I start there first. Once there I try to start a dialog with the butcher to see what the good deals are and I try to ask for something not prepackaged. Usually it goes something like, "hey I wasn't finding what I really wanted in the cooler, do you have any in the back you can cut for me?" or "do you have any good deals on rib roasts?" Last year they had just gotten in a few boxes of rib roasts that were marked prime, so I got prime beef for choice prices just by starting some dialog with the butcher. If they can't or won't cut one for you, at least they can help you select a good one from the counter.
I haven't seen a butcher yet that doesn't want to talk beef. Here's what you need to know. The whole rib roast is usually 15-20lbs and usually contains 7 bones. Unless you are feeding a lot of people, you probably will not want the entire roast. Partial rib roasts are different depending on where they come from. So if you ask for a small end, large end, or center cut, these terms all mean something to the butcher and lets them know you are interested in their trade. The small end is closer to the loin and will be more tender, but will have less flavor. It also offers more bang for the buck because there is more lean meat relative to bone and fat. The large end is closer to the shoulder and has more fat and connective tissue and thus more flavor, but it's less tender and contains more bone and fat relative to lean meat. For small roasts I prefer center cut. For half rib roasts I go with the small end (closer to the loin). The grade you get also makes a difference. The 3 USDA grades you are interested in are select, choice, and prime going from cheapest to most expensive. For select beef always go with the small end. For choice stay with the center or small end. Prime ribs are awesome from end to end and the large end is arguably your best bet. Supermarkets now have all sorts of marketing labels so they may not use the USDA grades, but the butcher can help you out here.
If you can get them to cut you one special you can also tell them how big you want it. If you give them a figure in pounds, be sure to tell them it's ballpark because they won't know what it's going to weigh until after they cut it, and they cut them by the number of bones. Each 'bone' weighs about 2-3lbs, so a 2 bone roast will be ~4-6lbs. I usually just tell them I want X number of bones. It makes it easier for them as they don't have to worry about weight.
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