My boyfriend and I have been going to Rain Shadow for years, and we've consistently loved the folks who have helped us. They are experts with what meats will go for a specific dish and go out of their way to make sure you get the best quality. I've always loved their chill vibe and friendly attitudes and will keep coming back! read more

My boyfriend, his little brother and I were waiting for our food from Eggslut, which is right across from this shop. You can see where we stood in the picture I posted of the shops' entrance. A group had been standing in the exact same spot just before us, so we didn't think we were in anyone's way. We also didn't realize this area was shared with the butcher shop because 1. we didn't see it 2. we are not Seattle locals and only came for Eggslut. My boyfriend's little brother briefly leaned back against the meat shop's display case, and the owner immediately snapped: "Do me a favor and get your butt off my case." His brother got off the case right away, but the owner continued to mutter "fucking rude". He stared us down and started shooing us away with his hands, literally saying "Get." like we were animals. We stepped aside, but he kept staring us down. I asked him, "What are you looking at? What do you want us to do?" He escalated things further and said: "Do you want me to come find your house?" Absolutely inexcusable to say to anyone, let alone a young woman. When my boyfriend said, "You could have been nice about it." He said, "I don't have to." This wasn't just a reminder about his equipment, it was the tone, the hostility, and the lack of basic respect. No one came into the building after us, so we were not obstructing anyone from going to his business. We were simply waiting for our food and were met with aggression from this man. He does not deserve any business after such a lack of basic decency. read more

Rain Shadow Meats - entrance of eggslut and rain shadow meats - Meat Shops Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Excellent meat, price reflects the product. The sausages are amazing-- and the ribeyes mmmmmm

My girlfriend, little brother and I were waiting for our food from Eggslut (right next to this butcher shop in the same buidling), and since there were no open seats, we stood near the butcher shop's display case. A group had been standing in the exact same spot just before us, so we didn't think we were in anyone's way. We also didn't realize this area belonged to the butcher shop. My little brother briefly leaned back against the display case, and the owner immediately snapped: "Do me a favor and get your butt off my case." My brother got off the case right away, but the owner continued muttering "fucking rude" and then started shooing us away, literally saying "Get." like we were animals. We stepped aside, but he kept staring us down. When my girlfriend asked, "What are you looking at? What do you want us to do?" he escalated things further and said something like: "Do you want me to come find your house?" which felt completely unnecessary and threatening. Like what??!? Saying that to not just to my girlfriend, but a anyone is crazy. This wasn't just a reminder about his equipment, it was the tone, the hostility, and the lack of basic respect. We were simply waiting for our food, causing no trouble, and were met with aggression from the owner for no reason. Beware of this behavior when you step anywhere near his business, especially families and POC. Eggslut employees also mentioned that he is a "serious" person. Maybe he is salty that people are only coming inside for Eggslut, not to buy his meat...unfortunate. read more

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Pricey, but efficient. I found RSM after searching for a butcher to buy a filet for a beef wellington. Found the staff super knowledgeable and helpful. The location was super fun with lots of other shops in the same building. I will say the price was a bit steep but it was worth it! read more

Rain Shadow Meats - Meat Shops Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Mid quality meats Considerably more expensive than other butchers. Used to be a lot better not sure what happened.

Went in here a week or so ago. Local as possible and great products. Got the pate foie de porc and the country style pate. Both were delicious and well made. Go support this small local business!!!! read more

***Update*** Read my original review for full details, but I was able to try the sausage I purchased and it was not good. It was just an over ground mess pushed into casing. No texture and no real pork or sausage flavor. My recommendation would be Uli's in Pike Place. Better meat, better prices and better selection. read more

Where do I start? I'm so jazzed to finally find a decent local butcher shop that loves meat and butchery, understands it and works with local farmers to preserve and maintain quality. The flavors from their 3 weeks dry aged ribeye was incredible. They also teach butchery classes, and built a wonderful local community around meat & butchery, including whole animal butchery, which I appreciate and support. Their prices are set accordingly, so expect high quality meat, perfectly cut and handled, in a tiny and friendly local shop. It can't get more Seattle than this. Highly recommend, also order ahead! read more

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I love shopping with Rain Shadow and thought that since I'm always bragging about them to my friends, I may as well brag about them here. Nothing but quality here--the only concern you should have is if you have an adequate pan and the patience to cook the ginormous cut of meet you're going to be bringing home (to combat both issues, follow my guidance and remove the rib from the chop. This allowed me to fit it all in my favorite pan, and the rib provided a snack while I eagerly awaited my meal). Service is fast and to the point, and prices are comparable to the grocer for many products. Of course you're going to pay more if you're looking for the upper echelon cuts, but if you're someone who seeks to source their products responsibly without breaking the bank--they will always have something for you here, too. I walked out with a pound and a half of pork and a pound of Delmonico steak from Painted Hills Farms for around $30, and that's going to last me all week. Keep up the good work! read more

Rain Shadow Meats - Bone-in pork rib loin chop - Meat Shops Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Quality meats. I don't shop anywhere else for a good steak. And when the quality is this good, it's honestly better than most restaurants even just with a simple sous vide and cast iron! read more

Rain Shadow Meats - Delmonico from this place is an absolute treat. I have tried delmonico from other butchers... Just no! - Meat Shops Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Rain Shadow Meats is my go-to butcher. Russ and his team have an incredible variety of meat cuts, cheeses, and sundries from local purveyors and farms. Anytime I'm looking for a specialty meat option like cornish hens or even hot dogs, I call up Rain Shadow and get the friendliest service and tons of information about availability. The entire team is experienced and you can tell they are treated well as employees. Throughout the year Rain Shadow offers comforting meals as well as corned beef, chicken pot pies, and charcuterie plates. You've gotta give this place a try, you'll notice a huge difference in quality, for not a huge difference in price. read more

Great quality meats and probably best pork I've ever had but really bad customer service with snobby, can't be bothered butchers. I'm sure I will find another great butcher to go to in Seattle as there are many. Check your pricing as they have a habit of mislabeling and charging higher prices than what you ordered. read more

Rain Shadow was a very pleasant surprise. Excellent customer service and nice selection of quality meats, housemade sausages, and more. Painted Hills Farms & Gleason Ranch Beef. You won't be disappointed read more

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We picked up sausages to take on our trip on a whim and we were blown away. We loved the fact that these were 100% hazelnut fed pigs and the proof was in the meat. We bought a variety - the Thai special, Toulouse, spicy Italian and chorizo. Our favs were the Thai and Toulouse. We grilled them and they had the perfect umami flavor and stayed juicy on the grill. They had a ton of items that looked delish - we would love to they their prosciutto and marinated meats next time. They had a small fridge with other local items such as eggs, homemade pasta sauces, fresh pasta, homemade pickles (we bought these and they were great), etc. Cant wait to go back! read more

I'm in love with this place! I found out about Rain Shadow Meats through instagram. One of my friends kept posting pics of the place which led me to look up the reviews on Yelp. After reading them, I just had to check it out. Rain Shadow Meats was a lot smaller than what I imagined. It's just a small counter located near the entrance of Melrose Market. At first glance, it might seem a little pricey but hey if it's good quality it should be worth it right? During my first visit, I decided to treat myself to some of their foie gras pate. I really enjoy being able to eat pate in the comfort of my own place or even as a snack at work. It was reasonably priced from what I remember. I also come here to buy their smoked apple bacon for my roasted Brussels sprouts, which totally makes this side dish. I recently brought a whole chicken (from Ephrata, WA) to cook a surprise roast chicken dinner for my boyfriend. I'm not going to lie, my jaw was going to drop when I saw how much I was forking over for this 3 lb sucker. I quickly sucked it up and paid for it since I wanted to do something nice for him. ANYWAYS, how was the end result? He LOVED it! He could have ate that entire bird in one sitting but managed to have some self control. I made roast chicken for Christmas dinner (with a Safeway chicken) and he definitely noticed the difference and preferred the Rain Shadow chicken. Ladies, if you want to do something nice for your man, make him dinner with meat from Rain Shadow Meats! As for service, I had nothing but good service from Rain Shadow. The guys that work here have been very helpful and I have even received cooking tips. It might be pricey but its my go-to shop when I plan to cook a dish that involves meat. read more

Rain Shadow Meats - Meat Shops Near Me - Seattle, Washington

EXTREMELY RUDE. Supposed "owner" has a HORRIBLE attitude. If the impertinence starts at the top, can you imagine the rest of the staff? Called to buy gift cards and was told I was wasting the company's time among a myriad of negative remarks. If the company has any integrity whatsoever for what they do, they'd value their customers and business opportunities. I do not see them lasting long if they keep it up- especially with those few other people who spoke truthfully about their customer service here. I am not the usual person to leave reviews whatsoever, but after my second attempt to be nice and tell them they should treat their customers better and their repeated insolent behavior, I knew I had to get the message our alternatively. Do not give these guys business. Don't give your money to people that don't care about you nonetheless, don't care to treat you with respect. It's very clear they only care about money. Vote with your dollars. If this is at a social level among human interaction, imagine how badly they treat their livestock. Bad karma. You don't want that meat in your system. THEY DON'T DESERVE YOUR MONEY read more

Best service, great quality. I've never had a bad experience with them. The rack of lamb is always delicious.

This place ain't cheap but it's worth the penny if you can afford it. Excellent quality meat and helpful staff. Shopping locally should be accessible to all humans not just rich white folks. read more

I love this shop! I frequent Homegrown and while I was waiting for my food I struck up conversation with the butcher. He was lovely and very helpful! He was happy to show me what different cuts look like and where they were on the animal without and ounce of condescension. Honestly so nice!! I ended up getting some amazing guanciale (which had been nearly impossible to find), a beautifully prepared boneless lamb leg that was incredibly inexpensive, and some duck fat (trying out the chocolate chip cookie recipe I recently found)! Most of the prices are comparable to other butchers in the area that I've been to. It can get a little bit more expensive depending on the cut, but that's just how meat is. The weekly special is definitely less expensive and that alone is worth checking out. read more

Best butcher in Seattle! Actions speak louder than words with these guys, they are fast & serve quality produce! I'll be back. read more

Great products at good prices with terrible customer service. Butcher mainly communicated with snobby looks and single syllables, dude is ready to work as a barista. read more

I asked for a custom ground mince and the person on phone started laughing and said my request was ridiculous. I could go to a super market if I wanted to get regular meat, why would I even need to visit a butcher shop if I do not get what I need. I got the same custom ground from them before and they happily accepted my order, I guess this time I spoke to that one person that would drive a business to the ground. Anyways got my meat from Don & Joe's, their service was much better, from now I'll be getting my meats from there. read more

The best butcher shop in Seattle. Russ and his crew do an amazing job with everything you could ever need. Beef, lamb, pork and poultry / also house made charcuterie. Do yourself a favor and give them a try. read more

If you don't know when to buy meat... buy it for Valentine's Day, dammit! Tonight my boyfriend and I had a fantastic home-cooked meal that consisted of filet mignon His was slightly bigger and cooked very rare. Mine, slightly smaller and rare as well. The result? BEST. MEAL. EVER. The cuts of meat were amazing. Deep, dark red with gorgeous marbling. I normally rave about the Painted Hills grass-fed beer burgers at Spur and Tavern Law, but tonight our steaks (from the same farm and also grass-fed) far surpassed that of the famous $30 burgers at those popular Seattle establishments. So what I'm telling you here is that you can have that kind of quality at home. In PJs and on the couch! Worried about overcooking our meat, we decided that there's no such thing as too rare when it comes to good quality meat. In fact, there were hints of grass in the flavor. Tasting lean, clean and delicious it was the best cut of meat I've had in ages. And I eat red meat a lot. Trust me! Can't wait to come back and get some more. Don't save it for just once a year. It's too damn good for that! read more

I love Rain Shadow Meats. Russ and team are pros and love their meat. I have to admit, I felt a bit weary about buying from Rain Shadow because I worried that it'd be too pricey for my budget. Over time, I picked up fancy meats for sure like steaks and charcuterie. I also picked up more common ingredients like ground beef and ground pork. Whether high-end or basic, the quality is superior and the costs were much more competitive than I expected. You will pay more for some of the items than you will at regular grocery stores, but it's definitely a better option if you're already shopping for meat at Whole Foods, PCC, or Metropolitan Market. Why? 1- These are legit butchers. They know their craft and can provide you with good information about products. 2- The atmosphere is so pleasant. I love the local and cozy feel of Melrose Market. 3 - So many products. They do special orders all the time, but also create great holiday menus. read more

Please bring back the porchetta sandwich and all of the sandwiches from the pioneer square location!!!

Excellent customer service and a truly unique experience. We stopped by for a snack while we waited for a dinner reservation. Parking was easy enough thanks to the inexpensive parking deck across the street. Because it was late afternoon they weren't very busy, so we got the full experience. We essentially asked for a tasting of meats so we could build our own charcuterie board. He loaded us up with a helping of some of his favorite picks which ran us around $12 then we walked down to another merchant in the market and purchased some bread for around $2 more. It was such a lovely experience to taste all these delicious meaty creations while enjoying the market. read more

Love the product, but the service is inconsistent Today I purchased some meat, and tried to pay cash. They "aren't taking cash at this time." but then I asked if they charge for card use of 3% and they said "to cover costs". I just bought 2 pork chops for 24 dollars guys. Good luck staying open when the economy crashes and maybe note that all the other business' around you at Melrose Mkt are closed. won't be back due to price gouging re: payment form. read more

I almost don't want to review this place. Sometimes you don't want the true gems to be known by the general public, while at the same time I want them to have continued success. This is short and sweet. Rain Shadow is some of the best product anywhere. Period. They don't have a large selection as they only get the finest of the finest. Some days your desired cut will be there, sometimes you may have to adjust. No matter what, it will always be amazing. Bring your wallet, it won't be cheap, but it is truly a "get what you pay for" proposition! If they have the Lamb Crepinnete in, make sure to get some....but please save some for me! It is one of the best things I have ever had! read more

Rain Shadow Meats - Cote De Boeuf...4.75 pounds worth!! - Meat Shops Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The Maternal-Unit First Sent Me Here And Glad She Did! SITREP Mammasita makes some of the best old school Tuscany style and French cuisines and she is very particular about the meats she uses in her dishes. Rain Shadow Meats provides her with the best cuts of meat and the best sausages she could ever hope for to make her dishes hearty at a Continental level of expectation from Old World family members. I am very partial to the delicious meatballs and love making a basic, but hearty & tasting Spaghetti & Meatball dish for my friends. SETUP Rain Shadow Meats caters to a wide array of meat options for a wide array of Capitol Hill (and beyond) denizens. Whether you are looking for steaks, burgers, sausages, meatballs, veal, lamb, various fowls (chicken & quail), this is the place to come. DELECTABLE CUTS REQUIRE TALENT I'm a huge fan of the butchery skills of Maxwell. He is an incredible meat cutter & customer service peep and is always sharing his belief in the "local whole animal butchery movement" that provides more healthy meat and tasty cuts. Nathan makes the best sausages bar none! I think his work product is my mom's favorite since she uses so much in both her Tuscan Sausage Potato & Kale Soup and her Tuscan Sausage & Bean Soup. OTHER ITEMS I have to admit I sometimes gravitate to the more exotic selections and really enjoy their partner Nicky Farms for their quail and lamb that Rain Shadow Meats also stocks. The beef obtained from Saddleback Ranch is also something we focus on in our purchases. THE LOWDOWN Rain Shadow Meats is easily the best butcher shop I have been to in the Greater Seattle Area. read more

Delicious! I love having a local butcher within walking distance from home. Buying fresh, locally and sustainably raised meat is way better than buying mass-produced protein from a chain grocery store - better for you, better for the environment, better for the animals. And it's just way more delicious. The quality is amazing, and the prices aren't terribly high. I bought some to-die-for prosciutto and juicy pork breakfast sausages last time and it was heaven in every bite. The sales guys are super friendly and will give you samples of the cured meats so you know what you're getting yourself into. Hint: it's good. read more

These guys know their meat and they are eager to share and let you taste a few items which is always appreciated. It has been over a year since I was here, but I distinctively remember them being really nice and the meats tasting great! I went with a country style pork terrine wrapped with bacon to have with some cheeses I got across the way at The Calf and Kid. If I lived in Seattle, I'd most certainly make this a regular stop. read more

Rain Shadow Meats - Country Style Pork Terrine Wrapped in Bacon - Meat Shops Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This place is da bomb. So far, have tried and loved the blood sausage, the fatty hamburger, and the steaks, and while I paid a pretty penny, I literally got my moneys worth. All items melted in the mouth and were exceptional. Two favorite butchers in Seattle are Rain Shadow Meats (think Melrose Market, super local, hipster vibe, great product) and Don and Joes in Pike Market (think old school vibe, craftsman skill, great product.) Either way, you will be one happy carnivore (or omnivore!) read more

Cons: Service was meh. Dude had no patience with me until it came time to tip. Tipped 20% (ended up being $10) for someone who grabbed me 2 cuts of NY strip steak, weighed them, and wrapped them up. Not like I had Qs and not like he gave me tips on how to prep it or anything. Only tipped cause I was raised by a waitress. That's a $10 tip for service with an attitude and I only tipped out of guilt. Pros: Cut was good. Conclusion: will only come here for those super, super rare steak occasions cause this place had service with an attitude. Thanks to the service with an attitude, this will be better for the environment and for my arteries read more

We purchased 2 items on Saturday January 27, 2018 here: A slice of pork pate and 3 housemade brats. We tried the pork pate on Saturday evening for dinner. The smell was already weird when unwrapping the item (sour/not fresh). We were debating whether we should even eat it. My husband is a trained chef, so it's not like we don't know what we are looking at. We tried it, it was not good. The taste was better than the smell, but the black pepper was overwhelming. We threw 90% of it away. Tonight my husband cooked the brats (pan seared). I am from Germany, I know my brats. These were barely edible. So much salt! I finished 3/4 of my brat and couldn't do more. I always loved shopping at this place, but this recent experience is so off of what we have bought here before that I wanted to pass on the feedback. read more

Wow! Kid in the candy store.... I picked up some cured meat and like it and would like to try more. read more

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Amazing quality at amazing prices in melrose market. Try the bone in rib eye steak from painted hills was spectacular (and just about the price of gold, but worth it). They have farm fresh eggs and the lamb is incredible as well. read more

Melrose Market Place is such a lovely place. I hope that there was a genius behind this place so that I can pay my proper admiration. Boutique, small, friendly, specialized, refined. Ah, also not trying to compete on prices. You take a look of the meats behind the counter, you immediately knew two things: they are good and they are not cheap. So you imagine the nice dish, great flavors, and the tasting experiences that will come with that. So you walked away with an anticipation, not in a small way enflamed by that low-key butcher who chatted up with you with whatever topics you forgot. And you forgot this piece of meat is twice more expensive than the one from QFC next door. read more

Wonderful selection of meat each it's own story and location. You can get just about any cut at any price. That's not to say it's not pricey but it's worth it. The beef is visibly better and it 100% correlated with its taste. I would highly recommend this meat for entertaining, family, friends, or just to treat yourself! read more