Rhett's Meat Market in Oklahoma City: Full-Service Counter with Custom Cuts and House-Made Sausage

Rhett's Meat Market is a traditional butcher counter that cuts and grinds to order rather than relying on pre-packaged inventory. Located in Oklahoma City, it operates as a standalone shop focused on beef, pork, poultry, and specialty proteins, with an on-site sausage kitchen that produces house-made varieties daily.

What Rhett's Meat Market Actually Is

A full-service butcher shop where customers order directly from a counter staff who cut, trim, and grind meat while you wait. The shop sources beef and pork from regional suppliers and produces its own breakfast links, Italian sausage, bratwurst, and seasonal varieties. Unlike grocery store meat departments where selections are pre-cut and sealed, Rhett's operates on a made-to-order model. This means you specify thickness for steaks, request specific bone-in or boneless cuts, and define grind coarseness for burger meat or ground pork. The scale is neighborhood-focused rather than wholesale; the shop fills regular customer orders and serves walk-in traffic without requiring membership or minimum purchases.

Cuts, Pricing, and House Sausage

Rhett's prices per-pound, with beef cuts typically ranging from $6 to $14 per pound depending on cut (ground chuck at the lower end, ribeye or strip steaks higher). Custom grinds for burger blend or specialty mixes run $7 to $10 per pound. House-made sausages are $4.50 to $6.50 per pound for links or bulk. Chicken parts and whole birds are $1.80 to $3.50 per pound. The shop sells larger orders in 5-pound or 10-pound lots, and prices may shift seasonally with beef availability; call ahead if you need current pricing on specific proteins.

A practical advantage: the sausage is made fresh, not pre-frozen. If you're planning a weekday dinner, afternoon orders are often available the same day. Pre-orders for weekend cookouts or larger quantities (20 pounds of burger for a family gathering) receive attention and allow the staff to reserve specific cuts.

How It Compares to Other Oklahoma City Meat Shops

Oklahoma City has few traditional butchers left. Grocery chains like Whole Foods (at multiple locations including Nichols Hills and Edmond) maintain in-house meat counters but emphasize organic and pre-cut selections; prices run higher (ribeye $16 to $22 per pound), and custom grinds are available but not a primary focus. Braum's Family Restaurant & Meat Market operates as a vertically integrated grocer with its own processing; it offers competitive pricing ($5 to $10 for most beef cuts) and carries house-made items, but the meat counter is secondary to the overall store experience and product range skews toward convenience items.

Choose Rhett's if you want a butcher who will trim fat to specification, grind custom blends, or source a particular cut (bone-in pork chops, chicken thighs in bulk). Choose Whole Foods if you prioritize certified organic or grass-fed labels and don't mind premium pricing. Choose Braum's if you're combining a meat run with grocery shopping and want one-stop efficiency.

Who It Suits and Who It Does Not

Rhett's serves home cooks who cook frequently enough to value quality and customization: people making stock from bones, grinding their own burger blends, or needing 10 pounds of Italian sausage for a family event. It works for chefs and catering operations buying larger quantities. It does not suit shoppers seeking quick, pre-packaged convenience or those unwilling to place orders in advance for bulk quantities. It also does not carry specialty proteins beyond standard offerings (no game meat, no imported cuts), so hunters or adventurous cooks seeking unusual proteins should verify before visiting.

What the First Visit Involves

Walk in during posted hours and approach the counter. Staff will ask what you need. You can point to whole cuts in the case and ask for a specific thickness or weight. You describe the grind you want (coarse, fine, 80/20 lean-to-fat ratio) and how many pounds. If they have what you need on-hand, cutting and wrapping takes 5 to 10 minutes. For sausage, orders of 3 pounds or fewer are usually available immediately; larger custom orders may require a call-ahead. Payment is cash or card at the register. First-time customers should not assume the shop stocks every cut every day; calling ahead (especially for weekend service or large orders) prevents a wasted trip.

Hours, Parking, and Logistics

Rhett's operates Tuesday through Saturday, typically 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (verify current hours by phone, as butcher schedules occasionally shift). Parking is street-side or in a small lot adjacent to the shop. The space is modest; if you arrive during lunch or late afternoon on Saturday, expect a short wait. No online ordering or delivery; it is a walk-in or call-ahead-for-pickup operation.

Rhett's Meat Market fills a niche that Oklahoma City's grocery chains have largely abandoned. It proves that a butcher shop built on made-to-order cuts and house-made sausage still has a customer base in a mid-sized metro, and the quality and customization justify the visit for anyone past the convenience-food stage.