Ray’s Hell Burger Too

I was very happy with the burger and fries. Unlike the place two doors down, Ray’s Hell Burger Too takes credit cards… and there was no line to order when I went here for lunch. Plenty of seating. The burger menu seemed pretty much identical to the original location, but no milk shakes here (and they do cheese steaks or something as well… but I wanted a burger!). I love all the toppings you can get on the burger. I just got the normal size; with a side of fries, it was plenty.

Forgive me In N Out, for I cheated on you and it wasn’t even that good.
When you are almost 3000 miles away from great food it can be easy to be fooled into thinking something could possibly be better. This was the case with Ray’s Hell Burger. I was promised «it is amazing, better than any other burger ever.» Hmm.
We went with friends and I got a burger with sauteed mushrooms and cheese and the hubby got a pepper crusted burger with onion petals.
Was anything horribly wrong with the burger? No, I guess not. Was it the best ever? Nope. Not even close.
I do appreciate how many toppings you could add for free.
One really really bright spot? Those onion petals! We ordered a second order of them because they were so incredibly good. Well seasoned, freshly made and great dipping sauce

OVERRATED
*clap, clap, clap-​clap, clap!
OVER-​RATED
*clap, clap, clap-​clap, clap!
They should change the name of this place to Rays“HYPE BURGER!“
Mother of gawd I haven’t been this let down since the season finally of Game Of Thrones! And that friends was a serious let down!
I had to come to this location because the «original» Rays is cash only… I’m actually kinda glad because it was nowhere to sit and this spot was nicer. Looks were deceiving, food and service wise. I don’t even remember the name of the burger I had! That’s how forgetful my experience was! Possibly the worst 14 $ burger Ive ever had. The sweet potato fries were cool but man these burgers were so MEHHH! A 10oz flavorless patty of beef on bread. Literally… Even the barbecue sauce couldn’t save it.
I could’ve spent 40 $ at five guys and ate myself into a coma of deliciousness.

Pretty mixed on Ray’s Hell Burger, and this is the review for Ray’s 2, 2 doors down from the original. We actually went into the originial Ray’s but were greeted by a long line and visibly no where to sit in the few tables they had. It’s also restaurant policy that they don’t allow you to grab a table until you get your food. Luckily either a manager or the owner advised us that 2 doors down was Ray’s 2, he said it was the same restaurant but more tables.
I found this Ray’s to be much more appealing. It was restaurant style versus fast food style, and we were seated immediately for service. The inside is fairly unflattering, a bit dirty, older tables and chairs, and somewhat bothering was that the container serving the water was a bit cloudy so I decided to ante up and get 2 coke’s.
The food itself is great. You get what you are there for a great Burger. They don’t really bother to garnish your plate or dress it up pretty, but lets be honest you are there for a great burger, and it hits on every cylinder. Big juicy burger with quality meat, and the mac n cheese side is incredibly good. I probably could have ordered that alone and be happy. My only compaint is that the burgers feel a little heavier than many other places. You definitely have that «I just ate a burger» feeling after you are done where as other places with seemingly cleaner burgers don’t leave you with that feeling.
All in all an accelent burger one of the better in the DMV area, be aware though that parking can be a nightmare and you may be relegated to finding parking in the street.

Awsome Burgers. And I dont think it was the fact that I just finish running a Marathon prior. lol I love a creative burger joint. Hell Burger topped in Bone Marrow.

I have been to Rays Hell Burger many times and I always fall prey to the crazy atypical burgers. They are good but they never really hit the spot. This last time, i tried the Mac. Mid-​rare beef, cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle and special sauce. It was magnificent! I haven’t had a burger hit the spot like that in a very long time.

I had been dying to try Ray’s Hell Burger for over a year. Was it worth the anticipation? I think so.
The buffalo burger was an obvious choice for me, but you can only get it at Ray’s Too which meant Danny M. and I had to deal with the terrible waiter service. Service aside, I ordered a blackened buffalo burger with grilled onions, barbecue sauce and Piranha sauce, well-​done. It was delicious. There are plenty of other toppings you can get for your burger (various cheeses, lettuce/​tomato/​mushrooms, etc.) so you can make a seriously bangin’ burger. Although with most burgers you can choose between a small and large size burger, the buffalo burger only comes in one size. It was plenty considering I made Danny M. eat half of it.
The fries are good too, but the most important addition to the meal was the vanilla milkshake. It was a huge, thick vanilla milkshake topped with whipped cream. It was absolutely delicious and made the whole experience worthwhile. Seriously, get a milkshake. It is plenty for two people to share.
All in all, Ray’s is worthy of 4 stars. I need to deduct a star because the service was really below average. As one of two tables in the place, you would think the staff would be more attentive.

Allow me to introduce to the Unilocal World, The Dog Catcher:
The dog catcher a roasted bone marrow with persillade as a side with a burger with the choice of two meat patty size (of course I went with the larger) topped with lettuce and tomato, raw red onion, charred jalapenos, roasted garlic, fiery piranha sauce (not really fiery) and sweet potato fries with side of garlic-​lemon aioli. Hungry yet?
It was actually my first time trying bone marrow and maybe its an aquired taste but it tasted very bland and well… just oily/​fatty. However the Burger was pretty darn good. How good? Good enough that Mr. Obama brought a Russian guest over to eat the burger as well. I asked for Medium Rare and it came out just that way, service was good, I would come again if in the area.

We went to Ray’s Hell Burger (one) first and we were waiting in line inside. Then a tall young man (one of the restaurant workers) with heavy British accent came by and told us that Ray’s Hell Burger Too three doors down has the same menu, same price and plenty of open seats. That’s good. We went out and went into RHB Too. We were seated almost immediately and unlike the original RHB, we could order at the table, they bring the water in the paper cup, they had beer and wine. it was much easier than the original place where you have to order and pay before securing seats.
I ordered the original size BIG DEVIL and later regretted it because LITTLE DEVIL looked more appropriate size for me. But I finished my BIG DEVIL anyway.
Unlike before, I was not impressed with their burger today. I do not know exactly why.
It just did not taste wonderful today.

Way tasty big burgers with quality meats. I like the variety and the level of spice you can get. I’m a big fan of spicy food, and mixing that with a ginormous burger with epic taste = awesomeness in a bun. If you don’t like spice, you can get a milder version of the burgers too (plenty of options and you can build your own). Don’t look for anything fancy here though, plastic chairs, soda and beer in bottles, and a simple set-​up. Burgers are delish though.

I’ve read so many raving reviews about Ray’s Hell Burger that we decided to make the drive into Arlington to this little strip mall for the so-​called «best» burger in DC.
I’ve never been to the original one a few doors down, but I will assume they serve the same stuff with the same quality. My Soul Burger, plus jalapenos, was pretty delicious. On par with any restaurant burger I’ve ever ordered. The bun maintained its integrity throughout my session, however my girlfriend’s burger sloppily disintegrated. Her’s was dripping with juices while mine, not so much, even though we both ordered medium doneness. The jalapenos they serve are no joke, seeds and all. I made the mistake of eating a few stray jalapenos after I was done with my burger, and my mouth was on fire for a little while after I left.
The fries are standard fried potatoes, nothing special. They could prepare them to be more crunchy. We ordered a large, but they brought out (and charged us for) a small serving. No complaints, as I was stuffed from solely the burger.
Between Ray’s and Five Guys, I think they’re both in a class of their own. Ray’s serves restaurant sized gourmet burgers, while Five Guys skews more towards the fast-​food type. So depending on which you’re in the mood for, they’re both solid choices.

so came here last sunday with a couple of friends.
because we heard obama comes here every once in a while.
Service was ok, it wasn’t fast and speedy, but they certainly were not rude. the food came out pretty quickly. we all ordered different burgers with sweet potato fries. i had the mack burger, it was cooked medium. it was quite juicy, you could taste that they put alot of pepper in the patty. the burger itself was huge, it was held together with a knife in the middle. for a burger it was nothing special, it was i believe 10.95 plus an additional $ 2 for the fries. this was ok, but i’m not sure it wowed me enough to come back here for another try.

I am a Burger-​vore and admittingly I enjoy it. I am also a purist and believe that condiments do not make a good Burger but can rather spoil it.
With that being said I opted to bypass the foie gras and the roasted bone marrow (although on a return trip I might try it) and opted instead for the chipotle Burger.
I ordered medium and got medium. I do very much appreciate that. The chipotle was not over whelming and very nice addition to the flavor of the meat.
But I didn’t come here to talk to you about burgers. On a NOVA scale the Burger is better than BGR but not quite 5 guys. Sorry. I have come to tell you about the onion rings.
I have a special place in my heart for onion rings although I hate onions. I believe and could be wrong that Rays uses red onions, or at least it looked like it. They’re done beautifully and cooked to perfection. One order is enough for two people but they are delicious. Get them.

I just don’t understand when the server takes your order and then you never see them again until they are bringing your check. Our drinks and food were delivered by someone other than our server and we were never once approached at any other time by any other staff member. Three times I tried to get our servers attention and he turned the other way a split second before I was able to catch his eye. He never looked in our direction.
So you are probably confused at this point. Why is this a four star review if I received such BAD SERVICE? If I were writing this review based on SERVICE there would be NO STARS.
This place is about burgers and a great burger can make BAD SERVICE forgivable in my eyes.
I had actually read the Unilocal reviews on the original Ray’s before coming here. A lot of reviewers mentioned that you need to order your burger at least one degree of doneness higher than you really want it. This is fabulous advice, especially if you are like my wife who likes her burger well done. She told them to cook it extra well with no pink at all. I know, I know… I am still working on her. (I don’t tell her that I cook burgers at home to about medium well — she never notices, assuming I have cooked hers well done because I know she likes it that way)
So, all of our burgers were cooked perfectly. The sides (fries, onion rings and mac and cheese — there were four of us) were all great. You can hardly place all the blame for BAD SERVICE on the server. They looked like they were having to run four doors down to the sister restaurant for milkshakes. Perhaps they need more servers… or their own milkshake machine.

Now THIS is a burger done right! And the fries and rings are fantastic as well. One must must accompany the other. The meal would not be complete without all the required parts playing their role.
I ordered the Hell burger, grilled, with lettuce, tomato, grilled onions, sauteed mushrooms and Ray’s Heck Sauce (mayo based sauce). YUM. Even though I ordered the smaller portion, the size of the burger was still generous. It was flavorful, tender and perfectly cooked, with juices running down my fingers. Make sure you have extra napkins (you’ll absolutely need them). For sides we ordered the fresh dipped onion rings and sweet potato fries. Bonus points for dipping the rings in batter instead of cornmeal and cutting the onions into thick rings! Both dishes came out hot and crispy and were really good.
Every condiment you could think of for this meal is either available on the menu or provided to you on the table. In case beef is not your thing, burgers made of turkey, venison, boar and mushrooms are also available. There are plenty of topping options for creating your «perfect» burger, but in case you need some suggestions, they offer some good combinations.
Nothing but praise on the service. The food came relatively quickly and was hot and fresh. Drink refills were readily available. Even though this place was packed on a Friday night, everything was running smoothly. We were lucky enough to snag the last open table before another wave of hungry diners came through the door.

Underwhelming. We all know about those little hole in the wall places that do something simple so well that all else is forgiven. That is the myth of RHB. Others have commented on the crowds and the legendary wait times, presumably due to the amazing food. The interesting result of this, when combined with hurried business and civil servant types, is the restaurant equivalent of PTSD. It was obvious that our hostess, who was perfectly pleasant and helpful, had been dressed down by angry suits wondering why they had to wait so long to sit or to receive their food. Everything she said or did was prefaced by a «don’t blame me» & exaggerated warning about how long the requested action would take. A Table for two? 25 minutes. A full size burger? You know those take at least 15 minutes to cook. Maybe it was the tie I wore to lunch.
All this would be fine if burger Nirvana was waiting at the other end. My burger, sweet potato fries, and cole slaw were all perfectly good. But I felt no need to bow down and pray to the burger gods. It was good, just not _​that_​good. Could it be that the Emperor, if not completely without clothes, is simply wearing an old pair of jeans and an «I heart NY» sweatshirt? Oh, and minus a star for the bottled sodas; at least give me fountain coke in a cup with some crushed ice.

Pretty good stuff. I LOVE that you can get all the toppings you want (well, nearly) for free and that you only pay for stuff like cheese and, well, foie gras. That seems reasonable to me. Plus, anything you want on the side, they’re game. You can get very picky about how you want things done. And c’mon — it’s the right price. The regular burger starts at $ 6.99 and Ray’s Too even offers a Little Devil burger of only ¹⁄₃ lb that starts at $ 5.99.
I recommend the burger grilled, as au poivre is just too powerful and overwhelms the meat as well as much of whatever you get put on top. I was happy with the «recommended» cook temp of medium rare, though perhaps that does lead to a bit messier of a burger. I go for the charred jalapenos, sherry mushrooms and grilled onions, plus the sauces? MMM. Both the piranha sauce and Ray’s special sauce (or something like that) are delicious; the first is green and the second is orange, as if that helps you at all. I guess the piranha sauce is garlic and cilantro and oil? And the special sauce, I dunno, it’s orange. I got them on the side and used them as much on my burger as I did on my sweet potato fries.
Oh, and their guac is pretty tasty, too. I also got that on the side. Garlicky.
Not so good? I’m not a fan of the bun — it was kinda dry and just plain crumbly and didn’t taste all that fantastic. And the milkshakes also get a thumbs-​down — sorry! I get very particular when it comes to ice cream and shakes. All their shakes are just vanilla ice cream with whatever flavor syrup necessary to make it the flavor you order. I wasn’t clear on that the first time and wound up with a chocolate shake of just vanilla ice cream and too much Hershey’s sauce. Afterward, a server confirmed for me that this is how it’s done, and they actually don’t have a machine, so they just walk next door to Ray’s to get them, sooo, same deal there. The whipped cream, on the other hand, tasted like the real deal to me, and I savored every drop of that.
Service is of course slower here than at Ray’s the original, but we were out to talk so looking for something in this vein. The hostess understood that we didn’t want to be right next to the cold, drafty door, so though she sat us there to start, she moved us as soon as something else opened up. Our server was friendly, patient and knowledgeable. Liked her much. I think next time I’d go back to Ray’s Too before I do Ray’s again … for the smaller burger and because they also serve alcohol! And before I go to either, I’m trying another burger joint … this one doesn’t quite make it to 5 stars, so there’s room for improvement!

While it’s important to recognize that this address used to be the original Ray’s Hell Burger location, it is now occupied by the sitdown version called Ray’s Hell Burger Too. The more frantic order at the counter version has moved a few doors down in the same shopping plaza.
What is a constant however is the quality. I am stunned that every single time I’ve been in there, it has been delicious and continues to reaffirm Ray’s stranglehold on the DC area’s premium hamburger trade. There are some damn good ones out there like at Fahrenheit in Georgetown, or Bistro Bis, but this is better, less expensive, and they have a parking lot.
For the first time at Hell Burger, i tried the sweet potato fries after an excellent intro to them at Ray’s the steaks in DC. I was not disappointed. subtle flavor and excellent texture and crunch. Love them.
Ray’s Hell Burger Too is a good choice if you prefer a sit down restaurant experience, lower sound levels, and a more laid back atmosphere with it’s austere walls and faux wooden cross beams on the ceiling. This concept is very similar to the relationship between Ben’s Chili Bowl, and Ben’s Next Door on U St.

So let’s get this straight, there is:
1) Ray’s Hell Burger — a couple doors down from RHB2, more chaotic, order in line, and hunt for a seat (though the new location has allowed for more seating.)
2) Ray’s the Steaks — Am I wrong to assume Ray’s the Steaks is in some way associated with RHB? Never been to this one though.
3) Ray’s Hell Burger Too — This place, the sit down version of Ray’s Hell Burger. Same menu, less chaos.
As it is, Ray’s Hell Burger is pretty amazing, now cut out the chaos of the crowds and trying to find a seat after ordering and you have Ray’s Hell Burger Too. Same great taste and will never let you down. Now with servers! Big juicy burgers, which on their own would be great plain but, the different toppings offered really give them a great boost.
Slightly irrelevant, but a Ray’s fact none the less (or my most recent discovery, anyways): RHB2 is in RHB’s old location before they moved a few doors down. The funky movie posters from RHB were taken down, lots of tables were added in, and now we have a pretty straight forward, simple place to have a good burger. Yay!
P. S. — Sweet potato fries all the way!

Ray’s Too has the same menu as Ray’s Hellburger next too, plus some additional items (including venison and wild board burgers) and waiter service so won’t be stuck burger in hand awkwardly trying to find a table after ordering like you might be at Ray’s Hellburger. They take credit cards too so you don’t have to worry about having cash or using the ATM in the back like at Ray’s Hellburger.
Burgers are consistently the best I have had anywhere, anyplace, anytime.
If you like blueberries try their blueberry milkshake and you won’t be disappointed.