Plath’s Smoked Meats: a Rogers City Tradition

The Plath’s Smoked Meats story goes way back. Way back to 1913 when Emil Plath, Sr, a German immigrant, opened his small butcher shop in Rogers City and began selling sausages. I’m thinking many a homesick sailor out on the Great Lakes, and sailors shipped out of Rogers City in large numbers in those days, daydreamed about Emil’s sausages.

Plath’s is still going strong 98 years later. Their smoked pork is wonderful. We’ve also tried their hot dogs, polish sausage, bratwurst, and salami. Everything has been great. And their bacon tastes like bacon used to.

The third generation of Plaths runs the business now. Maybe it was Emil who bought the cash register. A big, big, bronze-colored, ornate cash register. With keys!  Keys, imagine that. Check out Plath’s website. But really, with a cash register like that, and such a hoot of a hot dog mascot, who needs a website anyway? Go to Rogers City and check out Plath’s in person but, at the very least, order some of their yummy smoked stuff via the web.

From Hillman to Rogers City is a pretty ride. Take your bikes with you and bike the Rogers City bike path along Lake Huron all the way to the 40th Mile Lighthouse. If your bike breaks, visit the Rogers City “BIKE SHOP” on Second Street (closed on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday). You can get your bike fixed, buy a snazzy new one, check out the selection of vintage guitars and water bottles, look through their old books and tons of what-nots, see their fence constructed of bike parts, and enjoy the shop’s special eccentricities. So go even if your bike is in good shape. Don’t miss the vintage, restored VW yellow Beetle in the backyard.

And, once you get to Plath’s, be sure to stop by The Painted Lady next door. They have everything from Polish Pottery (on the first floor) to a stuffed wolf (on the second floor). Toys, jewelry, books on local history, hand-crafts, kitchen stuff, a coffee shop, a framing store. The Painted Lady is one of the best gift shops in northeastern Michigan. Their facebook page has no photos, no discussions, no reviews, and nothing on their wall, but that’s because they are busy tending their really cute shop.

The sunrise side is not a shopping mecca.  But  there are some standouts and Rogers City has corralled a bunch of them.