Step into Lange’s Old Fashioned Meat Market, and you’re stepping back in time. The walls adorned with memorabilia tell stories spanning generations, while the aroma of freshly smoked meats welcomes you to a place where quality and tradition reign supreme.
With impersonal shopping experiences an everyday occurrence, Lange’s stands as a testament to another era where shopkeepers knew your name, quality products were made by hand, and shopping was as much about the conversation as the purchase itself.
The Man Behind the Market
Pete Lange, the owner of Lange’s Meat Market, didn’t start out in the meat business. His career began in 1982 when he graduated from Western Michigan University with a degree in criminal justice. He briefly worked for the Benton Township Police Department before receiving a life-changing phone call from his old boss at a steel company that manufactured medical devices like artificial hips. His ex-boss made him a generous offer, and it changed his career.
For ten years, Lange worked his way up to superintendent at the steel company. But despite the good salary and five weeks of vacation, something was missing. While shopping at Lighthouse Mall one day, he spotted a big house on the corner and had an epiphany.
“That’d be a good place to put a meat market,” he told his first wife, drawing on experience from his high school job. Her response? “Why don’t you check into it?” So he did—putting everything on the line, including his cars, to secure the collateral needed to build his dream.
Building a Community Institution
Lange’s Old Fashioned Meat Market opened its doors on Memorial Day 1992. It wasn’t the most auspicious beginning—it was sleeting and raining, and they took in just $432 that day. Lange went home with a stack of cards from local businesses and feared he had made a terrible mistake.
The last card he opened was from Tonn and Blank, a Michigan City construction company that built his shop. They had promised to return any unused funds from his construction quote—something his banker warned was unheard of. True to their word, the card contained a check. “My relationship with them has been very good,” Lange says. “They’re outstanding people. And it’s probably the best move I ever made as far as starting this.”
Nearly 33 years later, Lange’s has become a Michigan City institution.
More Than Meats the Eye
The market isn’t just a shop—it’s a living museum. Walking through the door, visitors are transported to another time. Historical photographs and artifacts line the walls: Lange’s great-grandparents in oval frames, family photos, military memorabilia, and even unique finds like a woman’s face on a La Porte County Fair poster from 1915 discovered behind a wall during renovations of a neighboring building (dated 1915—now 110 years old) and a newspaper announcing Abraham Lincoln’s assassination from 1865.
But perhaps the most valuable items aren’t the artifacts—they’re the relationships Lange has cultivated over three decades.
Handcrafted Quality
When it comes to the meat itself, Lange insists on quality and craftsmanship. Everything is made on-site, from prime steaks to smoked meats, homemade sausages to pastrami brined for 18-24 days before smoking.
“The prime steaks that I have here come from steers, and I don’t think you can find a better steak in the state of Indiana than what I have here,” Lange proudly states. “You may have some people argue with you, but I haven’t lost a patient yet.”
Lange’s beef jerky “kind of melts in your mouth,” rather than being overly dry, though he does offer the drier, thinner variety for those who prefer it—jokingly referred to as “shoes.”. His teriyaki sticks are so popular that they process 150 pounds in a single day.
Other specialties include hot dogs, Polish sausage, bratwurst, smoked ribs, and ham—all made in-house.
The Philosophy of Personal Connection
You won’t find prices posted at Lange’s—and that’s by design. “We don’t have any prices posted here because I wanted to get them to communicate with me so I could communicate with them,” Lange explains. It’s all part of his philosophy of building relationships with customers.
That personal touch extends to how Lange conducts business. “The more I want to learn about somebody, I just cut a little bit slower,” he reveals. “If somebody wants steaks, I want to know more about them I just slow things down a little bit.”
This approach has earned Lange a loyal customer base and friendships that span decades. When a customer came in from Indianapolis after his father’s death, Lange recognized him, remembered his father, and sent him home with a sliced ham for the family gathering at no charge.
A Link to the Past
Lange’s goal when opening the market was to “have people come in here, make everything here. And when people come in, kind of make them forget what’s going on in the world and come in here and go back to easier times.”
In many ways, he’s succeeded. The shop has expanded from making “two or three things” to 25-30 different products. More importantly, it’s become a hub where community happens—where the mailman stops in for a snack, where regular customers become friends, and where traditions are preserved.
The Future of Tradition
Running a small business like Lange’s is demanding work. “It’s the scariest thing in the world to build a place like this,” Lange admits. “I put everything on the line.” When asked if he would do it again today, the answer is a simple “No.”
Lange’s Old Fashioned Meat Market remains a cherished part of Michigan City—a place where the past lives on, where quality and craftsmanship still matter, and where a simple conversation over a meat counter can lead to a lasting friendship.
As Michigan City changes around it, Lange’s stands as a reminder of what makes small, local businesses special—the human connection that no online shopping experience can replicate. It’s a place where, as Lange puts it, “When they walk out of here, I want them to feel good.”
Lange’s offers something increasingly rare and valuable: authenticity, quality, and a genuine smile behind the counter, along with some of the best meats you’ll find anywhere in Indiana.
Lange’s Old Fashioned Meat Market is next to Lighthouse Place Premium Outlets in Michigan City, Indiana. To learn more about Lange’s Old Fashioned Meat Market, please click here.
