Ray’s Place

Awesome place to watch a game, so many big TVs!
We sat at the bar and had amazing service. Highly recommend stopping by Ray’s and trying their food and drinks. We had their wings… absolutely delicious. And their Greek salad was so good as well. I had to try their Cuba sandwich, the best thing I’ve ever tried.
Highly recommend this place :)

Great burgers and beer. Get the bacon cheeseburger and you won’t be let down. Messy with the works, but delicious. Hundreds of beers on tap. Don’t listen to the negative reviews.

Flat Beer and a sandwich. That’s what you get when you order a beer and a sandwich. The atmosphere has nothing to offer either.

I’ve been here a few times. Nice tavern /​grill environment (nothing fancy). The food is better than BJ’s & Rockne’s but their menu pricing is higher than it should be for the food selection. (Sides are additional cost)
Lower your pricing and you’ll do A LOT more business here. Good location. You should have a wait when you come here.

Basically your typical bar food and whatnot, not really that special. I got the chicken parmesan sandwich and it was kind of overly messy but okay. Prices are real cheap and it was a good alternative to a 45 minute wait at BJ’s across the street.

We went here on a Sunday. Host was very friendly. Wait staff was ok.
We ordered the calamari for an appetizer. It was okay. We ordered the ribs. HORRIBLE. The smoked sauce was terrible and the ribs were smothered in it along with all the fries. The ribs were dry. I had 1 bite and was done. There was not one fry on the whole plate that wasn’t soggy from that sauce. The waiter never even asked why I didn’t eat them. Didn’t seem to care. Wasn’t impressed with anything besides the warm greeting at the door.

I have now been to this location 4 times and my only disappointment this trip was that despite spotting Unibroue beer all over their website being told that there was none to be had. Fortunately Ray’s is not short on alternatives so all was not lost. Still, I had to take away 1 star for the bad info.
For this trip my wife and I both had their weekend special cod. This was three HUGE pieces of fish in a rosemary beer batter served with fresh cut fries and coleslaw. Fish was crisp on the outside and perfectly flaky inside. Fries were a mix of crisp and tender like fresh cuts often are. Cole slaw was crisp and surely made from fresh cabbage. Absolutely one of the best fish fries we have experienced in this Lenten season. Hope it sticks around.

I have been to this location twice now. I have gotten the Cuban sandwich both times. And I have absolutely loved it both times. The Cuban sandwich is huge and I’ve taken half the sandwich home both times. I have gotten the nachos and there very good. The wait staff are very quick and are always on the ball. I have never had slow service. My gf has gotten the the steak salad and the gyro salad and was pleased with her selections both times. Salads are huge btw, I recommend this place!

GREAT beer. Minus when the beer lists do not reflect what is actually on draft. Horrible service at the bar, same bar tender, still unsure of name because he never introduces himself, been here very many times. Would love to be a regular customer but I always leave feeling insulted and disregarded. Employees seem to be full grown and playing hide and go seek while clocked in. WILL NOT BE BACK.

This has quickly become my new favorite neighborhood bar. The staff is always super friendly and helpful in finding good options on the menu. The draft list is large and there’s always a good seasonal selection. I’ve yet to eat anything that wasn’t great. The wind I ate phenomenal! Make sure to try the Pig rub on them!
Overall, I’d argue its a must stop sorta place. Be forewarned though, a lot of sandwiches do not come with a side. That being said they’re still reasonably priced and its still a lot of food!

My girlfriend and I stopped into this place last Thursday evening. We were expecting a romantic evening for two with some delightful food, instead we were bombarded with the hairy eyeball from the numerous patrons and servers there. Could have possibly been the sight of my abs, I know it promotes jealousy among people when I sport a half-​shirt muscle shirt. Anywho, we ordered the blazing hot chicken wings, french onion soup, and some oiled peppers appetizer. The former two were absolutely delightful.
The oiled peppers though… well, the description read that various peppers would be «drizzled» with oil, and served with Ciabatta. Instead we received what looked like an oil soup containing rather large slices of a single pepper, maybe 2 other peppers in there; the Ciabatta reminded me of the mutant croutons I experienced in some sad diner in Maine. Suffice to say it took about half an hour before we could even dig into this disappointing dish due to the scalding temperature of the obviously generic restaurant grade oil. Stay far away from this dish if possible, it did not bring back happy memories of my youth in Sicily… more like nightmares of my previous life where I was tarred and feathered for stealing a croissant from a traveling baker.
Lastly, we had 6 servers who obviously did not confer with each other that they had the same table; as such, we were inquired on our status every 30 seconds. I know some people need validation that they are important to the world around them nearly all the time, but I already know this, so this was indubitably not required from the staff. I hope they weren’t displeased with the $ 6 tip I left them, times can get rough in West Akron, let me tell you.

Went to Rays early 6pm on a Saturday evening. It’s a typical sports bar, it was not packed and we didn’t experience a noise problem. The staff was excellent as service was quick and accurate. most of the food was well above average for bar food the Mo-​Fo was another story. The main reason we went here was for this burger recommended by Michael Symon. it was outstanding. A huge greasy mess that required 4 napkins to eat put a huge smile on my face. $ 40 for 2 dinners and drinks was very reasonable for the quantity and quality of food. Not something you can eat everyday but I will be back for another round very soon.

I’ve eaten at a thousand bars in my life so I would consider my experience in these matters at the Mensa level. From the moment I walked in I knew I was in for a treat. The bartender was friendly and greeted me with a fist bump… bromance engaged. Happy hour was until 7 so I received a $ 1 off my draft from an intense selection of local brews and those from galaxy’s far far away. It was a Tuesday so most appetizers were $ 2 off. Nice selection but I wasn’t in a app mood so I went right to the sandwich menu. I never judge a book by its cover but I always judge a bar by its Rueben, and I must say this one is in my top 5! (That’s impressive). I’m in town for business for a few days and I tell you what… I will be back tomorrow for the wing special. I’m a fan!

Ray’s has great, great taps and good game-​viewing space (out of town NFL fans beware: no NFL ticket here, meaning that you can’t catch your favorite non-​local team if it’s not on a major network). The food, however, leaves a lot to be desired — even after you’ve already lowered your expectations to «sports bar» level.
By way of example I’d like to build off of the «Chris N.» review below from 12/​19/​2014, who also makes the point I’m about to make. His comment applied to a burger, and mine applies to a turkey sandwich I ordered a few months ago (I’m still in mourning).
Sandwich-​Making 101 teaches us that when you put a moist mound of meat on top of a thin, cheap, flimsy, untoasted piece of pre-​sliced bread, you will get an effect similar to dropping a wet cantaloupe into a paper grocery bag. You have about 10 seconds before the meat soaks through the bread and leaves you with a messy pile of unsightly debris. This is the reason that Jewish delis tend to butter and toast the bread for their reubens, why Cubans press their pork sandwiches, and why the French opt to put their sandwiches on sturdy baguettes.
If you order the turkey «sandwich» at Ray’s, beware that you won’t be getting the time-​tested, solid engineering of the Italian panini or corned-​beef-​on-​rye, and instead may find yourself picking, frustratedly, at a mound of what-​could-​have-​been. You may also find that the ingredients inside underwhelm: giant, stringy red onion slices, mealy tomato, and thick thick lettuce that compete too much with the very thin turkey. Yeah, yeah I know — it’s a 7 dollar pub sandwich. If you’ve been to the Diamond Deli in Akron, though, you know that 7 dollars buys you perfection.
Ray’s does deserve credit for their excellent staff that checks on you often and attends you very well, and the business has a strong reputation as a community favorite. I salute any entrepreneur who can command this respect and whose business treats people nicely. I just don’t think I’ll eat my dinner there the next time that I stop in to have a cold local draught beer.

Fun atmosphere. Good food. Friendly service. Lots and lots of beers on tap at affordable prices. This is a nice hangout.

Okay, I get that this «building» was a Winking Lizard within the last few years, but to disparage a business because it doesn’t live up to the standards of another business that inhabited the same building is not helpful in a restaurant review. I could compare Ray’s in Fairlawn to the Gamekeepers Taverne that resided at this site in the 1990s but what would that matter? The interior is dark, covered in wood, and masculine.
We have been to the Ray’s in Kent — loud college crowd, bright lighting, meat-​market feel — and I prefer this Ray’s. The beer menu is impressive at both locations! The wine list at Ray’s in Fairlawn offers wines that are not generally offered by the glass on other restaurant menus. I had the Troublemaker Red Blend which was amazing and well-​priced.
I had buffalo wings and the roasted half chicken… it was all delicious! My biggest issue is that the taps at the bar block the view of the bartenders so that it’s not evident that a drink refill or food service is required. This is remedied by jovial servers that introduce themselves by name so you can flag them down if you’re parched.
Everyone here is friendly and they seem to be happy to work here. It’s also a GREAT place to watch a game (and there seems to be no shortage of sports experts to discuss our Cleveland teams with).
Overall this is an awesome place to watch a game, enjoy a decent meal, tip back a few impressive brews — and if you’re lucky enough to have a companion — peruse a decent wine list.

I came here on a Friday to catch up with some old friends and have some beers. It was not overly busy and I was able to have a normal conversation without having to raise my voice. The feel is pretty much like the old Winking Lizard. The only changes I noticed were there seemed to be more wood and the televisions were different. Otherwise, the dining room/​bar, table set up, and bar looked exactly the same.
Beer selection and price was good. The service was good as we weren’t in a time crunch, nor did we need to worry about the timing of a meal. But I could see how confusion could arise if there is a breakdown in communication. It could also lead to problems if everyone is sharing tips equally. But that is another discussion.
I can’t say much about the food, but this would be a place to hang out, drink, and watch sports.

I’ve been to Ray’s in Kent and enjoyed it, but there was always a wait, or the party had to split into two groups to be seated. So when I needed a place to watch the Ohio State/​Oregon championship game I decided to try the Ray’s in Fairlawn. I arrived a bit early so I could eat before kickoff, found a place at the bar and was immediately greeted by a bartender. I ordered a beer, went with the bacon cheeseburger and added a side of fries.
The craft beer menu is extensive. I.P.A., alcohol content, description, origin and prices were all listed, allowing easy choosing. Cheaper run-​of-​the-​mill beers also are available. Customers ranged from young to older and the place was packed. In spite of how busy they were, the staff remained helpful, friendly and attentive.
The six-​ounce burger came cooked to their standard «medium-​well.» The bun was lightly toasted and was of sufficient size and density to last through the meal. Fries were plentiful, considering they were ordered as a side and not a basket. The first bite of the burger reminded me of that open-​fire taste Ray’s in Kent has. The beef was better than anything else to be found in the Fairlawn area.
I was going to give the burger 3 ½ Stars, but because the staff was so friendly and stood out so much in making the experience so enjoyable, as opposed to the «reptile» place down the road, I’m giving it 4 Stars. Oh, and the Buckeyes CRUSHED the Ducks!

Arrived to a cold Ray’s. Apparently a heater was broken. Stayed anyway as was meeting 3 friends to spend gift cards we received from Jimmy DeLagottie (Thanks Jimmie).
The place was half full of Millenniums having a good time. We had a table for four and were waited on in a timely manner. The waiters were very good and kept asking if we needed anything. They were well tipped for their efforts.
We all had burgers and they were very good with any type of condiment imaginable. The burgers downfall was the bun. It was not toasted and was the type closely related to Wonder bread.
We had very good fries that were nice and hot and well priced for a big basket of them.
All in all a decent meal, well priced.
Oh, and the draft beer selection was gigantic. I had a nice fresh Guinness and others guys had local craft beers.
We had gift cards that could only be used in the Fairlawn Ray’s and not the Kent Ray’s. What’s with that?

2 stars for beer selection.
0 for anything else.
Yikes, guys. This isn’t good. We went in on a Saturday night during holiday shopping season. It was one of few places we thought wouldn’t have a long wait. We got one of the last open tables.
It felt chaotic inside. One of those meals where you aren’t sure who your server is. Maybe that’s their plan, but at least 4 people came to our table. More on why this matters later…
I’m a burger lover and usually not overly picky. When I saw the menu was primarily sandwiches and burgers I thought that must be the specialty.
The burger itself actually wasn’t bad, in defiance of the sloppy pool of grease all over it. They offer «the works» on it which consists of all those common plentiful condiments you’d find at a place like Five Guys. So here’s where it all «fell apart» (forward thinking pun):
They use the cheapest buns that a grocer can sell. I mean, the last time I had a bun of this quality, I was a freshman in college surviving on the lowest grade food and beer.
So now you have this greasy burger with tons of condiments and a bun that is screaming in submission as it deflates and succumbs to the over-​absorption of burger sweat like single-​ply TP the day after atomic wings. After mere seconds your burger bun falls to soaked remnants of a tortured ending as you stare at a burger you were never given a fair shot to consume properly.
So my advice would be to bring your own bun for a transplant procedure or to upgrade to a pretzel bun (if offered).
Oh, and once we had finished, although 4 – 5 waiters (?) had visited our table during our short meal, we sat there unsure of who to flag down for the check after 20 minutes of foodless plates and empty glasses. None of the aforementioned 5 were eager to see us go, perhaps out of appreciation for my staunch, barbaric, grease fist effort to consume that burger.