Not only they have great BBQ , but this sign says it all about this establishment :see photo : read more

Big Ray's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Allen, Texas

We tried the catfish tonight, dont get me wrong the BBQ is excellent but it's fish Friday. The breading is just the way we like it a nice cornmeal dusting. 2 huge fillets are more than enough. Please give it a try!!! Oh yeah you have to try those green beans yummy read more

First visit. The ribs, brisket, potatoe salad, and fried cabbage was delicious! Willl will definitely be back!

The food was amazing! My daughter and I actually split our dinner because the portions were huge! The service was wonderful, even the owners granddaughter was working and was literally the sweetest! Next time we come from NY we will be back! Thank you so much for a wonderful experience read more

Bad costumer service Was rushed while ordering. The person serving the food was really hostile and not friendly at all. read more

We love the food... great BBQ. Friendly owners and staff. You can't beat the cobbler. Very casual but clean restaurant.

Update: Great place to have some really good BBQ! I've been eating here for several years and I've never had a bad meal here. Catfish Friday's is only on Fridays and it starts at 4 pm. I like my fish a little crispy and they always accommodate my wishes. They have a buffet style vegetable and dessert area that you can dish your own goods. I love that they always have cabbage. It's one of my favorites. They also have good greens if you like southern food. The wait staff are always bubbly. They know all their regulars by name. They always chat with the customers while they cut your choice of meat. The place is really dated and in need of a good dusting/scrubbing. The tables are usually bussed, however, there is always caked on sauce left on the sides of the plastic table cloths and the tops of the tables. I think the staff needs to be taught how to do a wipe down of a table as part of the hiring process. Otherwise this place is awesome!! Almost a 5 star but, cleanliness knocks them down just a tad. 24/2019 read more

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Stopped at Big Rays BBQ after being on the road. My family decided they wanted BBQ. The food, service and atmosphere was great. The portions were great for the prices. read more

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Friendly service. Food seasoned just right. Nice selection of food. Great portions. Didn't have to wait too long for our food.

BBQ is delicious but the catfish and fried okra is #1, Great customer service, friendly staff, and very clean restaurant. Wish I have found it months ago! read more

We ordered a turkey from Big Ray's for Thanksgiving. It was AMAZING! It was incredibly juicy and not overly smoky, had great flavor and everyone raved over it. The convenience of having a turkey prepared for you on Thanksgiving - and at such a reasonable price - cannot be overstated. Thanks Big Ray's, you have a customer for life! read more

Always the best Q in our area!!! This place is straight up a barbecue place with the picnic tables on the inside, instead of chairs and tables. The people that work there really seem to enjoy what they're doing, but you know it's a job and I'm sure it's a beat down getting up at four in the morning and smoking meat for a bunch of fat people! I've been going here for at least six years and I would've been going here for longer, but it's kind of hidden often too little corner where nobody can see it. The only thing I've ever bought here that I was disappointed in was a loaded one meat potato and I had rib meat ordered for it and I got a whole lot of those knuckles instead of meat but what the hell I want to screw up in all those years, I can live with it! read more

We love Big Ray's! We get our Thanksgiving turkey here every year. They have great customer service, the best staff and spectacular food! I highly recommend Big Ray's! read more

Awesome Bbq and the Sides as well..Most of all, Great service and great people, The Smoked Chicken and Brisket is good, Top notch sides as well.. read more

We love Big Ray's BBQ. Homemade sides, delicious BBQ. Thursday night deal loaded baked potato topped with two meats and a drink for $12.99!!!! What a deal! Great owners! And bonus on Thursday nights is karaoke from 6-9. We always have a great time with great food and spending time with folks who have become friends who also sing karaoke! read more

This was our first time trying Big Ray's and it was a great meal. The brisket was moist and had good flavor. The pulled pork was nice and tender. I would definitely recommend trying and supporting a local place! read more

The food is fantastic, and they are practically giving it away with lunch specials. For example, today, I had the Wednesday lunch special, which is a huge barbecue sandwich, two sides, and a drink for only $9.99. Really good potato salad. Really good barbecue sauce. Fantastic brisket. And they have smoked bologna which no place else has and it's phenomenal. Highly recommend. Especially for a great tasting high value lunch!! read more

I've lived in Allen for almost ten years and hadn't given this place a try. My wife's cousin was in town and she found this place via YELP. I was happy she was a fellow YELP'er and took her suggestion. Upon entering, you notice the western them immediately. There's lots of devices on the wall pertaining to the west and the place looked clean. The building is pretty old, so its impressive that they make you feel comfy and clean in a building that has been around longer than a lot of us have. The food is in front of you as we you walk in, and some of it is self serve. We got in line and the woman behind the counter explained to us how to order. Most of us ordered two meats and two sides. My son wanted the fish, but the fryer was not warmed up and he decided not to wait. I subbed my two sides for a loaded baked potato since I knew I could nibble on my kids sides as well. I ordered the brisket and the pulled pork. The woman behind the counter explained to me how long they have been around and seemed prideful when explaining the meats quality. I typically have a problem with food that is sitting out and self serve food, but this place was pretty empty and I didn't see anything that gave me the impression the food was left out for a long time. That being said, I ordered the potato so I could avoid ordering sides that sat out. I must admit I was surprised they weren't busier. My pork was nice and moist, so was the beef. The potato was INCREDIBLE, I loved it more than I loved the meat. That's not to say the meat was not good, it just didn't blow me out of my chair. I BBQ and I smoke, so when it comes to BBQ or smoked meat, I think I have a home-field advantage. My wife's cousin absolutely LOVED her food, so did her kids. In the big picture, this place is clean and they have a friendly staff that loves the food and the story behind it. It's a great place to grab a good bite to eat and the service is great and fast. My kids had a good time and I love the fact that its close to home. I will return and look forward to updating my review with more information on this hidden gem. Food - B+ Cleanliness - B Service - A Ambience - B+ This place is definitely worth checking out. read more

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I can't believe I have lived in Allen for 18 years and never been to Big Ray's! Won't be making that mistake going forward. FOOD: We had the barbecue chopped brisket sandwich and fried okra with sweet tea. Every thing was hot and delicious. The smoky barbecue sauce is some of the best I have ever had. ATMOSPHERE: This reminds me of the hometown barbecue (Doug's in Amarillo) place I started going to since 1963. Friendly, homey & comfortable. SERVICE: This is line service and it moves quickly with super friendly faces. There was one lady that continuously wiped down tables, doors, handles to keep everyone safe. Everyone had on masks and gloves. TIPS: stop by for a hometown secret of best barbecue and get in on it! Save time for the peach cobbler. read more

Excellent brisket and ribs. Sauce is well balanced without being too spicy or too peppery. Onion rings and dessert are also highly recommended read more

Ordered through GrubHub which was super quick. Big Ray's has a great reputation in Allen & though I have only lived here a year, I STILL hadn't had it. So, I ordered the sampler plate w a side of corn on the cob, & loaded mash. My husband got the Texas sandwich w pulled pork / chopped brisket, fries & MAC n cheese. My grandma got a plain loaded baked potato & for dessert an individual size of banana pudding. Sampler Plate - 8/10. - the meat is seasoned & tender - ALL of it is delicious and, seriously so good. The loaded mash lacked flavor but, you can't mess up corn on the cob so there's that. This is a great option if you have NO clue what you want to eat lol now I know that I will be happy w this option always. Texas Sandwich - 9.5/10 husband loved it but, did not like the Mac n cheese. Fries were his favorite as they were seasoned well. Loaded baked potato: 10/10 Banana pudding - 10/10. I mean... come on lol it's good! Overall, the sides don't matter that much to me because I'm there for the BBQ so, don't hang your hat on our side reviews - some may love it & some may not - it is what it is. The meat was not disappointing and well worth it! We will be back to support this local business when COVID-19 begins to subside. read more

Big Ray's BBQ - Sampler plate w side of Loaded Mash - Barbeque Near Me - Allen, Texas

First impression was of the staff and they were very welcoming, friendly and helpful. I ordered a three meat combo with brisket, ribs and pulled pork. On the side I got Mac and cheese and green beans. The meats were good but the BBQ sauce was excellent and really added the perfect flavor to them. The sides were alright but nothing special. My wife had got potato salad as a side and neither of us liked that at all. I personally wouldn't recommend that as a side option. Definitely not the best BBQ but it wasn't a bad meal. read more

Big Ray's BBQ - Pulled pork Beef Brisket Pork ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Allen, Texas

It was okay. The meat was nothing to write home about, tbh, but we really loved the potatoes. You really needed sauce on the meat, which in my opinion means it's not top tier bbq. The peach cobbler was great! Would be amazing with ice cream. Took some home so maybe I'll get some today. The servers were very kind and didn't seem annoyed to be at work, which having worked in food I commend them. But look. I looked at my receipt and it said "non cash discount" and I was intrigued until I realized that no, it was not a discount, in fact it was the opposite of a discount. They charged 3.99% EXTRA for using a debit card. That's more than even Amex charges for a processing fee which is insane. Fine, if you want us to cover the card processing fees, whatever, just a) don't make it more than what the most expensive credit card would charge you and b) don't call it a DISCOUNT. Probably will not return. read more

We loved everything we tried at Big Rays. Except the cucumber salad. It was past its prime, soggy and not much flavor. The brisket was very lean, but still had good flavor, as did the pulled pork. The regular sauce is very tasty, the green beans are seasoned right and not soggy. Potato salad has a nice flavor and the baked beans are on point. We'll be back, hopefully they'll change out that cucumber salad before then. read more

Big Ray's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Allen, Texas

I've been coming here for 6 years (although not during the worst of the pandemic) and I really like it. I liked it so much I catered my son's Baptism with their barbecue. I just picked up lunch there and it's still great! I saw someone make a note that there isn't enough smoke flavor, but I just had some of their brisket and I disagree. Here are my thoughts on their menu: Brisket: Good smoke flavor, not dry, and not overly salty. Chicken: Excellent. Moist, good flavor. For BBQ lovers who don't want meat or pork, try this. Ribs: They're mediocre IMO. You don't come here for the ribs, though. Pulled pork: I think this is much better than the ribs and I would recommend it. Sausage: Very good flavor, not dry and not too oily either. Baked potatoes with meat: this is what we had for lunch. The potatoes are delicious and they stuff them with a choice of meat (I chose chopped brisket because it works better on a potato) and they top them with what you want--simple but very tasty and not very expensive. I could only eat half but I'm going to eat the other half for dinner! Sides: Scalloped potatoes are great, potato salad is just fine. The beans are good. Greens are pretty great but avoid the green beans. I haven't tried their mac and cheese or their cobbler but I just saw them baking a cobbler and it smelled pretty great. Sauce: I don't get too picky about sauce because this is Texas, we tend to be less sauce dependent (or to do sauces that are more based on drippings that are thinner and less sweet). Their sauces seem to have gone a little downhill since the last time I went there. The spicy sauce isn't really spicy and I find it a bit too sweet. That said, I don't think their brisket needs sauce! Service: The staff has always been very friendly and efficient in my experience. They're able to quickly work the line and they really seem to care about their business. I appreciate that. read more

Had a great pull pork sandwich with fried cabbage and banana pudding. I chased it all down with some sweet red kool-aid. I would like banana in my banana pudding. Other than that, all was good. read more

I ordered the $8.99 Lunch special...huge brisket sandwich, large order of okra, and a tea...everything was on point. Brisket had great flavor and super tender. Okra was perfect. Staff were funny and friendly...between them and the great food, it really put a smile on my face. read more

I was in town and couldn't leave Texas without getting BBQ. I'm so glad we found this place and came here. The food was sooooooo good! I'd say it was probably the best BBQ I've ever had! So much so, I went for a second round of beans. Loved everything I got, the pork rib, pulled pork, scalloped potatoes, baked beans, and cornbread. The service was top notch. Everyone was so nice and made me feel like I was family. Next time I'm in the area, I'm definitely coming back!! Thank you guys!!! read more

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Great place. Lived in Allen 25 years and this is the first time I've been. It was great. Brisket potato special Thursday. Pickled carrots and turkey also great. Highly recommend. read more

The best thing I can say about it is the fresh Texas toast. It was also the least dry thing on my plate. The rib bones were black and somehow the meat was both fall off the bone and dry. I got the fatty end of a brisket that was unwrapped for me and the first cut was still as dry as a bone. Additionally, there was very little flavor to the brisket. The service was great and the staff was extremely friendly, but that will not be enough to get me back. Next time I will drive the extra 20 minutes to Ten 50 in Richardson. read more

So my daughter brought some bread pudding from this place, and it was so good I started craving it. I had to drive to get some. While there, the BBQ aroma was just teasing me. So I ordered a 2-meat plate. The brisket is so juicy and the sausage was so spicy. This is a must go place. I would have posted food, but I ate it up!! read more

Ordered through door dash about an hour ago. 2 single meat potatoes (Chicken and Sliced Brisket) and sides! And to my surprise nope wrong order, I received the smallest barbecue sandwich and a small lemonade. DoorDash driver advised me she showed them her phone with the order and that's what they handed her. Very disappointing!! read more

Great lunch special. Down to earth great food, service and ambiance. I was greeted with great smiles as first to enter for lunch...sides are great...Mac and cheese....wow!! read more

I ordered a rib sandwich with mac n n cheese, corn on the cob, and scalloped potatoes. The rib sandwich had good flavor but the portion size was too small. The mac n cheese lacked flavor but was decent. The potatoes were great and seasoned very well and the corn was just okay. All in all it was decent. I would eat there again. read more

The food and service here is amazing. Fresh, smoked goodness. Must try. It's authentic and local which is my favorite! Thank you for a delicious dinner. read more

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Some of the best BBQ and food around!!! Hidden gem in my opinion Will definitely go back and have already told friends about this place read more

For the last 2 years my family has been driving around the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texarkana, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Lockhart triangle and having different BBQs when we do. We have a list of the best, down to our least favorite. Unfortunately, this one took the least favorite position- of over 45 stops. The LOCATION was superb and the decor was pretty cool. There was no visible smoke nor smell outside as we approached. That should have been a tip off for us, but we were committed at that point and have had all the BBQ in the area. The MEAT had no smoke flavor. The brisket was somewhat dry, although not the driest we have ever had. Tougher than most and I couldn't find any rub or seasoning flavor. As a Central Texas fanatic, all I want or need is S&P, but even that was missing. The turkey didn't have any smoke flavor or visible/tastable seasoning...and the bologna was just novelty. The best we had was the sausage, it was pretty good and I would get that again. The SIDES were all straight out of a Sysco can, so they were subpar at best. But they did have a wide variety, I will admit. They gave us extra Texas toast and average/dry cornbread muffins. Their SAUCE was pretty good and quite essential to the meal (that's a bad sign). The SERVICE was fantastic and friendly. Absolutely no complaints there. We even saw the owner and his wife and they were very friendly. The PRICE was more than reasonable for the amount of food we got: 2 lbs of meat, 3 large sides, bread and sauce for $55 total. Brisket was $18.99 a lb, which is in line with most decent Texas BBQ spots. I bet their chopped brisket (or pulled pork) sandwich with spicy BBQ sauce would be a pretty good bargain. But we get brisket, turkey and sausage (plus a couple sides) at all our stops to keep it consistent. Unfortunately, this is the first time we have ever left meat on the table. Not sure what those giving it favorable reviews are thinking, but our review comes with lots of experience. Sorry to give a negative review, but we went based on Yelp reviews and we were very disappointed. SUGGESTION: The owner needs to add S&P and wood smoke flavor. Hire someone to come up with inexpensive homemade sides (cabbage and green beans are dirt cheap, no need to use canned here) and make sure his staff shares his passion (shouldn't be hard, they were all very nice) for great Texas BBQ before it would pass the test of a discriminating Texas BBQ fanatic. read more

I recommend Big Ray's Barbecue for many reasons. The first is their brisket is tender, moist and flavorful. The staff is friendly and personable. They serve sweet tea. Yay!!! The drinks come in 2 sizes, 20 oz. $1.89 and 32 oz. $2.49. And Big Ray's has daily specials, Saturday included, from 11am -3pm ranging in price from $6.99 to $10.99 so not bad at all. From the regular menu you can order just a barbecue sandwich for $5.99 or with 2 sides for $8.99. In addition to having delicious barbecue and great customer service I love it that Big Ray's is a family owned business. If you enjoy barbecue I definitely recommend this spot. Try the brisket. read more

Big Ray's BBQ - Store hours - Barbeque Near Me - Allen, Texas

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Driven past this place everyday and finally stopped by. BBQ was delicious, but the real showstopper was the bread pudding. Amazing. Would highly recommend, especially if you don't want to wait at the other popular spots. read more

I'm not a big bbq eater, but I really enjoyed the food here! Came here for the first time just expecting to get sides since I'm not a big meat eater. I shared a half chicken with my mom and we got 2 sides with it. Wow, the chicken was so good! Really tender and flavorful meat, and the skin was delicious! The half chicken was also plenty to share, especially with 2 sides. For our sides we got okra, which was fresh out the kitchen, and Mac and cheese. The okra was so good! Golden brown, crispy, seasoned so well, and they were still so warm from being freshly cooked. I've had some bad under seasoned okra, so I was glad to find somewhere that does it right! The Mac and cheese was also a winner. So creamy and peppery. It almost made me think of gravy, but in a cheesey way, if that makes sense! I highly recommend trying these sides when you come in! The staff is really friendly and helpful with the menu. It's pretty clear, but if you have any questions, they are happy to help. It's not a huge space, but there is still plenty of places to sit and enjoy your meal. read more

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