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    Ray's Delicatessen & Tavern

    4.5 (337 reviews)
    ModerateDelis, Pubs, Sandwiches
    Closed 11:00 am - 5:00 pm

    Ray's Delicatessen & Tavern Photos

    Business Info

    RAY'S DELICATESSEN & TAVERN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Live music
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Ray's Delicatessen & Tavern

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    Reviews With Photos

    Ruby B.

    Delicious sandwiches and great vibes! I stopped by Ray's during the Butter & Egg Days festivities in downtown Petaluma, and it was the perfect lunch spot. I highly recommend the Dimitri sandwich...so good! My boyfriend had the turkey, cranberry, and brie and loved it. Ray's is a local classic, definitely worth a visit if you haven't been!

    Keokuk and chips
    joshua l.

    It's hard to explain why these sandwiches are so good. You look under the bun and they seem straight forward, but the sandwiches just work. Maybe it's the Rays roll that makes them so good I'm not sure. However they are tasty and maybe more importantly they are consistent. Few tips call in to order for pick up if you're on a short lunch break. Also if possible sit at the bar it's great. Third if you arrive when the nearby school gets off you might have a wait.

    Liver worst sandwich.
    Lisa W.

    I forgot how much I love Ray's. I haven't been here in a while & suggested it to my friends today- everyone loved it. This is clearly a popular locals joint which is cool. The servers were all super friendly and down to earth. The prices are quite reasonable and portions substantial. I was pleased to see so many options for a vegetarian. I had the Demetri and it was fantastic. My friends shared a liver worst sandwich and raved about it. I love the funky decor-ambience here too. My friends agreed they'd definitely come back here.

    Sonia H.

    It's my first time here and I already know I'll come back again! I tried the pecan salad which is the best pecan salad I have ever had! It has generous amount of candy pecans and fresh salad. It was so good that I forgot to take a picture! There are lots of sandwich selections. Everything is served in Togo box which I thought is convenient for any leftovers to go! It's in a residential neighborhood with a bar inside. Draft beer is refreshing. You can sit in the bar or plenty of outdoor seatings. Staff is friendly and the atmosphere is interesting. Definitely give it a try if you love beer and sandwiches! Oh and salad!!!

    Argentinian Hot Dog
    Tyler A.

    I visited Ray's recently because I've heard so much about it since I started working in Petaluma a few months ago. Apparently, it's a local institution - and now I know why! On one side of the place, you can sit at a low-lit bar and indulge. On the other side, a well-lit and awesome deli that's serving up some unique stuff. The whole place is casual, wood accents, clean, friendly and feels like home. When I walked in, I was quickly greeted by a person who actually owns or runs the restaurant. She was super friendly and patient with me as I looked over the menu. Then, because I couldn't decide, she offered a few suggestions: Argentinian Hot Dog and Kryptonite sandwich. Unfortunately, I forgot to snap a pic of the sandwich, but it had chicken breast (grilled, not breaded), it was cheesy and served on great bread (I think sourdough). I recently transplanted from Jersey. So I know my sandwiches - this is a really good sandwich! I got the picture of the hot dog, but it's gourmet, layered and hard to see what's on it without taking a bite - it's delicious! I will be back, 100 more times!

    Rachel sandwich on Marble Rye -- it made me think of Seinfeld.
    David S.

    My colleagues and I had been up in Santa Rosa in the morning, so we stopped for lunch on the way to visit Walker Creek Ranch. I had done some research and proposed that we choose between Ray's and two other spots in Petaluma. The consensus was to get sandwiches, so Ray's it was. It took a little longer than I expected for the sandwiches to be ready -- two of the three of us had finished our drinks by that point. I won't fault Ray's for this, as we didn't say we were in a rush. Just be mindful if you go and don't have a lot of time. I'll give Ray's credit: each of the sandwiches contained a healthy amount of meat. There were a few things that could have been better, though. A Reuben is my go-to choice at any deli, but I ordered the Rachel for a change. There was nothing wrong with it; however, it wasn't anything to write home about, either. My colleague who ordered the Reuben reported there was not enough Russian dressing. I felt similarly about the Rachel. My colleague who ordered the turkey avocado special seemed to liked hers the most, but she did note that it was not actually spicy as the menu described. It is hardly a big deal, but I can't remember the last time I ordered a deli sandwich and it didn't come with a pickle. The one other thing to note was the Reuben and Rachel, which were supposed to be served hot, didn't seem hot to either of us. My team had a decent lunch -- I'll generously round up to four stars.

    Fig and Brie Sandwich
    Haley N.

    Everyone working at Ray's was so nice and helpful. Love the local feeling/ambiance that's casual and friendly, and everyone working there was so helpful from what bread paired best with our sandwich choices to what were the best flavored Yerba Mate's available that day. Great sandwich choices, drink choices, and not shown was a delicious Mac salad.

    Ray's Hot Pastrami ($10)
    Tiffany Y.

    We stopped by here for a lunch after finding it right down the street from a cheese tour. We were starving so just wanted to find whatever decent looking food we could. There's tons of options available and we ended up getting the Keokuk sandwich ($12) and Ray's Hot Pastrami sandwich ($10). It was a 20 minute wait with the lunchtime orders going on, but well worth it when both sandwiches came out nice and hot. I'm not sure if it's because of how hungry we were, but the sandwiches were delicious! Full of flavor and not dry at all. The Keokuk was my favorite because of how packed full of veggies it was. The food here definitely exceeded all our expectations!

    Famous Keoku sandwich
    Jose A.

    Rays deli was delicious. I had such an awesome experience here as a first timer. Menu has a variety of delicious choices, salads, sandwiches etc. I am a turkey sandwich kind of a guy (I know, boring) and the owner, who's a sweetheart BTW, suggested a sandwich they are known for: Keoku Sandwich. I was so happy with my choice I really wanted to get another one. They have indoor and outdoor sitting area or food to go if you are in a rush for lunch. They got beers, wine and tons of can non alcoholic drinks. Give this awesome place a try! I am sure you will love it!

    Dmitri sandwich w/added ham
    Christine C.

    This was the last stop on our Sonoma County weekend girls' trip, and I'm so happy it ended on a high note. The staff here is welcoming, helpful and friendly, and even the regular customers waiting in line were friendly and helpful too! First off, being the age of 'rona, good protocols are followed here with all staff and customers wearing masks and good distance kept between people in line and the seating outside. With that note out of the way, let's get to the sandwiches! Upon recommendations by staff and regulars, my friend chose a Dmitri (w/ham added) and I ordered a Hot Ham & Jalapeno. We were both very happy with these choices. The Dmitri was HUGE, perhaps because my friend ordered it with meat included, which it doesn't typically include, but it definitely required some minor deconstruction in order to take a bite. Even so, my friend finished every deconstructed morsel. My hot sandwich was perfect, exactly what I needed on the chilly/rainy afternoon. I'd like to note that with the American cheese and hot-sweet relish, this Ham & Jalapeno is the closest I've tasted to a Korean-style street toast in the area - add scrambled egg and you'd nail it. I would absolutely order this sandwich again and look forward to returning to Ray's again in the future!

    Menu 3/18/23
    Dylan B.

    Good food, nice seating. Friendly service and atmosphere. Great variety of sandwiches hotdogs.

    Working the lunch crowd

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    2 years ago

    Great salads and great service! Went here weekly for awhile and it was consistently wonderful.

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    8 months ago

    excellent food, large portions The Rachel was a perfect sandwhich would definitely recommend this deli

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    2 years ago

    Cool little place with a local vibe. Nice outdoor seating area and an old school bar if you feel like having a drink. Great sandwiches!

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    Our server was fantastic and had provided great service. Unfortunately, the manager completely…read moresoured the experience. After we'd already paid and were chatting with the table next to us, I ordered another beer and told our new "server" I'd also like to buy a beer for one of the people at that table. Instead, the manager brought over a check that was nearly double what it should have been and claimed she thought we were all one group. Considering we arrived separately, sat separately, ordered separately, and paid separately, that explanation made zero sense. The mistake itself wasn't the issue. It was the way the manager handled it. Rather than simply apologizing and correcting the charge, she became defensive and argumentative, then claimed she "didn't want to escalate the situation" after being called out on an obvious billing error. I've spent over a decade in the hospitality industry, including with Karl Strauss, and this is the kind of interaction that should never happen. A good manager takes ownership and fixes the problem. This manager made the customer feel like the problem. One great server wasn't enough to overcome poor management.

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    Ray's Delicatessen & Tavern - delis - Updated June 2026

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