Harry G. Ochs & Sons

So sad that they are out of business after nearly 100 years,
We will miss you, Harry Och’s!

I bought a couple lbs. of pork chops here a few days ago. I have been buying at Spring Garden Market. What a shock at the difference in quality.
In the future, I’m only buying my meat from Ochs & Sons. I hope there hasn’t been any damage to my health.

Harry Ochs & Sons has been in the Reading Terminal for over 100 years and is the premier butcher in Philadelphia. They are the only Butcher in the terminal to sell US Prime Beef and they have decades of experience in cutting, wrapping and dry aging their beef.
Sadly, Harry died awhile ago, and his son Harry Jr died a few years ago, but they left a legacy and under the supervision of Harry’s son Nick, the tradition stays alive.
Over the years I’ve received so many good recipes for cooking Prime Beef I can’t even entertain buying it at a supermarket. Harry always said“If you buy good US prime like ours with no added steroids, enzymes, or chemicals, just free range Black Angus Bull, it will not be detrimental to your health”.
Back then, I used to buy a side of Rib Eye Steaks and let Harry dry age my beef in his refrigerator. Dry aging is a way of curing meat by letting it sit for 2 – 3 weeks in a controlled temperature and when I wanted a steak that evening, Harry would ask how thick? He would then cut the approphiate thickness off the rack and scrape all of the dead meat off the surface of the steak and I had a perfectly marbled aged steak to take home.
Nick suggested I grill it on both sides of the steak and finnish it off in the oven smoothed in Jack Daniels Bourbon. wow! It was stellar!
There’s a wealth of knowledge here for the asking and don’t be afraid to learn how to make your meals as great as the restaurants we review.

Good quality meat cuts and grinds. (especially beef, pork, veal grind. they will mix it for you too!)
Also, a great selection of prepped meat (pork and apple stuffing etc) for an easy dinner.
The attendants are very nice, attentive, and cheerful.

I cook quite often at home. If I’m not buying my meats from my local grocery store or one of the bigger supermarkets, I go to Ochs’. In fact, I’d say I get at least 25% of my overall meat shopping done here.
It’s not just about the meat though, its about the butcher. The guys running Ochs are awesome. They’re really easy to deal with and they’re happy to serve you. The prices are very comparable to the super market.
Aside from having a friendly butcher to get your meat from, you should really be aware of where that meat was before it arrived at the store. There’s more and more stories in the news about contaminated meats at big super markets. You should really buy your meat from local farmers and butchers. You’ll feel better in so many ways!

Ochs is my favorite! I get all my meaty deliciousness from them and them only. They are also quite affordably priced, which is a must for my meatatarian lifestyle.
(Cue my meat rhapsody…)
Their bacon is thick-​cut and makes any breakfast just that much better, not to mention a slice or two makes an amazing blanket for steaks and scallops. The apple sausage is phenomenal and savory with just a hint of apple sweetness. I could go on and on about the amazing breasts (of their chicken, pervs!) or their sumptuous steaks or maybe their ground meats or zingy chorizo, but I advise you to make a trip to Reading Terminal Market & experience them for yourself.
Recently they put up a handy-​dandy sign from Boar’s Head that says all Boar’s Head offerings are gluten-​free. Finally, a way to make sandwiches that are 100% safe, from GF bread to GF meats and condiments. Très pratique! (Now if only there was a shop with GF bread in RTM… though at least there are GF rice crackers at Downtown Cheese).
Och’s is the only butcher shop I trust to get local, happy meats and great unsurly service.

Harry Och’s is a great place to get a variety of meats, especially the aged beef! It’s delicious, and so much cheaper than getting it at a restaurant. I would say the red meat they sell are their standout products. It can definitely be more expensive than the grocery store, but the quality is great. The guys at the counter here are super friendly as well.

Some of the best quality meats. Most of the meats are from local free-​range /​organic farmers! They make a wide variety of turkey and chicken sausages too — like Turkey, Sage, and Apple or Chicken, Sundried Tomato, Basil — which are always wonderful! The staff is great and are willing to provide you with any cut of meat you’d like, it really is a wonderful place to shop!