Really don't know what you can add that hasn't been said by fellow Yelpers about Rays Diner but I'll give it a shot. When I was younger me and my neighbors would frequent the former Frank's to talk about current events or complain about gas prices. So coming back here I had some reservations about how good it would be if at all. When I came here my first time I noticed a lot of first responders eating at the counter and back tables which was a good sign. So I would stop in from time to time for tea or water when I was working in the area. Today I finally tried their breakfast and it did not discount me in the least. The biscuits were grand and the grits and liver pudding really filled me up and got me moving on this cold day ! I'll definitely come back and try some more items when I get the time. On a side note I noticed on Facebook Rays Diner was featured as the one of top 13 diners to visit in are lovely state. read more

Ray's Diner - Liver pudding - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

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Delicious breakfast! Creamiest grits I've ever had and eggs cooked to perfection. We will definitely be back next time we are in town.

My fiancee and I went there for breakfast on Sunday. This place is awesome. It's a nice, cozy diner atmosphere. The service and food was amazing. Not to mention the prices are right. I saw that someone else said the waitresses were "racist"... I did not get that at all. Everyone was very nice and courteous. This is my new favorite breakfast spot. read more

Ray's Diner - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

We ended up at Ray 's on a Sunday morning for a late breakfast. It's a fabulous little cozy place with an old school "diner" feel, but with delicious southern cuisine. Ray 's is tucked into a small shopping plaza on Two notch road, next to an auto parts store. It's very clean inside, and has a lot of Chicken man paintings everywhere. You can tell this place is a well kept secret favorite, because people were coming in droves after church was over. My significant other had the country fried steak with eggs and home fries. Unfortunately, I was unable to try it because he nearly licked his plate, even though there was plenty of it. I ordered a deluxe breakfast with two eggs over easy, pancakes, and bacon. The eggs were cooked perfectly, and the pancakes were delicious, just like my grandma's. My boyfriend doesn't love pancakes, but he was happy to help me finish mine. We loved this place, the service was awesome, and the owner even stopped by and said hello. We will definitely be back. read more

I'm having lunch today for the second time at Rays Diner in Columbia Sc. They have a great menu, soulfood and breakfast and some delicious deserts! So far I've only had lunch, and it's been the same both times baked chicken (dark) Lima beans, collard greens, cabbage, cornbread. My friend had fried fish (whiting) potato salad, macaroni and cheese, greenbeans and cornbread. Both meals were delicious and came up to 17 dollars and some change. read more

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Since we moved this side of town we have come to Ray's many times. The food is always amazing but every time we order food to-go there is an issue. You have to call a dozen times for the phone to get answered, sometimes they'll put you on hold and never come back to the line, etc. We placed an order to go today...the plate looked great, but the fish was missing. My husband took it back to get the fish, and they remade the plate. He was told that the waitress gave our food to another customer by accident. Well we get home, and our grits didn't have cheese, the liver pudding was soupy, and we didn't get any toast. Also, the checkered paper inside bled ink all over our eggs. So disappointed because I really enjoy the food here. read more

This place is awesome. Great breakfast. Why go to a chain when you can get a great meal cooked by local folks who care about what they serve and how they serve it. read more

This is the best diner I've ever been in my life the hotdogs and fries were delicious this was the best restaurant I've ever been to in my life read more

The perfect breakfast and lunch spot in Columbia. Great prices, quality food, friendly faces. Would recommend!

Awesome breakfast! Pancakes were great, biscuits were amazing, and eggs were cooked exceptionally.

We were traveling cross country and came to Ray's because of the excellent reviews. It did not disappoint! We always try to patronize local "mom and pop" restaurants and Ray's has the best omelettes ever! Friendly attentive service too. read more

I had the double meat breakfast with bacon and sausage patties.....The bacon didn't have much flavor but everything else was amazing! The waitress forgot my salmon patties but I was glad because I was so full. My boyfriend got the French toast and grits on the side. He ate everything. We will def be back.... read more

Ate here once the food was great. It's a little piece of home. The staff is friendly and the food is worth it!

Service was great. Definitely a small town diner but it was delicious. I had fried chicken which had a great crust and flavor to it. Corn bread was off the chain! read more

Ray's Diner - Fried chicken - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

Ordered fish and grits and salmon and grits. Very very mediocre. The grits were good. IDK what else to say. Sorry.

Our lunch group went here for the first time today. Immediately seated (there were six of us) and the waitress took our drinks promptly. Great choice of breakfast food and lunch. Two of us chose cheeseburgers and fries. They were very good. Burgers done perfectly and came fully loaded with tomatoe, mayo, lettuce, and onion on a nice bun. The fries were very good. One person ordered the fried bologna sandwich and said it was very good. Cooked with a slight char and he said it was good. Two others ordered a breakfast meal, one with fried bologna, eggs, biscuit, and looked like more on his plate. Everyone was satisified and said this was a good choice to try. The waitress was great and kept our drinks filled throughout the meal. Restaurant was clean, nice "diner" atmosphere. I'd go back! read more

Great Place to share a Delicious Southern Breakfast, get some smiles and debate the various ins and outs of nonsensical topics! Will be a regular stopping place! read more

Ray's Diner - This is the smiles and discussion part of a great time at Ray's - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Columbia, South Carolina

It look like somebody just woke up one day and said, "Imma open a restaurant". This place look so nasty and old. I'm so tired of people opening businesses that look like shit! I've never ate from here and never intend to. I've only picked up food for Postmates. They got this nasty dirty looking carpet on the floor. That's never been cleaned. What type of restaurant has carpeting so you can inhale carpet dust mites. You can just see that your food is cooked unsanitary. People in this world will eat anything and anywhere. I might as well open a restaurant. Whoever the owner is should be ashamed. read more

This well-worn local landmark is both inviting and welcoming. Upon entering, the wonderful aroma of flavorful food begins to fill your taste buds with anticipation. I tried their "meat and three" for lunch. I had chicken fried steak, mac and cheese, lima beans and mashed potatoes with cornbread. Everything was oh so good! They also have daily specials, burgers, baskets and breakfast choices. The staff is very friendly and attentive. You can see why this place is very popular with locals and why they keep coming back. See you soon at Ray's!! read more

Very fast service with a smile. I had the Deluxe Breakfast with grits, eggs, smoke sausage, toast, and I added a side of bacon. To keep things simple... I cleaned my plate momma! There nothing left that's on the table that you can eat! Well if you count the condiments and you're into eating that stuff by itself then be my guest. I will return soon to try a burger or something. As far as the environment is concerned it's clean and nice just like a diner suppose to be. The price for the food is extremely cheap ($10.49 for my meal and drink)! Look out Waffle House here comes Ray's Diner!! read more

Absolutely fantastic! They cleaned our table/chairs before we sat, and our waitress was super friendly. Valery was so sweet and helpful when it was our first time. We all got different food and loved it. The grits are truly delicious to any southerner. I am definitely going to come back. Great hangover food for sure! read more

Went in Rays Diner did not get asked do we want to order or offered a table waitress walked past us 4 or five times. So we left and will not go back after this experience read more

Our group was in town for a wedding, and we hoped to have a tasty breakfast with some Southern favorites that we can't get at home. Ray's was perfect! The grits and biscuits with sausage gravy were amazing. We also loved the pancakes and eggs. Our group included two small kids, and this was a great spot for them. The prices are very affordable, too. If you are visiting Columbia and want to get a really tasty diner breakfast, Ray's is the spot! read more

Don't judge a book by it cover. Or location. Great food and service. Excellent pancakes!!! Food for everyone.

The food is delicious! How do they prepare such awesome grits? All the orders coming out (upon my visit), were exceptional in appearance. You can judge a good restaurant the majority of the times, if it is filled to people capacity. The staff is friendly and served us with a smile which is unusual this day and time. The prices are most reasonable for such delicious food. read more

This place was just what we were hoping for. Real people and real food. The onion sausage was awesome! I also had the fried okra and grits. Perfect stop for a filling breakfast before a 9 hour road trip. Hope to be back soon. read more

The best for breakfast! The portions are extremely generous. No wonder this place stays crowded. I had the grits with cheese, eggs and sausage pudding. I have not had sausage pudding in almost 15 years! They did not disappoint. There were four of us; two big brothers with big appetites and we ate for under $30! Can't wait to visit there again when I'm in town. read more

The food was great, best fried fish (whiting) that I've ever had, but the wait for the food was the reason for the 3 stars. Granted we had a rather large group with us, 9 total, but the majority (5 were kids). We waited a good hour after placing our orders. It wasnt a packed house so Im unsure of the reason for the long wait. The waitress was very kind and helpful. Its definitely a hole in the wall, so dont expect there to be any type of ambience. read more

Their food is too good for this side of eternity. I can't remember the last time I ate so well. I might upset some folks, but their grits had flavor and weren't just a butter and salt delivery system. If there is someone out there unsure of what grits are, eat at Ray's. You'll find no finer example of how they ought to taste. I feel I found a kindred spirit in whoever was working the griddle. He or she cooked my bacon to perfection without my having to ask for it to be crispy. read more

This place is off the chain! They have the best grits I have ever had. The waitress said they slow cook them for over an hour and use heavy cream and butter. Their vegetarian omelet is full of fresh vegetables and is a man-size meal. I meet friends here for breakfast and lunch frequently. I have never had a bad experience. read more

Heard about the restaurant at work and with the new dinner hours decided to give it a try. The place is clean and way bigger than it looks from the outside. The special was the meatest spaghetti I have outside of homemade. The hamburger steak was juicy and covered in cooked onions. So good. The meat and 2 or 3 are huge portions that fill you up so much there was no room for dessert. Wanted to try their peach cobbler . Hope I have room next time. Will definitely be going back. read more

My friend and I stopped here on our way out of town after staying the weekend in Columbia. It's on the outskirts of the real city, so you can park right in the lot out front instead of paying a meter and walking which is always nice. It was pretty crowded when we went in, and it took a few minutes, even after standing right up front, for anyone to notice we were waiting for one of several tables to be cleared so we could sit down. The staff wasn't all that friendly, and we probably waited about 30 minutes for our food, but I guess the wait was to be expected at a diner/sit-down restaurant. It was a true home cooked meal and you could tell everything was fresh. I got the country fried breakfast and my friend got the special deluxe breakfast, and we finished every last bite. As long as you've got a few minutes to sit down and eat, I'd definitely recommend. It was worth the wait. read more

This was my first time there & it was the worse! The food wasn't good at all & my server was terrible! The black lady wiped a table off for my boyfriend & I then told us to sit somewhere else. She got our drink order & brought it back out to us. This bigger white lady came by with an attitude & said y'all ready to order. We gave her our orders. . Food came out his salmon patty was a hard ball. My girts weren't hot at all. Do you think our server came to check on us? Nope she walked by our tables multiple times & didn't say anything. By this time I'm beyond pissed so I put all the plates in the middle of the table thinking she would come over. Nope. I put them at the end of the table she finally came over with the check. I didn't know her name until I looked at the check. Her name was Kimberly. So I ask her was she not coming to check on us. She stated yes I said when? I said you dropped our food off & never came back but went to every other table around us! Told her I was a server for 6 years & she's the worst! She said thank you & walked to the kitchen. She came back out telling other lady "she's glad stuff like that don't bother her". Servers only get paid $2.13 an hour you make your money off tips so why treat someone like that! We weren't rude nor nasty to her! Did she think because we looked young were wasn't going to tip! It was another worker at the table behind us playing in her nose! I will never go back again! read more

I've eaten here for breakfast and the dinner both are excellent. This is a must visit food spot!

Great breakfast! Fast, friendly service.

lol screw a thirty minute wait at the fancy pants eggs up grill. This place was great. Good service. Ugly carpets. Fantastic breakfast. I'm sure dinner is too. Lovely homey vibe. read more

We went online looking for an early morning breakfast spot while in the Columbia SC area and came across Ray's Diner. The breakfast was delicious and our server was kind and professional. Don't sleep on this hole in the wall. Delicious food and reasonably priced and great service. We had the onion sausage combo breakfast and also the bacon omelet. I never had toast so hot it burned my fingers! read more

Great breakfast spot in Columbia, SC! I had the double meat breakfast. Everything was fresh, hot, and delicious. The scrambled eggs were perfect, the bacon was crispy, the turkey sausage was tasty, and the home fries were excellent. Fast and friendly service finished it off for a great experience. Will be back next time I travel to Columbia! read more

Don't b fooled. When we went there the folks in the kitchen seemingly didn't give a fuck. The price is right though if youre looking for some cheap cheap mediocre food. read more

This place is one of the most amazing mom-and-pop type restaurants you will find. Great southern home cooking. Fast friendly and affordable. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone for any occasion. read more