I would be remiss if I did not include the Lockeford Meat and Sausage Services in my series of articles about our recent trek to the Sierra Foothills wine country. There are many routes to the towns of Sutter Creek, Jackson, and Plymouth in Amador County. If you are leaving from the San Francisco area or San Francisco Peninsula, you are likely to take the route that goes to Highway 88 off Highway 5 and through the small town of Lockeford. Here is where Lockeford Meat and Sausage Services is located.
Sausage capitol of California
From the outside, Lockeford Meat and Sausage looks very ordinary, sparse, and uninviting. But inside it’s a sausage lover’s delight. I think I counted at least 15 different types of sausages located under the butcher counter. These are no ordinary sausages by any means. The size is extra long and thick. The air permeates with the smell of fresh sausage. The sausages are all made in the back with five employees preparing the sausages, and sometimes experimenting with recipes to create a new sausage style.
We stopped in at Lockeford Meat and Sausage on the way up to Sutter Creek to check the place out and pick up a few order forms to share with the others in our party. On a Thursday morning, the sausage company had only a handful of customers. We did not want to buy any sausages then; what would we do with dozens of sausages in our B&B? We took orders from our friends, and on our way back home stopped in at Lockeford Meat and Sausage to buy the sausages.
On that Saturday it was a different ball game at Lockeford Meat and Sausage. There was a lineup of patrons stretching well outside the front door. When I finally made my way to the counter I asked if this was typical for a Saturday. His response was, “It will be crazy like this all day long.” I think you would be hard pressed to find a sausage company more popular anywhere in California.
Most popular sausage
Besides the sausages, Lockeford Meat and Sausage Services has different cuts of meat for sale. In the display case, my eye caught the Mexican Chorizo. It was not in a casing as most chorizo is sold, but in a patty of ground marinated pork. This is just what I needed. I love mixing a little chorizo with my fried eggs or adding chorizo to a bowl of refried beans. This chorizo is delicious and tastes very similar to the chorizo my mother made for us when I was growing up in San Francisco.
These sausages are so pungent! Even though they were wrapped in butcher paper in a plastic bag, our car was filled with the inviting smell of fresh sausages. I am very happy we were not in bear country! Lockeford Meat and Sausage Services is located at 19775 Cotton Street in Lockeford. The store is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sat., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sun. No Website to speak of. Why bother when you already have plenty of business through word of mouth? One more thing, when you shop at Lockeford Meat and Sausage, bring cash. They do not take credit cards or checks.
One more item to add to this article. The Lodi wine country is just around the corner. Lodi grow more varieties of wine grapes than the Napa Valley or Sonoma. Don’t pass up Lodi wine country. It is a fantastic place to explore wineries.