Best barbecue in town. The ribs are so tender. Smoked Turkey, brisket or pulled pork. You can't go wrong. Great French fries. Lots of sides and they are all good. Nice salads. Want dessert? their cake is yummy. Family run. read more

Just ok. Was hoping the #1 bbq in Norman would be better. Pulled pork was good, just lacked spice. Brisket wasn't horrible, but had lots of fat. read more

Another great to-go meal in Norman! So thankful for all the hard workers who keep us going with great food in Norman. Can't wait for some smoked turkey and potato salad! read more

Ray's BBQ - a sign for ray's bbq - Barbeque Near Me - Norman, Oklahoma

ALWAYS SO SO SOOOO GOOD. I've not had a bad experience here and it's probably one of my favorite bbq joints. All of the side dishes are amazing, the buns are toasted just right, their sauce is delicious, meats are always cooked just right, and they have watermelon sweet tea! If you like hot sauce then ask for their special sauce they only serve upon request. read more

Just ordered the 6 rib dinner with collard greens and coleslaw. The ribs were flavorful and fall off the bone tender, I would have loved some bbq sauce and maybe flatware. The coleslaw was good and creamy, collard greens a little too salty for my taste but still very good. All in all I would probably order again if they had included ANYTHING extra (bbq sauce, napkins, flatware) but I guess I'll just stick with Vans. read more

I've recently visited after having been a while since my last visit and today was not their best food-wise. I ordered the 3 meat combo with Ribs (3), Brisket (sliced), and sausage. The sides are Mac and cheese and fries. The fries were the best thing on the plate. The Brisket was dry and crumbly - had a nice bark and a thin smoke ring but it was just over done. The ribs were tiny - tender, but flavorless. The sausage was moist and flavorful but the texture reminded me of those prepackaged kielbasas from the market - not bad, but nothing like a skin popping hand ground sausage link. The Mac and cheese was very good and cheesy. I hope this was a one off experience because I remember really enjoying their bbq in the past. read more

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Best bbq in Norman by far. Have been going for years and will continue. Very good food.

Good BBQ. Found a new love, bbqed Bologna (are you kidding me). Ribs were good, a nice sauce. Would recommend. Good sides, not great. If you're ever in Norman, OK, check them out. There had a terrible towel hanging from the roof, this took a few points away. read more

Ray's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Norman, Oklahoma

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Ordered the 4 rib dinner w/2 sides of okra and their southern potato salad. The rib meat was over cooked to the 'fall off the bone' stage. Not the way ribs are supposed to be cooked, I did not detect any rub at all. This is not good as all BBQ ribs must have a rib rub of some sort. The BBQ sauce okay, but their spicy version was better. The southern potato salad was mustard based with some celery salt and not pleasing to the palate. The okra was excellent. They were priced right for what they offered menu wise. They mostly catch the OU peeps for their customer base and they probably rave about the place. You must know at this point that I moved here from Memphis and as such I am a BBQ snob. read more

Ray's lives up to the hype. Me and some buddies ate at Ray's on a Wednesday night. It was crowded, nearly full. But, they get dinners out quickly, so don't be deterred if it's crowded. I had the 3 meat combo. You get your choice of 3 meats, 2 sides, a piece of toast, and it's all only $13.99. I had pulled pork, a hot link, and ribs for my meats. For the sides, I had fried okra and mac n cheese. I would order all of the meats again. The hot link was the worst, but I still liked it. I'd say the pulled pork was the best. Juicy and flavorful, and you get quite a serving. The ribs are tender and smoked well. There is a nice pink smoke ring, an excellent rub, and they are very tender. They pull away from the bone easily. You only get 2 with the combo meal, but they are good size. The hot link is decently hot, but it's not crazy spicy. It's juicy and diagonally sliced. It's pretty basic, but it's still a good hot link. The sides were excellent as well. The okra is deep fried, but the breading wasn't too thick. You get a large serving with the meal. The mac n cheese was fantastic. It's baked, and I got a lot of the cheesy, crusty top. I don't know if every order gets as much as I got, I'll be getting it a lot. The hot sauce actually has a little bit of heat and great flavor. The employees were very friendly, and were constantly coming around to bus tables. I haven't tried every BBQ place in Norman, but so far, Ray's is easily the best. read more

Ray's BBQ - 3 meat combo dinner with ribs, pork, and hot links. Mac and cheese and okra on the side. - Barbeque Near Me - Norman, Oklahoma

Best BBQ I have ever had. Everything is good. Seriously. The brisket falls to pieces in your mouth, same with the ribs, sausage, turkey, pulled pork....name it. Yes, they know sides too. Great beans, baked or green, fried okra, all fantastic. The owner seems a nice bloke and is there every time I have been. Nice to see a family business doing well and their hard work paying off. After eating at his restaurant three times now, it is certainly well deserved. Thanks for the great BBQ. read more

Ray's BBQ - Pick anything. It's all good. Tip: Brisket. - Barbeque Near Me - Norman, Oklahoma

Best bbq in Norman for sure! Beans and collard greens are top of the line. Meat is perfect. Give the ribs and shake and the meat falls right off onto the plate. Sauces are also so good, I always buy some when I go. Can't go wrong with any of the options they offer. read more

My husband, one year old and I ate here tonight. The food was well smoked but not hot hot (I think that might be a New Orleans specialty) ---which is good for people you can't take the heat. My husband got the three choice platter with brisket, hot links and ribs. He enjoyed everything. I had the smoked turkey sandwich and it was very good. It doesn't come with anything else on it as you have to pay for additional options, but the price was affordable. The sides were really good---especially the collard greens. All in all, this is a tasty place with affordable prices. It tends to get crowded with locals around dinner time so don't wait. read more

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Another middle of the road bbq spot in Oklahoma. I will say I am pretty tough when it comes to bbq. The brisket here is average at best. No bark really to speak of. Small smoke ring. Not enough smoky taste. I think this is another one of those place that could benefit by not serving brisket. As it is hard to get right. If I were going to get brisket in Norman I would just go around the corner to the chain restaurant. Not that the brisket is bad, it's just plain or ordinary. As well asked for half lean and half most brisket, if you can tell by my pics there is no moist to be found. Boo....guess you should train people to know the difference. The ribs are a step up from the brisket. Still not the best I have had in the area but not bad. They pulled from the bone and tasted good. Nice Smokey flavor though I though it did lack seasoning. Both meats benefits from the sauce. Which in most pitmasters book is not a compliment. The sides here were nothing specail. The baked beans were made from ranch style beans which is different and a nice little suprise. Overall the place is middle of the road. I can see how some might give it a 4th star. Just not sure where any 5 stars come from. They must have never stepped outside of Oklahoma for bbq. read more

Ray's BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Norman, Oklahoma

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The sliced brisket melts in your mouth!! So good! Also the cake with pecans an coconut was delicious!

Eat here! Owned by a former Sooner Football legend Ray's was a welcome lunch as I drove through Oklahoma. I only had an hour to stop and eat in my way to Texas and chose Ray's based on the Yelp rating. Busy for lunch the cashier was courteous and fast. I ordered the Rays the Roof brisket and hot links sandwich with a side of macaroni. Check by the soda fountain there are bottles of hot BBQ sauce, sat down and my plate was in front of me in no time. Walls are covered in 8x10s of Sooner football players in the restaurant. If you got one stop for lunch in Norman go here, thanks Ray read more

Ray's BBQ - Rays the Roof, Mac and Cheese and lower middle a dab of the HOT BBQ sauce. - Barbeque Near Me - Norman, Oklahoma

Ray's BBQ hits the spot! I tried this little gem a couple weeks ago and it did not disappoint. Just be sure to bring an appetite! I got a brisket baked potato and some Texas toast. Unlike other places nearby, they load everything up for you instead of putting all the ingredients (cheese, brisket, sour cream, etc.) on the side for you to put on yourself. The brisket was cooked to perfection and flavorful. The sauce however was just average at best hence the four stars instead of five. I do highly recommend to everyone to check out Ray's! read more

Cute place with great OU spirit! I loved all of the signs throughout the place. I got the 2 meat dinner - pork & turkey - with green beans and corn on the cob. The whole plate was great and came with a piece of bread. If I wasn't so familiar with the best smoked turkey from Hutchins BBQ in McKinney, TX, this would be good; but sadly, I wasn't impressed. The pork was very good and I liked the BBQ sauce a lot! Green beans might've been the best thing of all, though! I hear the fried okra is great, I wish I would've tried it. Definitely get the brisket if you go. My dad had it & loved it! Awesome hole in the wall! Definitely worth the stop & it was very quick service! read more

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Best BBQ in Norman! The ribs are always tender. I'm also a huge fan of their smokehouse beans.

BEST bbq in Norman. Brisket, pulled pork, and turkey are my favorites. The fries and Mac and cheese are really good. My dad and I have gone here for years. Must try if you've never been. read more

It's rare that I give 5 stars but 6 wasn't available. To begin, I judge BBQ places by their brisket first. Usually because if you can do brisket well the rest is easy. Theirs is excellent, perfect smoke flavor, moist and it falls apart. The smoky beans were very enjoyable, I prefer them a bit sweeter but honestly didn't care that much because they were so good. The iced tea is worth the stop by itself. A special commendation to the counter help. She knew her stuff, I didn't get the standard, yep, everything is good. She told me exactly how the brisket was that day, gave me a rundown on the ribs and pork as well. You dot get that a lot these days so that impressed me. I don't have a negative thing and that in itself is rare. Well done Rays, I will be back! read more

I want to start off by saying I'm not a huge BBQ fan... But, I will say as far as BBQ goes, I absolutely love Ray's and it's pretty much the only BBQ restaurant I'll go to in Norman. Love their fries, bologna and pulled pork. Delicious whole cakes... The Mac n cheese is different than your normal, but still good! Also love the BBQ ranch. Food is always hot/fresh and consistent. Friendly service! read more

Maybe it was a bad day. But I was completely disappointed. The brisket and the pulled pork had almost no flavor. No seasoning, and certainly no smoke whatsoever. The "pulled" pork was actually chopped, and the pieces were so small they wouldn't even stay on the fork. The meat tasted like it had been cooked in an oven instead of on a smoker. It was pretty dry, too. The only thing that kept me from giving just one star was that the fried okra was really good and the beans were very unique. My son's fries were good as well. But if you're going to be a renowned bbq joint, this isn't the way to do it. Definitely not worth $30 or more for two plates. read more

My favorite BBQ restaurant in Norman! Always great food, ribs, sliced brisket, sausage or Bologna! Ordering is done when you arrive and food is brought to your table. Love the atmosphere! read more

Love their food - service is now horrible. Sad to see things decline and an owner that offers the excuse "you have to understand the restaurant business". Excuse me?! My mother in law and both brother in laws have owned restaurants. I think I get it. read more

Solid Value; Great ribs! Don't underestimate this unassuming place...once you pull into the parking lot, wafts of yummy BBQ float by drawing you in! The lunch menu is short, but not the flavor and portions. It was the ribs that got me, along with the cole slaw...done just right - nothing fancy, but delicious and at a great price! read more

Looked to YELP for help. Ray's has a 4+ star rating. They did not disappoint. Both my brother and me had the ribs. We agreed; delicious! The sauce was really good. For sides we had collard greens and mixed fruit. Some of the best collard greens I've ever had. The fruit hit the spot as well. Give Rays a try, you will not be disappointed. read more

This is by far the best BBQ in the state. The only place I can confidently order pulled pork and not get 1 piece of fat! Friendly staff and great service. read more

Great food! Sides are southern, so potato salad is mustard, not mayo. We have had the 1/2 chicken, ribs and turkey. Lunch specials are a good deal. The Icing is the staff is friendly. read more

First time travelling back to Oklahoma after many years, and first time in Norman. I had always remembered that OK generally had great BBQ. After seeing the Yelp rankings, I was compelled to try 'Ray's Smokehouse BBQ' tonight. I ordered the 3-meat combo: Brisket, Pulled Pork, and Ribs with coleslaw and fried okra as the sides. My breakdown... Pulled pork: The meat was very moist and easy to eat, however, lacked any flavor (really didn't notice any smoke) or taste. After many bites, I ate the rest with lite dabbing of the house BBQ sauce and coleslaw occasionally. It was okay, overall (really needs some smoke). [-.5 stars] Ribs: meat very tender and moist, very easy to eat, and fall-off-the-bones (but, would've been better if just slightly firmer). There was very lite smoke flavor, but really could've used more flavor (I could taste the potential) and taste (didn't notice any seasoning). [-.5 star] Brisket: I looked most forward to the brisket, but sadly, it was disappointing. It was so dry. I tried smothering the slices in sauce and sipping water with every bite, but just could not overcome the dry texture. The meat would crumble/fall apart when trying to steak the fork through a slice. Also, there was no flavor or taste... not even in the bark. It was as if the brisket had been baked dry. I suspect that the brisket was "smoked"/cooked for too long (with no wood, maybe?) and/or in too high of heat (there wasn't any fat or other moisture support.. no seeping juices). I thought perhaps I had just received a bad serving. After some hard thinking, I figured,... why not just ask about it? After all, I had paid for the meal and had looked forward to the brisket the most; this place received high reviews; and that I had only eaten the halves of three of the 5-6 total slices (i.e.,not like I ate most and then complained). And so, I kindly asked if it was normal like that... and that if so, then no problem, and I would just eat it. (I didn't want my money back, I just wanted what other Yelp pics had shown). They said, no and that they'd bring me out better slices. That was very nice of them. After a few minutes. The nice gentleman cook brought me out new slices and ask if everything else was okay. I said that everything seemed fine. After the cook walked away, I was excited to try to the new serving. However, I looked down at it, and it looked of the same dryness, only hotter with some steam coming off of it. It did have slightly (only slightly) more of a smoke flavor than the first serving, but just barely and not even close to the already lite smoke flavor of the ribs. I usually finish everything in my meal. This time, I left the brisket as I just couldn't eat it as my jaw became sore from trying to chew it (again, the sauce and water didn't help... sorry!). [-2 stars] Sides: Coleslaw was good and the okra was great! Maybe Ray's had an off-day with "smoking" the meats, perhaps? I didn't want to say anything bad about the place, since the people were very nice. But honestly, it was a very disappointing meal, and I had to get it off my chest. I figure, if you are a BBQ place with "smoke" in the name (Ray's Smokehouse BBQ), then, smoke flavor would be quite evident in the meats. Unfortunately, it just wasn't there. read more

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Not worth the time. I asked for moist cut brisket and I got the driest cut. When I asked if they could give me a moist fatty cut they said no and to put bbq sauce on it. Won't be back and they deserve zero read more

The food is always amazing! Never had an issue with anything we've ever gotten from here! Definitely recommend them if you're wanting bbq!

I've been to Van's, Billy Sim's and Rib Crib, so it was time to try Ray Smokehouse BBQ. It's a very unassuming place, and the construction that's been going on down Lindsey can deter even the most devout BBQ enthusiast, but make the effort. You'll be greeted with the undeniable smoky smell of BBQ, and we were also welcomed by a very nice and helpful worker at the register. She told me they were most know for their ribs and brisket, so I chose the 3 meat plate, with sliced and ribs, along with hot sausage. For my sides, I selected Smokehouse Beans, which I was told was a specialty and collard greens, also recommended. The ribs were as advertised! They came of the bone clean, but didn't crumble, and had really good flavor, any knock would be that they weren't very smoky. The sliced brisket was also good, but very lean, and I prefer brisket more moist. The sausage was sliced thin, and a generous portion and the beans tasted like a sweet chili - which I used as a dip for my Texas toast. The collards were very good! Not bitter or sour, very savory and cooked down well to absorb tons of flavor. I liked it all, but will definitely be back for the ribs. read more

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Ray's is my absolute favorite BBQ restaurant in Norman, but I was so disappointed in their service two nights ago. I will accept some responsibility as we arrived at the restaurant at 7:30 and they close at 8:00. But they should let people know that they don't close at 8:00, they go home at 8. I absolutely understand them getting ready to close before 8, but they were taking our plates before we even finished a few minutes before 8. Will I be going back? Of course, they are the best, I just wish they had treated us the same as those who arrived 30 minutes after opening that morning. read more

Great little place! Brisket is good and the staff is friendly. The bbq sauce is awesome. Highly recommended!

Incredibly delicious BBQ!!! I always get the sliced brisket, smoked turkey and hot links, its my comfort food!

So bad! Stopped here bc of the good reviews, but it was horrible! The brisket and pulled pork were so dry that we could hardly chew it. The worst thing is I found a piece of plastic in my pulled pork sandwich! read more

Oh my gosh! This was our first time to Ray's and it was fantastic! I got the 2 meat combo with sliced brisket and pulled pork. The brisket just fell apart it was so tender. The pulled pork was also very good! I had french fries, which have a coating of some kind but they were good and very crispy! I also got the BBQ beans! Not your typical sweet baked beans but more of a bbq bean with a slight sweet and a hint of chili powder! The hubs got ribs and sliced brisket. Rib meat fell right off the bone! Delish! Now, let's talk sauce. We love HOT BBQ sauce that isn't cloyingly sweet. This REALLY hit the mark! It had such a wonderful flavor, a great amount of peppery heat and was just the right amount of sweet(although the husband said it could be SLIGHTLY less sweet. I disagree!) I hope you stop by Ray's! You won't be disappointed and Mr. Ray will probably be there to say hello! read more

Worst BBQ I've had in a while. The brisket was more like roast beef than BBQ. While moist and tender it had very little bbq flavor and no bark to speak of. Maybe I'm spoiled by Texas bbq but this is just not good. To the point I was hungry and didn't finish it. read more

Great Restaurant!!!! While touring OU, we wanted to try a bbq place. Came across Ray's on the way in and they did not disappoint. I have to say Ray's ribs were absolutely amazing! Brisket was on point/haven't had better. Had the mac n cheese, okra and greens, best in Oklahoma! read more