Regional sausage favorites can be found all over the United States. Wisconsin has bratwursts, and Louisiana has the Andouille. In central Nebraska, it was the Wahoo Wiener. Produced out of the OK Meat Market in the town of Wahoo, the Wahoo Wiener had a 50-plus year run as one of the area’s favorite sausages. Unfortunately for the residents of Wahoo and the surrounding area, the Wahoo Wiener ceased production when the OK Meat Market was sold in the early 1980s, and the new owners didn’t buy the cherished recipe.
The Wiener’s improbably comeback started when a new owner acquired Wahoo Locker, a small plant with great location. Charlie Emswiler grew up in Iowa and, at an early age, started helping some friends run a custom poultry plant. He later moved to Brainard, Neb. to operate a small locker plant. He gained a red meat education from the former owners and operated that location for several years, when he was approached with an offer to buy the Wahoo Locker plant.