Note from 3 years ago Yelp deleted hundreds of my reviews. DownRivers Best Meats. A family owned and operated business, established in 1962 by Ray Martyniak and currently owned and operated by the family's third generation. I've shopped hear for over 20 years for the top quality meats, award winning sausages and jerky. Ray's has a great selection of prepared foods to go. Downrivers only complete meat market with a mega smoker and pig roasts. Fast friendly service always will get you in and out with a smile on your face. read more

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Bought Hot Tamales, and the beef was more then paper thin, a half inch on both ends, Needless to say My last time to buy Tamales, I have also tried there so called Meatloaf Mix, they said all you have to do is pop It in the oven, it was so full of fat it fell apart and had A strong smell of Ranch Dressing, no telling what else Is In it, Also Rude conversation going on between the Butcher, tall brown, curly hair, the one in the video grinding meat without a head cover, whom I believe to be Ray, There was the conversation about the song American Woman, as they both were saying things that would make you think, they were talking about American women being prostitutes, was very rude, and was to me a bar, conversation keep the filthy thoughts to yourself not around Decent Women, or they may go els where to shop. There Google page removed my photos, so I'm posting them here read more

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Good meats with a great selection , the Dearborn dinner franks are a great value and price , then meat bundles have a good selection and the quality of the meats are excellent read more

Excellent store! Nice selection of quality meats and other kinds of gourmet products you cannot find at an average store!! They have been around a long time in the Downriver area and I highly recommend! read more

I went in today to buy 2 1/2 pounds of sirloin steak. There were precut pieces in the case. I was told I would have to buy less than I wanted or more because each piece was about 1.5 pounds. They would not give me 2 and 1/2 pounds! What kind of meat market doesn't cut meat? I left. Never again. read more

Sorry to say Ray ran out of business. I guess people were buying fresh meat anymore. Going to the grocery store. It's a shame because there's nothing better than having a home town butcher. Sorry to see you right. read more

I appreciate this store so much. They literally just made my day. They accommodated a small order of things I needed and did a curbside pickup. I can't say enough about the staff!!! Job well done!! read more

Bought some Delmonico steaks cooked them two days later they smelled and tasted rotten. The flank steak was no different. I spent good money on these and threw them out. Not happy. read more

Very good customer service Friendly staff & owner A little pricey but good meat Great lamb chops The owner is very friendly with great recommendations The desserts are to die for read more

we have been going to ray's for over 20 years to purchase our christmas prime rib. ray has always treated us well. he would even give me bones for my dogs. that was our tradition. ray has since retired and left his brother in charge. this guy is a piece of work! he comes across as a nice guy but underneath he is everything but. my wife and i went in today to get our meat and we specified we wanted 4 bones of prime rib, as i said earlier, this is not our first rodeo. the new owner then told me that was too much meat. huh?! so, he is now telling me what i want. then he put 5 bones on the scale and told me he wanted to show me how much meat that was, but in essence what he was doing was showing me how much it was going to cost.i realized that after i got home. wth! so he cut us our 4 bones and then i inquired about the bones for my dogs and he told me that i would have to pay for them. he would risk the sale of this expensive piece of meat rather than to give me scrap bones for my dogs. i wanted to leave that prime rib right there and leave but it was too late to find another butcher shop because my wife had to age it tonight. i did inform her that that was the last time i would ever spend another dime in this joint! ray, if you are reading this, i know blood is thicker than water, but,that yahoo you left in charge has lost you a faithful customer! read more

I just spoke to the owner on the phone. I asked a question about organ meats. maybe not an everyday question, but really. Where else does someone call about such things but a store that sells all manner of meats? It was a simple yes or no question, but the owner was condescending and laughed at me. He must be doing well if he can afford to treat potential customers with disrespect. Not getting my money. read more

Spectacular ~shiny happy people every where... Shiny happy people... Holy smokers this place is legit..on a serious rib tip. No joke positivety is contagious! Ray's is setting the bar high. If your a negative Ned, or Nancy no entry, simply because everyone is happy at Ray's prime and if your not, forget about it- Entry denied!!! I have drove by a bunch and had heard that Ray's was the real deal, however today I was on the hunt. I needed Bones for bone broth soup, so I called Ray's because they're a butcher shop and yes they had them and gladly donated them.. much love and to boot they wrote my name on em and serenaded me... Just kidding, seriously though the customer servive is out of this world, I felt like a queen shopping on Rodeo Drive.. yes that good. The quality of meats, cheese, salads, pasta..Omg it's unsurmountable, as well as a full blown cookie, cake emporium..which never mind sugar is the devil.. I love Ray's! Awesome food and meat bundles..deals to be had. Seriously wow! As well as catering. Amazing selection on top of the best home town service eveeeerrr.. no doubt about it,.. Hella good. A trip or a stop by and you'll be hooked. Don't say I didn't warn you... Rock on Ray's prime reprensenting for almost 65 years.. Speaks for itself:-) read more

Swung by Ray's today for some whole pork loins, and they did not disappoint. My pork loins look juicy, smell fresh, and have wonderful marbling. Colleen G.'s review of Ray's is spot on by the way. Customer service is outstanding, This is a family run business that treats you like family. The entire store smells amazing. It's filled with a wonderful smokey scent. Absolutely no meat smell at all. Cuts of beef, veal, and pork absolutely glow in the coolers with flavor, especially the beef cuts. I have been to very few places where I have seen beef that red. I really can't say more then this place is absolutely fantastic. I will be coming back here, and coming often. :) read more

Look at the stars, it says it all, Ray and his staff provide excellent service and we have never been disappointed.

Ray's is as good as it gets when it comes to local butcher and meat selection. We had them cater our wedding and all I can say is, "wow!". Brent came out personally and catered a 60lb pig with BBQ and regular chicken sides and their homemade potato salad. Brent was handing out pieces of the pig as he carved it, and you could see the astonishment in everyone's face when they tasted it. I've had a lot of smoked/buried/roasted/BBQ pig in my life, and this was the best, by far! Brent took the time to arrange the pig out of the BBQ so everyone could take pictures and check it out (we love our pig in Michigan!), before carving it. Afterward, the set up to come and make a plate and grab food was super cool and very functional. The whole experience with Ray's catering was something I won't soon forget. Thank you so much, guys! We also use Ray's at home regularly. You get food coupons the more you shop. The prices are better than Kroger especially compared to what you are getting, and the experience is just overall better. These guys even sell wild Michigan game animal, which is what I use my in-store coupons to buy, because I usually botch it! Do your meat and bread/sides shopping at Rays, and everything else from the big stores. You won't regret it! read more

I was the sixth person waiting to be served when I walked in. Thirty minutes later and there were still two people in front of me. I had to wait a similar amount of time the during my previous visit. The burger meat was good, the filet mignon were ridiculously small and the chicken was nothing special. So this time I gave up and went across the street to Meijer. I was served right away and their meats were quite noticeably better than Ray's. Ray's Prime Foods used to be the best around. Now they get easily beat out by a chain grocer. Needless to say, I only buy my meats from the butcher counter in Meijer now. read more

Mother's Day is always a rough time for me. It always sneaks up on me - I have people constantly asking "So Mother's Day is this week. What are you doing?" Ugh. I don't know, what's with all these questions? Leave me alone! Also, I never know what to get. Flowers? A card with flowers on them? Flower-scented paper that I can make into a card that has pictures of hand-drawn flowers? There's only so many options. Well this year I tried something new. I asked my wife while she had our newborn baby girl in her arms: "So, what do you want for Mother's Day?" Well she replied, "I want two things: I want to just hang out just us family. No television. No phones. No video games. Maybe board games, but just us to hang out. Also, steak. I want steak and a baked potato and a salad with all the fixings." Well even though that seemed like more than 2 things, I made way to get a good quality cut of meat. Where do you go in the Downriver area? Ray's. That's where you go. I think I found the place through Yelp and was a little hesitant: pretty well-rated. Something must be afoot (and I'm not talking about pig's feet). Well, with 2 year-old son in tow, we found the place relatively easy. I opened the heavy-looking door so fast I thought I was going to rip it off. I walked in and there was a decently long line. Lots of people is a good sign. The place felt cramped, but it was kind of necessary. They sell just about everything a butcher shop with added grocery store would have. I grabbed a number while I continually swatted my kids' hands away from trying to open and grab things. Seconds later, I was greeted by a lady who asked what she could do for me. "I have never been in a butcher shop before, but I know I want steak. I figure you have that." We worked our way over to the New York strip. I ordered four strips, grabbed some potatoes and some veggies on the way out (they had just about everything) and got in line. My son continued to grab things and some kind lady asked, "Would your son like a cookie?" I thought... If it will fill his hands and stop him from grabbing stuff, then: "Yes. He would LOVE one." One Spongebob cookie in his mitts, and he was happy as a clam. I was, too, minus the inherent cost of high-quality meats. It was not too bad, but it was pricey enough for me not to return unless it's a special occasion. But Ray's can't help that, I don't think. I got some good cuts and they were literally: The best steak I've had in years! Oh! If you're wondering how Mother's Day went - let me tell you. It was a success and everyone loved the steak - I'd like to believe the chef in me can take credit, but a recipe is only as good as the ingredients. And wow, Ray's did not fail to deliver. tl;dr: The friendly customer service has me hooked. I hope I can return on a more regular basis, because wow. Great butcher shop in Downriver. read more

Friendly staff. Great meat bundles. Quality products, everything I've tried tastes amazing.

One of the best experiences I've had downriver lately. Customer service was excellent. With places like Meijer Kroger and Walmart it's hard to find a real butcher. That's what you get at this place last little bit of Americana read more

11/3/2017 If your definition of great service is being told 'be happy you're getting that" (refund on being overcharged) this is the place for you. I purchased a roast and 25% of the weight was bone! Ad it up with the prices here. Any bone that weights that much tell me that animal was old. Downriver's only butcher shop? Perhaps, but not quality meat. When you do buy the NY strip in the cryo pack, it is weighed inside, priced, opened up, the trimmings removed and you get what is left. Lose a lot there, while those trimming are used to sell as the bulk ground meat. I could make a few burgers out of that myself. I paid for it, they keep it. read more

Ray's has great selection of fresh and frozen foods plus deli meats and bread. The staff is great, and Brent is a ton of fun to deal with.

I can't believe that Ray's hasn't been reviewed. I knew I was at the right place as soon as opened the door and the smoky scent engulfed me, and I drooled a bit. It turns out they have a smoke house on site. First off, the customer service at Ray's is outstanding. They were busy, but I didn't wait more than a minute before someone asked if I needed help. There is so much help behind the counter, and each one of them were friendly. They were joking around with each other, but not in that annoying way where you feel like you are being ignored. They are also very knowledgeable about their products and were able to answer a few questions that I had, since I was getting a piece of meat that I've never used before. When I mentioned that I was on the hunt for a small piece of smoked meat to flavor my beans, he showed me the smallest piece he had and it was too big. Before I had time to ask if he could cut it in half, he offered to do so. Their meat quality is top notch and everything looked super fresh. They have a sale paper and offer different things on sale each week, and these items are pretty darn cheap. Looking at the rest of their selection, the prices seemed decent. Or at least cheaper than Hiller's. The only thing about Ray's that didn't blow my socks off, were the super cheap lunch meats that I bought. They had boiled deli ham on sale for $1.99/lb. It wasn't anything to brag about, but then again, it was boiled ham. I also got the $2.99/lb turkey breast, which I didn't care for at all. I don't know what brand it was, but it had that cheap Jennie-O like texture to it. Its my fault that I ordered such cheap lunch meat, and there have to be people out there that like it. Don't get me wrong, its edible, but I just don't like it. Next time I will get a higher priced deli meat. "Like" them on Face Book, and get unadvertised specials. That is how I found out about their offer of $5.99/lb bacon wrapped fillets. It worked out to about $2.00 a fillet. It made for a delicious dinner, one that I'm still thinking about and happy that I still have more in the freezer. I will be back to Ray's over and over again, and I'm willing to travel from Plymouth for this goodness. Go and get some, you won't be sorry. read more

I love that they carry Turkey Chops..and some of the best meat in the area.

Coming in to Detroit from out of town, we needed steaks and Yelp guided us here. What a fantastic selection-fresh cut meats, award winning kielbasa, their own Italian sausage ( also award winning) Dearborn spiral slices hams. Small in house smoked boneless hams, their own bacon. It was all quite overwhelming in a deliriously happy sort of way. The staff are knowledgeable and friendly. When I doubted the size of the steaks - my wonderful sales lady opened up the beautifully packaged meat and showed me. They were perfection. Later we grilled them. Awesome! I'm surprised the store has so reviews as it is a first class joint! (Meat pun-couldn't resist!). read more

I've only been going to Rays now for five years, right after I started a job in the area. Now when I go, I not only have to get meat for my family, everyone else loves it so much, they want me to get it for their families too! They're a great butcher shop. If you don't believe me, try the bacon there. You'll love it. Thick cut, perfectly smoked bacon at half the price of any grocery store. The steaks and roasts are always top notch, but you will generally pay top price for them too. If you love steak it's worth it. All of the meats that I've had are very good. I'd stay away from any of the cooked seafood - we didn't enjoy those so much. The raw seafood we've had from there is decent though. It's not a seafood place though, it's for beef, pork and chicken primarily. That brings me to the two best things that Rays does. 1. They have a sale every Thursday and every Friday. These sales are VERY good. Most of the time, whatever is on sale (chicken breast, bacon, sausages, etc...) is about half of it's normal price. When these happen, I stock up - like 50 lbs of bacon at one time. Of course, half of that is for the extended family who want to get in on the sale. The prices and the food from these sales are amazing. I haven't seen any other butchers discount their prices this much. 2. If you sign up for an account, for every $500 you spend at Rays, they will give you a $15 certificate back. I was already going to spend the money anyway, so this is a nice little perk for buying meat I already needed. I usually spend $1000 to $1500 a year at Rays, so I save my $45 in certificates until the end of the year. That helps me defray the cost of a nice holiday roast. Also, I've been at two different parties where people have had Rays cater. It's great - not only do I get that great meat, but I don't even have to cook it! The staff at Rays always has a smile, and after going there for a few years, they treat me like family. It's a great store, a great environment and especially a great deal. I can't say enough about what a good job they've done for me. read more

Had Ray's cater my daughters graduation party yesterday. The food was AWESOME!! Compliments from all who attended! Party was a hit!

Great steaks but getting pricey. Also went around asking for donations for the high school football team and while other private business's donated, they refused. Thought that was a real shame. read more