NVM Review

By Warren Rojas

Food: 8.1 Ambiance: 7.8 Service: 7.7

“Any vegetarians here tonight?” one would-be comedian asked his buds as Ray’s servers blanketed their table in thick-cut steaks.

Stick to your day job, junior.

Michael Landrum’s self-styled steak palace still packs ’em in, even after moving to much larger digs and bowing to the clarion call for reservations. Staff seems to have matured a bit (suit-clad wine pros), but clearly not too much (server’s note pad was pilfered from a Hard Rock Cafe).

Whip-smart chutney (mango leads, apricot follows, horseradish closes) delivers a bacon-scallop duo from derivativeness.

Texas sirloin—24 heart-pounding ounces of it—is glazed in bourbon-molasses sauce, the bold marinade commingling with the internal juices to form a spicy jus below.

Coconut custard, dried coconut and fresh strawberries play tug-of-tangy in a graham cracker crust.

By Warren Rojas

Food: 8 Ambiance: 7.7 Service: 7.4

During an early trip to the throughly revamped Ray’s the Steaks, a well-meaning server did his best to play up all the new features—including daily specials and a new prix fixe option ($24 for soup/salad, select steaks and dessert)—but didn’t mince words when pressed for a recommendation.

“I don’t mess around with any of that. I just get the cowboy steak and call it a day,” he stated.

Spoken like a true steak lover.

The more spacious layout (two dining rooms; one accepts reservations, the other remains walk-in friendly) means there’s more room for commingling of the carnivorous masses, whether they be gourmet beer-draining businessmen or mohawked youths studiously examining sommelier Mark Slater’s burgeoning wine collection (100-plus well-traveled bottles, most very easy on the wallet).

Deviled eggs heaped with steak tartare and hollandaise provide a clever play on picnic fare.

Roasted peppers and caramelized onions raise the heat index of blackened scallops.

A generous scoop of roasted bone marrow (surreally fatty intro, livery finish) and garlicky persillade propel regular steak into another dimension.

By Warren Rojas

Food: 7.8 Ambiance: 6.3 Service: 6.7

“There’s really no point in getting steak anywhere else,” my guest informs me as he carves into the well-marbled cut that’s just emerged from Ray’s claustrophobia-inducing kitchen.

Owner Michael Landrum inspires such fierce loyalty by continuing the core principles that have made Ray’s the de facto steak destination in many local minds: hand-carved meat, outrageously complementary toppings/complimentary sides and down-to-earth prices.

Add to that the come-as-you-are policy, tasty homemade snacks (spicy peanuts to start, buttery fudge on your way out) and some of the cheeriest servers around—they get the general frustration about the seating policy/lack of reservations, but it’s out of their control—and you’ve got a case for a neighborhood gem that’s nearly impossible to keep under wraps.

Pre-sliced tenderloin arrives smothered in brandy-soaked mushrooms and caramelized onions (dazzling). Luscious strips of hanger steak are all-natural juices and unadulterated might (absolutely mouthwatering). A roast beef-like slab of picahna plays possum until plunged into a scorching salsa verde (much more satisfying than the pabulum served at many Latin-American establishments).

By Warren Rojas

Food: 8.2 Ambiance: 6.1 Service: 6.6

The atmosphere inside at times approaches bedlam. And the bare white walls will not be winning any design awards. But if it’s gloriously grilled beef you crave, Ray’s is definitely the place you want to be.

A true everyman’s paradise, Ray’s has become a community treasure by abandoning the corporate sizzle (no dress code, no reservations, kids of all ages welcome) in favor of superlative steaks. Owner Michael Landrum’s egalitarian vision, however, naturally leads to a throng of anxious patrons who must jockey for position before the doors open each night.

Stacks of wine partition the tightly knit dining room—it’s not unusual to bump elbows with your neighbor as you gleefully carve into a steak; just apologize and get back to business—from the always buzzing kitchen/prep area. Upselling seems verboten, though patrons are welcome to customize any entree with bonus toppings (saucy mushrooms, crumbled blue cheese, house marinades) for $1 a pop. Sauteed garlic and alternative cooking techniques are provided gratis.

A handsomely charred rib eye (blackened crust protects the naturally juicy meat within) shines even brighter with a dab of homemade horseradish. Sirloin Diablo summons cubes of spicy oil-splashed steak surrounded by more sauteed garlic and onions (hardly needed, but always welcome). Or go for broke with a jaw-dropping N.Y. strip smothered with blue cheese, mushrooms and onions (a steal at any price).

Everyday Magic

By Warren Rojas

The strict no reservations/full party seating-only policy at Ray’s the Steaks has most certainly sparked many frantic “where are you?” voicemails/texting pleas from diehard steak aficionados stuck waiting for admittance.

A small price to pay for the unbelievably affordable steaks being prepared within.

Devotees routinely line up hours in advance for a chance at one of Ray’s coveted 45 seats. Inside, the cacophony of chit-chat, ambient music and the clanging of plates as staff hustle to reset each table for the endless string of waiting guests all seem to battle for your attention. T-shirt and sneaker-clad servers remain in constant motion, tending to their tables, running orders and attacking any other job that needs doing.

And renegade restaurateur Michael Landrum wouldn’t have it any other way.

Having labored at various steakhouses and other dining establishments prior to launching the original Ray’s (a Silver Spring spin-off debuted in 2006), Landrum prides himself on applying fine-dining philosophies to a true neighborhood setting. He only uses single-breed (Angus, Hereford or Dutch Friesian), farm-raised beef. Steaks are hand-butchered and wet-aged for at least 45 days, in-house. Everything is seared over an open flame—an unconventional technique Landrum admits can prove tricky, but which he claims infuses his steaks with more flavor than the enclosed broilers favored by traditional chains.

No arguments here.

The jaw-dropping, bone-in rib-eye reveals a hulking mass of meat with plenty of muscle and just the right amount of fat. Each slice of well-marbled steak becomes even more irresistible when speared with any bonus grilled onions. The house special proves tender to a fault, delivering a pepper-encrusted New York strip swimming in a luxurious mushroom sauce and dotted with rich blue cheese chunks (marvelous). An amazingly lean hanger steak is absolutely dripping with vitality, nearly melting with each swipe of the knife.

A well-thought out wine list displays international favorites, all for under $100 a bottle, including over a dozen by-the-glass selections. Skillets of garlicky sauteed spinach (excellent) and chunky-style mashed potatoes accompany every meal, while unexpected sweets—a nibble of homemade fudge arrives with the check one night, a demitasse of rich hot chocolate another—provide closure.

Meanwhile, Landrum says that he is very pleased with the response to his new “A Place at the Table” concept—a prix-fixe service offered on Sunday nights, with half the proceeds going to local charity. “I’m just doing what restaurants should be doing,” he insists.

Sample Steak Roster

Signature bone-in, cowboy cut rib-eye (28 ounces)

NY strip (12, 16 and 20 ounces; served plain, au poivre, with blue cheese crumbles, in brandy mushroom cream or any combination above)

Chateaubriand (for one, two or three people)

Horseradish rib-eye

Cajun rib-eye

Entrecote

Filet mignon (6, 9 and 12 ounces; served plain, au poivre, with blue cheese crumbles or in brandy mushroom cream)

Hanger

Sirloin (served with chipotle marinade and covered with blue cheese sauce)