Been coming to this area once a year for the past 8 years and always been dubious about NC BBQ since pulled pork is the most dominant and I'm not a fan of it. On recommendation of a local relative and I'm glad I did. Walked in the door and immediately started a conversation with the pit master. He offered me a sample of his 13 spice rub brisket and it was excellent but then he offered me a sample of his Texas rub and I was immediately transported back home. This was my 7th BBQ place on this 3000 mile BBQ crawl and my 76th overall across the U.S. My mom and dad were with me and she's not a big fan of BBQ but this she absolutely loved, especially the ribs. My dad was ready to go back the next day. Rays would definitely make Texas Monthly's 50 best BBQ places in Texas.