Ray’s Butcher Shoppe

Okay, so Ray is my next door neighbor, but his shop is outstanding! Meats, seafood, poultry, appetizers… take your pick that are all as good as you could ask. His stuffed mushroom caps and rumaki (don’t forget the special sauce) are delicacies I have tasted before, but they just don’t compare to Ray’s. They have become a staple at our home for years… our family and friends expect us to serve these treats every Christmas. I will always recommend Ray’s to everyone I know. It’s a great store… and he’s a hell of a nice guy, too!

In the day and age where actual butcher shops are far and few between, it’s nice to know that there are a few options around town. Ray’s is one of those options.
The reason I keep coming back is the beef jerky. It is the best I have ever had. So often jerky can taste artificial and have a chewy texture like bubble gum — yuck. Not at Ray’s…their’s is an awesome combination of salty, smokey and chewy. Sure its expensive, but so worth the splurge.
We have had several items from the meat case, and they have all been delicious. On my last trip, we purchased some beef short ribs that were so fresh and beautiful. They made a perfect addition to the phở I was making.
Another added bonus is that their operating hours are much more accommodating to my family’s schedule with later hours during the week and hours on Sunday.
I just finished the last of my jerky stash, so I will be back for more.

This place is amazing! Small town feel in the city. Excellent customer service. If they don’t have what you are looking for. they will get it for you… although they have always had what we were looking for. Deli items with salads. Some bakery. rolls and breads and buns. Produce and liquor and food.items.

Remember when you were a kid and you would get a piece of jerky that was like shoe leather and you loved it? That’s what theirs is like. It’s great stuff. If you If you’re looking for a quick meat fix, their beef sticks are great.

I’ve only been here once, but from my first visit there appeared to be a good selection of meats. The location is convenient and the building looks well kept both outside and in. The only downside was service. There were many people standing behind the counter, but not one of them welcomed me or asked if they could help me find what I was looking for.

Product is great but the service is terrible. When I enter I’m ignored even though there are employees around. Recently went in on a Sunday morning for ham and rolls. Asked for a pound of ham and the man turned to another male employee whom was slicing ham and said, «I’ll take a pound of blow jobs» as I stood there. After that encounter I will never return.

Ray’s Butcher Shop, home of «I can’t.»
I am a big supporter of going to local institutions whenever I can, but Ray’s will be a rare trip for me now. My last three experiences there (twice I have walked away with nothing) have been poor and all about what they are unable to do.
First strike
I needed a Leg of Lamb roast for Christmas eve. Only option that they were willing to provide, a full leg. No thanks. I went to Sendik’s in Franklin and they were more than happy to accommodate me. In fact the butcher there invited me to return anytime and told me he could fill any request.
Second Strike
I was doing a recipe from Cooks Illustrated that called for Top Loin Steak. The butcher there had no clue what I was talking about. He suggested top sirloin steak instead. A better alternative would have been New York Strip. I expect an educated butcher at an establishment like this and to be able to recommend alternatives.
Third Strike
Tonight I am doing a slow cooker brisket for my family. I drove well out of my way to go to Ray’s, since I forgot how unaccommodating they had been on the lamb and figured a three and a half pound brisket would be a reasonable request. Nope. They would sell me a 16 pound brisket or a 8 pound flap. They were completely unwilling to cut it. I have no extra space or desire to keep all this extra meat in my freezer. I went to Groppi’s Food Market in Bay View instead. No problem what so ever. He checked the back to make sure he didn’t already have an cut one and when he didn’t went straight to the vac sealed package in the case and cut me off exactly what I wanted.
I love how the website for Ray’s claims «We are a full serviced meat market» but all I have received here is sub par service. I think that the crowds I see here prior to a holiday are used to sub par service, but I am done with it. They have joined my boycott list.
Now for the pros.
There is a large meat case here with fresh and smoked products. I have never had a quality issue with anything received from here.
Alternatives
Sendik’s (equal prices)
Groppi’s (better prices)
Whole Foods (They have the nickname «Whole Paycheck» for a reason)
I am not very price sensitive when it comes to high quality meat and great customer service. It is unfortunate Ray’s is well below what I am willing to accept. I would say the quality of the meat is above average, but I’m not driving out of the way for them. I might not even stop if they were on the way.

The. Best. Butcher. Shop = Ray’s Butcher Shoppe!!!
This place reminds me of going to the butcher shop with my parents when I was a child, and even better, this place has desserts!
This is a one stop shop for the special carnivore in your life! Flank steak, ground sirloin, bacon wrapped fillets and even more mouth watering meats! Homemade jerky, seafood, and did I mention desserts? Bakeries these days cannot make a decent éclair, yet I found the ones at Ray’s Butcher Shoppe to be perfect! They also sell Rice-​a-​Roni, couscous and other boxed accompaniments, if you’re into carbs as a side dish.
If you’re in the area & looking for a butcher shop, look no further!

This is the first time I was here at rays butcher shoppe. They have an amazing selection of meats, cheese, wine and seasoning. I also forgot that they have a bakery of delicious treats. The prices seem reasonable. Had a chance to sample their beef jerky which was absolutely amazing. While standing in line enjoying my beef jerky sample I certainly bought a lot more meat items. Highly recommend this place. With the meat items I bought it’s time to smoke it… Can’t wait for dinner!!!

Poor service. Called in to verify availability. Drove across city to be told that there was not any of a particular cut and had not been all day. Manager was dismissive and immediately asked for the next customer. Save yourself time and head to Bunzel’s. That place has never disappointed.

Went here last month for the first time in about year. Prices were higher than I expected on everything, not sure if it’s the economy or what but I was surprised.
I got a NY Strip steak, it was ok but wasn’t as good as I remember & not better than Butcher Block. Due to the prices, I passed on some duck.
The rotund butcher behind the meat case seemed bothered. The place needs some updating or re-​arranging. Cashier was nice
I think I’ll try Bunzel’s next or go back to Butcher Block.

I was absolutely thrilled to discover Ray’s last week when I had a night where I wanted a good meal and didn’t want to put a lot of work into it. I was looking for some meat I could throw in a casserole dish in the oven and walk away from.
It was too late to head to Bunzel’s and another meat counter left me disappointed, so I pulled out my phone and some Unilocaling and Googling later found Ray’s.
Their meat counter/​selection is huge. Just a true smörgåsbord of options are available — I definitely paced in front of the case two or three times before settling on the the bacon wrapped pork I purchased.
I added corn and potatoes and checked out at the register — then turned around and headed back for two bacon wrapped filets (at just $ 5.99 each!) to have for dinner on the grill a few nights later.
It’s definitely a butcher shop and not a grocery store — don’t think you can one-​stop shop here — they have some sides and the barest of veggies to help you put together a meal and the wine selection is pretty big, but this doesn’t purport itself to be anything more than a place to procure meat.
Both things I bought cooked up great — I feel like I found a new gateway to great dinners and I’m excited to go back and try more things.

OK so I still feel the same as I did in my last review BUT after today’s visit, I have one thing to add. If any employee from Ray’s is reading this, PLEASE mention in the next staff meeting that wearing gloves while handling the meat is imperative! I was in there today and majority of the employees were grabbing meat bare-​handed. Blech! I had to ASK the guy helping me to use tissue paper when grabbing each piece. He obliged, but looked at me like I had 3 heads. I don’t think that is a prissy request. Dude, don’t touch my meat. Ew. I will still go back, BUT I will be watching them carefully when I order.

This review is for Ray’s fish fry, not the botcher shoppe. IMHO they have some of the best meat in the area. But that’s not where I’m going today.
Tonight the wife and I decided to get a fish fry. We don’t get out much so quality is imperative. A couple of people had recommended Rays so Rays it was. The order process was pretty easy. They were extremely helpful even after I called back the second time to add a third fish fry to my order.
The problems started when we got home with our dinner. The fish was soggy and cold. There was only one order of fries when I ordered two. The fries we did get were cold. The order was missing tarter sauce. And the finally, the stuffed green pepper soup was the blandest I’ve ever tasted. It tasted like someone just tossed some rice, hamburger and green peppers into boiling water and served it as soup.

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMeat! A good butcher shop is one of the best finds in a city, in my opinion. Just walk in and see what inspires you.
They have plenty of beef options, some pork, some good looking chickens, jerky, sausages, etc. The quality of everything we picked up was top notch!
They also have a big freezer case full of a random mix of premade foods just waiting to hop in your oven, and some seafood selections. I even found pasties!
They have wine and beer, a few produce items, a small bakery case, etc. I didn’t even glance at all that. I’ll be back again to pick up more meat piles. Woo Hoo!

Fantastic shop with a good selection of meats-​beats any supermarket meat section hands down. Clean and friendly; I have yet to meet a rude worker. Their beef jerky is AMAZING-​its worth going there just for that! Staff helpful with ideas for preparing the food and explaining cuts. Sundays they have their hot ham and roll specials, so don’t get mad when its crazy busy and you want to chit chat for 15 minutes. I’m glad I live so close to this little gem!

Fresh beef… and not much else.
I’ve been in to Ray’s many times to grab a variety of items when I don’t want to hike through a larger store. On the surface, it looks like they have a nice selection of items for a small shop. But when you take away all the window dressing, this is a butcher shop. Plain and simple. They have just enough of the other stuff to make this a quick one-​stop shop on your way home from work. And the service you get is what you would expect from people that are experts in chopping up dead animals… not so much experts in customer service.
Beef: Great selection. Always tastes very fresh.
Cheeses: Small selection, but some quality cheeses.
Sausage: An uninspiring flavor. For Milwaukee, I’d actually say it’s pretty bland.
Produce: Selection is small, but has some of the essentials.
Non-​Perishables: Generally over-​priced, but has some essentials.
Beer/​Wine: Again, the essentials with a few premium brands to select from.
Beef Jerky: Some of the best in the city. FYI — it’s peppered.
Deli Counter: Never used it, but it’s small.
Customer Service: Read on…
They’ve never been what I would call «friendly.» But they’ve also never been overtly «rude.» Most importantly, when you go to the counter, make sure you get what you ask for. Far too many times I’ve asked for something, gotten home, and found that they screwed up my order.
Once, they gave me a cut of meat I didn’t ask for. Not only that, but I found out later that I asked for something they didn’t even stock. But they thought they didn’t have to tell me, and they could just give me some sirloin to make the sale.
A couple weeks ago I got some beef jerky and they gave me twice as much as I asked for. At $ 16 a pound, and me being the ONLY person in the store, I find that unacceptable. And that was pretty much the last straw for me.
With many other options available in the area, I think I can do without Ray’s.

Overall love this place great variety of awesome meats, cheese, wine, pasta salads and desserts. Their beef jerky is to die for and they even make deli sandwiches to order.
However, beware of the evil trolls working the deli counter. I’ve never been more ridiculed for ordering something off the menu in my life! The lazy staff (one middle aged woman in particular) has actually told me that the mall food court isn’t far away and would provide more variety for my lunch break…
Although I work within walking distance and would regularly enjoy a Ray’s deli sandwich, I stopped frequenting for awhile because of these regular encounters with the deli trolls — I tried again today hoping things would get better and was disappointed.
In summary the quality of the product is superb — such a bummer that the staff is horrible!

This place smells like my childhood, somehow. Growing up in Wisconsin, I guess a weekly trip to the local butcher was the norm?
Ray’s has an enormous selection of all kinds of meat, poultry, sausage, and fish — including a pretty big selection of smoked meats.
My steak from here was wonderful and great quality — much better than the crap you can buy in the regular grocery store.
Their rolls from their bakery are also buttery and delicious.
They also have a few rows of groceries, as well as a moderately sized beer and wine section.
When I’m in town next, I’ll insist we grab our next BBQ goods from Ray’s!

Great little butcher shop. I came in for a sandwich. Everything was fresh. The kaiser roll was pulled right off the bakery rack. Service warmed up to me as the conversation went on. A little cold at first like I was bothering her. No place to sit down and eat but plenty selection of wines and dude dishes. I will return!