Say Goodbye to Sausage Menagerie OP Wurst; Olympia Provisions Public House Is Taking Over

Charcuterie and culinary behemoth Olympia Provisions is a beast with many heads — It’s a salumeria, a butcher, a caterer, a brunch mainstay, a hot dog cart and restaurant. That last one, however, is about to change a bit: OP Wurst, the company’s small string of sausage spots, will loosen up on the wiener shtick and change its name to Olympia Provisions Public House. “For the past two years, customers have frequently asked us: ‘who makes your sausage?’” the press release reads. “The question was confusing at first but it has slowly dawned on us that omitting the punctuation from the acronym OP had separated our Wurst locations from the Olympia Provisions name and brand.” Charcuterie champion and OP owner Elias Cairo started to scheme, picturing a new restaurant with a stronger Alpine influence. Olympia Provisions Public House, when it begins to take over the OP Wurst locations in May, will lean in the direction of Switzerland, with items like wiener schnitzel wrapped in Landrauchschinken (Swiss country ham), chicken goulash, and beer-battered trout.

The current menu at OP Wurst features various sausages: bratwurst with grain mustard and sauerkraut, a frankfurter drenched in mushroom gravy and cheese curds, a French garlic sausage with Brussels sprouts and lardons. The menu will still have a selection of sausage, but the restaurants will expand its variety of Olympia Provisions meats, on charcuterie boards and in chef Victor Deras’ new dishes. For instance, the Sauerbraten sandwich, named after the German pot roast, will have a smattering of grilled spicy onions and rhubarb relish. For those still attached to the original menu, the Alpine Platter will stay; it includes a choice of sausage with potato salad and sauerkraut. The charcuterie board will be far more Alpine in nature, with rye bread and grain mustard.

The beer list is also getting a refresh: Portland’s German-heavy brewery Rosenstadt will cover many of the taps at the Division Street location, with seven German-style lagers. The Pine Street Market location will have one rotating Rosenstadt on tap, as well as an Oregon City Brewing beer.

The changes begin May 1 at Division Street, with the other restaurants transitioning throughout May. Dishes to get before OP Wurst closes include the Frito Pie dog and the Mac and Cheese dog.

• OP Wurst [Official]
• Olympia Provisions [Official]
• All Olympia Provisions coverage [EPDX]