Ray’s BBQ Shack

In his off duty hours as a deputy sheriff, Ray Busch started cooking barbecue out of a trailer in nightclub parking lots, eventually graduating to a hugely successful brick-and-mortar joint in 2011.

Busch teamed up with Maxine Davis and Herb Taylor to open the original Ray’s BBQ Shack location, in a small corner of a gas station near the U. of Houston. The joint became a neighborhood favorite and picked up the mantle of the surrounding Third Ward being one of Houston’s traditional “barbecue wards.”

Busch created a crowd-pleasing menu of old-school ETX-style favorites (housemade boudin, rib tips and smoked oxtails) and combined that with expertly-crafted CTX-style brisket. The ETX barbecue tradition of fried catfish and shrimp is well-represented here, with both items available daily.

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LOCATION DETAILS

Building: Located in the endcap of a new shopping center on a bustling strecth of OST, there is a big dining room as well as some counter seats.

Parking: There is a paved parking lot adjacent to the shopping center.

Ordering: Order at the counter, get a receipt and wait for your name/number to be called.

Catering: Pickup, delivery and full service available.

Pit(s): Vault-style smoker from Pits by JJ.

VIDEO TOUR

VITAL INFO

Owner(s): Ray Busch, Maxine Davis, Herb Taylor

Pitmaster(s): Ray Busch

Established: 2011

Address: 3929 Old Spanish Trail, Houston, TX 77021

Hours: Mon-Tue 11AM-6PM, Wed-Sat 11AM-8PM, Closed Sun.

Phone: (713) 748-4227

raysbbqshack.com

facebook.com/RaysBBQShack

twitter.com/RaysBBQ1

instagram.com/raysbbqshack

Known for: ETX-style favorites including smoked boudin and oxtails (Thursday only) and excellent fried catfish and shrimp. And the fried corn-on-the-cob is addictive.

Pro-tip: Make a special trip just to try the excellent seafood gumbo as well as the Texas red-style chili, both made in-house.

Brisket price/lb: $21.95

Price Date: 2021-05-02