Best Butcher Shop '98

Best Butcher Shop

Reay's Ranch Market
3360 E. Speedway Blvd.
4751 E. Sunrise Drive
7133 N. Oracle Road

READERS' PICK: Even the gentle vegetarians shopping at Reay's sometimes slow their carts to gaze at the glistening slabs of cow behind the meat counter. Big, expensive, dinner-party cuts can be had at Reay's, and the knowledgeable staff will help if you're not sure what the difference is between a flank and a rump. This is serious meat for real carnivores--a far cry from the lackluster stuff you find shrink-wrapped in the grocery store. Reay's also carries good quality free-range chicken, and a great selection of fish. Take a number!

READERS' POLL RUNNER-UP: Before the supermarket made one-stop food shopping a convenient alternative, there existed in nearly every neighborhood a corner butcher shop. The phenomenon has virtually vanished from the sprawling American scene, but a few traces thankfully remain. Dreher's Quality Meats & Sausage, 7340 E. Broadway, preserves the tradition of having a personal relationship with the man who cuts your meat...and then helps provide you with the necessary instructions on how to cook it to perfection. You know all those recipes that lost you when they instructed having the butcher "bone and roll" or "butterfly" a roast? Remember all those blank stares you got when you tried to explain this down at the super store across the street? Say no more. At Dreher's, they'll know immediately what you're talking about and be able to meet your needs without a skipping a beat. And the quality of Dreher's outstanding meat selection is ample compensation for paying a few cents more. Sausage lovers need look no further than Dreher's to enjoy homemade specialties, including bratwurst, knockwurst, veal bockwurst, smoked beer-brats, and Alsatian wurst. And when the holidays come along, Dreher's will not only order you a plump fresh turkey, they'll also provide sausage stuffing for the bird, and freshly ground mincemeat for the pies. This tidy little market on Tucson's far eastside is a genuine treasure.

1997 Winner: Reay's Ranch Market
1996 Winner: Reay's Ranch Market
1995 Winner: Reay's Ranch Market