AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON May 16, 2003

                                        REGISTRATION FILE NO. __________________

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
                                ----------------
                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                        RYAN'S FAMILY STEAK HOUSES, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

         South Carolina                                    57-0657895
(State or other jurisdiction of             (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
incorporation or organization)


                          405 LANCASTER AVENUE (29650)
                           POST OFFICE BOX 100 (29652)
                              GREER, SOUTH CAROLINA
                           (864) 879-1000 (TELEPHONE)
                        (Address, including Zip code, and
                           telephone number, including
                           area code, of registrant's
                          principal executive offices)

             RYAN'S FAMILY STEAK HOUSES, INC. 2002 STOCK OPTION PLAN
             -------------------------------------------------------
                              (Full title of plans)

                              CT CORPORATION SYSTEM
                                75 BEATTIE PLACE
                          TWO INSIGNIA FINANCIAL PLAZA
                        GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA 29601
              (864) 240-3200 (Name, address, and telephone number,
                   including area code, of agent for service)

                                   Copies to:
                              ERIC B. AMSTUTZ, ESQ.
                     WYCHE, BURGESS, FREEMAN & PARHAM, P.A.
                               POST OFFICE BOX 728
                      GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA 29602-0728
              (864) 242-8200 (TELEPHONE) (864) 235-8900 (FACSIMILE)

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Title of Each     Proposed         Proposed
Class of          Maximum          Maximum          Aggregate     Amount of
Securities to     Amount to        Offering Price   Offering      Registration
be Registered     be Registered    Per Security     Price (1)     Fee
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock.... 3,600,000 shares  $ 12.75    (1)  $44,733,932    $3,618.98

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Pursuant  to Rule  457(h),  the  exercise  price of $ $10.46 is used for the
  purpose of calculating  the  registration  fee as to 509,200 issued shares and
  the average of the high and low  prices as  reported  by the Nasdaq  National
  Market  System of  $12.75 on May 15, 2003 is used for  purposes of calculating
  the registration fee as to 3,090,800 unissued shares.


                    The Exhibit Index appears on Page  4   hereof.






PART I:  INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

ITEM 1. PLAN INFORMATION.
        ----------------

         Not  included  in this  Registration  Statement  but  provided or to be
provided to the participants in the following plan (the "Plan") of Ryan's Family
Steak Houses, Inc. (the "Company") pursuant to Rule 428(b) of the Securities Act
of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act").

                  Ryan's Family Steak Houses, Inc. 2002 Stock Option Plan

ITEM 2.  REGISTRANT INFORMATION AND EMPLOYEE PLAN ANNUAL INFORMATION.
         -----------------------------------------------------------

         Not  included  in this  Registration  Statement  but  provided or to be
provided to the Plan's  participants  pursuant to Rule 428(b) of the  Securities
Act.

PART II: INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

ITEM 3.  INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.
         ---------------------------------------

         The following  documents or portions thereof are hereby incorporated by
reference:

          The  Company's  Annual  Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal  year ended
January 1, 2003, Commission File No. 0-10943.

         All other  reports  filed by the Company  pursuant to Section  13(a) or
15(d) of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, as amended,  since the end of the
Company's 2001 fiscal year.

         The  description  of  the  Company's  common  stock  contained  in  the
Company's Form 8-A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February
9, 1995, Commission File No. 0-10943.

         All documents  subsequently  filed by the Company  pursuant to Sections
13(a),  13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, as amended,
prior to the  filing of a  post-effective  amendment  which  indicates  that all
securities  offered  have been sold or which  deregisters  all  securities  then
remaining  unsold,  shall be  deemed to be  incorporated  by  reference  in this
Registration  Statement and to be part thereof,  from the date of filing of such
documents.

ITEM 4.  DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES.
         -------------------------

         Not applicable.

ITEM 5.  INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL.
         --------------------------------------

         Not applicable.

ITEM 6.  INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.
         -----------------------------------------

         Sections  33-8-500  through  33-8-580 of the 1976 Code of Laws of South
Carolina,  as amended,  (the  "Code")  relating to  permissible,  mandatory  and
court-ordered  indemnification  of  directors  and  officers  of South  Carolina
corporations  in certain  circumstances,  is set forth in  Exhibit  99.2 of this
Registration Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.




         Article V of the Company's Bylaws provides as follows:

                  "Section 5.1  Indemnification  of Directors.  The  Corporation
          shall indemnify any individual made a party to a proceeding because he
          is or was a director of the Corporation  against liability incurred in
          the proceeding to the fullest extent permitted by law.

                  Section 5.2 Advance  Expenses for Directors.  The  Corporation
          shall pay for or  reimburse  the  reasonable  expenses  incurred  by a
          director  who  is  a  party  to  a  proceeding  in  advance  of  final
          disposition of the proceeding to the fullest extent permitted by law.

                  Section 5.3 Indemnification of Officers, Agents, and Employees
          Who Are Not  Directors.  The  board of  directors  may  indemnify  and
          advance   expenses  to  any  officer,   employee,   or  agent  of  the
          corporation,  who is not a director of the corporation, to any extent,
          consistent  with  public  policy,  as  determined  by the  general  or
          specific action of the board of directors."

         The  Articles of  Amendment  to the  Articles of  Incorporation  of the
registrant filed with the South Carolina  Secretary of State's office on May 31,
1989 provide as follows:

                  "A director of the corporation  shall not be personally liable
          to the corporation or any of its shareholders for monetary damages for
          breach of fiduciary  duty as a director,  provided that this provision
          shall not be deemed to eliminate or limit the  liability of a director
          (i)  for  any  breach  of  the  director's  duty  of  loyalty  to  the
          corporation  or its  stockholders;  (ii) for acts or omissions  not in
          good faith or which involved gross negligence, intentional misconduct,
          or a knowing violation of law; (iii) imposed under Section 33-8-330 of
          the  South  Carolina  Business   Corporation  Act  of  1988  (improper
          distribution to  shareholder);  or (iv) for any transaction from which
          the director derived an improper personal benefit."

         The Plan provides for  indemnification  of the members of the committee
of the Company's board of directors that administers the Plan as follows:

                  "In addition to such other rights of  indemnification  as they
          may have as members of the Board,  the members of the Committee shall,
          to the fullest extent  permitted by law, be indemnified by the Company
          against the reasonable  expenses,  including attorney's fees, actually
          and necessarily incurred in connection with the defense of any action,
          suit,  investigation  or other  proceeding,  or in connection with any
          appeal therein,  to which they or any of them may be a party by reason
          of any action taken or failure to act under or in connection  with the
          Plan or any Option granted thereunder, and against all amounts paid by
          them in settlement  thereof  (provided such  settlement is approved by
          independent  legal counsel selected by the Company) or paid by them in
          satisfaction  of a judgment in any such  action,  suit or  proceeding,
          except in relation to matters as to which it shall be adjudged in such
          action,  suit or  proceeding  that such  Board  member  (or  Committee
          member, as applicable) is liable for gross negligence or misconduct in
          the  performance  of his or her duties;  provided  that within 60 days
          after  institution  of any such action,  suit or proceeding  the Board
          members (or Committee  member,  as applicable)  shall in writing offer
          the Company the opportunity,  at its own expense, to handle and defend
          the same."

ITEM 7.  EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED.
         -----------------------------------

         Not applicable.




ITEM 8.  EXHIBITS.
         --------

4.1       Articles of Incorporation of the Company, as amended through April 24,
          1986:  Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4(a) of the Company's Form
          S-3, Commission File No. 33-7245

4.2       Articles of Amendment to the  Articles of  Incorporation,  dated April
          22, 1987:  Incorporated  by reference to Exhibit 3.2 of the  Company's
          Annual  Report on Form 10-K for the  period  ended  January  1,  1992,
          Commission File No. 0-10943

4.3       Articles of Amendment to the Articles of Incorporation,  dated May 25,
          1989:  Incorporated  by  reference  to  Exhibit  4.3 to the  Company's
          Registration Statement on Form S-8, Commission File No. 33-53834

4.4       Bylaws of the Company: Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.3 of the
          Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 29,
          1999, Commission File No. 0-10943.

4.5       Amendment   to  Bylaws  of  the  Company   dated   October  25,  1990:
          Incorporated  by  reference  to Exhibit  3.3 to the  Company's  Annual
          Report on Form 10-K for the year 1991, Commission File No. 0-10943.

4.6       Amendment  to  Bylaws  of  the  Company   dated   January,   28  1999:
          Incorporated  by reference to Exhibit  3.2.2 to the  Company's  Annual
          Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 29, 1999, Commission
          File No. 0-10943.

4.7       Specimen certificate for common stock of the Company:  Incorporated by
          reference to Exhibit 4.1 of the  Company's  Annual Report on Form 10-K
          for the year 1991, Commission File No. 0-10943.

5.1       Opinion of Wyche,  Burgess,  Freeman & Parham, P.A. regarding legality
          of shares of Ryan's Family Steak Houses, Inc.

23.1      Consent of KPMG LLP.

23.2      Consent  of  Wyche,  Burgess,  Freeman & Parham,  P.A.:  contained  in
          Exhibit 5.1.

24.1      Power  of  Attorney:   Contained  on  the   signature   page  of  this
          Registration Statement.

99.1      Ryan's Family Steak Houses, Inc. 2002 Stock Option Plan,  effective as
          of August 1, 2002.

99.2      Sections  33-8-500  through 33-8-580 of the 1976 Code of Laws of South
          Carolina, as amended.

ITEM 9.  UNDERTAKINGS.
         ------------

         (a) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

                  (1) To file,  during any  period in which  offers or sales are
         being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement;

                           (i) To include  any  prospectus  required  by Section
                  10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;



                           (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events
                  arising after the effective date of the registration statement
                  (or the most recent  post-effective  amendment thereof) which,
                  individually  or in the  aggregate,  represent  a  fundamental
                  change  in the  information  set  forth  in  the  registration
                  statement.  Notwithstanding  the  foregoing,  any  increase or
                  decrease in volume of securities  offered (if the total dollar
                  value of  securities  offered  would not exceed that which was
                  registered)  and any deviation from the low or high end of the
                  estimated  maximum offering range may be reflected in the form
                  of  prospectus  filed  with the  Commission  pursuant  to Rule
                  424(b) if, in the  aggregate,  the changes in volume and price
                  represent  no more than a 20  percent  change  in the  maximum
                  aggregate  offering  price  set forth in the  "Calculation  of
                  Registration   Fee"  table  in  the   effective   registration
                  statement; and

                           (iii)  To  include  any  material   information  with
                  respect to the plan of distribution  not previously  disclosed
                  in the  registration  statement or any material change to such
                  information in the registration statement;

         provided,  however,  that  paragraphs  (a)(1)(i) and  (a)(1)(ii) do not
         apply if the  registration  statement is on Form S-3,  Form S-8 or Form
         F-3, and the  information  required to be included in a  post-effective
         amendment by those  paragraphs  is contained in periodic  reports filed
         with or  furnished  to the  Commission  by the  registrant  pursuant to
         Section  13 or 15(d) of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of 1934 that are
         incorporated by reference in the registration statement.

                  (2) That, for the purpose of determining  any liability  under
         the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be
         deemed to be a new  registration  statement  relating to the securities
         offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall
         be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

                  (3) To remove from  registration by means of a  post-effective
         amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at
         the termination of the offering.

         (b) The undersigned  registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining  any liability  under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
registrant's  annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable,  each filing of an employee benefit
plan's annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934) that is incorporated by reference in the  registration  statement shall be
deemed to be a new  registration  statement  relating to the securities  offered
therein,  and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be
the initial bona fide offering thereof.

         (h)  Insofar  as  indemnification  for  liabilities  arising  under the
Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors,  officers and  controlling
persons of the registrant  pursuant to the foregoing  provisions,  or otherwise,
the  registrant  has been  advised  that in the  opinion of the  Securities  and
Exchange  Commission such  indemnification is against public policy as expressed
in the Act and is,  therefore,  unenforceable.  In the  event  that a claim  for
indemnification  against  such  liabilities  (other  than  the  payment  by  the
registrant of expenses  incurred or paid by a director,  officer or  controlling
person of the  registrant  in the  successful  defense  of any  action,  suit or
proceeding)  is  asserted by such  director,  officer or  controlling  person in
connection with the securities being registered,  the registrant will, unless in
the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent,
submit  to a  court  of  appropriate  jurisdiction  the  question  whether  such
indemnification  by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will
be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

                                   SIGNATURES



         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, Ryan's Family Steak
Houses,  Inc.  certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets
all of the  requirements  for  filing  on  Form  S-8 and has  duly  caused  this
Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned,  thereunto
duly authorized, in the City of Greer, State of South Carolina, on May 16, 2003.

                                      RYAN'S FAMILY STEAK HOUSES, INC.


                                      By: /s/ Charles D. Way
                                         ---------------------------------------
                                         Charles D. Way
                                         President and Chief Executive Officer

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

         KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE  PRESENTS,  that each person whose  signature
appears below constitutes and appoints Charles D. Way and G. Edwin McCranie, and
each of them, as true and lawful  attorneys-in-fact  and agents, with full power
of substitution and  resubstitution for him or her and in his or her name, place
and stead, in any and all capacities,  to sign any and all amendments (including
post-effective amendments) to this registration statement, and to file the same,
with all annexes thereto, and other documents in connection therewith,  with the
Securities and Exchange  Commission,  granting unto said  attorneys-in-fact  and
agents,  and each of them,  full power and  authority to do and perform each and
every  act and  thing  requisite  and  necessary  to be done  in and  about  the
premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in
person,  hereby  ratifying and confirming all which said  attorneys-in-fact  and
agents or any of them,  or their or his or her  substitute or  substitutes,  may
lawfully do, or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

         Pursuant  to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Act of  1933,  this
registration  statement  has  been  signed  by  the  following  persons  in  the
capacities and as of the dates indicated:

SIGNATURE                 TITLE                                   DATE

/s/ Charles D. Way        Chairman of the Board                   May 16, 2003
-----------------------   President and Chief Executive Officer
Charles D. Way            (Principal Executive Officer)

/s/ G. Edwin McCranie     Executive Vice President                May 16, 2003
-----------------------   and Director
G. Edwin McCranie

/s/ Fred T. Grant, Jr.    Sr. Vice President - Finance,           May 16, 2003
-----------------------   Trasurer and Asst. Secretary
Fred T. Grant, Jr.        (Principal Accounting and Financial Officer)

/s/ James D. Cockman      Director                                May 16, 2003
-----------------------
James D. Cockman

/s/ Barry L. Edwards      Director                                May 16, 2003
-----------------------
Barry L. Edwards




SIGNATURE                 TITLE                                       DATE


/s/ Brian S. MacKenzie    Director                                May 2, 2003
-----------------------
Brian S. MacKenzie


/s/ Harold Roberts, Jr.   Director                                May 16, 2003
-----------------------
Harold K. Roberts, Jr.


/s/ J. M. Shoemaker, Jr.  Director                               May 5, 2003
-----------------------
James M. Shoemaker, Jr.








                        INDEX TO EXHBITS CONTAINED HEREIN


Exhibit


5.1  Opinion of Wyche,  Burgess,  Freeman & Parham,  P.A.  regarding legality of
     shares of Ryan's Family Steak Houses, Inc.

23.1 Consent of KPMG LLP.

23.2 Consent of Wyche,  Burgess,  Freeman & Parham,  P.A.:  Contained in Exhibit
     5.1.

24.1 Power of Attorney:  Contained on the  signature  page of this  Registration
     Statement.

99.1 Ryan's  Family Steak Houses,  Inc. 2002 Stock Option Plan,  effective as of
     August 1, 2002.

99.2 Sections  33-8-500  through 33-8-580 of the Code of Laws of South Carolina,
     as amended.