Ray's Hell Burger Explained

Ray's Hell Burger
Current-Owner:Michael Landrum
Food-Type:American
Street-Address:1725 Wilson Blvd.
City:Arlington
State:Virginia
Zip: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.

Michael Landrum and Ray's the Steaks

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]

Ray's Hell Burger

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]

References

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Notes and References

  1. News: To Beef or Not to Beef?: Michael Landrum is a guy who likes to turn up the heat. And not just to sear his steaks.. . September 28, 2007 . Carman, Tim .
  2. News: Sietsema . Tom . A Rare Steakhouse . The Washington Post . June 29, 2003 . W19.
  3. News: Todd Kliman . Ann Limpert . Cynthia Hacinli . 2007 Restaurateur of the Year: Michael Landrum . Washingtonian Magazine . January 1, 2007.
  4. News: Sietsema . Tom . Ray's Redux . The Washington Post . October 8, 2006.
  5. News: Carman . Tim . Landrum hands over the keys to Ray's the Classics to two employees . The Washington Post . July 2, 2013.
  6. News: Zimmerman . Joe . Silver Spring's The Classics Restaurant To Close . Bethesda Magazine . February 12, 2018.
  7. News: Freed . Benjamin . Ray's the Steaks at East River Is Out of Business . DCist . December 6, 2012 . June 28, 2019 . June 28, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190628200624/https://dcist.com/story/12/12/06/rays-the-steaks-at-east-river-is-ou/ . live .
  8. News: Spiegel . Anna . Ray's the Steaks Is Closing in Arlington After 17 Years . Washingtonian Magazine . June 3, 2019.
  9. News: An Early Look at Ray's Hell-Burger . . July 7, 2008. Levine, Sara .
  10. News: Word of Mouth: Ray's Hell-Burger . . August 14, 2008. Kliman, Todd .
  11. News: More Bright Ray's Shine in Arlington . . July 23, 2008. Siestema, Tom .
  12. John Metcalfe Forget politics, just have fun December 31, 2009 The National (Abu Dhabi)
  13. Web site: Spiegel . Anna . Back to Hell: Ray's Hell-Burger Is Reborn . Washingtonian . September 11, 2014 . December 27, 2017.
  14. News: Ray's Hell Burger gets Obama and Medvedev . . June 24, 2010 . Abraham, Zennie .
  15. News: Obama goes to Hell and back, all for a burger . . May 6, 2009 . Jackson, David . Hall, Mimi . amp .
  16. News: Appetite for "better burgers" shows no satiety . . July 11, 2010 . Barakat, Matthew . "Ray's Hell Burger, also in Arlington, is not a chain, but the restaurant run by iconoclastic chef Michael Landrum earned a national profile with President Barack Obama taking Vice President Joe Biden and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev there last month. (Medvedev's review: 'Not quite healthy, but it's very tasty.')"
  17. News: Landrum Releases 'The Catch' to Bring On More Burgers . . June 9, 2009 . Carman, Tim . "The story got play in media outlets half way across the globe, including Saudi Arabia, Landrum notes."
  18. News: Obama, Medvedev chow down at Ray's Hell Burger . 24 June 2010 . 24 June 2010 . Michael . Shear . The Washington Post.
  19. News: Spiegel . Anna . Ray's Hell-Burger and Hell-Burger Too Properties For Rent . Washingtonian Magazine . February 12, 2013.
  20. Web site: Ray's Hell Burger to Close in Rosslyn . 2017-05-12 . arlnow.com . 2017-10-25 . 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..
  21. News: Hiatt . Gabe . Ray's Hell Burger Appears Closed, Which Could Signal the End of a Meaty D.C. Empire . Eater DC . June 26, 2019.

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