Rays World Famous Bbq - West Memphis

About five miles across the old bridge from downtown Memphis to West Memphis, AR, the smoke from Ray's old metal smoker wafted from his barbecue shop, where he expertly preserved the nearly lost art of smoking meat over coals. Ray welcomed me into his quaint restaurant on the service road. “The meat drips down, and the flavor rises!” he proclaimed. He explained the concept of offset smoking (indirect heat), likening it to a man in one room and a woman in another – that is, bringing the meat and the coals together creates harmony on the grill! While indirect smoking certainly has its merits, Ray also champions the use of coal smokers, especially when high-quality, natural, chemical-free briquettes are on hand. When meat is placed high above a thin layer of coals, ribs can be smoked low and slow without losing moisture. It's a technique that many pitmasters tend to avoid, but for Ray, it's all part of the craft.

About 1.2 miles from the truck stop, I would say the walk was worth it. While the surroundings may not be particularly impressive, don’t let that discourage you. The customer service was fantastic—it's a lovely family-run restaurant. One of the staff even kindly gave me a ride back. I tried the truck special: the chopped pork was a bit dry for my liking, but it was absolutely delicious once I added their house BBQ sauce. The ribs had a delightful smoky flavor and beautiful smoke rings on the meat. The meal included a generous serving of cole slaw (served thick), tasty baked beans, BBQ spaghetti that I could have skipped, and homemade potato salad. It also came with two slices of bread. I didn’t have dessert, but they had about eight different cakes that the girl at the counter claimed were made by her mother—very charming! They’re listed on channel 16 for truck drivers who want to deliver food for just $2. Overall, it was a great experience, and I would definitely return.

My new must-visit spot! We travel 14 hours to get to Mississippi and always stop at Ray's on our way there. This time, we decided to stop on our way back home and were warmly welcomed by Ray's wife and son. They were incredibly hospitable and friendly, even before we ordered any food. I'm a big fan of flavorful sauces, and I like mine extra spicy, so they recommended a sauce called Killa. Ray's tips are some of the best I've ever had, and the caramel cake is absolutely amazing!

In the Restraunt. Yeah, Ray 's is a hole in the wall Restraunt, but the food is wonderful! Ray himself is a good Christain man and when my family and I went through St. Louis, we stopped and enjoyed the food and scholarship. If you expect waiters to come with tuxedo, stay at home, but if you want good BBQ, this is the place.

Good BBQ joint just off of I-40. My only real complaint would be was it had a bit more fat in the pulled pork than I would PREFER, but not all that much overall. Coleslaw and beans are on point as well!