My wife and I were able to get back to Ruth's Chris and we had a five star dinner the second time. The service was top notch, the food absolutely perfect and even the men's room was spotless. After this second visit at this location I give it very high marks.

Our First Visit

Our best friends treated my wife and me out for dinner as a sort of celebration of some very good news we received this past very early Wednesday morning. The place of choice was Ruth's Chris Steak House on Long Island in a small upscale village by the name of Garden City.

FIRST IMPRESSION

We were a dinner party of six. We met them at this restaurant that my wife and I had never been to before.
This restaurant occupies some rental space at the bottom of an office building. As we approached the red awning I noticed the Valet Parking sign. It was raining and I thought it a good idea to let someone else park the car. There was no problem with the valets, and the car was taken and returned promptly at the end of the night. There is nearby self-parking.

Walking through the main entrance one can't help but see the pictures of all the celebrities that have dined in Ruth's Chris Steak House. It was quite impressive. On the opposite wall is Death Row. Well actually it was a lobster tank with a few huge lobster that the wait staff could soon bring red and dead to your table, well prepared too. These lobster were three and four pounders that were one of the nights special at about $20 per pound. I did see one being prepared at a table nearby. The cooked lobster was broken open, cleaned and most of the meat was taken out and placed on a plate so that little effort was needed to wrestle out the sweet meat by the restaurant patron. This seemed to me as the only above and beyond service of the night. The staff was professional enough but not up to par with excellence. After listening to many ads on local talk radio of WABC I was expecting more. One of the adds also suggests saying that the shows host sent you. I did say it and the reaction from the waitstaff made my statement seem more of an annoyance than something that should have been repeated. Perhaps that is the radio show hosts fault and not Ruth's Chris Steak House.

Update

It's amazing how things can be so different in another visit. The second time we again mentioned the radio show host's name. This time we were given a story of how often he comes to the restaurant and some anecdotal stories. End update.

We had reservations and were promptly seated. The white cloth covered table with a single lighted candle was paired with very wide, soft cushioned chairs. This big guy found them quite comfortable. Large wine glasses and water glasses graced the table along with oversized table ware. Our waitress was quick to the table asking for drink orders. A basket of rolls and crackers were put on the table along with three tiny crocks of sweetened butter. The bread was also sweet. I didn't try the Pumpernickel but I was assured by our friends that it too was good.

The restaurant is divided into a few rooms. Upon entering you pass the understated but attractive oval shaped bar that has nine very cozy booths for two and four around it. Though there are a couple of flat screen TV monitors these booths seem like a good romantic place to look for as the main dining room was quite open and noisy. The decor is an odd mix of crystal chandeliers and jungle theme that seems to come together well. One wall was completely painted with jungle leaves with a huge spotted leopard dominating the artwork. The carpeting reflected the tones and pattern of the animals skin. All looked clean and tidy.

The large main room has high sixteen foot ceilings with large open glass windows with sheer curtains. Unfortunately the views are nothing more than parking lots and autos rushing by on Old Country Road. Ha, the name of the road does not reflect the image it evokes. That is because of the constant heavy volume of traffic this major road bears.

I did get a peek at a couple of other smaller rooms in the back that looked a bit more cozy and had a few animal trophies hanging from the walls. These rooms may have been reserved for private parties. They were busy.

DRINKS FOR ALL

On the table was a list with over 200 selections of domestic and international wines. Most were sold by the bottle only with prices anywhere from $25-$450. A few pages of the list were dedicated to wine by the glass. I believe anyone could find something to their liking.

We opted for cocktails. My wife who enjoys a Myers and coke was disappointed with her drink. She was not quite sure it was Myers they used. I had a Long Island Iced Tea that tasted more like sweeteners than a good drink. Even though they don't over-price their cocktails they do tend to over-ice the drinks. The rest of our party of six were satisfied with their non-alcoholic selections.

Update

Our drinks on our second visit were perfect! End update.

The coffee and Capuccino closing our meal was good.

Menu

The reason, the absolutely top reason to go to Ruth's Chris Steak House is to have a steak. Noted here are some of our choices from their menu. Except for the Porter house for two all were $31.95-$35.95. Everything is ala cart.

Filet
Cut generously, broiled expertly to a melt-in-your-mouth tenderness.
Petite Filet
A smaller, but equally tender filet.
Ribeye
Well-marbled for peak flavor, deliciously juicy.
New York Strip
This USDA Prime cut has a full-bodied texture that is slightly firmer than a ribeye.
Porterhouse For Two
Combines the rich flavor of the strip with the tenderness of the filet.
T-Bone
A full-flavored, classic cut of Prime beef.

They are cooked to exacting orders and brought to you on a sizzling plate. Though you are warned you must be careful because as stated those plates "ARE hot!" Having a T-Bone I went to adjust my plate a couple of times for a better cutting angle and did get a heat jolt a few times when forgetfully touching the plate. The hot plate really does keep that meat warmer for a much longer period of time making it even more enjoyable.

My adventure with my T-Bone was awesome. The T-Bone is actually two cuts of meat. One side is the New York Strip and the other a filet. I found the strip side to be more flavorful, though I could not complain about the tender filet. Our dog "Chip" didn't complain about the treat I took home for him either. The USDA grade meat that Ruth's uses is excellent! I can tell you that having the steak swimming in butter and on a hot plate is awesome. I suppose the hot plate keeps that butter in liquid state too. As per the menu you can ask for no butter or extra butter according to taste. The steak had seasoning on the outside that was very tasty. Also available are steak sauces/ To me it would be scandalous to cover the meat flavors with other toppings. I will not however that I did try a taste of Ruth's Chris Steak House home steak sauce and it was excellent too. I like the feel of the large contoured steak knives they give when the steak comes to the table. They have "US Prime" stamped on them.

I was very tempted to try their lamb chops that I saw go by. They were thick and meaty lookin'.

A couple of NY Strip Steaks were ordered at our table and were said to be very good. One person in our party went for the Petite Filet. This big guy, me, would never have been happy with it. It was too small and not thick. Our friend said it was very good. This was priced a bit less than the other fare.

One of my best friends, Ranger Bob is a vegetarian. Ha, this is not the place for non-meat eaters as far as I'm concerned but I do try to be tolerant. :). Robert ordered a Salmon Steak that was cooked just the way he liked it. He said it was very good and it was nicely presented.

SIDE ORDERS

First let me mention that we all passed on appetizers that were non-meat offerings of crab, tuna, and shrimp. They were written up well but just not what we wanted that evening. I would try them another time.

Salads, soups, potatoes and vegetables are all a separate order. The onion soup ordered by a few of our party was said to be good. My wife and I had the Louisiana Seafood Gumbo that was excellent! It had good body with rich flavor and just a bit of spice.

None of us had any of the four or five salads that are listed. We did order garlic mashed and Au Gratin potatoes that were served in a cream sauce and covered with melted sharp cheddar as was a dish of peas. The mashed to me were nothing special, however one of our party thought they were outstanding. I thought the Au Gratin and peas to be good.

Julienne, Steak fries, Shoestring, Lyonnaise and a loaded baked were also available. The veggies and taters are served New Orleon style so there is enough to share. Six of us shared a spinach dish, the peas and potatoes. They were a perfect serving for us.

Dessert

We had the Creme Brule that was both very good and a slight disappointment. The burned sugar coating was hot and would not break up into pieces. That's how I happen to enjoy this dessert. The topping had to be cut with the edge of a spoon. The cream part was outstanding. It came with a few fresh fruit pieces of raspberry, blueberry and strawberries. They were tart and complimented the sweet taste of the dessert. I happen to remember one other dessert. It was a Key Lime Pie that was said to have been good.

REST ROOMS

Normally I would give this just a sentence but I was a bit surprised by the condition of the men's room. I actually went to use it as an afterthought or actually as an excuse to see the lobster that was just prepared at another table.

Maybe there was just a big crowd using the rest room from one of the back rooms but the trash cans were overflowing with the fine imprinter Ruth's paper hand towels that are stacked on the counter. The one urinal was being used when I walked in so I elected to go to one of the toilets. It had a puddle of urine at its base and the other toilet area was dirty and full of paper towels too. Sorry, but I expect better than this at a place with notable prices and known for good service.

Update

The men's restroom was perfectly clean on our second visit. End update.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

I suppose I was a bit disappointed in Ruth's Chris Steak House. Though the steak was perfect and above the usual in flavor, tenderness, and presentation the service was not one where we were "perfectly pampered" as their add claims you will be. Our waitress came back and asked how all was but I cannot say that the guys and gals in their black pants and white shirt with tie outfits were outstanding in their service. I suppose it was the mediocre drinks and especially my visit to the rest room where Ruth's Chris Steak House lost the high marks that I have given to the steaks. All in all I have to give Ruth's three star or four stars. The rest room experience brings it down to the three star. That being said we all enjoyed our meal and good conversation at our celebration dinner.

I saw it all as

Poorly made cocktail $6.00
Excellent T-Bone Steak $35.99
A pleasant evening dining with our very best friends, Priceless


Hey, looking for a good time.

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Peter Luger Steak House Zagat Rated #1 best for 20 years in a row.


Some fine NY Dining as reviewed by popsrocks

Tavern on the Green A romantic restaurant in Central Park / Stardust DinerAn entertaining place for before a show in Times Square. Aspiring actors are here / Osteria Stella A wonderful find in the Times Square area / The Manhattan Chili Company good quick eats before a show. / ESPN Zone A sports bar, arcade, and MORE! / TGI Friday's Times Square Location. / Pig'n'Whistle, an up-beat Times Square Pub / Ollies, Broadway / Osteria Stella Fine Northern Italian in Times Square / Sylvia's, a southern soul restaurant in Harlem / Fraunce's Tavern Lower Manhattan. GW ate here. / Katz's Deli A NYC landmark / The Boathouse Cafe More romance in Central Park / Gotham Bar and Grill A top NY restaurant.

More chain eateries by popsrocks

Applebee's / Romano's MACARONI GRILL / KFC / OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE / Wendy's / OUTBACK Restaurant / Cozymel's / Cheesecake Factory / McDonald's / Taco Bell / Checkers Burgers / Red Lobster / The White Castle / TGI Friday's / Charlie Browns / Burger King / Arthur Treacher's Fish and Chips / Dunkin' Donuts / Starbucks / Ralph's Famous Ices / Cold Stone Creamery / CARVEL Ice Cream / Boulder Creek Steakhouse / Waffle House / Krispy Kreme / Friendly's / Nathan's / Jillian's / Blimpies / Quizno's / Ruth's Chris Steak House / Peter Luger Steak House / Don Juan's / Cracker Barrel

Recommended: Yes