WARRENSBURG - When I stopped by Oscar’s Smokehouse late in the day on the Tuesday after Labor Day, the place was practically empty - the butchers behind the counter outnumbered the customers. I was told to enjoy the quiet because on most days, especially weekends and around the holidays, the place is packed. During the weekend before my Tuesday visit, the line had been steady and long as folks stocked up on barbecue favorites like ribs, burgers, kielbasa, and more to celebrate the unofficial end of summer.
The self-serve section of Oscar’s is chock full of bacon, sausage, cheese, ham and much, much more.
Indeed, the store’s layout seems designed to accommodate throngs. The 9,000-square-foot facility, which is perched on a hill above Route 9, literally rose out of the ashes after a catastrophic fire that occurred on another Labor Day weekend back in 2009. Less than 6 months later, the family had rebuilt a bigger and more environmentally friendly building, and the smokehouse’s popularity has only been growing ever since.
Stop in for Some of the Best Meats in the Adirondacks
The store was empty on my weekday visit, but don’t be surprised if you’re in a line back to here.
Located just a few miles off I-87 not far from Lake George, Oscar’s is a must-visit for anyone who likes meat. To the left upon entering the giant store you’ll find a row of refrigerators loaded with self-serve, pre-packed provisions, such as bacon (10 varieties), at least two dozen different sausages, hams, cheeses, and more.
Between these fridges and the full-service butcher counter to the far right of the long building, there’s a mostly empty corridor-like space save for the spices, rubs, and sauces that line the wall. The space culminates in a stop sign as well as stanchions set up to help with crowd control.
The butcher counter is filled with both smoked meats and raw, unsmoked items like cut-to-order steaks, burgers, whole chickens, and much more. In addition to familar meats and cuts like pork ribs, chicken wings, turkey, lamb, and ham, you can find items like smoked chicken skin, scrapple, and snacks made from buffalo, elk, and deer
There’s also a deli counter featuring all kinds of cold cuts. Just don’t expect to be able to order a sandwich. The friendly staff will slice as much meat as you want, but they won’t put it on a roll or between two slices of bread.
But Oscar’s is not just meat: They’re also known for their cheeses (smoked and not smoked and also spreads), their spice rubs, and their More Than Mustard Sauce. There’s also house-made sweets like cookies, pies, and quickbreads to tempt you as well as branded merchandise in case you want to model an Oscar’s Smokehouse sweatshirt.
When a fire took founder Oscar Quintal’s first smokehouse in 1945, he rebuilt his business in its present location. After a second fire in 2009, the family built a bigger, more modern facility that echoes the look of the original.
If there are any complaints about Oscar’s it’s that it’s become too popular with long lines full of tourists. That’s thanks in part to Rachel Ray, the Food Network celebrity who grew up in the Lake George area. She’s repeatedly touted Oscar’s as a local favorite, specifically calling out their smoked leg of lamb, bacon, and smoked cheese.
In fact, you can currently order those three things together via Oscar’s online store, where it’s marketed as “Rachael Ray’s Fav Gift Box” and sells for $65.95 plus shipping.
Speaking of, their online store is a great way for folks beyond the Blueline to get their products. Just be sure to order early before the holidays to ensure that that smoked turkey ($59.95 for a whole 9-pound bird plus shipping) or the gift of a Breakfast Lover’s Box (pancake mix, bacon, sausage, and omaple syrup for $42.95) arrives on time. (Note that they don’t ship during the hot summer months.)
On my visit to the actual store, with the place practically to myself, I picked up a few of their best-selling items, some bacon, a couple pork chops, a package of chicken-jalapeno sausage, a cheddar horseradish cheese spread, and that famous mustard.
The bacon was tasty if a bit mild tasting but that was likely on me as I chose the applewood-smoked variety instead of the stronger hickory-smoked. We enjoyed the cheese spread, and the sausage was super juicy with a lovely jolt of heat from the chile.
Oscar’s used to make sandwiches but suspended the program during the pandemic and never looked back, preferring to focus on their core business and provide you with the excellent fixings to make your own.
Though I liked the pork chops, I was a tad surprised by them as they were different from pork chops I’ve smoked myself or have had at a restaurant. Though tender, their color (pink), flavor (a tad salty), and their texture (a bit shreddy) called to mind smoked ham more than pork chop, perhaps because the chops are brined before smoking.
We did like them, however, and they would go amazingly well with that More Than Mustard sauce, which is both sinus-clearingly hot yet super sweet, a combo that keeps your taste buds engaged and intrigued. Made with mustard flour as well as eggs and milk, it’s thick and almost sticky, and I can’t wait to try it with more foods.
I may even use that mustard on a sandwich - albeit one I’ll have to make myself.
GOOD TO KNOW
Oscar’s Smokehouse is open seven days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Their products are featured on many local restaurant menus and are distributed to a select number of New York state retailers outside the ADK from New Paltz to Potsdam.
There are public bathrooms in the Warrensburg store.
October 2026