Longtime Saugerties butcher shop Smokehouse of the Catskills will close its doors on Sunday, December 29 after 25 years in business with co-owners Mike and Heidi Ferraro announcing on Facebook earlier this month plans to retire.
From the very start, Smokehouse of the Catskills carried on the tradition of the building’s previous occupant, Veteran Pork Store, which operated similarly for five decades. Austrian-born brothers Bill and Peter Muellner, hung up their aprons in 2001 after more than 50 years of butchering and smoking for the local clientele. They’d established the business in 1945, along with their father, and had built a strong reputation as a traditional German butcher shop with shelves full of European goodies.
“This has been an exceedingly difficult decision to make,” read the September 12 post on the Smokehouse of the Catskills’ Facebook page. “It has been an incredible ride, with moments of joy, excitement, seemingly insurmountable odds and invaluable learning. It has been our pleasure to serve you with the utmost quality fresh products, friendly smiles, respect and honesty.”
The response was instantaneous and overwhelming, reaching 440 comments as of press time.
“I lived in Saugerties for almost 10 years,” wrote Pamela Henning. “And nothing made me happier than driving to your shop, standing there, trying to make up my mind what I couldn’t buy (because I wanted to buy everything). I learned new recipes because of what I found behind your counters. My father was from Germany, so being able to pick up little things at your place that reminded me of him always meant so much.”
Located in a brick building set lower than street level, Smokehouse of the Catskills on Route 212 has been a fixture not only of the landscape, but also the lives of the many customers it served over the past 25 years. With a distinctly German vibe, they were more than a butcher, with pretzels, cheeses and other Bavarian goods lining their shelves. But they were first and foremost a butcher, selling high-quality beef, pork, chicken and turkey products, sausages, bacon and hot dogs.
“To our customers and supporters: Thank you for all the years you have shopped with us,” read the Ferraro’s September 12 Facebook post. “Your belief and trust in us have been the driving force behind our every step. When this chapter ends, the bonds and memories we have created endure. We are eternally grateful to anyone and everyone that has walked into this establishment. We will miss every one of you. We wish all our customers nothing but the best, and most of all thank you for your business and friendships.”
The comments on the social media announcement have become awash in memories, some stretching back to the Veteran Pork Store era; enthusiastic lists of favorite products; gratitude for decades of service, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic; and well wishes for the future for Mike and Heidi Ferraro.
“You all will be sorely missed,” wrote Howard Post. “Not only for your premium products but your friendly, smiling, helpful attitudes towards your customers. No matter how tired you are. You all treat the last customer of the day the same as the first. Best of luck and enjoy. You more than deserve it.”
For Barbara Procario, Smokehouse of the Catskills was a longtime regular stop on the drive to Platte Cove.
“Some of our favorites: Marinated boneless ribs for Saturday night barbecue, bratwurst for Sunday breakfast, whole pigs for a yearly roast,” wrote Procario.“And your bologna is THE BEST!! My mom used to buy it sliced for lunch, but it would never make it home unopened.
Please know that you have been a special part of our lives and memories, and we are very grateful.”
Messages arrived from both near and far.
“I’ve been going there since I was six years old when my grandfather worked there,” wrote John Lerchenmuller.“It was a part of my childhood. Your place always had top quality meats and products and I wish you well on your new endeavors. I still load my cooler up when I visit from South Carolina. God bless you all.”
Many commenters said they would make a point of visiting again before December 29.
“I and my family have been coming to the Smokehouse since I was six years old,” wrote Slawka Laba. “That is 63 years. We will certainly miss all our favorites from your store. Being newly retired myself, I totally understand the need to finally enjoy the fruits of your labor after so many years. Wishing you and your family all the best. We will be coming in to stock up on our favorites.”
Some offered philosophical wisdom in the midst of reminisces over years and purchases past.
“I may have come for a prime rib, or veal chops, but I’d never leave without brisket burgers, taffy and German chocolates,” wrote recent retiree Angela Bailey. “I worked for many years for an international company and spent loads of time with many folks from Germany while they were here on assignment. I especially remember one particular saying, ‘Everything has an end, only the sausage has two’…Blessings to all of you and thanks again for helping me and my family make so many wonderful memories around the table.”
Four days after their September 12 post, Mike and Heidi Ferraro returned to the Smokehouse of the Catskills Facebook page once more, sharing a photo of the two of them and expressing gratitude.
“It is beyond our imagination how many of you have responded with the most thoughtful and heartfelt messages,” they wrote. “We feel the love and the tears. From our hearts to yours, thank you all…”
The Ferraros hope to find a buyer for the business before the end of the year.
Join the family! 
