Sigmund Lekan began making sausage and smoking meats at Paulina Market in 1949.  Back then Lincoln Avenue was known as Germantown Chicago. Using recipes and traditions brought over from old-world European butcher shops, Paulina Market gained loyal, satisfied customers from the Lincoln Avenue neighborhood and beyond. As time passed and most of the small shops on the avenue closed their doors, Paulina Market continued to grow by remaining steadfast to the highest standards of quality and freshness.

     In 1984 that growth took a significant step when Sigmund and his two sons, Ray and Jerome, moved the Market one block north to a new building (at 3501 N. Lincoln Ave.) built exclusively for their business. With four smoke-houses, an enlarged sausage kitchen, roomier retail space, and ample cooler and freezer rooms, Paulina Market then grew to become one of the biggest and most popular meat markets in the Chicago-land area—all without sacrificing its superior service and quality meats and sausages. Then, as the years went by and people began to spend less time in their kitchens, Paulina Market continued its growth by creating and offering a delicious variety of satisfying, just heat-and-eat homemade entrees:  our famous chicken pot pies, beef stroganoff, and corned beef hash name just a few.  (You can find the complete list of all of these convenience-cooking entrees on our website—paulinameatmarket.com).

     Paulina Market’s growth and enduring commitment to quality continue to this day.  In March 2007, Bill Begale (Paulina Market’s long-time manager and its new owner), along with the help of Ray and Jerome Lekan, increased the size of the Market’s retail space and replaced all of our deli-coolers and display-freezers with new and larger equipment to better showcase a host of new products:  fresh breads and produce, along with a wide array of fine cheeses and specialty condiments, complement an even larger variety of fresh homemade sausages, which include Turducken Brats, Tomato-Basil Brats, and Andouille Brats…and in our new and larger fresh poultry case you’ll find that we carry FreeBird chickens and Plainville Farms turkeys—both products are antibiotic and hormone free, and both are natural and humanely raised.

     And now, in step with the times, Paulina Market proudly offers superior products on our website for your personal enjoyment. Beyond our wide selection of excellent fresh meats, shop there for poultry items that are cured, hickory smoked, and fully cooked; or for sausages that are also air-dried and ready-to-eat; or for any of the three varieties of Paulina Market’s popular beef jerky, which are made exclusively from the sirloin and sport a rich fully smoked flavor. All of these products are hand-made with our commitment to quality in the Paulina Market kitchen.

Enjoy the Taste of Quality—Welcome to Paulina Market