(Opelousas, Louisiana)
 Ray's claims "world famous" status for their boudin.  Bare shelves inside Ray's Grocery Plus.  Ray's old butcher block: A re-purposed remnant of the past.  Ray's logo is just a little different from the one he developed at his first store (and which is still being used at Billy's Boudin). |
Ambiance:
A bit outside of town, Ray's occupies a small store that is just a
little too close to the highway for comfort. Neither the
"grocery" nor the "plus" has much to it, though a steady stream of
fans keep the place semi-lively. The old butcher block is now
used as a magazine table and the shelves of the store are mostly
bare. Location: 6028 Highway 182, Opelousas, LA 70570 The Boudin Presentation: The link is given the "Opelousas Treatment" = cut, placed in a red and white paper "boat" along with some crackers, and bagged in a white paper sack with a giant red stamp of the store's name and logo. Casing: The casing is thin and breaks, but the link is pre cut and begs to be squeezed. Meat/Rice Ratio: More rice than meat. Texture: Dry and pasty with a bland color to boot. Spice: Medium/Mild Overall Flavor: A pronounced, but not overpowering, liver taste competes with the rice for front billing in this link's flavor profile. It lacks much pallet satisfying punch. If you try, you can taste the tradition in this link and that just might be enough of a reason to give it a shot. Comments: This is Ray's second go around in the boudin business. His recipe is also being sold at Billy's Boudin in Opelousas. You can read that review HERE. When Ray came back into the boudin business he sought to reclaim what was once considered a must-eat boudin recipe and he wanted to give his old recipe it's just and fair treatment. From what I've come to understand, he did not believe the folks he sold his business to were putting the proper attention into his once proud boudin recipe. Head to Opelousas and do a taste test yourself to see what you think.  A pre-cut link from Ray's Grocery Plus.  Ricey! |
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Overall Rating = B- Reviewed February 2011 |
Return to Home Page: www.BoudinLink.com |