The Dish: No Playing Games at Ray’s The Steaks

The only thing at stake while dining at this joint is your ability to enjoy the complimentary fudge at the end of the meal. Restaurant owner, Michael Landrum, is no stranger to the food business. In addition to Ray’s The Steaks in Arlington, Va., Landrum is the culinary genius behind Ray’s Hell-Burger, where President Barack Obama has famously stopped by on numerous occasions. Outside of Virginia, Landrum owns Ray’s The Steaks at East River, in D.C., and Ray’s The Classics in Silver Spring, Md.

Don’t expect any overdone furnishings or flashy signs in this local steakhouse, but do go in with the highest expectations of a flawless meal. From the impressive wine selection to the decadent Key lime pie, Ray’s The Steaks is sure to be a dining experience that will linger on long after the last bite.

The stripped down steakhouse keeps the menu simple, but is sure to please all (assuming you’re carnivorous). Within seconds, your table is dressed with spiced cashews and aromatic rosemary bread, menus are in hand, and an attentive waiter is by your side. No need to mill about the menu, order the crab bisque and Caesar salad to start. The bisque is heavenly and generous with its offering of lump crab meat. The salad is perfectly dressed, not too heavy, but full of flavor with a dash of citrus. No matter what your steak preference is, Ray’s will cook up something amazing for you. The Brazilian strip is a thicker cut, but flavorful and juicy. This steak comes with piranha sauce, a fiery, spicy, green sauce. However, the restaurant offers an array of sauces from house garlic-herb butter to a to-die-for brandy mushroom cream. Steaks are served with bottomless buttery mashed potatoes and creamed spinach. For those who aren’t so steak crazy, Ray’s offers alternatives like the bacon-wrapped scallops, blackened salmon and crab royale. Pace yourself and save room for dessert, the Key lime pie and milk chocolate mousse are both exquisitely crafted and served with a helping of sweet strawberries.

And what’s better than wining and dining in good company? Doing it for a good cause, of course. Each and every Sunday, Ray’s the Steaks donates 10 percent of its total sales to an after-school meal program for in need and at risk youth through the Boys and Girls Club in Northeast D.C. Thousands have already been donated, and Ray’s is on its way to its goal of $100,000.

In the steakhouse scene, this is one restaurant (and value) that you do not want to miss out on.

Call 703-841-7297
Located at 2300 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22209