WEDNESDAY – MONDAY | 10:30 AM – 5 PM
WEDNESDAY – MONDAY | 10:30 AM – 5 PM
For more than 100 years, Drier’s Meat Market has been a destination for handcrafted meats, family traditions, and historic charm in downtown Three Oaks, Michigan. Every beam, brick, tool, and display case tells part of the story.
Stepping inside Drier’s is like stepping back in time. As a National Historic Site, the market preserves its pre-Civil War storefront, original four-paned windows, and many of the features that make it one of Michigan’s most unique butcher shops.
The building is constructed as a wagon repair shop, serving the growing Three Oaks community.
English butcher Alec Watson transforms the building into the Union Meat Market, beginning a butcher shop tradition that continues today.
At just 10 years old, Ed Drier Sr. begins working as a delivery boy, earning 25 cents a week before becoming a clerk.
Ed Drier purchases the market, beginning the Drier family legacy that continues to this day.
At Drier’s, we still spell it “baloney” because we think “bologna” isn’t nearly as tasty. Unlike traditional bologna, Drier’s famous ring baloney is an all-beef sausage made with a simple blend of salt and pepper, stuffed into a natural casing and formed into its signature horseshoe shape. The family recipe remains a closely guarded secret, and it’s been a customer favorite for generations.
Step inside Drier’s through this PBS feature highlighting the history, heritage, and traditions that have made the market a destination for generations.
Over the decades, Drier’s Meat Market has been featured in ways that celebrate its remarkable history, craftsmanship, and enduring place in the community.
From the sawdust-covered floors to the walls lined with decades of memorabilia, every corner of Drier’s tells a story. Over the years, visitors have included Carl Sandburg, Larry Hagman, Roger Ebert, Mayor Richard J. Daley, and the Hormel family, all drawn by Drier’s famous hams, sausages, and ring baloney.
Larry Hagman’s signed Dallas script and iconic hat still hang in the market today, while Carl Sandburg even penned a poem celebrating Ed Drier’s legendary “baloney.” It’s these stories, along with countless memories, that make every visit to Drier’s an experience unlike any other.
Whether you’re stopping in for your favorite smoked meats or discovering Drier’s for the first time, we’d love to welcome you to our historic market in Three Oaks.
