Full of history, there is more to Bucyrus than meets the eye. Located along old Route 30 or Lincoln Highway, in Northern Ohio, the community of Bucyrus was settled in 1822 by families of German descent. The city is remarkable. With murals painted by a world-class painter, beautiful architecture and home to the last remaining hand-hammered copper kettle manufacturer in the United States, Bucyrus is best known as the “Bratwurst Capital of America”.
The festival started in 1968 to celebrate Bucyrus’ German Heritage. Today it has grown to an annual 3-day event that takes place the 3rd full weekend of August, welcoming thousands of visitors. The festival provides fun for all ages with parades, a beauty pageant, contests, auction, live entertainment, and food- lots of food.
Of the original eight sausage markets in Bucyrus, one remains. Carle’s specializes in traditional Bucyrus flavored Bratwurst made from a blend of pork, cracker meal and fresh eggs. Open year round, there’s no reason to wait for the month of August to get a taste of the delicious bratwurst. You can pop into Carle’s Bratwurst and shop at the full-service meat counter, the deli, or grab a brat to eat-in or carry-out from the hot food bar. Carle’s ships throughout the United States for those that are not local.
Carle’s opened as a neighborhood grocery by Harry and Alta Carle in 1929 on the cusp of the Great Depression. Carle’s survived that difficult time in history and continues to be family-owned and operated today, providing the personalized, friendly service often lacking in chain stores.
You can visit Carle’s at 1210 East Mansfield Street in Bucyrus (pronounced BU (as in beautiful) Cyrus). The store is open Monday- Saturday from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. and closed on Sundays. If you pop in from 11:30 to 1:30, grab one of Carle’s special bratwurst sandwiches. Served on rye with sauerkraut and mustard, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better brat.
Tip: Spend a couple minutes and watch Carle’s make bratwurst through a window at the back of the store.
Follow Carle’s Brats on Facebook for specials and more information.
