Ray Nathan’s

We sat in the bar area and our server was Brittany. Wowee,…read morewhat a great time. Food, service, and everything else was great. I got the brisket, pulled pork, rib combo. The Brisket was INCREDIBLY GOOD. We hope to see her again soon. What a sweetheart. I usually put a little sauce on everything, but not tonight. That meat didn't need a thing. It was perfect just the way it came. Good on ya, Smoke Pit !!! PLUS, I LOVE the sit down format you have now. The counter ordering is ok, but food this good deserves a little more class...

Another great meal at the Smoke Pit. The service was great as always and the food was great. The…read moreburnt ends are cooked and sauced well and the corn is excellent. The red slaw never disappoints. The restaurant is always clean. They do a great job with the food and service.

Bar area

They got some seriously good #Brisket Super Spud out here.

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Sauce Choices

Webb Custom Kitchen

4.6(1.2k reviews)

7.2 mi

My party of five happened upon Webb's Custom Kitchen in Gastonia on our way from Charlotte to…read moreAsheville. We had no idea what to expect, but were delighted by what we encountered. As mentioned elsewhere, WCK occupies a restored historic movie house downtown. The incorporation of the structure's history and memorabilia is exceptional. A black and white classic movie play on the screen behind the kitchen; movie soundtrack tunes play in the background. They didn't miss a trick! Well, one or two, perhaps: placing a bowl of popcorn on the table when customers are seated would be clever and on-brand, as would dressing the wait staff in vintage usher uniforms. But I quibble. Our waitress, Kylie, was welcoming and knowledgeable. Her gushing recommendation of the zucchini fries was spot-on. The fried green tomato BLT was both excellent and a subtle nod to a well-known movie. Salads and OBX crabcake sandwich did not disappoint. All in all, two thumbs up!

Always wonderful food and great service! The ambience is very nice and welcoming. It is a neat…read moreplace to celebrate a special event or milestone in your life.

The upstairs balcony

Club Sandwich

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Meatloaf sandwich

Ray's Country Smokehouse & Grill

4.1(88 reviews)

7.0 mi

Always fresh great food. Morgan is the best waitress I've ever had any where in Gaston county. Hey…read morethe fresh cut fries they are the best and the pulled pork is to die for. I've never had a y bad food Please give them a try you won't regret it

Brisket, baked beans, turnips, burger, sauce very good! Green beans slightly bland wings ok…read more Service was great party of 9 went straight in and put table together. Interior was just right for a bbq sports style bar. Brisket was a 7.9 do not recommend the baby backs. Ray's gets a 8.3.

Smoker outside the restaurant

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Exterior

Black's Barbecue

4.0(68 reviews)

7.1 mi

Absolutely the BEST BBQ around. Get there early or order early they often run out. The ribs fall…read moreoff the bone and burnt ends when they have them...... YUM

Old diner feel with a respectable price point. Service is fantastic and friendly. I've dined here…read morefor over 10 years and neither me or my family has had an issue.

Hours of operation they are NOT open Monday !

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Curbside service. Bring cash!

Big Tiny's BBQ

4.4(367 reviews)

29.9 mi

Service is good and food is stunning…read more Only possible improvement would be a lot less salt on the collards but otherwise best brisket ever.

Popular Texas Style BBQ downtown Mooresville. It was the first place I stopped to eat for lunch…read morewhile staying in town on business for the week. Amazing Brisket and sides. Wish I had time to eat more. Loved the vibes inside felt like I was at a local cookout. Very clean and friendly helpful staff.

Inside

Sweet potato casserole

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Chili with cheese and onions

Shane's Rib Shack

3.2(78 reviews)

4.3 mi

This is my second time eating at Shanes Rib Shack. The ribs were good The grilled chicken…read morestrips/tenders were flavorful, especially with the barbecue sauce. The pulled chicken was good too, but the coleslaw was bland. I think I like KFC's coleslaw better. And the okra was cooked well, but it lacked seasoning. I don't eat a lot of salt, but it needed some. The service was great and the atmosphere was country cozy. Last but not least, it would've been nice to get a bun with this meal since it had the pulled chicken,instead of the slice of toasted bread.

I placed an online order with a scheduled pickup time, but ended up waiting over 20 minutes past…read morethe scheduled time. When I finally asked about my order and how much longer? told it had it happened to be sitting behind the counter ready the entire time, which was frustrating. The food quality was disappointing as well. The smoked wings were only room temperature and Sauce all over them when I asked for it on the side. The hot items were packed in the same bag as a two salads, leaving the lettuce wilted and warm Unfortunately, I didn't have time to wait for a fresh remake since I was already running late. Overall, this was a frustrating experience, and I would not recommend ordering online for scheduled pickup.

The picture speaks for itself.

Tenders & Fries

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Shack Potato

Mabry’s Que House

4.4(5 reviews)

6.5 mi

Andy and Robin have started a food truck and it's as if they have done it all their lives…read more I have had the Brisket Nachos, the BBQ Sliders, the Brisket Chili and the Mac and cheese. Everything is amazing. But no order is complete without the candied bacon. Reasonably priced and good portions. Stop and grab a plate when you see the red trailer.

My boyfriend and I were walking our dogs when we came across this gem! We were led by the smells…read morealone but the service and the food are what hooked us. Mabry's offers up some of the bbq staples with chicken, pork, and brisket. We opted for the Brisket Mac and the wait time wasn't long at all! The Brisket was flavorful and they didn't hold back on the sauce. Paired with the Mac, it was heaven in a bite. Speaking to the owners, they're located outside of Loray Mill Apartments every 2nd and 4th Tuesday. They do offer catering as well. Card and touch pay friendly are also bonus features. Will definitely be on the lookout for this business in the Gaston County are!

Brisket Nachos

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Kyle Fletcher's BBQ & Catering

4.3(156 reviews)

3.7 mi

Great wings, great service very busy great atmosphere And ambience way better than hillbillies…read morebarbecue.

After eating here once many, many years ago, we finally came back to try it again. Conclusion was,…read morewe should have come back much sooner. We went on a weekday afternoon, about 3 pm, specifically to avoid the lunch and dinner rush/crowd. Service was incredible, and our orders came out less than five minutes after the waitress departed. We had barely begun having a conversation and the food was arriving. We each had chopped pork sandwiches, and they were packed with plenty of delicious, smokey pork. Sides were hush puppies (very good) and onion rings (incredible!) The chopped pork was coarsely chopped, unlike many restaurants who overdo it with the chopping. It was moist, tender, lean, and had just the right amount of smoke flavor. All things considered, it was a perfect barbeque meal prepared with care and skill, served fresh and delicious.

BBQ Sandwich

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3/2026 Menu

Big Butt BBQ

5.0(10 reviews)

2.2 mi

I recently hired Alex to cater whole hog for my 50th birthday party. The food was absolutely…read moreincredible; I got so many comments from my guests about how delicious it was. Not only that, but when my guests would come up to marvel at the pig, Alex would answer all their questions, tell them about each part, give samples, etc. He and his wife were very professional, three thumbs up, would hire again.

Hands down best bbq for catering!! Alex was awesome & all of our guests raved about all the…read morefood...especially the chicken & Mac & cheese.

Big Butt BBQ promo photo with ribs, low country boil and pulled pork.

Ranucci's Big Butt BBQ proven award winning pulled pork!

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Ranucci's Cuban Sandwich

R O 's Bar-B-Que

2.8(87 reviews)

8.3 mi

It's been about Seven years since my last visit here and long over due!…read more I don't get to TonyTown as much as I used too but was in town for a family function and had to stop by. I got me a delicious chopped BBQ sandwich and a quart of BBQ Cole Slaw. It never disappoints!

At one point, this BBQ location was considered amazing. Unfortunately, over the years, it's…read morehonestly taken a southward turn. Their food prices have gone up and their food quality has diminished hugely. I would not recommend anyone to visit this establishment anymore. It's quite the shame that it's turned into such a rut and sad establishment, but that's what's happened to it... I would prefer to go to any other BBQ place than RO's at this point because their quality is so disappointing.

Now mobile

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13 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Neal T.

5 years ago

We were eager to try Ray Nathan's Bar B Q for our first time after hearing good reports from others. But our online order was promised to be ready at 6 pm and was not brought out until we had waited 35 minutes. You can guess the fries, BBQ, roll and beans were all cold. And there was nothing special about the food; the beans and slaw were 'different' but not to my taste. The BBQ was dry and had a lot of burned ends mixed in. The fries were okay when reheated and the best item on the plate. We won't try it again anytime soon. read more

Will C.

7 years ago

The newest BBQ destination is right here in Cramerton! Went for the brisket, which was awesome, but was blown away by the smoked chicken. Huge selection of delicious sides, and got to try two excellent desserts, the banana pudding and granny Smith apple cake were both perfect. Also the management and staff are friendly, responsive and make sure you are well taken care of. read more

Dylan M.

2 years ago

Defiantly some of the best bbq we've ever had. Extremely great service. Very friendly staff. This seems to be a great spot for locals because it was fairly packed for lunch. Lots of parking space. Fantastic atmosphere. Will be coming back when I'm in the area for sure. read more

Cole W.

5 years ago

Awesome food. Great people. Ate there many times and they have always taken care of us. Never have had a bad meal or experience. Glad we dont live too far so we can stop in a lot for some bbq. read more

Pam F.

7 years ago

Great place! The food is excellent! Had enough food to bring home and eat again. Everyone is nice and we didn't have to ask for anything. We will be back. Great staff! read more

Deborah S.

3 years ago

Great food always great customer service, very friendly staff and they have specials on Sunday, street corn is really good and I always have their sweet tea read more

Charlie H.

8 years ago

Good prices for the amount you get, and the sauces complement he bbq well. Just wish the chicken was a little more done, personal preference. read more

Chris E.

7 years ago

Chicken done well! You can tell the owners along with their employees love what they're doing. A most place to go! read more

Amy B.

100

7 years ago

First time trying RayNathans last night....all I can say is you need to go...go now. It's that good.

Brian A.

3 years ago

The food was great, the service was great, I would go everyday of the week if I could!!!!!

Ginger M.

8 years ago

First time visiting, and we will be back! Delicious! Friendly staff and quick service.

Evelyn I.

4 years ago

amazing and perfection. my number one fav restaurant

Hunnicutt L.

8 years ago

Great BBQ! Amazing sides!!! The best sauces!!!

Ray Nathan’s - bbq - Updated September 2026

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Great small family oriented welcoming atmosphere that keeps everyone coming back for really great…read morefood & nice company. Simple, delicious & great value that can't be beat. Very big satisfying burgers that you can even order for breakfast if you wanted. I recommend adding chili bc it's surely tasty. Their breakfast food doesn't disappoint either. Husband especially loves the biscuits & gravy. The fries are always superb & fresh just as everything else is. We are big fans of the club sandwich. The dessert! Oh so far my favorite is the banana pudding cake and we also love the red velvet. The pistachio banana bread has a lovely frosting to it. We are so glad that they stay busy. Their menu is bigger than I first expected. I believe they close by 2, so go early!

I went in today to have breakfast after my appointment. I'm…read moretruly glad we went in because the service was amazing, especially with Tater (Scott) and the other people there, like the owner, Rhonda. I got the breakfast plate with scrambled eggs with onions, bacon , grits, and toast, as well as coffee on the side. The coffee was fresh and not too watered down like many places I've been to. I will note that the buttery grits were so creamy and just perfectly made. I've had really hard, disgusting grits before. My son had the club sandwich and he really enjoyed it. He had no complaints at all and even saved the other half for later because it was a lot, lol. I started asking questions about the place and how long it has been there. Rhonda is the daughter of the original owner, and he was well known in the area, she stated. They have a nice photo to commemorate him with him having a big smile on his face . I loved the quaint, small mom-and-pop vibe of the place. Honestly, I appreciate places like these so much more because you can tell they are doing the cooking with love. As we sat and enjoyed our meal, we heard and saw what seemed to be regulars. You can tell you are treated like family here. I loved hearing the joking between customers and employees because it felt lighthearted. I also enjoyed how the tables have so many pictures of customers, etc. I also ended up ordering a cheesesteak for my daughter to go with some fries . Let me tell you, I made sure to ask for a bite of it from her, lol. Well, I'm glad I did. Now I know I can enjoy a cheesesteak from here. I shall note... While no, it is not the normal Philly we know, literally from Philadelphia, it is quite good with the hoagie roll they use, and the meat is tender and not overly chopped. We also had a piece of cake that they were giving out today, and it was red velvet. I'm not a big fan of that flavor, but it really was pretty darn good. All in all, it is a simple yet great establishment to get a great cup of coffee and a nice meal that isn't going to break the bank. I am truly grateful to Tater for his amazing customer service skills and sweet nature. To all the employees and the owner, thank you for having a place that many call home.

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Been here several times. Seems like every time we get the special it's way way over cooked. Ribs…read morewere so dry

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This is a cute little Soulfood restaurant where the food speaks for itself. I had fried catfish,…read moremac and cheese, cabbage, and cornbread muffin. My cousin had fried wings and fries with Kool-Aid. The food came out hot and delicious. The cabbage was a little sweet and the cornbread stiff need to be fresher. No complaints only my lemon pound cake had to microwave to get it soft again and I added vanilla ice cream with mine it was great. I will come back if I am in Gastonia again.

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