If you were to wander into 800 S. 8th Street today looking for a pound of mortadella sausage, I'm afraid you'd leave empty handed.  However, snag a time machine and travel back anywhere between 1920 and 1996 and you'd be walking away with a paper wrapped parcel just in time for dinner. 

 

"Guarrera's Quality Meats" at the corner of 8th and Catharine was a family-owned Philadelphia institution for almost 80 years.  Founded by Anna Messina (1904-1992) and her husband Salvatore Guarrera (1897-1961), who came from Italy in 1913 as a teenager, the butcher shop was eventually passed down to their son, Vito Guarrera (1922-2011), who operated the shop until its closing.  Interestingly, Serena Guarrera, Salvatore's daughter and Vito's sister, who lived in the apartment above the shop, was a clothing designer trained at Moore College. 

 

Up until its closing, Guarrera's maintained a level of excellence that earned the loyalty of chefs from Philadelphia's finest dining establishments.  With our name, we pay homage to the Guarrera family and to the legacy of lives earned through diligent commitment to a craft.

 

When you visit Butcher's, we dare you not to be inspired by this bright and airy corner in the vibrant Italian market neighborhood.  The shop's original tiled walls and punched tin ceilings provide a beautiful backdrop for a busy group of makers.