Eighty years of making sausage the right way —
Pittsburgh's press noticed a long time ago.
From public television to local radio, Ricci's Italian Sausage has been a fixture in Pittsburgh food media for decades. Ernie Ricci — the self-proclaimed Sausage Prince of McKees Rocks — has told the story of his grandmother's secret recipe more times than he can count. Here are some of our favorites.
"Ernie Ricci, the Sausage Prince of McKees Rocks, tells the tale of his grandmother's secret recipes and the USDA federal inspection process. Everyone knows it's that extra family touch that makes it so delicious."— YaJagoff, Pittsburgh
A special thank you to Joe Caliguire for serving Ricci's Italian Sausage to Pat McAfee and the ESPN GameDay crew when they came to Pittsburgh.
Who are those guys eating pasta, meatballs, and sausage with Joe and Dean Caliguire? Just the biggest show in college football. No big deal.
A celebration of interesting places in the Greater Pittsburgh area where you can find meat — farms, butcher shops, restaurants, and small family sausage shops like ours. Ricci's was featured as part of WQED's NEBBY series, funded by a Kickstarter campaign in 2017. "Meat Pittsburgh" is the second program in the series — a love letter to Pittsburgh's meat culture, and we were proud to be a part of it.
Watch on YouTube →
We got in the kitchen with the YaJagoff crew and made meatballs, sausage rolls — and then ate all of it. Ernie Ricci, the Sausage Prince of McKees Rocks, tells the tale of his grandmother's secret recipes and what the USDA federal inspection process actually looks like from the inside.
Watch on YouTube →
Another look inside Ricci's Italian Sausage, 500 Pine Hollow Road, McKees Rocks. Eighty years of the same recipe. The same facility. The same commitment to quality that Pittsburgh families have relied on since 1945.
Watch on YouTube →A USDA inspector has walked our floor every day since.
A national nod for the kind of family shop that never changed the recipe.
For the way Ricci's has shown up for the Italian-American community in Pittsburgh — on weekdays, on Sundays, and for every big family table in between.
For media features, interview requests, or product samples, reach us directly. We're always happy to tell the Ricci story.
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