Ray's Candy Store
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A nostalgic sweet shop in New York since 1974, Ray's Candy store offers soft serve, fried bites, and even hot dogs. It's 24/7 and the perfect spot to hit your sweet tooth craving any time of day. We got their soft serve and it was so yummy.
Changed my order half way thru.... I don't regret it one bit. It's small af in here but by the looks of the traffic it's worth it!
This Alphabet City institution fills that greasy, late night, munchie craving when you want to relive your college days. Cheesy fries and onion rings in a grease-laden brown paper bag, deep fried candy bars and Oreos, soft serve and milkshakes, and the list goes on. Sure, the food is mediocre, and you might feel some oil and sugar-filled regret the morning after, but how I feel about Ray's is nothing but nostalgia and affection. This place is historic, and I hope Ray and his candy store stay in the East Village for a very long time.
Ray's Candy Store isn't just a food stop -- it's a New York institution with powdered sugar on its knuckles. Located at 113 Avenue A, Ray's is where you go when your cravings overpower your common sense. Fried Oreos, beignets buried in sugar, fries, milkshakes, egg creams, chili cheese hot dogs... basically everything your doctor warned you about but your soul desperately needs. All served from a perfectly ramshackle counter that feels like NYC before it got polished and overpriced. People don't just love Ray's -- they love Ray. Born in 1933, former Iranian Navy, lifelong grinder, and the definition of a real New Yorker. Through the gritty 70s, the Tompkins Square Riots, 9/11, the pandemic -- Ray kept the lights on. When times got rough, the neighborhood raised nearly $50K to make sure he could keep doing what he's always done: take care of people. No matter the hour, you'll find NYU kids, neighborhood legends with face tattoos, punk rock lifers, and confused but happy tourists from Germany and Japan all packed in together. Ray talks to everyone. Gives directions. Takes photos. Tells stories. The man's in his 90s and still outworks most people half his age. Ray's is for bad days, broken hearts, late nights, brutal hangovers, or loving someone who doesn't love you back. You walk in hungry -- you walk out better. I went classic: chili cheese hot dog (elite), fried Oreos (dangerously good), and finished it off with his famous egg cream -- no eggs, no cream, just chocolate syrup, milk, club soda, and NYC magic. Everybody should have a Ray's memory. Go in. Talk to Ray. Eat whatever feels right. And appreciate one of the most beloved humans this city has ever had.
Small, narrow shop, cluttered but warm. The owner is the beloved Mr. Ray. My niece had the fried oreos that she loved and my nephew ordered the "Obama Coffee". It fascinated me that I had been having Obama coffee all my life without knowing I was! Just a scoop of vanilla ice cream added to a cup of black coffee.
5 stars for this LES neighborhood staple. Best place to get a late-night snack. This colorful and quirky shop serves ice cream, frozen yogurt, hotdogs, fries, beignets, egg creams, and so much more - all reasonably priced. My go-to order is the chili cheese dog. There's a comforting feeling about this place.
I finally got to go after having this location saved in my Google maps for a few years! I enjoy making my own fried Oreos so I decided to their special of half fried Oreos & half fried beignets. They were so gooodd! Funny thing is I asked for zeppoles and i basically got a mini version of them I went on a Sat. night and luckily there was no line! I loved the decor and I liked how there was so much to look at and luckily it wasn't hard for me to choose from because I already had my heart set on fried goodies! Can't wait to come back and order more
Never gone wrong at rays. Must try every time you pass by th neighborhood. Best fried Oreos and soft serve I've ever had. They're accommodating too-- I got vanilla chocolate swirl with a dollar of strawberry on top. Superb indeed.
A New York institution everyone must visit. I've been wanting to visit Ray's candy store FOR YEARS & was happy I was in the neighborhood to stop by quickly & show support . Lucky enough I wanted to get my first egg cream & the man himself was there to make me one. This hidden gem of a store has almost everything you need to fulfill any craving. They have a vast menu, from pistachio ice cream to fish & fries. Will it be the best you've had? Maybe not but should we do our part to support a small business that has been here since 1974? YES. The interior has signs & decor literally covering the walls, if you look too quickly you might miss out on what feels like 100 options they have. The egg cream was really good, satisfied my sweet craving I had. My companion tried the pistachio ice cream & really enjoyed it. Had us in & out in less than 3 minutes. I even snagged myself a t shirt. I'm glad I got to visit a part of NYC history (that was almost lost during the pandemic).
Vibes in here are pretty insane. It's a tiny, old-school candy/ice cream shop with an eclectic menu ranging from fried Twix and root beer floats to chili cheese dogs and falafel. Mostly appreciate the fact that they have soft serve, which can be tough to find in this city
The two men in this storefront have the operations locked in. The root beer float was fantastic, as was the chocolate dipped soft serve cones. They can even mix flavors for you, we got vanilla and cookies and cream! One note, the prices for items are not the same on the wall as they are on the register. If something is listed a few times with different prices, assume it's the higher price.
Overall (A-) It's good but not great. Would maybe go by if in the neighborhood but not worth the special trip. The egg cream is pretty good and so is the ice cream. But nothing special. Yes unique but a reason why it hasn't been replicated by others. It's a novelty. Service is excellent. Gut instinct is that there are old folks hyping this up based on nostalgia.
Oh Ray, you have my whole heart. My husband and I have been to Ray's Candy Store multiple times in the summer when there's been a steady trickle of clientele, but recently we visited around 11:30AM on a random Tuesday when it was 25° outside. When we walked in, the shop appeared empty. We waited a few moments before Ray himself stood up from where he was (sleeping?) behind the counter and said, I'm up! I'm up! I know he stays there and maybe he was short staffed that day and wanted to rest up at the front of the shop. Anyway, he made us some delicious fried Oreos and fried twinkies. I didn't try the twinkies but the Oreos are absolutely sinful. They come out piping hot and are delicious. The place isn't much to look at. In fact, it's a pretty disorganized dump on the inside, but you can tell Ray has a system. He was absolutely as sweet as can be, and we were happy to wish him a belated 92nd birthday. We'll be back,
3 years ago
2 years ago
2 years ago
I'm not a big fan of candy but everyone I hang with is so err now & then I might indulge. The service was great, nice lil lady behind the counter was very kool. Nice lil corner store drop in type setup. Make a long story long I had some fried Twix & they was buss'n. I had to sit down cause I wanted to finish em time I started. read more
4 years ago
Awesome spot for an egg cream! Stopped in after dinner for an egg cream nightcap. We had the vanilla. The vibe we got was basically anything fried and egg creams is what they do. We didn't try any food as we were so full. But they have perfected the making of egg creams as it was the best we've had yet! We attempted to get coffee as well but they didn't have any fresh they said. Which was understandable I guess at 8 at night. Give it a shot for an egg cream! They had multiple flavors as well! read more
3 years ago
Went late on a Saturday evening and was served quickly! Such a fun and cute little store. We got the Oreo shake and beignets. Both were the best I've ever had! Can't wait to go again. read more
2 years ago
6 years ago
I am not even mad I could not finish $12 worth of late night food. Small businesses like this one need all the help they can get. These are hardworking people at this small stand. Even though I did not meet Ray, the people that work behind the counter are passionate about the business and want to see that Ray thrives in a difficult time. The portions are BIG. Under normal circumstances, I would go to a park and take my time and enjoy this gelatinous food. These are not normal circumstances. The Oreo milkshake is so thick you need a spoon to eat this. It feels more like a Blizzard than a milkshake, but it tastes pretty good. I also tried some of their famous beignets. They taste great! And you get plenty! If I went with somebody else they would be perfect to share. But myself I could not finish them all. They are a cash only business. But you only need to buy one thing to satisfy your sweet tooth here. I wish this business all the best and hope it is able to stick it out. read more
Always a great choice to visit for a delicious fried snack, egg cream, or creamy soft serve cone. Nice staff but when Ray is there it's even more special. A tuxedo swerve soft serve cone on a warm NYC Summer night is just right. read more
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Ray A.
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Open 24/7, eat at your own risk. After reading multiple Yelp reviews, I excitedly ordered the Pistachio soft serve. Nothing was soft about it. Upon taking a small bite I spat it out. The mix was curdled! The delivery service is unreliable, I've ordered soft serve twice and once it was the wrong flavor, once it was sour and definitely expired. I can't speak to the ambience but hope for everyone's sake it is nothing like the food I've ordered. read more
4 years ago
Came here twice while visiting NYC because the soft serve and the fried Oreos are just THAT good. This is a must stop place for sweet treats in NYC. AND they're open 24/7?! There's no excuse not to swing by read more
So if you're out looking for lays Wandering in a drunken daze This spot is quite handy For way more than candy So come at 2am to Ray's! It's time to Ray's hell by reviewing Ray's. Since like, nobody ever, like, did that before, and stuff. My notes said: what a lovely place, met my supermodel goddess, great choc malt, not best I ever had, but loveliest old man ever, high prices but worth it. What's all this about the supermodel you ask? Well, of course, part of the reason I give five stars is because of the people that you meet when you're here. And by you, I mean me. I met a model... who I called the supermodel goddess, which she liked very much and began referring to herself as such (she was drunk but then who isn't at Ray's). She seemed to really like me (she called me boycandy) and took a bunch of pictures of me with both her phone and mine, and then encouraged me to do the same to her... for her... of her, I mean... So then I asked for her number, and she said "f*** that, you're coming home with us" (she was with another girl). I was ordered to go to their place, by way of some other bar... but it was already 2am and I was due to drive down South and couldn't stay any longer... and if a girl's drunk when she meets me, I tend to not be down. Besides, I had a date the next night in DC. So I got my shake, shook hands with the legendary Ray who hopefully will live forever, and said bye to my Supermodel, who was sad to see me go, but soon got over it I'm sure in her drunken delight. On to the next boycandy conquest. I'm sure I missed out on some fun friendships but I don't FW drunk girls anyway... never have. Not even tempted, what if their sober self has no interest? See what I mean? Oh yeah and while driving to DC I drank the shake. And it was great. But that's like... not why you come to Ray's at 2am. Obviously. Oh and if she or her friends are reading, call me. My number is 1-800-PRIVATE-MESSAGE-ME. read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
The ice cream was filling and delicious. You know the scene from Ratatouille? When the chef gets taken back to his childhood after 1 bite? That was me. Very yummy and definitely worth the money! read more
5 years ago
So incredibly happy to have tried this infamous store while Ray himself was working! I hope this place stays cherished and remains as an east village gem forever! The history behind this shop and the owners background is beautiful, and it'll help you appreciate your visit in the store - check their instagram @rayscandystore to see their highlight on the owners Humans of New York post. At this Anthony Bourdain frequented shop, I got the soft serve ice cream. It was PACKED in the cup and delicious to enjoy on a warm day. I think this place will turn into a staple for me as we approach summer, but there are so many more things for me to try on their menu. read more
3 years ago
This place is a legend. It's been in business since 1974 and I always wanted to check it out so I'm glad I was in the area. The shop has a wide variety of foods including egg creams, soft serve ice cream, fried Oreos and beignets. It's cash only!! So bring cash if you want to try this place. We got the combo which was $6. It was a mix of fried Oreos and beignets. The portions are MASSIVE for two people and both the fried Oreos and beignets were superrr sweet. Definitely greasy and far from healthy, but if you're looking for a midnight snack to indulge in, this is the place to go! We ended up giving our food to random people on the street towards the end bc it was too much for us. read more
Was walking about the city after eating absolutely everything in sight and wounded up at rays candy store. This small little shop must've been here for ages and it was already late at night and was surprised to see the owner Ray himself serving the customers. While waiting for our order of fried Oreos and beignets we saw so many articles and pictures posted on the wall about this little candy store. Pictures of ray throughout some decades it seemed like. A very cool picture of him and Mr. Bourdain himself. Support small businesses please, this little shop seems like it doesn't get enough recognition. Old man ray is close to 90 and still serving customers which shows how much he loves his shop. read more
7 years ago
I love Ray's Candy Store. I've been visiting this place since I was in high school and what I get will never change, Belgium fries. The portion can literally feed 2 people ! If you're in NYC, you MUST visit this place. It's so small and cute and so worth your time ! read more
1 year ago
This store is open 24 hours! As part of the food tour my friend and I were doing, I added Ray's Candy store to the list since it had great reviews on Yelp and we hadn't tried egg creams before. I tried the chocolate egg cream here. We were told that a medium is better proportions than the size small. It was good. I hadn't tried egg creams before, but this place apparently has the best egg creams in NY. It tasted like carbonated chocolate ice cream to me. It was good, but I didn't love it. Glad I tried it, but I don't think I would get it again. I also ordered the beignets here. For $6 you get a bag with a lot of pieces. It is very oily and doughy. There's tons of powdered sugar on it too, so be ready to get that all over your clothes. I would recommend ordering your food outside. We went inside and the space was very small. The menu was hard to read because it was all over the store. We got weird vibes from this place. We were asked if we were here on vacation and if we were Thai or Japanese...even after saying we were all born here and were not in New York on vacation, the lady still told us we looked Thai. My friend eventually just stopped answering the questions because it made her so uncomfortable. read more
2 years ago
4 years ago
Ray's Candy Store has THE BEST fried Oreos I've ever had. Period. Not only we're they mouth watering delicious, but you also got a lot of them for a good price. The service was great and the Oreos were a 10/10. If you haven't been to Ray's Candy store...what are you waiting for? Go, go, go ! Trust me, you won't regret it! read more
6 years ago
Please. Avoid. Coming. Here. I drove about an hour to come to this place that my sister told me to go to. I ordered a plate of "nachos" and instead received a bag of stale Doritos in the container with melted cheese all over it. They said they came with chili and cheese but the result was what I got in the pictures shown. The only decent thing here are the deep fried Oreos. I also asked for a Coke and instead I got root beer instead. Now I wish I had a 6 pack of real beer in order to help me forget this experience. In case if you come here and do there is a bodega next door and they have anything to drink read more
6 years ago
At 88 Ray is still at the counter serving with a (masked for safety) smile! My wife said her Vanilla Egg Cream was the best she's ever had. Beignets are an extremely generous portion of fluffy, crunchy, deep fried, powdered sugar dusted heaven for 6 bucks. Smaller and more dense than traditional beignets, these are more like traditional fair food a la zeppoles and funnel cake. read more
3 years ago
Cool little spot that's open for 24 hours a day. The ice creams are 5 bucks but it comes with a ton of soft serve. They also have fried Oreos which looked great and we'll have to go back to try them. read more
6 years ago
I can't believe I've lived in New York for 20 years and never discovered this place... Where have you been all my life?? I came with a group of friends, one of who recommended it after dinner. She had the craving for fried oreos and said they were delicious here. I've never had fried Oreos nor do I ever really want fried foods so it didn't matter much to me. When we got here, it looked like just a small regular candy store from the outside. Even walking in wasn't appealing. They have so many options from ice cream to zeppoles, Belgian fries, hot dogs, milkshakes and unique drinks. There were old yellow newspapers on the left wall and just papers taped everywhere. But let this be a lesson to not judge a book by its cover! The oreos and the milkshakes were FANTASTIC. Ray, the owner, was sitting in the corner and just the sweetest thing. The workers were friendly, and overall it was a good experience. Oreos were super crunchy with confectioner sugar on top - again, i've never had fried oreos before so I can't compare it to anything, but if that's how it always tastes, then I'm a huge fan! Pop by here for some sugary indulgence :) read more
1 order of deep fried oreos (12 pieces for $6), and nothing that special about them. I could barely taste the oreos since they were masked by a thick bland batter. Not all of them are coated in powered sugar; a must when eating these for more sweetness. Came to Ray's just to experience it and see what the hype is all about. No regrets, but it's not my forte. If you really like cheap junk food, this is the place to go. read more
7 years ago
Stumbled upon here when I was eating dinner in the area. Thank god I found this spot! I got the beignets and they make it right on the spot since my plate came out piping hot and the sugary yum yum. And you get so many pieces for a few bucks! What a bang! Hot beignets with the powdered sugar brings all the boys to the yard. Old school shop with the old cash register that is a rare gem. There were also pictures of Anthony bourdain on the wall. People that came in after me also ordered the beignets and fried Oreos. read more
Kim kardashian went here so I wanted to come here. It looks old school on the outside and inside and that's part of its charm. My friends hate on this place for being basic and outdated but that aesthetic is what attracts people here. Usually get the pistachio soft serve. Or soft serve and Oreos. They don't actually have soft serve with crushed Oreos on the menu, you have to get the soft serve and Oreos separately and crush the Oreos yourself. It's so much work. What kind of candy store doesn't serve soft serve with Oreo? During the summer the soft serve melts quickly so it turns into a sticky situation. Get the cone in a cup. They have all sorts of things on the menu. I've only had their soft serve but would try their deep fried Oreos or beignets or fries. They're open all hours of the day so if you're in east village at 3am and want sweets or fried foods, Ray's is your place. read more
6 years ago
I came here a few months ago for the fried Oreos. See the review by Natassia B. - I agree with everything she said! On my most recent visit I ordered the soft serve in a cup. They give you a huge serving (a coffee cup full) and you can order more than one flavor for $5. I had the cookies & creme and pistachio. Both flavors were very subtle and not too sweet. The pistachio had this eclectic blue/green color to it (honestly that's what compelled me to try it). The ice cream was not my favorite but it was good. Come to Ray's for cheap snacks and for the experience! The shop is eclectic and overwhelming. The menu is scattered all over the walls, and they take cash only. Definitely quantity over quality here, so great if that's the mood you're in! Next time I'll try the fried Reese PB Cups. read more
More info about Ray's Candy Store
113 Avenue A
New York, NY 10009
East Village, Alphabet City
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(212) 505-7609
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Could I coerce someone to drop by and ship me a box of the deep-fried oreos? What would you charge for such a service? I'm in Portland, OR.
Afraid those won’t travel well! You’ll have to come to the store and try them in-person!
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