Ray’s Deli and Tavern

I love rays. I honestly don’t know anyone who doesn’t love rays. My friends, family, teammates, and even teacher all love rays. I usually get the BLT which is BOMB. friendly staff never gotten my order wrong. Pretty quick service. They also sponsored my softball team which was really nice of them. I don’t really know what else to say except GO TO RAYS

Great Deli! Awesome for Vegetarians with plenty of options … Cool rustic vibe inside with a bar. But not your upscale spot

Loved the the local vibe and the sandwiches! We made a pit stop here on our way back to Berkeley and are really glad we did! We got the keukuk which was delish.

Their sandwiches are awesome! You really can’t go wrong. I love the ray’s hot chicken!

Half dive-​ish bar, half deli, totally delicious. Pastrami and Reuben were excellent, and not ginormous either. Legit lunch spot.

Yes! I have had more than a half dozen different sandwiches here and they all were great. They have the proportions figured out and the sandwiches are nicely balanced. The only hiccup I have had is with the toasted rolls which can get VERY crunchy and hard (not my fav but that is a personal preference) so I now always go un-​toasted. Very friendly service and the side bar can take care of your libation needs. Great neighborhood vibe. A great stop on the way to SF, fast, friendly and tasty.

Awesome local joint with love music on open mic nights and friendly folks at the bar. Thanks to everyone who mad emy short visit memorable, from a sandwich named Justin, to my tasty Sangiovese, to the easygoing feel of the place. Had a great time and heard local talent. Win.

Everything I’ve tried in the past 4 years is delicious. Their veggie «burger» sandwich is shockingly good too.

Growing up in Petaluma, and going to PJHS, Ray’s holds a special place in my heart, it was the spot to stop at after school. It has changed over the years, from a deli/​market with a bar attached, to a very nice tavern to grab a sandwich and a local beer. Their menu is pretty large for a small place, each sandwich I have tried has been great, but it seems the amount of toppings ranges depends on who makes it. Service is similar, I have only had sandwiches on the bar side, so I am only talking about it from that perspective.
I have been there where the bartender has been awesome, attentive, talkative and very friendly, but I have also been there where the bartender is talking to a friend or a regular, and completely ignores you. The beer selection is great, changes from time to time and their prices are average for Petaluma. Parking can be terrible if you go there at certain times with Hermann Sons Hall across the street, PJHS as well as PHS down the street, and other times you can park right in front.
They also do music here some times, but I haven’t had the chance to go when they have had a musician play.
This place is a local favorite, and if you stop by you can see exactly why. It has great atmosphere, great beer and sandwiches, would definitely recommend it to a friend looking for a place to eat.

Old fashioned neighborhood deli, local favorite. Very good food, interesting sandwich combinations.
The staff seem to try hard but there’s still quite a wait when they’re busy, so don’t be in a hurry. You also get to do your own bussing. Keep your expectations in check and you won’t be disappointed.

WARNING! STAY AWAY! (unless you like being scolded by the staff)
I’ve never understood why Unilocalers felt the need to critique the service — until now. While most of the staff seemed nice, one sour lemon ruined the experience. Some young girl has no idea how to behave in customer service. Granted, I assumed she was having a bad day. However, my friend had said that she is always incredibly rude, but just tries to ignore her. I assume she is somehow related to the owners because how could someone with the worst attitude be allowed to work in this (or any) establishment. Get an attitude check young girl.
I will never return.

I’ve been to Ray’s a number of times and have always enjoyed the sandwich. I think in this day and age we are so used to ginormous sandwiches at wherever you go that it’s a little odd to get sliced bread size sando for 10 $. The venue is awesome, it’s a tavern.
If you’re okay with dropping an extra dollar for a more local vibe, smaller sandwich, and fresh ingredients then go here. If you’re starving and just want a hogie and a half you’ll do better elsewhere.

Great place. The place was pretty chill & the people were nice, I loved the natural wood tables.
We ordered the Keokuk to share & it was bombtastic. I highly recommend this place. :)

What a great find. You can enjoy your food in the bar and bring along the dog. I had a BLT and it had so much bacon I could only eat half. They have a great wine selection. The owners and staff are friendly.

I hate to have to update my review for the worst. The first time I came in here the sandwiches were delicious and worth the money but recently I went on a Wednesday afternoon to grab two sandwiches (the Keokuk and pops pesto chicken) and found that while the keokuk was good, the pesto chicken sandwich was super small. My boyfriend was very disappointed in the tiny sandwich and for $ 8.50-$ 9 a sandwich it wasn’t worth the money at all. You can get a more filling sandwich for 6 $ at any other deli. Not sure if I’ll try this place again if the food isn’t consistent and the prices aren’t worth the small portions.

I love this place but it will be a while before I’m back. It was just recently voted the best place in Petaluma to get a sandwich by the Press Democrat /​Argus Courier, but wow, has it gone downhill.
Apparently today, the boss (the owner?) told the employees that the deli would be closing at 5:30pm (new hours?), even though their signage clearly stated 6pm. We arrived at 5:37pm, and were told (somewhat happily) by the only male employee working in the deli (some young kid) that the deli was closed. After walking back out and checking the posted hours, and looking for a sign contradicting the posted hours, I walked back in and suggested that if they were going to change their hours, they should change their signage. A rather nice young lady named Stephanie (?) offered to make us sandwiches.
We ordered three sandwiches, two of which were prepared incorrectly (one turkey sandwich wasn’t supposed to have tomatoes — it did, and my ham and turkey was short on turkey (as in, no turkey). We were warned, when ordering that they were out of just about every kind of bread except rye bread and soft rolls.
While waiting 15 minutes for our sandwich, I heard the same male employee, in the same gleeful, snotty tone tell another patron that the deli had closed. She was quite confused as she saw other employees making sandwiches, saw folks in line to pay for food, etc. We steered her towards Petaluma Market (definitely not a local).
It is a shame when a great locals place like Ray’s starts to decline in it’s customer service. I get it is the end of the day and you want to go home, and your boss told you to close early, but try not to be quite so happy that you’re kicking people out without food. At least fake that you’re upset. Food is good, but the crummy attitude of several employees (Stephanie notwithstanding) means we’ll be going somewhere else (Lombardi’s) even though it might be a longer drive. I’d rather give my money to a local business that seems to care.
Oh yeah, I tried to find an email address or other non-​phone contact information for the owner of the place, but of course their website doesn’t have that information.

Great little place! A must stop location for a great beer, phenomenal sandwich or to enjoy some great local bands!
I highly recommend this place to everyone who loves a great little bar with good drinks and food :)
Enjoy!

This is one of those places that u get in love with, service is just great (I have been here only once) but u get the feeling of great people… You order they serve you and you pay at end. Which i like better so u can really tip the in reference to a great or crapy service. In this case they did not stop smiling to you and asking if they can help with anything. I tried the reuben since on my flight from sna-​sfo i was watching the sandwhich from Katz delicateses in nyc…
The reuben was great, a side of macaroni salad, a local unfiltered white beer (great flavor and body) the bartender (i guess owner) pretty lady, very attractive, great service.
Pastrami sandwich will be my next attempt

This place is practically an institution. Ray’s has been around for decades and has a sense of history. The food is delicious and the beer selection is a good representation of local brews.
The french dip at Ray’s is the best french dip I’ve had in Northern California. I go back just for that.

One of the best sandwiches I have had in a long time.
Cute, out of the way spot. So happy we decided to explore and find it. Half is a bar, the other half is a sandwich shop. But you are free to order sandwiches from either side.
WE had the Keokuk & Pastrami and cheese. Both were amazing, but the Keokuk blew my mind. Fresh bread, awesome sauce, incredible flavor. YUM YUM YUM!
What a gem! Love it.