Ray's the Steaks of Arlington, Virginia

Ray's the Steaks is known for its great steaks, side dishes and desserts. Its also known for its poor service and dirty facilities. My experience there was very up and down. My first impression came before I even took a seat. The restaurant was small, and packed. We could barely reach our table without bumping into other customers. I then walked into the bathroom and felt the need to hold my breath until I got out of there.

The food was fantastic. I started off with a crab bisque, the best I've ever had. My entree choice was a 12 oz. sirloin steak; one that didn't look anything like 12 ounces. It was several inches thick, cooked to perfection at medium-rare, and the meat was of the highest quality I had ever tasted.

With that came side dishes of garlic mashed potatoes and spinach, both of which were extremely rich. I've never been much of a fan of either, but they were both so strong in flavor that I couldn't resist them.

We finished off with a dessert, a key lime pie. The pie looked incredible, but the actual taste was far too sour and made me grimace with each bite. I also tried their cheesecake, which was considerably better and would be my recommendation for a dessert.

With the steaks, you can't go wrong. They feature a filet mignon, sirloin, t-bone, and hanger steaks. My table ordered each of them, with nothing but positive responses.

The scallops that my brother ordered were surprisingly even better than my sirloin. If you aren't a big fan of steak, you could try the scallops. If you aren't a big fan of any meat, then you're out of luck. Unless you can live with a meal consisting of side dishes, salads and soup, you won't find any no-meat entree's here.

Another problem would be the wait time. I got a table almost instantly, being friends with the manager. However, if you don't have any connections here, be prepared to wait at least 15 minutes around dinner time. Then, after you are sat down, be prepared to get out within 75 minutes. The restaurant is small, and they are always in a hurry to clear up more space for other patrons. Being rushed will make your dining experience less comfortable, as well as being jammed into such a small space.

If you like wine with your meal, their wine book has 5 pages packed with diverse drinks.

If you love food, and can live with poor service and atmosphere, Ray's the Steaks is for you. If comfort is a necessity for you, this may not be your place. Overall, I would still give Rays the Steaks a 3.5/5 stars for incredible food.