Outdoor seating
Yes
Ray Brothers BBQ in Bouckville
Categories
Location on the map
Bouckville, Madison County, New York, US
Service options
Takeaway
Yes
Dine-in
Yes
Delivery
No
Health and safety
Staff required to disinfect surfaces between visits
Yes
Highlights
Great dessert
Yes
Live music
Yes
Popular for
Lunch
Yes
Dinner
Yes
Solo dining
Yes
Accessibility
Wheelchair-accessible car park
Yes
Wheelchair-accessible entrance
Yes
Wheelchair-accessible seating
Yes
Wheelchair-accessible toilet
Yes
Offerings
Coffee
Yes
Comfort food
Yes
Happy-hour food
Yes
Kids' menu
Yes
Quick bite
Yes
Small plates
Yes
Dining options
Lunch
Yes
Dinner
Yes
Catering
Yes
Dessert
Yes
Amenities
Good for kids
Yes
High chairs
Yes
Toilets
Yes
Atmosphere
Casual
Yes
Cosy
Yes
Crowd
Groups
Yes
Tourists
Yes
University students
Yes
Planning
Usually a wait
Yes
Phone: +1 315-893-7200
Site: http://www.raybrothersbbq.com/
Site: http://www.raybrothersbbq.com/
Opening hours
- Monday:Closed
- Tuesday:Closed
- Wednesday:Closed
- Thursday:4–8PM
- Friday:4–9PM
- Saturday:12–9PM
- Sunday:12–7PM
Comments (199)
Always wanted to try this place. Was not disappointed. Had to wait 20 min for a table during dinner rush on a Saturday (not bad) food came out about 20 min faster than I expected. Our server Sue was a pro, pulled pork and chicken were fantastic, potatoe salad is one of the best Ive ever had. All in all some really good bbq
Yep. It’s all that. Great food, everything I had from the meat to the sides to the signature smoked ale was way above average. Service was excellent, great music. I’ve been to a lot of BBQ joints. This is my new favorite.
Had heard great things and was expecting a lot.... They delivered! Absolutely loved the food! Nothing was dry or overcooked, and the ribs were cooked to perfection!
Always absolutely amazing!!! The staff and the food are on point every time i come. I dont even bother eating ribs anywhere else. Keep up the great work guys!
This place was the bomb. If you like BBQ and youre not from Texas you will love it. Texans dont put sauce on their bbq. That being said, I want to try true Texan Bbq. The servings were plentiful. The prices were good,and the staff were very good as well.
Fantastic experience all around! Sue, our waitress, was super friendly and offered excellent suggestions. I would highly recommend Ray Brothers BBQ and we will be back!!!
Chicken wing app very good wasnt a fan of hush puppies. Had pic 3 ribs and chicken were great didnt care for pulled pork. Went to get brisket not realizing that they only have it everyother weekend. So I called the next weekend and its only every other sat which you cant do take out on sat so who knows when Ill try it which is disappointing. Waitstaff was very friendly. I bought a jar of bbq sauce uts very good!
Ray Brothers BBQ is the best BBQ in NY. Service was awesome. Amanda was fantastic and attentive. The Ribs were delicious. No one frowned when we couldnt figure out what sauce we wanted, so we got all of them in cups. Turns out that Apple one is to die for. Omg it was so good. The outside patio was beautiful. The back area has picnic tables, a stage, horseshoes, and lots of shaded area to keep cool. I would definitely recommend going to see for yourself. It was so good that we took another dinner home. Thanks for the awesome food. Its all I could think about !!!!!
Great food at a reasonable price and the service was great. Saturday Prime Rib special was excellent.
I hate voting a locally owned restaurant badly, but we had the worst dining experience weve ever had today at Ray Brothers.It took 45 minutes of non stop calling to get through on their phone lines. (Fair, we know theyre popular!) When we got through, we asked if they were out of any items , and were told they were out of a side, and cornbread.We placed our order (attached receipt) for three platters, all with sides.We were told a 25 minute wait, which ended up being 45. (Still okay)When we picked up our order, we asked if they would take anything off, or add an extra side because the meals were all supposed to come with cornbread and none of them did. The manager replied absolutely not, the cornbread is a free item we offer with the platters so theres no money off for it. The girl at the counter honestly seemed embarrassed and was very polite and apologetic about it.We drive 35 minutes home and the $30 rib platter we ordered is missing both sides. So..no cornbread, and no sides. We paid $30 for a single rack of ribs.We checked the receipt and saw they theyre also tacking on a to go fee, which they never mentioned and is really nice of them during covid when they only offer take out and nothing else.For three hours weve been trying to call them to see what can be done about the order, and the line is either busy or goes to their answering machine.At 6:30 (they close at 7) its only going to answering machine, so Im guessing they arent taking calls anymore tonight.The food is okay. Pulled pork dry, Mac and cheese nothing special. Ribs were good flavour but a lot of fat. We didnt care for the slaw, but its dirty style which isnt our favourite. Your milage may vary. Fries tasted weirdly sweet? Not great by any means and certainly not worth this terrible experience weve had. The portions are very small and we do not feel like weve gotten anywhere near almost $70 worth of food. Will not be going back and will be advising others to steer clear.
Everytime I try to call and place an order can never get through. So last Friday I dove there to place my oder and waited for my food. When I got home I was short a judges chicken and one of my sides was half way filled compared to every other one. I called and left a message but never heard back so I messed them on Facebook. Someone told me that I would receive a phone call back but its almost a week later with no call. I messaged them again and they read my message but never responded. Terrible customer service and bad business practice to just stop answering your phones when the answering service says to keep trying to call back. If you guys are done taking orders over the phone let your customers know!
Always a great meal. Had the rib/chicken combo. Ribs were fall off the bone. Chicken was done to perfection. Even the breast meat was juicy. side dishes were dirty potato salad and smoked baked beans. Both were Flavorful. Smoked wings were a little overdone and the loud puppies were kind of dry but tasty. Apple cake with caramel sauce was to die for. Staff was super friendly and prompt!
We finally went to Rays last Saturday after moving to the Syracuse area 5 years ago and let me say…… THIS PLACE IS FANTASTIC !!!!! The pork bbq sandwich was KILLER and the fries were crispy which made them perfect for dunking in the Rays original bbq sauce !! If you still have a pulse and you are hungry then you NEED TO GET TO RAYS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE !! You will not be disappointed !!
Absolutely amazing ribs and brisket. The ribs were fall off the bone tender & juicy. The brisket was tender and full of flavor.
Excellent rib tips. Good chicken, pulled pork & sides! Casual place with bar up front. Service was good.
This place was awesome! Everything about my dining experience was great! The staff were friendly,and welcomed us nicely. We were seated as soon as we walked in. Our waitress took our order quickly,and was quick to get us settled in with our drinks. After a short wait our meals were brought out . Then WOW...everything was warm and tasty . The waitress checked on us throughout the meal. The portions were very good ,and the price was very fair. Overall one of the best dining experience Ive ever had.Big shout out to the Ray Brothers staff, you have a great place. I wish much success in the years ahead. I will be back, and will many other folks just how great it was.
Always awesome food and top notch service. Drive 45 minutes each way and pass three other bbq joints to get here but it’s just worth the effort for Ray Brothers
It was really good! I enjoyed the wings, pulled pork and house salad.
Delicious! We love the judges chicken and ribs! Meatloaf is pretty scrumptious too. I have only tried the original sauce but Ive heard the carolina is good too. Mac n cheese is wonderful. They have an outdoor concert area and some live music inside too. They are just completing a large addition so Im sure it will be even more popular.Update: addition is beautiful and adds seating. Just as delicious as always.
Great food,nice place,a bit pricey,but what isnt thanks to biden.
Great little place tucked away on a little country road in upper NY. Really reasonably priced beers in a low key bar while youre waiting for your table - but then get ready for some good eats! Especially liked the sausages and meatloaf.Also saw Martin Sexton in the cozy Yard Amphitheater behind the restaurant, what a treat!
We at here as part of a wedding rehearsal party. Wow, I had 1/4 ribs and it was tremendous. The Dirty potato salad and sweet potato fries were outstanding. The fries had a great seasoning added to it. I live an hour away, and will be happily willing to return.
We didnt eat the normal fare here but had their more limited concert/outdoor selections. Still, it was great. The pulled pork and wings were stand outs and the selection of homemade specialty sauces were all top notch.We visited here to attend a concert and I have to say that its a terrific venue to see live music. The sound system is perfectly clear and not too loud or at all distorted and they dont gouge you on drinks or food.
My husband and I went to The Yard Amphitheater for the first time to see Zach Deputy perform! The venue was really nice, the sounds was fantastic, and the drink prices were just right. Next time we go- we are going to try their BBQ! We have heard so many good things about the food. Can’t wait to go back again!
4 of us took a motorcycle ride down there for lunch on a Saturday. It was very crowded when we got there, but the wait wasnt all that bad. The hostess said about 30-40 minutes and it was more like 15-20. YAY We were originally sat a high top table which for me is extremely uncomfortable. At 50 tall with very short legs, those tall chairs are a bit of a struggle to get into and uncomfortable. About 10 minutes after being seated a regular table became available and our server was more than happy to allow us to change tables. My husband ordered a BBQ chicken meal with dirty potato salad. I wasnt hungry so I just ordered some hush puppies. They were just OK. Im from the South where hush puppies and BBQ are staples. I did taste his chicken and the potato salad. The chicken was VERY GOOD and the potato salad was some of the best I have ever had. We have tried just about every BBQ place within 100 miles of Syracuse and my husband said that this was the best BBQ chicken of all of them
More room in the bar area! Hadnt been in awhile, great addition. As always the food is excellent. The BBQ is delicious. Great side choices too! Havent been when they have music but I understand its tons of fun!!
The backyard music venue is amazing! I honestly have never eaten there but have been told the food is pretty damn good! Im just such a lover of live music and Rays give me a place to enjoy it with plenty of room and great beer!
Food was good, wait staff friendly, efficient. Seems petty, but I was disappointed in the Tiny pieces of cornbread we were given.
Been here several times and am never disappointed. Nice setting inside and outside. If you like a sauce with heat and great flavor, Id say to get the hot and bothered sauce-soooooo good on wings.
A rural BBQ spot can always be hit or miss, but damn if everything I had was not a great example of the dish, from the meat down to the cornbread. Delicious.
Wings are just how I like them. Bomb sauce is good. Soup was very flavorful. Bought gift cards for gifts.
Always amazing food. Great service. Decent drink prices
Food was excellent but they did not honor the clean plate challenge
Its a small place but the food & people are most excellent 👌
A little pricey but service was good as was the food.
The food is always delicious and service is quick and polite. The dark beer from Good Nature Brewery is perfect with the food.
Food was great and got us in pretty quick in spite of being very busy.
Always great food. Never disappointed. Not sure how they pulled off feeding 2000 people at football game and opened for business. Do yourself a favor and pay a visit.
Best chicken weve ever had. Seriously. Baked beans and mac and cheese were incredible. And the smokehouse ale was a nice light beverage to complement it all. We went on a Sunday and got there at 1:55 p.m. because I was nervous about how busy it might be and the wait. There were already about seven tables waiting to get in in front of us! Thats not a bad thing -- just something to use as planning.
Ray brothers is the best BBQ in CNY. Really good tasting food, not over priced. Pulled pork has the perfect amount of fat to keep good flavor and let it stay moist. Hog lots are awesome, deep fried pork tenderloin and they pull apart so easily and tatse amazing.
Celebration of a birthday was the reason for this visit but it is so good you can find a reason to stop in for a bit 2 3 time a week.. OMW their sauces are good enough to drink . Everyone is sure to find something to love
Went to the see the band Ripe at Rays, nice venue out in beautiful Madison County. Of course, had to get some BBQ which was delicious. And yes, The band was awesome. Watch out for RIPE, there coming for you!;
Such an amazing place. The food was amazing. The smoked brisket was by far the best Ive ever had! On top of that the music venue adds a wonderful atmosphere with many amazing people!
So much deliciousness! Food was plentiful and filling and just spicy enough. Good beer selection. Efficient staff. Nice drive, right on NY Rt 20.
The food is always five stars, but these guys are way beyond their capacity every single night to the point where I dont think Ill try again. Waited an hour on the to go phone line tonight only to be told they werent taking to go orders. A message would have been nice instead of wasting an hour of my time.
The food was delicious, the waitress was friendly and also gorgeous, just sayin. I had a great time with my whole family, 3 generations of us.
In my humble opinion, this place has the best Bar-B-Q of any place. Im hooked on the judges chicken and the fall off the bone ribs, not to mention stating the meal with their smoked to perfection wings. Im getting hungry just typing this.
Best barbecue within a 50 mile radius. Better than the big name places 💯
Not as good as a previous visit therefore, 2 stars. The food was fair, service was not great. Had to ask for silverware after the food was delivered and to refill bar drinks. Disappointing after a good first visit there.
This is simply the best bbq I have ever eaten! Chicken was perfect, ribs (I don’t like ribs and I love these), meatloaf was amazing! Sides: dirty potato salad was a taste I’ve never experienced and I would order it by the bucket, beans reminded me of my grandmother’s from scratch, Mac and cheese OMG good, fries both kinds done to perfection! Lemonade was fantastic, the perfect compliment to the meal. Service was impeccable and the price more than reasonable!!!Do yourself a favor and go eat here!
Great food and love the fact that its not a giant menu. Most of the time youll have to wait for a table because thats just how good it is but tonight we sat right down, we just got lucky I think.
Great local BBQ spot and love the outdoor space.
Meatloaf had a little kick & sides were yummy! Pulled pork was a hit too! Very popular !
Dinner was great! The loaded nachos are seriously the best. And the Yard Amphitheatre is such the perfect venue. It is a great night out for dinner and a show.
Absolutely amazing place!! We drove almost an hour to try Ray Brothers and were not disappointed. All the food was amazing and everyone was so nice. The maple bacon cheesecake was heaven!! I highly recommend.
Great staff, amazing food!! Worth a visit if you are in the area.
A+ for food. F for service. I have been to Ray Brothers BBQ many times before and it has by the far the best ribs I have ever tasted, however their service leaves much to be desired. I called up on Sunday at 2:00, which is the time they opened to place a delivery for ribs for pick up. I was told I could not order ribs until 2:30. Why couldnt I order ribs when I placed the call I asked? Sorry, you have to call back they told me. Well when I tried to call back at 2:30, I got multiple busy signals and when I finally got through all the ribs were gone. Seriously, this is a terrible way to treat your customers. If you run out of something, say you ran out, but dont punish people and make them waste their time when it is not wrranted.
We came for wing night. Smoked wings with a cherry sauce. Then smoked meatloaf. The best
Tourist here. Great BBQ. Hostess said it wasnt that crowded but it took awhile for our food to hit the table. Would definitely eat here again
Best BBQ I have ever eaten! Little pricey.
1st time there. Was great food.
Laid back, friendly staff, great food, fair prices and nice casual atmosphere. Will repeat repeating.
Great food and atmosphere. The folks working there were awesome.
Wasnt a fan of the food. Been there a couple times and it came out lukewarm at best and after an extremely long wait. I would say they are many rungs below my expectations for NYS BBQ. The people that say this place is better than Dinosaur or Piggy Pats are out of their minds. Maybe the best BBQ in Bouckville, but thats about it.
Best BBQ in CNY hands down.
Service was great and the food was delicious. Definitely gonna go back again
I visited this place called a while ago and all the food was good. They were making their new smoker out of a propane tank. The owners were very friendly along with the bartender. But looking at the review below which sounds like they’re falling into little odds and end fees to make money which is not cool. It’s really hard to cook or make barbecue in bulk and it is very labor-intensive.
Great food! Best ribs I ever ate. The wife described their meatloaf sammie as scrumptious. The call ahead system failed and never got a call to alert us our meal was ready for p/u resulting in a luke warm meal....
Absolutely the best BBQ in CNY. Now serving takeout only but good seating on the lawn and patio. Still have Sunday afternoon concert outside Bar is open for drinks to go.Sadly they had just added a huge new kitchen and enlarged the bar before the pandemic. New bar area is beautiful and I hope it will open soonGreat people who really care about customers staff and QUALITY
Small family-owned and operated business putting out the beast bbq you will have in your life! Call early to beat the rush and then eat outside with your to-go order. The ribs are amazing, dirty potato salad mmmm, Mac and cheese so good, meatloaf (yes, meatloaf) is awesome. I haven’t had anything there that I didn’t like.
Called Sunday afternoon (tried 70 calls before getting through) and was told no ribs available for take out orders on Mother’s Day of all days was told to call back in an hour and refused to take preorder for when ribs would be ready even though we would be driving 45 minutes to pick up the order extremely poor customer service for their own lack of attention to detail. Apparently customer is not always their highest priority
Good drinks I cant eat anything from here though
Really enjoyed the ribs, nice traditional BBQ sauce, falling off the bone but not falling apart. Good show!
Excellent pulled pork and delicious chicken.
This restaurant is nothing short of AMAZING! Through and through was a fantastic meal. My mom and I drove over 40 minutes to get to this bbq joint and it was absolutely worth the snow filled roads. It was our first time coming to this restaurant and the waitress was very informative. Telling us about the bands they’ve had in the past and the ones soon to come when spring approaches, to perform at their spectacular outdoor venue. They offered a great list of bbq sauces and our waitress helped us choose the best ones for our entrees. I got the pulled pork and my oh my! It was delicious, and served with enough for me to take home and eat for lunch the next day! My platter came with two sides and I chose Mac and cheese and baked beans- both were full of flavor! Before beginning our meal a fellow customer turned to us- asking if it was our first time there.. He explained that he drives from the city of Syracuse for their food and that we were in for a treat! He recommended the maple bacon cheese cake for dessert and I’m so glad I ordered it! The cheese cake was so fluffy and the salty bacon complimented the sweet maple drizzle. Mouth watering. If you didn’t save room for dessert, bring one home to enjoy later!
Drove 45 minutes to get dinners for a famliy get together only to be told that they are not doing take-out today. Would have been nice if they posted that on their web site and not waste my time - will never go backScott Mahardy
Excellent BBQ and good selection of beer. Service was fast and friendly in a comfortable atmosphere.On a busy Thursday night the wait was well worth it. The Judges chicken was seasoned perfectly and smoked and was incredibly moist and delicious. The pulled pork is right up there with the best Ive had. The Carolina Gold, and Bomb Sauce made good choices for the pork.Plenty of choices for sides, it was hard to pick just 2, but cucumber salad and dirty potato salad were home runs.Beer selection has a good number of local crafts along with more mainstream beers. Go with the brews from Good Nature or Empire.Overall, Ray Brothers BBQ is well worth the drive and the wait.
Im blown away. The BBQ is absolutely incredible! I had a full rack of ribs with the Carolina Gold sauce and was amazed how awesome it was! I highly, highly recommend this location for anyone who enjoys great BBQ! The price point was also very good for the amazing food quality. Better than most places Ive eaten in NYC
This was the only JJ Grey and Mofro in NY state this year! It was phenomenal!
BEST BBQ PLACE EVER!!!All the food is made to absolute perfection but by far my favorite is the chicken wings and ribs. The pulled pork nachos are pretty amazing as well and If I could spend my life there I would. It is by far my favorite restaurant around.
Our first visit to this BBQ restaurant ribs and pulled pork were excellent. Great tasting and tender beyond belief.
Excellent food here. Never had a bad meal and been here over 20 times. Food is served very quickly. Highly recommend trying one of the Good Nature brews on tap with your BBQ! Outdoor seating available. Quick turnaround time because food is served quickly. Reasonable prices. No other BBQ places like this in the area.
We had a wonderful experience with our family tonight. We ordered the ribs, pulled pork, nachos and all the sides. The food was cooked perfectly and portion size is just right. Thanks to our friendly server Courtney who took the time to explain to my Grandma all the different sauce flavors and didnt rush her. She was great with all the kids too! Dont forget to save room for the dessert.
Not impressed with the service. We were prepared for an hour wait, but we couldnt get a drink to save our lives. Everyone told us to do something different and we ended up doing laps around the bar.
Love ray brothers! Awesome wings, sauces, brisket, meatloaf, and the maple bacon cheesecake is to die for! Beautiful inside and can be crowded but great food, great staff, and great bar. During the summer its wonderful to go outside eat,drink, and listen to music. They also have a great gluten free menu!
Fast friendly service and the most delicious food.
The prime rib was one of the best Ive ever had. Will go back on Saturdays just for that alone
Excellent! Best BBQ in the area. As good and sometimes better than in Texas. Do note that on holidays and with popular events the parking fills quickly and there may be a line. Also, some foods are only served after certain hours. But always worth the wait.
Excellent food, awesome service! Made us feel very safe while eating out during this time! Will definitely visit again and again!
Awesome BBQ! Would have given 5 stars, but there was an unusually long wait(90 minutes) to receive our food on a recent visit. There was a problem with the kitchen staffs printers not receiving our servers orders. They comped some of our dinner to make things right. Will definitely go back.
The food is good if you can actually get them to serve it, which weve had happen ONCE in five tries. Three times they didnt have the meats we wanted, once they were inexplicably closed, and the last - and final time Ill ever try to eat there - I walked in to get takeout after driving a half-hour out of my way, and was curtly told by the hostess, Were not doing takeout tonight. I told her Id driven a good distance to get there, and she didnt even look up from her podium to say she was sorry.Dont waste your time on this place. Go to Piggy Pats or Dinosaur instead - at least theyll actually serve you food.
The sauces are some of the best Ive ever had, everything is perfectly smoked and tender, and the beer selection is great. Service is always excellent. The only reason I cant leave five stars is because they dont have the things I order at BBQ joint. No brisket and no tri-tip. Hopefully these make the menu eventually.
We were there for the concert.A little silly that you cant order in and then take it out onto the patio but the food is fabulous.
Delicious!!! We had the chicken and ribs, and tried 2 of their sauces. We did NOT take home leftovers, as there were none! The sides were also delicious! Cant wait to go back.
Food there is so good but the service is even better. Get the cornbread.
Awesome! The best BBQ ever! We drive 1.5 hours just to enjoy the deliciousness!! Staff are friendly and service is great!
From Arizona! I lived in Waterville for a couple years and I loved this place. The food is SO good and for the amount of food and the quality of it, the price was fair. Always packed because the food is so good. Live music often, horshoes, nice outdoor tables, servers are usually polite and quick ad they can be. Great place, hope to visit again.
Although the wait was long . This was amazing bbq the side were great and I highly recommend the Carolina Gold sauce!
Actually, we were very disappointed today. The last time we were there, about a year ago, we really enjoyed the food. At 4pm today the place had a waiting line so we ordered our food to go. 35 minutes+ later we got our order and headed home. My full rack of ribs was dry and it had no sauce even though I had requested the house sauce. My mac&cheese had onions in it so neither of us could eat it. Who in their right mind puts onions in mac&cheese and doesnt tell the customer that when they order??? Sandys pulled pork was also dry and had NO sauce at all. The corn bread was dry and terrible. We wont be going back
Always a favorite for my husband and I. This time we got a three meat platter and shared it (and still brought some home!) The meats we chose were pulled pork (my favorite), meatloaf and chicken. And for our side we got the BBQ beans, Cole slaw and fries. We also got loud puppies, they are hush puppies with jalepenos inside. Everything was delicious as usual. And they are dog friendly on the back deck so our boy gets to come. They even brought him a dish of water. Our waitress was fantastic! And prices were good too. A great BBQ joint!
This is a great restaurant! The staff is sweet and its got a great atmosphere but what is the main star (as should be) is the food. Everything was fresh. I had a apple infused rack of ribs. BEST EVER! ....(and Ive lived in TX for the last year). As you drive up youll see the wood pile to assure you that these cooks are not cutting corners and the beautiful view from the deck will make you realize this is truly a great place to eat.
My husbands new fave BBQ. Staff is great and food is even better. Take the time to check them out. UPDATE: 2 years later did pick up catering. Outstanding. For my husbands surprise bday party. Ordered 2 family packs- fed 17 people PLUS take home for guests and leftovers! Thank you Ray Brothers for consistently being amazing!
We dined out on the outdoor table, it seems like food tastes better outside, and the service was great and so was the beer.
Great food. Family atmosphere and amazing outside eating venue. Its a local gem and favorite for a reason, highly recommend everything on the menu, especially the sides 🤤.
Great BBQ, local live music and open mic nights, and staff with a passion for what they do. Monday nights are wing night, 5 for $3. Big fat smoked wings with a new special sauce every Monday night. The new stage out back looks amazing and will host some great shows during the summer months. Come back multiple times, youll want to try everything. They truly mean it when they say they smoke the good stuff
Great food and not too expensive. If you are looking for fine china & dining this is not your type of place. Food comes out on cafeteria trays and wooden plates. BBQ & sides would put Dinosaur out of business hands down. Ive had BBQ from Texas to Kansas City and the ribs & smoked prime rib are definitely worth the drive from Syracuse or surrounding area. Ive read a bunch of reviews here and see some bad and remarks about the trays and flat wear so beware. Ive also seen some who give Olive Garden 5 stars and rate Ray Brorhers 1 star. Makes me wonder if they know food at all. So, worth the drive anyday.
Over all food was good but a few things could be better, first nachos were good but not enough topping we had plenty of chips but no topping, wings were excellent, fries terrible who wants sweet fries with some kind of sugar on them yuck! I’d go back but I hope I could get those things differently!
We went to Ray Brothers BBQ to watch Blaine Holcomb perform. Before the show started we decided to try their ribs. They were absolutely amazing-very tender and the sauce had just the right amount of kick to it. Would strongly encourage anyone visiting the Hamilton area to stop in and give them a try. A big shout to the owners for booking Blaine- very talented and entertaining!
Awesome food and great service!!
Good BBQHOT i a HOTTTT in and out!
I got the chicken and ribs with the bomb sauce. The chicken was hot, juicy, and extremely flavorful. The ribs had a wonderfully thick bark on them and were very tender. The bomb sauce had a depth of flavor thats difficult to describe, but it was so good I bought some to take home! The sides (I had beans and mac&cheese) left something to be desired, but hey, at a BBQ joint its all about the meat!
Excellent selection of sauces, sides are also great. However no brisket, no chicken until after 4pm or maybe 6pm... Either way crowds are typically too thick at those times. Great ribs and pulled pork however.
Awesome bbq menu-pulled pork, chicken, ribs, and lots if side dish choices-salads, corn,fries, potatoes, beans, Mac & cheese
Great ribs. Great prime rib. It can get very busy and the wait can get long. The food is delicious and they have a good bar. The parking lot is behind the place so it can get a little scary walking along the road to get to the door in the pitch black of night.
This place has great BBQ. They had a wonderful new england clam chowder for a special. I wish i ordered an extra bowl togo. My mom, brother, and I split the nachos and not one of us could finish our entree. Thats ok though, something for later! Good selection of sauces and beer. Then theres the stage out back, JJ Grey and Mofro this summer! AWESOME!!!!
Amazing BBQ. Good beers. Fantastic staff.
Cheap. The food came out too fast and was cold. My son and I thought it was terrible. Not what we expected. We told the server we were not able to eat our food and they were speechless, did not even offer a comped desert. We are from Westchester a NYC suburb and are used to good food. Consider carefully before stopping in, a diner would be a better choice.
Food was great but service left a lot to desire. If you go there, get the nachos for sure.
Went to see a concert here. Great venue! Great food! Love hearing live music outdoors in the country!
Great BBQ, friendly staff and they host fun events. Do not miss their RBQ beer brewed for them by a local microbrewery, Good Nature, or their smoked wings. My husband and I will stop there just for a pint of RBQ and an order of wings!! Great BBQ in an unexpected location!!
Absolutely FANTASTIC!!My brother dragged me to this place and I was expecting pretty good but nothing more.This is the best BBQ I have ever had! Even the side of Mac & Cheese was inspired, thoughtful and downright wonderful!Im getting tired of people writing fake reviews and I am a proponent of the new no receipt/no review policy being proposed now especially by the British.
This is one of the very best places to eat in Central New York. The family who runs it is not kidding around when it comes to barbeque! Youll get tons of great food - prepare to bring leftovers home. And the atmosphere is cozy in the winter and fun and family-friendly in the summer. They have a beautiful amphitheater for outside concerts and even horseshoes and corn hole so guests can play in their spacious back yard when the weather is nice. I love this place!
Rays is a hidden gem. Perhaps the best BBQ in the area. Generous portions. Nice atmosphere. NO reservations accepted so plan to wait an hour or more on a weekend unless you get there early.
My husband ordered 3 pounds of wings with no sauce. I thought they would be a little better than they were. It just felt like they were trying to much. The wings would have been perfect with just salt and pepper. So the wings could pick up that wood chips smoke flavor throughout the whole wing. They put some kind of sauce before smoking. I felt like it took away from the natural flavor.
One of the best BBQs ever! I had the Big Apple RBQ sauce on my wings. I cant even put into words how good it is. Just try it.
I absolutely LOVE Ray Brothers, despite one particularly bad experience.On that one occasion we ended up leaving after over an hour and half wait, checking in with the hostess several times, and being passed over for a table twice by other parties of two and three. However, their bbq is so good that I was willing to put that behind us and go back.My husband, on the other hand, doesnt like to go because, while their meats are fantastic, their sides kinda stink. I like the dirty potato salad, but thats really it for sides.My best recommendation is to plan on a long wait (its worth it, and you can enjoy a drink at the bar while you wait), and order the meatloaf - its AMAZING! But save some for me! :)
Always good food. Give yourself time to enjoy. Wait staff very nice
Why all the hullabaloo about this place? My ribs were small and unexciting in flavor, the sides were mediocre, and my roughly $25 meal was served on a plastic brown cafeteria tray and warped cheap wood plates. My meal kept tipping about because my plate was so cheap and so warped. Considering the wait time to get seated and the price of the entrees, I was extremely disappointed.
Amazing Food and Service! A Real Flavor Explosion!
This one is hard to rate because there was great and there was mediocre. The staff and atmosphere were excellent. A bit of a wait for a table, not bad. We started with the jumbo smoked wings, which were delicious. Unfortunately the were not jumbo by any means. My wife ordered the pulled pork dinner, and was disappointed. And there was an upcharge for Carolina style, yeah for bbq sauce. Thats right they charge for bbq sauce at bbq restaurant. I tried the 2 meat dinner and too was disappointed. It was 2 half portions for more money. My meats were smoked sausage, that was delicious, and meatloaf. The meatloaf tasted something like you would get at a diner at 2am. The good of it all is the sides, holy cow, were they awesome. We tried mac & cheese, dirty potato salad, smoked beans and corn bread. These people should drop the bbq and just sell sides. And they dont serve brisket. The only other complaint was that it was pricey, I have eaten bbq from Maine to Florida and all over the interior of this country and good bbq doesnt have to be expensive.
Ray Brothers has the best BBQ in central NY. Hands down. Tucker, Colin, and the RBQ family are seriously the best. We use RBQ catering when we have events and have been very satisfied!
Overall, meh. Encouraged by the crowded parking lot, we were hopeful! We drove 45 minutes, waited 35 minutes for a table and... meh. The service was a bit slow, though very friendly, but deteriorated as the meal progressed. The hush puppies were nicely fried, but lacked salt and were much bigger than they needed to be. More of a side than an appetizer. The portions were generous, with a half a chicken and ribs for the combo, and a decent helping of pulled pork for a sandwich. The pulled pork was a little dry, but the chicken was well cooked. The hot sriracha based sauce was not as hot as advertised and a bit of a disappointment. The basic house sauce was pleasant, if a little sweet. The mac and cheese was edible, but not notable. Not a bad meal, if you happen to be in the neighborhood, but not worth going out of the way.
Amazing and delicious BBQ! Worth the drive and wait! Awesome friendly staff as well!
You wont be disappointed,everything was outstanding,the waitress was awesome too,will definitely bring going again😍😋
Went here to watch the Belmont horse race and to see Justify become a triple crown winner. I ordered the ribs which were superb...the meat literally fell off the bone. The sweet potato fries were perfect. The portions are large.
Great place to eat! They have delicious daily specials. If its nice weather, there is out door seating. Friendly service! Very accommodating! Great place as a music venue. Its on our weekly menu!!
Always great food and enjoyable bartenders. If youve never been you really should make the trip!!!!!
If you are keto, watch the bbq sauces. Many have sugars. I like the Carolina sauce on smoked wings. Very tasty.
The jumbo smoked wings are incredible. I also had ribs and pulled pork. Excellent food. Casual place. Busy establishment. I recommend it. I will definitely go back again.
Great food!Loved the meat loaf, smoked wings, ribs and chicken.The sides are very good.Smoked baked beans and corn bread.Highly recommend this place if your love BBQ!
Fantastic service & staff. The food was phenomenal. Great place to eat off the beaten path!
Still the best BBQ joint in Central New York.
Food was delicious! Service was great! Definitely would recommend.
Great food. Get there early at 4pm, but not too much later to avoid the lines. Great meat, great fries. Awesome maple bacon cheesecake desert! Love it!
Great place to eat! The food and service are outstanding. Ive eaten here several times in the past 2 years and never had a bad meal. Generous portions.
Was my first time eating here even though I have driven by this place a hundred times. I finally got a chance to stop this evening.Food was excellent as well as the staff.Ill definitely be back to try the rest of the menu
Awesome food and staff.The new improvements are very nice. This place has outdoor entertainment in the warmer months and in winter they usually have a one person entertainer playing acoustic guitar.
Sat at the bar. Staff was friendly and attentive. Got the smoked wings with the bomb sauce. They were the bomb. Smokey, charred, and delicious. For my entree had the rbq meatloaf sandwich with the mac and cheese. Both were excellent. The meatloaf was moist and dense in a good way. Mac and cheese was on point. Cheesey greatness.
Fantastic food! Great service! Drinks were good! The parking lot can be a bit tricky to handle but it is 100% worth it and I will be back!!!
Best BBQ ribs, Cole slaw & sweet potato fries Ive ever eaten !!!! Going back for sure !!!
Great food and friendly staff. I dont care for cheesecake but the Maple Bacon Cheesecake is a must everytime.
FOOD IS OUTSTANDING...... BEST BBQ CHICKEN EVER!!!!BUT........that is if they dont run out, you can get a table and you dont have a melt down with the service. SERVICE is AWFUL. Suggestion get some (not kids) as servers. Will really make your business much more professional.
The food was amazing but we spent and hour and a half there because the service was incredibly slow. No sense of urgency. The wait staff was, however, very nice
Love this place. Smoked prime rib, the Saturday night special, is my favorite. Bacon Maple Cheesecake is fantastic! Just go, you wont be disappointed.
Friendly & reasonably fast (currently take-out only) service of very tasty BBQ & sides. The beans, smoked hot links & Judges Chicken were especially good.
Great BBQ! Pulled pork, smoked baked beans and cornbread. Some of the best Ive had.Worth the one hour drive from my house.
Amazing BBQ! Was my first time there and I really had a great time. Staff was courteous, beer nice and cold, and one of the best BBQ I had in a while. Definitely worth the drive.
Better than Dinosaur bbq! Meat was perfect, hardly no grizzle, fat etc. Worth the drive!
Ray Brothers has some of the best barbecue Ive ever eaten. I love their wings but also great ribs. Their sweet potato fries are amazing!
Always good. Great staff too. Smoked chicken wings with applebomb sauce. Omg😊
First time going. Ordered an appetizer waited 20 minutes and did not get it. They brought our food out and when I asked her about our appetizer she walked away and came back a few minutes later and asked if we still wanted it. Food was good Service was terrible with most of the employees screwing around on phones. Very disappointed and probably wont go there again. Thanks Hayden for the poor customer service.
Awesome, best BBQ I have had. Place was crowded on a Saturday night, but got good service from bartender. Food came out super fast, also friendly crowd
The food here is excellent! Make sure you get there early if you want the Prime Rib as it always sells you. The only downside is they dont take reservations.
Dinosaur and Ray Brothers are the beat BBQ places in New York hands down....Ray Brothers Carolina sauce on their perfectly smoked wings!!!! 💣
Amazing food, excellent staff and entertainment. Will definitely be coming back.
It was wonderful. The waitress was very nice and the service was very good.
Excellent food and atmosphere. The outside deck and seating are awesome on hot summer nights. Entertainment is also great. A favorite stop on my motorcycle rides!
Good Company aka Waitresses And Great BBQ With Many Flavors of Their own Sauces!
The bbq was right on. Got the original sauce on my ribs and had a smoked chicken too. Wish they hadnt run out of the maple bacon cheesecake but thems the breaks. Anyway, was a tasty meal on Mothers Day.
Love their food! I will go so far to say the BBQ exceeds Dinosaur. Brought family from the Capitol area here over the summer, and they were blown away.
Absolutely the best bbq place in upstate New York. They have good natured brewery beee on tap! The chicken and ribs combo is where it’s at!
Food was great. Had BBQ ribs, baked beans, sweet potato fries and cornbread.
Best bbq food Ive ever had, nice Smokey taste and great sauces. We had them caitor our daughters wedding in June she was going to use dinasour bbq until my wife & I brought her and her fiance to try it and decision was made while eating
BIKERS BEWARE: Looking for a Sunday afternoon ride to a place for a beer and BBQ? This is not the place. Once again this place is closed to patrons unless you want to pay $25 per person to listen to bands while the restaurant is closed. Turning into a music joint, which is fine unless you just want to eat some BBQ and grab a brew. Bad management. Do yourselves a favor and lay down a few more miles to Syracuse -Dinosaur BBQ has regular hours, many more taps, better food and bands - with no cover! Putting this on our pass on by list. Shame.
Food was great as usual.
Great BBQ...good smoke and good portions. Had the Stacked Meatloaf Special...very good! The sauces are all good too...just enough heat. Definitely a place to recommend!
Out of the chicken...again. replaced it with the meatloaf, always great. The nachos were spectacular
From the great service and the delicious meals we had puts them at a 5! And the amount of food they gave us, there is 2 more meals for tomorrow. We will definitely go back!
Wish they were open for I door seating but the food was great anyway! The music was soothing while we had a leisurely meal
It was our first visit to rbq . We had the judges chicken and ribs. We also had mac salad, dirty potato salad and both desserts. Everything was great!
The best BBQ. I would eat here every day. Had the ribs baked beans and Mac and cheese. I sampled the meatloaf, chicken and pulled pork. Everything is outstanding.
I started calling as soon as they opened and after one and a half hours and 80 attempts to get through I still was not able to get through. I drove over to get a takeout order and was told its 45 minute wait for a takeout order. I guess Im done with this place the food aint that good it is good but not that good
Excellent one of a kind food, friendly helpful staff. I did not see one non smiling face. Live entertainment started shortly before we left. Highly recommended!
Had a wonderful Mothers Day dinner at Ray Brothers. Delicious food and a very touching tribute to all moms, especially their mom! Thanks Ray Brothers BBQ for making my Mothers day extra special!
Great smoked wings and pulled pork sandwich, and the service was very good! Even the other customers were nice, highly recommend if you like BBQ!
Great food, great portions & even in spite of social distancing, was able to share a table outside under the umbrella with my family. Never a dissapointment.
Awesome food ,quick service ! Reasonably prices ,great time
Fantastic! Go! Despite covid restrictions, RBQ is persevering and making it work! Great food and a relaxing fall afternoon in The Yard🎶🎶
By far the best barbecue in Central New York! Excellent service and wonderful staff as well. These guys got it right!
Total reviews rating 4.7
199 Reviews for Ray Brothers BBQ 2023:
Review №1
2022-04-10Very good barbecue just 10 minutes outside of Colgate University and Hamilton New York. Can get very busy, weve been here a couple of times before and been turned away as they do run out of food, so go early or go on a slow day. Not a fancy place, but good bar atmosphere and family friendly dining room, with tons of outside tables during nice weather. Substantial selection of beers and ciders. Portions are large; with one frosty beverage each the bill was about $35 per person. We tried the brisket, the pulled pork and the barbecued meatloaf and all were top notch. For sides, the mac and cheese was the bomb, the potato salad and the big beans were good too. Only thing we didnt love was the salad, which was just some romaine lettuce torn up and thrown in with tomatoes and dressing. Definitely a top choice to eat when you are visiting Colgate and or Hamilton
Review №2
2022-04-24This was my first time here and I was disappointed. Everyone raves about Ray Brothers and I was hoping for more. I had a 2 meat platter with chicken and meat loaf. The chicken was dry and the meat loaf was a lump of flavor less meat. My buddies felt the same. Everything was meh. The best part of the meal was our two for one beers for happy hour. Our server Lindsay was great, though! Ill try it again sometime because every place has off days.
Review №3
2021-06-25My wife and I drove the 35 minutes from Utica to check out Ray Bros BBQ. We arrived early on a busy Friday evening. Were glad we did as both the inside and outside seating quickly filled up. The wait staff was friendly and helpful. The BBQ was worth the drive. My ribs and pulled pork combo and my wifes half chicken were perfectly prepared and tasty. We found the hush puppy appetizer, made with corn meal and onion pieces, too heavy and peppery. Otherwise, the rest of our meal was excellent! Well be back.
Review №4
2022-03-15The food was fantastic!! The male bartender could have been more acknowledgable. The water tasted awful. Honestly, I would have rather been offered a bottle of water and paid $1 for it. The food was fantastic though as mentioned before. Our server was great. Overall I would return again. Weve always loved the food. Thats what keeps.us coming back!
Review №5
2022-04-09Lived up to the hype! Packed parking lot on a Friday night. Reasonable wait time, nonetheless. Amazing food from start to finish. We had pulled pork sandwiches, mac n cheese, cornbread, and apple cake. Great staff. We’re from TN (a state known for awesome BBQ) and this was some of the best I’ve ever had.
Review №6
2022-06-19First time there Friday 6/17. I had pulled pork sandwich which seemed mushy and not much flavor. Fresh cut fries were good.Service was poor, they were busy which I understand. They did seem to have a good number of staff, our server was very slow in coming over. Waited 30 mins to have payment taken and had to flag another server down to assist.
Review №7
2021-08-21Food was amazing... just enough BBQ sauce on the pulled pork sandwich that was monstrously delicious. The mac-n-cheese was splendid baked to the perfect consistency and not a second longer. A+++++++ Go get it NOW!
Review №8
2022-06-01Great service, nice environment, and wonderful ribs. The ribs were cooked perfectly with just the right amount of sauce. Pulled pork was disappointingly dry. The mac and cheese had a homemade vibe and is not to be missed. Not sure why the cornbread was portioned in tiny 2 squares like ice cubes but the complaints pale to the positives. Great barbeque. Almost forgot to mention the carmel apple cake with cinnamon ice cream; words dont do it justice just save room.
Review №9
2022-05-29Stopped here with a bunch of friends while on a motorcycle ride. The only problem with the place was it was tough to get in! It was a nice day for a motorcycle ride and the lot was packed with bikes!Despite the crowd, we had menues quickly and were served in a reasonable time. They had run out of a couple things, due to the crowd, but there were plenty of other choices.
Review №10
2022-05-02I drove over an hour to visit Ray Brothers BBQ. Unfortunately I waited 10 min after getting seated for a beer. Now I know this place can get crowded. But when I was there, only half of the tables had customers. I just had an awful waitress. Food was incredible. I watched as another waitress assisted the table next to me and attended diligently. I wish I had her as a waitress. After ordering I never saw my waitress again. I had to search for someone to pay. So I hope they train their staff better.The food was very very good.