My meal at (and assessment of) Ruth's Chris in AC

Well, honestly after reading all the posts I wasn't sure I wanted to go here, but Mrs Mosca was all pumped. Party of 6, 4 adults/1 teen/1 preteen.

The first thing we noticed was, well, the prices. Holy heck. Even being prepared for them, no one was prepared for them, and it definitely influenced what we ordered. If you've been here you know, but if you haven't been following the box score, everything is ala carte and expensive. Cheap salads are around $10. Baked potato, $10. Appetizers, $15-$20. Steaks start at $35. Iced tea, $5 (no refills). Beer, $10. So we skipped appetizers and salads. My sis-in-law had a bowl of lobster bisque that was very good though.

Just about everyone ordered the cheapest entree; petite filet. I got a ribeye, my wife got a shrimp and steak combination. The waiter in his presentation claimed that all the beef is USDA prime, contrary to what was written in another post. The meat may or may not be prime; all I'm doing is pointing out the contradiction, not saying who is correct. My ribeye was noticeably tender and free from tendons and other trash, but was also a little bit watery in its flavor. I'd say it might have been prime, but not dry-aged; it didn't have that meatiness and texture that I would expect a dry-aged steak to have. For the price, it should have been dry-aged. If it was, well I couldn't tell.

I had a taste of one of the filets, which was quite good.

The sides were a real dissapointment. The waiter advised us that sides were "family style" and served 3-4 people each; 2-3 was more like it. The lyonnaise potatoes were crap; chunks of cubed deep fried potatoes over a smattering of fried onions. Thawed breakfast food, dry and tasteless. They were about as good as Denny's. The broiled tomato had no character. The garlic mashed potatoes were pretty good. The baked potato was a $10 baked potato. The broccoli was a $10 head of broccoli.

The real disappointment was the service... not really the service, which remained pleasant, efficient, and professional, but the palpable change in attitude we felt from the waiter when he realized that we weren't ordering slalds, wine, drinks, or dessert. I can only describe it with an analogy: Have you ever gone window-shopping for a car? Not really interested in buying one, you just want to see some new cars. And the salesperson walks up to you, and everyone is friendly, and he takes a couple tries at getting you interested but you're really not, you just want to look... you know that feeling you get from him when he realizes he's not going to sell you anything? THAT'S the feeling we got. It changed from friendly professional to professional, like, "Let's get these cheap tourists out of here so I can make some REAL money."

OK, here's the grand finale. The tab, with NO salads, 2 beers, no other alcohol, 4 soft drinks, no appetizers, no dessert, and only 4 sides (exclude the baked potato) split among 6 people, after tax and before tip.....


$300.30



So. The Mosca report says, if you work for a company that is churning black money somehow, and your excursion into culinary delight is going to get overlooked because the boss expense accounted his daughter's sweet sixteen party in Monte Carlo, then by all means eat at Ruth's Chris. I mean, if you throw value out the window you can order salads and sides and beers and desserts and for an hour or so the waiter will be your bestest buddy! And you won't care, because price just isn't a factor. The food is pretty good (except for the Lyonnaise potatoes). But not $50/plate good. For about 2/3 that, we could eat at a local premium steak house and get dry-aged prime, AND salads, AND decent sides. And get the regular filets instead of the petites.

Or contrarily, if you are comfortable with the price, you could get a better meal for the same money at at least two other places I know of: Brown's Beach House or the Four Seasons, on The Big Island of Hawaii. So I'd say better value could be had that way as well; I spent $70 a plate there, but in both instances I got a meal that I remember right up to this day. And there are other places I could think of as well. Those two are the ones that came right to mind.

It's a money churner is what it is. My opinion is avoid, unless you just don't really care about Roadfood at all.


Tom

I took one look at the prices on their website, and that made my mind up about should I ever give Ruth's Chris a try. Why would I want to overpay for a couple sides that supposedly feed 3-4 when all I need is enough to feed me?

Thanks for the detailed report Mosca.

Mosca,
i made such a gasp when i came to your bill the hubster thought
i was having a heart attack!
your experience is the very reason i cook at home.
there is nothing worse than having a waitperson write you off.
it totally ruins any pleasure you may have had about dining out.

You would have done much better at The Palm in the Tropicana Quarter. Their prices are more in line with prices at other Palm's. Those prices you are quoting for the AC RC are higher than the prices here at local RC's. By the way, I know the owner of the RC in AC, and I just spotted a shiny new Bentley in front of his office.

quote:

Originally posted by signman

You would have done much better at The Palm in the Tropicana Quarter. Their prices are more in line with prices at other Palm's. Those prices you are quoting for the AC RC are higher than the prices here at local RC's. By the way, I know the owner of the RC in AC, and I just spotted a shiny new Bentley in front of his office.

You know what was good? The burgers at RiRa. You can get them medium rare. I had one medium rare with Swiss cheese, Irish slab bacon, and onion straws. And a Smithwick's. Very good.


Tom

TOM,
My reaction to Morton's here in Louisville was a twin to your experience described above. I didn't credit the Waiter's attitude with professional, He was arrogant and didn't seem to mind that I knew it. He fawned over the folks at the next table because they ordered everything on the menu, offering samples of various sides to assist in their ordering 'all' and back-doored us because we (first time-visitors) asked him to explain the individual side dishes etc. so we could make choices. I will not go back to Morton's and equate Ruth-Chris's atmosphere in the same league. They don't need, or apparently want, my money.

Here in my Atlantic City area, we have all 3 places now
Ruths Chris, the Palm and Mortons...

I've caught that snooty vibe over at Ruths Chris , as well...
yes, it was professional, but snooty..

The waiter questioned me more than once about my order for "regular ice water".......he kept saying "tap water?!?"...
It was no secret he was trying to push that bottled water.

Hey, AC wins awards (believe it or not) for it's water; yes, just the regular stuff.
They service had that negative , snooty "air" to it....but meanwhile I had to ask 3 times for more bread....

If you thought Ruths Chris was high, $$, Morton's charges about $10 more for each steak.... I got the chicago bone in rib eye for $48.00 there...(and nothing came with it but a plate!)

But at Morton's there was a nice lounge section to eat in, which was more comfy and down to earth than the dining room looked....
and good "vibes" with the service....down to earth as well...I feel it's a little TOO pricey though...

I agree with Signman that the Palm is the best choice (of the 3)
Steak is about $37, but the service is not snooty during the 3 times I've been to that location. They also have a comfy lounge area to eat in.

The Ringside here in Portland serves excellent steaks, killer onion rings and good drinks. The staff is attentive, friendly and the prices are about half what you paid. I will not patronize the places you have wriiten about after your reports.

ellen4641,

Isn't there also now a Gallagher's in Resorts? And I heard a Smith & Wollensky's was coming.

I think I learned my lesson here though. No more chain high-end steakhouses. I have no problem laying out long green for a spectacular meal once in a while, but I won't do it for plain food and unfriendly service.

Yeah, "Tap water?" I forgot about that. That irked me. It's not as if it was dishwater, but they made you feel that way.

(EDIT BELOW))

quote:

originally posted by mr chips

I will not patronize the places you have wriiten about after your reports.

Excellent; in the true spirit of Roadfood, it is good to see my work is trusted. I am NOT anti-chain, btw. If it was good, I'd have said so. You know what was a good chain? I mentioned it in an earlier post; the RiRa Pub. That was a damn good burger I had, MADE PERFECTLY MEDIUM RARE, service was great (lots of Irish exchange students working there), good imported beer on tap (not just Guinness and Harp). Mrs Mosca's scallops in buerre blanc with spinach over garlic mashed potatoes was, in her words, "memorable", one of the best dishes she's had. Prices were vacation-reasonable, not bank breakers. A nice change of pace, second floor of the Tropicana Quarter.


Tom

Be honest now. How many of you who received the nose-in-the-air, snooty, "you're beneath us" service rewarded the server with a tip, and how much was that tip?

quote:

Originally posted by enginecapt

Be honest now. How many of you who received the nose-in-the-air, snooty, "you're beneath us" service rewarded the server with a tip, and how much was that tip?

Here's the good part, the revenge.

I'm a generous tipper. I usually leave 20% rounded up, and never less than 15%. My brother in law though is a cheap SOB. He washes and reuses plastic forks.

So I gave George $150 and he used his credit card and handled the tip. I didn't ask what he left, I don't have to. I'd be surprised if it was more than $10.

I took my niece to the Palm in Nashville last month. The food was great, and I have never in my life had better service.

i repost my earlier comment regarding ruth's chris and recommend you check out a thread in the misc. food related forum titled ruth's chris abandons new orleans.

here's all you've got to know about ruth's chris. ruth's chris which was founded in new orleans and proudly talks about it's heritage pulled up its stakes (no pun intended) two days after hurricane katrina and announced it was moving it's national headquarters out of new orleans to orlando (where a number of their senior executives had second homes). real troupers, nothing like kicking ya when your down. a real class act if i've ever seen one. i wouldn't be caught dead in one of their resturants and i urge every lover of new orleans and it's great food to avoid them at all costs. and anyway here in nyc there are at least 15 better places to get a steak.

quote:

Originally posted by Mosca

ellen4641,

Isn't there also now a Gallagher's in Resorts? And I heard a Smith & Wollensky's was coming.

I think I learned my lesson here though. No more chain high-end steakhouses. I have no problem laying out long green for a spectacular meal once in a while, but I won't do it for plain food and unfriendly service.

Yeah, "Tap water?" I forgot about that. That irked me. It's not as if it was dishwater, but they made you feel that way.

(EDIT BELOW))

quote:

originally posted by mr chips

I will not patronize the places you have wriiten about after your reports.

Tom

oops, I forgot to mention Gallaghers ! (my bad!).....it is in Resorts Casino.. the pics of the steaks don't look like they have enough charred lines on them, (the way I like them).....still will check it out sooner or later...

At Ruths Chris : tap water = dishwater?!? You pinpointed it perfectly, Mosca...
the server mildly embarrassed me by making it seem like I just wanted to drink the "dishwater blend"...... (tap water- the horrors?! how dare me?)

I don't mind the high prices for the steaks as much as I mind that $10.00 baked potato! I could understand that they use a special 1600 degree oven that sears in the juices of the steaks, and I could not make one as good at home. But overcharging so much for the baked potato is too hard to justify. I remember when the baked potato was $5.00 extra, and I thought that was bad enough!
I'm not much of a cook, but I think I can swing a decent baked potato!

And I've read about that Ringside Steak House in Portland a few times on those airline magazines.....it is often on the "top 10 steakhouse list". I've tried Charlies in Orlando, the Butcher Block, Berns in Tampa, Barclay in Philly, plus more, but not Ringside yet . Got to put it on my list now!

there's no way anyone can justify charging 10 bucks for a potato.

quote:

Originally posted by xannie_01

there's no way anyone can justify charging 10 bucks for a potato.

How about if it came with a dance?

Larry,
not even a lap dance with george cloony
would justify it.
and before anyone says it,
i know guys wouldn't want a lap dance with george.

HA! Well, I tried to help them out.


(I agree about Clooney though)

I have never eaten at Morton's or Ruth Chris and don't entend to.I have had some good steak at Texas Road House in Live Oak,and would like to try Texas land and Cattle Company on Loop 410 and McCullough.Or just go to HEB Central Market and buy fancy steaks, and cook it myself.If I paid 40 dollars for dinner for just me,it better be a three or four course dinner.
$5.oo bucks for ice tea is outrageous,since it cost them like 10 or 20 cents to make.
Always recall my dad saying ala carte service was more expensive.

When I post on the travel message boards and ask where to eat usually someone reply's with Ruths Chris Steakhouse. Gee, imagine? What I really want is a suggestion for good old roadfood. If I had unlimited money I'd be dining at Ruths or Mortons...

Thanks for the posting PMRKR2 about the executives that decided to pull out of New Orleans and make the headquarters in Orlando. I love New Orleans and always will. I'm surprised I didn't know that was where they originated.

OK, here's the grand finale. The tab, with NO salads, 2 beers, no other alcohol, 4 soft drinks, no appetizers, no dessert, and only 4 sides (exclude the baked potato) split among 6 people, after tax and before tip.....


$300.30
--------------------------------------------

Three hundred dollars for that? You were ripped off!

$10 dollars for a baked potato? You were ripped off!


How much did Ruth pay for the food she sold you?

Two beers-About $2.00

Four soft drinks (plus tea)- About .20 cents.(Tital)

Potato-30 cents*6= $1.80

Six steaks (about $5.00 per pound) so maybe $30-60 dollars. Let's say $60! I don't care if that cow was bred in the remotest part of Kyoto, Japan eating golden grains and having its back and feet rubbed by naked virgins, there aint no piece of steak worth more than $5-10 bucks a pound.

Appetizers (whatever it was, it is dirt cheap to buy and make.) Maybe $1 a side, so $4 dollars total.

So $2+$.10+$1.80+$60.00+$4.00= $68 dollars. Ruth made $232. To add insult to gross profit, you have to help support her waitstaff, since they only make minimum wage plus tips. This isn't a steakhouse so much as a clip joint for the so-called wealthy and wantabees who want to impress their friends.

THIS IS A STEAKHOUSE! Never been there, but its now a life goal.................
http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=3380

That wonderful piece of T-bone heaven below sells for $28. I doubt you can get a bologna sandwich for that at Ruth's.

Senor

Mosca's story makes my blood boil. I do not want to be made to feel cheap when I dine out - having to avoid appetizers & drinks and split sides to remain within budget. How can anyone enjoy a meal with that hanging over them?

One of the best experiences I had was at the high-end restaurant I went for my last birthday. My wife and I decided to splurge (and even had a coupon!) so we ordered without regard to prices. She ordered the chef's mystery 3-course meal and me a Kobe ribeye. But what made the meal exceptional were the extras the kitchen sent out to all tables - a taste of an appetizer and dessert. The sparkling wine to start the meal and the Italian bottled water was even complementary. We will go back, even if I don't have a coupon.

Sounds like a nice place JRP. Wanna give em a plug?

Oh, just try ordering a glass of dishwater, in one of those places that push the botted water, might be fun!
Joe

quote:

Originally posted by PapaJoe8

Sounds like a nice place JRP. Wanna give em a plug?

Oh, just try ordering a glass of dishwater, in one of those places that push the botted water, might be fun!
Joe

Sure Joe. I wasn't trying to keep a secret , just trying to make the point that part of hospitality is making the guest feel they are receiving good value.

The restaurant is Dream Dance at the Potowatomi Bingo Casino in Milwaukee. I think the gamblers are subsidizing the diners here. If you check the menu the prices are not cheap, but the meals are complete. And the starters and desserts are not too far out of line. The service is also fantastic.

BTW - I had the American Waygo ribeye, not the True Kobe Beef. It was as good as any steak I have ever eaten.

Jim

http://www.paysbig.com/dining/dreamdance.htm

We went in with our eyes open, the prices were high but we weren't ripped off because we agreed. We could have walked out, it's not like we cared what anyone thought. I've paid $280 for 3 at Brown's Beach House and thought I got my money's worth. With Ruth's Chris, the food wasn't worth it and the fake snobbery was really annoying. I don't care how much a restaurant makes if they deliver the goods.

JRP, you know, it wasn't even blood-boiling; it was mercenary. It almost felt dirty. It felt like culinary prostitution.


Tom

Oh, if they say they can't serve you dishwater, just say "well shoot, I guess I'll just have some tap water then".
Joe

The $10 baked potato kills me! That is just criminal. I'd have them pile on $10 worth of bacon bits to get my money's worth.

quote:

Originally posted by salsailsa

The $10 baked potato kills me! That is just criminal. I'd have them pile on $10 worth of bacon bits to get my money's worth.

Those bacon bits are extra.