Ray’s Seafood Market & Restaurant

I have always been a fatty and food is #1 for me. and I hate to contradict the bad reviews of Rays but I have to. I am in love with this place and have been coming here since I was a freshman in high school. I was on weight watchers (pathetic I know) and I would barely eat anything all week long so I could blow the rest of my allotted «points» at Rays at the end of every week. I was like 14 back then I begged to go there despite the protests from the person that was taking me «we should go to the shanty» NO. only Rays. I love their food the clams are my favorite. People below me are saying the food is frozen. and out of a box. but most eateries have to in some situations serve fresh frozen or even boxed food. every place you go does… I have never in my life had soggy fries there. never have had a hard as a rock roll the clams are always greasy and just mouth watering. I love the atmosphere, I love the «dated» décor. as some people call it and «elderly». it makes me feel like I am eating along side my grandparents every time I go there. (my grandparents have all passed) you can tell that these people have been supporting this family business for years and this is where they come to catch up with old friends and take their wives out on dates. creemee stand is awesome, and I love to eat outside. so this place is just perfect. I only eat here in the summer though because I am not a fan of takeout. I like to go sit outside and enjoy a meal. I have my sister turned on to Rays now too. As far as their prices going up are concerned. I think the prices are fair. I only usually get the fried food so I can only speak to the prices of that. but I never feel cheated or that I have overpaid… I like the fact that the people behind the counter still write everything down on paper, it completely fits the establishment. I miss being able to go down North Street and get a box of food though I am not going to lie there. when I lived there back in 2003 – 2009 you wouldn’t catch me without some clams and a beer from Rays sitting on the back porch. Bravo guys. I love giving you my business and luckily for me I live right down the street ;)
If you actually want to sit down whether inside or outside and ENJOY some greasy fish with your family and not have to listen to a million screaming brats complaining about not being able to sit on their ipads during dinner or get a headache watching 4 different games on 3 different tvs. yep Rays is the place to go

When I first moved here I ate at Ray’s almost once a week. The fried clam strips are excellent! The fries that come with any meal however, are soggy and leave much to be desired. The crab and lobster rolls are a bit on the small side for what you are paying for, but for me it is perfect!
I do have to say the prices are very high for the product. I would never buy from their coolers… Much better deals at the big stores… The décor is very tired and in need of a fun facelift. Additionally, I feel a very stubborn and old school vibe emanates from owner and management– they still have to hand write tickets for orders! Ridiculous for the times and the younger staff seem daunted by it.
The ambiance is very elderly and not very inviting for 30’s and below… Good food, but I only do take out now or creemes (best in Vermont IMHO)
Hopefully, they can put some money into the business and come into the 21^st century. It would be a great marketing tool to launch a grand opening for a new look. Just a suggestion :)

The pros: the oysters were fresh.
The cons: the service wasn’t the best, I’d rate a 3. The boy at the counter was nice however everyone else just kept staring at our table. My visit was in the evening and we were the only couple there. The shrimp cocktail was soggy and the little neck steamers were the biggest disappointment. They didn’t smell right, didn’t look nor taste right. I wouldn’t come back here not recommend.

I’ve eaten in Ray’s many times, but I’ve never done takeout. I’m not sure I will again. First, one of the meals we ordered was supposed to have a baked potato instead of fries. The fries weren’t there, which was exactly as requested, but there was no baked potato at all. The seafood is definitely filling enough, but the fact that they forgot a food item is something worth mentioning.
The other bummer is that the butter, roll, and coleslaw on all three meals were set in the container’s third compartment. By the time we got home 15 – 20 minutes later, the butter was liquid and the coleslaw had warmed up. Ideally, the cold items could be bagged separately to keep the heat of the food from heating/​melting them.
The clam chowder was excellently packaged with both the lid, tape to ensure the lid didn’t accidentally pop off, and then put in a separate bag.
I think Ray’s is one of the best spots for eating in, but takeout that requires any kind of a drive home might be worth reconsidering.

I’ve been buying the fish from them for a few months. I can safely say that their fish is top quality — in some cases better than restaurants I’ve been to. We’re landlocked but if you want the best fish to prepare yourself in BTV, this is a safe bet and it’s likely cheaper than any supermarket around for much better fish. Idk about the restaurant side, never eaten it, but the original product is great.

Fresh seafood sandwiches and the best fresh cut fries. The best maple creemees!!! Clean, great service. Kid friendly.

Just got back from eating at Ray’s in Essex and had such a delightful meal that I decided I want to give them a thumbs-​up rating. However, I was shocked to see the many negative ratings as this has not been my experience. I find it one of the better seafood places to eat. I love their fried oysters and fried clams and found the clam chowder delicious. I only wish the seafood restaurants around Burlington could pull this off as well as Ray’s does. Thumbs up from our family!

Great seafood and fair prices! My family lives on the golf coat in Florida but this remains their favorite seafood joint and it’s one of our first stops when they come to visit!

Stopped in for take-​out. Husband was craving some yellow fin tuna. They have a fish market and a small restaurant and ice cream stand. The place really could use a renovation, a bit run down. I ordered a haddock dinner, tuna dinner & lobster roll. The food was good, i’ve had better. I just returned from maine so i know fresh seafood and my lobster roll was a little fishy smelling and had shells in it. Would i eat here again? Yeah, for take-​out.

I’m shaking my head because I should have Unilocaled this place before I ate there. The prices here are absurd for the quality of food you get. Before ordering my $ 18.00 entrée of broiled tuna, I asked what kind of tuna they were serving (i.e. yellow tail, blue fin) as the menu simply read «tuna.» The woman who took my order looked confused by my question and replied that she didn’t know. FIRST RED FLAG! After my food was ready, I quickly realized everything as pre-​frozen or store bought. The tuna was cooked horribly and was brittle dry. It was soaked in oil and poorly seasoned. It held the consistency and taste of an overdone pork chop and tasted old. My green beans clearly were frozen as they are identical to the kind found in the frozen section at the grocery. My rice pilaf (I’m almost positive it was Rice Roni) was soggy. Whatever it was it obviously came out of a box. The dinner roll I received was definitely store bought as well. After I picked all the dry fish out of my teeth. all I could think was. I really just paid $ 18 for this. My wife ordered the broiled scallops for $ 24 and it was the same sad story. Poorly cooked oily subpar seafood, frozen peas, soggy boxed rice and a mass produced bread roll.
This place would be perfect for a intervention-​style cooking reality show. You know, the ones where some celebrity uncovers just how «bad» things have really gotten and the staff seems utterly shocked when told no one likes factory produced frozen food.
P. S. I noticed the owner actually replies to negative comments on here. Stop trying to justify things. You serve frozen food! How about I get a refund?

Waste of money. Overpriced and awful. Got bacon wrapped scallops. The scallops way overlooked yet the bacon completely raw. Was disgusting. Can’t believe they actually served it. The scallops were obviously cooked prior. Yuck. Fried clams mushy and tasteless. This place is so overpriced for the poor quality of seafood you actually get. You could do better at your own home.

Let me start by saying that I am completely appalled that Ray’s uses pre frozen seafood, especially with the amount of markets in the area that supply fresh fish. Did I mention that the food is also overpriced and mediocre at best. I can’t understand how this business has been around as long as it has. The only redeeming factor is that they make a good Michigan hot dog.

So, this rating is a little skewed. I am from the Midwest and I visited a local sea food restaurant near the East Coast. It was amazing. So fresh, just amazing. I made sure to let the staff know when my sister and I left. The clams were so tender, the scallions melted in your mouth. :dreamy sigh:

People; what planet are you from when you write a review calling frozen, prepackaged, prebreaded, bland, tasteless seafood fresh and delicious? It is NOT fresh, look in their glass door coolers. This is overpriced frozen stuff you can get cheaper in the grocery store. You can go to a real restaurant, pay five bucks more a plate and get fresh seafood in a comfortable atmosphere instead of a flourescent lighted cafeteria.

My boyfriend and I love Ray’s for their cool creemees in the summer heat! Sometimes my friend and I pick up some tuna to roll sushi with. Always fresh, great quality. Great place to have right around the corner!

I’m going to tear your big house down!
I’ve been going to Ray’s for years. I even frequented the North Street location before it was switched over to a warehouse only operation. The seafood is fresh and while not exactly cheap it is good the money. Tonight though, I had to shake my head in amazement. One of the counter people, a woman with military dress and wearing one of those Chairman Mao hats did it. I watched her as she took a large poly bag of New England clam chowder and put it in the microwave to heat up. Ray, I thought I knew ye. It really blew my mind that in a place where you thought they did their own it was a commercially prepared soup that was served. The horror, the horror.

This was my first visit to Rays even though I can remember when it was in Burlington. In summary: it was great. I had the best clam strips ever! Tender and not one piece that was even remotely chewy. Much better than I’ve had at places where you can eat while listening to the ocean. My wife had the fish and chips which was also great. We ate in but then took out some steamers and mussels for dinner. Also great. Stay tuned as we will be back.

I have to say I’ve been to Ray’s many times throughout my lifetime. It use to be really good but as time has gone on its quality of food isn’t that great. Today I had Chicken wings and half of them where completely black and gross. As a business owner myself I would never serve that to a client that I would want to come back. My partner have decided to not go back.

Ray’s Seafood has been a fixture of the Essex Junction landscape for the last eighteen years. Oddly enough, my peers and I know Ray’s for their cremee window.
They sell most forms of seafood: boiled, fried, broiled or steamed. You name it, they probably have it: fried clams, lobster roll, oyster roll, shrimp roll, crab roll, crab cakes, steamed haddock, and broiled scallops.
Step inside the restaurant and bell jingles on the way in. Walk to the left and you will find a grinning staffer with a stack of old lamented menus. Order and grab a booth. Your number will be shouted out when the food is ready. The décor is teal green with seashell inspired motif. The freezer sits towards the back for take home cook.
My friend and I ordered shrimp roll and oyster roll. The oyster roll consists of buttered roll with seven fried oyster quarter sized ovoids and comes with plate of chips. The oysters are juicy but lack the brininess. Great price for lunch. 20 bucks for 2 rolls and a drink.
The best part of the meal? Dessert!
Go to the outside window for some freshly made cremees (Vermontian for soft serve). They have plethora of flavors, including and not limited to: strawberry, blueberry, cheesecake, maplenut, coconut, tutti frutti and a flavor called Blue Hawaii Coconut. (What does Blue Hawaii taste like before the coconut?)
We were all acting like excited preschoolers! Looking at the flavors, chiming in what we wanted, grinning with ear to ear as we licked the dripping cones.
What a beautiful sunny day to eat cremees!

Can’t say enough good things about Ray’s Seafood. Great prices. Generous portions. There are two different size platters you can order. The smaller size is called the Mate while the bigger size is called the Captain. My girlfriend and I share the Mate and are plenty full after we eat it all. Their homemade seafood chowder is amazing. The dining area is nice and relaxed. Since you get your own food you don’t have to leave a tip. More money saved. Their creemee stand has the best prices in the area without question. Generous portions there as well. My girlfriend and I eat here once a week it is that good.