Ray’s Country Smokehouse & Grill will serve its last meals this weekend, ending a more than 60-year run in Gastonia.
Owners of the neighborhood barbecue joint shared the “bittersweet” news on social media, saying Saturday, Oct. 3, would be its last day in business. The restaurant will soon be under new ownership as the old owners look ahead to retirement.
CharlotteFive reached out to Ray’s for more information and was awaiting a response.
Ray’s Smokehouse & Grill in Gastonia is closing after more than 60 years as the owners prepare for retirement. Google Street View image from October 2023 ©2026 Google
“For more than 60 years, Ray’s Smokehouse has been so much more than a business,” Ray “Butch” England, his wife Rhonda England, and son Casey England wrote in a farewell message. “It has been our second home, a place where friendships were formed, families gathered, and memories were made around great barbecue.”
“As we enter this final chapter of our lives, we feel it is time to slow down, spend more time with our family and loved ones, and enjoy the years ahead together,” they said. “While this decision has not been easy, we know it is the right one.”
A local favorite, Ray’s served up classics like beef brisket, pulled pork, half-pound burgers and baby back ribs. Hot dogs were also on the menu, along with smoked wings and sides of slaw, okra and barbecue baked beans.
All the sauces were made in-house, including a molasses-based rib sauce that customers couldn’t get enough of, The Gaston Gazette reported.
“We take a lot of time and care in what we do,” Butch told the newspaper in 2018. “We cook our brisket for 17 hours. We never serve anything to anybody that we would not eat ourselves.”
It’s not clear what will replace the restaurant, but the family said the new owners plan to open a breakfast and lunch concept at the spot on South Broad Street.
Local love for Ray’s Smokehouse
Locals wasted no time lamenting the downtown Gastonia staple. Many took to social media to offer their well-wishes and reminisce on the memories made at Ray’s:
“At Ray’s, I found what I had been looking for: genuine Southern hospitality, quality barbecue, great service, and a place that felt like it belonged to the people who ate there,” Celine Varens wrote. “It had history, personality, and the kind of comfortable, lived-in feeling that you cannot recreate with a new logo, reclaimed wood, and an ‘elevated Southern menu.’”“Where will we get our candied pulled pork and brisket? We will miss our dinners and seeing you all. We wish the best for you all,” Jeffrey McElrath added.“The best BBQ and the chocolate cake if available — it was always gone quick,” Dino Tsambouniery commented. “Y’all inspired me to get my first smoker, you will be missed. Wishing you all the best in the future.”“The community is definitely loosing a great place to be,” Scott Henderson wrote. “Ya’ll were always the best !!!”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Location: 219 S Broad St, Gastonia, NC 28052
Cuisine: Barbecue
Menu
This story was originally published October 2, 2026 at 11:18 AM.
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Tanasia Kenney
Sun Herald
Tanasia is a service journalism reporter at the Charlotte Observer | CharlotteFive, working remotely from Atlanta, Georgia. She covers restaurant openings/closings in Charlotte and statewide explainers for the NC Service Journalism team. She’s been with McClatchy since 2020.
Dining and Cooking