Review: Ray's the Steaks

Ray's the Steaks
2300 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA
(703) 841-7297

Our party of three arrived 1 minute early for our 8:30 reservation on Friday night. There was a line out the door. A competent but visibly stressed hostess scribbled notes and names on a tattered yellow legal pad as we announced we'd arrived. She indicated we'd be seated soon. Within 10 minutes we were at our table. The restaurant was louder than I expected, but we sat in a smaller table in the back. Most of the noise didn't make it all the way back to us.  

We were greeted at our table with a napkin, a fork, and a knife. A wine glass and water glass awaited our beverage choices. Within seconds, a few chunks of good foccacia bread and spiced cashews came with good, cold water.  The menu was laminated and more extensive than I expected. Several offerings are not for the faint of heart (literally), including a 28-oz cowboy steak and a 32-oz top sirloin. I chose more responsibly. A cajun ribeye. My dining partners chose to enjoy starters of caesar salad and lobster bisque. Both were above average. The bisque was very buttery and generous on the lobster. The caesar dressing was garlicky, not mayonnaise-y and the lettuce was fresh and crisp.

We ordered what I considered the best value on the menu -- a $15.00 bottle of 1997 Tempranillo, a Spanish red with full and interesting flavor. It paired well with the fatty ribeye and the whipped potatoes, which came as a gratis side with creamed spinach. The potatoes were near-perfect, ideal texture and light flavor. The creamed spinach did not impress, but wasn't bad, either.

The stars of the show was really were the main courses. My steak was beautifully charred, generous in portion, and cooked perfectly. A medium rare steak is one of my favorite things, so to impress me with one is an accomplishment. The service was incredibly fast, almost as though we'd called ahead with our orders. My dining partners had blacked sea scallops with sauteed garlic (which also topped my steak) and a hangar steak. The aforementioned sides matched up pretty well. The garlic on my steak was soft and i spread it into my steak like spread. It was an excellent addition.

The seared scallops were unexpectedly spicy and certainly delicious. The hanger steak was, as described on the menu, not the most tender cut available, but stiff competition for my ribeye. Overall, I was pleased with our selections and eager to come back and try some of the other amazing cuts on their menu.

We ordered dessert. I ordered the New York cheesecake, which was good to very good... not too sweet. We also shared the dark chocolate mousse, whose flavors were classic but the texture was closer to that of cold cake frosting than whipped mousse. No one complained about that, though.

The food is truly 100% of the Ray's the Steaks experience. Do not expect frills, garnish, or even particularly warm staff. No one is rude, but their philosophy, as printed on their menu, is to serve as many tables as possible the most excellent meat at the lowest prices. Mission accomplished. We were in and out in an hour in and ten minutes. It's the best value on a steakhouse I have ever seen in the metro-Washington area, unless you'd like to try Outback. Ranging from $18.00 - $55.00, the entrees aren't going to break the bank... and are worth every cholesterol-laden penny.

Ray's the steaks gets a must try rating from this carnivore. Let me know when you want to visit the Courthouse neighborhood of Arlington so I can try it again!