I don’t usually order steak when I go to a restaurant so when we went to a Ruth’s Chris in Florida with my sister and cousins I got the stuffed chicken breast. It was delicious.
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They’re good, but for me, not worth is because I can get the same steak at 1/3 the price at Costco. I do like the steaks there though.Comment
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I have eaten at three different RCs and have enjoyed each very much. Fortunately, I wasn't the one paying the bill, which makes it extra nice. Probably the best filet mignon I have ever had was at RC in Tulsa last year! It was served tender, tasty, cooked to perfection, and served hot. The sides were also hot when served. Service has always been impeccable so each time was a memorable occasion.
The RC in Tulsa is inside the huge River Spirit Casino so they do very well with winners and high-rollers.Comment
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If you are going just for the steak, you will likely be disappointed. I have been to a few NYC and Chicago “rated” steakhouses. If you are going for the experience, I think you will likely have a better time. Personally, I’d probably order something else other than the steak just not to draw comparisons with my own work. The stuffed chicken sounds pretty good.
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I have been a half dozen times or so. Used to get to one now and then when traveling on business. I’ve been retired for over 7 years now so it’s been quite a while. I was always there on somebody else’s dime so didn’t really care one way or another. If I recall correctly they were just pretty good, not terrific or anything. Pretty pricey too. But again, it’s been a long time, so who knows? Only one way to find out right?Comment
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For years, it was on my bucket list to eat at a Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse. My friend Dan Holohan showcased some of their marketing language in his book “ Just Add H2Oh!: A Recipe for Hydronic Marketing Success”. (Or was it an article he wrote?) So I wanted to try it, for the marketing language alone.
The first time I went, I thoroughly enjoyed the steaks, but was a little put off by the pricing. I thought it was because I was a poor boy.
As my life circumstances changed, I began putting out some phenomenal steaks myself, plus was able to try some higher end restaurants, including meals that cost twice as much as a meal at Ruth’s Chris.
I’ve tried Ruth’s Chris several times over the years. I am still put off by the prices. Just too high for what you get!
The steaks are excellent! But not sublime. That’s a ton of money for a non-sublime steak. They are good enough though, that unless you have eaten at a truly magnificent steakhouse, or dialed cooking steaks in yourself, or ate off the grill of someone who has, then yes, they are probably the best someone has had.
I recommend going at least once. It’s enjoyable. It’s a fun experience, and I have been impressed with their deserts. I will sometimes take a client to a GREAT restaurant, then to Ruth’s Chris for desert.
PS. I have had the opportunity to buy quite a few steaks that were originally destined for Ruth’s Chris in the last couple of years. Their T-Bones were of EXCELLENT quality. From multiple cases, the kind of fine marbling that if you find it in a store, makes you grin like a possum! The $6 a pound I paid made it all the sweeter.Comment
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I’ve been five times, four at company expense, none in the past ten years, and the previous responses reflect my experiences. I’ve had four great steaks (including a filet that was amazing), and one that was under seasoned. The sides were always great, particularly the potatoes. People with me raved about their chicken and sea food dishes, but I haven’t tried them.
The chain seems to be successful, and our local restaurant has been open about 15 years, so they’ve carved out a niche in the restaurant ecosystem. If you think you’d enjoy it, why not give it a try?
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Don't hesitate a second, Huskee . Make reservations and make your date night special. Why? Because your wife wants a date night at Ruth's Chris, and she deserves a great night out with her best guy.
Can you make a better steak at home? Probably. But then you don't get to be waited on, you have distractions (kids, dogs, etc.) and the ambiance of your home kitchen may not always lend itself to a good date night.
My theme here focuses on the date night not the RC steak. FWIW we have eaten at our semi-local RC steakhouse several times, more for the occasion than the steaks. Don't get me wrong, the steaks were delicious, as were the cocktails, the sides, and the desserts. But it's the special occasions there that I remember best.
KathrynComment
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Been a couple decades since I ate at an RC, but have enjoyed it when I've gone. It is definitely spendy, but for special occasions, why the hell not? I'm with Kathryn completely on this: Go with the expectation of having a very nice evening being taken good care of, with an absolutely solid meal experience.
RC does have a sentimental value to me, because my parents and I used to go to the one in San Francisco on the meetups we would do while I was an undergrad and gradual student. They'd drive up from SoCal and I'd drive down from far northern CA or Oregon, and we'd spend a long weekend staying at a B&B downtown and cruising around town. My Dad loved that restaurant.
But as far as ordering steaks out anymore, I'm like most here, I know I can outperform almost any restaurant nowadays. In particular for ribeyes - I had years ago given up ordering one, they were ALWAYS a big disappointment. Now I can turn out a perfect ribeye every single time (like the Steaks for Bob I posted about yesterday). Like barelfly, I typically order something I don't/can't make myself when out.
Looking forward to the outbrief!Comment
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It has been 10 year since I went to an RC, it is pricey and very good. If I am going to an expensive steak house I like when they "Parade the Beef" and you select the cut. (that did not happen the last time I went to RC).
If I were going out for a special evening I would check around for a Steakhouse that does it
If you are looking for a special culinary evening suggest scanning https://guide.michelin.com/us/en
Nice things cost money...at least that is what Oskar Schindler said!Comment
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Not quite a parade story: We were in Florence Italy at a place that supposedly specialized in Steak Florentine. We may have ordered poorly as we appear to be the only one in the place that ordered it that time. The look on other diners' faces when they wheeled this monstrosity over to the table was priceless. The gigantic steak could easily have served 4-6 guests.Originally posted by Bad Hat BBQ View Post
It was fantastic. We made a dent in that thing, but could not finish it. It was a lot. And worth the effort.
They do the Parade of Beef at Gordon Ramsey's steakhouse in Vegas @ Paris. Was a pretty darn good meal the first time we ate there, not as good the 2nd time around. We still are talking about their cocktail menu, however. It is still on the "if you're looking for a place to eat in Vegas, try...." list.Comment
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For reasons that many have mentioned, I don't go steakhouses often (much prefer something that isn't easy to do at home). On occasion, my wife will want to got to one of the major chains (usually Outback), and they are just ok. If I really wanted to splurge, there are other's in the Chicago area I would choose over RC.Comment
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My grandparents loved it. Was their go to fancy restaurant when they moved to Florida.
I think it's credible, but, will have some variability between markets and even between visits to the same restaurants.
If you know what you're doing, reverse sear and personal preference for cooking, you will always produce a better steak than a steakhouse, assuming you can get similar quality product. The four main steakhouse steaks are always prepared to highlight the quality of the beef, though you can get sauces and toppings and sides and whatnot. But, at it's core, it's beef, salt, and heat.
The reason I think people can do better at home is the same reason why the breads I bake are better than the fancy bakery near my wife's work. I only make two loaves at a go, and really only bake one at a time, while they are making 50 in a batch. The steakhouse has however many seats, however many diners in each seating (called a cover in the industry), and has to track and time all the orders to come out at the same time, regardless of the prep involved. Call it 30 steaks on the fire at any given moment. With the variation that comes from an agricultural product, they cannot put the same amount of attention on your order as you can at home.
Now, that said, I have had a few really great steakhouse dinners here in Chicago, and I can (through the miracle of neural divergence) recall each one pretty clearly... David Burke's Primehouse was the best steak I'd ever eaten, 54 day dry aged in his dry age vault with the pink salt block walls. David Burke has moved on, and I haven't been back. My wife's favorite was RPM Steak, featuring 28 day dry age, Creekstone, two American Wagyus, and some insane real rare Wagyu. Last was Swift & Sons, who don't have a big pitch about how they source, but achieved a texture to it in a traditional turn and burn that I've never been able to replicate. I dream about that texture sometimes. Some good ones elsewhere around the country, but the main dividing line between my best and steakhouse best is the sourcing of the beef and their ability to dry age or otherwise improve the flavor.
Now, lest anyone think me a snob, on a lazy Friday evening, when I get home from work and am too beat to even fire up the Grilla, wife and I will order from the local Longhorn, which always surprises. Is it better than a steak I could procure for similar pricing? No. But it's lower effort, zero planning, and delivers on the value proposition. And their mac and cheese side is surprisingly good. ;-)
If I were to open a steakhouse, my priorities would be to source the beef and seafood, ethically and sustainably, dry age on premises, and then get to work on the sides. Sides, apps, wine list, and service. The money is there if you can nail all that. ;-)Last edited by Potkettleblack; June 26, 2023, 10:09 AM.Comment
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I have been a couple of times years ago in New Orleans where they started out. I am not really a steak guy, so I don’t know if a steak would wow me. I thought they were good. We were told that their process was to plunge the steak into 500 degree oil and then finish in an oven.Comment
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Legit process. Front sear, so not optimal, but that oil sear is usually great. I'd reverse the process, but I don't do 300 covers a night, like they do. -
Huskee Who knows? The last time I was there was probably 20 years ago, so they might have changed their method of preparing steaks.
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IF you order a steak (I am one of those that don't at restaurants anymore) Don't get the steak delivered on their trademark 500 degree plate ~325 degrees when it gets to the table. Tell them warm plate and the desired doneness. I have had them badly miss under Medium Rare and Badly Miss Over (like 170 degrees) and YES I HAD A THERMAPEN. The manager was horrified. We were doing an experiment of high end steak houses for a segment on the BBQ Central Show.Comment
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