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    Ray Nathan’s

    4.5 (281 reviews)
    ModerateBarbeque, American
    Open 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Ray Nathan’s Photos

    Business Info

    RAY NATHAN’S ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Ray Nathan’s

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    Da meal!
    Jeanie B.

    Took a quick detour on our travels home and stopped here for bbq. We arrived just ahead of the church crowd on a Sunday. Restaurant was pretty full and we were able to walk right in and place an order. I got the brisket sandwich with bbq street corn. Hubs got the pulled pork sandwich with the cheese grits. Sandwiches were loaded with great smoky meat. Our sides were good but not great. My street corn was a tad overcooked and hubs thought the grits were a little too watery. We shared a banana pudding that was good enough to do my grandma proud. Good solid meal, super friendly staff and cool funky art on the walls. We will be back again!

    Brisket and Pork
    Cameron K.

    The second I walked in, I knew this place was the real deal--the smell of the smoke is incredible and hits you immediately. I ended up doing a 30-minute carry-out trek home, and while the brisket was a little on the dry side (likely due to the travel time), the fat render was absolutely spot on. The pork was equally flavorful and held up perfectly. The Sauces: * Spicy BBQ: This is the gold standard. Perfect balance of heat without drowning out the meat. * Vinegar Sauce: Tangy and traditional. It's exactly what you want to cut through the richness. The Sides (The real MVP): Usually, BBQ spots have one or two "filler" sides, but everything here was excellent. The Mac and cheese and jalapeño cheese grits are non-negotiable. The beans, fries, cornbread, and slaw were all top-tier as well. Verdict: I'm definitely doing a dine-in order next time to catch that brisket fresh off the block. If it tastes this good after a 30-minute drive, I can only imagine how it hits right at the table.

    brisket sandwich
    Amy K.

    Very tasty BBQ in Gastonia! Food was very good and prices are fair for the quality you get. They also serve beer and wine! Plenty of parking out front and really friendly staff members. I ordered smoked wings but they heard ribs so I just enjoyed those anyway - very tender, flavorful and good portion size. Their cheddar jalapeno grits are to die for. I do wish they had more open hours (currently Thurs/Fri/Sat for lunch and dinner then brunch/lunch Sunday). I'll be back to try some more options, including those wings!

    Michelle M.

    Amazing experience! The food is delicious, the service is wonderful, and the ambiance is unique. I ordered a brisket sandwich and tried all their delicious sauces. The house "sun drop" base was my favorite! The employees were mostly young adults who seemed happy and helpful. The booth seating was comfy and clean and the walls were completely plastered in cool Primus posters on every available surface! Love it and can't wait to go back.

    Brisket sandwich
    Darrell O.

    My wife and I was given an opportunity to leave our child at church and we can go out for dinner on them. We were given Ray Nathan's and we drove down the road to experience this gem. I was taken a back by how large this building is and the options that we had. We were greeted properly and was seated quickly and the server was very attentive to our needs. I ordered the quarter chicken with baked beans and mac and cheese while my wife ordered the brisket sandwich and mac and cheese. The food was very delicious and we actually had a good time here eating. I would definitely recommend this restaurant when in the area.

    Bbq
    Rachel M.

    We had heard so many good recommendations, so we couldn't wait to go here. I think we had a high expectation with so many good reviews, but it was not what we were expecting for bbq. There was a large serving of food and good service. We didn't like the seasonings that were covered on everything. It was not what we were expecting for the bbq or the Mac n cheese. There was plenty of room for the outside to wait, and inside for seating. Try it for yourself...not bad, just not what we were thinking.

    Brisket Sandwich with corn as side

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    7 years ago

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    4 years ago

    It is ALWAYS delicious ! The staff is so friendly! The jalapeños cheese grits are soooooo good.

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    5 years ago

    The best BBQ in the Charlotte area. Everything is great- the meat, the sides, the biscuits, and the sauces! We're regulars!

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    4 years ago

    One of the best BBQ places around. I love the relaxing feel and I am so glad we moved right down the street from this fantastic restaurant.

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    3 years ago

    Food was delicious and customer service was excellent!! And, I didn't have far to drive. Highly recommend!!

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    6 years ago

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    5 years ago

    Best BBQ in Belmont! Service is great and servers always pleasant. Becoming a regular spot for me.

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    6 years ago

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    6 years ago

    I just love their food. Great selection of meats. Wonderful addition to the Cramerton/Gastonia area

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    6 years ago

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    5 years ago

    Probably one of the best barbecue places in Gaston County. The portions are huge and the food is great

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    4 years ago

    Consistently good food and excellent friendly service. Can be a little pricey, but everything is these days.

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    4 years ago

    Some great bbq, nice spot, large restaurant looks like they get a lot of people. Will definitely be returning!

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    4 years ago

    Best BBQ in North Carolina drove 2 hours for this BBQ. Friendly place good for family gatherings.

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    Page 5 of 8

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    Jekyll and Hyde Taphouse Grill

    Jekyll and Hyde Taphouse Grill

    3.8
    (406 reviews)
    3.3 mi
    $$

    They serve my favorite top shelf liquor that is so hard to fine. Soda welcome in patio.read more

    This visit didn't ruin Jekyll & Hyde for me--but it definitely confirmed that consistency is not…read moretheir strong suit. I'd been here once before late night in the taproom with the smaller bar menu. That experience was fine. Not amazing, not bad--decent food, decent drinks, decent service. Very low-key and very different from this visit. So when we were nearby again before heading out to see Christmas lights, it felt like an easy, familiar option. Unfortunately, this time was a completely different story. Service was extremely slow from the start. It took nearly 30 minutes just to get drinks and an appetizer, and water refills were basically nonexistent. I eventually got up and refilled our water myself while watching the server refill other tables. We were there for almost 2.5 hours, which felt excessive given the pace and crowd level. Food was all over the place. Three meals had to be sent back. My BLT showed up with maybe two strips of limp bacon, soggy toast, wilted lettuce, and red peppers instead of the onions I asked for. Rather than remaking it, they just brought out two more equally limp strips of bacon. Two burgers ordered medium/medium-rare came out well done--even though the menu clearly shows doneness levels with photos, which made that miss even more confusing. On the bright side, the potato soup was excellent--probably the best thing we had--but it arrived lukewarm after a long wait. Other dishes like the scallops, Cajun Alfredo, and chicken sandwich were genuinely good, which just added to the confusion. A manager did drop off food and briefly acknowledge the issues, but there was no real apology or follow-up. I don't expect comps, but with this many problems and slow service, the lack of accountability was noticeable. Used plates from appetizers and sides that were clearly finished sat on the table for most of the meal. When dishes were cleared, the server often asked people who were still actively eating rather than removing the empty or stacked plates that were ready to go, which only added to the overall lack of attention and awareness. Between the inconsistent food, very slow service, and an overall lack of attention to detail, this visit just didn't work. It seems like one of those places where you might get a great meal--or you might spend hours wondering what went wrong. For now, it's firmly in the meh, proceed with caution category for me.

    Photos
    Inside Jekyll and Hyde Taphouse Grill, Belmont
    Inside Jekyll and Hyde Taphouse Grill, Belmont
    Kids pizza
    Kids pizza
    Old fashion

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    Old fashion
    Nellie's Southern Kitchen

    Nellie's Southern Kitchen

    4.0
    (1.3k reviews)
    3.3 mi
    $$

    We were in town for an event and decided to have an early dinner at Nellie's…read more This place has a friendly staff, great ambiance and good food. This is our second visit here, and our first time with the dinner menu. There were lots of great choices! We tried the hush puppies appetizer and the deviled eggs to start. Great presentation and delicious. For entrees we went with the chicken and gravy, fish tacos and the love bug smash burger. Huge portions and really really good. We were very full afterward. We wanted to have a little more leisurely time there, maybe try a dessert, but we had to be at an event, so there was a time constraint. Overall, this is a great spot in downtown Belmont. Also, this is Jonas family owned restaurant so check out all the music memorabilia by the restrooms.

    My wife and I recently visited Nellie's Southern Kitchen, and unfortunately our experience was…read moredisappointing overall. We started with the pimento cheese fries, which were easily the highlight of the meal. They were flavorful, well-prepared, and set a great first impression. Unfortunately, things went downhill from there. The service was noticeably slow, and our food took quite a while to arrive. I ordered the fried chicken, and it was significantly overcooked. The chicken was dry, and the breading was so dark it was just shy of being burnt. The mashed potatoes on the side were good, but they couldn't make up for the quality of the main dish. My wife ordered the chicken fried steak with roasted carrots. The steak itself was quite good, but the carrots never arrived with the meal. They were brought out long after we had finished eating, which made them feel like an afterthought. For dessert, my wife chose the peach cobbler. It appeared to be served with ice cream, but by the time it reached the table, the ice cream had completely melted. The dessert looked more like peach cobbler floating in a bowl of melted ice cream than a properly plated dessert. Whether it sat too long before being served or was prepared incorrectly, it was not particularly appealing. The one bright spot throughout the evening was our server. He was attentive, checked on us regularly, and kept our drinks refilled. Unfortunately, good service alone wasn't enough to overcome the slow pace and disappointing food quality. Based on this visit, the overall dining experience was subpar. Aside from the pimento cheese fries and a few individual items, the meal did not live up to expectations.

    Photos
    Love the unique decor :)
    Love the unique decor :)
    Pinto beans and cornbread
    Pinto beans and cornbread
    Fun and slightly funky decor that made it unique

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    Fun and slightly funky decor that made it unique
    Webb Custom Kitchen

    Webb Custom Kitchen

    4.6
    (1.2k reviews)
    7.2 mi
    $$

    Excellent service, wonderful people! The steak was perfectly…read moreclean cooked and incredibly tender. The taste was as good as anything I have had. The Resturant itself is rather interesting. Everything was spotlessly clean. We could hear the conversation at our table even. Overall, it was more than worth the price.

    I wish that I could give half stars, I don't think this was worth a true three but also not a four…read more Starting with the ambience, it's a really cool restaurant! Fun to see the old theater and the kids with us enjoyed looking around. The music was a little loud, but we did let the server know and they did turn it down for us. We had a group 8. The food was good, maybe a little small in portions. We almost all ordered the crab cake Benedict and the ham Benedict. We also ordered the cheesecake, the crème brûlée and the coconut cake. They were all really good, but I would note the crème brûlée had I believe tea in it? It wasn't just a traditional flavor but it was delicious! I do want to comment on experience. I was with my 8 month old son, who can't eat runny eggs. I ordered the crab cake Benedict and I asked to swap the poached egg to scrambled egg so I could share with my son. The server let me know he was going to check with the chef. He came back right before the plate was dropped off and said "The chef will not be doing that substitution for you". I acknowledge this is an abnormal substitution for eggs Benedict, but I was surprised and disappointed that the chef couldn't make this simple accommodation.

    Photos
    The upstairs balcony
    The upstairs balcony
    Club Sandwich
    Club Sandwich
    Meatloaf sandwich

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    Meatloaf sandwich
    Clover Harvest

    Clover Harvest

    4.8
    (97 reviews)
    10.3 mi

    Great Service!! The trout was excellent!! Would recommend for anyone looking for a good farm to…read moretable experience!

    We are traveling in an RV and are stopping in York County for a few days. We were so hungry so I…read morelooked up local gluten free restaurants in the area. I have Celiac Disease so I have to be very careful where I eat. I found Clover Harvest, read several reviews and called to talk to them to be sure I could eat there. I am so glad we decided to have dinner there! The inside is very cozy with music playing and friendly staff. They were very knowledgeable about gluten free and I felt confident in them. While we waited on our food my husband ordered a Smoky old fashioned and I had a Chardonnay. When our food arrived we were so impressed! I ordered a bone in pork chop with roasted Brussel sprouts and mashed sweet potatoes. The pork chops were topped with mustard onions. It was the best pork chop I have ever eaten! My husband ordered a burger with fingerling potatoes. Everything was cooked perfectly. For desert my husband had banana pudding and I had a gluten free fudge truffle pie. AMAZING!!! We are here for a few more days and plan to have another meal there before we leave. The prices were good for the amount of food served. The restaurant is very clean and is a lot larger than it appears from the outside. They also have outdoor seating and if you're in the mood for Corn hole they have a game set up for you. Highly recommend this restaurant!

    Photos
    Inside dining
    Inside dining
    Shrimp & grits and Korean chicken sandwich.
    Shrimp & grits and Korean chicken sandwich.
    Outside dining

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    Outside dining

    Ray Nathan’s - bbq - Updated July 2026

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