razbry wrote:I always wondered about the Blackberry Inn...now I'll stop in. Thanks! I also discovered a Greek family style restaurant in Elburn called Papa G's. It's not far from Ream's, just farther south on Main St. (south of the railroad tracks). They have really great (as in I've ordered these things) stuffed cabbage, Swiss steak, seafood Alfredo, turkey dinner, homemade soups, and a bread basket that you won't believe. I'd recommend it!

Papa G's
250 South Main St
Elburn, IL. 60119
(630) 365-1010

There is another Papa G's in the area in Huntley on IL47. I ate there once or twice and cannot really remember much. They are one of the few restaurants in the area that offer duck and goose on occasion.

razbry wrote:I always wondered about the Blackberry Inn...now I'll stop in. Thanks! I also discovered a Greek family style restaurant in Elburn called Papa G's. It's not far from Ream's, just farther south on Main St. (south of the railroad tracks). They have really great (as in I've ordered these things) stuffed cabbage, Swiss steak, seafood Alfredo, turkey dinner, homemade soups, and a bread basket that you won't believe. I'd recommend it!

Papa G's
250 South Main St
Elburn, IL. 60119
(630) 365-1010

I worked for Waubonsee College just south down 47 from Blackberry Inn and had lunch there many times. While the burgers are outstanding, the pork tenderloin is my favorite! For a little place, they put out some great food and have some great specials!

I had passed a bake shop a couple of times on my way to Ream's. I stopped yesterday, and got some really good pecan rolls and a couple of eclairs. I was really tempted by a German Chocolate Cake, $14. A nice sweet addition to a run to Ream's.

Made From Scratch
2 South Main Street
Elburn

The soccer gods have been sending me out Elburn way, and I have gladly obliged with a stop at Reams a week ago, and have another planned for early this week.

Tried their Romanian Sausage, making a particularly bizarre and wonderful hodge podge - baby bok choy, xo sauce and romanian sausage were the main ingredients, with some chili oil and onions playing a supporting role. Quite tasty with rice.

On a whim I bought some of their mountain jerky, which seemed a pretty traditional jerky. Excellent, and I am not a great jerky fan. Garlic wieners were fine, but I prefer the knackwurst, with a very similar flavor profile but better texture and taste for me. Have some other things in the freezer - brats, corned beef, knackwurst, and I will stock up on some more jerky and a few other things this week.

Always a treat to stop by Reams.

On a recent return trip to Reams, and a few more things to report.

The Blackberry Inn is currently closed, soon to open under new management, if one believes the signage. Did not look like there was a lot happening, but that means very little.

Bought a sampler of jerky, as I was so impressed by my first purchase. Mountain jerky is the best traditional version, and spicy Tex Mex with its crushed chile flakes is a very enjoyable, spicy variation. Midwestern and Jerk were also very good, but the seasoning was not as good for me.

I am not generally a bratwurst fan, but I broiled up a package of their beer brats, and I am a convert. Meaty, juicy, deftly seasoned to highlight the excellent flavor of the meat. Not sure if they were the best sausages I have ever had, but they are the best ones I remember.

Also bought some summer sausage snack sticks. Quite tasty, with an almost vinegary tang in addition to the meat and garlic. Could be addictive.

Lastly, bought a variation on liverwurst, whose name I do not quite recall "Gobfel..." something. Package said it was liver and fresh onions, though the ingredients also featured pork pretty high on the list. It is a smooth pork sausage, without a lot of seasoning or liver flavor. Pleasant enough, but with so many other stellar possibilities, I can't recommend it. Served it with onions and chopped egg on crackers and pumpernickel and it made a fine snack.

Oh, great.

Now there's something ELSE at Ream's that I can't do without. I tried the smoked pulled pork today, and honestly, it was like pork candy. Tender, juicy, flavorful, nice subtle smoke. OMG. At $7.99 a pound, it's another must have.

I really won't willingly have ham from anywhere else. Ever try cream chipped beef? Well, get their National Award winning dried beef, and that's all you'll want.

The bacon is great. The roasties (Wisconsin-style (I think) hotdogs) are the best. Try the flatlander sauce. Oh, yeah.

So, great!

I tried a couple of new items from the charcuterie selection. Elburner salami and Westphalian Ham. The ham was awesome. Sliced really thin, melt in your mouth awesomeness.

I'm also addicted to the in-house smoked cheddar. I brought 2 pounds to a party on Saturday and the plate was picked clean in a matter of a couple of hours.

I thought that I would try a ham from the Elburn Market for the holidays. I called in my order and told them that I would be out today around noon for the pickup. Apparently several hundred other folks had the same idea. The store was jammed. I mean shoulder to shoulder, impossible to move in any direction jammed inside, with an ever growing line stretching out the door and down the street. I really like the Elburn Market, but faced with that crowd ahead of me, I opted to drove back to Oak Park empty handed.

thick wrote:I thought that I would try a ham from the Elburn Market for the holidays. I called in my order and told them that I would be out today around noon for the pickup. Apparently several hundred other folks had the same idea. The store was jammed. I mean shoulder to shoulder, impossible to move in any direction jammed inside, with an ever growing line stretching out the door and down the street. I really like the Elburn Market, but faced with that crowd ahead of me, I opted to drove back to Oak Park empty handed.

I have to post that "the times they are a changin" as the last time, pre-LTH, that I darkened the door at Ream's my Dad and I carried in the deer we had shot earlier that morning near Genoa. The carcass joined more than a dozen others hanging in the walk-in and we took our receipt and left. No waiting. Circa 1979. Elburn, you have come a long way baby!

Davooda

thick wrote:I thought that I would try a ham from the Elburn Market for the holidays. I called in my order and told them that I would be out today around noon for the pickup. Apparently several hundred other folks had the same idea. The store was jammed. I mean shoulder to shoulder, impossible to move in any direction jammed inside, with an ever growing line stretching out the door and down the street. I really like the Elburn Market, but faced with that crowd ahead of me, I opted to drove back to Oak Park empty handed.

We were there on the 23rd, and it was crazy. But you missed out - the lines all moved super fast. We were in and out in 30 minutes. Plus, everyone was in an awesome mood! We have filet for dinner tonight, and smoked cheddar for tomorrow. Plus all the usual cured meats. I love their cinnamon bacon.

I am really looking forward to taking my sweetheart/fellow foody to Reames. He lives an hour away and has never been. Luckily I'm closer and have known about this gem for years, shopping there is outside of my normal budget, but surely an occasional treat. My boys I won't buy jerky elsewhere. For Christmas I surprised my BF with a gift certificate to the meat market and a Nesco Food Dehydrator for Christmas... Smart thinking, huh?

Was inspired to take a trip to Ream's yesterday. Talked to one of the "guys". Apparently one of their smokers went down just before Christmas, and it put them way behind. Indulged in Liberknodle (a Christmas time only product). I was talked into a purchase of Leberkase (never tried it before). I'm to cook the pan of meat paste in a pan of water in the oven. Once cooked, slice (grill if you want) and enjoy with a schmear of brown mustard, onions and a beer. How could I pass that up?

Ham salad.

'nuff said.

I'm on my way to Ream's tomorrow to deliver their GNR renewal certificate and I'm wondering if anyone knows of a local bakery out that way where I can pick up some freshly baked buns. I know nearly every town in Wisconsin has a local bakery to supply buns to their area. I'm hoping something similar exists in or near Elburn (and by near, I mean within 30 minutes or so).

How about Harner's in North Aurora. Everything from their bakery is delicious!



Harner's
10 W State
North Aurora
630-892-4400

Rainman4 wrote:How about Harner's in North Aurora. Everything from their bakery is delicious!



Harner's
10 W State
North Aurora
630-892-4400

Not a bad thought. I love Harner's, but I'm open to other suggestions.

As I was leaving Elburn today after scoring some bacon, ham salad and dried beef, I noticed that the diner that was on the way out of town south on 47 had a sign saying: coming soon Ream's Meat Market.

And sure enough, their website says that they're moving. It will be a huge increase in size -- maybe they will consolidate their processing facilities into the same building as the store. Or maybe they'll have more prepared food as they take advantage of the kitchen. Or maybe they'll keep the old building (which is too cool) and have a secondary processing facility. Or maybe.....



Interested to see what happens next.

It will be a huge increase in size -

Randy probably just needs more wall space to hang his sausage awards...

I've posted this before-
Randy has for many years supplied nearly every Rotary Club in northern Illinois that does a sausage-stand as a fundraiser at a local function.. He gives us a really good price because he knows we do community charitable work. When Chicago hosted Rotary's International Convention 100th anniversary celebration in 2005, the Hinsdale Rotary club threw a barbecue party for 400 visiting international members, (as I recall there were about 20,000 Rotarians from all over the world attending- it was here because Rotary was founded in Chicago in 1905 by lawyer Paul Harris.) Westmont's Uncle Bub's BBQ roasted numerous pigs; I went to Ream's for 900 brats and hot dogs. (The Rotarians' wives were invited,too.)We got letters for months from all over the world telling us how much these were enjoyed by our guests.

I've loved this place for nearly forty years. Another trip coming up in a couple weeks, before the weather turns.
Time to fill the freezer.

Keep it up, Randy!

I've loved this place for nearly forty years. Another trip coming up in a couple weeks, before the weather turns.

Ditto. Was up north last weekend and scored a "goodie bag" of assorted encased meats from Ream's thanks to my Batavia-based brother.

Struck by how much things can change - as we used to drag our deer through the FRONT door of Ream's for processing back in the day

Da Beef wrote:Another winner from the display case at Ream's.


Pork 500's (Seasoned sausage, corn bread stuffing and American cheese)

Thanksgiving stuffing rolled up and ready to bake. These are really great snacks, if you see them I'd grab a couple to have when hunger hits.

I'm a recent introductee to Ream's.

These Pork 500's are pretty darn good, but I must admit, I have a thing against American cheese. I hate even using the term, let alone the taste of it.

Telling this to Randy Ream, he says "no problem"

He makes up a batch of Pork 500's with Pepper Jack instead of American. Then says to call ahead next time so I don't have to wait. "Just give me 30-45minutes heads up and they'll be ready for you"

So besides all the sausages which I love (try the Ghost Pepper sausage snack sticks and buy extra for the ride home (not too hot at all, but a good zip)) the specialty meats can be tweaked to your liking!

LikestoEatout wrote:Not to take anything away from Ream's because I'm a fan too, but has anyone tried the Wurst Kitchen in Aurora and Plano? They have been around since 1895, first as a full service meat market but now as a specialist in sausages and smoked meats. Just mentioning because I've known the family for years and have found some great things there for friends who look for a more old world taste.

http://www.wurstkitchen.com/

Another good call. Regular Brats, Atomic, Cherry Bomb, Hawaiian with Pineapple, a very eclectic mix and spin on the Brat at Wurst Kitchen. Enjoy their spaetzle and schnitzel too!

The grand opening for the new location was over the Memorial Day weekend.

It seems like they not only have more room for their regular fare, but a new beer & wine section. More importantly, they have room for processing more products, including a room devoted to aging salami.

Can't wait to check it out.

I've stopped through the new Ream's a few times now. A lot of the old school vibes were lost as they moved down the street into this 90's-construction former-Greek diner. But judging from the crowds and lines yesterday on a gorgeous summer Sunday, it seems as though the extra elbow room was a wise move for them. Excited to hear about the potential for curing facilities, as well. Worth noting: the ready-to-eat items and the raw products now have separate counters, which makes sense for the layout, though adds a step to the shopping experience if you're looking for both types of product. Which I typically am, as I like to stock up when I make the trip. I can't say the breadth of products has visibly increased yet. They do offer a nice, carefully-curated selection of local beers now at fair prices, which happened to be very convenient for me on my last stop. Wine too, though I have not yet surveyed the selection.

Now that I live 30 miles closer, I've become an every-few-months Ream's shopper, especially during grilling season. A quality resource for reasonable freshly-cut conventional meat, yes sausages, and the occasional, odd German charcuterie. I picked up some Westphalian ham a few weeks ago (the new shop was up and running almost a month ago, fwiw). Cut translucently-thin, its aggressive salt/smoke profile paired really well with early-season asparagus on a pizza:



And a quick note on the brats– I know the fresh, Grand Champion brats have their fans around these parts. They do grill up nice-n-juicy, though I find them to be a tad salty. My go-to are the pre-cooked Oktoberfest brats, in a traditional weisswurst style with appropriate spices. Unorthodox though, is the inclusion of swiss cheese and green onions, which nod every-so-slightly to the gooey excess of my teenage-favorite Johnsonville Cheddarwursts. I love their jalapeño/cheddar snack sticks for the same effect.

i'd crush that pizza

We have to be in Elburn and plan to make our first visit to Reams. There hasn't been a recent post about the place and wondered if any one has been there lately. There seems to be a huge selection of encased meats -sausages, dogs and brats-some smoked- as well as meats and wondered what to buy. We plan to bring a cooler. Any help will be most appreciated. Thank you.

Had business in Rockford last week and I take a path back to Aurora/Plainfield that takes me past Elburn.

Stopped at Ream's, part of my annual pilgrimage.

I get brats and other sausages fresh from the meat counter in the back, and stop by the freezer section for some of the more exotic flavor combo's of sausage. Most every kind has worked for us, even the cranberry one, but the gyro brat just didn't work. Good variety to try a package or three.

Refrigerated case opposite wall from freezer has a couple other interesting option, I believe I picked up the Summer Sausage last week which is already gone.

Family's not too adventurous so the middle case with all the deer and such gets little attention in our house.

Snack Sticks and Jerky in the front of house, while pricey, have never disappointed. Can't recommend a flavor because we get almost all of them each time, just 4 links or so and couple pieces of jerky of each flavor.

Also from the back case we get these spicy pork pinwheels which are really good.

I'd probably try more fresh by I always forget the cooler. I put the frozen specialty brats on top of the fresh though for the ride home.

Never have ventured into aged steaks or anything.

Surprisingly good craft beer selection sprinkled around the room.

Although the new location (about 4 years now) around 1/4 mile west of the old "downtown" location doesn't have the ambience of the old place, the parking, the layout and elbow room more than make this a place to stop (for us).

Guess there's not much of a recommendation here from me, other than to say Ream's is still firing on all cylinders from my viewpoint.

Hi,

While at Balmoral (Scottish) Restaurant recently, they presented their steak highlighting it came from Ream's Market in Elburn.

You know what, I was impressed.

Regards,
CAthy2

Did not want to love this place as it is really far from home. But have to say everything we bought -so far- has been delicious. On Sunday afternoon the place was packed but the counter lines moved fast, deli meats were cut beautifully and service was super friendly. We bought two different types of salami-the Elburner and the sopressetta-all made in house. The Elburner is delicious with a mild cured flavor and the sopresseta has a nice kick. I am not a fan of summer sausage but tried a sample of the garlic variety and had to take some home. We left with cajun tasso, a couple of links of andouille, and boudin which we have not tried yet. We bought a few pork chops, two sirloin steaks (not aged) and a stuffed portabella mushroom from the butcher case. The mild italian sausage filling did not overwhelm the mushroom and the right amount of cheese and breadcrumbs capped it off. Hubby loved the stuffed chicken breast but I don't remember the filler(sorry). There were several varieties and came in a package of two. The Ream's jerky dip was an impulse buy and although heavy on the smoke flavor and salt I like it with a wheat thin cracker and bourbon. Bought two different bacons-one regular and the other hungarian style which is heavily dusted with paprika. Have some summer tomatoes left from my garden so planning BLTs this weekend. We bought a few brat style sausages, thuringers, breakfast sausage, ground beef, and some jerky sticks- all remain untouched so far. The bill came in under $100 which I thought was really good. They have a freezer case which contained foodstuffs that we really did not pay attention to and a small selection of craft beers and cheeses. If we like the soon to be tried meats we are adding Ream's to our other far flung meat destinations- Yoder's in Indiana and Sorg's in Wisconsin.

Made a Ream's run this morning. They are limiting the number of shoppers in the store, and despite the rain, there was a line of about 10 waiting to get in. The line moved pretty quickly, though. They are limiting boneless skinless chicken breasts to 5 per household. They were moving a lot of meat, with the trays being restocked pretty steadily as I stood in line. I didn't see any Pork 500s or steak pinwheels, but they had chicken and beef kebabs. I didn't specifically look for the stuffed chicken breasts, so can't comment on their availability. It seemed like they had their hands full just keeping up with the demand for the fresh meat, so maybe they haven't had time to make the other items. Freezers seemed pretty well stocked.

They had stuffed chicken breasts on May 7. I didn't see pork 500s. They had plenty of pork including booster chops for sandwiches. Chuck roast was 4.59 a pound, and stew meat was 4.39/lb. I don't expect those prices will last.