Dave & Ray’s Downtown Diner

I went on a power walk one morning from my hotel to the state capitol building. After saying good morning to the governor in the capitol (seriously!), I headed back to my hotel but decided to stop in at Dave & Ray’s for breakfast. This place isn’t anything fancy. My bacon and eggs weren’t made to order (they were in warming trays). But they were good and did the trick for me just fine. Coffee was good too.

Simply put: Down-​home cooking. It’s not amazing, but by no means terrible either. You have the choice of ordering a plate or eating off the buffet. Specials change daily. You’ll find typical Southern cuisine: catfish, fried chicken, meatloaf, pork chops, BBQ, etc. The employees are friendly, also.

This is a great place. I have been eating here for a number of years and have to admit that I can only comment on a few items. Fried chicken. I can only speak for a few items because they are so good I keep eating the same items. Fried chicken. Dave and Rays offers breakfast and lunch menus and a lunch buffet. Fried chicken. While I have not had the breakfast, my sister tells me it’s rather good. I have not ordered off the menu as I always go for the buffet. Fried chicken. The buffet has a rotation of the main choices such as pork chops, beef tips, lasagna, pulled pork, hamburger steak etc. Oh yes, have I mentioned the fried chicken? It is so good. Nicely seasoned, great crispy coating. The wings are the biggest I have ever seen. Plenty of white pieces in the mix too. It’s worth a trip just for the chicken alone. The BBQ pulled pork is fantastic, good quality meat with a spicy sauce, not hot just spicy. Yum. Mash potatoes that are great and I think homemade. Good green beans, well seasoned. Good okra. The best macaroni and cheese I’ve had in years. On Friday, catfish is added to the buffet and it’s very tasty. So if your downtown at lunch (or breakfast) stop in and have a burger or the fantastic buffet. If you see a guy at the corner table hitting the chicken hard, chances are it’s me! Did I mention the fried chicken?