The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
BEST RIBS IN NY
Ray Brothers BBQ named best ribs in New York by the Food Network
Brothers Tucker and Colin Ray of Ray Brothers BBQ were left speechless when they were named best ribs in New York by the Food Network— and honestly thought it was a joke.
“I got a text from someone with the announcement,” Tucker said. “At first, I thought it was a joke. I didn’t believe it. So Colin and I did our research before we posted anything. Sure enough, we were New York state’s best ribs.”
Tucker said it was a humbling and surreal moment for him and his brother to be given such a title.
“This is a passion of ours,” Tucker said. “Anytime you put your heart and soul into something, it’s nice to get that recognition. That’s not why we do it, though.”
Tucker said he and his brother opened the restaurant back in June 2014.
“We always wanted to have a restaurant together andwe both, for most of our working careers, were in the food and beverage business,” Tucker said.
Colin was running his own restaurant out in Colorado at the time Tucker stopped into the restaurant on the corner of the US-20 in Bouckville.
“The restaurant was for sale at the time,” Tucker said. “My fiancée and I stopped in to have a drink and the owner at the time, he was asking why we were out of the restaurant business. I told him I got tired working for other people and that the only way I would get back into it is if I could do it myself. At the end of the conversation, he slid me a napkin with a number on it. The rest is history.”
Colin came back from Colorado, and the restaurant was remodeled with a more rustic feel and an emphasis on good food, locally sourced.
“We try to get as much local prod-
“The restaurant was for sale at the time. My fiancée and I stopped in to have a drink and the owner at the time, hewas asking why we were out of the restaurant business. I told him I got tired working for other people and that the only way I would get back into it is if I could do it myself. At the end of the conversation, he slid me a napkin with a number on it. The rest is history.”
— Tucker Ray of Ray Brothers BBQ
uct as we can,” Tucker said.
“It’s harder to do with meat because we go through so much, but Mosher’s Farm is right behind us and we use as much produce as we can from them all summer long. Pleasant Valley Apiary out of Sherburne is our honey provider and it goes in a lot of our sauces and cornbread.”
On top of this, Tucker said Ray Brothers BBQ works with local businesses to sell their sauce or wholesale it to other businesses who want to use something local rather than storebought.
“Everything else is made here,” Tucker said. “We have a staff of guys that handle everything. All our sides, all our sauces and everything else is made inhouse.”
One of the things displayed proudly near the entryway of Ray Brothers BBQ is a letter from a kindergartner dated 2016, declaring Ray Brothers BBQ best restaurant “in the world.”
“It’s pretty cool to see support from local people,” Tucker said. “We try to make ourselves more than just a restaurant. We put ourselves into the community hosting events.”
From charity functions to the Madison and Bouckville tree lighting ceremony, Tucker said Ray Brothers BBQ works to be more than just a restaurant.
“We appreciate people coming and try to give back the best we can,” Tucker said.
As it turns out, Madison County appreciates the Ray brothers and representatives fromMadison County nominated Ray Brothers BBQ for best ribs when the Food Network put a call out for any contenders.
After that was submitted about a year ago, a secret shopper from the FoodNetwork stopped by Ray Brothers BBQ and liked what they had to offer.
“We’re probably one of the few barbecue restaurants who do all our smoking old school,” Tucker said. “We’ve got someone stoking the fire every single day. We don’t use gas, charcoal or any other fuel.”
For the future, Tucker said Ray Brothers BBQ is currently expanding after being awarded a workforce development state grant. Ray Brothers BBQ has committed to adding a certain number of jobs over two years, increasing its catering and cooking production.
Tucker added the bar and dining area at Ray Brothers BBQ will be expanded as well.
“We have on any given day, especially weekends, up to an hour and a half to two-hour wait,” Tucker said. “The wait is alright in the summer because people can go outside, sit on the deck and let their kids run around. We have two acres of property where everyone can play horseshoes or whatever they want while they wait.”
The winter is a different story, Tucker added, saying the expansion will have more space and let people enjoy a drink and not be stuck in the hostess area waiting.
Other than that, Tucker said Ray Brothers BBQ isn’t looking to enter any contests until they can get a handle on the people coming through the door.