I was staying at an Airbnb and just needed AA batteries for a thermostat emergency. I was a bit wary of visiting Ray's as a conspicuous tourist, but the store's owners could not have been friendlier or more helpful. As I walked around the shop, I cast a longing eye on their astonishing selection of meats and cheeses and thought that visiting them on the last night of my stay was the worst mistake I made on my vacation. Next time I will be wiser. read more

Great service and friendly people. Everyone is welcomed. You get fresh ground sausage and fresh cut steaks. They are also an FFL!

Freshest meat around unless yoU have killed your own . They sell a variety of meat even alligator , they make there own sausage . It's just a plain old country store . The outside doesn't look like much but that doesn't matter because the goodness is inside , local owned and family operated. I have no idea how old this place is it has been here all my life and before . read more

Local go to for excellent steaks. Thickest steaks ever, nothing but praises. If you're enjoying Jordan lake during the summer and need some cheap and amazing cuts of meat for your cook out - this spot is worth finding. read more

I stop here at least once per day as I drive to and from work. All the employees are very friendly and helpful. It is LOCALLY owned and operated and often times you will see the owners young children in there helping out. Everything in the butcher shop is delicious and Justin Wilson (the butcher/ asst manager) is very knowledgeable about meats and guns (sorry ladies, I think he's already taken) If you want something they don't normally stock all you have to do is ask them to order it for you and they will. You should definitely give them a try read more

I go here when I want REALLY GOOD MEAT PRICES Like $2- $6+ per lb compared to the mainstream grocery stores. And the mear is actually RED...You know....like it actually cane off of a once breathing land mammal. If you can't get past all of the confederate flags and a whole lot of ammo and gun accessories........you may want to stay away. However...the people who work here are actually very friendly and super helpful and kind. They also have a lot of the old fashioned snacks that you used to ear with your grandparents that you can't find anywhere else. OH AND THEY HAVE HOOP CHEESE..... SO YEAH!!! I think you should stop by and give them try! And hey! If someone tries to rob the store while your in there you shouldn't you would be VERY SAFE. read more

Wife and I discovered Ray's supermarket this past weekend. Awesome! My wife was reading other Foodie group folks that talked about how good the meat was. We went and picked up a couple ribeye Kevin's cut and grilled that day. Excellent. Also, bacon and sausage links and pork fillets. Fresh sausage is very good. Trying the bacon today. Kevin is very accommodating. read more

Ray's Supermarket is a funky little general store way out in the country. Part gas station, part convenience store, part grocery store, part cafe, all awesome. It's family owned and operated, and they are just great people. The best part of Ray's is the butcher shop. These guys know their meat. They sell handsliced "young folks" bacon that is to die for. For those not in the know, it's bacon with the rind still on it. Only young folks have teeth good enough to chew it. It is quite possibly the best bacon I have ever tasted. They also make their own sausage. I've tried the country, Italian, bratwurst and cajun. All are delightful. The bratwurst is unusual - it has a wonderful flavor and a rough, hearty texture. I say it's unusual because most bratwurst coming from Germany is very fine textured. Too fine for my taste, because after a certain point it's too similar to hot dogs for me. But I digress. The sausage at Ray's is enough to make a strong man weep. Aside from that, you can get real country ham, smoked ham hocks, excellent pork chops, steaks and chicken. They sometimes offer a box discount, which is a great deal, even compared to big box grocery stores. You'll need BBQ sauce to go with all that meat, and Ray's has a great selection, including some locally made options. Try the one in the mason jar marked "Sweet hot". It's amazing. Don't miss the hoop cheese - it's sharp, tangy and comes "all the way from Wisconsin", as Ray's son told me. They will slice off whatever size piece you like, and even give you a sample. Take the sample, but don't waste time thinking about it. Just buy it. It also, is amazing. If you're well and truly lucky, though, you'll arrive on a day that the boys have cooked up some food. The BBQ chicken is meltingly savory. The fried chicken is perfectly moist with a beautiful crisp crust. They have made pork BBQ, but I haven't got to try that yet. I'm sure it's fantastic, like everything else at Ray's. What really impresses me, though, is the small touches. Take the fried chicken I had on Sunday, for example. The chicken was delicious, of course. But many restaurants would have just used pre-made slaw and baked beans. Not Ray's. The slaw was perfect. Crisp, sweet and tart, simple. The baked beans were fabulous...a smoky sweet spiced depth of flavor that is very uncommon. The owner wouldn't give up his secret ingredient list, but he did reveal that he puts smoked bacon in it. I could go on and on about how much I love this place, but I won't. I want to leave some mystery for you to discover. In fact, in some ways, I hate to publish this review at all. Ray's is not a tourist trap. It's a vital part of the very rural community in which it's located. Don't go there and ask the owner to pose for a photo or be all gawky. These are good people providing a good service to the community. But I felt I had to publish this review because Ray's deserves some notice. It's so rare to find a real butcher any more. Rarer still to find someone under 70 who operates a genuine general store. Rarer even than that is to find excellent country cooking on top of it all. Next time you're bored and have nothing to do, take a road trip to Ray's. Bring a cooler to bring your meat home. Come hungry. p.s. While you're down there, check out the New Hope Valley Railway...review to come! read more

This is a great place to get fresh steak. They have very reasonable pricing on meats. I go here at least once a week. The parking is a bit tight during busy hours but well worth it. They carry a variety of spices and other goods. read more

Went for the first time today, the staff there are very inviting and make you feel right at home, as if you're family. They have a HUGE selection in store, stuff you won't find at Harris teeter or Food Lion, and if they don't have it they can get it, and if they can't get it... you don't need it!! Will definitely be going back for the greatly priced steaks, thick cut bacon, and some of the many seasonings they have available. read more

Honestly I have never actually been to Rays myself but, my hubby was making a trip up that way. He was looking for somewhere to get a bite to eat. As he is new to using a "smart" phone I found Rays, once I read the comments and saw he could get something for lunch my eyes landed on a word I had not seen nor heard in many years. That word was "hoop" and as in Cheese. My grandmother used to stop at this hole in the wall place when we would go visit relatives. We never left without hoop cheese, not only that but another treat called a "full house". It consisted of a homemade hot tamale covered in chili and eve though the years may have made this delicacy a legend in my own mind and exaggerated the absolute yum mines of the delight in a styrofoam bowl my soul still searches for that wonderful comfort food and the warm memories of my granny. I told my husband I wanted him to get me hoop cheese. I have a birthday coming up and if all I can have is hoop cheese I will have the best birthday ever. Thank for the reviewer that mentioned it. I am a Tennessee native who will soon be moving to South Carolina because of my husbands work. Never thought I would be moving out of East Tennessee but if I can find Hoop Cheese within driving distance of our new home (actually I did take my basic training at Fort Jackson). I will be much happier making the move. I will be visiting myself as soon as I can. Also I have to say one more thing " The South will rise AGAIN" we had them Yankees pushed back as far as the Mason Dixon line but somehow they keep sneaking through. I don't like when they come to visit as long as they go back where they came from. When people, from anywhere try to change history, a history never taught to the majority,including our own people desecrate our memorials, in an attempt to either pretend it was all about only one thing. That being slavery, those people need to educate themselves. The Confederacy was our history and should be preserved. These brave men and women fought for something they deeply believed in States Rights. Look around at what is happening today. States are legalizing drugs that the Government have deemed illegal. There will come a tipping point. What side will the States fall on then? Remember your history or be doomed to repeat it. read more