Excellent food and service! My family stopped here tonight for dinner on our drive from Norfolk to PA. We got seated right away (even though it was really busy) and enjoyed great seafood (best fried shrimp) at reasonable prices with excellent service. I think we were in and out and back on our drive in under an hour. We're marking this place as our new go to stop next time we visit our family in Norfolk. Thank you!!!! read more

Impressive place.nice food huge shrimp and lots of fresh food 2nd time to visit since we are now leaving close the the place.waitress are nice and attentive.i will recommend this place and enjoy ur food.just to remind u this is not a high end joint so don't act u are all that. Just simple life,and amazing experience.this place are always packed even on a Sunday afternoon so be aware there's a parking on the next street.the reason I love this place is very down to earth very nice and like other place they worry about the tips they making instead of a good service.i know lots of tourists are asshole that's why lots of local don't go to the nearest place but this place it doesn't matter if u local or not beyond expectations.i wish they would open one close by me.(Crisfield md) we don't have like u in here !! read more

One of our favorite restaurants while visiting. Excellent food and service despite COVID. Fresh seafood and other sides. Fun family atmosphere. read more

Talking to some more locals I was told to give this place a shot. As another poster said, everybody drives past this place. This restaurant is located about 4 miles before the island. Its on the left hand side in a green looking barn. The locals say they have the best and freshest seafood. So for our last dinner of the trip, we decided to go here. I'm glad we did. This place was packed, but we managed to get a table right away. A few minutes after we got in, the place was full. My wife ordered the crab cake platter and I ordered the all you can eat steamed shrimp. While we were waiting for our food, our salads were brought out and some homemade hushpuppies were also brought out. Man, these things were sooo darn tasty. If I wasn't saving room for the shrimp, I would have eaten the whole basket myself. I did eat one and part of the salad. They way I see it those are just fillers to prevent me from eating the shrimp =) The salad were very plain. They were just iceberg lettuce and two slices of tomatoes. I will say this, the tomatoes looked very fresh. I usually don't like raw tomatoes, but theses were actually good. Well our food arrived. My wife said the crab cakes were good, they were nicely spiced and there were huge chunks of crab inside. She like it. My shrimp came out nice and hot and seasoned with old bay. I wasn't done with my plate, when our waitress came by and put about another pound of shrimp on my plate. I was still going strong. My wife and daughter were just about done with their meals, when our waitress came by and asked if I wanted another round. There was no way I could take a full round. I asked for just a few. Geeze a few was like 20. Well I finished all but two I think. They were nicely seasoned and cooked just right. I figure I had to get my moneys worth, the all you can eat shrimp was $24.95, so I was going to eat all I could =) The décor inside is actually pretty good, it's not fancy, but it looks like an old hunting lodge. There are critters on the wall and nick nacks here and there. The service was pretty good, they always came by and checked up on us. Next time we come back, this will definitely be one of our stops. By the way. If you are looking for veggies, this is not the place. From what we can tell, the only veggies here are, the salad and coleslaw. I would call a potato a veggie. read more

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Seriously so happy this place exist, the service is phenomenal! My family and I were about halfway to our destination of OBX and we decided to stop so I looked on my handy yelp app and this place popped up. It was Sunday so the special was one pound of large steamed (heads on or heads off) shrimp. We got the heads off and they were perfectly seasoned fresh shrimp and it was more than enough to eat. Since we were wondering what the heads on tasted like, our waitress kindly brought us each a heads on shrimp to try and guess what? They were even better! So rich and flavorful. I wish there were places near me that served shrimp like that. If you catch yourself in the area make sure to try the steamed head on shrimp. They're delicious! Also good to note they have take out and a Fish Market on site. read more

Rays is the place to go in our community for fresh seafood! At the market or in the restaurant. Most the time we eat at the restaurant because the hush puppies are the most amazing hush puppies I have ever tasted. We live the shrimp and the maco shark. read more

Occasionally in America you find a restaurant with traditional values like great uncomplicated food made flawlessly, this is one of those places. Friendly and efficient , their only problem is their success which means you may have wait a while at prime dinner hour. If you are impatient you may buy your own seafood at their wholesale store and go home to cook it yourself, their seafood is the freshest and best on east coast. Cheers to Ray and his wife for working so hard for so many years to keep this tradition alive. read more

Went with my mom who is a definite foodie, a great cook herself, and very picky- she described her meal as the best halibut she has had in her entire life. Long lines so go early! read more

After hearing so many great things about this place, we couldn't wait to try it when we were visiting from out of town. Wow...we were underwhelmed by it all. My wife got the fried oysters and they were way too salty. My daughter got the kids meal fried shrimp and they were tough and tasteless. She only ate one. My son got chicken tenders and when I cut into them...they were raw!! The waitress brought out a fresh batch and even doubled the number of tenders which was really nice of her because my daughter was hungry (see the fried shrimp). I got the all you can eat steamed shrimp. Way overcooked and poor flavor. Have had so much better! Fortunately, the atmosphere and decor was pretty nice but other than that I wouldn't come back. read more

Found this place through Yelp during our drive back from North Carolina to Rhode Island. The reviews were good, so checked it out. The staff was welcoming and friendly. The kids loved the coloring sheet and my son loved the chicken strips with fries. I had the crab it it was so tasty.... fresh and sweet. The hush puppies were ok. They had a little bit of an onion taste and were on the oily side. My wife had the shrimp and it was extremely fresh and delicious. A little drawback for my daughter was the lack of dinner rolls. But we came prepared with other food for her. All in all it was a great dining experience and we definitely will be back on another trip. read more

This was an.... Interesting place! Very casual and laid back. We had the shrimp platter special on Sunday. It's steamed shrimp with Old Bay seasoning on top (shells on) with a side (I got a baked potato and my husband got fries), coleslaw and hush puppies as an appetizer. The food was good. Didn't eat the coleslaw because its not my thing. Hush puppies were yummy! Baked potato was good. Only food downside was that I wanted to order a garden salad as my side, which was an option on the menu, but they were out of salad when we were there. Service was friendly and good. Owner sat at the bar drinking and chatting with customers. Very friendly! A very local, laid back place which was a nice change of pace from a typical restaurant. read more

We had a large table and had the opportunity to experience a number of meals. Steamed and broiled shrimp over rice.... excellent! Fish... all WAY overcooked and dry. Service was slow... poor refills, waiting about 15 mins before being greeted by a server. Crab cakes were deep fried, dry, and uninspiring. Honestly, I got the crab cakes and could not finish them because I would rather eat the side salad. Please respect the reviews here as heed my folly. Get the broiled or steamed shrimp and dispense with the rest. read more

4.5 stars. I miss the old Ray's, which burned down years ago, because you could sit outside with your metal bucket of all-you-can-eat, Old Bay steamed shrimp. This "new" location is really nothing special in terms of decor -- the exterior looks like an airplane hangar, the interior is a big room with booths and tables. Not too exciting. Upstairs there's an antiques-meets-Cracker-Barrel country store, which is just so weird and incongruous to me...I always wonder if they sell anything. In the downstairs display cases, however, are jewelry made by Ray's wife and items made by a local woodturner like ring stands and Christmas ornaments. Way better souvenirs of your time at Ray's than a fake-antiqued "Gone Fishin'" sign to hang in your summer house. The reason you come to Ray's, however, is the shrimp. This place *should* be called Ray's Shrimp Shanty. Sure, the other things on the menu are good: Ray's does seafood right. But the steamed shrimp are some of the best I've ever had, and I never make a trip to Chincoteague without at least one stop at Ray's. All-you-can-eat if I'm feeling up to a challenge, but the shrimp typically whoop up on me. So usually I just get the half pound platter with cole slaw and hush puppies. Lord have mercy, that meal is special. Hush puppies are speckled with onion, dense, and have a wonderful cornmeal flavor. The cole slaw is crunchy, slightly sweet, not overly mayo-y, and delish. But the plump, *perfectly* steamed, Old Bay dusted shrimp absolutely steal the show. They are fantastic. Too bad other reviewers haven't enjoyed their experiences here, because I've never had a bad one in all the years I've been coming. It's a local institution, too, with the place packed wall-to-wall with friends and neighbors on weekend evenings, so you figure Ray's is doing *something* right. read more

We went here for lunch this past Saturday. It was just ok. The hushpuppies were good and the server was sweet, but there just wasn't much to rave about. The batter on the fried flounder was pretty flavorless and everyone's fries looked like they were cooked in old grease. We wouldn't go back. read more

Great seafood for an amazing price. They had fresh Maine lobsters for $10.25 pound and a half. It would be 30 bucks easy in Hampton Roads. We got crab cakes and fried oysters both very good. Staff at front counter were very friendly and patient since we were overwhelmed by the choices. Lots of plates from Maryland in the parking lot, always a good sign when looking for seafood, those folks know their seafood. read more

Great find! It doesn't look like much on the outside but indoor decor is comfortable, service is very friendly and seafood is awesome. Our combo platter with fish, shrimp, scallops and crabcake was huge and delicious. Best hush puppies ever, and homemade fries as well. You can't go wrong. Worth going out of your way. read more

Ray's Shanty - Combo plattee - Seafood Near Me - Wattsville, Virginia

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Worth the wait. I know it's a seafood restaurant, and seafood was good, but the sides stole the spotlight. Amazing hush puppies, and I don't even like hush puppies. How do they get their baked potatoes that delicious? And top notch coleslaw! We left happy and full, and great value too! read more

wonderful home town feel. you can go out to his market and see the fresh offerings that are on the menu. we had the 1 inch thick blackfin tuna, full rock fish ( both sides) and a dozen of shrimp. had to roll out to the car with leftovers. the hushpuppies are amazing. it was great talking to Ray while our food was being prepared. West back the next day to take home some shrimp and salmon. the salmon was gorgeous. will definitely be stopping in when we return. read more

We started off with the crab dip...which was PHENOMENAL!!!! Absolutely delicious! It was definitely memorable. The Hubs ordered the AYCE steamed shrimp which was ample and cooked superbly. I got the fried scallops that were so sweet and cooked well. The service was great too. All-in-all a good visit. read more

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Delicious fresh seafood perfectly prepared! The servings are huge, the staff are friendly and courteous. The restaurant is clean and unique. We enjoyed our meal and will definitely return. read more

My advice is STAY AWAY! So, I decided to try this place after reading the reviews and I am very sorry that I did. Not only were the prices high but the food was not even mediocre. I am all about letting a place rectify a bad experience before posting a bad review but apparently they did not care too. So, I had ordered a marinated tuna steak, cream of lobster soup, and crab dip. The tuna steak, I requested to be medium rare. So, when I called in my To Go order the girl that answered the phone was snotty. I placed my order. When I got back to the house the tuna was definitely not cooked to medium rare, more like well done. The cream of lobster soup tasted like cream soup base with surimi in it (surimi is artificial seafood used in items like Subways seafood salad), the crab dip well was just plopped in the cup with nothing to eat it with (no crackers or bread). So, I called and asked to speaking to a manager hearing a girl reply "I ain't no manager!" The girl told me that she will be in around 4:30. I called back around 4:40 and spoke to someone named Mary Ellen (I believe). When asking again if she was the manager she responded with "I may as well be!" I explained the food issues I had and she had excuses for each item that I complained about. Well, the tuna steak was that way because it's marinated. Well, anyone who works with food knows that if you marinate something to long in a vinegar or acid base, it will start to break down the fibers in it. Anyone should know that you shouldn't over marinate any seafood. I make tuna steaks all the time that are marinated perfectly. The soup...well it's good (is what she told me). Knowing that this woman just got there, I then asked "have you tried it?" Her reply was "well no!" Then, she gave some ridiculous answer for the crab dip. I paid $11 for this and it maybe is half a cup but I couldn't get past the look of it to even try it. I am staying at the Hilton in Ocean City and their Crap dip was around the same price and it came in a beautiful bread bowl that looked wonderful. (I would love to post pics of both but I am not sure how too on Yelp). So, I told her that I spent over $40 on this and I would like to give them the opportunity to make it right. She responded with I can't do anything to help you, one of the owners will have to call you. I think the best part of the conversation is when she told me to come back when they are busy??? Really???? You can't get the food right when you're not busy why would I come back again? Well, it's been 2 days and nothing. Again, stay away and go to Don's or Aj's. Better quality food and wonderful service. This place apparently hasn't heard of GOOD customer service or service recovery. Maybe they should look into each of these. read more

Ray's Shanty - "Crab Dip" if that's what you wanna call it. - Seafood Near Me - Wattsville, Virginia

The food isn't fancy, but it's good! I really don't know much about seafood, but I thought all of the food was prepared well. I had the clam chowder (Manhattan style) and Crabcake sandwich. The crabcake was just a crabcake on a bun, but it was really tasty. I also don't know much about hush-puppies, but the ones served at Ray's are delicious! I ate quite a few. If you're in the neighborhood, I'd definitely recommend Ray's. Good seafood for a reasonable price. read more

BEST crabcakes i have ever tasted!! Sooo much crabbbb; hardly any fillers. If you like crab, you have to try them. Also a really cool environment and nice staff. read more

Rays is my favorite place to eat when visiting Chincoteague. Food and service is always great. The market is also great to get fresh seafood. read more

It seems like most folks, when they are visiting Chincoteague, drive right past Ray's, instead choosing to eat all their meals on the island. I am from the area and I wonder how they could miss it! The fish specials are usually fresh. I am partial to the blackened tuna although recently, the Mahi-Mahi Ray has been bringing in has been my meal of choice. The steamed heads-on shrimp are always excellent as well (oh, it's just a shrimp head, just peel it off and get on with eating it!). My dad always teases the waitress that there is a hole in the bottom of the hushpuppy basket. It is no exaggeration, I have never found a better hushpuppy... about golfball size, usually steaming hot, and with plenty of good seasoning. No other seafood place I have been to can match them. The dining room is often loud and boisterous, but never so much that you cannot hear the conversation at your table. Open Wednesday through Sunday (closes for the winter), be prepared to wait a bit if you get there during the busy dinner time. It's worth the wait though. Meals are around $10-15 per person. If you want to go where the locals eat, go to Ray's. read more

Loved the 2 lb Shrimp boat to share for two. Could not finish it... Awesome? We will definitely go back. read more

Ray's Shanty - 2 Lbs of shrimp boat to share for our anniversary... awesome good. - Seafood Near Me - Wattsville, Virginia

Very generous and tasty crab cakes. Great hush puppies. Fresh salad. This place has a rustic, down-home feel. You can tell it's a local favorite because so many different people greeted each other by name. Excellent, friendly service. A great place to get fresh seafood just outside of Chincoteague. read more

Five stars for the Hush Puppies. Time and again the best I've ever had! I'll skip the steamed clams next time. They were overdone. Everything else was cooked well and had good flavor. Excellent service. It's obvious they train their staff because the server was able to answer every question instantly and had no issues keeping up with our party of seven on 3 split checks! read more

Vacationed at Chincoteague for 3 nights. We ate at Ray's 2 of those nights. It was fresh seafood cooked perfectly. We had shrimp, scallops, oysters very lightly breaded. The serving staff were pleasant, food came out hot and quickly. The owners introduced themselves and made sure we had what we needed. This restaurant should not be missed. read more

I didn't eat because someone is a minivan parked in TWO parking spaces so hubby dropped me off and drove around the corner for my call. Talk about inconsiderate! We had a booth at the Chincoteague Blueberry Festival and passed them twice a day. And they had 10# shrimp for $45. Those were perfect gumbo shrimp so I got 5# and 5# of the 15 count for frying. WOW! The young man sunday (7/24) behind the market counter was knowledgeable, precise and efficient. He answered my questions of where and whom the shrimp came from. I'm Cajun from the Atchafalaya Basin. I know my shrimp! read more

Spent 5 and a half years in Maine so I know good seafood. Got here last Thursday and went to Ray's Shanty that night. Thursday is $12.99 all you can eat shrimp. Did it and it was fantastic. Big, fat, and juicy. Years ago they used a different seasoning and it was a tad spicy for a lot of folks, but now they use Old Bay so ya'll can eat all you want now. The place burned down in November 2003 and was rebuilt within a year and it's much cleaner and nicer now. I love this place and everyone from my office that comes out here for a few weeks to work on the island loves it too. read more

Get a pound of large steamed shrimp. I did (didn't want fries) They are amazing - perfectly cooked and seasoned. My family ate about 1/2 lb off of my dish and I still had plenty. Kids meals were good - fried shrimp was lightly breaded (nice) and my daughter loved them. We can't comment on the hush puppies but perhaps you should ask if the menu says they come with your meal and you don't get them. Overall it was an excellent value. Totally worth the small detour we took off of Route 13 on our way way to Fenwick Island from Williamsburg. Thank you Amber (for very attentive, patient and friendly service)! read more

This was always a highlight of our visits to Chincoteague back in the 80s and early 90s. Went back in July 2015, and it was every bit as good as we remembered it. Hush puppies are still the best I've ever had. Went with the heads-on shrimp trawler, which is 2 lbs of steamed shrimp (heads on, peel and eat), comes with fries, slaw and hush puppies. The shrimp is seasoned with what I imagine is their house version of Old Bay. It's as good as any shrimp I've ever had, maybe even better. But the five stars is as much about the staff as the food. We were a large party of 10, with a 22 month kid who wasn't so interested in watching his uncles stuff their faces with shrimp. Our server and the rest of the ladies working carried him around the restaurant and kept him entertained for more than half an hour. They were incredible. They took care of him, which kept one of us from having to go outside to the car with him, to keep him from disrupting the restaurant. I've never seen anything like it. I hope we make it back to Chincoteague again in the near future, and you can bet Ray's will be at the top of the list. The food is amazing, but I will go well out of my way to support those folks, after how well they treated my family. Just wonderful people. read more

Ray's Shanty - Heads On Shrimp Trawler. Incredible. - Seafood Near Me - Wattsville, Virginia

Great local seafood restaurant! Crab legs were delicious and everything was reasonably priced! We will certainly go again when in the area! read more

Ray's Shanty - Seafood Near Me - Wattsville, Virginia

We've eaten here three times this past summer. Last time not so great. Everything was cold or lukewarm. Hush puppies were cold, crab dip was semi warm and my stuffed shrimp was cold! My husband wouldn't let me complain. Waitress could care less. No sight of owner this night. He seems to get everyone moving when his present! Great fresh seafood market for takeout! Super nice kid that works the market! 5 stars to him!!! read more

Awesome food! Portions were very good for the price. Everything was very fresh. My husband got the jumbo flounder and it was huge!! I got the prime rib, I asked for medium and got well done but it was still very very good and tender. The blooming onion was good just had some grease at the bottom but still very good. The rest of my family really liked their food too. I recommend if you are just visiting the area. read more

Terrible. The food was over breaded and over cooked. Considering plates are over $30 each I would prefer things not be served in plastic containers. Honestly the food was not even as good as Popeyes. Way too much hype for what you get. The service was even worse. Ran out of tea, waitress only came to the table twice, didn't even bring the bill we had to go to the checkout and get them to get it I wasn't even going to say anything until the waitress comes up to the checkout and starts questioning me as to what was wrong and then arguing when I told her. Telling me there were only two servers (yet I saw at least four). Save your money and go somewhere they know how to cook seafood and provide good service. read more

When I call to inform them the take out orde the fish was small piceces and soggy wasn't the same as the night befotr which I ordered the same order..after spoke with Ray himself and told him about it , he ask me to bring it back but I already heard out of town which I am not going back for exchange, his even didnt apologized and hang up on me which it's very rude. So this review isn't about he food, because the night before I ordered the. Crab cake and the fish it's all good. read more

My car broke down just outside of Ray's.... the workers there were so nice and they let us sit inside while we waited for a tow, long after they closed! Then they gave us some absolutely delicious soup and excellent service- all on the house! If I could leave 10 stars I would Both for food quality and service read more

Wonderful crab cakes, delicious shrimp, and terriffic tuna! The seafood is very high quality and perfectly prepared! Our server, Tatiana, was skillful, polite, and very accommodating... French fries were delicious, but make certain that they are hot and crispy... Coleslaw was light and refreshing. Hushpuppies? Now, they were problematic. Our order of golden hushpuppies, were crunchy little cannonballs, which, if accidentally dropped, could have fractured a toe!!!! Stick to the glorious seafood bounty! You cannot go wrong!!!! read more

Ray's Shanty - Look for the massive shrimp... now, eat it!!! - Seafood Near Me - Wattsville, Virginia