything fresh, as I had some days ahead of me before returning home, and no cooler even if I didn't. I turned my attention to their dried links. Their house made landjaeger and dried hot sausage are all amazing, and the next time I'm in town I'll be stocking up on each. The real prize though is the friendly staff who are helpful and ready to answer any questions, but seem very relaxed and interested in keeping the atmosphere the same. There's also a wide selection of german groceries, some german and assorted european cheeses, and even some soft drinks. All in all there is a lot to love here and even more to envy. More than a few ways to fill your belly, occupy your bbq grill, or occupy your sense of culinary adventure. read more

On Think and Do's recommendation, I stopped here yesterday afternoon for some liverwurst. What a fabulous little store this is! Tons of mustards, sausages, cheeses, and all sorts of other German specialties. They also have a large selection of Haribo gummy products. This is the best of the wurst! Hahah...seriously...they have any kind of wurst you want! This time I limited myself to a half-pound of liverwurst, some Haribo gummy bears, a sparkling black currant beverage and a used German romance novel, just for kicks. Later I paired the liverwurst with plenty of hot mustard and some fresh onion for an absolutely delicious - but bad breath-inducing - sandwich. Yes, Rolf's, you do good work. read more

Hillary or Obama? Nike or Chuck Taylors? Processed ham or liverwurst? I don't really think about these things when I go to Rolf's Pork Store, except for the liverwurst, home made liverwurst, wrapped in a paper sheath, almost spreadable, a short link for five dollars, sliced at home, on top of hot Polish mustard slathered on Russian rye, eaten in quiet ecstasy while everyone in the household looks on with incomprehensible disgust. Liverwurst, light of my life. read more

"It was the best of times; it was the wurst of times." That about sums up my latest stop at Rolf's. I go for the basics: slab bacon, fresh wurst, and dried meats. The bacon and wursts are the best around and truly worth the price (I think $6.99/lb). I get my bacon not sliced, this way I can cut it to however thick I want at home - I suggest you do the same! The bratwurst are great, but for a real treat get some white weisswurst. Finely ground with delicate flavor, they need no condiments or roll. And last, don't leave without grabbing some of the dried sausages hanging on the wall behind the butcher - garlic sticks and landjaeger are my preference. In the small fridge you can pick up some tubes of mustard - get both the mild and spicy blends. Rolfs many other types of meats and a small amount of a variety of grocery items like potato pancake mix, candies, seasonings, etc. You can even get some German newspapers. All in all, you don't see many "Rolfs" around. Take advantage of this gem! read more

I flew in from California on my way to the Adirondacks and bought pork belly, bacon, bockwurst, bratwurst, and liverwurst. All of it was great. The bacon and liverwurst were especially fantastic! I need to find a way to get it shipped out here! read more