Ray Bros BBQ – Bouckville, NY - Wright Writes Food

It’s been a while since I made a post because the holidays are always rough for those of us who work in the restaurant industry and we haven’t been going out as much. But I’m back like a bad penny and here to talk about some barbecue! Central New York has dozens of barbecue joints around and most of them have their own cult followings. We belong to two of those cults: Piggy Pat’s (which I have written about before) and Ray Bros BBQ. This was not our first foray to Ray Bros by any means, but it is the first time since I started writing mildly unnecessarily long novels about restaurants. Or at least I think it is. The days are blending together and I can’t be bothered to check right now. On to the food!

Ray Bros BBQ in Bouckville isn’t your usual barbecue joint. They have the same kind of stuff you expect at this kind of establishment, but they take everything and make it their own. Literally, they make their own everything. Every sauce is made in-house with their own rubs and, in true barbecue fashion, they may or may not have your favorite item available when they get there because it sold out. We usually get the hush puppies when we go, but decided to try something new this time and go with the Southwest Chicken Dip appetizer. Let me start by saying it WAS delicious, just not what we were expecting. When I see chicken dip, I’m thinking cream cheese, chicken and whatever other mixing you may desire similar to a Buffalo chicken wing dip. Instead Ray Bros does a simple bowl of shredded chicken with their original barbecue sauce, corn, black beans, spicy peppers and shredded cheese. The dip had a kick to it from the peppers but it wasn’t overwhelming and each flavor was able to come through without drowning out the others, which is a relief because barbecue sauce can easily smother other flavors and Chelsea doesn’t like regular barbecue sauces. Ironically, it’s always Chelsea’s idea to go to a barbecue place despite her disdain for barbecue sauce. Overall, a decent appetizer that was served in good portion size without being super filling.

Chelsea wanted her usual pick at barbecue restaurants: pulled chicken. She landed on the pulled chicken sandwich with Ray Bros’ Carolina Gold sauce, a side of mac ‘n cheese and an additional side of cornbread. The chicken was cooked beautifully, super soft and moist and you could taste a bit of the smoke without it being too much. The Carolina Gold sauce, a tangy mustard and vinegar based sauce, pairs really well with the chicken and added an extra layer of flavor. The mac ‘n cheese was fantastic with bold cheese flavor and a perfectly creamy sauce. Even the cornbread was moist and not a gritty, dry piece like other places closer to Syracuse and had a gentle sweetness.

I’m a sucker for smoked sausage, so I had to go with the Smoked Hot Links sandwich. Featuring house-made sausage, peppers and onions, I chose to add coleslaw to the sandwich and asked for some Smoked Chili RBQ sauce on the side with a side of Dirty Potato Salad. I’ve had the sausage at both Piggy Pat’s and Ray Bros before this, and despite our deep love for Piggy Pat’s, Ray Bros smoked sausage knocks every other barbecue joint’s clear out of the park. Juicy, packed with flavor, smoked perfectly, I could just get a platter of sausage with nothing else and be happier than a kid in a candy store with an unlimited budget and no worry of cavities. This is, undoubtedly, the absolute best smoked sausage I have ever had. I felt like the peppers and onions were a touch unnecessary because they interfered with the immaculate hot links, but that’s just a matter of personal preference. The coleslaw, however added to the sausage beautifully by bringing a touch of sweet and vinegar to go with the heat and smoke. The Smoked Chili RBQ Sauce packs a solid punch of heat but it isn’t extreme and I found myself smearing small amounts of the sauce on the sandwich in between bites. Potato salad can go wrong very quickly, but this one succeeded in every step. Creamy, perfectly cooked potatoes, bold BBQ rub flavor and crunchy vegetables made for the perfect side to go with my spicy sandwich.

Chelsea saw an apple cake on the dessert list and had already decided we were getting some before we even finished eating. This was a stunningly perfect dessert to cap off our meals. Served hot, the super soft and fluffy cinnamon cake with crisp apples mixed in and streusel on top with caramel drizzle and brown sugar cinnamon ice cream, this cake delivered on every aspect.

Ray Bros BBQ will always hold a special place in our hearts and remain a staple for us. It’s an absolute hike at an hour and twenty minutes from us in Jordan, but we take back roads everywhere. But I can promise you that it’s worth the 45 minute drive from Syracuse to just outside of Morrisville because everything here is fantastic. Try the hush puppies, they are worth the drive on their own.