Ruth's Chris

Great food. First a fantastic, almost raw, tuna in a spicy mustard sauce with julienne of carrots, turnip and ginger. The excellent steak, which came in a hot plate with bubbling butter, almost melted inside the mouth. But I find the service a little rude and careless. The real good and warm wheat bread came too late, after the entr?e and in the end the waitress forgot to bring me the change making me ask for it.

Pros: Steaks, details

Cons: Annoying loud music during the dinner, careless service.

Posted 09/09/09

I have eaten here frequently, both for business dinner and lunches. I have had ok service and I have had excellent service...it has varied, but the food is always excellent and the restaurant is always clean. I must recommend the grilled cheese on the lunch menu...I know a grilled cheese is ridiculous, but it really is out of this world!!! Don't expect a cheap meal here, but do expect yummy food!

Pros: very good food, very clean atmosphere

Cons: sometimes wait staff and hostesses are not as professional as they should be

Posted 11/09/08

My wife and I ate at the bar and had a very poor experience. Frustrating at every turn.
1) Original piece of meat was low quality and overcooked.
2) Replacement was raw (cold inside and out).
3) Plates were dirty. Couple next to us went through 5 in a row that were not clean.
4) Didn't bring out new sides. Somehow mashed potatoes and mushrooms that have been sitting on our table for a half hour before my meal was right didn't excite me.
5) When the bill came I commented that I was surprised they didn't remove my steak. The bartender all but called me out to rest of bar asking loudly, "So you want me to take it off?" Very poor understanding of customer service.
6) After paying bill and deciding never to return, I wanted to let the manager know about our experience. The hostess tracked down the manager and we had a conversation in a hallway out of earshot from customers, waiters, etc. Apparently the manager was so 'distracted' by people coming and going he couldn't look me in the eye while we were speaking.
7) This combination of poor service, ill prepared food and uncleanliness at their price point is unacceptable.

I will never return and I would never recommend Ruth's Cris (or at least the location in Boston). More accurately, I will actively discourage others from trying.

By way of background, my wife and I live in Boston and dine out 2-3 nights a week. We're well known at quality spots (Stella, Oak room, Bristal, etc.) and at more reasonable spots. This is my first post, primarily because the experience was so unsatisfying.

Pros: Bar, inexpensive wine list.

Cons: Service and food quality do not match price.

Posted 10/04/08

You definitely get your money's worth here. Food is great, service is great. Had a mixed grill of Crab cake, stuffed chicken and a filet. Wasn't too crazy about the stuffed chicken but everything else was perfect. Very clean, very professional. But as another reviewer said, there's quite the turnover of staff here. Felt like every course was delivered by a different person.

Pros: Food is GREAT

Cons: None

Posted 07/15/08

The food was delicious, truly steaks that melt in your mouth. On the upper-price end, but worth every dollar in every bite!

Service: We were asked to change our reservations to a earlier time, we were told that the Vault was not available, but that we would be ensured to have a corner table. Instead, we were placed in a small, two seater table, which didn't offer as cozy of a dining experience (despite reservations). Additionally the fire alarm blaring for 5-10 min ruined the ambiance and my overall birthday celebration :- (

The manager offered one round of drinks (on the house) for the inconvenient noise. Hardly a fair trade off... ($10 for 5 minutes of a being forced to endure a blaring, deafening fire alarm).

Pros: King Crab Legs, Filet

Cons: Fire Alarm, Switching staff (multiple times throughout meal), Failure to honor reservation (seating requests), slow service (despite not being crowded)

Posted 06/10/08

I work for a competeing restaurant. I know great food and incrediable service when I experience. Value to me is not how much you pay, but how satified you are walking out the building. This was an excellent experience!

Pros: steak

Cons: none

Posted 04/28/08

I ate here last night for a birthday dinner. Delicious steaks, fantastic sides (a little more expensive relative to the rest of the menu), great wine list - even the condensed wine list on the dinner menu is top notch makes this place my new favorite place to eat in Boston. I moved here 4 years ago from Ireland and this is the best meal I have had to date. I preferred it to the one in Puerto Rico and Providence, RI and that?s saying something. Staff were polite and attentive but most importantly have the brains to know when to back off and just let you enjoy your food and conversation. Our waiter Jeff was all these things and more - really knew what he was doing and we didn?t want for anything for the ~2 hours we were there. I agree with one of the earlier reviews - lots of out of town corporate types flashing around company credit cards and in some instances being loud and obnoxious. Didn't bother me, I was too busy enjoying my Filet, Gratin potatoes and Asparagus. The Veal ravioli as a starter was delicious and just the right amount. It was served on a reduction that made by taste buds yell for a timeout.

All in all the five stars are well justified here. Of course it?s a little pricey but anyone walking in to this place will see where the money goes. I?m no food or wine expert but I know what tastes good and also if I?m being ripped off. This was not the case at Ruth Chris last night. I?ll definitely be back ? sooner rather than later I hope.

Pros: Steaks, wine & Service

Cons: Pricey Side dsihes / Too many wanna be Donald Trumps spending someone elses money

Posted 03/12/08

We ate at the bar this weekend, and were completely pleased. Other reviewers seem to think that expense and location are more of a hurdle rather than a perk. This place is wonderful! You know where you are going and what to expect, good service, good food, and a particular menu. Every step of the dinner experience is well put together, no unpleasant surprises. Will go back any time.

Pros: Everything

Cons: None

Posted 10/20/07

It seems that all the "prime" steak restaurants in town are starting to taste the same. The food at Ruth's Chris us undeniably good if steak cooked in butter (or worse yet, covered with a blue cheese crust...who makes these things up?) is what you like. In fact, everything is soaked in butter so make sure your server is alerted if you want anything "au natural." The sides are very good but extremely pricey (as are the steaks) and if you have a group of at least four persons, the bill can be quite shocking, and that is without dessert. What surprised me was how incredibly small the a la carte salads were...I had what I consider a miniature Caesar salad for the price of 12 heads of romaine lettuce and a nice chunk of aged parmaggiano. The main dining room is beautiful if you like quiet and clubby and I expect would impress out of town relatives. However, this restaurant seems more like the downtown "expense account" type of eatery than one for meat seeking foodies. And not what I would call a "fun" place to go with friends who like great food. One thing I can say however is that all the restaurants in this chain are consistent in food quality (but watch that butter...yuck!), but some others are a bit more exciting than the Boston branch. If you need serious and quiet while eating your steak, this is your place.

Pros: Excellent quality beef and sides, beautiful room

Cons: Every item on the menu is butter soaked so beware, VERY expensive menu & parking

Posted 08/22/07

I went here with a friend for lunch and we were blown away! I had the filet and she had the sirloin steak and we were both extremely pleased with the whole meal. The service was great, but we had about 4 different people at one time, so it was a little confusing as to which one was our waiter. They were all extremely gratious and coming by every so often to see how we were doing. I would definitely go back there again!

Pros: Outdoor patio seating, service, location

Cons: Price, parking or lack thereof

Posted 08/14/07

I've been to Ruth's Chris numerous times over the past few years and I have never been disappointed. My fiance and I are cursed with terrible service when we dine out and we have never experienced that at Ruth?s Chris. The staff is extremely knowledgeable, friendly and attentive. In my opinion the food is far superior to other steak houses around Boston, i.e. Abe and Louie?s, Flemings and Morton?s. The restaurant is situated in Old City Hall and the ambiance is fantastic. Great for date night or dinner with friends and I also highly recommend dining in the vault. I recommend the Filet but the past few times I?ve had the Stuffed Chicken which is fantastic. A great restaurant and just an all around great experience.

Pros: Food, Service and Ambience

Cons: valet only or nearby garage and have to walk

Posted 07/23/07

from the ambience to the food to the service, it was top notch. the waitress was down to earth and unpretentious while the food was amazing! i went on a double date with another couple and everything we ordered was perfect. we were seated downstairs in a cozy room and while there were a lot of people there it wasn't too loud or boisterous. my boyfriend ordered the venison special and i ordered the filet and they were both delicious. the creme brulee was a perfect ending to my meal. the wine list is both extensive and expensive but i found a couple of hidden gems that wouldn't break the bank. would love to go there again when i can afford it!

Pros: service, ambience, steaks

Cons: $$$$ no parking

Posted 12/09/06

The food is good, though drenched in butter, the cut of meats is exceptional though. The place is a little dark and quiet, eat in the bar if you're looking for a little bit of a scene.

Pros: Great cuts of meat

Cons: Food is soaked in butter

Posted 11/23/06

I usually avoid any kind of chain restaurant, but a friend of mine raved about Ruth Chris. I went there on a Friday evening. We had an appropriate wait time, and I'll admit I would have waited even longer after the filet I had. I ordered it medium-rare, and it was cooked to perfection! Try the Laetitia Pinot Noir. It is my new favorite.

Pros: Steak, wine, ambiance

Cons: Service a bit slow

Posted 09/12/06

We went in June. I had tried for about 6 months to get a Saturday night reservation and finally got one. What a meal...easily the best steak I have ever had in Boston. I had a ribeye which was cooked to perfection. My boyfriend had a bone-in ribeye and also thought the same. This is my first choice for a place when I want a top-notch meal. And the old city hall is really beautiful.

Posted 07/19/06

I eat out alot and consider myself a food person, and have really never been motivated to write a review, I am always suspect that the writer has some ax to grind. BUT, I ate at Ruth Chris Wednesday 7/19/06 and I think its worth sharing my experiance. My reservation was for 6:45pm and I was running late, so I called to have the resturant hold my table-they said that they would. I arrived at 7:15pm and waited untill 7:40pm to be seated, they were sort of like -hey were ruth chris be happy you have a table. We ordered apps - barbecued shrimp, crabcakes, tomato & basil and for dinner a porterhouse for 2, sirlion steak and pitet filet. I always give speach to the waiter that I like my steak meduim rare and if its not I will send it back - no problem we are ruth chris. It was a little cold so i asked the waiter if he could turn up the temp, he said no problem and then just blew us off. The waiter then showed up with my wine and brought the white instead of the red, he took the wine away and proimised to be back with the right choice. Another waiter showed up with a dish that aparantley was ordered for another table. Our apps came and the waiter had the orders mixed up with who ordered what at what seat, I spoke up and directed the orders to the right person, my experiance is that they should know who gets what at a restuarant of this caliber. The apps were ok, the shrimp was very good, but the tomato and basil was perdestrian and the crab cakes where better at other steak houses. The dinner entrees came, and again, they has who gets what completley backwords, so after I redirected the entrees they droped the food and left. Nobody checked to see if we were happy or the temps on the meat was right. The steak was good, but not WOW and the service was, well pretty inept. So my suggestion is that wityh all the great steakhouses in town why subject yourself to this untill they get it right and I hope they do.

Pros: Steak

Cons: Service

Posted 07/19/06

I made reservations for 9 but got in early at about 8 and I was seated immediately. It was awesome to be eating in such a historic place(old city hall). My server was extremely attentive, knowledgable and overall appeared to have genuinely cared about our dining experience, unlike many other fine restaurants. I ordered barbeque shrimp as an appetizer and it was one of the best things I've ever eaten; in a garlicy sauce. As my main course I ordered the filet medium with extra butter which came out perfect on a 500 degree plate and it sizzled the whole time. The steak was literally hot until it was gone....for dessert we got the chocolate cheesecake and like everything else it was perfect. Best dining experience I've had in a LONG time....HIGHLY HIGHLY recommended.

Pros: Location, Service, Food

Cons: NONE

Posted 07/17/06

I love the food here. Compared to similar steakhouses, the steaks here are the best. Mine was cooked perfectly and the last bite was still hot thanks to the sizzling hot plates. The bar had nice atmosphere to have a drink before dinner.

Posted 05/08/06

Had a great Ceasar, wonderful T Bone, good garlic mashed and a great Creme Brulee!! By far the best steaks in the city.

Posted 05/07/06

Ruth Chris provides a delectable array of fine food and cocktails, but the horrible and condescending service made for an overall undesirable dining experience. Our server was pushy, overbearing, and when we addressed the situation with management they spoke to us like we were children. It was to the point during our meal, where we had hoped that the nice gentleman who diligently filled our water glasses with a consistent smile would take over our table and put us out of our misery. Bottom line, if you want to taste the greatest steak you'll ever have, then be prepared to pay the price of having an ordinary and unpleasant dining experience that you can find at Dicks Last Resort.

Posted 03/23/06

Arrived at 5:15 and the staff seemed a little discombobulated, but were very nice and attentive, taking our coats. Waitstaff were knowledgeable and personable without being annoying. Nice atmosphere: dark with jazz. Crab cake appetizer was great, steaks were fantastic and cooked perfectly. Sides (especially the hollandaise) were sub-par and not worth spending extra on. Creme brulee and banana pie were excellent. Save money and stomach space and skip the sides. We had a $150 GC and spent an extra $50 with wine and tip.

Pros: Steaks, Service, Atmosphere

Cons: Side Dishes, Price

Posted 01/03/06

We went Sunday night. I figured it would have been busier, but it wasn't. The service was great, and the food was terrific. Will go back with Suburbian friends, but not really a posh trendy scene.

Pros: gorgeous location

Posted 12/05/05

I took my husband to Ruth's Chris for his birthday last weekend. We were seated quickly, but the waiting area seemed to be in an utter state of disarray. The coatcheck was filled, so they appeared to be running around with patrons' coats and moving them to additional closet space, bumping into customers all the while.

Waited 20 minutes for service. Appetizer (coconut shrimp) was ok, but there were only 3 shrimp. My husband's NY Strip had to be sent back twice, as it was undercooked. My filet mignon was overcooked (ordered MR and received it medium), but I ate it anyway. We waited 30 minutes for dessert, but because of the steak situation, they comped us the steak and dessert.

I would recommend people wait until they work the kinks out, before trying Ruth's Chris. We may go back, but not for awhile.

Posted 11/28/05

Ruth's Chris was a beautiful restuarant in an historic building. The food was really wonderful and the service impeccable but still friendly. My filet was perfect and the crabcakes outstanding. Portions are big . We had coffee but couldn't fit in dessert. We at in a downstairs dining room which was nice but I think I would like upstairs better. the one drawback was the stickershock when the bill came. It's easily a $300. plus eveningfor four with 2 drinks and no dessert.

Pros: food, valet parking, beautiful building

Cons: cost

Posted 11/17/05

The waiter made everyone feel extremely unconfortable with his pushiness (I'm sorry, is there something wrong with the fact I don't want to order a salad?!) Three times, food was either delivered to the wrong person or wrong table altogether. Three times?! There's no excuse for that. We ordered two filets; medium, and two New York strips; medium... we received one steak medium-well, and two others were practically still mooing. Every other location I have been to has been right on with the cooking, this was unfortunate. In addition to this, I don't understand the valet situation. If you're paying $15 for it, you shouldn't need to run outside to give the valet the ticket 15 minutes before you plan on leaving (as we were told to do). I'll probably return, but not for a while. They still need sone time to get their act together.

Cons: waitstaff

Posted 11/06/05

Ruth's Chris just opened and it's clear there are still some kinks to be worked out. There was no procedure for hostesses to find guests waiting for their tables, and the layout of the restaurant is odd (the lounge is down the hall, out of sight). We ordered our filets medium-rare. Mine arrived medium-well and my friend's arrived medium. There was also a screaming baby at the next table (which isn't the restaurant's fault but added to the unpleasantness of the experience).

Pros: ambiance

Cons: food, layout

Posted 10/29/05