| Ray's Hell Burger | |
|---|---|
 Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev at Ray's Hell Burger in June 2010 | |
 | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | July 1, 2008 |
| Owner(s) | Michael Landrum |
| Food type | American |
| Street address | 1725 Wilson Blvd. |
| City | Arlington |
| State | Virginia |
| Postal/ZIP Code | 22209 |
| Country | United States |
Ray's Hell Burger was a hamburger restaurant in Arlington, Virginia, part of a group of restaurants in the Washington metropolitan area under the "Ray's" name owned by restaurateur Michael Landrum.
In 2002, Michael Landrum opened the restaurant Ray's the Steaks in Arlington after experience in restaurants in Europe and working various front-of-the-house jobs at Washington, D.C. restaurants, including Restaurant Nora, The Capital Grille, 701 restaurant, and Morton's The Steakhouse. [1] The name "Ray" was a nickname given to Landrum by a former girlfriend, and Ray's the Steaks quickly gained notoriety as a no-frills steakhouse with affordable prices. [1] [2] In 2007, Landrum was named Washingtonian magazine's Restaurateur of the Year. [3]
In 2006, Landrum opened Ray's the Classics in Silver Spring, Maryland, serving steaks and an expanded menu from a kitchen led by Chef Michael Hartzer, who came from Georgetown's Michel Richard Citronelle. [4] In 2013, Ray's the Classics was sold to two of its employees. [5] The restaurant closed in 2018. [6]
Landrum opened Ray's the Steaks at East River in Washington, D.C. but it closed in 2012. [7]
Ray's Steaks closed in June 2019 after 17 years in business. [8]
Landrum opened Ray's Hell Burger in Arlington on July 1, 2008, serving a $7 burger made with prime beef from Ray's the Steaks. [9] [10] [11] Burger toppings were unique, and included seared foie gras, roasted bone marrow, and double-cream brie. [12] [13]
United States president Barack Obama and vice-president Joe Biden ate at Ray's Hell Burger in May 2009. [14] [15] [16] That first visit caused such an increase in business that it forced Landrum to expand the restaurant at an adjacent location. [17] Obama took Russian president Dmitry Medvedev to Ray's Hell Burger in June 2010. [18]
After a landlord dispute, Ray's Hell-Burger and Hell-Burger Too closed in January 2013. [19] Ray's Hell-Burger reopened in a different location across the street in September 2014. [13] This location closed on May 13, 2017. [20]
A Ray's Hell Burger opened in Mount Vernon Triangle in Washington, D.C., in 2015, but this location, the last remaining "Ray's" restaurant, closed in June 2019. [21]
Surf and turf or surf 'n' turf is a main course combining seafood and red meat. A typical seafood component would be lobster, prawns, shrimp, squid or scallops, any of which could be steamed, grilled or breaded and fried. The meat is typically beef steak, although others may be used. One standard combination is lobster tail and filet mignon.
Morton's The Steakhouse is a chain of steak restaurants with locations in the United States and franchised abroad, founded in Chicago in 1978. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Landry's.
Komi is a Washington, D.C., restaurant operated by Chef Johnny Monis, serving Italian- and Greek-influenced dishes.
Robert Kinkead was an American chef and restaurateur based in Washington D.C.
The Capital Grille is an American restaurant chain of upscale steakhouses owned by Darden Restaurants. The brand has locations in twenty-five states, the District of Columbia, and Mexico City.
Eric Ziebold is an American chef and restaurateur with two Michelin Star restaurants in Washington, D.C., Kinship and Métier. He was executive chef at CityZen from 2004 to 2014, where he won several awards, including a James Beard Award.
Peter Chang is a Chinese chef specializing in Sichuan cuisine who is known for his restaurants in Virginia and other states in the Southeastern United States.
Nicholas Stefanelli is an American chef and restaurateur in Washington, D.C., known for his Michelin-starred Italian restaurant Masseria.
Comet Ping Pong is a pizzeria, restaurant, and concert venue located on Connecticut Avenue in Washington, D.C.'s Chevy Chase neighborhood. Owned by James Alefantis, Comet has received critical acclaim from The Washington Post, The Washingtonian, New York magazine, the DCist, and Guy Fieri of Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
Robert Wiedmaier is a West German-born, Belgian American chef. He owns multiple restaurants in and around Washington, D.C. and is known for creating dishes involving Belgian cuisine, specifically mussels.
Elevation Burger is an American fast casual restaurant chain that specializes in organic hamburgers. The company originated in Falls Church, Virginia, within the Washington Metropolitan Area. They have over 40 locations operating in the United States, Bahrain, Kuwait & Qatar.
Rose's Luxury is a restaurant on Barracks Row in Washington, D.C., created by chef-owner Aaron Silverman. It is known for not taking reservations which creates long lines, such that a nearby bar's top cocktail is called 'Waiting for Rose's' and line waiters are reported to make up to thirty dollars an hour waiting in line. President Barack Obama celebrated his 54th birthday at Rose's after First Lady Michelle Obama previously ate at the restaurant. The opening of Rose's Luxury in 2013 was the subject of a documentary, New Chefs on the Block. Chef Aaron Silverman had prior experience at Momofuku. It opened a fine dining restaurant next door to Rose's Luxury named Pineapple & Pearls in 2016. Silverman has been the subject of a profile in The Washington Post, which characterized his work as mastery of 'the art of serious play'.
Woodberry Kitchen is a New American restaurant in Baltimore's Woodberry neighborhood. In 2015, Woodberry Kitchen's founder, Spike Gjerde, won the James Beard Award for “Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic,” making him Baltimore’s only James Beard Award winner.
Ashok Bajaj is a restaurateur based in Washington, DC. He is head of the Knightsbridge Restaurant Group.
Pineapple & Pearls is a restaurant located on Barracks Row in Washington, D.C., serving a fixed-price multi-course dinner. The Washington Post gave the restaurant a four-star review, writing that Aaron Silverman, the chef and owner, "...pushes the fine-dining cause in only exquisite directions."
Fiola is an Italian restaurant located in Washington, D.C. that opened in 2011. It has received positive reviews in The Washington Post. It is one of several restaurants owned by the couple Fabio and Maria Trabocchi in the city. The Trabocchis have announced plans to open a second location in Miami.
Fabio Trabocchi is an Italian chef and restaurateur based in Washington, D.C., where his restaurant Fiola earned a Michelin Star. Before opening his own restaurants, Trabocchi ran kitchens in London, Virginia, and New York, winning a James Beard Foundation Award in 2006.
The Dabney is a restaurant located in Blagden Alley, in the Shaw neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Chef-owner Jeremiah Langhorne opened the restaurant in 2015, focusing on Mid-Atlantic cuisine. The Dabney was named one of the Best New Restaurants of 2016 by Bon Appétit magazine, it was a awarded a Michelin Star in 2017, and Chef Langhorne won the James Beard Award for Best Chef, Mid-Atlantic in 2018.
Ann Cashion is a James Beard Award-winning chef and restaurateur in Washington D.C.
Annie Kaylor was a restaurateur known for running Annie's Paramount Steakhouse and for her support of the LGBT community in Washington, D.C.
Beginning Sunday, May 14 [2017] this location of Ray's Hell-Burger will be on hiatus. The last service will be on Saturday, May 13. Please continue to visit Ray's Hell Burger at 449 K Street NW, 7 days a week.