Don’s Custom Meats

Don's Custom Meats is a deer and livestock processor located in Waynesburg, Ohio. The family-owned business has been operating since 1991 and also processes beef, pork, lamb, and goat for customers.

Founded by Don and Kathy Pontones, the business started as a hobby in Kathy's family basement and grew into a full-time operation. In 1994, Don's Custom Meats became a fully state-inspected meat processing plant. The business has expanded five times between 1990 and 2017 to meet growing demand. The shop is now run by Don and Kathy along with their children Donny, Kara, and Kelly. The business also operates a retail store with fresh meats, smoked products, and beef jerky.

Hunters must check in with a Don's employee when dropping off deer during regular business hours. The business does not have extended hours for deer drop-offs, and any deer left outside without being checked in will be discarded. They accept deboned deer meat only until October 31st. Chest mounts and saved heads must be picked up within 24 hours of drop-off, with storage fees applying after that period. After-hours pickups are available by appointment only.

To get current details, hunters should contact Don's Custom Meats directly to verify drop-off procedures, processing timelines, or any specific requirements. Businesses may have changed their policies since we listed them and we are not responsible for inaccurate information.

Deer Processing Services

Don's Custom Meats provides complete deer processing including skinning, cutting, wrapping, and freezing with basic standard cuts. All products are vacuum sealed to maintain freshness. They also offer chest mount caping services for hunters planning taxidermy work. Hunters can add pork or beef trim to their venison for burger, and seasoned burger options are available. The business does not accept deer without heads or legs for processing.

For hunters who prefer to process their own deer, they accept deboned deer meat from February 28th through October 12th. Services for deboned meat include grinding, packaging and freezing, fresh cased deer sausage with seasoning, and boning charges for quarters.

Specialty Smoked Products

They produce a variety of smoked and cooked venison products with minimum batch requirements. Trail bologna and summer sausage are available, along with snack stix and hot pepper cheese trail bologna. Additional specialty items include smoked deer sausage, smoked ham, and smoked loin. All smoked products are left fresh rather than frozen and are vacuum sealed. The hot pepper cheese trail bologna was created by Donny Jr. and is one of their best-selling products.

Customer Reviews

The business has earned a 5.0-star rating on Yelp based on customer reviews. Customers describe the facility as extremely clean with super friendly staff. Reviews specific to deer processing mention the shop does excellent vacuum packaging and thorough work. One hunter noted they've used Don's for both deer and aoudad processing with great results. The beef jerky receives particular praise, with customers highlighting the spice blend created by Kelly. Multiple reviewers mention the meat quality as fresh and well-prepared, with fair pricing for the quality offered.

Some customers noted that processing wait times can increase during peak deer season, and a few mentioned that clearer communication about processing timelines would be helpful. The facility is clean and professional with efficient operations. Don's Custom Meats is a Neighborhood Favorite on Nextdoor in three neighborhoods including Malvern/Waynesburg, Malvern, and Carrollton Connect.

These reviews are sourced and manually curated from Yelp, Yellow Pages, and other third-party sites. All reviews represent independent customer opinions. We do not individually review these businesses.