soft serve is so melty its so good - melty is good. fewer preservatives (probably). this is legit ice cream it needs care (to either be eaten inside or really really fast outside). get a lot of napkins. read more

I had the vanilla and chocolate swirl cone for $4. It's true, Ray does pile the ice cream on. It's definitely bigger than what the Mr. Softie ice cream trucks serve. However, I can't taste the difference between Ray's and the cones from the ice cream truck; to me, they taste the same. So I guess what I paid for was the extra amount of ice cream, which I couldn't even finish. Maybe I'll stop by next time I'm in the area to try the million other foods Ray sells! There's just about anything you could want to eat for dessert here! read more

Ray's Candy Store - $4 for this giant soft serve cone. - Desserts Near Me - New York, New York

When it's late & I got the munchies rays always got me covered his service has always been the best and with real love his egg creams & milkshakes are everything the Belgium fries are sinfully delicious and the fried Oreos are always fresh and amazing to say the least I love rays and will always come here regularly for my munchies and also great conversations with ray read more

Went here last night to grab a late night (aka early morning) dessert and it was pretty much the only decent place that was still open around 2am. Upon arriving, we quickly realized that this place was pretty much just a counter with Ray himself working solo. My group was all craving ice cream, but we were approached by another group of patrons and they wouldn't let us order until we tried one of the famed beignets. OMGGG they were so good--reminded me of Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans! Nevertheless, we still had a hankering for ice cream so I decided to go with a small serving of the pistachio ice cream, which was delicious and a much larger portion than I was expecting. Overall, this place is a quintessential stop in the East Village for a late night/early morning dessert or any other time you have a craving. I can't believe that Ray still pretty much runs the place on his own and he couldn't be friendlier. Do yourself a favor, and check out one of NYC's hidden classics. read more

Ray is a living legend in the neighborhood. For visitors, note the fried Oreos are farm-to-table, organic, vegan and a must-see on any culinary tour of downtown tasting menus. Also, there is an open kitchen, and a reverse speakeasy in the back. Please support this East Village classic! read more

An institution. Ray, ever affable, sometimes needs help with his numbers. He undercharged us, which we corrected. Then he made us a gazillion beignets, when we ordered a dozen. Crispy, powdery deliciousness. Also, highly recommend the soft serve. It's small and cramped and has hand written signs and pictures everywhere, but that's its charm. Grab some sweets from Ray and enjoy them in the park! read more

I ordered from seamless, so not sure what the location looks like. But the treats were delicious and I think they hooked me up with extra deep fried Oreos . Everything I order from onion rings to milkshakes were mouth watering. And the delivery was super quick. Thanks for being awesome! read more

great food! but the girl working the counter was the rudest person didn't say a single word to us and then yelled at us when we didn't give her a high tip ? very strange and off putting environment - that girl should not be working in a place like this read more

Ray is the best guy for a lot of sweets!!! Fried Oreos, shakes , and good coffee!! Thank you Ray for being so nice!!!! read more

Ray Ray Ray. This sweet 85 year soul is tremendously delightful. You can tell he truly cares about his business and costumers. He can tell that he enjoys what he does. His smile will brighten up your day. And the fried Oreos are killer! They're so delicious! It's amazing how he withstand the test of time. This establishment has been there for 42 years. If you get a chance definitely stop by to see Ray. He's just the sweetest as peach. read more

Ray's Candy Store - With the famous Ray. Establish 1974! - Desserts Near Me - New York, New York

The best soft ice team I tried in NYC!! If you want a cone with soft served delicious ice cream - you must try it!!! It's never wrong o get strawberry - totally a winner. Also if you curious to see the oldies cash machine it's there. As well as cool stickers from local street artists. Quite political I'id say ;) goes well with the frozen sweetness. read more

I Love,Love, Love Ray's. Ray has a HUGE heart & has been in the east village FOREVER! He is all about the community. Trying to make the world a better & much sweeter place. One order of fried oreos at a time I LOVE THIS PLACE! TRULY THE BEST HIDDEN LITTLE GEM IN NYC!!! read more

We only had the fried Oreos but what can I say. It was amazing. Just the fried Oreos alone is worth trying this place.

My favorite place in the city for anything sweet! Prices are amazing and the beignets are amazing. I had a great conversation with Ray and could've sat there for hours talking to him and listening to his stories! Definitely recommend read more

Truly some of the best dessert places I have ever been too! The woman who helps during the day is so kind and does a great job by herself. If there are quite a few people, it may take some time to get your order taken, but the wait is definitely worth it! I have seen Ray himself visit, and he is also nice. They have the best fried Oreos I have ever tasted. We also tried the fried Twinkies, which also tasted amazing! I got the best black/white ice cream cone I have ever had. My brother also loves the egg creams. The prices are very reasonable. They have quite an extensive menu. I have yet to try their meals, such as their chicken fingers and fries. I look forward to trying more things from here! read more

So I used to be a frequent customer visiting at least twice a month for my milkshake fix. There was an old man there who had the shake game on avenue A on lock! These thick & sweet treats reminded me of my childhood when we used to chase the ice cream truck down the block to get our shakes & this is why I always to used to go here. BUT NOW!!!!!!! Smh!!!! I don't know what happened?!?! They lost the sauce!!! I guess it because the old man is gone. God bless him wherever he is but it's just not the same. RIP to a classic shake spot. read more

After reading multiple blog posts about the plight of Ray Alvarez, the "Ray" behind the Candy Store, I can only tip my hat, stop by for a $3 order of Obama Fries and write a positive review. Ray Alvarez is a 73 year old immigrant, who works at his store through failing health and a grim financial situation. The fact that he's still toughing it out at his age, pulls at my heart strings like a whimpering puppy or the ending of Titanic. Any form of social security or government healthcare isn't available to him due to some issues with his paperwork and legality of his citizen status. Facing these odds, any one else would fold and crumble into homeless destitution or worse. But he's a tough old bastard. He's grown adept at handling the local riff raff, drunks, and the increasingly snobby and fratty atmosphere of the East Village. He works through pain, razor thin operating margins, and increasing competition. In short, he's a survivor. Admittedly his product is not as good as Belgian Frites just an ave away. But I implore anyone that reads this review to consider giving Ray's Candy Store a fighting chance. And for $3, the Obama Fries are pretty good and huge. read more

ATTENTION NEW YORKERS -- Ray needs $8000 back rent or else his landlord will CLOSE this business **today.** Come to Ray's NOW. Some hippies are staging a sit-in. Me, I'm ordering lunch and telling Ray to "keep the change" Three-O'Clock-High style, if you know what I mean. SAVE RAY'S -- or help him buy time to save himself. read more

I get the impression these guys are huge Barack Obama fans. Everything in the shop is labeled Obama something or other. It's hilarious. Even the ATM has a handwritten sign declaring it an "Obama ATM" which could lead to a lot of inappropriate jokes. But that's a whole different story. The bottom line at Ray's: you come here if you want your snacks good and fast and you want them on the go. Belgian fries and soft serve are apparently the way to go here. I opted for the fries. You'd think ordering fries would be an easy thing, but it wasn't for me. 3 different sizes and 15-something types of dip. The young lady behind the counter recommended that I go with horseradish dijon, which I happily ordered. The fries and dip were great. Awesome texture. Combined with the great memories of laughing at the Obama-mania and $10 packs of cigarrettes while the smell of frying oil wafted through the air and you've got a place I'm going to visit again the next time I'm in town. read more

Came here one night at 1am when I just needed to have dessert! It was the only place open that I could find on yelp so I figured I'd give it a try. I am SO happy I did!!! First, I ordered the beignets and peanut butter ice cream. Both were delicious and exactly what I needed to satisfy my craving. The portions were also large and generous! However!!!!! The main reason why I will return to Ray's is because of Ray. He is the sweetest and kindest 84 year old man you'll ever meet. I could sense his dedication and passion upon entering the store and I immediately felt welcomed. Later I did some research and Ray has a pretty interesting history! He's one hardworking man!!! Definitely check it out of you're ever around! read more

Ray was just featured on CNN Money. Click here to watch the video and tell me you don't love this man. http://money.cnn.com/video/smallbusiness/2010/08/27/sbiz_rays_candy.cnnmoney/ read more

You like milkshakes, soft serve ice cream and beignets? stop reading this immediately. put on your shoes and head down to Ray's NOW. After heading to Ray's Candy Store, come back to my review and LIKE IT. you won't regret it. Ray is the dawwwggg and deserves every dollar he makes. All the malts, ice cream and hot foods he produces is filled with 100% passionate love. Ray's Candy Store is the dream model for any incoming immigrant into the USA who wants a piece of the American dream. God Bless USA USA USA read more

The best soft serve for your money in the city. Ray's is not clean looking, there's barely any standing room, and there's no artisanal caramel or sea salt to be found near the ice cream. That's why it's good - it's just a plain, smooth, creamy and deliciously artificial ice cream cone, piled as high as physically possible, for $4. If you want to pay for toppings and gimmick (and the blandest ice cream I've ever tasted) go around the corner to Big Gay where you'll get half as much ice cream for double the price. If you just want good soft serve, Ray's is it. read more

Ray's Candy Store - The biggest soft serve for $4 - Desserts Near Me - New York, New York

Seriously? Why is there a line for big gay ice cream shop? This place is leaps and bounds better, no bullshit marketing, great customer service and GREAT soft serve. You get your money's worth here. read more

There's a DirectTV ad with a Russian guy waving his small lap giraffe and groupies in your face and talking about Opulence and how he has it. Maybe you've seen it? El Queso Grande loooooves it! I think that guy would appreciate my favorite dish at Ray's Candy Store. I'm talking Beignets, fried up fresh and crispy. (Technically, Ray's version is a bit more like zeppoles, but still fantastic!) I've gotten more than 6 in a half dozen order, so you may want to limit yourself to that ($3). Then, ample powdered sugar is gently dusted on (So at this point in my story, perhaps you are more than satisfied...thinking to yourself that would be pretty awesome...BUT WAIT...THERE'S MORE!) Yes, because if you luck out, you may convince the sweetheart Polish lady behind the counter to then smother your beignets in hot fudge!!! OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH, that's what I'm talking about. Be prepared to fight to defend your sexy plate. My plate has been the target of more than a few agressively longing glances. PARTING THOUGHT: Oh Opulence...and now I has it every time I go to Ray's Candy Store! read more

I've been here a number of times, and I'm sure a few more that I can't remember. I actually didn't even know this place had a name until I searched "Fries near St. Mark's & A," just knew it as the place run be the nicest old guy around who seemingly never slept, because it was always open, and he was always there. Other people have it covered: belgian fries, soft serve, egg creams, and portions bigger than your face but one word of advice: stick around and eat there, not just because the fries will get soggy in the container and walking with a cone with that much ice cream is ridiculous, but for the conversations and people watching; you may not remember the food, but you'll remember the experience. read more

So Boyfriend and I went over here on a Saturday night months ago. He was drunk, I was hungry, and I don't think either of us were expecting much. However, those fries were obscenely delicious, and who doesn't like to support an old timer and independent businessman like Ray? Pomme Frites may be more European and authentic with their paper cones and shit, but Ray gives you an insanely large portion of his super crispy fluffy fried potatoes. Perfect for a late night snack, those fries were just what I needed, both to feed my ravenous stomach and to give me something to focus on other than Boyfriend's drunk ramblings, which were in French. I don't know more than two words of the language, so I was understandably irritated by Boyfriend's sudden and inexplicable refusal to speak English- until I had Ray's fries and all was once again well with the world. I'm rarely in this part of the city, but I know that Ray is going to need as much business as possible as the weather turns cold. I will definitely make a point of stopping in if I'm ever down here, and so should you. The place is no frills, but it's old school New York and the perfect greasy fast food snack. read more

Candy? What the hell are you talking about, Ray? I don't see no candy. I do see delicious belgian fries and waffles. Ray's love for Obama can be seen everywhere. No longer just belgian fries or waffles, they're now called OBAMA fries and OBAMA waffles. Yum, presidential food. The store can throw off some people. As in the store is very low-key. Very mom-&-pop. Mama-&-papa. Ray, please don't close down. I'll try to earn so much money that I can't go a day without buying your delicious OBAMA inspired food. read more

This place is pretty great. Whenever I'm in here, I always think some 1970s New York gang members are going to come stumbling in wearing matching leather jackets and harass the old guy behind the counter. Seriously, if they were ever filming a remake of "The Warriors" they could do it right here. Besides that old school ambiance, Ray's has some pretty good grub. I had a tasty egg cream here, but was a little disappointed in the strawberry milk shake. I'll be back though, because placs like this are too rare in the city nowadays. read more

Love this place. A must in the LES. Ray is an icon. It is not just the experience (do not expect much of the store), it is fact that he has such a story mixed with the fact that his beignets are so tasty (not to mention a fantastic deal). Go here and say hi to Ray! read more

What can I say about Ray's Candy Store? First, it's not a candy store. Second, both the shop and Ray are NYC icons worth preserving as long as possible. Ray was born in Iran in 1933, but moved to the states when he was still young with his father. He got into the food industry as a dishwasher and eventually saved enough money to buy what is now Ray's Candy Store in 1974. It's a deli probably most famous for serving soft sere ice cream, but also egg cream, sandwiches, fries, coffee, beignets, etc. The place is the definition of a hole in the wall. There is barely enough room to stand, leaving any sort of seating completely out of the question. It is packed with stuff, papers, flyers, junk, food, with not an inch of wall space uncovered. But Ray himself is usually there for 12 hours a day, taking the 4 pm - 4 am shift 7 days a week without fail. That late at night, he's often found sleeping behind the counter before a customer walks in and wakes him up. His lovely Eastern European wife sometimes accompanies him. At the age of 84, he's still got the zest and ability to run the business he loves the most. He's just a cute, cool, great guy. He'll talk with you and show you stuff. But if he's got customers, he'll tend to them immediately. I personally go for the soft serve. It's actually great and they are generous about letting you try the flavors. You can choose from all the classics (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry) and also now green tea, which has been all the rage for years. You can do a combo of flavors too if you'd like. A cup is $4 and they really stuff it. Is it the best quality in the world? No. But it's pretty good and Ray himself makes the trip worth it on occasion. I hope he's around for decades to come. read more

Maybe this is a bit biased, but i love Ray's because of Ray. I came in a couple days ago on one of my food tours in the East Village, and Ray was behind the counter working by himself. Having grown up with immigrant parents who started businesses themselves, I have a soft spot for these kinds of joints that have been around for a long time and are still being run by their original owners. I liked the inside of Ray's because while it is a literal hole-in-a-wall, it has its quirks and character. The walls are adorned with pictures that are the literal menu, and you pick what you want after looking through all the options. Having eaten dessert all day, I chose not to get a soft-serve or the fried oreos, despite really wanting to, and instead went for the mozzarella sticks. It was an eight for five dollar deal, which is a steal considering how expensive eating out in the city is, and my friend and I felt like we were actually robbing him with how much we were paying. Ray disappeared into the back to get my order ready, and as I stood there, it made me really think about all the sweat he's probably put into his place after all these years. It's these smaller details that make you appreciate the less glitzy parts of NYC even more. After a few minutes, Ray came back and with his arm noticeable shaking, handed me my plate full of mozzarella sticks, freshly fried. Biting down, the cheese stretched, which is a necessity for good cheese sticks, but what really got me was the crust. The herbs were visible on the outside along with the golden breading, and I had to say that they really probably were the best mozzarella sticks that I've ever had, but it could be that Ray just won my heart. It may be a trek from subway lines and the "fun" parts of New York, but Ray's is a place that I hope continues to stay open and prosper. I know that I will be back to try other menu items that I pick off the wall and I hope to see Ray behind the counter each time. read more

"Let's go get an egg cream! We are really close to a place that makes one of the best egg creams in the city." "Um, what's an egg cream? That sounds gross." Once you can convince your friends that egg creams are actually NOT made with eggs, and they don't have any cream in them either, drag them promptly to Ray's Newsstand, a tiny hole-in-the-wall in the East Village where Ray still makes egg creams the old fashioned way -- chocolate, milk and seltzer. While we were waiting for our frothy drink, we got to eavesdrop on east village "old-schoolers" who were talking about the days when the police wouldn't go past Avenue B because it was too dangerous, and how buses didn't run in Alphabet City. How times have changed. But at least the egg creams at Ray's haven't. read more

Let me start by saying this is the same place as "Belgian Fries". (there's two yelp pages for this place) Ray is the owner and he's a strange old guy but the nicest New Yorker on Tomkins Sq. Park. You can get enormous belgian fries with great sauces, softserve in up to 6 flavors on a given day, in sugar cone or safety cone, and hotdogs that are greasy and better than crif dogs around the corner. Here's the kicker - fans of chocolate malt shakes will go bonkers over the chocolate malt here. Faint of heart beware - this place is very dirty...it doesn't look like the walls have been wiped down EVER. There's no where to sit either. Walk in, get your fries and get to a parkbench so you can slobber all over yourself. Don't forget napkins and please thank RAY. He deserves a pat on the back for keeping this place open for so many years. read more

Okay, I promise you will be scared of this place - it's a teeny tiny hole in the wall across the street from Thompkins Sq. Park. It looks dirty, the signs are all written by hand, there is no rhyme or reason when you walk in ... but the fries and the frozen yogurt is so damn good!!! You just gotta walk-in, order and go. Eat somewhere outside and far away, I promise if you stare too long you will see a few cockroaches. It's like this weird place where a small order of fries is HUGE, delicious, hot and tasty with tons of topping/sauce choices. Frozen yogurt is also HUGE and de-lish!! You'll probably encounter a homeless person while you order and the owner (some old guy with a hat) is super friendly... read more

He's the cutest old man , his store is not the most pleasing to the eyes but he's dedication can be seen. We get fried Oreos all the time & they are amazing ! Highly recommend and I believe they are open 24 hrs read more

Coming into the tiny little mum n pop shop in the EV gives me the warm and glowy feeling in the tummy every time. Ray's Candy Store is AWESOME! Super delicious beignets, yummy egg creams... and how can you not like the super, duper, nice owner Ray and his wife??? Did you know that the EV/LES community got together to help to save this fantastic little shop from being booted out by the evil building owners? Did you know that Ray himself basically is the living history and proof of the spirit and charm of the East Village? Follow Yelpers, I encourage you to stop by this little shop if you're ever in the EV and see it for yourself! And if none of that matters to you.. then just know that Ray really serves up delicious, delicious foods, opens late, won't burn a hole in your pocket, and you never run out of tasty options in his awesome little shop! p.s. I see from another review that someone said "Ray's fries don't even compare to Pomm Frites." Ummm... he's not trying to!! I love Pomm Frites 2 Aves over too but let's be honest, you don't exactly go to Ray's shop looking for a Pomm Frites alternative and vice versa! It's pretty unfair to try to make that claim at all. Ray's fries are delicious in their own right and hey, if Pomm Frites served up super tasty beignets and egg creams AND I can get that warm glowy feeling as aforementioned every time I go there then I'd totally give it 5 stars, too! Support Ray's Candy Store! Feed your tummy the yummy that it deserves! =) read more

Seriously, I walked in here and experienced 5 decades from the 1950's to the 1990's within the area size of a matchbox. How is that even possible?? For a quick second there, I thought I had walked onto the set of Little Shop of Horrors. But my gawd, this place made me happy. I'm from New Orleans and my bf and I were in need of a beignet fix, so we decided to give this place a try. The beignets are way smaller than the Cafe Du Monde's big fluffy pillow squares of goodness, but this was a dam good substitute. And you mean to tell me while I'm waiting for my beignets to fry up, I can get busy on this big a$$ vanilla soft serve that is so thiiiiick it's making me want to cry from sheer happiness?? This place is becoming too good to be true. He asked me if I wanted it to go and put in a bag. It's as if he knew me already because the proper way to eat beignets is to stuff them in a paper bag and shake with sheer determination to ensure complete coverage of beignets with powdered sugar. THAT'S when your beignets are ready for consumption and it's the only way I'll eat them. Drove away with my beignets and they were hot, soft on the inside and lightly crispy on the outside. And looky here, ol' Ray gave me 4 extra beignets with my order. Oh yes, this place is definitely too good to be true. ;-) read more

The best ice cream! A small place so do not expect seating. However there is a park across the street

I missed Ray the night we checked out his Candy Store, but I definitely felt his spirit in eclectic but classic storefront. We may or may not have ordered five desserts for three people, and each were large, satisfying, and completely worth the cheap prices. - Soft serve: actually the thing we were the least crazy about. I got the choco/vanilla swirl and struggled to keep myself clean while eating it. It's fine and decent soft serve but nothing special other than the generous portion. Also tried a bite of the pistachio, which was a little too artificial tasting for my liking. - Beignets: heavenly. Maybe it was the lateness of the hour, maybe it was the brown bag enhancement, maybe it was the smell of pure goodness, but whatever the reason, these were great. I swear the pricing doesn't make sense but I got well over a dozen for the price of half. I'm not complaining though. Fresh fried dough with a lot of powdered sugar made for a great second dessert course. - Fried oreos: I've never had fried oreos before, I may never have them again, but we shared a wonderful moment together when I tried them at Ray's. The texture was decadent and warm oreos are the best oreos. Thank you, Ray. Overall, I have no regrets about the 27493 calories consumed by way of Ray's. It's totally worth the trek into Alphabet City, it's totally worth sidestepping the drunks and jumping around the barf puddles, and it's totally worth your cash (only). read more