Known for “sausages of distinction,” Otto’s Sausage Kitchen is everything that’s right, good and smokin’ in PDX. And it has been for close to a century.
In 1922, Otto Eichentopf, an East German immigrant, opened Otto’s Sausage Kitchen on SE Woodstock. Still there today, this local institution has kept German sausage-making alive and well – for four generations to be exact (and a fifth on the way).
When Otto built the building he put in a smokehouse that reached two stories high.
Otto’s still uses old family sausage traditions, but has now expanded to include recipes provided by customers and friends from South America and other parts of the world. Over 40 kinds of sausage are made on site and they continue to experiment with more.
When Otto built the building, he put in a smokehouse that reached two stories high. Today, the original smokers in the kitchen look like remnants of the industrial revolution. Black cast-iron behemoths hold racks of meat smoked and drying over burnt alder.
The outside grill is fired up daily and customers sit at outdoor tables eating under a huge mural of the Alps, painted by local artist Michael Smith. He painted the mountain scenes inside as well.
Asked about carrying on their family legacy, the three sisters (Heidi, Christie and Bereka) agree on what they like best: “The food!” And the chance to work with their family every day. Otto would be oh-so proud.
BUS 75: HIDDEN PORTLAND 
Their old-fashioned hot dogs are the best!
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