Ray’s Hell Burger

Great burger. Everything a burger should be, big, greasy, probably terrible for you.
The décor can be a bit of a turn off… looked like a dive to me, but when we finally got around to giving it a try, they turned out to be some first rate burgers.

I’ve been here many times and it gets worse each time I go. The burgers taste like frozen burgers from Costco and the milkshakes are from soft serve. I paid $ 5 for a milkshake I could have gotten from the McDonald’s dollar menu. Now there’s some weird restaurant within a restaurant and the place is having a serious identity crisis.

This is an awesome burger spot that used to be a lot more popular than it is now. President Obama has eaten here. Although there are a lot of other burger spots around now, Rays is still one of my favorites. They have lovely «pre-​built» burgers such as the Big Punisher and The Mack. I like to build my own: bison, egg, avocado, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, pickles, jalapenos, and mushrooms… that’s what I call a burger! Their patties are well-​seasoned and juicy. Be prepared to spend a few extra bucks for adding on certain toppings. The custom burgers here can get pricey.

Ray’s is a Northern VA staple and a must for any visitors. Huge (and I mean HUGE) hamburgers made any way you want, with a lot of great pre-​made suggestions. It’s no wonder President Obama chose to eat here! It is important to note that sometimes the lines can get pretty long and the restaurant pretty crowded, given its popularity.

I first came to this place when they used to locate in the little shopping center by phở.
Since then, the size of the burger has definitely decreased.
We sat at the self service side, which was poorly maintained. We had to clean or own table… Burgers were okay, nothing like the original size.

Phenomenal burgers and sandwiches. Well worth the price. I personally love the chicken sandwiches, but can’t go wrong with anything on the menu

What a disappointment this spot has become. I remember when it was across the street in its original location delivering one of the juiciest burgers one could buy in DC. Now? I would rather have Wendy’s. The burger patties are so dry — lacking the richness and fatty goodness from before — add some brisket to that patty mix!!! The interior looks confused and there is another restaurant that is only open for dinner a few days out of the week inside the burger joint. Service was efficient but unenthusiastic — a smile goes a long way and none of the folks there look like they want to be there. Hoping they turn things around but for now, I won’t be returning to get my burger fix.

Some of the best burgers around… all fresh, customized and made to order! Ray’s Hell Burger is what started it all… and them came Ray’s the Steaks (incredible), then Ray’s the Third (Cheeseteaks — now merged with Ray’s Hell Burger), and I think there were a few more Ray’s places too… but all were above average.
Ray’s Hell Burger offers tasty burgers that you can create freestyle or you can pick from one of their many creative concoctions. They also have great chicken sandwiches and cheesesteaks. Sides are great but not necessarily amazing. The shakes though… those are definitely tasty!
I typically build my own burger with one or two patties, bacon, grilled onions and barbecue sauce. I pair with a Mexican Coca-​Cola and some fries (regular and/​or sweet potato) for a proper meal. If I’m not stuffed, getting a shake to go is a great way to finish off such a tasty meal!
I don’t go often, so I hope quality has not gone downhill, given recent reviews. Will always be better than Five Guys though!

Overall rating: 2.4÷5
Food rating: 4.8÷5
Everything other than food rating (environment, service, etc): ⁰⁄₅
Long story, short:
The chef is a master, but the manager must be a 5 year old.
Food:
Absolutely amazing. I got a «funky president» single cheeseburger medium rare (plain beef burger with Vermont white cheddar and a tasty, thick tomato slice). It was perfectly juicy and yummy. I guess the only problem was that the bun was a little too small for the burger, but you can continue eating the beef with a fork and it’s still really good.
My brother got the «regulate» (something like that) and he loved it. It was blackened (with spices) and came with pico de gallo and pepper jack cheese another ingredient (avocados I think?)
My mom got a cheese burger «Au poivre» with an egg on it and avocados. She loved it too.
The burgers were better than my dad’s homemade grilled cheeseburgers, which is no small feat.
By the way, the burgers air on the side of less cooked. So if you usually get medium rare (like me), but you don’t want it bloody (not like me), then maybe you should try medium.
We also got some plain fries. They were thick, somewhat crispy (just a bit), and not light on the salt. And they were delicious. But I didn’t get to eat more than a few because the Funky President was so filling.
Also I got the Mudpie milkshake which was so freaking good. It’s just a vanilla milkshake stuffed with Oreo crumbs and chocolate. Cookie’s and crème milkshake, essentially!
My dad also got a chocolate shake, which he finished before the food came, surprisingly. I was a little disappointed at first that they made the milkshake size a little smaller, but I couldn’t even finish it anyways.
Now on to the managing. Oh boy. This might sound like a bit of a rant.
For starters, I’ve been coming here every once in a while, for a couple years now. And literally every time I’ve come back, they’ve changed something. Unfortunately the changes have never been for the better. It used to be a nice restaurant with table service on CLEAN tables, and it was efficient and there was enough room for everybody. Now it’s not even a freaking restaurant anymore! At restaurants, you sit, you order, and the food is served to you at the table. Here, you go up and order the food at a tiny counter with only ONE cashier and you get a little buzzer that tells you when to pick up your order. They even give it to you in carry out bags, which you then must throw away (and the trash cans were stuffed). Talk about a waste of paper. If you want a drink, you get a cup and fill it up at the soda fountain, just like fast food places. Even though the fountain is plastered with coke stickers, they were out of coke and fanta orange and probably more.
Also, a third of the place has small, crowded tables in a very poorly lit area and another third of the place is closed off, and being rented to another restaurant. Seriously. There is another completely different, legitimate restaurant inside of Ray’s Hell Burgers. Something about Georgian cuisine (it’s called «the tasty dugout», and features «zemblan cuisine», which is from some Russian novel or something).
I’m pretty sure the manager just fired all his employees except for one cashier and a chef. I would understand this if Virginia’s minimum wage was $ 15 an hour, but it’s not. (it’s $ 7.25 an hour).
I think this is the first (and hopefully last) restaurant that we went from tipping generously to not tipping at all
In conclusion, the manager is autistic.

So, I’ve visited Ray’s a couple of times but sadly, I’ve never gotten anything but a vanilla milkshake to go. Regardless, I give them five stars because the milkshake is always perfectly blended and the service is always quick. Sometimes they even have free popcorn while you wait! I especially like the fact that the to go service is separate from their sit-​down service so you’re in a completely different area than the dining room when you order and wait for your food. This is my #1 my go-​to place for a good/​thick milkshake!

4.5 stars it is! Love Ray’s Hell Burger for a convenient and affordable, burger-​fulfilling, sweet potato fries-​satisfying default-​burger place to take friends (and myself) when we want a burger. I heard that Ray’s patties are made from the scraps of Ray’s Steakhouse steaks. *chew on that for a moment*
I am LAME at Ray’s. I always get the same thing — the Big Punisher and sweet potato fries. I get the Kids Size (4 oz) burger. Same buns and burger fillings, same free topping choices, but the patty is smaller than the regular 6 oz patty. Works perfectly for me~
The only other thing I have tried is the strawberry shake! Artificial and food-​colored looking but deeeelicious!
Now I must comment on the many changes I have seen Ray’s through. First it was an entirely sit-​down service restaurant, then it became half-​sit down, half takeout and they served complimentary POPCORN (this was my favorite stage), and now it is ¾ takeout restaurant with tables to sit and eat at and ¼ FANCY steakhouse. Luckily, the quality of the food has not gone down, exceptttt my medium requests have been served well-​done the past two times I have come!!!
Lastly, the staff could smile more, and the trash cans can be bigger. Mostly everyone orders and eats at the restaurant so the trash cans currently cannot accommodate all our takeout boxes and cups!

Went and gps did not get me there exactly. Inside paint color reminds me of Flash Gordon, the vibe is a little bare bones, and walls could use some pics of superheroes or something. Initially gave me the wrong order, but after 8 minutes I received what can only be described as heaven on a bun. Perfectly cooked, juicy, flavorful meat —I got the double (12oz) «Mack» with tots and a soda for 20. Makes five guys taste like an ordinary burger, as this burger is truly extraordinary. Only beef is that the bottom bun was soaked with meat juice and the double burger fell apart but I only took about 2 minutes to inhale the best burger I have had since I had JG Melons in NYC. May order the single next time to facilitate eating and keep my bottom bun dry. Will be back after I run 3 miles. So happy right now

Um. Yeah. This is an interesting place. It has been around for a while I just never got to Arlington to try it out. What I had read about it indicated that the food would be good. Was it? Yes. It was good (not exceptionally great). I had a chili burger with fries. The fries were hot and tasty with just the right amount of salt. I must admit a weakness for McDonald’s fries and I would not put these up there with those but still good. The burger came on its own with the chili on the side, which is probably not a bad idea since the whole chili burger concept can end up a soggy mess otherwise. The chili was OK if not under spiced. The rest of the burger was pretty plain. So why did I just not get a good vibe from this place? Not sure but it feels like it struggles a bit with its identity? Is it a takeout place or a restaurant? They do not have wait staff per se. You order at the counter and they give you a pager gizmo to tell you when your food is ready. EVRYTHING came in a box, even though I was eating there. It seemed like a waste. At the same time they serve beer and have condiments out where the tables are so clearly they do a dine-​in business as well. And the layout is strange and disjointed. It just lacks character and charm.

Once famous Rays Hell burger has lost their mojo. No longer do you see the long lines of patrons anticipating a juicy burger President Obama once had. I have now taken this burger place off my list. The steak and cheese was ok. The burger was basically a grocery store frozen tasting burger. It’s a real shame

Was so excited to try this place, went on a snowy evening, barely anyone was there. Ordered The Brimstone (PURGATORY CHILI, VERMONT CHEDDAR, RED ONIONS AND JALAPEÑOS), the chili was cool and therefore cooled down the burger. The chili didn’t have great flavor, would’ve preferred it without.
I actually prefer Five Guys over Ray’s Hell Burger.
Positives:
— Free parking in the (tiny) garage next door
— Kid size shake, perfect after a filling burger

After being on a pretty strict healthy diet at the start of the year, I was out of town when friends suggested Ray’s Hell Burger for dinner. First off, I don’t eat beef, and of the other menu items, there wasn’t a single slightly healthy, non-​fried option. I was starving by the time we arrived, so I just had to go with it. I ordered the angry chicken, which is a fried chicken sandwich with two spicy sauces. The chicken was very heavily breaded and full of grease. I love super spicy food, but the heat of the sauces was totally overpowering and was too strong even for me. The food was super greasy, and I left feeling like I had a giant rock in my stomach. Bottom line, the food wasn’t great, and I don’t get why people love this place.
Other cons to Ray’s Hell Burger were the passive aggressive signs that were hanging up all over the place about why table service had been discontinued. The ambiance is also quite strange. The place now has an identity crisis because of the lack of table service, and they serve everything in paper bags. I’m not really sure what vibe they were attempting to create.
With the disappointing food and terrible ambiance, I would skip Ray’s.

Ray’s Hell Burger is an insomnia cure all. One burger and you will KO for at least five hours — this stuff is better than melatonin I tell you.
After a wonderful Easter service the boy and I decided to break Lent in the most delicious way possible, with a burger! We thought we would be the only people in the restaurant while everyone else in the world would be enjoying their fancy Easter hams and Eggs Benedict but we were wrong. There was several people in line who had the same ideas that we did, and I can bet you that nobody regretted their decision at all.
I got a single Big Poppa with carmelized onions, blue cheese crumbles and mushrooms. It was … to die for … The patty was thick and juicy. It tasted like a homemade patty that I was eating in somebody’s backyard and only got me even more psyched for summer.
The boy got the Philly Not Rilly? which is basically a steak and cheese but instead of thinly cut steak ‘ums they use tri-​tip chunks of steaks cooked to your preference on a garlic roll. He loved it so much he wanted to order another one and has brought it up at least twice a day since we left.
Tater tots and fries tasted very heavy (strong oil flavor) but I appreciated the different options.
I’ll be back… very soon.

Incredible burgers !!! I really love this place. Totally recommened.// excelentes las hamburguesas, tienen un sabor muy bueno. Adoro este sitio. Totalmente recomendado.

Wow, what a HUGE disappointment our most recent visit was. We moved away from NoVA about 2 years ago, and until that point were extremely frequent visitors to Ray’s. While back visiting friends we had to stop in for lunch. I’m sad to say that I was worried at the more recent negative reviews popping up on Unilocal,but still gave it a go.
I was originally a fan of Rays Hell Burger 2 that was across the street, because they had the, «Nice and Greasy, Steak and Cheesy.» More specifically, they had their «steak» sandwich that was out of this world fantastic. When the whole rent fiasco happened and they consolidated their 3 locations into this one, Nice and Greasy Steak and Cheesy came on board as well and there was never a change in quality.
However, they’ve now gone to a new steak sandwich format; I got the Philly? Not Rilly. On the whole, a mediocre steak sandwich (thick chunks of meat, some tough, some not, and way too much grilled onion) that pales in comparison to the previous iteration that existed for years. To say I regret the calories wasted on that sandwich is an understatement. The onion fries were still good. My wife said her burger was okay; she wanted the steak and cheese but changed course with the menu change and the negative reviews about the newer version. Also, what place gives you table service but requires you to go get your own drink? That was new since our last visit a while back. You can’t go home again… and I won’t try to.

It was very greasy… But very tasty. I felt like I had an additional 20 lbs on my thighs on the walk out. This is your typical burger joint but with really thick, delicious, higher-​quality meat. I had the Funky President, which had Vermont cheddar and tomato. Surprisingly, there was nothing special about the cheddar– it wasn’t sharp or creamy enough to taste. Sadly, the grease from the burger soaked part of the bun (ew). We also got sweet potato fries and tater tots. Both were great.
They seem to be cutting back on their sides and offerings. My boyfriend has previously had the onion fries and loved them, as they are sort of a fry/​onion ring hybrid and very unique. But when we went, they took them off the menu. Also, they used to offer sit down service on one side of the restaurant and counter service on the other, but when we went they had a sign saying no more sit down on the weekend.
But, it was yummy, and I can’t argue with that.

Outrageous. The service was terrible, understaffed. The place was filthy. And I’m the idiot who stayed anyway because it got such good reviews.
My burger was RAW. I sent it back and it came back RAW AGAIN. My boyfriend took it back and he came back with another number for a third burger. I was outraged and refused it and asked for a refund. My boyfriend ordered the chicken sandwich and it was neither good looking or tasty. My brother in law ordered his burger without cheese (because he obviously can’t have the cheese) and it came out with cheese. So basically my entire group had a terrible experience.
I will absolutely never return. I can only imagine the cleanliness of their kitchen by the looks of the rest of the place tonight.

Ray’s to the Third is a restaurant divided into two sections: one a typical burger joint (think Five Guys), and the other is a nicer sit-​down restaurant. We went to the former.
+ They have one vegetarian option on the menu, the vegetarian platter. It is a burger with a bunch of vegetables and cheese. I liked it, but the vegetables were pouring out of the burger that I really couldn’t eat it with my hands. I had to get a knife and fork so the burger contents could make it to my mouth and not the floor! I would like to see more vegetarian/​vegan options on their menu.
+ The sweet potato fries are delicious. Why are sweet potato fries so much better than regular fries?!
+ All your food comes in a nondescript white paper bag.
+ Free popcorn from a popcorn machine! Yum!

We recently came back here for dinner excited because it had been awhile since we had burgers from here. They finished renovating the place and opened up the full-​service portion of the restaurant which was nice since before it had been a self-​service spot while they were renovating. The menu looked a tad bit different and the cheesesteaks weren’t even listed! We asked our waitress and she said that they were still making it til the end of the year but I think they will be getting rid of them from the menu?
The food came out and it was just okay. Nothing great. Before this used to be our go-​to burger joint especially with the bone marrow addition to the menu that most restaurants don’t offer but they also got rid of that too. The cheesesteak and burger was okay. Nothing really to rave about which is crazy because usually this place is so good! We also ordered the tri-​tip dinner to share with friends but even that was just mediocre! A little overcooked, small, and the salad that came out with it was pretty sad.
Overall, really disappointed with the changes at this place! Might as well head to Five Guys for a decent burger because this is not the same Ray’s we were expecting!

My friend talked this place up and gave me extremely high expectations. I am huge burgers fan but I wasn’t impressed.
I ordered the Big Punisher, little devil size, and the jalapenos overpowered the Pepper Jack Cheese and grilled onions. Maybe it would’ve made a difference if I had the piranha sauce. after looking at the menu recently I realized I wasn’t given it. The burger just looked sad.
But the milkshakes. the milkshakes are legit. The table ordered two «Elvis», Toffee Explosion and Sin-​A-​Bön. All three of the stars go to the milkshakes!
I definitely want to go back next time I head to VA so I can give Ray’s a try one more time.

Disappointed. My general feeling after walking out can be described as greasy, heavy, and bloated. I don’t remember this place being so bad.
The service was terrible. We weren’t explained the difference between table service and counter service very well, so had to ask multiple times. Then I had to ask the guy at the counter if HE was ready to take my order because he was on his phone. The food took a regular amount of time to get out… but it wasn’t anything to brag about.
I got the chicken burger. The chicken was cooked well, but the buns were soggy, and it was hard to manage burger. The chicken didn’t really have too much flavor, and the plain tomato and lettuce didn’t really help. The cheese didn’t either… I question whether it was actually pepper jack. The boyfriend’s burger was also soggy, and plain.
The mac n cheese was terrible. Oily, gritty (like…bits of cheese? like they didn’t mix the powder cheese enough?), and not salty at all. There were specks of pepper in it but you couldn’t taste anything.
The tater tots… were like the ones from the bottom of the frying pan, almost translucent, and each overly crunchy bite released grease.
Overall, I probably won’t come back to this place. I’d expect the same quality of food and service even in the casual version of Ray’s the steaks, and this place doesn’t cut it. Especially not for a $ 20 just for a burger and a side.

Though it feels like a lifetime ago, I went to Ray’s Hell Burger when it first opened.
Trimmings from his steak place a few doors down. Instead of French fries, be offered corn on the cob and a slice of watermelon. It was like a restaurateur decided to recreate the summer cookout experience.
And then YOU people started showing up. Clamoring for your tater tots and milkshakes. Z burger was not enough for you. And then the homies Barry and Brother J fell through. Then THEY started to show up en masse.
In the ensuing years this spot has expanded they menu, dealt with land lord drama, and finally settled on what I hope is a long term set up.
Ray’s to the Third is in my opinion, the realization of an ideal. There is the counter service side for the veterans, and a wait service side for those of us who like waitstaff.
The service seemed to be great, though I’m the only person who didn’t get the complimentary bowl of popcorn.
THE FOOD
Technically there are other things on the menu, but unless you live close by, or you’re a regular you come here for the burgers.
Meat wise, Ray uses (used?) the trimmings from the steaks at his steak house. Not sure if he’s making that volume of steaks anymore. Whatever goes through the grinder is good quality. If you’re a serious burger person, you want that good quality meat to be formed into a patty the day of, and only worked until out holds its shape. But over worked. Much like good dough.
After that you’re off to the races.
I got the Dog Catcher, cooked to order @ Medium.
It came out medium.
Meat, smoked mozzarella, lettuce, tomato and a healthy serving of Bone Marrow with persilade (greens, onion, vinegar,)
I’ll be real with you, unless you’re a pitbull or a gourmand, this dish is more about the Instagram opportunity. There’s simply not a whole lot of bone marrow to really appreciate it.
But the burger shines through. Some may not appreciate the jus flowing off this beef jewel, pay them no mind. The additional moisture you’re experiencing is primarily from the meat, whereas other places it’s usually the rendered fat aka grease. One coats your throat and makes you regret life, the other brings in your carnivorous nature.
The fries wetter adequate. The soda was a bottled 20 oz. (No free refills I guess?)
But I did indulge in the bananas foster with Myers rum. Recommended.
All in all, this is still the premier place for burgers in the DMV.