Glier’s Goetta

Gliers goetta is fine, but reading these breathlessly glowing reviews makes me miss the old days, when every butcher shop had its own recipe: some were oniony, some peppery, some fatty and others leaner. Gliers is so… predictable, consistent, ubiquitous and meh. It’s like the giant that just squashed everybody else. Why? Not because they’re mean! (Every business has to make the most it can) but because Cincinnatians didn’t appreciate and nourish its diversity in goetta… just as it didn’t with diners, dress shops, or bakeries. Eckerlin’s Stehlin’s, Finke’s, and Avril’s all have excellent homemade goetta, but if we don’t support these gems, we’re going to lose them… just as we’ve lost so many independent chili parlors to the two giants, Gold Star and Skyline.
And don’t get me started on why no makes this from scratch anymore! Do you guys even know a round tube is NOT the shape nature intended? It’s spozed to come out of a loaf pan, sliced.
Sorry…I had to vent. Reading all those 5 star reviews without a single nay-​sayer, for a product of average quality, made realize how few goettas Unilocalers have actually tried. And that made me sad. «Goetta» and «Gliers» are no more synonymous than «hamburger» and «McDonalds»

Mmm if it’s not Glier’s goetta, don’t eat it. None of the other brands are even worth wasting your time with. Sure, you’ll save a couple bucks buying «Queen City», but you’ll end up disappointed. There is nothing better than eggs over medium mashed up with some crispy Glier’s goetta on top of toast.

Ah, goetta; Cincinnati’s caviar.
Glier’s produces around 450 tons of goetta annually, 99% of which is consumed in the Queen City. It is most popular as a breakfast meat, but can also be used as hot dogs, burgers, meatballs, on pizza, and to top off nachos.
While it’s not quite a sausage, the consistency of goetta remains a mystery to most of those who consume it’s meaty goodness. The main difference separating goetta from pork sausages is it’s ingredients: equal parts pork and beef filled with steel cut oats, seasoned with bay leaves, rosemary, salt, pepper, and thyme. It’s also healthier than traditional sausage as goetta contains less fat.
The origin of goetta is of German-​American heritage. It began as a peasant dish in the 1800s meant to stretch out servings of meat over several meals to save money. Glier’s is the flagship goetta producer in Greater Cincinnati. With butcher shop roots in the city since 1925, Glier’s began manufacturing goetta in 1961. Today, you can find this savory meat served in restaurants and both local and national grocery stores across the MidWest.
Colonial Cottage is one of my favorite places to enjoy Glier’s Goetta, with creative dishes like goetta grilled cheese, goetta omelettes, goetta nachos, and even goetta desserts!
If you’ve gotta get goetta, go for Glier’s!

The most delicious thing to come from Germany… I can’t say enough great things about Glier’s. Delicious!
Not for those watching their calorie intake though, haha.
If you haven’t tried it, you’re missing out. I’ve made goetta, had it made for me, and nothing compares to Glier’s — ever.
Glier’s Goetta makes my heart sing :)

Delicious pork and beef with onions spices and nutritious oats wonderfully ground into a breakfast product that can be compared to a number of regional delicacies. I’ve heard comparisions to scrapple, boudin, and the unfortunately named liver mush. I haven’t tried these ingredient-​alikes but if they are anything like goetta they have to be pretty decent.
As far as goetta goes, the largest and most delicious producer of goetta is Glier’s Meats. If you are eating goetta at many of the local restaurants you are most likely eating Glier’s. I have tried many different brands of goetta but have had none that was as good and as consistently available as Glier’s. I have had their original, turkey and hot goetta and all are excellent.
If you haven’t had goetta then what is your problem, go try some? If you haven’t tried Glier’s then go to the Anchor Grill and have a goetta omelet soon. Along with Graeters and Cincinnati Chili it is one of our local delicacies that shouldn’t be ignored, especially for anyone living here.

We drove 700 miles to Goettafest, having never tried Goetta before. We liked what we tried a lot and were pleasantly surprised by the unique texture and taste. Tried a variety of foods featuring Goetta at the festival and enjoyed every one of them, except the Goetta Goobers: greasy, deep-​fried doughnut hole like objects which, despite being described as having a subtle Goetta flavor, were only too sweet and greasy with no discernible Goetta flavor. Favorite foods we tried were the bun links with peppers and onions and the traditional slab-​style fried Goetta. Similar to scrapple in consistency and ability to fry in either a crispy or soft style, but much tastier and palatable. The more Goetta the betta!

Our city is blessed to have a myriad of cuisines that are Cincinnati staples. But as unique as Cincinnati Chili is, you can have chili in other parts of the country. And although no ice cream can match the deliciousness of Greaters, they have ice cream everywhere as well.
Goetta is different though. Goetta is 100% Cincinnati.
Supposedly it’s derived from a German recipe. I was never able to find Goetta in Germany, but I guess that’s like saying Sweet n Sour Chicken is derived from a Chinese recipe.
Goetta is difficult to describe in words, but my best shot is its ground oats, spices, and meat cooked into patties — or loose to put on top of something. It’s been compared to scrapple, but in my opinion in consistency only.
There are several brands on the market, but Glier’s is the most popular and certainly the best. The others will do if you have nothing else, but they are a bit more bland and greasy. Your best bet is to check out Goettafest in the beginning of August, as they have pretty much every Goetta concoction you never thought of. Goetta pizza? Got that. Goetta fudge? Why not, throw that in there too. Goetta ice cream? One day, mark my words, it will happen.
I should point out this is the plant where they MAKE the goetta, you cannot come here for a bite. Many local diners serve it, and you can pick it up in any major grocery store.

I grew up eating Gliers Goetta and have always loved it! My mothers fa
ily has a very German background and of all the German foods we have eaten over the years this is my favorite food! My husband had never tried Goetta and is now a huge fan as well. I have only always bought Gliers brand so can’t say if the others are as good as Gliers. I have eaten the Original, Low Fat and the Turkey and all have the same great Gliers flavor. If you are looking to try something new add this to your breakfast!
Fry some eggs along with it and mix them all together it is a flavor you will not want to go without!!!

A late-​comer to the delightful deliciousness of Glier’s Goetta, I’m now a proud convert. My grandmother used to fry up this breakfast meat, but, thinking it was another strange Old World concoction, I resisted eating it. Only later in life did I realize how much my immature palate had missed out on.
Goetta is made with beef, pork, steel-​cut oats, and spices. Typically sold in one-​pound rolls, Glier’s offers varieties like Original, Hot, Beef, and Low Fat. Tonight I tried the Low Fat roll, finding that none of the flavor had been sacrificed with the reduction of fat content. One 2 ounce patty only contains 80 calories and 2 grams of fat!
While goetta is traditionally a breakfast food (check out the Anchor Grill for a extraordinary goetta omelet), you can enjoy it in an amazing variety of recipes. To witness goetta cooking creativity at its finest, go to Glier’s Goettafest in August. Someone has actually found away to integrate goetta into a fudge recipe!