Best Burger in D.C. : Ray's Hellburger or Good Stuff Eatery?

I love a good burger. And although its more fun to cook them in the backyard with a cooler of beer and some lawn chairs, the next morning your going to want someone else to do all the work. Trust me.

Two of the best places to do that in D.C. are Good Stuff Eatery on the hill (303 Pennsylvania Ave S.E.) and Ray's Hellburger (1713 Wilson Blvd Arlington, VA). Those are just two of the many places to grab a burger around town, but they are my two favorites.

Ray's is part of the Ray's "franchise" in D.C. that includes Ray's the Classics and Ray's the Steaks. All three are known for their incredible ingredients and affordable prices. Ray's hellburgers are MASSIVE. I'm talking like drag my dead body out of the restaurant massive. When you walk in the restaurant (or stand outside because the line is that long) you need to send someone up to the front to grab a menu to browse. Once at the register there is somewhat of a "soup nazi" vibe and you don't want to be the guy holding everyone up. The free toppings include everything from pickles and onions to cherry and cognac mushrooms or piranha sauce. I Usually stick with the Big Punisher...Chipotle Marinade, Pepper Jack Cheese, Charred Jalapenos, Grilled Red Onions, Piranha Sauce(Fiery, Spicy, Green Sauce). This is a fantastic burger. The bun is always big enough, which I think can be overlooked sometimes, the helpings are equal to the price, and there is endless variety. I usually order some sweet potato fries and a root beer to go with it for around 11 bucks.

Good Stuff Eatery was one of the first places I tried when I moved here a couple years ago. I ate here before I tried Hellburger and had a great time eating there. This place is famous for being started by the infamous "Spike" of top chef fame. He is almost in there helping out which is pretty cool since I rarely see Jose Andres in Cafe Atlantico or Jaleo lol. The focus at Good Stuff is on the freshness and quality of the local beef and it shows. There is almost always a line here too because of the location and Spike. Burgers at Good Stuff are juicier than Hellburger since they arent as big and are COVERED with cheese. The menu is not as diverse as Hellburger, but I like to go with the Good Stuff Melt...Melted Cheddar & Muenster,Caramelized Onions & Mushrooms with Good Stuff Sauce. They have four or five different types of mayo too including a Siracha mayo which is my favorite hot sauce. A burger, fries, and a drink here will run you about $13 or so. Good Stuff has the onion rings though! Man these onion rings are just incredible. The only thing I can compare them to are the onion rings at The Varsity in Atlanta and those are legendary. The local dairy farm Milkshakes are also terrific, but they are way overpriced. Another overlooked plus to Good Stuff is the potato roll they use.

All in all I would definitely say that Hellburger is pretty damn superior to Good Stuff if you are going to go strictly burger. I will say that both are very good, but since they are about 15 min. apart, why not make the drive to Ray's? However, if you are looking for some fantastic onion rings or a milkshake you can stop in Good Stuff for a quick bite. Your unlikely to be disappointed either way.

Winner: Ray's Hellburger