We Don’t Cut Corners
Never have. Never will. Instead, we cut the best fresh premium meats in Texas.
“It’s all about the quality. I focus on that more than anything else.”
– Pat Rabroker, owner of Westphalia Market
Staff at Westphalia Market take pride in the fact that the shop appeals to all types of customers, from shoppers looking for meats for simple meals, to amateur home chefs seeking out unique cuts.
The allure of a traditional butcher is also drawing regular customers from nearby cities.
As if unfrozen from a vintage postcard of small-town America, there are relatively few signs of modern business tools, save for the electronic register and credit card machine by the front door.
It’s common for first-time visitors to Westphalia Meat Market to stop in their tracks when they walk in the door, astounded by the classic style and layout of Hutto’s only local butcher.
“You can tell when a person is new, because they just stand there, taking it all in,” Linda Herzog, Westphalia Meat Market staffer, said. “It takes some people a second to figure out what to do.”
“Westphalia Meat Market” by Gavin Boger
“Smoking Sausages” by Daniel Vaugn, Texas Monthly Magazine
Handmade craftsmanship still reigns supreme
Owner Pat Rabroker has stuck with throwback basics for the second Central Texas location of the Westphalia Meat Market.
The original location in Westphalia—a town of about 700 residents located 90 miles north of Austin—has been in Rabroker’s family since 1963, and little has changed in the way Rabroker prioritizes quality and freshness over quality or speed.
At Westphalia Meat Market, shoppers can get cuts from a variety of meats, which come from owner Pat Rabroker’s flagship store in Westphalia, Texas.
The Hutto location opened Dec. 15, 2011 out of sheer practicality. The Rabrokers run their meat delivery service out of the Westphalia, Texas location, with meats finding their way into restaurants, grocery stores, and shops across Central Texas.
We’ll take care of everything you need.
Three glass cases form the main focal point of the market, filled with rib eye steaks, chuck roasts, T-bone steaks, ground beef, ribs, pork chops and more. And when it comes to what meats make it into the store’s displays, Rabroker doesn’t cut corners.
“It’s all about the quality,” he said. “I focus on that more than anything else.”
One modern business philosophy Rabroker won’t give in to is the notion of bulk purchasing to drive customer traffic. At both Westphalia Meat Markets, he focuses on featuring quality cuts of meat for shoppers.
“We try and keep a limited number (of meats), so we can always keep the freshness up,” Rabroker said. “I’m always in here, telling (staff) to look closely at them. I’m worried more about quality than anything else.”
Rabroker said the shop appeals to all types of customers, from shoppers looking for meats for simple meals, to amateur home chefs seeking out unique cuts. The allure of a traditional butcher is also drawing regular customers from nearby cities.
Herzog, who has worked in the store since it opened, said customers want more locally owned options. “That’s what they say, every time they come in,” she said. “They say they won’t go back to (big-box) stores.”
As for new customers who stop in their tracks on the way in, Herzog has one solid recommendation. “Head over to the meat counter,” she said.
“We’ll take care of everything you need.”