Even on a non-holiday weekday afternoon this fall, the energy at the Humphrey's Market meat counter is contagious. Staff and butchers engage with customers not only behind the counter, but in the aisles, with discussions about specific cuts of meat and how they want it packaged. Such personalized attention has been repeated in thousands of interactions since 1932, the official founding year for the store at Laurel and South 15th streets.
In an era when local butcher shops and corner groceries seem like ancient history, never too far away from the butchers are reminders of Humphrey's popularity, with awards filling the wall and last year's Illinois Times' Best of 2022 Winner logo emblazoned on its weekly advertising flyer.
When Thanksgiving approaches, its fresh Illinois Amish turkeys become as popular as the cuts of beef, pork and chicken. What's always available ranges from duck, suet and cubed goat to 18 different varieties of brats, as well as lamb and veal. There is also bison, elk and alligator. If it's not there, the butchers say, just ask. Meat can be ordered and custom cut, and it often is. It's not hard to find ongoing connections between this popular meat market and area restaurants.
Back in the 1920s, Leota Smith Humphrey sold fruits and vegetables on the site occupied by the current store and called it Mrs. Humphrey's Market, while Elzie Humphrey hauled produce. That's how it began, and the store known for its produce, other groceries and deli counter as well as meat has stayed with the family for generations.
Few deserve the accolade that rises to the level of "legendary," but Humphrey's Market is one of them. It's a neighborhood market and a community asset.
