UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 4
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
( ) Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16.
Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instructions 1(b).
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person
   Turbow, Ilene
   405 Lancaster Avenue
   Greer, SC  29650
   USA
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
   Ryan's Family Steak Houses, Inc.
   RYAN
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)
   253-84-8799
4. Statement for Month/Year
   January 2001
5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)

6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
   ( ) Director ( ) 10% Owner (X) Officer (give title below) ( ) Other
   (specify below)
   Vice President - Marketing
7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
   (X) Form filed by One Reporting Person
   ( ) Form filed by More than One Reporting Person


___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned                                                 |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
1. Title of Security       |2.    |3.    |4.Securities Acquired (A)         |5.Amount of        |6.Dir |7.Nature of Indirect       |
                           | Transaction |  or Disposed of (D)              |  Securities       |ect   |  Beneficial Ownership     |
                           |      |      |                                  |  Beneficially     |(D)or |                           |
                           |      |    | |                  | A/|           |  Owned at         |Indir |                           |
                           | Date |Code|V|    Amount        | D |    Price  |  End of Month     |ect(I)|                           |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
                                                                            
Common Stock               |12/14/|M   | |2,400             |A  |$6.97      |                   |      |                           |
                           |00    |    | |                  |   |           |                   |      |                           |
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Common Stock               |12/14/|M   | |750               |A  |$7.44      |                   |      |                           |
                           |00    |    | |                  |   |           |                   |      |                           |
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Common Stock               |12/14/|F   | |1,858             |D  |$9.00      |                   |      |                           |
                           |00    |    | |                  |   |           |                   |      |                           |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Common Stock               |12/14/|F   | |620               |D  |$9.00      |4,672              |D     |                           |
                           |00    |    | |                  |   |           |                   |      |                           |
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___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
 Table II -- Derivative Securitites Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned                                                   |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
1.Title of Derivative |2.Con-  |3.   |4.    |5.Number of De |6.Date Exer|7.Title and Amount  |8.Price|9.Number    |10.|11.Nature of|
  Security            |version |Transaction | rivative Secu |cisable and|  of Underlying     |of Deri|of Deriva   |Dir|Indirect    |
                      |or Exer |     |      | rities Acqui  |Expiration |  Securities        |vative |tive        |ect|Beneficial  |
                      |cise    |     |      | red(A) or Dis |Date(Month/|                    |Secu   |Securities  |(D)|Ownership   |
                      |Price of|     |      | posed of(D)   |Day/Year)  |                    |rity   |Benefi      |or |            |
                      |Deriva- |     |      |               |Date |Expir|                    |       |ficially    |Ind|            |
                      |tive    |     |      |           | A/|Exer-|ation|   Title and Number |       |Owned at    |ire|            |
                      |Secu-   |     |    | |           | D |cisa-|Date |   of Shares        |       |End of      |ct |            |
                      |rity    |Date |Code|V|  Amount   |   |ble  |     |                    |       |Month       |(I)|            |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
                                                                            
Employee Stock Option |$6.97   |12/14|M   | |2,400      |D  |11/22|11/22|Common Stock|2,400  |       |            |   |            |
(right to buy)        |        |/00  |    | |           |   |/96  |/06  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Employee Stock Option |$7.44   |12/14|M   | |750        |D  |01/22|01/22|Common Stock|750    |       |            |   |            |
(right to buy)        |        |/00  |    | |           |   |/98  |/08  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
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Employee Stock Option |$7.625  |10/15|A   |V|8,000      |A  |01/01|10/15|Common Stock|8,000  |       |41,490      |D  |            |
(right to buy)        |        |/00  |    | |           |   |/01  |/10  |            |       |       |            |   |            |
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                      |        |     |    | |           |   |     |     |            |       |       |            |   |            |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|

Explanation of Responses:
SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON
/s/Ilene Turbow
DATE
January 8, 2001