If I could give Ray's a sixth star, I would. Everything we ordered tasted better than we ever thought we enjoyed it somewhere else. Seriously. I ordered a bowl of the Mumbo Jumbo Gumbo. It was better than what I've enjoyed at various traditional Cajun/Creole restaurants over the years. The difference? The flavors were spot on. The consistency of the soup was perfect -- not too thick, not too runny. The Beef & Cheddar Burger was a patty made from brisket and browned on both sides to a light crust and topped with cheddar cheese melted on top on a hamburger bun. I added a little of their BBQ sauce instead of my usual burger condiments. It was fantastic! I've heard Ray's is great, but I had no idea they were this great! read more

We stopped here for lunch while traveling on vacation. We both ordered the special, smoke turkey with mashed potatoes and green beans and a cup of lobster Mac and cheese. They forgot to bring one of the lobster Mac and cheese. They did bring it as we were done and ready to pay so we took it to go. They gave us broccoli vs the green beans. The food was delicious but the service was slow. Never offered refills until we were done. read more

The restaurant was busy and the booths to small for 6 of us so we sat at the bar which worked out very well. The bartender and server, Robin, was great. She knew about the beer and menu. We all had a good meal. No happy hour. Beer prices $6-7. read more

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Delicious pulled pork bbq served with two sides and cornbread. The baked beans were very unique tasting and I would come back just to try them again. The server was polite and prompt. The atmosphere is very casual and comfortable. If we are ever in the area I would definitely return. read more

This is a great spot if you're looking for some quick BBQ in Grayling, I've been here several times and personally for a sit down joint this seems to be the best BBQ in the area. Everything I've had has been exquisite, especially the Lobster Mac and Cheese which is a must try when stopping in. The service is great, and the atmosphere is welcoming for big parties! read more

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I enjoyed the bbq & the sides. Bbq is one of my favorite foods. This was very good and a generous 1/2 lbs serving. The spicy bbq beans were particularly good! read more

Ray's - BBQ, Brews & Blues - Barbeque Near Me - Grayling, Michigan

The brisket (that was recommended) was like jerky. I ordered half and half (half point and half flat). Both dry and tough - unless you ate a bite of just the fat, but that was gross. The side of bbq sauce couldn't save the brisket. The side mac was small and nothing to write home about. The blue cheese slaw was interesting and won me over because it helped the few bites of brisket I did eat go down. The bartender was nice and the Founders Rubaeus I had while waiting for my carryout was excellent, of course. It was a long wait, as they were busy, so the beer helped. Maybe the patrons knew something I didn't know, such as what to order. But again, the brisket was recommended by the bartender. Perhaps carry out orders aren't given the same attention. I don't know. My drive was less than 10 minutes and I opened the food right away because I was excited to eat it. It was very disappointing to realize what I just paid for and anticipated eating was a bbq fail. Here's to hoping I can find something better in Grayling tomorrow ... read more

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Great service and the food is fresh. My favorite on the platter we had is the rib. All the meats were well seasoned. They have three bbq sauces to choose from, but you don't really need them. The Almost Famous fries were nothing special. The Mac and cheese is spiral noodles covered with a cheese sauce. It was ok. I enjoyed the corn bread. Service was great. They have indoor and outdoor seating. There is an inside bar. There is plenty of parking in the attached lot. read more

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The food is phenomenal. I get the pulled yard bird sandwich and the sweet creeper heat chili *almost exclusively, ask them for cheese, sour cream and onion if it's your thing. Side note, the cornbread and cinnamon butter are also amazing. They have a Cobb salad that is a close second for me. You can eat and relax indoors and outdoors on the patio during the summer right on the famed Ausable River. They have 30 craft beers on tap too. The only thing I've noticed is the turn over in servers since they've opened. Service is great 90% of the time. Because of the turnover and what I'm assuming is the learning curve, you get the one off of delayed service. A must try if you're in the area and want a memorable bbq experience. Today's drink was Cheboygan's Blackberry Blonde Pale Ale. read more

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Can't beat then ambiance Awesome place to grab a burger on your way home passing through from Up north or on your way up for dinner. Heck eat here when just in the area! Had the burger. It's good. Just small for the price honestly Brisket is shredded and thin as well but piled high. French fries are good Patato salad is the BOMB Will come back when in the area Ty read more

Great food. Deviled eggs were amazing.. The spicy Ray BBQ sauce was my favorite. We got the Brisket sandwich and the salad and everything was great. Service was great too. The back patio was awesome on the Au Sable river. read more

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Great food, service and ambience plus good prices. Had a business meeting and we were able to talk.

We popped in here after receiving a recommendation from a family member! We stopped in while passing through town and they did not disappoint. We sat at the bar with Korrine and she is the definition of hospitality. She had her eyes on every part of the restaurant and was constantly communicating to everyone. Host wasn't at the door and she made sure to acknowledge the guests waiting to be seated that someone would be with them soon! The guests next to us raved about their fries so we tried them. They were good! I would try them loaded next time. And the bbq was good! We will be back to try more! Oh and beer selection ... on point! read more

Ray's - BBQ, Brews & Blues - Barbeque Near Me - Grayling, Michigan

Rays is always solid. The gumbo is wonderful and the entire menu is well thought out and balanced. Service is good, prompt and helpful. The restaurant is on the banks of the Ausable and in the warmer months you can enjoy your meal on the patio. Wonderful addition to Graylings diverse dinning options. read more

The food was good, the service not so much. When my husband and I arrived there was one party waiting ahead of us. We were not acknowledged for at least 10 minutes. There was no reason why a staff member couldn't have stopped by and said "be right with you". Once we were acknowledged and seated we had a wonderful waitress. And then she left for the day. Our replacement was pleasant enough, but after bringing us a container to take our leftovers home in she forgot us, and ten minutes later we had to ask another waitress to hunt down our bill for us. That experience left a bad taste. My time is precious and it doesn't need to be wasted watching our waitress busing tables and seating people instead of bringing us our bill. That right there would keep us from visiting again. Having said all that, my gumbo was good, but it wasn't worth the $12 we spent for it. The corn bread was decent, but you sure couldn't spread the butter on it as it was hard as a rock. I sure do wish restaurants would get on board and soften butter to room temperature before bringing it to the table. read more

Ray's - BBQ, Brews & Blues - Gumbo - Barbeque Near Me - Grayling, Michigan

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One of our go-to places in Grayling. Cocktails are great and they always have a good beer selection. Food is always top-notch. I usually get the gumbo and it's amazing. But we've had most of the other dishes and they are great too! Definitely recommend stopping in if you are in Grayling. read more

Man, what a great experience. We ate here the last day of our trip and it was such a refreshing upgrade from the disaster across the street (Spike's). We had a great meal, excellent service and a really fun time. Rays has good brisket, chicken and pork. I'd recommend all three. The ribs were dry and I didn't enjoy them, but they might appeal to someone else - just not my style. Our waiter was awesome. He was knowledgeable, friendly and prompt. Had a lot of fun and made our kids feel welcome. The venue is great as well, lots of open seating indoors and by the river. Bottom line, Ray's is a great choice for BBQ in a group or just on a date. Portions are great, prices are fair and drink selection was awesome. We will be back next year for sure. read more

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We ordered brisket plate with Mac and cheese and fries, pulled pork with coleslaw and smoked beans, Cobb salad with chicken, brisket quesadillas. Plates came with cornbread with honey butter. Everything was amazing. Meats are done just perfect with enough flavor without sauce. But if you get bored with original, very good sauces will add variety. Spicy beans was the best baked beans I ever had. Three different kinds of beans with Smokey flavor. Blue cheese coleslaw was very good if you like blue cheese. Mac and cheese was creamy but not overcooked. Quesadilla was so good my son gobbled all of them. The server was very helpful and answered all of my questions about food. Clearly most of foods are made by the chef including cornbread!!! The decor was nice and rustic. Very nice experience overall. Highly recommended!!!! read more

Ray's - BBQ, Brews & Blues - Pulled pork, beans, brisket quesadillas, brisket Cobb salad and cornbread. Everything is amazing. - Barbeque Near Me - Grayling, Michigan

A creek-aide lunch with amazing food and service. The brisket was moist and flavorful and the fries just by themselves are worth the visit

I've had the ribs at Danny Meyers' Blue Smoke in NYC and the ribs I just had here were even better, Bravo Rays!

Very good BBQ, great beer list, excellent service, and hard to beat the location on the river. Their ribs were tender, meaty, and tasty, but just a tad overcooked. The pulled pork was excellent, and their sauces are really good. The burgers and fries are drool worthy. Most recent visit we sat at the bar and the service was amazing. I think the bartender was Sarah. She acknowledged us quickly, got to our order, made great drinks, and our food was out super quickly. She rocked the bar never letting anyone wait long for her attention on a busy Friday night! Overall. they do a darn good job! Worthy of a visit! read more

Struggling to find descriptives.... Monday night 5:30pm 2 adults & 1-11 yo No Pepsi or Coke brands - something "local"? Maybe a great time to explain to people who just may be from out of town why you serve something local?? Ordered: "Mishmash platter". Highlights: potato salad was good- ribs were probably and 8 out of 10. Brisket was DRY. So dry in fact that my husband asked if it was dry before i had even put it in my mouth just because of how it looked. I could barely choke it down, even swimming in bbq sauce. Pulled pork & something else was on the plate as well - not sure what it was because it was tasteless and DRY. Kid tried the Mac and cheese as a side and guess what?? Yup DRY. Husband ordered a side salad and had he not requested dressing she wasn't going to ask, but hey, it would have stuck with the theme. Husband ordered the Mac and cheese with brisket. He said it was good- but the service or lack of it turned him off. Evidently there were things to do that were far more exciting than serve us. Didn't ask him about dressing for his salad, basically had to choose a name brand soda to convert to the local soda - goes on from there. Asked for wet wipes & the bill. Brings bill but no wipes. Ask again, she walks away, comes back tossing them on the table and then walks away again. Why are you angry to bring them?? I wasn't the one that forgot to bring them because I was busy at the bar laughing with my coworkers! Funny how I tipped 40% to our breakfast waitress at another restaurant in town and 0% to this one. Shame this one didn't know I'm an above-average tipper because she could have made some decent $$on our table. Unless you're going in for ribs and potato salad, you may want to pass on this place. Doesn't live up to the hype. read more

Service: We arrived in the afternoon on a Sunday. The wait staff consisted of one person who managed both the bar and the tables, and several other faces popped in and out from time to time. Due to the current global struggles in the restaurant business and service industry, it is hard to criticize service workers who are tasked with handling impossible loads while undertrained and understaffed. These are things people need to consider when writing reviews for establishments. The problems we experienced from service that day all have to do with having a newly hired person being tasked to handle both the bar area and the dining room. The person was not trained in the menu, nor with the offerings that were on tap. After watching the person struggle putting together the flight of requested beer samples, we accepted that we may not get what we wanted. Another in our party ordered a cocktail. It quickly became apparent that the person was not trained in putting together the cocktail selection that was planned. When another one of the staff members popped in to check on things, we overheard the staff member tell the person "Just put in an ounce of everything." The restaurant was not busy, but it was clear this person was not trained enough to handle the responsibilities that had been passed down, nor trained in waiting tables and the menu. These problems do come down to the current situation plaguing service workers and the service industry, but several of these issues fall onto ownership and general management. The drink was fine, but for $8-plus this should of been handled by a more seasoned staff member who had checked in during the process of getting our drinks. Food: The highlight of our experience was finally getting to taste the food options. We ordered the appetizer portion of fries and the smoked sausage. The fries were cooked well, freshly cut and plentiful. In a world where it feels like fries always leave a lot to be desired, it was a surprise to have one that felt like the standout dish of the meal. The portion of sausage was small but the price was not too crazy for what we were offered. The appetizer was delicious. We ordered the Yardbird sandwich. The smoked chicken was a standout. The bun seemed to be made in house. The actual combination of ingredients was not well assembled and it felt like the sandwich was missing something to pull it all together. The side dishes sampled included corn bread and honey butter. The corn bread was definitely a "choice", tart and sweet. The honey butter came in small, clear plastic containers that clashed with the dine-in atmosphere. The beans were the best side we sampled, a combination of smoked brisket and spice that was just the right combo. The garlic mash was well seasoned and fresh. The salad was also fresh and was mixed well. The final side dish was the Mac and cheese: cavatappi noodles topped with a béchamel and bread crumbs. The cheese sauce texture was smooth. However, it was topped onto the noodles and not mixed in, leaving some noodles without any sauce. The flavor did not come through at all in the dish. This was definitely the least appetizing thing we ate during our meal. In a world where we have restaurant mac options like Union and Meat Southern barbecue, the Mac and cheese game is a tough place to be. If the assembly was better, this would have been passable for a side Mac. The smoked meats ranged from spectacular to good. The pulled pork was the best meat, followed by the chicken, brisket and the ribs. The brisket was slightly dry, but it had a great bark and flavor. The ribs were well smoked but lacked the same flavor the other meats had. Anyone coming for barbecue will not be disappointed with the offerings. The sauces included a sweet, Carolina Mustard and a vinegar based sauce. The vinegar was the standout, while the sweet barbecue sauce was pleasant but it did not mesh well with the meats. The Carolina mustard was our least favorite, even though it's usually one of our go-to's when trying our barbecue. Final thoughts: Go for the barbecue, stay for the beans and lower the brew expectations. I will be back to try the experience again. However, I recommend management or even the owners remove the cocktail menu during times they do not have a dedicated bartender or bar staff. This place could definitely benefit from losing the regular waiting service and becoming an Ala-Cart experience; ith an extended bar section that allows for walk up bar orders, or ordering drinks ala-cart via tablets at tables, with drinks brought to tables when ordered and paid for. read more

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Server was friendly. Place was clean . Friendly atmosphere. Food took over an hour. The server said the kitchen was in shambles. After we ate, the owner walked past me twice without mentioning anything. A simple "dessert is on us" would have us returning. read more

The brisket was delicious I tried the sauce none of it beat the taste of the brisket by itself, yes that good. It was a quiet lunch with good service and friendly staff. They have a patio on the river and the back wall of the restaurant are. They also brought my service dog a bowl of water unprompted. This is regular place now when we travel up north. read more

Really disappointed. We were here two years ago for the first time while staying in Grayling and we loved it. We loved it so much that we could wait to go back this year. What a disappointment. I don't even know where to start. 1. The food was ok. I mean just ok. The brisket was overcooked. The pulled pork was dry and cold. The ribs were ok. The chicken was ok. I make better mac n cheese. And the garlic mashed potatoes were cold snd looked like they were witting out for a while before they served us. 2. Service was poor and chaotic. The servers and general staff seemed uninterested and were more focused on each other than the patrons. We noticed that there was no cooperation between them. It was frustrating to watch and only made wait times much longer than they needed to be. No cooperation. No efficiency. Just a lot of talking and playing among themselves. 3. When you clean a table could you please use either a disinfectant spray or at least use a clean rag that's been dipped in cleaning solution before wiping a table. I watched in horror staff simply using the same dirty rag to wipe table after table after table without ever cleaning the rag. Simply wiping the crumbs and spills off of one table and then spreading that around the next table you wipe, is not very reassuring of your health practices as a restaurant. We won't be back read more

We really enjoy Ray's. We do. But, tonight we came to eat. It was busy because Camp Grayling had some training. So we saw lots of military coming in to eat. We were told that it was a half hour wait. We were game because we like the food and waited. While we were waiting for our table we saw a small bus of 27 Army personnel arrive. I went to check on the time left for our table because a half hour passed. I was told that since the 27 individuals showed up it would be at least about another hour wait because they were going to take the 27 who just showed up. We left. We ate at Paddle Hard Brewery, it was fantastic food and service. I'm still waiting for the call that my table is ready at Ray's and it's 2 hours later. Here's the deal. We are a retired military family. We get it. But if you are going to cater to the military, just be up front about it. Close to the general public and cater to them. That would be awesome. It's the disrespect of your local customers that has me upset. We'll be here when those Camp Grayling training exercises are over. Don't forget that. read more

BBQ and Brews delightful Had To celebrate the recent Super Bowl champs by getting amazing BBQ while passing thru the area. Super glad we did! read more

After having driven by it for years going to and from our cottage, I finally made a "BBQ detour" to Ray's in Grayling, MI. We got a full rack of ribs and a side of their blue cheese coleslaw. The ample ribs were perfectly cooked, tender and moist, and without any excess fatty parts. I liked the coleslaw very much, although you really have to like blue cheese in order to like it and my wife found it to be a bit "strong.". Be sure to also get their cornbread with wonderful honey butter! The woman who took my order on the phone was very friendly, as was the person who retrieved my order for me. When asked which sauces I wanted to top the ribs, I said I didn't know, so she told me she would give me two containers of each type of sauce. Overall, it was a great meal and I will certainly return! read more

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I'd be willing to give this restaurant another chance I suppose but I'm giving it one star for the simple reason that I paid $35 for their jumbo smoked beef rib ($55 with tip and dessert) and the rib was entirely inedible. It was literally nothing but fat and a bone. I'm not sure what they were thinking letting that go out of the kitchen, but I literally had to throw the entire thing in the garbage... huge waste read more

Ray's - BBQ, Brews & Blues - a pile of fat and a bone - Barbeque Near Me - Grayling, Michigan

I must be getting picky about food. I've eaten at Ray's on a number of occasions over the years and have always enjoyed a four to five star meal. This time not so much. It's still good but my tastes or should I say taste buds have changed. Eating out has definitely gotten more expensive and I don't mind if quality is there. As is par for my mother, I had to do carry out. The 87 year old whipper snapper didn't want to go out but wanted BBQ. After another attempt to give blood (another story for another day) at the American Red Cross blood drive I headed into Grayling for groceries and Ray's. Before leaving the grocery store parking lot, I pulled up the menu on Ray's website and made my call. No online ordering. The server who answered was congenial and I could understand every word she said. Here in rural Northern Michigan phone conversations can be garbled depending on cell service. I ordered the Mishmash with Spicy BBQ Beans and Garlic Smashed Potatoes. Plus the Roasted Apple Bacon Salad. This was enough food for mom and I, plus leftovers. The salad was amazing. You get two containers of dressing but one was plenty. I want to taste the salad not the dressing. The beans did not disappoint. I love all the different beans. It has a kick but not overpowering. The potatoes were ok. Didn't taste any garlic. The Mishmash is a sampler platter. I like variety. The ribs(all 3) had way too much rub on them but were meaty. The very large chicken wing and thigh was dry. The pulled pork was very good. The brisket, my favorite bbq meat, was cut thick, moist, and flavorful. The parking lot was half full upon arrival. When I walked in I was greeted promptly by the hostess. The restaurant and bar were busy. The staff was hustling but everyone was smiling. The waitress that took my order was multitasking and didn't miss a beat. Ray's will continue to be my go to for BBQ when I'm staying at Mom's place in Northern Michigan. However, being a permanent resident of the Roll Tide state, I will have to lower my expectations of BBQ when in Michigan or just make my own! read more

Gorgeous location by the river. Good service despite quite a crowd on a holiday weekend. The food was amazing! Ribs delicious with multiple types of sauce. Cajun lobster Mac n cheese. Delicious salads and corn bread. Chili cheese fries appetizer was tasty as were the jalapeños, but the clear favorite was the Deviled Eggs with bacon jam and green onion. Really happy we found this place. Weather was perfect for outdoor seating. Blues music played. Nice look on the inside. read more

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The pulled pork with the 4 sauces is delicious, and large portions. The French fries are crisp and fresh. The Mac and cheese is the creamy variety, and pretty good. Coleslaw is typical. I wish bbq restaurants made good coleslaw, especially since it's so easy. I also wish there was a healthy vegetable option, but who goes to a bbq for health food? We really enjoy this place--went 3 times the first week we tried it. There was a wonderful musician, playing guitar. Nice ambiance. I give this place a 4.8! read more

This place is great! Driving home from a weekend Up North, this place hit the spot. It was easy enough to find coming off the high way, though it's tucked behind a fly fishing shop. Follow your GPS and you'll find it. It's really not hard. The interior is clean and has a definite Up North kind of vibe. We got there at a weird in between lunch and dinner hour but that just meant service was really fast. The BBQ was great! I ate my whole "Beast" of a sandwich, and I enjoyed every bite. The french fries were okay, but honestly I was too full to eat those too. I took a bite of the mac and cheese which definitely delivered, and I really liked the corn bread with the butter that came with. So good. So happy. I'll come back again. read more

Ray's - BBQ, Brews & Blues - The Beast - Barbeque Near Me - Grayling, Michigan

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Food was great service was overloaded to show individual table attention. Atmosphere was great old country atmosphere. read more

Ray's - BBQ, Brews & Blues - Everything they have but ribs - Barbeque Near Me - Grayling, Michigan

This is our first time. It was recommended by our dentist. Glad we finally stopped by. Great ambience. Great food. Great blues. Great service. Indoor and outdoor dining areas are very nice. Weather was absolutely perfect to enjoy patio sitting and walk along the river. Wish we weren't driving home a ways because we would have loved to try the brews too. Another time! read more

Ray's - BBQ, Brews & Blues - Outdoor dining area - Barbeque Near Me - Grayling, Michigan

I sat by the River & nurses a pint while the bbq cooked. Great beer selection! Get there early bc some of the options run out. Our bbq brisket was delicious. Very popular place. The waitlist went by quickly read more

Our server Ashley is the best and does an awesome job. I came in on May 26, 2024 Memorial Day Weekend with a party of 9. I requested Ashley, as I've had her in the past and she did an amazing job. The food is amazing too read more

Good selection of bbq, traditional dishes, excellent sides, and even gumbo to boot. Nice scenery outside by the stream. Food is well prepared, looking forward to next visit. read more

Ray's - BBQ, Brews & Blues - Moist brisket, chicken, blue cheese cole slaw, and bbq beans - Barbeque Near Me - Grayling, Michigan

Another 5 star from us. Fabulous place to stop when you're trying to get a bite to eat. Genuinely good people and service. Strong menu- even if you don't want "BBQ" there are plenty of options. read more

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