Ray’s PeGe

Random Unilocal drop but so happy I went. Got the lion special and ate through the plate. The gravy with the fries was a nice touch and I devoured the strawberry milk shake on the side. Will be returning next time I’m in Monroe.

I’ve had this place twice since I moved to Monroe and it doesn’t disappoint! I’ve never even heard of an open face cheeseburger before, coming from Lafayette, LA, until I was recommended this place. The lady working the register was so sweet and service was good. After we finished our meal, we were so full and satisfied but the lady offered us a sample of their homemade ice cream… We ended up making room for dessert and ordering ice cream cones too because the sample was delicious!

Great burgers and great poboys.
VERY SLOW and rude service, unfortunately, make the trip not worth it.

Came here on our drive back to TX, all got the roast beef poboys.
Pros: great bread, good gravy, service was outstanding
Cons: everyone thought their roast beef was a little dry, but that’s what they have the gravy for
I’d recommend for a stop versus all the corporate chains.

To be so highly recommended by others I was utterly disappointed. Apparently they’re known for their ribeye poboy sandwiches. Well, it’ll fill your belly, but it was simply average at best to me. It was bland even with the gravy. I make better gravy than this. It needed some salt, just like the meat did. There were way too many flies flying around while I ate.
The good stuff: the people here were super nice! Very attentive and personable staff. The fries were pretty good.

Had a burger, fries and shake… Everything was delicious. Fries were some of the best I’ve had in Monroe. The service is a bit slow but good. Hamburger seems to be frozen and reheated– not made fresh. This isn’t what they specialize in, so I understand. Can’t wait to try a po-​boy next time.

Just passing through on our way to Dallas – the gravy that comes with the Po-​boy is as good as everyone says, and the bread is also excellent. I had the roast beef and husband had the Philly. I was super happy with both, but frankly I could have just short-​cut the whole process and ordered a pint of gravy as a beverage.
Such a nice alternative to road-​trip fast food.

couldn’t drive through louisiana without chowing down on a poboy… ray’s pege was the best possible place to stop at! as well as the only one open past 5 pm on a sunday.
the restaurant is very quaint. the staff were super polite and friendly; the cashier served my drinks (DO try their sweet tea), brought out my food, and
even gave me a free sample of their homemade ice cream– which is probably some genius marketing scheme because i left with a whole cup of the vanilla.
i ordered the fried shrimp poboy and my boyfriend got the roast beef poboy, which is what they’re famous for. personally i preferred the shrimp poboy to the roast beef. bun toasted to perfection with melt in your mouth shrimp, i contemplated ordering another. the roast beef was tasteless without the gravy, which they give you a cup of with every order along with straight or curly fries. the fries are meh but the quality of their seafood sandwiches (at least) leveled out the mediocrity of the other food i had.
i promised the cashier i’d stop by again if i was ever in town– if only for the fried shrimp and homemade ice cream: P

This place never seems to change. The best poboys in the world!!! Everything is made fresh. The tea is always wonderful and so is the ice cream that is made in the restaurant. The staff are always happy and friendly. We always get excellent personable service. If you are a ‘customer of size’ seating can be a challenge when eating at the restaurant. I have been going to Ray’s as long as I can remember so no matter how outdated or shabby others may see the place to be it always equals happy memories for me.

Visiting Monroe for a wedding and stopped here for a lunch. They handled our group of 12 with no issues. Great shrimp PO Boy and fries with gravy. Great sweet tea as well. Debbie was quick with the refills of the tea, great service. Not a bad lunch for $ 10, definitely would return if I make it to Monroe again for some reason.

This place has been around a long time. The roast beef poboy is what this place is known for. It is served with gravy on the side which makes it delicious. The restaurant its self is old and run down but the food is pretty good here. Lots of food to give you a heart attack!

Ray’s Pege… I have been eating here since I was a little bitty girl. Well, as long as I can remember. If you want to share a slice of my childhood with me, head on over and take a seat at ANY table. I guarantee you, I have had my bottom in every seat in the place. It’s a divey little place that serves comfort food.
Pege’s is known for their Po-​boys. Let me say, if you are trying to compare these po-​boys to a South Louisiana style Po-​boy, don’t. They are not the same type of sandwiches. These are not sloppy over stuffed monsters that drip down your arms (which I love by the way) they are just six or so inches of a flavor packed sandwich that develops with every bite.
Lean back, relax and try it for flavor, not comparison. They are delicious. The gravy is so good and the fries have a texture unlike any I have had anywhere else.
Dip everything in the little cup of gravy and enjoy with a cup of iced tea. All too soon, the sandwich will be gone and you will consider licking the plate.
The burgers aren’t bad, and a lot of people like the curly fries. I am a purist however, and eat only the original fries.
If you are a little cash strapped, try the barbeque sandwiches. Last time I was in there, they had them on special, 2 for a dollar. After your meal settles, grab some of their ice cream; again, the texture is like no other. I love it; it has an almost gritty feel to it. This is a good thing.
So head to Lakeshore, a neighborhood in the suburbs of Monroe, Louisiana and share a piece of North Louisiana history with anyone who has ever called it home. Its worth a detour off the interstate.

I ate here on 9−4−13 for lunch. I will compliment the service first which was very good. Erica and Tina were attentive to all the customers despite it being very busy. The fact that this place was pack doesn’t change the fact that my meal wasn’t that great. I had 2 of the smallest chicken breast (grilled) I’ve ever had in a restaurant in my life. If these were any smaller you’d think they came from a Cornish Hen. They were well cooked just a bit salty. After wiping it off with a napkin it was okay. I also purchased the mashed potato and gravy. The gravy was a brown flavorless glob and the potatoes were also flavorless. Many people like this place, so this may have been an off day for them.

Down and dirty hole-​in-​the wall burger and sandwich joint. It’s a tradition in Monroe and it’s easy to see how the place has survived so long. Do a couple things really well and try to keep the quality high. The place is straight out of the 1950’s and has had exactly zero remodels in the last 60 years from my observations. I love places like this!
My shrimp po-​boy was great and the burgers, and other food was all good to great. I hear they have a two for one on Tuesdays that would probably be something I would search out regularly if I lived in Monroe. Worth a stop by for sure if you are in the area and want to grab a quick down and dirty meal.

Oh how it hurts me to only give Ray’s a 3… and it’s a weak 3 at best… my childhood memories of those great & tasty Roast Beef po boys with the gravy on the side for dipping plus those handcut fries is what’s getting it the 3 after my first meal here in years…
Now to why I love this diner… it is and has always been a true hole in the wall… tiny with about 9 or 10 booths… the ambience HAS NOT changed & for that I’m thankful… but I’m sure ol’ Ray has passed on to that great open grill in the sky and if a family member has taken over then shame on them for ruining my memories of that Roast Beef po boy… if some one new has taken over from the family then double shame on them for messing with perfection!
The roast beef didn’t look like fresh roast beef it looked like a thick cut of some processed roast beef… hell now that I think about it after hours of contemplation driving back south, and I contemplated believe you me… staff could have effed up and give me a Turkey po boy… either way that is simply unforgivable! Now the fries and the gravy were as wonderful as memories have recalled…
I will stop back next time I’m in Monroe… maybe I’ll try the Roast Beef again or maybe a burger… but if the food is no better then I guess that poet, Frost I believe, was right… You can never go home again… and that will be saddening to me…

This place is pretty good if you are looking for a home-​style old-​fashioned diner. We were hoping for some po’boys and we usually frequent Papa Joes po’boys in Ruston but they were closed for the day. With some out of towners visiting and really craving some Louisiana Cajun food, we Unilocaled the next best thing. Ray’s PeGe popped up on my Unilocal app. The reviews seemed pretty decent. So off we went for the 20 minute trek to get some cajun food.
We walked in to Ray’s a bit surprised at first, some of the lights are missing outside and it just says Ray’s P i think. We were instantly greeted by a friendly staff member. She took our order at the counter, as the signs prompt you to order first. We saw the paper menu had all sorts of seafood po’boys (oyster, crawfish, fried shrimp, grilled shrimp) but on the real menu only shrimp was shown. The owner came over and said that only shrimp was available. They told us the grilled was better and bigger. So we all ordered the grilled shrimp, come to find out, they were all out of them. So our orders were switched to fried shrimp in the end. It was kind of a challenge to order as we split our orders and had a small mishap, miscommunication with the worker at the front… but it all got figured out.
We soon after sat at a booth. The food came out quick and we all had no complaints about our fried shrimp po’boys, mashed potatoes, green beans, and sweet tea. Everything was delicious. The owner (I think she was) came over and chatted us up a bit, was very nice, and offered us some homemade fresh ice cream to finish our meals. We left pleasantly happy and satisfied. However, was it the best po’boy or food I’ve had? Not really. Was it worth the 20 minute drive? I doubt it. But overall, it’s worth it if hungry and in the area.

We pulled into the parking lot while talking about the nifty retro sign that has been there since I was a kid and saw the lady at the counter of the walk up window staring out at the green Mini Cooper we drive. It was as if she just saw a spaceship land in her parking lot amid the behemoth pickup trucks and SUV’s.
This place hasn’t changed much in the decade since I last went here, but somehow I remember it being better. My grandmother makes roast that’s got more subtle flavor than the roast beef here. Got to love your meat, what can I say? Also, the gravy has got a lot of starch or flour in it, and not any of the dripping. Not expecting au jus, like NOLA but definitely something substantial.
Regardless it is part of the culture here. I would like to see it update just some of the recipes, and fix the outdoor seating – that looks like crap. Plus it would be nice if people smiled more, but maybe it was the rain.

One of Monroe’s best eatery. As a former student at ULM, I have eaten here plenty of times, when revisiting Monroe and Ray’s PeGe, oh how reminiscing. As always, we get the roast beef po-​boy and the ribeye po-​boy with curly fries and gravy! Both are very, very delicious, and do not forget to dip your fries and sandwich with the gravy, its just so good not to!

Went on a recommendation from a friend who went to Univ of LA Monroe back when it was Northeast LA University. Wow, the roast beef po-​boy, gravy and fries are great!
At first we thought we had to order in the walk up window, then realized there is some seating inside. Friendly staff offered us refills on our drinks.
Don’t miss a visit to Ray’s PeGe if you are in Monroe!

Ray’s PeGe has been a local fave for years! They have the best roast beef po-​boys served alongside their infamous gravy dipping sauce. Be sure to get a side of curly french fries!
P. S. I actually had room for the homemade bread pudding on my last visit and it was a sweet ending to my meal! It is the best bread pudding in town!