I had been dying to get to Nolechek's Meats in Thorp, Wisconsin for more than a year. I make occasional trips on Highway 29 in Northern Wisconsin and the Nolechek's billboard is like a beacon crying out to me. The trouble is that they are usually closed when I am passing through, but not this time!

Desperately wanting to make a stop at Nolechek's for more than a year I was eager to get inside. Nolechek's has about the nicest retail store for a meat market that I've ever seen, including a convenient restroom easily accessible by customers. It is extremely clean, well stocked, and very organized. Founded in 1952 and still a family-run business, Nolechek's Meats offers a variety of delicious meat to their customers. They use natural hickory chips for smoking all of their products and they also offer custom venison processing for all you deer hunters in Northern/Central Wisconsin.

Buy bacon from Nolechek's Meats

I went inside with a singular mission: to buy bacon. Noticing that there were a few varieties of bacon I asked the friendly staff, "Which type of bacon would you say is your signature bacon?' She kindly guided me to Nolechek's Naturally Smoked Honey Cured Bacon. I picked up two pounds to make enough to share with the relatives. I also picked up some breakfast sausages for good measure. Like many other meat processors they featured many varieties of bratwursts (frozen) and all the regular cuts of beef. They also sell Wisconsin cheeses in their retail store.

Naturally Smoked Honey Cured Bacon

Nolecheck's bacon comes prepackaged in vacuum sealed bags. It makes it convenient to request your desired amount, pay,  and get back on the road. You can see from the pictures that the bacon is thick-cut, features a good amount of meat, and measures about 7.5 inches long before cooking. Each slice shrinks to only 6 inches in length, but that just means you can have more to get a good serving amount. With its natural hickory smoke flavor Nolechek's bacon is absolutely fantastic and is a Bacon Scouts top choice.

Breakfast Sausages

The breakfast sausages we had were also very good. We stuffed more than a dozen in a pan and served them along with the bacon as delicious sides to our Saturday morning family feast.

If you are crossing through Northern Wisconsin, stop by Nolchek's Meats in Thorp. It is worth the trip and will always bring a smile to your face. And tell them Bacon Scouts sent you!

Summary Bacon Ratings - Nolechek's Meats

Overall Rating92.6%Shrinkage80%Robust Flavor90%Fat-to-meat Ratio100%Saltiness100%

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