What: Ruth’s Chris Steak House is a chain of 150+ restaurants located throughout the country. The restaurant was founded 50 years ago by Ruth Fertel, a divorced mother of two who mortgaged her home to buy a small restaurant in New Orleans called Chris Steak House. (The restaurant was later renamed Ruth’s Chris Steak House). Located at 499 Washington Boulevard, this is Ruth’s Chris first Jersey City location. JC Upfront was invited for a complimentary dinner at Ruth’s Chris and below is our take on the new restaurant.
Interior: Ruth’s Chris Jersey City is massive. The 11,750 square foot restaurant features an indoor bar, outdoor lounge, spacious dining room, and three private dining areas which can accommodate parties of 18 to 82 guests. Yet despite its sprawling size, the main dining room offers an intimate, cozy vibe. Diners included young professionals, a few dates, and local families.
The Menu: Prepare to ball out and drop some serious cash. Although Ruth’s Chris hosted JC Upfront, we still took note of menu prices. Appetizers at Ruth’s Chris can range from $16 to $21, seafood entrees from $32 to $44, and chicken/vegetarian entrees (there is one of each) range from $27 to $31. You can also order a small or large Chilled Seafood Tower for $59 and $118, respectively. Their signature steaks and chops are priced from $45 for an 11-ounce filet to $124 for the 40-ounce, bone-in tomahawk ribeye (for two).
We Loved: The staff at Ruth’s Chris are excellent. They’re cheerful, offer great recommendations, and are quick at answering questions about the menu. They turned what could’ve been a stuffy steak house into a comfortable restaurant. Food-wise, you get exactly what you pay for. The Crab Stack ($19) includes generous lumps of blue crab meat stacked with avocado, mango, and cucumber. You may think a steak house wouldn’t pay any attention to its salads, but our Harvest Salad ($10.50) and Chop Salad ($10.50) were hearty and excellent dishes on their own. But make no mistake, the real reason you should dine here are the steaks. Our main entree — the tomahawk ribeye — arrived hissing and spitting on a 500-degree plate. The ribeye is luscious, with a perfect sear on the exterior and a uniform pink color along the interior. It’s well-marbled with the right balance of meat, fat, and juiciness.
Could Be Better: The tomahawk ribeye is a glorious cut of meat. However, we wish the presentation was a little more dramatic as a plain white dish doesn’t do it justice. The Sweet Potato Casserole was delicious, but we felt it was too sweet to be served as a side dish. It really deserves to be put on the dessert menu with a scoop of ice cream. We’d also love to see a whole fish option on the menu (currently there are only fillets).
Final Take: Come to Ruth’s Chris to celebrate a special occasion, a birthday, or just to splurge on the best steaks you’ll find in the area. Also, keep an eye out because the Ruth’s Chris will start serving lunch on Monday, October 29 from 11am till 2:30pm Mondays through Fridays.
Crab Stack ($19)
Chop Salad ($10.50)
Harvest Salad ($10.50)
Tomahawk Ribeye ($124)
Tomahawk Ribeye ($124)
Brussels Sprouts ($10)
Creme Brulee ($10.50)
White Chocolate Bread Pudding ($10)
Main Dining Room
Sweet Potato Casserole ($10)
Private Room
Ruth’s Chris Steak House | 499 Washington Boulevard | www.ruthschris.com
