Meat I had to…read moreopportunity to be in in the Pierz area with a coworker and he suggested we stop off at Thielen since we were in the area and man, what a cool place. The smell of smoke is the first thing that hits you when you walk through the door to the place followed by the sight of all kinds and cuts of meat: Pork, beef, jerked, smoked, ground... the list goes on and on. Sort of like a Disneyworld of butchered meats. My coworker busied himself with his list of items he was looking for while I walked around the long butcher case with tons of freshly prepared meat items: sausages, ground meats, smoked meats, bacon... oh man I really wished I lived near this place. Since I was traveling and had no way to store these things, I settled for some pork jerky and took it home - it was amazing. I do not believe that they have an online shipping / ecommerce capability so I will have to plan ahead if I ever get back up in that area. Definitely worth a trip if you are anywhere near Pierz. Parking on the street

We make this stop a destination. The quality of meat is why we come. And our Golden loves the…read moresmoked bones. My family would stop Here in the 1970s for the best beef jerky and now in the 2020s they still have the best. I have not found anyone to beat them in my 57 years of jerky consumption.

Surprise! We were looking for a small town bakery and this place popped up. It appeared closed, but…read morethe sign flashed OPEN. A small panaderia with serve yourself sweets and savories. We purchased three small loves of crusty bread, two swirly crispy cinnamon coffee dunkers and a piece of tres leches cake for $5.50! Check it out!

We stopped at Starry Eyed Brewery on our way up north to the cabin, and it made for a great break…read morefrom the drive. The brewery has a large indoor and outdoor space, and we especially appreciated that it's dog friendly, so we were able to bring our pup inside with us. Outside, there was plenty of room for dogs to stretch their legs, along with lots of shaded tables to relax. Their beer menu was extensive--almost too many options to choose from! They definitely lean into unique flavors, with offerings like a pickle margarita beer and a mango wheat that made for a fun tasting experience. While none of the beers ended up being favorites for us, we still enjoyed the atmosphere.

Quiet place on a Monday (no surprise haha). We stopped on our way home from a mn road trip! Cool,…read moreindustrial space, well set up! 8 tables or so and bar seats. The FRIENDLIEST staff. And, SO MANY BEERS. Y'ALL, I'M TALKING 40+ ON TAP. And THEY'RE GOOD! Fun flavors like lemon bacon (???) and pickle! Traditional Amber's, ipas and cream ales for the purist. Seltzers and ciders too! They have a great pizza deal ($22/2 beers and 'za). Easy parking. I would be a regular, no doubt, if we were local. STOP HERE!!!

You wouldn't expect to find world class coffee in North Central Minnesota, yet that's just what you…read morefind when you walk into Reality Roasters. I can't say enough good things about this place. You will not be disappointed if you buy your coffee here.

You may ask yourself why is a vegetarian reviewing a butcher shop. Well the answer is I didn't have…read morea choice but to stop in because I was on a trip with a bunch of colleagues. But I am very glad that I did. I do occasionally eat fish, so I did pick up a packet of smoked salmon. But it was also really pleased to see the variety of selection of non-meat products. If you were heading up north and needed stuff for charcuterie on the boat, you could definitely stop here. My colleagues had packed a cooler and bought an assortment of fresh and frozen meat, which they insisted some of the best in Minnesota. Given how much meat they like to eat, that's saying a lot. It's just off the highway when you're heading up on Highway 10. If you like meat or smoked fish you really should stop in.

Amazing selection and scents. Huge meat counter and many option of everything very convenient off…read morethe highway= we will be back.

This is such a charming store with a great selection and very reasonable prices! They offer a…read morelittle bit of everything, making it a fun place to browse and shop. The store was exceptionally clean, well organized, and easy to navigate. The staff was very friendly and welcoming. During the summer, an Amish vendor comes in on Fridays to sell a variety of homemade baked goods, fresh eggs, and canned goods. Everything looked wonderful, and it was a great addition to the shopping experience. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and are already looking forward to our next trip!

Love this business for baking supplies vegetables to chicken to butter, eggs everything is so…read morefresh and competively priced. And their ice creams are to die for We love this store!!

There are only a few places that we buy our brats for family yearlong grilling - Von Hanson's in…read moreLakeville, Backus Locker in Backus, McDonalds Meats in Clearwater and Paul & Kathy's Supermarket in Upsala. Our kids go to summer camp near Upsala, so whenever we come through town, we make sure to stop at this small family grocer and buy a supply of brats. There are plenty of flavors to pick for any palate. Classic ones like Bacon Cheddar or Wild Rice & Blueberry to crazier ones like Buckaroo Butter (highly recommend) to Root Beer Float (yes, really). This place wins state fair accolades on an annual basis and there is no surprise as to why. Their meat products are high quality and very good. If brats are not your thing, they also make great jerky and meat sticks. Well worth the stop!