Gluten Freebird

It’s been a busy few weeks for me, partly because I’ve been eating a lot.

Most notably, I stopped into opening day at Ray’s Hell-Burger yesterday, which is just down from Ray’s the Steaks on Wilson Blvd.

I almost don’t want to share it. It was that good.

The burgers are indescribably juicy and flavorful. 10 ounces of char-grilled prime beef, which you can get with the Ray’s the Steaks preparations (au poivre or Diablo, perhaps?). Almost all toppings (charred jalapenos, grilled onions, raw onions, beefsteak tomatoes, sherry-sauteed mushrooms) are free or you can pay extra for applewood-smoked bacon or guacamole.

And if that isn’t good enough, there are cheeses that will blow your mind. Love stinky cheese? Go for Epoisses. You can also go for Amish cheddar, Vermont white cheddar, brie…and on and on.

Each burger comes with corn on the cob and a slice of watermelon. You can also get a root beer float (with Dominion root beer) with up to three scoops of Moorenko’s ice cream.

I ordered my burger without a bun and the toppings all came on the side. It was delicious, but my one little complaint was the lack of a fork. Gluteneer had to run over to Greenberry’s to nab a plastic fork. But with beef that good, I would’ve used my hands.

Updated: Here’s a look at the Gluteneer’s burger plus bun in case you’re looking for bready goodness.