The FoodandBeerMonger: Ray's the Steaks

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Ray's the Steaks

Ray’s the Steaks is a carnivorous paradise easily serving the best steaks in the area and some of the best in the country. I have eaten at Ray’s numerous times in the last couple years and its steaks are always really good and more often than not exceptional. Unfortunately, the steak I had last night only made it to the really good territory. This was as much my fault as it was the restaurant’s, as I simply ordered a steak I normally would not have.

The chateaubriand, the filets, the rib eyes, the hanger steak and the sirloin diablo at Ray’s are always superb and provide a level of culinary enjoyment that few other steakhouses can match. Furthermore, the béarnaise sauce is phenomenal and the creamed spinach is perfect (it’s creamy yet allows the diner to actually taste the spinach). However, after reading on another blog about the New York strip with brandy mushroom cream, I decided to try it last night.

First, however, I had the crab bisque, which is a must at Ray’s. I do not think it is too out there to say that it is possibly the best crab bisque in the country. The soup is creamy and filled with a ton of delicious crab meat. It is quite wonderful and never disappoints. I ordered my steak medium rare and it came out well charred and cooked to absolute perfection. It was juicy, tender and oozed with flavor. I prefer rib eyes and filets but this was a really good steak. The sauce, on the other hand, left a lot to be desired. It was good, don’t get me wrong, but was a little too sweet and did not pack a flavorful punch to compensate. I much prefer the béarnaise and the spicy diablo sauce. All told, it was still a really good meal that left me extremely satisfied. I was with Simplemonger who got the cajun ribeye topped with garlic cloves. I did not taste his but he raved that it was amazing. Also, he greatly enjoyed his key lime pie. He said it was not as tart as he'd like but he loved the graham crust and the strawberries that came with it. Furthermore, simplemonger is a big fan of the waitresses at Ray's. To him, they are as big a draw as the food. He gave his meal 4 cutting boards.

No one goes to Ray’s because of the décor or the service. The service is fine but this is not a place to linger. It is all about turnover so there is no reason to go if you want a nice, slow paced meal. Furthermore, I personally like the décor, but it is a barren strip mall suite. The focus is on the food as it should be. They keep costs down by not worrying about the décor and shunning a typical management structure. Thus, Ray’s offers higher quality meat with superb preparation at prices that are $10-$15 cheaper per steak than at places like BLT Steak, Charlie Palmer Steak, Morton’s and Ruth’s Chris. Ray’s has only two drawbacks: long waits and a terrible beer list. Nevertheless, this is the area’s best steakhouse and one of its best restaurants.