Ray's Hell Burger & Ray's Hell Burger Too in Arlington, VA

On a recent road trip, we met up with some friends in the D.C. area.  When we asked them about their favorite eatery, both suggested Ray's Hell Burger.  So, off we all went, ready for dinner!  We arrived at a little, unassuming strip mall and circled a few times to find a parking spot.  We walked past the main door of Ray's Hell Burger and proceeded down the strip mall sidewalk, beyond some other businesses and entered at the 2nd location for Rays at the opposite end of the strip called Ray's Hell Burger Too.  The main Ray's is a quickly paced fast food ordering set up while the "Too" location provides seating and a waitstaff.  For our situation, the "Too" was a perfect choice since we wanted to relax, visit together & take our time.

The menu provides a mouth watering list of options and combinations.  Seriously.  Click that menu link and start salivating!  You can visit several times and never have the same burger twice.  I settled on the the "Big Punisher"; The Burger is grilled "Diablo Style" with a Spicy Chipotle Sauce.  Toppings include Pepper Jack Cheese, Charred Jalapeños, Grilled Onions and the Pirañha Sauce is served on the side.

This is the BEST burger I've had in my entire life.  It was done medium well, super tasty & juicy without being greasy.  That's usually an impossible combo to find for someone who likes her burger barely pink.  This is the rare unicorn of burgers.  Upon further research, it's really no wonder.  To quote Michael Landrum, the restaurateur behind Ray's Hell Burger:

We will be serving one thing only--10 ounces of our secret blend of premium and prime aged beef, char-grilled over an open flame. This is the same single-breed, farm-raised beef that we use at Ray's The Steaks and Ray's The Classics, aged in house ridiculously long, hand trimmed to the same exacting standards as all of our steaks, and ground fresh daily, several times throughout the day.     

 As you can see from the menu, they also offer a 1/3 lb+ size now... but as our friends explained, "It's just not the same". The 10oz burger was huge.  After cutting it into fourths, eating it was much easier.  The charred jalapenos were firm and not very charred.  A softer jalapeno with a bit more smokiness would have been appreciated since the firm ones kept popping out of the burger, making it a bit awkward.  They did lend a nice amount of heat without being overly spicy.  (I do likes me some heat but not complaining!).  The balance was great.  The Fiery Pirañha Sauce that came on the side is a complete mystery to me.  It's green and fresh tasting.  My guess on the recipe: jalapeno, cilantro, parsley and lime juice.  I would LOVE to know what it actually is!

We don't visit the D.C. area often but we are already looking forward to Ray's Hell Burger the next time we do.

Philly Cheesesteak at Tony Luke's in South Philadelphia, PA

We were in Philadelphia and had to try a real cheesesteak once and for all.  Our native friends said Tony Luke's was THE place to go.  What a memorable experience!  The line was long but it moved quickly.  The menu was so extensive that by the time it was our turn to order, the pressure to not hold up the frenzied line behind us was high.  Wanting to keep it simple and not miss out on the flavor of the meat, I ordered quickly.  Steak & Cheese with Sharp Provolone.  Curly Fries.  Diet Coke.  NEXT!  For a packed Saturday night, our order came out quickly. 

After taking a bite of curly fries (delicious and well seasoned) it was time to unwrap this famous roll of goodness.  It didn't look like much.  A long, skinny roll.  Upon opening it, I was amazed with how much meat they packed in there.  The flavor and tenderness of the meat were perfect.  No over seasoning.  No masking of inferior ingredients.  This was the real deal and the quality of the meat stood on it's own.  The roll itself was soft enough to be moist without sacrificing it's ability to hold such a generous amount of meat and cheese.  Ahh.. and the cheese!  They do not skimp on the sharp provolone.  The bottom of the roll held 2-3 layers of thick, sharp provolone stacked throughout.  After about 3 bites, I found the sandwich to be a bit dry.  The overall "Luke" warm temperature of the sandwich along with the hardness of the aged cheese did not lend itself very well to any sort of melting.  The condiment station did not provide Mayonnaise so I had to visit the counter again and ask for it.  After waiting about 4 minutes for the man to come back with Mayo, I gave up and went back to my seat.  I feel a little bad about that but there's no heat in the dining area and since it was mid February, dinner was getting very cold.  It was this set of circumstances which brought on the realization that the cheese whiz option would probably moisten the sandwich much better.  Cheese Whiz.  Cheese Whiz?  Cheese whiz. It goes against every fiber of my being.  However, everyone seems to rave about it on a Philly Cheesesteak and our Philadelphian Hosts were no exception.  Next time I'll do what the natives do.  If you want to order the provolone, you may want to order some mayo on the side along with it.

This sandwich, coupled with the curly fries, provided more than one serving.  I saved half, rolled it back up in the pretty liberty bell paper from whence it came and kept it for later.  We were headed to the Electric Factory next for an Umphrey's McGee concert.  I'm happy to report the sandwich was equally delicious as a late night munchy on the way home.  Win, Win!