I noticed today that I have not reviewed Willie Ray's. That's pretty crazy, because I eat there A LOT. Like, I own multiple Willie Ray's t-shirts. How have I never reviewed them? Well, I guess my 500th Yelp review is as good a time as any. I don't eat potato salad, but I have to start with the potato salad because my wife loves Willie Ray's potato salad so much that I actually order it as my side just to give to her. So, I guess it's pretty good. I'm pretty sure I've had every entree at Willie Ray's. I think their best entree might actually be their barbecue chicken, but I also love their ribs. A lot of places make ribs that I think are too fatty. My guess is the ribs are the same before they go in the smoker, and the ones I consider too fatty just haven't fully rendered. Regardless, the ribs at Willie Ray's never seem too fatty, or too greasy. They're always cooked just right, and have a great flavor. The entree I get the most is probably the pulled pork. It's also very good. It's not as good as the ribs, but I usually go to Willie Ray's for lunch, and something about ribs just makes me sleepy. Their brisket is awesome, too. They seem to run out of that pretty quickly, though. If you ever go there and they have a side called chicken ro-mac, definitely try it. They don't seem to have it often. So, you don't want to pass up an opportunity to try it. Based on the name, and the flavor, I'm assuming it has Rotel tomatoes in it. Other than that, it's mac and cheese with pulled chicken. I highly recommend it. Anyway, I've never had a bad meal there, and I've had a lot of meals there. read more

I question ourselves: why did we wait so long? Today was our first meal from here! And it only takes one word to describe it: DELICIOUS!!!!!! Everyone was friendly and helpful. read more

The people are always super friendly and greet me with a smile. I personally love that if I get the ribs without sauce they pair perfectly with my Keto diet coming in completely carb free and always delicious! read more

People are really nice... the food...... another story.... I about broke my teeth trying to eat the ribs... maybe some people enjoy the work but I want the fall off the bone ribs. Mine were not even close to being cooked all the way!!! read more

I wanted to share how incredible the owner is. Last year we had a horrible derecho storm that tore through Cedar Rapids. A lot of people went homeless and had no power (no way to make food) for WEEKS. This man took his business around and gave food to people so they could have a warm meal. Now he is on his way to Kentucky to help the tornado victims by bringing them food and even Christmas presents. We need more people in this world like Willie and I hope he gets the praise he deserves. If you are wondering if you should eat here, DO IT!!! You won't regret it! read more

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Some of the best pulled pork I've ever eaten!! Can't wait to come back when we are in Cedar Rapids again!

I was able to experience this barbecue in Rolling Fork, MS. The fact that they traveled all the way from Cedar Rapids, IA to serve this community is outstanding! I saw the hustle, energy and motivation in these employees to make a difference in this small city. The ribs were tender and well seasoned and green beans were delicious as well. I noticed how they were constantly cleaning the utensils. I stopped by while I was in town, from Indianapolis, assisting the tornado victims as well. It brings joy knowing that a business would travel over 700 miles to assist where there is such a great need. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to any bbq lovers in or near Cedar Rapids. The way you train your employees is a reflection of management and these employees sure made serving the city of Rolling Fork look as easy as 1-2-3. read more

Five stars! Passing through from CO and the husband wanted good barb'q for lunch. Stumbled across this place, and it did not disappoint! Very nice people, very good service and food. Casual and laid back place... just what we were looking for. Will seek them out next time we're passing through. read more

First time at theQ Shack. OK..tighten your seat belts. On the way home from a trip from Minneapolis I stopped by to get some Q. I wanted to stop at Willies BBQ in Cedar Rapids Iowa for a while. I'v read a lot of posts about Willies BBQ. I meet the owner and his team. WOW some of the nicest folks ever. Sadly I arrived late. DUHHHHH!!! Willy hooked me up with what was left. I am feeling so much LOVE!! Check out his website. https://willieraysqshack.com Stop by and show Willie some love. Get there early! Great Q doesn't last long...I warned you. I plan to head back soon. Tell Willie I sent you! read more

willie ray's bbq shack truly has some pretty amazing food that they cook everyday, so if ur looking for a great place to eat out at stop & try his amazing food for urself cause i can guarantee that y'all won't be disappointed one bit ! but only did willie go out of his way to ensure that the folks who had either been directly impacted by hurricane durecho which there were probably hundreds of people & family's who either lost their homes & were staying under bridges or had lost power to they're homes so they weren't able to buy any perishable food and even if they could buy those food items they had no way of cooking it! and being that this was the 1st hurricane to ever hit here in iowa, none of the places that usually start providing help to they're community for example "(the red cross or the salvation army)" directly after any kind of natural disaster has hit their state/town to begin checking on the folk's in the community and seeing if anyone's was hurt or badly injured during the storm & if there were injuries they gotta to try to get the 1st responders/emergency crew's to those people, as soon as the roads have been cleared that is, lol! but due to the fact that this was the first hurricane iowan's have ever experienced nobody who worked with the red cross or the salvation army knew what to do 1st, where to begin or even how to go about helping several hundreds of people who'd lost power in their homes or the other hundreds who'd completely lost their homes and everything their family owned due to multiple apartment buildings either not being built to the standard code or because they were poorly constructed due to the company who were hired to build them were in a big hurry to get them done and not making sure they did everything correctly in order to ensure that anybody who rented one of those apartment's would have a safe environment and that nobody would get hurt because of something they did wrong or that they didn't do at all! anyways back to the original topic about how amazing i believe the owner of willie's bbq shack or willie ray's bbq shack which is none other than the one of the most amazing, caring and kindhearted men i've known & have had the pleasure of meeting in 2020 "mr. willie!" but not only did willie help his own community when a lot of people otherwise wouldn't of had a nice hot meal to eat & most people basically ate nothing but plain peanut butter unless we were lucky enough to find a loaf of bread at one of our store's that day then we would eat a peanut butter sandwich! well a few months later another much stronger hurricane wound hitting another state where many of the kind people who came to iowa to help get 3 different apartment community's rebuilt along with many other places that were badly damaged! but unfortunately the aftermath of that hurricane was worse than, but fortunately the particular state that was hit had been thru many hurricanes before, so at least they knew how to handle everything as well as what to do afterwards! well good ol willie packed up a bunch of food and other supplies he needed and a few of his employees and they headed out to go help that state in their time of need! and if i'm not mistaken i believe that willie still goes to other states whenever they are dealing with a natural disaster such as the hurricane iowa had 5 year's ago! so like i said earlier if y'all like barbecued food that's really tasty and are looking for a great local place to eat then please go try "willie's ray's bbq shack," i % promise that you won't regret it, % frfr! that's just how amazing i personally think "willie's bbq" is, especially his bbq ribs!! read more

Very friendly workers. I've ate 2 times, 1st time i really liked it. The other day the ribs were tough. With so many bbq options now days I Probably won't be eating there again read more

Great food. Great people. Love that Q. Haven't had the brisket yet but if it's anything like the ribs, it oughta be good!

The brisket was outstanding. Excited that they have opened the sit down restaurant read more

Went in for the Tuesday special only to be told that they would not honor their ad. Very disappointing and will not be back to a place that advertises to get you in and then only has full priced meals. read more

Good BBQ, but last couple of meals have kind of been disappointing, sorry to say. Love the staff, friendly and courteous. Love the community outreach especially during times of disaster. Keep up the good work. read more

First time eating at the Q Shack. Willie was at the drive up window and talked with us while our order was being prepared. Super nice guy! There were a couple smokers going outside that smelled really good. We got the rib tip combo and pulled pork combo. The sides were baked beans and potato salad. I think those were the only options. The sides were tasty but portions were small. The pulled pork was good but tasted like it had been sitting a while. Good taste but not fresh off the smoker. The rib tips were AMAZING! The meat was fresh, well seasoned and smoked to perfection. The BBQ sauce was sweet and spicy and worked well with the rib tips. The rib tip portion was very generous and almost more than I could eat. I will definitely go back for a full rack of ribs next time. read more

Wow what a great experience. We were from Colorado and wanted to try it when we were in town after we got a recommendation from a local. The Shack did not disappoint. The brisket sandwiches were excellent with a great smoky and barbecue flavor. The buns used were fresh and soft. The sauce was great and very flavorful. We also tried the ribs and thought they were great as well with the same great sauce on top. The service was quick and after pulling up to the shack we got our food in under 10 minutes. This place is a must do in Cedar Rapids. The owner is a great guy too after learning his story. Eat here ASAP! read more

Tried this for the first time based on a recommendation from a friend and was NOT disappointed. Ribs were great, they were bite off the bone, which I prefer over fall off the bone. Sliced brisket was excellent. Smokey flavor and cooked just right. The sides were a nice surprise. I had the Mac and cheese and baked beans. Both had a nice twist to them and were unique. I would have added a picture, but I ate it all pretty quickly. Highly recommend trying this place out. read more

I met Willy today when I drove over to try his Q. He had all the smokers going and said he would be open at 1100. We returned and ordered the rib tip combos which was amazing! The smoke does talk for itself. The crust had amazing flavor and the sauce was fantastic! Willy, thanks for taking care of the people of Cedar Rapids during the storm. Your an amazing human being! read more

Willie Rays Q Shack! He's donating hundreds of meals after the storm to those left without power. This is the example of kindness and love in the world we need from each other, our neighbors and our leaders. If you can help, his Venmo is @WillieRaysQShack read more

Stopped by today for lunch - I had seen them smoking the meats early in the morning when dropping my son off at work across the street. I am so glad we went there. I think these may be the best ribs I have ever had! Fabulous!! We met Willie and Mike and they were very friendly, courteous, and appreciative of our business. They are very proud of their BBQ and they should be. The baked beans were delicious too, I want to come back and try the brisket. They cook different items on different days, so check the menu for details. Easy drive up or walk up is perfect for social distancing (no indoor seating - it is carry out). But it is really very good and I highly recommend you try the Q Shack! read more

The place spot on is the best in Cedar Rapids! What a wonderful guy to help out the community of Cedar Rapids during the derecho! Great food and person who gives back ! read more

Phenomenal food at a good price and a great member of our community who supports everyone. Gotta try the chicken or ribs! read more

Very small place with a great owner. Tried the spare ribs and they were perfectly cooked. (Bite through, not tough and not fall off the bone.) Flavor was good and it was only lightly sauced. My only complaint was that I prefer my sauce on the side. Had a nice conversation with Willy. It's a new place and I hope he does well. read more

I just ordered a 1/2 slab of ribs and potato salad. Oh my.....out of this world AWESOME!! You have to try Willie's! Sauce was just the right amount and I will be licking my lips for hours. YUM! read more

Great food great quality of meat great barbecue sauce great seasonings I'm not too crazy

I'll start by saying that the last pieces of chicken or what we got for that day. Having said that, the chicken was dry and not very good. Willie Ray has a fabulous reputation in the community and I look forward to trying to check in at a time of the day when it's fresh read more