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New York City's Best Steakhouses

Ruth's Chris Steak House

Once a carpetbagger, this reliable chain Steakhouse is now a native.

Food

(7)

Ambience

(7)

Service

(8)

Value

(6)

The Scene

Say what you will about Ruth's Chris being a chain-restaurant poseur, but unlike so many of New York's homegrown steakhouses, they always seat you on time, the waiters are exceedingly pleasant and attentive, and you can carry on a normal-volume conversation. While the restaurant drew mostly a tourist crowd at first, it has slowly become popular with Midtown businesspeople and other natives. New York is, after all, a city of immigrants.

The Food

For the most part, stick to the basics. Migrating into the fish category nets you flavorless product, and live lobsters will be very large, very expensive, and invariably tough and overcooked. Exceptions are an unusually good shrimp cocktail and high-quality but overpriced crabcakes. Indeed, all side dishes, appetizers and salads sampled were exceptional. Wine service is basic--there are some nice old bottles of red on the list, but they're served without much aplomb. Skip dessert, it's the weak link in the Ruth's Chris menu.

Buttered Up

Specify "no butter" if you don't want butter-sauce on your steak; otherwise, all steaks at Ruth's Chris automatically come saturated in the stuff.

Private Parties

The four banquet rooms accommodate anywhere from 20-180 people.

What's in a Name?

The strangely punctuated name derives from the old Chris Steak House in New Orleans, which was purchased by Ruth Fertel. She passed away in 2002 at age 75; thus, Ruth's Chris Steak House.

148 W 51st St
New York ,  NY   10019-6813
Phone: (212) 245-9600
Fax: (212) 245-0460