Ray Ray’s Hog Pit – Spiciest Dish in Columbus Series

Ray Ray’s Hog Pit features a full spread of meats, one of which is a potentially potent pepper-packed pork pipe.

In all of our time in Columbus, we managed to get to Ray Ray’s Hog Pit only once prior to testing out their spiciest dish. It was at the inaugural Columbus Food Truck Festival and was one of the most trying experiences of our food lives. Not only was it a scorcher of a day, but the lines for every food truck were enormous. After an hour of waiting in line for Ray Ray’s (why we waited that long we’ll never know) we got to the front to find it was down to only their pulled pork. No matter, things were going to be different this time.

This time around we went through the drive-thru in Westerville and came away with a hefty amount of meats and sides.

All about those sides.

Those Sides Though

Scratch Mac-n-cheese, Cornbread Puddin, Creamy Cole Slaw, Pit Baked Beans and a lil’ dab of some side sauce filled our plates pretty nicely. The Pit Baked Beans have a rich brown sugar flavor to them and are in a thick sauce (none of that runniness you get elsewhere). Mac-n-cheese was the quickest to go amongst our group, so read into that however you want. If going to the Clintonville location I’d likely smash a solid serving of their Cheesy Potatoes. While sides aren’t the feature, Ray Ray’s sides are a complementary grouping for their main meats.

Little cup, little fire.

Habanero BBQ Sauce

Ray Ray’s rolls out four primary sauces with their main course, the Sweet BBQ, Jalapeño BBQ, Habanero BBQ, and Carolina Vinegar Based sauce. I was most interested in the Habanero BBQ and quickly found the cup with the “H” on the lid. Popping the top off as soon as I snagged it, I dipped in my utensil to try it out. There’s an immediate sweetness from the base followed by a bit more sweetness, potentially from honey?

A few more tastes in, I found the habanero. It’s subtle at first, but drowning my Mac-n-Cheese in the sauce was an excellent decision. The habanero heat rolls around at the back of your mouth with the thick sweetness, then slowly fades. A few sniffles cropped up, but not worthy of a tissue. I set aside the rest of the sauce for the main event.

Is that a hot link in your white bread or are you just happy to see me?

Ray Ray’s Hot Link

Hot Link cross-section. Very scientific.

Where Does It Rank on Our List?

Sitting with an empty tray before me, I considered the Hot Link. As a sausage, it reminds me of the taco brats I came to love at The Andersons and the House of Meat. The Hot Link alone would put Ray Ray’s Hot Pit at #64 just before Firdous Express Tunisian Chicken and after Flip Side and their Chili Pepper Burger. Adding the Habanero BBQ, we’re moving it up to #59, one layer above Beer Barrel Pizza and Grill’s Nuclear Hot Sauce Wings and below Spicy Hop’s Szechuan Minced Chicken.

You can find Ray Ray’s Hot Pit at any of the following locations:

• Food Truck at ace of cups [Clintonville]
• Food Truck at land-grant brewing [Franklinton]
• 5755 Maxtown Rd, Westerville Ohio 43082
• Food truck at Nocterra Brewing [Powell]

More Spiciest Dish in Columbus

Look below for more in our spiciest dish in Columbus series and hit us up if you have any suggestions that are not already on our list!

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