Update – December 28, 2008
We stopped at Ray’s Hell Burger on our way out of town last week — and the experience was worthy of an update to my previous post. There are a number of new burger toppings that we had not seen on our previous visit, including bone marrow ($3), seared foie gras ($10), and black forest ham ($1.50). They also had some new burgers on their menu. I’ve posted the updated menus, just reading the menu gives you a sense of just how special this place is…..

They are still not serving fries, but are offering coleslaw ($1.25), macaroni & cheese ($1.50) and cheesy potato puffs ($2.50 for an order of 8). We tried the coleslaw, and potato puffs (which were like balls of silky smooth mashed potatoes, mixed with a little bit of cheese and deep fried). I would give the coleslaw a B+ and the puffs an A-. I was expecting something close to a tater tot given the appearance. It was not quite what I expected, but I have craved them a couple of times in the last week since our visit.

The burger was perhaps even better than my last visit — and a great deal at under $10 for most of the burgers. I had the Soul Burger Number 1 — I didn’t pack my appetite for the Burger of Seville or the Dogcatcher, but I will be making a return trip in the near future to try another item from the menu. This place still gets my vote for best burger in DC — and one of the best burgers I have ever had.

Original Post – July 14, 2008
Photos courtesy of Littlebakerbunny at ipso-fatto.com.

Ray’s Hell Burger (the unofficial name for Ray’s Butcher Burgers) recently opened on July 1, 2008 in the same little strip mall as Ray’s the Steaks — both are owned by proprietor Michael Landrum.

Given my soft spot for Ray’s the Steaks, I was very excited to try Hell Burger and went in with some rather lofty expectations, though I was disappointed to hear that their menu did not include fries.

We decided to split 2 burgers. Burger #1: The New Jack — a blackened burger with cajun spices, pepper jack cheese, grilled red onions, sautéed peppers, roasted garlic and jalapenos. Burger #2: The B.I.G. POPPA — an au poivre burger with peppercorn crust, aged Danish bleu cheese, cognac and sherry sautéed mushrooms and grilled red onions.

I would give the New Jack a nod over the POPPA, but both were outstanding — and all of the burgers sound great. Their burgers are 10 ounces and are made from what Landrum describes as “a custom blend of hand-trimmed steak and roast cuts enriched with steak trimming.”

There is also great attention paid to the preparation. Cooks are required to complete a three month apprenticeship at Ray’s the Steaks before joining the line at Hell Burger. The quality of the meat and the skilled preparation add up to what just might be the best burger I have ever had. Plus it is a great value. A burger starts at at $6.95 which is very reasonable given prices at other local high end burger joints.

But Hell Burger is not perfect. For one, there is room for improvement with the bun. The burger does fall apart a bit and the bun tends to add to the problem, rather than help to hold things together. Cutting the burger in half instead of attacking the whole thing is probably the best approach.

Cheese lovers will be impressed with the selection of cheeses available (add $1 to $5). Everything from your typical standards to a Greyére, Double Cream Brie, Chimay a la Biére, Queen Anne Stilton, Cave Aged Amish Cheddar, Époisse de Bourgogne and more…..plus there are a variety of other toppings as well as bacon and guacamole (add $1.50).

Burgers are served with corn and watermelon — and it is worth noting that attention was clearly paid to the quality. Both were delicious, but the corn was outstanding. I never missed the french fries and actually think this burger is better without fries.

There is a wide assortment of Route 11 potato chips. Old Dominion root beer is offered on tap and there are a number of other drink selections which include Moxie, Boylan’s and Cheerwine. Shakes made with Moorenko ice cream are also available and offered by the scoop for dessert.

Hell Burger is already busy, and I expect this place will continue to grow a very loyal clientele, so best to visit in the near future.

A final word of advice to keep in mind. At Ray’s the Steaks they tend to cook their meat a bit rare. I like my steak medium rare, but have learned to order it medium at Ray’s. At Hell’s Burger the same approach follows, so you can expect the recommended temperature to be quite pink.

Strongly recommended. Will return. This gets my vote for best burger in the DC area and would probably make most lists of the top 25 best burgers in the United States. It joins the ranks of Palena, Central and Woodmont for best burger in the DC area. What’s your favorite burger?

May 5 Update
Obama and Biden Go to Hell Burger

Looks like President Obama tried to order french fries. Not even the President can get french fries at Hell Burger. Get the whole scope at Huffington Post.

Ray’s Butcher Burger
1713 Wilson Blvd
Arlington, VA 22209