Photos: Chris Emeott
Flicker Meat Company has been a community staple since 1985.
For as long as most anyone can remember, meats have been sold on the same bustling corner of White Bear Lake. Though Flicker Meat Company has called the crossroads of County Road E East and White Bear Avenue home since 1985, before then it belonged to The Sunrise Meat Market. And The Sunrise had come long before that.
In March 2022, a new era in White Bear Avenue butchering history began when longtime owner Jeff Flicker handed the meat cleaver(s) over to then manager Jeremy Hosek. The transition was as seamless as the seal on a fresh vacuum pack. Hosek, after all, had worked at Flicker for 15 years.
Nine months later, sales are still rung on the same cash register. The same slicer Hosek was trained on sits behind the counter. And above the cash register, a piece of art in a Norman Rockwell style depicts a not-so-different transaction than those that occur on the daily.
Antiques aside, Flicker Meat Company is a flavorful local favorite. Any odd day you can find tenderloin and wagyu jerky, a Minnesota-shaped meatloaf, smoked salmon and salmon spread, jumbo shrimp and quick-thawing premium ground beef flats. “We also sell pickled pigs’ feet,” says Hosek. “Someone bought a package today.”
On Thursdays, Flicker sells fall-off-the-bone ready-to-eat ribs. The shop’s smoked brisket is the stuff of legends. And at lunchtime, Flicker sell sandwiches. The menu board has hardly needed an update over the years. “The only thing that has changed are the prices,” says Hosek.
Another thing that won’t change? In the tight-knit community of White Bear Lake, Flicker Meat Company has a history of generosity. Nearby churches and schools are frequent recipients. Food shelves have also benefited. And as the holidays approach, the Flicker staff anticipates the same flood of locals looking to serve their guests increasingly mouthwatering cuts of meat.
“It’s prime rib, tenderloin roasts, Manhattans and tomahawks,” says Hosek. “Menus keep getting fancier.”
The best customer meal photos taken over the holidays this year may find their way onto Flicker’s Wall of Flame. Though it’ll be hard to beat Flicker’s biggest brag: a 24-inch long chunk of Flicker cowboy jerky, slow cooked in 2018, that may or may not be the world’s largest piece of beef jerky ever. Yes, you can Google it.
Notes From The Butcher
What’s the best cut of steak?
Though it varies depending on the butcher and chef, Hosek lists the Hanger steak, a.k.a Butcher’s steak, as his favorite. “You get one per cow,” he says. His second favorite cut is the teres major, also known by shoulder tender or petite tender. Third is the Denver steak, a 1-inch-thick cut of marbleized deliciousness that’s best prepared by flash grilling each side for no more than 45 seconds. More, please!
Flicker Meat Company
2002 County Road E East; 651.777.2455
Facebook: Flicker Meat Company
