Talk about turning ground beef into prime rib. More than two years after it announced it would be dishing out sustainable and organic cuts of meat “sometime this fall” — as in fall 2010 — local chain Bill the Butcher opened its doors in downtown Edmonds Sunday. The shop even playfully acknowledged the delay by passing out cards that declared, bovine tongue planted firmly in beef cheeks: “Winner of the Longest Teaser Campaign Award in Marketing History.”

Local residents and visitors alike formed a line down the street prior to the shop’s noon opening.

Bill the Butcher sells beef, poultry, lamb, pork, shop-made sausages, pastrami and smoked turkey, and also features a variety of sauces and other accompaniments sure to keep any carnivore happy. In addition, the shop has a sandwich station with meat sliced-to-order in front of the customer.

Open noon -7 p.m. seven days a week, Bill the Butcher is located at 323 Main St.

You can see more opening day photos from Julie Van Tosh here.