Ray’s Real Pit BBQ Shack

Ray’s Real Pit BBQ Shack has been around since 1984 and is the spot to go in the Third Ward for consistent barbecue. Ray’s is engrained in the neighborhood–usually this joint is filled with regulars who make stopping in for a loaded brisket baked potato a part of their weekly rituals, and folks craning their necks to catch glimpses of a football game between forkfuls of fried okra. We like their three-meat plates because you can sample their BBQ Big Three (brisket, pulled pork, and sausage) and sides like sweet hushpuppies filled with corn and smoky baked beans that make us yearn to live a rustic cowboy lifestyle.