The Classics

Welcome to the poor man’s Morton’s, the Ruth’s Chris for folks who want a good steak dinner without the froufrou or the three-digit tabs. Introduced as Ray’s the Classics in 2006 by Michael Landrum, the owner of the democratic Ray’s the Steaks in Arlington, the Silver Spring restaurant shortened its name to the Classics when Landrum sold the business to a general manager last year. Not much seems to have changed since the switch. You still get spicy cashews before your meal, the crab imperial is still a snowball of sweet, sherry butter-drenched seafood, and the menu revels in a stockyard of beef, cuts of which are better eaten plain than with any of the distracting toppings. Go for the hanger steak if you prefer some chew with your meat, the aged rib-eye if you dig juice and char. The Caesar salad needs more punch to be a classic, and even a cup of the crab bisque threatens to spoil an appetite. Of the traditional sides, the baked potato is steak’s best friend. The original restaurant was never flashy, nor was it intended to be, but the spare dining rooms definitely show signs of wear and tear; a customer doesn’t have to look closely to notice the chips on the walls, the tables, even some of the china. The most comfortable seating, by the way, involves the capacious, Heinz 57-colored booths, attended to by servers every bit as relaxed as the reggae in the airwaves. With the check comes a sweet ending: gratis hot chocolate in cold weather and house-made chocolate candy when it’s warm.