Lonnie Ray's Cafe

Lonnie Ray's is in Harrisburg.  Most people don't know where Harrisburg is, and many fewer have ever been there.  It is roughly 17 miles northwest of Columbia.  There is not a lot in Harrisburg.  The schools of course, a post office, a grocery, bank and a gas station.  There are several churches and a car wash.  I understand there is a barber shop, but I have never found it open.  While the schools are good academically, they are more widely known for their basketball teams, both boys and girls have won several state championships.  It is also know for Lonnie Ray's Cafe. 

I don't know how long Lonnie Ray's has been there, several years.....must be more than ten now...could be even longer.  It is a classic BBQ restaurant.  It has brisket and pulled pork, it also has a number of other items on the menu typical of a cafe.  It is clean, and the service is very good.  I have eaten there a number of times over the years, and the one thing I can say for sure is the portions are large, huge in fact and the prices are low  The brisket has a wonderful flavor.  It is thickly cut, with more fat left on than I would prefer, but it is so tender and juicy and some of the rub is still detectable on the exterior. They serve sauce on the side, and while it is a good sauce, I have never eaten it on the brisket....doesn't need anything else. Of recent I have more often gone for the pulled pork.  It is not quite as huge a portion, though it still is all I can eat.  They have good slaw and excellent fries......though for a while the fryer was broken...which was a bit of humorous thing....mainly for how long it was broken.  They have a variety of side dishes and deserts available.

There has been only one time that I found the place full, but I have never found it empty.  It is usually a mix of the locals and some from out of town that have found there way to Lonnie Ray's for the first time.  An interesting quirk is that they have a large screen TV in the corner, playing obviously old  (80's-90's) movies  without sound.  Most are movies I have heard about, but never watched which can make it difficult for me to concentrate on the conversations of my companions....I need to start sitting with my back to the screen.

If you like BBQ, and consider yourself familiar with a variety of BBQ places, and especially if you consider yourself an expert on Missouri BBQ you need to make it to Lonnie Ray's.   It beats all of the franchise places hands down, and ranks with the best of the unique BBQ places in Missouri!