About Us

El-Rey Cooked Meats: Crafting Quality & Excellence Since 1931

What We Do

For over 90 years, El-Rey Cooked Meats has been a trusted leader in the meat industry, delivering premium sous vide and kettle-cooked products that stand out for their quality and flavor. Our small-batch approach ensures every product is crafted with care, using time-tested recipes that have been passed down through generations.

Whether it’s for foodservice, retail, or co-packing, we’re dedicated to maintaining the highest standards while offering exceptional customer support. Every bite reflects the craftsmanship and commitment that define the El-Rey difference, a hometown legacy of excellence.

Today, Joseph R. Frisella continues to uphold this legacy, proudly leading the company his father helped create. With over four decades of commitment to quality, he’s joined by his cousin, Dominic Frisella, as Chief Operating Officer, ensuring that the traditions of family, flavor, and craftsmanship remain at the heart of everything we do.

How Long We’ve Been Doing It

The story of El Rey Meat Company begins with the legacy of General Meat Company, founded in 1931 by Irving J. Reinhardt in the heart of St. Louis. As a family-owned beef slaughtering facility, General Meat quickly became known for its chili and sliced beef with gravy, produced under the now-iconic El Rey brand. For 37 years, the company operated from its original location on North Broadway before moving to the historic Butchertown District.

However, by the late 1960s, with the decline of local beef slaughtering in St. Louis, General Meat was forced to close. But from this challenge came an opportunity—El Rey Meat Company was born in 1968, a partnership between Irving’s brother Hadley Reinhardt and Joseph A. Frisella. Committed to preserving the family’s time-honored recipes from the 1930s, they established El Rey at 6190 Bermuda Drive in Ferguson, MO.