Dittmer’s Gourmet Meats & Wurst-Haus

I’m SOOOOO incredibly thankful to have found this gem! They have every kind of meat you could ever want or need. This place has great prices, great food, and great service! It was my first time at Dittmer’s and Mark gave my husband and I helpful suggestions for how to prepare the smoked turkey leg for the collard greens we were going to make. He was so happy and helpful and kind. I will definitely be coming back.

The real deal. German sausage made right here, and really simple things that most butchers don’t have, like suet, leaf lard, back fat, and casings.
The sandwiches are amazing. Try the braunschweiger and you’ll be happy.
Mark Dittmer will even order fun stuff for you like a pig head, and he’ll give you tips on smoking and curing meat.
Come here so that craftsmanship doesn’t die!

I’m not really sure why Dittmer’s gets such rave reviews. We’ve been about 5 times and bought brisket twice, NY strips, a turkey for thanksgiving and ground chuck for burgers. The quality of the meat itself is good, we’ve been mostly happy with it. But the customer service is really meh. I’ve never had a particularly nice experience with any of the butchers. They’ve all been either terse, or indifferent with me. Checking out is usually better, they are more friendlier. Maybe I’m asking too much to have a pleasurable customer service experience?

Ditmmer’s produces some absolutely fantastic and authentic German sausages. I’m seriously kicking myself for not making the trip down here sooner, the sausages that we picked up from here were so incredible.
THE OVERVIEW.
+ Massive selection of house-​made sausages (frozen and fresh), cured meats, and other prime cuts to be prepared at home
+ Excellent selection of German snacks (pickles, chocolates, etc.) and mustards
+ Passionate, friendly staff who are extremely good at what they do
We fell in total love with their:
+ WEISSWURST
+ BRATWURST
Some of their double smoked sausages were quite good too (namely the Creole Andouille). I definitely want to go back soon to stock up on these delicious wursts!

This place has a lot of variety, maybe too much so. The quality of the cold cuts is just lacking completely. The Nusschinken was so terrible that I had to throw it out. This place would not make it in Germany. Germans do not eat those kind of sandwiches with that kind of bread… yuck. I drove all the way from Oakland and was very disappointed. And Yes, I am German.

Man, I love this place! It feels like home… like a butcher shop on the country side in Germany — unfortunately in the bigger cities, «real» butchers have often been replaced by supermarket meat counters… no bueno!
But here, it is like traveling back in time to my childhood. Mountains of sausages, smoked meats, fresh meats. Nothing, that you would get at Safeway, sorry, guys!
And apart from the really good meat and sausage selection, you can find any kind of German specialty here… Limburger cheese, herring, pumpernickel, mustards, snacks, sweets, oh my! Every time I have an appointment somewhere on the Peninsula or in the Silicon Valley, I need to stop by Dittmer’s and get me some Vienna sausages, Kassler, Blutwurst, Landjäger, and Leberkäse. Makes me and the hubby happy campers.

I’m so happy I re-​found them. Growing up near the original one on San Antonio rd was always a treat. Yes it’s a butcher market but we always went to get smoked turkey. Although we had to learn to rub and smoke our own turkey, we will support them once again. The new shop is much much larger. It’s on EL Camino and San Antonio road on the Los altos side. I think if you stand in front of the shop, one can view the Sprouts market across el Camino (former Tower Records from decades ago) .
Anyways it was constant busy. People walking in and out. We went on a Saturday and people were lining up by fresh meat counter (there are door coolers and shelve coolers too) some of the prepacked protein items were empty or close to it. On the fresh meat side… omg lots and lots of homemade sausages and tons of bacon-​wow!!! In the stand up coolers I saw duck, duck parts, foie gras, caul fat, chicken fat, oxtails, weiners, and a bunch I can’t remember. They have also smoked salmon, smoke whole trout (from lips to tail). Didn’t get to enjoy the sandwhich bar, but did order the chicken salad and creamy potato salad and a kosher pickle. (All were pretty good) They even sell homemade beef sticks. It is a bit pricey however I overheard folks say quality is very good. I think customers trust the butchers in the shop, which is a true testament.
The rest of store has beverages, snacks, cookies, sweets, crackers, cheese, picnic stuff, chocolates… everything for a picnic outing.
HINT: Just be patient and don’t forget to pick a number from the red ticket machine above the middle area of the fresh meat counter and listen closely so you won’t be passed up.

Craving some bratwurst? Maybe Louisiana hot links? Smoked pork chops, chicken or turkey? Fresh pork, beef and chicken? It’s all here.
This is a family run business and really works hard to provide the best in sausages and other preserved meats. It also has a great selection of fresh meat, particularly pork. In addition, there’s also a good selection of condiments and German food goods.
The sandwich bar gets lots of lunchtime play, but try the sausages — I promise they’ll put a smile on your face!
Tip: The smoke pork chops are WONDERFUL — I keep some in the freezer for drop in guests, and they are a terrific component of a summer ‘mixed grill’ because they don’t have to go on the grill!

My faves:
Kassler Ripchen– e.g. smoked pork chops, so good!
Leberwurst– liver, etc., sausage, freshly made in a number of varieties including with onion
German mustards– for me, especially the Dusseldorfer
real Pumpernickel– translation: «farting demon»; whole rye, caramelized, bread
dry sausages– to many, too good to count
Don’t come hungry… get a freshly grilled sandwich like a bratwurst at the store!

Dittmer’s has been serving locals for decades, their meats are plenty and in old fashion gourmet style (not one of those fancy pop ups to declare themselves gourmet for a new crowd). This is a real butcher shop, and I hope they stay in the area for a long time. Sausages, smokes, various cuts and various types of meats, one can find almost anything here their soul desires. Everything is very good.

Called them today to find out about holiday ordering and get prices on a roast. The lady answered was not friendly, simply said «Today is our busiest day all year, I can’t answer questions.»
Dittmers, please post prices on your website… since you’re posting what’s available for each holiday season it seems reasonable that you could also post a price per lb for each of those items.

This place is a meat-lover’s dream. Such a variety of liver wurst, sausages, smoked meats, salami, deli meats. .. and just about every other meat one could desire. Plenty of German grocery items and bread from Esther’s German Bakery across the street. I’m amazed.

Lots of German goodness to be had here. I always get the Santa Maria Tri-​Tip. I buy them 3 packs at a time, my family loves them. Everything is good here. The sandwiches are huge, I had to eat mine for lunch and dinner it was so much.
The deli meats, sausages, mustards, and cheese are amazing! They have a few picnic benches in front of the store to eat lunch.
Various prepackaged cakes, crackers, jelly, chocolates from Germany. and CLEAN!!!
The only thing I have an issue with is the way they display their samples. I love that they have samples but I’ve seen the customers act in a not-​so-​sanitary way, so I’d ask that they have the samples on a counter for staff to monitor. Also no covers on any samples. I don’t touch any of the samples for that reason.

Annexing customer service. I have an order for about fifteen pounds of various meat for a sausage making day. Both people I spoke to were so friendly! The butcher, Mark, even took the time to call me back to make certain everything was taken care of. A+ service. Plus, they have Esther’s bread and pretzels, which is amazing. Try it!

What a great place! Each time get out of my car I take a deep breath just to smell the meats curing. In my mind I travel back to Germany! Dittmer’s has gourmet meats and wursts. It is an old-​fashioned butcher shop and delicatessen that has been serving the Bay Area since 1978. Dittmer’s offers only the finest in sausages, smoked meats, fresh meats, and lunch meats. In their shop you will find over 100 housemade and specialty items available everyday. A place you will want to shop at!

Having decided to host an Oktoberfest BBQ, I was looking to get various wurst for the party. Costco was a failure for this task so a quick google search led me to Dittmer’s. Decided to put in an order of 15 weisswurst in advance.
Driving to SF to Los Altos is quite the feat for me but when arrived, I was impressed with their selection of over 40 various sausages and different German products. There were even Costco-​like samples for me to taste!
I have yet to cook the sausages, but what really won me over was the service. Having an expat German boyfriend who told me to pick up Nürnberg wurst, the butcher who helped me said I had chosen the best sausage. I said I had placed an order of 15 weisswurst the day before and he immediately knew who I was and grabbed my pre-​order. As for the final selection, he suggested the Hanover wurst because it has bits of bacon in it. He suggested which sauces and mustards to go with each sausage and a recommendation of what beer store has the best selection of German beer.
I think it’s wonderful to have a great German meat market in the Bay Area and I’m sure with the success of the Oktoberfest party, I’ll be sure to drive back soon to try more meat. Dittmer’s, ein prosit!

Great selection of quality meats… Plain and simple! Also a counter full of rubs, marinades, and other great stuff to make your grill come alive! The layout of where all the extras are is a little weird since it’s in an old bank building but you get used to it after a visit.
Walk the whole counter you never know what you’re going to find as far as aged steaks or gourmet sausage!
I’ll be back… Soon!

Oh, man– if I lived nearby I’d be here once a week. We were just in town for a few days, and noticed this across the street from the hotel. Stopped in on our way out for some travel snacks. They have great jerky and landjaeger, and I wish I’d gotten more. They have a lot of chips and other snacks, many imported. They have some drinks in a cooler.
The landjaeger was the best I’ve ever had, and that means it’s beats Thurn’s at home, so it’s amazing. The jerky was smoky and peppery, enough to require you to guzzle water afterward.
The real draw, and one I could not partake in, is the fresh meat. So much, and looked so good. Sausage, beef, bacon, whatever– fresh and tasty, at least tasty-​looking. Service was great, prices are a bit high but well worth it.

Legitimately have all my favorite German everything. I drive 35 min (not that far, but still out of my way) to get this when I have a nice craving for German food. You can’t get anything like this anywhere else
So happy about its existence

How have I not reviewed Dittmer’s?
If you’re looking for a variety of sausages, or a special cut of meat, for an affordable price, you’ll more than likely find it here. Everything I’ve had has been high quality, and I haven’t paid an arm and a leg for it.
They also stock some unique European items, so while you’re here, browse the shelves. I swear by the fennel tea they sell… helpful for digestion.
Service is friendly and efficient even on a busy Saturday.
Definitely worth a visit.