New BBQ joint opens in Jackson. See where
Raymond Kennedy started cooking out a necessity. Now, nearly 20 years later, he and his wife Natasha are filling a need with a new restaurant in Downtown Jackson.
Where is the location?
The couple has opened Ray's To Go BBQ & More along Capitol Street, next door to Donut Shop Downtown as the area between the Governor's Mansion and the Old Capitol continues to grow.
And this comes on the heels of the rooftop bar at Capital Towers having made its debut in recent months.
"Yes, there are other barbeque places in Jackson, but none are in the downtown area," Raymond Kennedy said. "We are offering something this part of town needs."
How owner got his start
Raymond got his start cooking many years ago when his family was celebrating his grandmother's birthday.
"It was getting too expensive to have someone else bring food, so I decided to do it myself," Kennedy said.
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As it turned out, he was pretty good at grilling and cooking barbeque. So much so, a friend suggested he go into business for himself.
He has been doing that in some for or fashion ever since, including a food truck business that started in 2021.
Now Ray's To Go is up and running in downtown to throngs of restaurant goers even though he hasn't had the official grand opening.
What's on the menu?
Ray's offers the usual barbeque fare, but the top options, according to Kennedy, are the brisket quesadilla, the grilled fish and the ribeye.
His take on the ribeye has a seasoning that adds a kick and he says no one else's can compete.
"You just have to try it to understand," Kennedy said.
Because none of the meals are precooked and take a few minutes to prepare, Kennedy is asking as many patrons as possible to order online and pickup.
"We want people to be happy and not have to wait," Kennedy said. "We know folks are going to like our food, but we want to make sure they don't have to wait. We aren't saying we don't want people in the dining area, but we want them to be happy."
While many businesses have left the downtown area, Kennedy said he saw an opportunity in downtown.
"We started years ago with a restaurant in South Jackson. We left there because of break-ins and things like that," Kennedy said. "Downtown is nothing like that, and we are very happy with location. We haven't seen anything that would make us want to leave. There's lots of business to go around that people can walk to us in a safe environment to come and have lunch or dinner. Everyone has made this great so far and I can't imagine being anywhere else."
When does it open?
Ray's To Go is open Monday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. until 8:30 p.m.
"The response has been amazing so far," Kennedy said. "We love feeding people and making people happy. That's what we are here to do."
If you have a story idea, Ross Reily can be reached by email at rreily@gannett.com or at 601-573-2952. You can follow him on Twitter @GreenOkra1.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: New restaurant Ray's To Go BBQ & More opens in Jackson MS
