A legendary Charleston butchery is back … in North Charleston.
In 1972, the late Ernest Murray Sr. opened Murray’s Links and Sausages on Cannon Street. A few years later, he moved the family-owned business to the corner of Rutledge Avenue and Strawberry Lane, where it became a fixture in what was then a predominantly Black neighborhood.
For decades, Murray’s was a butcher shop and a community hub, known for its butchered meats, animal parts, and, most famously, its signature red link sausages.
The shop relocated to Meeting Street Road, on the edge where downtown Charleston meets North Charleston. There, under the leadership of Ernest Murray Jr., the business continued to thrive until 2023, when health issues forced the family to close its doors.
A new chapter
In 2025, the Murray legacy found new life at 2000 McMillian Ave. in North Charleston. Alexus Murray-Stroble, granddaughter of the founder, has stepped forward to carry on the family’s vision.
“I helped my grandfather and father for years in high school and college,” she recalled. “They knew customers by name and how they wanted their meat cut. It really felt like a big extended family. My grandfather and father always had chips and juice for the kids, and I still keep that tradition alive today.”
For Murray-Stroble, reopening Murray’s Meats is about community. When her father passed the torch due to illness, she said felt called to honor her family’s name.
“I couldn’t even go to the corner store without people asking when we were going to reopen,” she said. “When I posted about reopening on social media, it went viral. That’s when I knew this was what I was supposed to do.”
Murray’s current offerings
The market offers a wide range of products: turkey, ham, beef, pork, chicken and now seafood, from salmon and shrimp to crab legs and whiting. But the links remain the star of the show, made from the same family recipe Ernest Sr. created decades ago. Once sold at Piggly Wiggly and other grocers, Murray-Stroble said she hopes to return them to store shelves soon.
Much of the business remains rooted in tradition, from the recipes to the hospitality, but Murray-Stroble is also making her own mark. As a licensed butcher, she works hands-on behind the counter, challenging old stereotypes.
“It feels good being a woman in this industry,” she said. “Sometimes customers ask for a man to cut their meat, and I tell them, ‘I can do it myself.’ I want people to know this isn’t just a man’s job.”
Her vision for the business stretches beyond the counter. Murray-Stroble said she hopes to expand Murray’s into multiple locations, turning it into a franchise that keeps the Murray name strong for future generations.
But at its core, Murray’s remains about family and community. It’s about legacy, the familiar taste of a red link sausage and the neighborly feel of walking into a place where your name is remembered.
“When people walk through our doors, I want them to feel like family,” Murray-Stroble said. “I want them to leave not only with good food, but with a good feeling. That’s what my grandfather built, and that’s what I’m proud to continue.”
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