Ray's Hell Burger In DC Closes: Report

WASHINGTON, DC -- The last of the Ray's franchise seems to have closed its doors after photos emerged of the Ray's Hell Burger in D.C. looking permanent closed.

Popville says that a reader sent them pictures of the restaurant at 449 K Street which appears to show a dormant eatery, and that an employee at a nearby business said that the restaurant is closed for good.

If so, it comes a little more than a week after Ray's the Steaks shut down in Arlington, Va. after 17 years in business. The original Ray's Hell Burger -- located near the steakhouse in Arlington -- closed in 2017.

That means all three of D.C. restaurateur Michael Landrum's eateries have closed. The restaurants have been beset with numerous problems, particularly the original Ray's Hell Burger -- in what was a sign of things to come, Landrum's landlord reportedly locked him and his staff out of the restaurant in 2013 over some kind of dispute.

It's been a roller coaster ride for Landrum in D.C., with plenty of highs as well. Ray's Hell Burger in Arlington opened in 2008 without fanfare, and just two years later it was serving then-President Barack Obama and Russian president Dmitry Medvedev. Obama also visited with Vice President Joe Biden the year before, months after he was sworn in. The restaurants received good reviews due to its no-frills focus on the food.

"We are in no way anything like a Ruth's Chris or a Morton's," the restaurant's website says. "In fact, we do everything possible to be the opposite of a fancy DC fine-dining restaurant. We do strive each and every day to serve the best, house-aged, house-butchered, hand-trimmed we can, in the most honest, timely and affordable way we know how.

"As a result, our style of service is informal and at times quite busy--and not to everyone's liking," it adds. "If luxury accommodations and exquisite service are important to your dining needs, we strongly recommend another one of the region's many, many finer steakhouses and superior restaurants. If you do decide to try us out, we promise to work our hardest to reward your decision with great steaks and seafood at fair and honest prices."