Reader Review Submitted by Ashley - February 2009
Restaurant Details
Address: 2300 Wilson Boulevard Arlington, VA (703) 841-7297
Cuisine: Steaks
Cuisine: Steaks
Ray’s the Steaks Restaurant Review
After working in Northern Virginia for several years, I have heard nothing but rave reviews about the food at Ray’s the Steaks in Arlington, VA. I had friends from out of town visiting and wanted to take them somewhere unique for dinner. I had never been before, but I was told there was no better place to get a steak in Virginia or Washington, DC and thought this would be a great opportunity to impress my friends as well as try somewhere new. I will say that the food lived up to its reputation and was superb; however every other aspect of the restaurant was beyond atrocious. From the cleanliness to our service, our entire experience could not have been worse.
Here’s my story... My friends and I got to the restaurant around 6:30pm and walked up to the host who said he could seat us right away. Next to the host/hostess stand there is a huge, commercial-sized trash can. While our host was gathering three menus, he dropped one into the garbage, picked it out, brushed the gum off of the menu and said “Right this way.” When we sat down I was the lucky recipient of the menu that had fallen into the trash can and had someone else’s chewed gum on it. It definitely made me wonder, “If this is what they are willing to do right in front of me, what happens in the kitchen?”
Here’s my story... My friends and I got to the restaurant around 6:30pm and walked up to the host who said he could seat us right away. Next to the host/hostess stand there is a huge, commercial-sized trash can. While our host was gathering three menus, he dropped one into the garbage, picked it out, brushed the gum off of the menu and said “Right this way.” When we sat down I was the lucky recipient of the menu that had fallen into the trash can and had someone else’s chewed gum on it. It definitely made me wonder, “If this is what they are willing to do right in front of me, what happens in the kitchen?”
I ordered a diet Coke with lemon and my two other friends ordered glasses of wine. After they ordered their wine, the waiter looked back at me and said, “diet Coke with…” and I said, “lemon please.” He left to get our drinks and then someone else came up and asked to take our drink order. We explained that we had already ordered drinks. The waiter looked very confused and left. Then another waiter came over and asked for our drink order (we’re up to three waiters) and again we explained that someone had taken it.
Our drinks finally came and I was brought an empty glass of ice with a lemon and a “Cane’s Cola.” When I reiterated to our waiter that I had wanted a diet Coke he said “This is much better for you, it doesn’t have corn syrup in it, you don’t want the bad stuff.” So we just placed our meal orders and he left. I ordered my steak to be cooked “medium,” but when it arrived and I cut into it, the steak was so rare I thought it might get up and walk off the plate. I normally HATE sending food back, but since there was no way I could eat this steak I sent it back.
Our drinks finally came and I was brought an empty glass of ice with a lemon and a “Cane’s Cola.” When I reiterated to our waiter that I had wanted a diet Coke he said “This is much better for you, it doesn’t have corn syrup in it, you don’t want the bad stuff.” So we just placed our meal orders and he left. I ordered my steak to be cooked “medium,” but when it arrived and I cut into it, the steak was so rare I thought it might get up and walk off the plate. I normally HATE sending food back, but since there was no way I could eat this steak I sent it back.
I waited approximately 30 minutes for my new steak which was served rare again. The waiter apologized and took it back for one more try. My friends had been waiting for my meal to arrive to eat, but after the second time they decided to eat. It was another 30 minutes before my steak came out and I had split one of my friend’s steaks because it was almost 8pm and we had been there for over an hour. My steak finally came out and it was cooked properly. At this point the waiter noticed I did not drink the soda he gave me and said, “How do you like your soda?” Trying to make a joke I replied, “I don’t like it, I guess I just like the bad stuff!” Instead of offering me something else to drink he said, “Oh, that’s too bad,” and just walked away.
So our bill came and since I had split an entrée with my friend after waiting so long, I asked to have my steak wrapped up along with a broccoli side we never received. We paid our bill and were asked to leave since there were a lot of people waiting. My steak was never sent to be wrapped up and we ended up paying for a full steak and side of broccoli that we never received. I asked to speak to the manager and she did not even care. I was truly appalled. I do not think that the food is so great that they can serve drinks and food incorrectly, make people wait over an hour for their food, pay a premium for this food, and have them leave dissatisfied. My first, and only, experience with Ray’s the Steaks was certainly less than "well done."
Have you dined at this restaurant? Share your own experience.
So our bill came and since I had split an entrée with my friend after waiting so long, I asked to have my steak wrapped up along with a broccoli side we never received. We paid our bill and were asked to leave since there were a lot of people waiting. My steak was never sent to be wrapped up and we ended up paying for a full steak and side of broccoli that we never received. I asked to speak to the manager and she did not even care. I was truly appalled. I do not think that the food is so great that they can serve drinks and food incorrectly, make people wait over an hour for their food, pay a premium for this food, and have them leave dissatisfied. My first, and only, experience with Ray’s the Steaks was certainly less than "well done."
Have you dined at this restaurant? Share your own experience.
