Ruth’s Chris Steak House

This review covers a higher end steakhouse and how it compares to others in the same class. To add some weight to this review a short list of some similar restaurants I’ve dinned– Oceanaire The Seadfood Room Minneapolis, Salty’s on the Columbia in Portland Oregon, Charlies Steakhouse Orlando, Mortons — multiple cities, Manny’s Steakhouse Minneapolis, The Capitol Grille — multiples cities and the list goes on… This was my first visit to Ruth Cris…
I was greeted at the door with some friendly faces and welcoming conversation. We had a reservation and they seated us quickly in a booth which we requested.
We were greeted at the table promptly. I was ordered a Coke along with the rest of the table while looking at the wine list. Three people were given their drinks and I was left with nothing. After driving for several hours I really felt like a drink and the water I was given was already gone. Several minutes later I finally got to request my Coke again. It took a while and finally my coke arrived. I’ll cover this now but refills were very slow.
We ordered a small seafood tower and asked for a salad to come out at the same time for someone who wasn’t eating seafood. The seafood tower came out but no salad for several minute. We asked where the salad was and we were told it was coming. Now for the seafood tower… I have eaten at a lot of higher end restaurants similar in the class of Ruth Cris and this seafood tower was tasteless. I’ve had at least 1,2,3+ seafood towers at all of the restaurants I listed earlier and this and this seafood tower came in dead last by far! It may have been worth the $ 59 if it tasted awesome but I wouldn’t have paid $ 10 for it at Costco.
The main course I had were lamb chops which were cooked to order. They were a little fatty on some portions. Some of the lamb was just ok and other parts had some great flavour. That being said I have had much better lamb chops (Romanza Restaurant — Pepper Mill Casino Reno) for less, $ 39.
We had some potato wedges/​skins of some sort as a side and they did taste nice. We also had asparagus. I can cook it perfectly at home so it tastes amazing. This was well hard on the roots end and spongy and soggy at the tips. It was very stringy in the middle. We could not eat it by just chewing it. Each piece had to be chopped up so you could chew it a little and swallow it.
Dessert was very nice but very small. I had the small chocolate molten cake which came with a side of whipped cream on top of some chocolate moose. Honestly, I should have just skipped all of dinner and had dessert as it was by far the nicest thing I had on the menu during my experience.
Of all the times I’ve dinned at higher end steakhouses I had never been to Ruth Cris. I’m not sure I would even come back. It was a less than average experience.
If you’re looking for the BEST place in Madison to dine at in the way of steak, wine with some seafood Johnny Delmonico’s wins hands down. I wouldn’t even think about coming to this restaurant. My humble honest opinion.

Back in the day, Ruth Chris had the sort of brand awareness and prestige that restaurants would die for. With the saturation of steakhouses in the national market and the number of locally owned steakhouses in the Madison area, Ruth is just another cog in the giant steakhouse wheel. It is just not that special anymore.
I will give credit that the steak I ordered (16 oz Ribeye) was cooked exactly to temperature (medium rare). I thought the sides we ordered were fine (creamed spinach, mashed potatoes, mushrooms, hash browns) but nothing were to write home about. Service was fine although, as I was there for a business dinner, I felt the waitstaff didn’t take advantage of the situation and be more consultative around wine for the table, sides, etc. At entrée price points in the $ 40’s, the staff should be a little more polished.
Perhaps I would return for a happy hour as they have some attractive specials but with other steakhouses offering more exciting cuts of beef and delivering a more upscale experience, I can’t say for certain that I will return for a dinner.

Ruth’s is at the top for steakhouses! You will pay a premium, but boy is it good! At the atmosphere is phenomenal! if you like high class steakhouses, you will love this place!
The steak is among the best i have ever had.

We celebrated restaurant week in Madison by both of us having their special steak dinner package. The service we received was outstanding.
I had Caesar salad and my wife had Steakhouse salad. Both were excellent.
We both ordered the petite filet with my wife’s being medium rare and mine medium. I was promised that medium meant a hot pink center. The two steaks that were served were identical and medium rare. When I pointed this out to the server she did not complain and she took my steak away. The assistant manager brought the same steak back to me; however, it was cut into more pieces and it resembled dog food kibble. Since my wife was virtually finished with her steak, I complained no further and just ate the steak. It was very tasty but it had a poor presentation. For the prices they charge, I was appalled that they just did not bring me a new steak that was cooked properly.
Each of us also ordered the side order of mushrooms that were buttery and delicious.
For dessert we each had the fresh berries served in a complex vanilla cream sauce. It was also very tasty.
The restaurant is extremely expensive. Had it not been for this $ 35 promotional meal, a similar meal with full size portions would easily cost $ 80 to $ 100 per person.

This was one of my best dining experiences in Madison. A friend and I went as part of restaurant week, and had an amazing time. We had a reservation, but they were a bit behind, so we went to the lounge area while we waited. I had the pomegranate martini, which was quite tasty.
We were seated fairly quickly, and our server Jen was awesome! She was very energetic, funny, and kind, and her recommendations were spot on. Jen really made the whole experience way better. The atmosphere was very nice and the décor was gorgeous. Also, although we were eating slowly, everything was brought out after we had finished the previous dish completely and clearly freshly made.
We started with the fried calamari, which may have been one of the best dishes I have ever had! It was sweet and a little tangy, and cooked perfectly! 10 stars! The lobster bisque was also good, though everything paled a bit after that calamari.
For the main course, we each had the petite filet, which was sizzling hot and perfectly cooked medium rare. The mashed potatoes were delicious, though the sautéed mushrooms weren’t quite up to par. Finally, we finished with chocolate mousse, which was creamy and light and topped with the most delicious whipped cream — I could have eaten several cups of it, even though I was so stuffed!

This is one of my favorite places to eat, we have been dining here for years now. I always start with a Lobster Bisque Soup, have the big rib-​eye with au gratin potatoes and finish with a scoop of ice cream with a bit of caramel on top. I have never had a bad experience here, the staff is great and I love the live music.

Was hoping the food would be worth the 100.00 per head but it’s just not the case. Steak under cooked, shrimp over cooked and asparagus was blah without the caloric sauce. Wedge salad came with mostly the bitter core and nothing special about the paired dressings. Service is great and loved the flair of the banana cream pie just wish they would step it up on the rest of the items.

I was here on a Wednesday with my in laws at 6:30. It was darker in the restaurant than it was outside.
Other than the lighting, the food was pretty good. If you’re not looking to get steak, try the stuffed chicken. It was surprisingly amazing! We had raspberry sorbet for dessert and that was delicious as well. I plan on returning!

This restaurant is hit or miss. Overall, an underwhelming experience from start to finish, but to their credit the steak was quite good. Three stars is for the steak — everything else was just okay.
I got the steak/​shrimp combo item, which included soup, side, main course, and dessert for $ 44. What I received was worth about $ 30, in my opinion. The gumbo was decent, but was more liquid than veggies or meat.
Next was over 1 hour of waiting for our food; when we asked the waiter about the long wait, he said, «We wait between courses to serve the next item.» Really? Over an hour? Oddly, the restaurant was less than half full during our visit, which added to our confusion.
My side — sweet potato cassarole, of sorts — was good, but required a $ 4 up-​charge. The steak was great, perfectly cooked and tender… I found myself wishing I would have ordered just a steak a la carte.
There was only one choice for dessert, strawberry shortcake, and it was very average. It came with three little chocolates on the side, which were also quite average, not flavorful or exciting in any way. My dining partners had the chocolate sin cake, which tasted like a slice of solid frosting: exceptionally sugary, to the point that we couldn’t even finish it.
After dinner, I had coffee, and it arrived lukewarm, which was a somewhat sad finish to the experience.

Went here for our anniversary. We sat in the lounge, as the appetizers were half off. The waiter was new and didn’t seem to know the complete menu.
We had the shrimp cocktail. Had two orders. Well, we had one at first. Then my wife, who ordered the crab stuffed mushrooms returned them as they were mostly stuffing and not very tasty. The waitress said she would take if off the bill, but didn’t. My wife ordered another shrimp cocktail and claimed that with the bread it was enough for her meal. She didn’t order an entrée. She had two gin and tonics and said they were very good. So, since she had all appetizers it was much cheaper. Only $ 9.50 for four nice sized shrimp and sauce. She even ate the delicious salad under the shrimp!
I had the 6 oz. Filet and Shrimp at $ 53.95! The fillet was delicious if not small. They shrimp were much smaller than the cocktail shrimp and over cooked. I should have sent them back, as they didn’t look professionally prepared. I also got mashed potatoes with garlic. The potatoes wet bland and there wasn’t much garlic. The butter was excellent. Overall I wouldn’t buy this meal again.
We got a desert with my meal. My wife didn’t get the presentation. I just tried it. The whip cream was good! The strawberries were tasteless, they should be buying better. I didn’t eat much of it. It was pretty but boring. I would have liked something with chocolate on it but there wasn’t any choice. The dessert also had chocolate truffles with it. Four I think. Nothing to get excited about there.
The restaurant was fairly clean, with the exception of the filth in our booth. I accidentally stuck my hand between the cushion of the booth. Hmm. I also noticed that the laminate wall behind us was wiped down, but streaked and unprofessionally cleaned. The bathroom were very nice and clean.
The total bill was $ 100 with a $ 15 tip, after the manger removed the mushroom appetizer that the waitress didn’t. Check your bill as everything is over priced as it is, in my opinion.
Lastly, we won’t be going back. There are better steak houses in Madison, in our opinion.

Want to pay too much for a mediocre meal? Then have you found the right place.
I love a good steakhouse but this place misses the mark, first off they can’t make a decent martini, secondly for the price their cuts of meat are Outback Steakhouse worthy. Lastly they nickel and dime you for everything. Very disappointed. I’ve given them three chances (foolish me).
If you want to spend money and have a great steak check out Delmonico’s in downtown Madison.

Had wine and apps at the bar. I had the Ahi Tuna. Presentation was great and it tasted good. Service was horrible! One bartender chatted with a friend of hers all evening, and the second was concerned about breaking down the bar for closing. It was difficult to order a drink and it took forever to have our dirty dishes removed.

Delicious food, good service from waitstaff, but a 25-​minute wait for my reserved table? (Excuse = the table is being «reset» the entire time.) Four hostesses and no one helps with the front door? Pffft.

This is strictly a place to go during Restaurant Week. The prices simply do not justify the middling quality. There are many higher quality steakhouses in the Madison area that will not break your budget.
The three course meal opened with lobster bisque, which was quite pleasant but didn’t come close to even being a small cup of soup. The petite filet seemed very much under 8 oz and tasted so plain. The sauteed mushrooms were okay, but also nothing to write home about. I do give mad props for the delicious chocolate mousse dessert in the edible chocolate cup.
All in all, I spent $ 30 for a meal that would have normally been $ 68. Great restaurant week value, but still doesn’t meet the expectation when you spend that much.

This place has been talked up to me for many years now. I was looking forward to trying one of the best steaks that many people crave. I came here excited and I left disappointed.
To start the service was excellent, no doubt. The food? Just okay and not worth 75 dollars per person. We had the spicy lobster, grilled shrimp entrée, 16 oz rib eye, and onion rings for a side.
The spicy lobster was to start and probably the best part of the meal, breaded lobster with some sweet sauce — we also enjoyed the cucumber salad that had some mild, sour taste to it.
The grilled shrimp was extra salty.
The steak was advertised as USDA Prime — and just maybe at a time of its existence it was. By the time it came to me, it was a tough and old tasting piece of meat. Unfortunately not worth it.
Finally, the onion rings. They were huge and looked delicious. Unfortunately just no flavor. Absolutely no flavor. Cmon.
This is just one opinion. I know a fair amount about food and though I was disappointed, I know so many people who loved Ruth Chris steakhouse — hopefully your experience is better than mine.

Nice Chicago Style Steak
I like The butter on side remember that Old school Chicago steak restaurant likes butter :)
«Al.Capone loved it …
Good service specially by the bar …

The hype that this place carries is not justified in my experience here. I heard that people had their best steak here. I’m willing to splurge on a great meal, but quite honestly I could have had two gourmet meals for what we spent here. And the food just didn’t wow us. At all.
Started out with crab stuffed mushrooms. I would say they were forgettable but the fishiness lingers too long to forget. I had a cup of French onion soup ($ 10 of okay), a petite filet (MR) and mashed potatoes. My husband had their salad that was sold as being an explosion of flavor (sure if the flavor is mayonnaise), and a bone-​in ribeye which was nothing great. My medium rare steak was well done on the outsides and MR through about 25% of it. Seasonings were nothing special.
The service was robotic while the overall atmosphere was smug and pretentious. Honestly, I’ve had way better steak at Outback. I don’t understand the allure here. I won’t be coming back. Not on my dime anyway. We ordered a bottle of Malbec too. That was the highlight in a very dim dining room. I couldn’t believe the $ 190+ bill for just an okay experience. I expect my socks to be knocked off for less.

This is the Ruth’s Chris steak house I most often visit. The location is perfect… easy to find and park. The staff is great and the food is absolutely the BEST. I usually dine at the bar due to the convenience, servers, and the live music they occasionally feature. The TV screens are a perfect compliment when a sports event is being aired. The patrons are always friendly and professional. I’ve met many interesting people at this restaurant.
Now, as far as food, I recommend the crab cakes as a starter. They are delicious! Every plate which comes from the kitchen arrives being 500 degrees hot. The steak of choice is the Filet Mignon prepared medium. The scent of the sizzling hot butter and steak on the plate is a distinct pleasurable feature. I look forward to my return.

The reason I am only rating this place a three is not because of the food but the service. My boyfriend and I came here for a romantic New Years Eve dinner. This place is definitely romantic and the lighting and environment was perfect. I was super excited because this was our first New Years Eve diner together. We were asked if we wanted to check in our coats and I said «sure, why not?!».
Fast forward to when we got our food. It was good! I had the walleye and my partner in crime ordered his steak. Perfectly seasoned. I ate my whole plate while he couldn’t finish his. During our whole time of dining, our waitress did not refill our drinks at all. She walked past us a couple of times and didn’t even notice. We finally got a refill when we were about to leave which was pointless.
We proceeded to go get our coats. My boyfriend hands the lady our coat tag. She comes back with one coat. Hm?! Well, where is mine?! Oh. It got lost. I spent 15 min with one of their employees trying to find my coat in a closet that didn’t even have a light bulb. The lady had to hold a tiny flashlight so she can dig and find my coat. The whole entire time she kept apologizing which was nice, but at the 5 min mark I was starting to get irritated. How can you lose a coat?! It took three people to find my coat and by the 15 minute mark, I was pissed! One of the employees finally found my it. I grabbed my coat from him, found my boyfriend in the lobby and said «LET’S GO!»
I left there with such a bad feeling. Don’t think I will go back.

My wife and I celebrated our anniversary at Ruth’s Chris Steak House in Middleton last night and we both absolutely loved it! They put rose petals at our table, which, apparently «marked us» as an anniversary couple. Several of the staff stopped at our table briefly to wish us a happy anniversary — what a nice touch!
We ordered from the Ruth’s Classic Dinner menu. Your meal comes with a soup or salad, an entrée, a side, and dessert. The portion sizes were just right. I ordered a 12 oz ribeye for my entrée, cooked medium. It came to our table sizzling hot (love it) tender and delicious! It was seasoned perfectly with salt and pepper.
My wife likes her steak well done and she said «they nailed it!» Some other places really knock the crap our of your steak if you order it well done and you end up with a hockey puck. But tonight her 6oz steak filet was juicy, hot, and tender with a nice crust on the edge. She could tell that someone in the kitchen really took some care when making her steak.
We finished the evening with a turtle cheesecake that was delightful. This was our first time at Ruth’s Chris and we will definitely be coming back. What a wonderful experience!