O'Brien's Farm Fresh Meats & Smokehouse - In the Press
Out To Eat: Great dishes, drinks and people
By Andrew Z. Galarneau
Published: Buffalo Gusto, April 20, 2012
Dining Out for a Cause
On Tuesday, diners will have a chance to give to charity by doing what comes naturally: eating. Dining Out for Life, in its 10th year, has harnessed the goodwill of restaurant owners to raise money to help treat people with HIV and AIDS. Participating restaurants donate 25 percent or more of food bills to programs and services provided by Evergreen Health Services (formerly AIDS Community Services).
The list of more than 80 participating restaurants is available at www.diningoutforlife.com/westernnewyork, and includes several new places such as O'Brien's Farm Fresh Meats & Smokehouse (32 Main St., Hamburg, 646-6328), open for about 18 months. O'Brien's has started to draw a following for its dry-aged, locally raised steaks, which customers can select themselves before they're cooked to order.
"I love giving back to people and the community," said owner Yvette O'Brien. "I think it's a great event."
By Andrew Z. Galarneau
Published: Buffalo Gusto, April 20, 2012
Dining Out for a Cause
On Tuesday, diners will have a chance to give to charity by doing what comes naturally: eating. Dining Out for Life, in its 10th year, has harnessed the goodwill of restaurant owners to raise money to help treat people with HIV and AIDS. Participating restaurants donate 25 percent or more of food bills to programs and services provided by Evergreen Health Services (formerly AIDS Community Services).
The list of more than 80 participating restaurants is available at www.diningoutforlife.com/westernnewyork, and includes several new places such as O'Brien's Farm Fresh Meats & Smokehouse (32 Main St., Hamburg, 646-6328), open for about 18 months. O'Brien's has started to draw a following for its dry-aged, locally raised steaks, which customers can select themselves before they're cooked to order.
"I love giving back to people and the community," said owner Yvette O'Brien. "I think it's a great event."
Nickel City Chef: March 25, 2012
Chef Adam Goetz of Sample vs. Chef Christopher Daigler of Encore
Secret Ingredient: Local Beef from O'Brien's Meats & Smokehouse
~ Dry-Aged Ribeye ~ Ground Beef ~ Appalachian Beef Jerky ~
Chef Adam Goetz of Sample vs. Chef Christopher Daigler of Encore
Secret Ingredient: Local Beef from O'Brien's Meats & Smokehouse
~ Dry-Aged Ribeye ~ Ground Beef ~ Appalachian Beef Jerky ~
Our Award Winning Soup
Buffalo has voted!
Chef Mike Tolsen's Beef Barley Soup won the "Best Barley" award at the
2012 Buffalo Soup-Fest
Chef Mike Tolsen's Beef Barley Soup won the "Best Barley" award at the
2012 Buffalo Soup-Fest
Spotlight on Dining
October 2011
O'Brien's Farm Fresh Meats & Smokehouse
Published: 10-6-2011
"The food quality was very good. We had grilled shrimp with peach bourbon glaze-very tasty and cooked to perfection. We also had a butcher burger, the blu burger, which was delicious and a good portion. We would buy it to take home. The Porterhouse steak was delicious and made the way it was ordered. The sweet potato mashed had a unique flavor and was very good if you like sweet potatoes. The German potato salad was very good homemade salad and the coleslaw was great. We would describe the overall food value as very good. The pricing was reasonable and average for the quality. The service and staff were excellent. The waiter was very attentive and very nice. What we particularly enjoyed was how you could choose your steak and that they make it for you. The service was good. Overall, the experience was a different atmosphere sitting in a deli like setting. The service was good and the food was great. We would go back again. We would give the restaurant 4 out of 5 Sun's."
October 2011
O'Brien's Farm Fresh Meats & Smokehouse
Published: 10-6-2011
"The food quality was very good. We had grilled shrimp with peach bourbon glaze-very tasty and cooked to perfection. We also had a butcher burger, the blu burger, which was delicious and a good portion. We would buy it to take home. The Porterhouse steak was delicious and made the way it was ordered. The sweet potato mashed had a unique flavor and was very good if you like sweet potatoes. The German potato salad was very good homemade salad and the coleslaw was great. We would describe the overall food value as very good. The pricing was reasonable and average for the quality. The service and staff were excellent. The waiter was very attentive and very nice. What we particularly enjoyed was how you could choose your steak and that they make it for you. The service was good. Overall, the experience was a different atmosphere sitting in a deli like setting. The service was good and the food was great. We would go back again. We would give the restaurant 4 out of 5 Sun's."
Senator Kennedy's Small Business Spotlight: O'Brien's Farm Fresh Meats and Smokehouse
Fast Facts:
-Business name: O'Brien's Farm Fresh Meats & Smokehouse
-Owned by: Patrick & Yvette O'Brien
-Website: www.obriensmeats.com -Address: 32 Main St. Hamburg, N.Y. 14075
-Phone: (716) 646-6328
-Business history: December 2010; July 2006
-Customer favorite: Beef jerky, oven-roasted roast beef sandwich
-Advice for businesses: "Make sure you are committed and you work hard."
Dreams can come true. Just ask Yvette O'Brien, owner of O'Brien's Farm Fresh Meats and Smokehouse.
Wanting to own her own restaurant since she was 19 years old, Yvette finally made her dream happen when she was 40 with the grand opening of O'Brien's Pub in July 2006. Yvette and her husband, Patrick O'Brien, have been in the feed mill business for 25 years. When the O'Brien's opened up their own restaurant they wanted to sell local farm-raised beef. The O'Brien's get their all-natural and hormone-free meat from a farm in North Collins. After the remarkable feedback they received from their customers, they decided to sell their products at the Hamburg farmers' market. With an even greater positive response at the farmers' market, the O'Brien's decided to open their own smokehouse.
"People absolutely love to know where their food is coming from," Yvette said.
All-natural, home-grown
O'Brien's Farm Fresh Meats and Smokehouse opened in the village of Hamburg on December 22, 2010, and it has already come a long way. They sell many different products - Yvette's favorites being the smoked salmon, smoked cheeses and the chicken-feta-spinach sausage. Yvette said her customers love their five different kinds of jerky: hillbilly, Appalachian, BBQ, turkey teriyaki or teriyaki.
"The extremely good quality of our food and our competitive prices makes us stand out from others," said Yvette. O'Brien's smokehouse offers all-natural beef products, daily lunch specials, homemade soups, a variety of smoked cheeses, fish, sausage and turkey, as well as other meats like pork and chicken. They also offer Friday night dinners and will soon be expanding their dinner menu for Thursdays and Saturdays.
Giving back
Yvette says the thing she loves most about her customers is the "family feel".
"We get a lot of regulars and people who live in the village. Everyone is very community-orientated".
Not only are their customers community-orientated, but the O'Brien's are extremely involved in the community as well. Yvette is a board member of the Boys and Girls Club of Eden, a member of the Eden Foundation, a member of the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Village Business Advisory Council of Hamburg, and her husband, Pat O'Brien is the president of the Eden Chamber of Commerce.
"I love getting involved and giving back," Yvette said.
Word spreading fast
Although the smokehouse sees familiar faces, Yvette says a lot of out-of-towners have been making their way to the smokehouse to see what they have to offer.
"People from West Seneca, Clarence, Cheektowaga, et cetera have been coming in," Yvette said. "It's been wonderful."
Yvette loves owning her own business.
"I love the freedom of putting ideas into action, the flexibility and working with our employees. We have a lot of team spirit," she said.
Connecting with customers
Her favorite part about her business is connecting with her customers.
"I love the people, and I love telling them about our products and how to prepare them."
It seems the only small bump in the road for Yvette was getting the building finished.
"Everyone was wonderful in helping us get this up and running," Yvette said, "but it took longer than we wanted."
One of her biggest priorities right now is finishing the outside of the building.
"It looks like we are under construction," Yvette said. "I feel some customers think we are not open when we really are open."
The future
Yvette has future plans in store for the recently opened smokehouse.
One goal is to start selling other local farm-raised meat such as chicken and pork. Another goal is to expand.
"We own three store fronts and two are currently vacant," Yvette said. "Right now we are not sure if we are going to expand or rent them out."
With plans are in the works, Yvette sees her business "flourishing" in ten years.
"My daughter has been getting involved and I would love to keep it family owned," she said.
Advice for other business owners
Opening up O'Brien's Pub and the smokehouse wasn't easy for Yvette and her husband.
"You should surround yourself around good people," Yvette said. "We hired people who were very familiar with the business, and we hired a professional butcher."
Although she has only been her own boss for a handful of years, she does have advice for others who may be looking into opening up their own business.
"Make sure you are committed and you work hard," Yvette said.
Yvette and Patrick O'Brien do exactly that - and that is why their businesses have found such success.
Fast Facts:
-Business name: O'Brien's Farm Fresh Meats & Smokehouse
-Owned by: Patrick & Yvette O'Brien
-Website: www.obriensmeats.com -Address: 32 Main St. Hamburg, N.Y. 14075
-Phone: (716) 646-6328
-Business history: December 2010; July 2006
-Customer favorite: Beef jerky, oven-roasted roast beef sandwich
-Advice for businesses: "Make sure you are committed and you work hard."
Dreams can come true. Just ask Yvette O'Brien, owner of O'Brien's Farm Fresh Meats and Smokehouse.
Wanting to own her own restaurant since she was 19 years old, Yvette finally made her dream happen when she was 40 with the grand opening of O'Brien's Pub in July 2006. Yvette and her husband, Patrick O'Brien, have been in the feed mill business for 25 years. When the O'Brien's opened up their own restaurant they wanted to sell local farm-raised beef. The O'Brien's get their all-natural and hormone-free meat from a farm in North Collins. After the remarkable feedback they received from their customers, they decided to sell their products at the Hamburg farmers' market. With an even greater positive response at the farmers' market, the O'Brien's decided to open their own smokehouse.
"People absolutely love to know where their food is coming from," Yvette said.
All-natural, home-grown
O'Brien's Farm Fresh Meats and Smokehouse opened in the village of Hamburg on December 22, 2010, and it has already come a long way. They sell many different products - Yvette's favorites being the smoked salmon, smoked cheeses and the chicken-feta-spinach sausage. Yvette said her customers love their five different kinds of jerky: hillbilly, Appalachian, BBQ, turkey teriyaki or teriyaki.
"The extremely good quality of our food and our competitive prices makes us stand out from others," said Yvette. O'Brien's smokehouse offers all-natural beef products, daily lunch specials, homemade soups, a variety of smoked cheeses, fish, sausage and turkey, as well as other meats like pork and chicken. They also offer Friday night dinners and will soon be expanding their dinner menu for Thursdays and Saturdays.
Giving back
Yvette says the thing she loves most about her customers is the "family feel".
"We get a lot of regulars and people who live in the village. Everyone is very community-orientated".
Not only are their customers community-orientated, but the O'Brien's are extremely involved in the community as well. Yvette is a board member of the Boys and Girls Club of Eden, a member of the Eden Foundation, a member of the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Village Business Advisory Council of Hamburg, and her husband, Pat O'Brien is the president of the Eden Chamber of Commerce.
"I love getting involved and giving back," Yvette said.
Word spreading fast
Although the smokehouse sees familiar faces, Yvette says a lot of out-of-towners have been making their way to the smokehouse to see what they have to offer.
"People from West Seneca, Clarence, Cheektowaga, et cetera have been coming in," Yvette said. "It's been wonderful."
Yvette loves owning her own business.
"I love the freedom of putting ideas into action, the flexibility and working with our employees. We have a lot of team spirit," she said.
Connecting with customers
Her favorite part about her business is connecting with her customers.
"I love the people, and I love telling them about our products and how to prepare them."
It seems the only small bump in the road for Yvette was getting the building finished.
"Everyone was wonderful in helping us get this up and running," Yvette said, "but it took longer than we wanted."
One of her biggest priorities right now is finishing the outside of the building.
"It looks like we are under construction," Yvette said. "I feel some customers think we are not open when we really are open."
The future
Yvette has future plans in store for the recently opened smokehouse.
One goal is to start selling other local farm-raised meat such as chicken and pork. Another goal is to expand.
"We own three store fronts and two are currently vacant," Yvette said. "Right now we are not sure if we are going to expand or rent them out."
With plans are in the works, Yvette sees her business "flourishing" in ten years.
"My daughter has been getting involved and I would love to keep it family owned," she said.
Advice for other business owners
Opening up O'Brien's Pub and the smokehouse wasn't easy for Yvette and her husband.
"You should surround yourself around good people," Yvette said. "We hired people who were very familiar with the business, and we hired a professional butcher."
Although she has only been her own boss for a handful of years, she does have advice for others who may be looking into opening up their own business.
"Make sure you are committed and you work hard," Yvette said.
Yvette and Patrick O'Brien do exactly that - and that is why their businesses have found such success.
O'Briens' New Business Offers Fresh, Local Products
Published: 01-27-2011
By: CATHERINE COLMERAUER
Sun Reporter
When customers walk into the newly opened O'Brien's Farm Fresh Meats and Smokehouse in the Village of Hamburg, they might feel as if they've entered a rustic farmhouse.
Tin signs and mason jars line the shelves alongside crates bursting with fresh potatoes and onions. Above the entryway hangs a fan of weathered doors taken from an old barn in Eden. Soon, owners Patrick and Yvette O'Brien plan to adorn the walls with photographs of local farms.
Clearly, agrarian life is important to the O'Briens, who show their support of local farms not just through decoration, but through the products that they provide.
All of the beef that O'Brien's Farm Fresh Meats and Smokehouse carries is raised and corn-fed in North Collins. The O'Briens have the satisfaction in knowing exactly what their cows are being fed because they manufacture the corn feed.
The O'Briens own a feed mill in Geneva and have been in the grain business for 25 years.
"We've been associated with farmers for a long time," said Patrick.
In addition to the feed mill and the smokehouse, the O'Briens also own a restaurant, O'Brien's Pub and Steakhouse in Eden, which the couple opened in 2006.
It was at the restaurant where they became in tune with customers' desire to have locally raised beef. So last summer, the O'Briens packed up their beef product and set up shop at the Hamburg Farmers' Market in the heart of the village. The positive response they received for their beef was "resounding," Yvette remembered. It was there that the idea for the meat and smokehouse was then born.
The O'Briens' new business carries beef, chicken, fish and pork. Their smoked line includes beef jerky, beef sticks and summer sausage, as well as white fish and salmon. Although currently only the store's beef product is locally raised, the O'Briens are actively working towards carrying more locally raised meat.
"It is encouraging to see how concerned people are in knowing where their food is coming from," said Patrick. "It's as it should be."
Fred Fijas, the in-house butcher, is available to answer customers' questions about what cuts of meat to buy and the best way to prepare them. Previously, Fijas worked as a butcher for a corporation as well as a bartender at the O'Briens' restaurant. It was always Fijas' dream to make his own smoked meats and sausages. O'Brien's Farm Fresh Meats and Smokehouse was able to make that dream come true. The O'Briens noted that Fijas' sausage contains no MSG or preservatives.
The store also has a prepared food section that features homemade soups, including a gluten-free soup of the day. They also carry gluten-free biscuits and pizza crust.
"Mothers are so busy these days and don't have time to cook," said Yvette. "They can come here and bring home a nutritious, hot meal for their family."
To complete the meal, the store also sells homemade desserts.
However, ordering a meal to go is only an option, not a requirement, as the store contains a cafe-like area which is perfect for sitting down to eat while catching up with friends.
"We want this to be a meeting place as well," Patrick said.
The O'Briens hope to obtain an alcohol license in the next few months, which will allow them to serve wine with platters of the specialty cheeses and fresh produce that they carry.
Yvette also talked about using the cafe area as a place for local farmers to give talks and educate consumers on agriculture and the benefits of naturally-grown food.
As far as any other future plans, Yvette said that they will take it "one step at a time." It is more important to her to listen to customers' needs and see what they want first.
She and Patrick noted that throughout the process of opening a new business, the village officials and building inspectors of Hamburg were agreeable and accommodating.
"They did everything they could to get us open," Patrick said.
The O'Briens are pleased to have their newest business located at 32 Main St. in Hamburg, and urge residents to shop local not just for their meat, but whenever possible.
"Shopping local helps make our community what it is," Patrick said.
O'Brien's Farm Fresh Meats and Smokehouse is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 646-6328
Published: 01-27-2011
By: CATHERINE COLMERAUER
Sun Reporter
When customers walk into the newly opened O'Brien's Farm Fresh Meats and Smokehouse in the Village of Hamburg, they might feel as if they've entered a rustic farmhouse.
Tin signs and mason jars line the shelves alongside crates bursting with fresh potatoes and onions. Above the entryway hangs a fan of weathered doors taken from an old barn in Eden. Soon, owners Patrick and Yvette O'Brien plan to adorn the walls with photographs of local farms.
Clearly, agrarian life is important to the O'Briens, who show their support of local farms not just through decoration, but through the products that they provide.
All of the beef that O'Brien's Farm Fresh Meats and Smokehouse carries is raised and corn-fed in North Collins. The O'Briens have the satisfaction in knowing exactly what their cows are being fed because they manufacture the corn feed.
The O'Briens own a feed mill in Geneva and have been in the grain business for 25 years.
"We've been associated with farmers for a long time," said Patrick.
In addition to the feed mill and the smokehouse, the O'Briens also own a restaurant, O'Brien's Pub and Steakhouse in Eden, which the couple opened in 2006.
It was at the restaurant where they became in tune with customers' desire to have locally raised beef. So last summer, the O'Briens packed up their beef product and set up shop at the Hamburg Farmers' Market in the heart of the village. The positive response they received for their beef was "resounding," Yvette remembered. It was there that the idea for the meat and smokehouse was then born.
The O'Briens' new business carries beef, chicken, fish and pork. Their smoked line includes beef jerky, beef sticks and summer sausage, as well as white fish and salmon. Although currently only the store's beef product is locally raised, the O'Briens are actively working towards carrying more locally raised meat.
"It is encouraging to see how concerned people are in knowing where their food is coming from," said Patrick. "It's as it should be."
Fred Fijas, the in-house butcher, is available to answer customers' questions about what cuts of meat to buy and the best way to prepare them. Previously, Fijas worked as a butcher for a corporation as well as a bartender at the O'Briens' restaurant. It was always Fijas' dream to make his own smoked meats and sausages. O'Brien's Farm Fresh Meats and Smokehouse was able to make that dream come true. The O'Briens noted that Fijas' sausage contains no MSG or preservatives.
The store also has a prepared food section that features homemade soups, including a gluten-free soup of the day. They also carry gluten-free biscuits and pizza crust.
"Mothers are so busy these days and don't have time to cook," said Yvette. "They can come here and bring home a nutritious, hot meal for their family."
To complete the meal, the store also sells homemade desserts.
However, ordering a meal to go is only an option, not a requirement, as the store contains a cafe-like area which is perfect for sitting down to eat while catching up with friends.
"We want this to be a meeting place as well," Patrick said.
The O'Briens hope to obtain an alcohol license in the next few months, which will allow them to serve wine with platters of the specialty cheeses and fresh produce that they carry.
Yvette also talked about using the cafe area as a place for local farmers to give talks and educate consumers on agriculture and the benefits of naturally-grown food.
As far as any other future plans, Yvette said that they will take it "one step at a time." It is more important to her to listen to customers' needs and see what they want first.
She and Patrick noted that throughout the process of opening a new business, the village officials and building inspectors of Hamburg were agreeable and accommodating.
"They did everything they could to get us open," Patrick said.
The O'Briens are pleased to have their newest business located at 32 Main St. in Hamburg, and urge residents to shop local not just for their meat, but whenever possible.
"Shopping local helps make our community what it is," Patrick said.
O'Brien's Farm Fresh Meats and Smokehouse is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 646-6328