Who doesn't like Rays? It is beloved by townies and students alike. Their food is great, their beer selection is great. LOVE that they have Strongbow on tap! They have an upstairs and a downstairs, large bars, a couple pool tables, and an open air area in the summer. If you aren't getting beer, the drinks are a bit pricey for the pour you get and it does get super crowded to the point sometimes you just can't go in. But those are the only downfalls. Overall, 4 stars. read more

Ordered take out. The chicken was bad tasting, the beef was tough and a weird color. The guacamole was dark and not fresh. The chips were stale. I loved Tonys but Rays...no way. Wont be back and that is sad because i went to Tonys ll the time...very sad read more

Nice bar. Good food. Bartenders were really nice and knowledgeable. Jake was our bartender and really knew his beer and helped us get a good beer we liked. It's not hard to be nice and these guys know how to do it! Thanks for the good experience. read more

I was in town and read some good reviews so thought I'd try it out. Ordered a newer item the poutine. Their version has fries, pork, pork gravy, green onions and sprinkled with lettuce. I was pretty pumped until it showed up. I've had poutine at dozens of places, and I like all the ingredients they had listed but this dish showed up in a disgusting pile and just didn't work together. The wilted lettuce on top just made it worse. I tried to be open minded and tried a couple bites before giving up. When I went to pay my tab the bartender had left it on there, I had already told him i wasn't happy with the dish and returned 95% of it. He simply told me "yea it's not a traditional poutine" (DUH!) and never offered to take it off. I'm a generous tipper and not afraid to spend money on good food, won't be back here though ! read more

Underwhelming food. I have yet to be wowed by them. The service leaves something to be desired too. Never my first choice. Ever. read more

Beer was delicious, they didn't have big ten network 2. I was kind of upset. Service was great but the point still stands they need better cable. I say every one in kent donate $0.001 to help out. I just really wanted to watch our student subsidized team lose. read more

Ray's Place - Energy beer - American Near Me - Kent, Ohio

I've been to Ray's about a half-dozen times before as I live three hours away from my best friend in Kent. I usually stick to the burgers - I love them - but this time I decided I felt like the hot pastrami on grilled rye sandwich and some fries. The fries were great, as was my friend's Cuban sandwich, but unfortunately the pastrami on my sandwich was so caked in straight black pepper that it was inedible - black pepper was all I could taste, even on the meat that was away from the peppered edges. Couldn't taste the rye bread, the swiss cheese or the whole-grain mustard. I called the waitress over so I could just send the sandwich back and have it removed from my bill, and I'd just finish the fries. Wasn't very impressed when she told me (very kindly - no fault to her) that the sandwich couldn't be removed from the bill and my only options were to have a corned beef sandwich or a sandwich (didn't get the name) that apparently comes with pastrami and cole slaw; the cole slaw would apparently 'calm the pepper down'? Then there was a remark in the direction of telling me all about how pastrami was made - I make it myself at home (and yes I do use pepper) so that was a little condescending and not really necessary. I understand the stuff gets a pepper rub on the outside, and I put plenty on mine but yours is too much. I saw slices of meat with nearly a quarter-inch of pepper on the rim. So to wind it up, I would have been pleased if this had happened differently. There shouldn't be any quibble about taking a sandwich off a check if your customer finds it inedible after three bites! It's *very* bad business to make a customer pay for inedible food, and also bad business to not have a manager to the table to discuss what went wrong. There was some kind of a discount applied to the check by the server which was nice but it wasn't the whole amount of the sandwich. And on another note, my friend and I both were looking for beers and the beer list is so heavy with IPAs there were hardly any other types to choose from. Maybe shake it up a little bit and remember there's a large (very large) segment of the population that find IPAs bitter and weirdly grapefruity. So, two stars for the inedible food with no manager apology, too IPA-heavy beer list, and the policy of not immediately taking inedible food off a customer's check. All my other visits would have been a 4 or 5 star and I'm hoping next time I come back I can give one of those. read more

My first time there was last night, March 22, took 43 minutes to get our food, which came out lukewarm except for the onion rings and they were cold. My burger was so dry that I might as well been eating peanut butter off a spoon. Needless to say, won't be going back! read more

Great service, warm ambience, and excellent food! This is my go to stop when I go out to eat in Kent. They have award winning burgers and the wings are pretty fabulous too (just order them extra crispy!) They feature specialty drinks each month, and the bartenders have to pass an exam before serving so they know what they are doing. Try their long island (better than any other I've had) or futhermucker if you want something a little sweeter. read more

Great local bar with adequate food selection and a wonderful atmosphere in downtown Kent.

Found this place on Yelp and gave it a try - glad we did! The craft beer selection was very good and we tried the famous Ray's Reuben sandwich with a side of coleslaw. Both were delicious. All the other reviews were true - great place to drink, hang out with friends and eat if you feel like it. Classic college town pub atmosphere. read more

Went on a Saturday night. Once we were seated we waited 45 minutes for our food. The only thing that was good on the table was the BBQ sauce--good combination of spicy and sweet. The french fries were limp and the burger looked like a 9-year old cooked it. My chili was definitely NOT homemade--it was definitely "bought in" from a restaurant supply place. I realize Ray's is an institution in Kent but the food needs some serious resuscitation. Taco Tantos down the street looks to be a better food option. read more

Nachos were a joke, I had to pay extra for each dip, the only good one was the cheese. The salsa came warm in temperature and tasted more like spaghetti sauce. The fries looked like a big soggy mess. I did think that the mac n cheese bites were ok though. read more

Rays is my go to place any time my family or friends come into town. With a great bar/restaurant atmosphere, friendly waiters, and delicious food there really is no place like Rays! read more

Nothing fancy, but a great burgers-and-fries place if you're down for some casual fare. Prices are more than reasonable and portions are ample. Great craft beer selection, too. FYI, there is an upstairs, so don't be discouraged if the downstairs is full. Try this if you're in the neighborhood for a show at the Kent Stage, as it is right around the corner. read more

One of my favorite places on earth. We had the best times here in the late 90's. The ambiance can't be duplicated. Went yesterday and nothing has changed. Their fries are awesome! Smoked wings were great. I had the blue moon sandwich. It's way way better than Panini's. Please don't ever change or go out of business. I was so happy to be there yesterday. read more

The best bar in Kent to go for a burger, and beer. A downtown Kent classic! Good atmosphere, and lots of selection!

Yummy and fun! This is such a great, young restaurant/bar. There atmosphere is hip, quirky, and exciting. Their Long Island is the favorite drink for everyone. Their burgers are delicious as well. I have a lot of fun whenever I come here no matter what hour it is (dinner time or going out time). I recommend coming here with a group of friends to hang out and eat some appetizers. The conversations will flow and no one will want to leave! read more

Love Ray's place. It was one of the first places I was told I needed to check out when I started working in Kent. It did not disappoint. Hands down the best beer selection in Kent. They have a great selection of craft beers and they consistently add new ones on draft. I've only eaten there a couple of times but the food was great as well. The service is great. Even when the place is packed the staff makes sure you have everything you need. If you're in town you have to check it out. read more

Food is really mediocre and the service can vary from excellent to awful. I came in on a Tuesday night to an understaffed restaurant. It took over 40 minutes for half my party to be served their burgers and the other half of the group, including myself, happened to never get our food, so we left after an hour of waiting. The manager said that this Tuesday happened to be busier than normal, but if the staff could not manage handling the large crowd, then the number of tables for food service should have been limited. I would rather wait for a table and get good service than sit at a table for over an hour being ignored by the overworked servers who can barely manage to handle the number of people they are serving. read more

The shrimp appetizer is the reason I come the 100 beers on tap is the reason I found out about it and the atmosphere is why I have a hard time leaving read more

Waiter is awesome; on top of orders and available. However, we paid to play the TouchTunes off our phone apps, and the bar refuses to turn the volume up because they say they prefer to play regular radio music instead... WHAT?! Cannot even hear the radio music. read more

Dropped by this little tavern on my son's visit to KSU. Had the special of the day a smoked BBQ chicken. The portion was enormous! The taste was superb. I loved the dark woody look to the dining area. It was recommended by an alum of the college as well as two faculty members... You won't be disappointed if you try Rays... read more

I have been to Rays place countless times. It is great for hanging out with friends, they have an excellent beer selection, and I think that their service is usually quite efficient given the demands. I just wish that their food was better. The menu always seems a bit ambitious, but the sandwiches can be tough, the burgers almost always overdone, and the french fries too greasy. Also, their drinks always seem a bit watered down. So, go for the ambience and the history -- but I always try to eat elsewhere. read more

Great variety of beers on tap. I had the jambalaya. Really good with a combination of shrimp, sausage, chicken and dirty rice. I also had the jerk fries as a side order. The proportion size of both the jambalaya and jerk fries was huge. The service was great. I could not ask more of our server The atmosphere was what you would expect of a well established restaurant in a college town. Prices were what you would expect for what you get. Sadly my wife did't feel the same way. She had a Rubin. The pumpernickel bun was not that tasty, with small amounts of cheese and sauerkraut. Everybody else at our table was very pleased. This was my first meal at Ray's Place,but not my last. read more

Great beer selection. However, do not use the condiments. One dude drank the vinegar (out of the bottle!) and we caught and reported him to our waitress. The manager didn't do anything and it was brought back despite our complaint. read more

The area's best restaurant/bar for a reason! Great food at a great price! Really well made drinks, the bar tenders definitely know their stuff, and they are fast even on busy nights! Great music, great atmosphere! They even have life music occasionally and special events like wine and pairing, I mean even their pool tables have all of the balls, very rare for a bar! When I'm in town I always make sure to stop in! read more

I'm a Kent resident most of my life and I've been going to Ray's since the early 70s. Food and service has always been great and they've stayed true to what got them where they are at today!!! Highly recommend read more

Best burgers!! Love the bleu cow, sunstix and a Guinness on draft. Hits the spot every time!!!

A college bar - not really our scene. Food just okay. Service just okay. Won't go back.

I feel like I would like this place a lot more if I could drink. The food is alright, just the typical bar food but it is always fairly busy and exciting which I like. It's definitely the place where the college kids come to drink and watch sports games but the people in it usually aren't obnoxious. read more

Love Ray's Place! Always playing great music. Good for a night out or a just dinner/lunch. It's bar food - nothing crazy - but always good!

Met a friend here after the Kent State football game. We ordered a Reuben, Cuban sandwich and a BLT along with a basket of fries. Sandwiches were very good and very big. The fries were huge and just like you'd get at the fair. Do yourself a favor and try Ray's next time in downtown Kent. read more

I work in Ravenna, and decided to stop by Ray's for lunch with co-workers and I was very impressed with it. I had the BLT with jerk fries (fries with jerk seasoning) and it was all very tasty. The service was good, the servers were friendly, and the food came out in a timely manner. The place has a nice atmosphere, I will make it a point to check it out after hours sometime so I can sit at the bar and drink. read more

I've been going to Ray's for over 15 years & this place has really gone down hill. I still love their hand made french fries & Bailey's Irish creme pie( if you can actually find a clean table to eat at). But the food & staff's attitude has become less & less inviting. And the bathrooms are always dirty :( Can't say I visit as often or even brag about it's unique atmosphere (can't go wrong with restoring the buildings historical environment) but it doesn't feel like home anymore. Sorry.... read more

Don't order the salad it damn near comes to you with an uncut tomato, onion, cucumber and whole head of lettuce...

I was not a fan of rays, and the purple I went with were not either. The staff was ok, not very attentive but not outright mean. The drinks were very average. However, it was our friends birthday and they wouldn't let him into the bar because he didn't have a second form of ID (he was from PA). Who does that? It doesn't make sense that people should not be allowed in just because they were from a different state and didn't have another ID form. After that, we Obviously all left immediately since we weren't just gonna let him be outside alone. Very disappointing. read more

Finally had some real fries which were not preserved for 8 months before being deep fried! Great food and service.

It's Rays! What's not to like? Food isn't bad, some items are much better than others - I like their rubens and fries. Decent beer selection. read more

Have recently discovered kent, and saw on yelp that I must try rays. It did not disappoint. Went on a date night with another couple. Sat upstairs....had a great server who hooked us up with some great beer suggestions (their list is insane), and some perfect meal suggestions. My peeps all had burgers which they said were great and I had the Cuban. Loved it. Great service, good bar atmosphere (a little dive-y, not pretentious), and good bar food. I think this is one of those places that you shouldn't get crazy with what you order. Stick with tavern fare, and you win. read more