100 Very Best 2014Michael Landrum’s minimally adorned steakhouses—Ray’s the Steaks in Arlington and Ray’s the Classics in Silver Spring—offer white-tablecloth fare at reasonable prices. At Ray’s Hell-Burger and Nice ’n’ Greasy Steak ’n’ Cheesy, he elevates junk-food favorites with great ingredients. This movie-poster-lined dining room offers the best of both. You can go high end with a bone-marrow-flanked New York strip or casual with a gloriously greasy cheesesteak (get it with the spicy mayo known as “groove grease”) or the spectacular Mack burger, topped with American cheese and tangy “heck sauce.”
Don’t miss: Mixed baby greens; crab bisque; lobster mac and cheese; crab royale; creamed spinach;n Shake and Bake shake with caramel, chocolate, bourbon, and bacon crumbles.
Open: Daily for lunch and dinner.
Moderate.
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
