Ruby Tuesday

It took my boyfriend and I two hours to get an app each and an entrée — no socialization time included.
We were seated pretty quickly, but it was all downhill from there.
It was at least a half hour before anyone came over to take our order, that’s including our drink order, and that was only after my boyfriend went up to say something to the hostess.
Another 10 – 15 minutes until we got our drinks and our waitress tells us they are cooking our food; gee, thanks.
Finally my boyfriends wings come out, but we have no utensils or napkins. Another 10 minutes without service, so I went up to ask the hostess for them. Then we get my entrée, then my app, and it’s quite funny to watch the waitress figure out where to put everything after giving us four appetizer plates (there’s two of us).
Some more time goes by and the waitress comes around to ask if we need anything else. Then some more time and she asks what we’re still waiting for — my boyfriends entrée.
There was a 2 minute span of the waitress checking in on us, so there’s that. Then she asks us of we’re all set, but then forgets about us again for another 10 – 15 minutes. Finally asks if we want the check, but when we finally get it and then are ready to leave… more waiting!
NOT a good experience at all. The only reason I gave it any stars was that the hostess was nice, and the food was pretty good.

Went there on a Saturday night. My wife and I both noticed the service was much much better than in the past. We mentioned it and found out that it is under new management. The food was very good. The price was good. We will be going back.

Tables are covered with tan vinyl. It was my mother, two sisters and my twin infants and I that came for dinner. We waited 10 minutes to even be seen by a waitress. We ordered our drinks and meals at the same time. My mother and sister went and got their salad bar and finished before we received our drinks. When we received our drinks, my sister noticed a fly in her cup of water. We contacted the manager and left. Gross. Will never go back.

OK, I don’t usually write reviews of chains, but I wanted to give a shout out to this Ruby Tuesday. Chain-​wide, I like the move to smaller portions at reasonable prices and the inclusion of calorie counts on the menus. Well done.
But what I really wanted to point out was the attitude. My wife and I stopped in for a late dinner; just 30 minutes before closing. Sometimes, that gets you an attitude, or you feel rushed. Instead, our server, Mark, couldn’t have been more gracious. He made thoughtful recommendations, got us everything we needed, and maintained perfect good humor throughout. Service could not have been better or more appreciated.
So, if you’re in the Capital District (after Proctors?), enjoy. thanks, Mark. You were great. Ruby Tuesday should clone you!

Everything was sticky, table, seats, menus, bill holder. The bathroom didn’t have toilet paper. Waitress was average at best. Won’t go back.

Usually not a great experience here but it’s the only place in this area of Niskayuna with table service so we keep on coming back as it’s good for kids. Some waitresses are horrendous. Disappear for long periods and clearly dont care. Takes forever to get the bill. Dirty floors. Mixed drinks have no alcohol. Cajun seafood is consistently good; flatbed pizzas are not. Boring desert choices.

Small, yet expensive portions of mediocre food, drinks (my «berry fusion» tasted like expired pineapple juice with a mystery purée at the bottom), and that salad bar didn’t do much for me because their italian dressing was DISGUSTING! How do you mess up Italian dressing? Won’t be returning anytime soon …

The missus and I once lived in a place where pretty much the only dining options around above the fast food level were these American «schtick» sports bar-​cum-​famiy-​restaurant-​part-​time-​singles-​bars with kitschy décor, the generational successors to the Ground Round. Because we couldn’t really remember any differences between Houlihan’s, Bennigan’s, or TGI Fridays, when we were contemplating going to one we just said, «Well, do you want to go to TGI Houligans?»
This brings us to Ruby Tuesday’s, which is cut very much in the same mold as a chain, and which is nearly indistinguishable from one franchise to another. And the fairly shocking, for us at least, four-​star review we’re giving this location.
I’m going to compare it not to the other TGI O’Houligan-type places so much as the standard diner options around here. Diners can have lots of character, but they can also be wildly inconsistent. They have menu sprawl, like TGI O’Houligan Tuesdays have, and often have some localized favorite dish or some hidden ethnic speciality, often Greek around here, whereas TGI O’Houligan Tuesdays has a nationally-​standardized menus and all the character of a hotel lounge. We are, by nature, Diner People, I would go so far as to say, and not TGI O’Houligan Tuesday people.
Generally. But the prices at Ruby Tuesdays are not too far above diner prices, and there are some notable quality differences. For one thing, the vegetables and salad fixings at this Ruby Tuesday’s have been consistently green and fresh, well-​prepared, and not overcooked into a grey pulp. The kid’s menu options are cheaper and a bit more varied, and they have decent vegetable and fruit options. They’ve got better beer than the diners have, and they know how to mix a drink (albeit an $ 8 and up one) because they’ve been given a little training by their faceless corporate trainers. The dishes are not remarkably original, but neither are they unpredictable the way they are at diners. We have had perfectly decent fish prepared here, not overly swimming in sauce, and meat which appears not to have gone from freezer to microwave to grill in the space of five minutes.
In short, and I feel almost queasy saying this, for the price it’s a much better experience than most of the diners in the area. And yes, it’s true, the chains are pretty indistinguishable from one another (the Chipotle across the street has a few more options with Salsa on their menu but is part of the same ilk of restaurant, for example), but if you’re looking for a predictable, pleasant meal, this Ruby Tuesday’s is decent.
We’ve had excellent service both times we’ve been, and the kitchen wait time was average (I always think places like this slow down on purpose a bit to get you to order more drinks, but that’s just my little corporate conspiracy theory) and tolerable. Avoid Friday and Saturday nights, when the weekend bar-​and-​date crowd tend to fill up the place, and you will be fine.
It’s not a great deal for the food, but if you want to plunk yourself down, get table service, not have to guess whether your entrée will be underdone or oversauced, and have some semblance of dietary balance through access to several of the major food groups, while getting an adult beverage, this is probably the best option in the Niskayuna area. I draw specific contrast to the wildly overrated LT’s Grill up the way at Shoprite/​St James Square, and to the Blue Ribbon Diner (which I love, but which has an inconsistent kitchen) up State Street.
I am a little shocked still at myself for writing this, but it is what it is. I calls em likes I sees em.

Ugh…
I feel bad for the staff here, I really do, but that being said, my evening here was a colossal waste. I think most people would’ve gone one, but I gave them a sympathy star. I mean, you can’t expect too much when they miss a delivery truck and half the dinner shift staff don’t show up the day after the chain decides to send everyone in town a $ 10 coupon. The wait staff was extraordinarily apologetic, and they did a decent job considering it was a manager, 2 waiters, the bartender, a bus-​boy playing host, the salad bar girl, and 2 short order cooks (or something like that).
On the plus side, it can only get better.