Restaurant Review - Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in Dallas, TX

Texas is known for its steaks and Dallas is home to many fantastic steak restaurants, one of them being Ruth's Chris steakhouse in North Dallas. Although Ruth's Chris hails from New Orleans originally, Ruth's Chris is what a Texas steakhouse should be, delicious yet plain steaks served sans vegetables.

The Service - The service at Ruth's Chris is prompt and slightly obsequious. When walking in, a host asks for a last name and then spills it to the server so for the rest of the night the guests are referred to as Mr. or Mrs. Lastname. This can be an annoying assumption as not all married couples share last names.

The Food - The steaks are the reason customers keep returning time and again to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. The secret of Ruth's Chris lies in the hot, hot plates the steaks are served on. When the steaks arrive at the table, the plate is splattering with melted butter and the server warns to watch out for the plate as they are heated in an oven. Order the steak a little more rare than desired because it is possible to cook each piece of steak on the plate in the butter before eating it. When ordering a filet, the insider knows to order the center cut since this is the most tender. The dressing on the Caesar salad has a distinct garlic taste and is quite good. Avoid the sides because although Ruth's Chris cooks a fantastic steak, they just cannot cook vegetables. The sole exception to this rule is the garlic mashed potatoes which are tasty.

The Ambiance - The décor at Ruth's Chris reminds of an old time steakhouse with a lot of wood trim and a darker setting. The tables are square and on the larger side so this restaurant would not be the choice for cuddling at a romantic dinner over candlelight. A bunch of men drinking whisky while discussing market futures would fit perfectly in this setting.

The Price - For high end steak restaurants, Ruth's Chris is in the more affordable range. The steaks, salads and sides come a la carte and portion sizes are large so splitting garlic mashed potatoes would not be a problem.

Bringing Kids - Ruth's Chris Steakhouse actually has an unwritten kids menu. Ask the server for details. In Dallas, kids accompany their parents pretty much everywhere so it is not unusual to see kids dining at Ruth's Chris, especially in the early hours.

Overall, Ruth's Chris provides good food for a reasonable price. The décor is a little stuffy and the vegetables are a little overcooked but the steaks make up for it. Eat a salad for lunch and expect to stuff yourself on a tender filet or New York strip steak. Save a little room for dessert because the Chocolate Sin Cake is dense and delicious.