Ray's was recommended by a student at Kent State while we were on a college visit. Since we needed lunch and ended up at the fashion building on the downtown edge of the campus anyway we walked to the railroad tracks. it was hard to find. signage is very subtle, the awning was clear but hard to see from the sidewalk. just look for a Irish pub kind of place. the ground level was packed at 4 pm on a Friday. fun kind of Irish pub place, servers racing around. the hostess suggested we go upstairs since it was crowded and we had 5 people. very good suggestion as we were the first to be seated. I got the 4-flight of beers, including an imperial Stout, a gose, and a house IPA. I love the flights. we started with fried pickles, since some of the kids had not had them. excellent. we all had burgers. the student recommended the"mofo" Burger, but it looked too big. I ended up with the stuffed gourmet, which was about 6 inches tall and excellent. others did the naked burger and dressed it. I had the jerk fries; they were good, but not real jerky, more like seasoned fries. they were good and greasy. we left very full and the upstairs dining room was packed by the time we left. popular place and with good reason. read more

Fast, friendly, and efficient. Love all their beer and food. Mofo with poutine fries, OUTSTANDING!!

Great food. Great service. Great atmosphere. My husband and I came here for lunch and we will not leave disappointed. If in Kent, must stop for a bite. read more

Ray's Place - The Mo - Fo - American Near Me - Kent, Ohio

My wife and I always go here when in town. We live n Louisiana. Best burgers around in Kent.

This one is more for nostalgia than anything. Ray's is and always will be my favorite place in Kent. Nothing fancy and the downstairs lighting will always be a bit too bright, but you gotta love Ray's Place. The staff is always professional and attentive. They aren't always warm and fuzzy, but they are real - and that to me is better than being around someone trying to fake it through the night! The food at Ray's is very good for bar food and the tap lines are always clean, so hangovers aren't as bad...which is important!! I definitely recommend Ray's Place when you visit Kent. It's an institution. read more

If in Kent, a must to visit. I can't say I've ever had anything bad to eat here. Great beer selection and big menu. Something for everyone! I'm read more

Old college hangout with really good food and service. Eclectic menu. ( I had chicken stir fry and my husband had a great hamburger). The place was crowded and it was clean and a lot of fun. read more

It's pretty noisy during busy times but the wait staff are amazing and the menu is varied and good. I can honestly say I've never had a bad meal there. Can recommend the Cuban and the Reuben as well as any of the burgers. Nice selection of beers on tap and in the bottle. read more

So.....we came here and got seated, party of 5, after about 20 minutes. Once seated we got our drinks in about 10 minutes later. Ordered about 10 minutes after that. That was the last time I saw an employee of Ray's at our table for the next 40 minutes. We watched as other tables, that were seated after us, got their food. I finally got our waiter's attention and asked about our food. I was assured it was on its way out in 5 or 10 minutes. 25 minutes later I got up, found our waiter, and asked him why we still had no food. That's an hour and a half after being seated if you're keeping score. While I was talking to the waiter, the manager came up and asked what the problem was. I told him and he explained that he instructed his staff to tell everyone that the food would take an hour after ordered. Had we been told that, we would have never sat. It was now 9pm. That was the extent of our conversation. The food arrived shortly thereafter. This is where my negative review falls off the rails. It was amazing. Every single item. Amazing. It was legitimately one of my favorite meals. As we were finishing up, the waiter came and apologized and said the manager was comping the entire meal because of the delay. I went back to the manager and told him I didn't want a free meal. I told him the problems we were having were not related to the food. I WANTED to pay for the meal because it was that good. He refused and simply asked that we give them another try when it wasn't so busy (because of KSU move in day presumably) and I agreed to do that. I will update this review once we eat there again. I tipped the waiter 20 bucks and we left. I'm giving three stars because the wait really was atrocious, but the food. Man. So good. We'll be back soon. I have high hopes Update 12-8-18: True to my word we came back. Service was spot on and the food was equally as good as before. I got the wings and they weren't my style, but they were good. I like my wings a little thinner and dryer and these things were monsters. Like I said, good just not for me. The rest of the food was great. Family of 5 for $60. We'll be back. The first time looks like a fluke. read more

This place was recommended by a colleague and it was ok. Ray's has a ton of taps and a variety of bottles and cans, so they have options for any beer lover. The staff was attentive and friendly. I had fried pickles which were great. I tried the sandwich special which was mediocre at best. Their menu has plenty to choose from, but I typically go for specials... well because they are usually special. No need to call it out, but it makes you wonder about the rest of the menu. At any rate, the staff and beer selection make this place worth while. read more

Ray's Place is one of those legendary-to-locals restaurant/bars that many college towns have - lots of sports and local memorabilia on the walls, scuffed floorboards, sassy wait staff and big plates of food washed down with beer. Ray's does it better than most. We walked in on a Saturday evening (the night of the NBA finals!) and made our way around the big bar/dining room to a table. While it was self-seating for us, I doubt it's like that when it's super-busy. Lots of families chowing down on wings and other bar food. Our server was nice, attentive and a whirlwind as the crowd got bigger. The menu is large and varied, with plenty of seafood on the menu, and lots of Greek/Mediterranean influences in the dishes (read Feta and goat cheese, olives, etc.). They must be known for their Fo-Mo burger, which is a double cheeseburger with bacon, mushrooms and all the fixins. Looked good, but we ended up with a Pittsburgh throwback "Steak-n-Fry" salad for the spouse and a French onion soup (decent) and a half-smoked chicken for me. The chicken specifically tasted like it had been in the smoker all day - nicely done. Honestly? Traditional non-fancy bar food should be this good always. Stop up at Ray's to try it for yourself. read more

Ray's Place - Half smoked chicken. Awesome - American Near Me - Kent, Ohio

A staple for Kent State Students! Amazing burgers, apps, and drinks for a good price. 1000% recommend.

Updating my review...but keeping the rating the same. Here's why. I like Ray's. Really. It's my favorite place to go with friends after a long week of graduate school work. I love the atmosphere and the staff members who work there are great. And yeah, they still serve Woodchuck. I do have two gripes. First, they're kind of overpriced for what they serve. I somehow managed to drop $50 here last time. And they have a really bad habit of "forgetting" to give you the happy hour discounts. From 4-9pm on most days they offer $1 off all drafts. Well, when you get your bill later in the night, your discounts aren't reflected. And your server will probably make a huge fuss if you ask that you bill be fixed. Gripe two: The food really sucks. On my last review, I said it was passable. I don't think so anymore. Last time I went I ordered a grilled cheese and when they brought it out, the cheese wasn't even melted. So, I sent it back. When it was returned to me, it was exactly the same as when I sent it back, so they obviously didn't do anything to it. Also, it tastes like they put salt all over the bread. Really gross. I've had similar issues with the quesadillas, the hummus (their hummus is foul), the veggie burger (also foul) and many other things. The only "Safe" menu option is the sun stix (sweet potato fries) and even those are mediocre compared to other places. Go for the drinks and for the company, but do not go for the food. read more

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Ray's has some great food including the best burgers in Kent and what I would argue is the best sandwich I've yet had in Kent - the CUBAN. I tried the Cuban once on a whim and now I am obsessed. The Cuban consists of smoked pulled pork and ham (double pork!) sandwiched in between two flatbreads with melty cheese (I usually ask for Pepperjack but it comes with Swiss) and crispy wonderful dill pickle slices. It is served with a side of "Annato Mayo" which is an unusual sauce that I find intellectually confusing but quite palatable and complimentary to the sandwich in practice. This sandwich is BIG so I'm usually left with at least a second half that gets happily devoured for lunch later in the week. Amazing with their jerk fries which are fantastically spiced! (And a "single" order of fries, as opposed to the "basket", comes in a smaller basket and is plenty for two to split!) It's often quite busy, and sometimes it's difficult to find a table if the upstairs is closed. You can eat at the bar but waiting around is well worth it as well! They run a tight ship here and I've found service is consistently good even when they're slammed. In terms of it also being a bar, they have a wonderful selection of drafts and ok cocktails. Long Island Ice teas seem to be perpetually on sale and they are ok too. For some reason, this is the bar everyone decides they want to be at around 1:30am. I've never understood waiting at the door to get into a bar fifteen minutes before last call but I guess it's a thing. Ray's gets extra kudos for what I've heard second-hand about their great treatment of employees. It seems like they go all out for their people with events like their employee Christmas party and summer camp-out. read more

Love this place!! Great food and service!! We've eaten here hundreds of times and have never been let down!

Another Yelp Success Story! We were visiting the Kent area as my daughter just got accepted at Kent State. After a great day spent on campus we started looking for a good place to eat and end the day. Rays Place popped up on Yelp, it was close by, so in we went. It was on a Friday afternoon, just about ready to hit the dinner rush hour so we were lucky as we only had a 10 min wait or so. In the mean time the smell of the food cooking and watching everyone guzzle down the beers made everything look very promising. Clearly when you walk into Rays, there is no doubt this place has been around for some time and it is well used. Not the cleanest place, BUT, by far not a dump. The wait staff is energetic, know their way around the menu and provide good tips on what beer to get. We started off with a few appetizers which one could make a meal of just by this menu alone. But, we were in good spirits, having a lot of fun and we stuffed ourselves silly and order some main meals as well and boy they did not disappoint us. Thank you Rays Place for putting the cherry on the top of a great day! read more

Ray's Place - Mofo - American Near Me - Kent, Ohio

Ray's is open again and serving the best burgers in Kent. I challenge you to find better! The meat is slightly charred, has great grilled flavor. Fries and o-rings are awesome, and the chili is top notch. Get there on a Friday when they have clam chowder, it's outstanding. Keep up the good work! read more

Not a bad joint to visit in Kent. Menu is huge. The seating I feel can be arranged a little different for more of a welcoming feeling. You walk in and BAM! It feels like you are walking into a mosh pit lol. Place would benefit with a hostess and seating away from the front door. If I'm in the area I'll definitely give it another shot. read more

Ray's Place - Peanut butter porter - American Near Me - Kent, Ohio

I don't know why I haven't gone to Ray's sooner! Love the food and the amazing selection of beers and other drinks. Staff is always friendly! They also offer DORA drinks which is super nice too for when you are waiting to be sat. read more

Ray's is one of our "go-to" favorites. Food and service is always good. Great selection of drinks and food.

What a neat little place. They have a great menu with lots of selections. Pleasant staff. The food was delicious. Definitely will visit again. read more

Since I was visiting my baby sis in college (Kent), I came here for lunch with them, hearing that there's this MOFO burger that was pretty awesome to try. Even if I'm on this strict diet of mine, I decided to try it anyways since I came from out of town and supposedly it's amazing. Boy, was I right. It felt like I didn't have a burger in ages! Stacked with 2 meat patties and all the works, it was DE-licious. It's definitely a lot to consume for 1 person so I split it up with my sister. The bottom bun got soggy after having it stacked with lots of ingredients on top but I didn't care much about it anyways since I was starving. Along with our burgers, we also ordered their sweet potatoe fries which was good as well but we ordered way too much food for just 4 of us. We were stuffed! As far as the place goes, it's a casual. So nothing fancy at all. It is a bar at night but during the daytime, they serve breakfast and lunch. The bathrooms were a bit out-dated and kinda gross. But what can you expect from a bar that was probably filled with college students the night before? read more

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We absolutely love Ray's. Probably the best burger in town( with the works) we sometimes change it up but usually we just get their burger and onion rings and their employees are amazing and great with friendly service.... love it - we enjoy our time there. read more

Great vibes. Great service. Nice location in downtown Kent. The place was packed which is nice. It's always fun to feel like you chose a happening spot, and this did the trick. It had one of my all time favorite beers on tap, the Willoughby Peanut Butter Coffee Porter. While I love the PBCP, I might be outgrowing it as it was crazy sweet. Anyway, they had tons of other beers on tap. About 20-30 in fact. They also have a huge selection of canned/bottled beers that make for a huge selection. Good prices as well. As for the food, I just had a dozen smoked wings. They were good (but it's kind of hard to mess up wings). I'm curious to try more food off the menu. If end up living here, I'm sure to be a regular at Ray's place. read more

Ray's Place - Willoughby Peanut Butter Coffee Porter!!! - American Near Me - Kent, Ohio

Our favorite place for dinner and a beer in Kent! The on-tap list goes on and on. Poutine fries (with house smoked pulled pork), chili, and the veggie pitas are some of our favorites. read more

When in town I always stop in to See Charlie Ray & Go Crazy. When in Kent visiting state U read more

Avoid this place until they get their kitchen in order. On a normal, not that busy night the kitchen took almost two hours to send our two burgers, dozen wings and basket of fries. Ridiculous. The burger came raw. This place needs to get their act together. read more

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

Had a Rueben on the recommendation of a friend and was very impressed. Nice local establishment with quality food.

My parents hung out there in the 60's when they were students at KSU. They always called it Rocky's. I live in Toledo, but I have a daughter at KSU and we occasionally have lunch there on return trips for her. We very much enjoy the food. I love the fish sandwich and the kids like the burgers. Good service and friendly staff. This is almost always on a Sunday afternoon when we are there. read more

I had been to Ray's several times in the past, but based on Michael Simon's recommendation, I tried the MoFo. I was not disappointed. Fresh beef, cooked to perfection, fresh toppings. A pretty good crowd on a Friday at 10ish did not prevent our server from doing a nice job with a pleasant attitude. The area is pretty cool, with several eateries and bars. Especially in the summer us older folks can relive the feel of a college town without having to wade through drunken frat boys. I would encourage those looking for hummus and vegetarian to seek other options. This place is good for tavern food. read more

Ray's Place - Don't order trendy at a place that sells tavern food...The Mo-Fo - American Near Me - Kent, Ohio

I was in the mood food Guinness draft and mussels and this place had it. Good attentive service and reasonable prices.

I came here for a lunch meeting. I ordered the hamburger well done and it tasted delicious. I had the jerk fries and they tasted great! A recommendation for sure. It was a little busy and crowded but we got our food quickly. Parking was available but you have to pay. We parked about a block away where it was free. I really want to stop here for a beer next time Im in town. read more

My wife and I stopped in for a beer and a quick bite. Our family's been telling us about this place for years. It lived up to the hype. Loved the vibe, beer selection, and the food was amazing. Will definitely be back! read more

This place is one of those restaurants/bars you always come to if you're in Kent. That being said, it's almost always busy here and it gives for room for your order to be wrong/longer wait times. I highly recommend the wings, either smoked and traditional. Our server recommended the cilantro lime garlic sauce and it didn't disappoint!! I usually come here while on a bar crawl but I would come back for the food also read more

Looking for a beer and a burger? Look no further. This place has a great selection on tap. Be sure to try their beer flight to get a good buzz going. Food is flavorful; I'm especially taken with the MoFo burger and the wings. The wings, in particular, were not over-fried nor dry and stringy - rather, they were perfectly juicy, tender, and hot. Overall, the dining/drinking experience was a good one. Service was snappy. Get a bar seat to observe the bartenders punch in sales on an old-time cash register. It's all good fun. read more

Great food, beer selection, full bar and great service! Whenever we are in town this is a must stop and never disappoints. All food is good and there is something everyone will enjoy We had mussels for lunch. Loved them, but it is hard to chose because there are so many great things on the men read more

Ray's Place - Eggplant parmigiana and ribs. Delicious! Real eggplant! - American Near Me - Kent, Ohio

Last Saturday was my fist and last visit. My daughter left her purse there and called the next morning to ask about it. She was told there was no purse. She drove up and asked if she could look upstairs where she had been seated, and was told no, because there were customers. The manager took her name and said he would call her if they located it. She got no phone call. She cancelled her credit cards. The next day after work, her husband went up there and was able to walk upstairs where the purse was exactly where she left it. Terrible way to treat customers. He obviously never looked for it. The only bright spot of the visit was the waiter. He was awesome. read more

First saw Ray's Place on TV, so had to try it, and it gave me a reason to drive to Kent. Comfortable old college bar, clean and nice, including the bathrooms. Singles, a group of older folks, a family.....all having dinner at Ray's! The burger with the soft round bun was delicious.....have it your way. The crunchy battered onion rings were....can't eat just two, eat more! I got dinner and tip under $10. Has a big picture window with a nice outdoor view. Good choice. read more

Not sure what happened tonight? Kitchen was REALLY REALLY slow. Cjrcked in on yelp nearly 50 minutes ago. One or two drinks later and we are still waiting on food. We are hungry!!! Big change ..... very disappointed, no more flat iron steak with Blue chhese read more

Ray's Place - May drink specials - American Near Me - Kent, Ohio

Ray's place is a must stop if you're in the Kent OH area. They food is always on point and their variety is what sets them apart from the other bars in the area. They are known for their wide variety of draft beer, so if you're a beer lover, you're in luck! They are also known for their long island ice teas, so be sure to pick one up as well. The staff is always friendly and the place is always clean. Definitely one of my top 5 favorite bars read more