Man o man talk about good flavor! I came here because my brother mentioned this place and said they have the best fried catfish. Of course, I gave him slack for getting catfish at a bbq place but after trying it out, he in fact was right! Fried perfectly, great seasoning, and robust flavor. Sweet hush puppies and just as delicious shrimp. Had to try the dirty rice and it was fantastic. Wish it was hot/ warm, for some reason the rice was cold but not enough to dock anything. Had to try their sweet strawberry lemonade. The entire staff was helpful and nice and the restaurant was kept cleaned even during lunch service. Will definitely be back! read more

Ray's Real Pit BBQ Shack - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Don't sell barbecue that is spoiled or has been sitting out for awhile. I was truly turned off by this painful gut punching experience. I will never patronize this business ever again. read more

Requested lean brisket it's full of large chunks of fat Very disappointed as I'm a texture person so I can eat any of this . Waited 1.5 hours to throw in trash read more

Ray's Real Pit BBQ Shack - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

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The food is really good. But you have to deal with terrible people to get said food. for the last 4 weeks I have come to this place for a brisket sandwich. the women that took my order were rude and had unpleasant tones and no smiles at all. A simple "hello" with a smile goes a long way. I have never got a smile or greeted in the last 5x I came it the place. Today I ordered the same brisket salad that I always get and got the same treatment as the last 4x. i waited 26 minutes for my food. I went to the counter to ask one of the women working the register to see my order would be coming soon and she just glanced at my ticket and dismissed me as if I hadn't just asked her a question. That treatment had no place in the restaurant business. I dont Thats ok in any business. I won't ever set foot in another Ray's bbq. I work way too hard to blow my money on bad service. PLEASE DO BETTER. read more

Great service great menu. Chill environment and I got my food very fast. I even showed up 10 til close and they were nice

Good barbecue and good customer service . Food is delicious it didn't disappoint for it being our first time and it's not expensive. Definitely should stop by, read more

If you love very, extremely smoky flavors and spicy food, this is the place for you. Sadly, my children and I were not a fan of this place. It is not kid friendly (no kids menu) and the spice is in a lot of their items (i.e. mac and beans and bbq sauce and such). I did give it two stars because my husband enjoyed his brisket. We just were not enthusiastic over the chicken (only bone-in options, too smoky, veiny-meat), mac and beans. We were also disappointed as there was only one bbq choice (which again had spice). I typically spicy food myself (not this though, too smoky) but not having good options for little kids is a HUGE take away. Luckily, they did have ketchup. The lady that checked us out was fairly friendly which is good (again why they got two stars). If you love brisket and love very very smoky food with spice, this would be more for you than for us. read more

This is one of the best bbq places I have been to. This place has a nice mom and pop feel along with southern charm. The bbq. The briskets and ribs are well seasoned and I appreciate their bbq sauce not being super acidic. I dislike those vinegar dominant sauce. Their briskets are tender and ribs are fall off the bone good. I order the dirty rice and spicy rice which has chunks of briskets in it. They also have a beautiful smoke ring around it without being too Smokey if that makes sense. The people are friendly and their food has been fantastic. We will continue to return. read more

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Very interesting place a lot of people More like a fast food store The meat is a little dry but good price though The service is ok the vibe is like a sports combined little fast food store bar, super confusing but quite interesting You can watch games here pretty funny read more

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This place is always so delicious. However they do sell out quickly. Especially on the weekends and Friday.

Ordered the max plate, it was delicious. Only complaint is that the greens beans were a little salty, but the food was delicious.

Whew!! I wanted some good BBQ and they CAME THROUGH!! I had the Baked potato with chopped beef all the fixings!! That meat was so good! Omg! My siblings shared a platter that came with two meats and fried shrimp and fish.. that fish was too good!!! Next time I visit my sister we are definitely going back! This was some of the best BBQ & fried fish I ever had! read more

Ray's Real Pit BBQ Shack - 1/2 platter - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

Excellent excellent and did I say EXCELLENT. Great customer service and will be back again read more

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My husband surprise me with 'to go' lunch from Ray's Barbecue Shack- I had never eaten there but he likes the peace cobbler - when I opened the meal -I was highly disappointed- the gummy red rice with two small bits is sausage was nasty and the chicken was burnt and hard - the turkey was bland and uninspiring- the beans - a thick sweet nasty sauce -- more sauce than beans -I know my husband paid a lot for this mess- and the food was old a reheated/ I'm callin them about this tomorrow!!!- 0 Stars read more

I just Ray's! Not only is it the best BBQ in town but the staff is so friendly. Everyone says hello and is smiling. So rare and unexpected these days. read more

Ray's Real Pit BBQ Shack - Delicious handmade sausage by the pound! - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

Everything we ordered was delicious. People kept telling me they had the best bbq in Houston and they didn't disappoint. The shrimp was good, baked potato, and 3 meat platter were all delicious. But the surprise was the cheeseburger my son ordered. Nice sized patty, great bun consistency, and overall impeccable flavor. That man behind the grill really knew what he was doing. I will definitely be back here and try the beef ribs and more. Don't miss out on this Jewell. read more

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My cousins from Hawaii were in Texas for a few days and they wanted to try Texas BBQ. Since we were in Houston, my cousin searched the nearest BBQ and Ray's was on the 5 best in the area. When we first walked in, someone who worked there immediately reserved us seats since we were a large party of six. They added Reserve table signs onto our table while we went in line to order. There's too much for me to remember every single person's order. But I can talk about mine. I ordered the rib tips, with green beans and fried rice. My dish was delicious but I wish I ordered their brisket. I didn't get it because I thought we were gonna sample eachother's dish so we could get a taste of everything. But everybody loved their dish so much, we didn't sample. So if you make it here - order what you want. lol don't rely on thinking you'll sample. Because we all changed our minds to finish what we got. I love brisket and that was the only thing I regret. I wish I ordered what I wanted. read more

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I door dashed the food and failed at the picture. Sorry guys but it was bomb! I had a brisket plate. Potato salad, beans, and Mac n cheese. I could have done without the Mac n cheese but all of it was good. I would go in to text the service and ambiance soon. read more

First time at Ray's and I most certainly will be back! A while ago a good friend of mine recommended this place and I was finally able to give them a try. I ordered the 2 Piece Catfish 3 Shrimp w/fries and hush puppies, and the Smoked Mac & Cheese. All of it was delicious, hot, and fresh. I did add a little more seasoning to the mac once I made it home. The restaurant is very spacious, so there is plenty of room to social distance. The staff was friendly as well. Definitely encourage everyone to check it out! read more

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Quick and Great service - Great Food! We leave on the opposite side of town but whenever we can eat there- we will

Let me keep it short! Good Basked beans, excellent tender/moist brisket, great Ribs & decent Mac & cheese! You can feel the love made in the food! A Houston BBQ experience you must try ! read more

One of my fav BBQ spots in Houston. The brisket is always on point! Love all the sides from dirty rice to macaroni!

10/10 recommend giving this place a try. Hush puppies were so delicious! We had the catfish, shrimp, turkey and brisket, all were wonderful and delicious. The star of the show was the BBQ sauce. They brought us a fresh warm bottle. The inside doesn't have a ton of seating so I can see it being hard to get a seat on the weekend. read more

We were on the hunt for burnt ends, and we ended up with marble cut brisket, rib tips, fried corn, rice, and sock-it-to-me cake. Apparently, burnt ends aren't a thing here and nobody really knows what they are. When we walked in, we asked the guy cleaning if they served rib tips, and he went to check with the kitchen, then came back and told us that we had to specifically request them when ordering. We go to the counter, there was a lot of confusion and nobody seemed to know what we were talking about. Instead of inquiring more they just assumed we wanted marble cut so we ended up with the wrong thing. The best thing out of our whole order was the cake. The brisket was OK and the rib tips were kinda tasty. The service was hit or miss. The young man cleaning the restaurant when we walked in was nice and tried to help us. The ladies at the cash register had attitudes except for one who tried to help my friend as she was packing up her food. Ambience is no frills. It's bright, and it looks clean for the most part. read more

I ate dinner at Ray's on the evening of August 2, 2025. I had a half smoked chicken combo. To start the pieces we're really small, as it was a miniature chicken. The chicken was dry and tasteless. The sides were ok. I've previously eaten at Ray's during lunch and the quality of food was good. Maybe my experience was bad this time because I at at 7pm. If you eat at Ray's I recommend eating earlier in the day when the food is fresh. read more

Celebrated 5 years with Ray's BBQ! Our delivery guy said it was some of the best BBQ & he's right! We got an order of The Max and a full rack of baby ribs. We also ordered the catfish & some peach cobbler. Why the 4 stars? Well, the turkey was phenomenal. Honestly my husband's & I's favorite from the meal. Wasn't dry at all, cooked perfectly. Second favorite was the brisket. It was super good in the sauce they gave. The sausage was okay. The ribs were alright, I definitely have had much better elsewhere. For the sides, the potato salad & beans were so yummy. The Mac & cheese & green beans were just okay. Not a fan. As for dessert, I don't like peach cobbler, but my husband does. He took one bite & unfortunately didn't like it! Overall, really good 4 star place. Would try it again! :) read more

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This place was absolutely delicious. The staff was so friendly and inviting. They were so busy with takeout orders that they had a line out the door. They had a few tables available inside, so we enjoyed our lunch there. I ordered the 2 meat plate with sausage and ribs. This included 2 sides which I chose potato salad and macaroni salad. I truly loved everything on my plate and the portions were very reasonable. The sauce was delicious and was sweet/tangy. Another +1 for having a Coca-Cola Freestyle machine! I definitely recommend stopping in and trying something. The only complaint I had was that the monitors with the menus weren't working so we had to ask what they had. read more

Ray's Real Pit BBQ Shack - 2 Meat Plate with ribs, sausage, potato salad, and macaroni salad - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

Everything I've gotten here has been great! I really love their ribs & that fried corn! Oh my!!

I came to Ray's months ago but forgot to write a review. Since I couldn't remember the food a few weeks later I figured it must have been average. I was very much so mistaken! Went back recently for a to-go order of the 2 meats plate- ribs, Turkey, Mac and cheese, Cole slaw- and it was SO GOOD!! They do not skimp in the meat, I always appreciate a place that gives you your money's worth. My date got the same meal but with brisket and sausage. He (and I) loved his meats as well! The only downside was that the Turkey is sliced so it kind of feels like a regular piece of sliced Thanksgiving Turkey. That was underwhelming, BUT the ribs were so good and meaty that it totally made up for it and wouldn't even make me consider less than 5 stars. read more

Ray's Real Pit BBQ Shack - Covid requirements - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

Went here on the weekend and it was very busy. Ordered carry out. I had the brisket. My friend had the ribs. Both were very tasty. Smoked flavor was good. Both were tender. The food came out pretty fast considering it was very crowded read more

Although not your best in Houston for those who move around its still OK but the service was awful and the little black girl with glasses taking orders had a terrible attitude. Talked to me like I was her child, Talking with her hands, grabbing her forehead as if having a nervous breakdown because i asked question about menu. Maybe overworked. I left her to have her Zoloft episode and decided to go elsewhere. Done with this place. Real BBQ is at the Pitt Room on Richmond Street anyway. read more

On there dirty rice the rice was cook to long taste gummy. They said there was no more ribs on the July 3.2025 at 12pm but you give a customer a slab of ribs when they come through the door. If you are out at 11:30 am you are out. Now all the customers coming in looking at the customer leaving out with a slab of ribs when you told everyone that there was no more ribs. I have been eating at rays for years and it's not good as it use to be. read more

When I came across this pre-pandemic photo of Ray's BBQ on my phone, I knew I had to show this place some foodie appreciation. The menu is classic for American/Southern Texas BBQ with all the usual meats (brisket, sausage, pulled pork, etc.) and sides (potato salad, Mac n cheese, etc), but there were also some unexpected options like po boys. I got the brisket plate and shrimp po boy and enjoyed both! - brisket: tender meat, not overwhelmingly salty like some places (probably because it doesn't have a seasoning crust on the outside) but a little lacking in flavor. The tangy BBQ sauce gives this the oomph it needs. - Potato salad: I liked this, and if you like mustard in your potato salad you will too - Mac n cheese: decently creamy and cheesy - Shrimp po boy: an unexpected tasty find! The fried shrimp came out super fresh and hot. I think the sandwich would have been even better if the bread had been warmed and toasted a bit, but it was still good as is. The fries are steak cut (not my preferred) and were also fresh. If you have your heart set on a specific cut of meat, it's best to call ahead as they can run out. It's located in a smallish plaza easily seen from the street, but there's usually parking in the front. read more

Ray's Real Pit BBQ Shack - Sliced Brisket Plate, potato salad, mac n cheese, shrimp po boy, fries - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

Why 4 stars? Because this was another solid Houston BBQ experience. --- --- --- I've had Ray's bookmarked for years but have just never had the chance to visit. This year, I was determined to finally make the trip and was able to accomplish that mission. We arrived around 11:15a on a Tuesday and there were already several people ahead of us in line. When we eventually ordered, we were told that it would be about 25 minutes, which was accurate. I'd definitely recommend calling ahead or ordering online if you're in a hurry. I knew fairly easily that I wanted to try the rib tips and the brisket, based on the reviews, so that's what I ordered for my two meat platter. I thought the brisket was just okay (3-stars) and the rib tips were 4-stars. I enjoyed the flavor and texture of the rib tips, but probably would have just preferred regular ribs since there wasn't much meat on the tips. I did like the mac-n-cheese and the boudin sausage. A lot of the sides looked appealing, but I ordered boudin because it's not something you'd normally find on a BBQ menu, especially where I live in Tampa. For dessert, we ordered the butter cream cake the banana pudding. Both were tasty, but the butter cream icing was so intensely sweet that it was a bit overwhelming. And the banana pudding was oddly watery. Overall, I'd rate this one more like 3-stars compared to most of the BBQ institutions I've had around Houston, but I'm rounding up a star for the struggles that local restaurants have been through during COVID-19. read more

Ray's Real Pit BBQ Shack - Rib Tips, Brisket, and Mac-n-Cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

Their fish and shrimp is the best, at a Barbecue place!!!!! Barbecue is good but oh the seafood is the bomb!

Fried catfish was excellent Coleslaw was good There home made drink was not what I prefer But I will definitely go back for more catfish Just have to pad the fish with napkins to take access oil off Self service counter read more

The restaurant accepted my door dash order and was out of brisket at 6pm, waited 40 minutes to call me back and tell me they were out of potatoes. Do not waste your time with this restaurant. read more

Food was good as usual but almost everything was sold out. My advice is to get there early if you want a better variety of meat to choose from. Quite a few people in line and milling around the place. Had sports on the big screen. read more

Ray's Real Pit BBQ Shack - Lobby - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Nothing! But the staff, under the pressure of "homecoming" weekend crowd, was SUPERB! Thanks to both "Michaela" and I just didn't get the other young lady's name, but they were VERY kind and understanding. HOWEVER, at the end of the day, PLEASE fix the multi-meat button on the website. I was in the restaurant for approximately 57 minutes for a to-go order because I ordered via Yelp to be able to get the "mixed pound" meat ‍ read more

A must try for visitors to Houston! In fact if you don't order a meal and dessert from Rays, you haven't really visited Houston! It's that good!! read more