I used Google Maps to figure out the best route to get there.  It’s not in the best part of town, and it’s so small, I passed it once before I realized route guidance was looping me back.

It’s maybe 700 square feet with an extra 100 square feet added in the covered back patio. I cannot be certain because both math and spatial reasoning are not my strong suits. Suffice to say, it’s not a big place.  It’s cozy and covered in memorabilia, movie posters, and cardboard cutouts.  There are shelves that are lined with model cars and an old school jukebox that is always in use.

Ray is behind the bar.  He’s an older man in his eighties, tall, with a slender frame and a thick head of perfectly white hair.  His demeanor is gentle and he has the perfect Texan twang that you’d expect.  He only sells beer and wine, but will allow you to bring a handle of the finest whiskey you’d like and sell you the coke and ice to go with it.

The crowd can be as diverse as the knick knacks on his shelves.  One evening, there were about 5-6 older gentlemen in the whole place and they were playing songs like “Don’t You Just Know It” and “Fooled Around And Fell in Love” on the jukebox. Side note: This might’ve been my favorite night at Ray’s.  I greatly enjoyed eavesdropping on their conversations. 🙂

Other evenings, he hosts a DJ who brings his turntables and curates a night of genre specific tunes on vinyl.  These are fun nights, populated by mostly young professionals in our community, filled with great tunes and heated drawings for album giveaways. I even won the highly sought after High Fidelity soundtrack back in February.

I’ve met really cool folks, have had weirdly insightful conversations with friends and strangers, and have jammed to both amazing tracks from a real-life-old school jukebox and a true music mix-master.  This little dive is a slice of local culture and I’m pretty thankful to have it!