One of my favorite things to eat in Houston are the smoked oxtails at Ray's. They are only available on Thursday. They're not cheap either around $30 but they'r worth every penny. Oxtails are actually a very fatty and flavorful cut of beef. Also, excellent I sides I had; dirty, rice, and smoked mac & cheese. read more

I had the 2 meat plate with beans and mac and cheese as my sides. I chose the brisket and jalapeno cheese sausage. Like most restaurants, the prices are inflated right now. Brisket is an up-charge on all items. I was surprised that a BBQ restaurant has an up charge on meat. But on to the flavor. The brisket was just ok. It had too much fat for me and the meat was pretty dry. The sausage was really good. The beans were my favorite, they were seasoned well. The mac and cheese was bland. It didn't have actual cheese, it had a watery cheese colored sauce. I would not get that again ever. I will try them again, but I will skip the brisket and Mac and cheese. I forgot to take a pic when the food arrived, the pic below is after I packed my leftovers. read more

Ray's Real Pit BBQ Shack - 2 Meat Plate - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

I never had a bad meal from Ray's until today. We ordered the fried catfish, brisket, chicken, and potato salad. We got home and realized that the chicken was not in the bag, first sign of trouble. We went back to get the chicken and it was set aside on the counter, second sign of trouble. We were told someone forgot to put it in the bag, third sign of trouble. The catfish, brisket, and potato salad were all delicious. This is where it goes bad. I bit into the chicken and it was raw! I could taste the rawness of the meat which is absolutely disgusting! You could visibly see that it was raw underneath the skin! Not undercooked but raw! Eating raw chicken can literally kill you! I was very upset for obvious reasons. I called the restaurant and no one answered the phone. I honestly don't think it would've mattered. How hard is it to do a quality check before sending food out? There's also this thing called a thermometer to measure meat temperatures. This definitely ruined the whole meal. read more

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Food was... tastes like I can definitely taste the makings of good but maybe I came on the wrong day or at the wrong time. Ordered 3 meat plate and a 2 meat plate. We had the brisket, pork ribs, beef sausage, turkey and chicken. Nothing special about the chicken. The brisket and turkey were dry but had flavor. Our sides were baked beans, Mac and cheese, potato salad and French fries. Fries were seasoned well but the potato salad a little too mustard forward for me. BBQ sauce was good. Best part were the ribs and French fries. Service was pleasant and atmosphere laid back! Overall for both plates and 2 fountain drinks- $54 dollars not including tip! read more

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Ray's Real Pit BBQ Shack is one of those spots you don't just stumble on--you hear about it, you pull up, and then you keep coming back. This was about my fourth visit, and at this point, it's locked in as a go-to on my BBQ rotation. Tucked just a few miles from UH and TSU, it's got that true hidden gem energy. The brisket? Mouth-wateringly tender with the kind of flavor that makes you slow down just to enjoy it. And the homemade links took me straight back--tender, slightly crumbly, all-beef goodness the way I remember growing up. That alone puts Ray's in a small category, because finding legit ALL-beef sausage these days isn't easy. They nailed it. Then there's the sauce. It doesn't overpower--it completes. Everything on the plate just comes together the way good BBQ is supposed to. One thing to note: the sides aren't listed on that big menu behind the counter, but the young lady up front has it down and will walk you through everything without missing a beat. The whole staff gives off that "you've been here before" vibe--even if it's your first time. That kind of hospitality sticks with you. The dining area is spacious enough to sit and enjoy your food, with a couple TVs going if you want to catch something while you eat. Bottom line: I've never left disappointed, and at this point, I don't expect to. Ray's has earned a customer for life. read more

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A go-to BBQ spot for me! The pork rib tips are amazing. Well cooked, flavorful and juicy. I always get the smoked macaroni and baked beans because pair well with the ribs. The staff is always nice and patient despite how busy the restaurant can get. read more

Ray's Real Pit BBQ Shack - Pork Rib Tip Plate with macaroni and baked beans - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

We came around 5 pm. There was plenty of parking at the time. There is currently construction on the main road. We ordered at the counter. My husband ordered the brisket plate with beans and Mac and cheese. I ordered the two meat plate with brisket and ribs and Mac and cheese and fried corn. The meat was good! A very generous portion for a vary fair price. My husband liked the Mac and cheese, I preferred the fried corn but that's because I love corn. I loved the breading on the corn and the Mac and cheese hash a nice subtle kick. I think next time we'll try one of the sausages. Also the bread was perfectly buttered and toasted. Service was quick! We barely waited. Everyone was working so hard to keep customers happy and fed. I really loved the music they played. It was like old school R&B. We'll be back! read more

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I am usually pleased with the quality of the food but today I was not. This sliced brisket sandwich was $18 for essentially 2 slices of brisket cut in half. The meat tastes dry and old. Not happy at all. Have to really consider coming back. Front cashiers were pleasant but the wait time for a nearly empty restaurant (at the time) was really subpar. read more

Ray's Real Pit BBQ Shack - Sliced brisket sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

This place has been a round for a while, and I have been missing it! They have been here for many moons, and my brother has been a consistent customer. He finally got me out here this week, and it was sooo good! We came in around 11:15a, right before the lunch rush. I went with the brisket, pulled pork, and rib tips, with Mac n cheese and fried corn. The brisket was perfectly smoked out, fat to meat ratio was on-point, the pulled pork was not greasy, and and had a slightly sweet flavor. I would definitely get that again. The rib tips were juicy and had great smokey flavor. They are great, but I would go with the full ribs next time. I had a chance to try the sausage, and it was also really good. Not greasy at all, but moist, flavorful and tender. All very good. Side-wise, the mac n cheese was very tasty. Consistency was a little lighter than I would prefer. I like it a bit thicker and creamier than it was. Taste-wise,.on-point, just a personal preference. The fried corn was interesting, I liked it, and would get it again. First time having it. Overall I really enjoyed my meal. The place is really nice and clean. Service was fantastic. Everyone was very nice, and they checked in on us often. The experience was great! Highly recommend. Coming out and giving them a shot. read more

Ray's Real Pit BBQ Shack - The Front End - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

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This spacious restaurant was packed out!!!! I'm gonna say maybe six people in line ahead of me. My vision isn't what it used to be so had to pull up the menu on my phone. That didn't even matter after I had a good friendly conversation with the cashier that persuaded me to get the seafood gumbo. I came for a brisket sandwich and the lemonade so I got all the three for less than forty dollars. Gumbo: ouuuuuu the seasonings! Whole blue crabs, sausage and shrimp! It was very meaty! I could've shared with the portions I received but I was not! lol it also came with a side of white rice and crackers. 10/10 highly recommend Brisket sandwich: my son said it was good. I'm sure it was because he inhaled the sandwich so fast I didn't even get a chance to taste it. read more

Ray's Real Pit BBQ Shack - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

I ordered the 4 meat plate from DoorDash. The portion sizes are pretty good. It's enough that you can split the plate into two meals. I chose lean brisket, sausage, and white and dark meat chicken for my meats. For my sides I had potato salad and beans. The meat tasted good but was a little dry. The potato salad and beans were tasty. The plate also comes with two pieces of Texas toast. For the portions, I would order again, but I would hope that next time the meat isn't dry. They do give onions and pickles with your plate, but barely. It was a few little slivers of cooked onions and 5 little pickles. For the size of the plate, it should be more. The BBQ sauce is ok. It tasted good but nothing to rave over. The reason I gave 4 stars is for the value of the portion size. This amount of food for $28 is worth it. read more

Ray's Real Pit BBQ Shack - House Special - 4 Meat Plate - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

Kinda tight but ample parking ... road construction everywhere (thanks Houston). Warmly greeted at the door and folks behind the counter were fun and helpful. Was concerned about how big the menu was for a BBQ place, but we stuck to staples. All the meats did not disappoint along with the sides. Read other reviews as to what to avoid. Green beans, fried corn, Mac N Cheese are all worth a try - fries too. Meats we tried: Turkey, brisket, pulled pork, and pork ribs - all excellent in that order. Have paid more and got less flavor and portion size elsewhere - very, very good. read more

Ray's Real Pit BBQ Shack - Green beans, Turkey, Brisket and Fired Corn. - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

Great BBQ in this area and it is a black own business. Fast service and great selection of meat here. The flavor is good, but not the best in town. It is very clean restaurant and the service is fast. If I was in the area for good Texas BBQ, I would come here again. read more

Food was just ok. They were out of ribs, which is what we really wanted to try. The brisket was on the salty side and there was too much meat in the dirty rice, so not really enjoyable. The smokiness on the meats had a hint of fuel taste. Potato salad was really good. read more

Ray's Real Pit BBQ Shack - 4 meats (2 servings of brisket, sausage, and pulled pork), potato salad, and Dirty Rice - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

Fast service, tons of seating and space, bbq sauce on the tables and the strawberry lemonade was yummy (if you like sweet drinks) read more

Ray's Real Pit BBQ Shack - Two meat plate (brisket and ribs) with smoked Mac n cheese and beans for my sides - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

ya ran out of ribs player. Other than that, my order was delayed. Dont talk to the guy in dreadlocks. He is non verbal.... and now I have to give you 5 stars read more

Ray's Real Pit BBQ Shack - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

Front counter customer service was top tier! The sitting areas was very clean. Food was amazing! read more

Ray's Real Pit BBQ Shack - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Houston has a lot of BBQ restaurants. The service was good and the bbq shack was clean. The food was okay. We had sausage rib and a house cheese burger with fries. The food was okay but the BBQ sauce really had no character to it. The sauce seemed very bland. Ray's was okay but there are a lot of other BBQ places I would suggest you go before here unless you live down the street. Grade given C read more

Ray's Real Pit BBQ Shack - Food was okay but Mac & Cheese was bland and bbq sauce had no character. Grade given is a C - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

WOW! Was not the place I expected when I looked online but the food was FIRE! Got the 2 meat platter with brisket and spare ribs and smoke Mac n cheese. The brisket was fall apart good and the ribs came clean off the bone. Fries were ok. Mac n cheese was Smokey and creamy and delicious. The employees were awesome. Asked one young guy what was good and he said everything. He was right. This is definitely a place to go for good bbq. read more

I was in Houston visiting and found this gem and sooo glad I did! The service was amazing I was greeted upon entry. The inside was clean and there was plenty seating available. The prices seemed decent and the food was amazing! I tried the catfish and shrimp plate and everything was fresh hot and delicious! The plate came with one side and I picked baked beans, which I didn't really care for. I'll definitely go back if I'm in town and try the bbq: read more

First time in Texas and had to get some local BBQ. Very different from what I am used to but it was all bad. Got the brisket plate and my brisket was perfect fatty and pulled apart easily but my mother in laws brisket was more solid still tender but different consistency. The flavor was good but would expect a little more bark and char than what I was tasting. Now for the sides these are top shelf the cucumber salad is very good and marinade in a sweet dressing. The flavors come to gather perfectly. Same for the potato salad perfectly creamy and delicious. I personally would add a crack of pepper but honestly not needed. Now overall it's a smaller BBQ place that has some seating but more for carry out. Has some TV's playing ESPN but nothing too fancy. Now service could be a little better. The staff is very nice but the lady we had taking our order talked incredibly fast and had to ask her to repeat a few times. This is more of a cultural thing though. Overall it's a BBQ place some good some bad but nothing that stands out to me yet. read more

Ray's Real Pit BBQ Shack - Brisket Plate Potato Salad Cucumber Salad - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

The food was amazing! The portions were generous. I can't say enough positive things about the employees. A kind person opened the door upon our arrival and when he was advised that we were dining in he placed a reserved sign on a table for our group. The music was pleasant and there were spots to take pictures. I am absolutely returning very soon. read more

Ray's Real Pit BBQ Shack - Combo plate - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Lies... Lies... Lies!! Someone recommended this place, and I regret listening. I specifically asked the male cashier if the catfish was farm-raised, Swai, or Basa. He looked me dead in the eyes and swore it was real catfish. That was a straight-up LIE. I ordered the rib tip plate for $16.95 and got seven tips. SEVEN. I honestly felt like I was being punked. As someone from Chicago, I should've known better. The tips were smoked and tasted okay--nothing to write home about. But the sauce? Absolute garbage. This place is all hype and no honesty. Never again. read more

The food was absolutely delicious. From the bbq pork, potato salad, corn and peach cobbler. The smoked mac and cheese lakes flavor to me and was more on the soupy side. I prefer a baked Mac and cheese instead of wet. The portions were large and the prices were fair. The bbq sauce has a little kick to It but goes well with everything. We were full by the time we left and will definitely visit again when in Houston. Parking can be kinda tight depends on how full the parking lot gets but be patient, it's worth It. read more

Ray's Real Pit BBQ Shack - Fried Corn (2) - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Our first time getting food from here. My husband got take out and I didn't go so I can't really speak to the establishment's vibe or service. Pic attached for what we got -- 1) the House Special - 4 Meat plate for $25.95 and it comes with two sides. We selected brisket, turkey, ribs and chicken with dirty rice and green beans (all very good) and 2) the 2 pc catfish/3 shrimp plate for $19.95 (wouldn't get again. Tasted ok but not good value) Definitely worth trying the bbq read more

Ray's Real Pit BBQ Shack - Top:2pc catfish/3 shrimp plate-$19.95. Next:4 meat plate and two sides - brisket, chicken, dirty rice, green beans, ribs and turkey-$25.95 - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

Spent over a hour in line on the forth of July! Not a problem I understand high demand! However to get some old dry ribs and hot potato salad is just next level rude! read more

The restaurant is casual attire, there are places to sit or you can carry out. The service was fine, you order at a counter, they give you a number, and clear your table when you're done. Now onto the good part - the food. I ordered the brisket nachos. They were surprisingly very feeling. Now, I know the pic looks like there's not a lot of brisket, but it s just hidden. I asked them to layer the nachos and so there was actually a lot of meat under the chips. They def give you enough cheese. They do charge for jalapeños, but I think they do something special to them. Something was a little salty, but still good. I also had a side of the smoked turkey; that was delicious! Great healthy option to eat! Turkey, not the nachos read more

Ray's Real Pit BBQ Shack - Brisket Nachos - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

Best ribs I have had in Houston. The brisket and service were both good. Will be going back.

Oh my goodness I cannot believe the smoked flavor for the pork ribs - incredible! The smoked Mac-n-cheese very tasty. Now the dirty was tasty too. I ordered the two meat plate not knowing it came with two sides. All serving sizes were large. The jalapeño was very cheesy- I will go out of my way to come back! Super friendly staff and very clean restaurant! read more

Ray's Real Pit BBQ Shack - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

I really wanted to love this spot! The restaurant is clean and the staff was so friendly and inviting! We really liked the vibes here. I got the 2 meat plate and I was slightly underwhelmed. I will note, they were out of 4 of their most popular meat options. I got chicken and brisket. I felt the chicken didn't have a ton of flavor and the brisket was a touch dry. I don't typically add sauce but added their bbq sauce to help with dryness and did enjoy that! I enjoyed the fried corn (on the cob) and potato salad. The potato salad had good flavor but I wish it had chunks of potato (that's a personal preference). The macaroni & cheese was good but not great. Overall, the ambiance and interaction was good but the food was just okay for me. read more

Ray's Real Pit BBQ Shack - 2 Meat Plate- Chicken and Brisket with Fried Corn and Potato Salad + Brisket Plate with Smoked Mac & Cheese and Fried Corn - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

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The food was pretty good and quite satiating. Ray's is definitely a busy destination.

3.5 stars for the food but I'll round it up to a 4 because the staff was very nice. This spot is located in a sketchy area so be aware of your surroundings. A couple months back we drove to this location & it was closed without any notice on the door so we decided to come back one more time & I have to say it was definitely worth the drive. When we got there the lines moved quickly but it took about 25 minutes to receive my food which took awhile. I decided to order their two meat combo that comes with two sides. I got the pork ribs, moist brisket, green beans, Mac & cheese & I wanted another side so I got their dirty rice. I'll start the pork ribs, it was tendered and had a decent bark. The brisket was good but needed more salt. Smoke rings was also visible. The Mac and cheese tasted standard and it didn't have the creaminess that I was looking for but doable. The green beans tasted canned but whoever seasoned it needs to not be so heavy handed with it. It was beyond salty to the point that I had consume water with each bite. The dirty rice was excellent, good texture and it was moist. Maybe a hair over salted but not overwhelming. My friend order the brisket sandwich and it was very good, bread was toasted nicely & the brisket was moist & tendered. Their BBQ sauce is a sleeper, it had a nice tang & sweetness to it. What I like about Ray's is that whatever you ordered you get your bang for your buck. 16.95 for two meats & two sides is a steal. On top of that, they gave me 3 pieces of ribs & 4 slices of brisket. Idk if that had to do with the waiting time, but they hooks it up. Overall, it was a good experience. The staff was nice & the food was satisfactory. Will I come back? Yep, next time I need to try their fried catfish & their dessert. read more

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My first time coming so I called in advance asking for rib tips because I stay 30 minutes away. I get here now and all of a sudden they are sold out! read more

This is a local bbq place that is worth trying. People were friendly and service was great. Food was all good read more

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The atmosphere was casual and relaxed, staff attentive. The food was okay, just a standard three-star dinner.

Stopped in on a whim, courtesy of Yelp recommendations. We ordered 2 fried catfish baskets to go. The restaurant was very clean and the staff was nice. Although it did take a while for the food to get ready it was worth the wait. Everything was delicious and I will definitely be back to try more items. read more

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Best damn food we had in Houston. No lie everything was amazing. Fried corn, mac and cheese, brisket, sausage, chicken, ribs and dirty rice!! Everyone in our crew said this will be a place we return to!! read more

Best bbq we've had in Houston. Delicious and they deliver as well. You can pick up if you desire read more

Ray's Real Pit BBQ Shack - Houston landmark - Barbeque Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Staff very nice and polite. Food was delicious loved the ribs. The place was clean. Laid back vibe. The price is really good for the food that you get. read more

I came to Houston for briskett. I ordered a 2 meat plate and 35 minutes later, I was still waiting. The problem with this was people that ordered before me with larger orders were in and out and people that ordered AFTER me was getting served. When I asked how long, they treated me like I was the problem. Their response was pretty much, wait. I asked for a refund and the manager took her sweet time hoping my food would come and I would leave. I didn't WANT their food after this absolutely horrible display of southern hospitality. I assume they have good food because they were crowded, but I wanted out of that horrible place. read more