Ray's the Steaks — American Steakhouse, Arlington, VA
Ray's the Steaks has been the D.C. region's steakhouse secret since Michael Landrum opened it in 2002 — a small, no-frills space in Clarendon that serves USDA Prime dry-aged beef at prices that make the comparable hotel steakhouses in downtown D.C. look like a premium charged for the address rather than the food.
The dry-aged USDA Prime ribeye and New York strip are cut to order from the dry-aging locker visible in the dining room — a transparency about the process that communicates both quality and confidence.
The sides — the potatoes au gratin, the creamed spinach, the beef-fat roasted vegetables — are given the same attention as the steaks rather than being treated as the obligatory supporting cast.
The no-frills room, the cash or check only policy (no credit cards), and the parking-lot aesthetics are not obstacles to the best steak in the D.C. region — they are features that communicate the kitchen's priorities.
Best Occasion: Great for Birthdays
USDA Prime dry-aged ribeye at prices that make the occasion affordable without being modest. The steakhouse birthday where the steak, rather than the room, is the gift.
Best Occasion: Good for Closing Deals
The best steak in the D.C. region at non-D.C. prices. For the deal that requires steakhouse authority without the hotel steakhouse premium.