Ruth's Chris Steak House
Category: Steakhouses [Edit]
Neighborhood: Little Italy1355 N Harbor Dr
(between Ash St & Broadway)
San Diego, CA 92101 (619) 233-1422
- Price Range: $$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Dressy
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: No
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
68 Reviews for Ruth's Chris Steak House
Petite filet mignon served on a plate of sizzling butter that you can cut with your butter knife...woohoo...get it rare and enjoy the way it just melts in your mouth. They have this summer special going on right now...$79 for 2 full meals (2 salads, 2 entrees, 2 sides and a dessert)...$20 each for wine pairings with each course....this is a great deal considering that they charge about $14 by the glass. This place is pricey when not having a special...A meal for two runs close to $200 but soooooooo worth it. Come to mama! At this particular location the dress code ranged from formal to tourist-wearing tevas and jeans.
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5 stars all the way. I've been to a few Ruth's Chris' before and this one is my favorite. Great setting next to the harbor. The service is fantastic. The food is wonderful. Have a good time and eat some meat perfection. Love the sizzling sound the steak makes when it comes to you. Makes my mouth water just thinking of it.
5 stars.......what more can you say about this place. A nice steakhouse salad, seared ahi, fillet mignon sizzling in butter, garlic mashed potatoes, and broccoli. Top that with a bottle of Stags Leap Cabernet and a beautiful lady, you have a perfect evening. Oh yeah, don't forget the cheesecake with berries. I don't know if it's luck, but it seems like I always get the perfect table for the evening. As luck would have it, we got to witness a beautiful San Diego sunset over the harbor. The service was absolutely awesome. I know some people complain about the atmosphere here, but I have to say my night was beyond perfect. Can't wait to go again.
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My housemates and I have been talking about having a house dinner at Ruth's Chris ever since I moved in months ago, but now, as we prepare to move out, we finally pulled the trigger and decided to give it a try. We opted for the Little Italy location because none of us had ever been there, and it turned out to be a good idea for the food, but a horrible one for the service.
Upon walking into the restaurant, there is an eerie stillness as you expect to be greeted by a maitre d' only to find yourself at the bottom of a staircase. We made our way up to the dining room and found that the hostess station was literally in the back corner of the restaurant. We had a reservation yet it took over 20 frustrating minutes to seat us, even though there were plenty of empty tables. During that time though, we could admire the stunning waterfront views of the Star of India, and other ships docked in the harbor.
When we were finally seated, we were forced to wait several more excruciating minutes for menus, bread and butter, and water. It took another 10 minutes after that for our unfashionable server (for the record, he wore about 8 pieces of flair and the loudest tie I have ever seen) to finally show up at our table, but when he did he leaned against the side and stuck his face in ours, making for an extremely uncomfortable experience. He seemed like he might be more comfortable working at a TGI Friday's instead of an otherwise fine steakhouse. Throughout the night, we would intermittently find him returning to our table only to complain about the rest of his tables to us, as well as to wax on and on about how great a server he was while weaving stories in about how people at other Ruth's Chris Steak Houses didn't like him because he was so awesome.
After seeing four young Asian people in front of him, he immediately lumped us into a "cheap" category and directed us to their less expensive special "Summer Celebration" menu. While we were planning to order from it anyway, we really did not appreciate his assumption, but like a self-fulfilling prophecy, he would see it reflected in his tip later.
From the Summer Celebration menu, I decided to go with the Louisiana Seafood Gumbo. The flavors and spice were a little more subtle than I would have liked and I even found some crab shell shards in the soup, but I guess that only proved that they used the real thing. The fluffy rice pilaf on top complimented well and gave a new depth to the otherwise under-seasoned soup.
At this point I should note that we did run into some problems with the entrees as they arrived. As our incompetent food server brought us our food, he managed to roll one of our filet mignons off of the plate and landing flat on the table. Apologizing profusely, he picked it up with a napkin, ran it to the back of the kitchen, plopped it on a plate, and returned it to us. The steak itself was not replaced, only its placement on the hotplate. This was proving to not be a good start to our main courses.
For my entrée I decided to try a little bit of everything and ordered the mixed grill. Included were a jumbo lump crab cake, a stuffed chicken breast, a grilled tomato, and a 4 ounce filet mignon. I ordered my steak "brew" (rare minus) and our unpolished server unwittingly called it "black and blue". His comment didn't insult me more so that it was completely inappropriate. It would not be the last time. In any case, everything on the plate was delicious. It was pretty clear that everything was cooked in butter, making all dishes extremely rich. The chicken breast was extremely tender, but not nearly as tender as my steak, so much so that I could cut through it with a butter knife. The crab cake was excellent as well although I did find a few more shards of shell in there as well.
For dessert, we ordered the Chocolate Explosion cake and the New York-style cheesecake. Both desserts were huge and extremely rich. In fact, we actually couldn't finish them because we were so stuffed by then. The cheesecake filling was a bit on the soft side, but still sweet and delicate. The Chocolate Explosion cake reminded me of those tiny chocolate molten cakes you would see in theme restaurants, but supersized to about 10 times the original size. Oozing with chocolate, it provided a rich ending to an otherwise silky meal, dotted with a lackluster dining experience.
I've talked to some people about the service at this Ruth's Chris location and have consistently heard about the horribly inattentive service there. The food was definitely the highlight of the evening, and had we been seated near the windows, the scenery would have been spectacular as well. Ruth's Chris has a reputation for serving up some awesome food, and my experience was consistent of this claim. I would definitely return to this fantastic steak house chain, just not to this particular restaurant.
Food: 9/10
Service: 2/10
Price: $$$$
Atmosphere: 8/10
I like Ruth's Chris, except this one time where they overcooked my steak so they get a 4 instead of a 5. Sides are yummy.
For many long years, we'd heard about Ruth's Chris - how fantastic it was, how you just had to go. However, being a young starting out carnivorous couple with a new kid, the money just wasn't in the works. Finally we hit it big - we won a $100 gift card at the Christmas White Elephant.
We actually didn't make it to the restaurant until my husband's birthday in September. Though the place was packed, with our reservations we were quickly seated and beveraged. Our server was fantastic, I promised myself I would remember his name for next time, but alas I have forgotten. He was attentive, knowledgable and funny, without being annoying or pretentious.
We had an appetizer, and a side - I don't remember what they were, only that they were pretty tasty. And honestly, does it matter? You go to Ruth's Chris for one reason, and one reason only...STEAK. We had the porterhouse for two. It was perfectly cooked (Rare Plus), and juicy. It was cut off the bone for us and was screaming hot. The best piece of meat I've ever put in my mouth. (Yes, I know what I said.)
They comped our dessert, as it was my husband's birthday. Totally unexpected, but much appreciated. Only furthur cemented our return.
Our meal with alcoholic beverages also, came out to $110. We left a $25 tip.
On an interesting note, we won the Ruth's Chris card at last year's White Elephant AGAIN, much to the disappointment of many family member's. We are hoping that my husband didn't lose it in his wallet the other day!
I've been to this location 3 times and it's been pretty great (and consistent) every time. I just went this 4th of July. It was the first time I saw it soooo packed. I would say they were a little off their service A-game but they were really, really busy so it was OK.
I started with the seafood gumbo which I had never had anywhere else before. I thought it was very good...but I'm new to it so I have no clue what it's suppose to taste like. For my main course I always do a petit filet and it was WONDERFUL!!!! This time I got broccoli instead of asparagus and I think I'll just stick to the asparagus. There was nothing wrong with the broccoli at all....I just don't like it as much. The scalloped potatoes are cheesy, creamy and heavy....but oooohhhhh sooo good. For dessert (which I was way too full to eat by this time) my husband and I shared the fresh fruit with a custard sauce (we got it on the side, which I would recommend).
All in all...it was a great dinner :-)
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The best steaks in town. Ben is an excellent waiter. Ask for him and tell him Leo sent you! My wife is South African and they are the hugest fans of red neat on the planet. And she loves Ruth Chris! That is enough said! Leo
When you walk in to the first floor there is nobody there to greet you, or any signs directing you to the second floor. When you do find your way upstairs you find yourself entering into the dinning area with the host counter placed in a corner behind you. There is an elevator for anyone who can't take stairs.
The rib-eye steak and fillet Mignon were great, but the our initial table service was lacking. We sat with empty glasses and bread plate till I finally flagged down someone after about ten minutes. The side dishes are only average. Really, $8.00 dollars for broccoli, mashed potatoes, or mac and cheese that I could get at Dennys or an American dinner for less with more taste? Expected much more for the price that is charged here.
Better bet for steak dinner is Island Prime about 1.5 miles away with a great view of the downtown skyline and surrounding harbor. Service is excellent, and their side dishes kick ass!
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Been here for a few anniversaries, my 22nd birthday and girl's night out. Service is absolutely incredible. Food is superb, and the manager comes around to make sure everything is top notch. I always order the filet mignon butterfly cut with extra butter, and an order of mash potatoes. DELICIOUS-VILLE. If you get window seating at the right time, you can watch the sweet sunset. Right across from the harbor. How can I forget, ALWAYS get creme brulee for dessert. THEY HAVE THE BEST CREME BRULEE I'VE EVER TASTED.
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Last night the hubby, me and his two younger cousins (ages 12 & 14) dined here in celebration of my freedom (I had taken a Crim Pro final the night before). The hubby never wanted to take me to Ruth's Chris due to his one bad experience with Ruth's Chris (not this one). However, his two cousins are Ruth's Chris fanatics (they are from Seattle) and were dying to try the Ruth's Chris here. We arrived early (had reservations) and so the hubby and I hung out in the bar area while the kiddies waited in the waiting area playing "parking lot" on our phones. We finally get seated and although I would have preferred a booth as those are much more comfy, I wasn't complaining about our table that was next to a window with a breath-taking view. We ordered the lettuce wedge salad to start off and french fries as our side. I ordered the Filet (medium well). My Filent was SUCCULENT. That is the best word I can think of to describe my Filet and it did not disappoint. Everyone enjoyed their steak and the only one that couldn't finish his steak was the 12 year old cousin whose "eyes are bigger than his stomach" as my mother used to tell us kids when we would order more than we could handle. Thinking we were full, the waiter brings the dessert menu. We get the creme brulee and a la mode (the a la mode was on the house, the waiter said that I deserved it since we were celebrating my FREEDOM). The desserts were fantastic!!!
All in all a fabulous experience!
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It looks as though I might be burned at the steak for what I'm about to write, but at least I won't be cooked in Ruth's Chris' pressure cooker, or whatever the hell they say is their magical steak cooking device. Am I the only one that found this place pretentious and extremely overpriced?
The first thing that I found when I walked in was the worst situated dining area ever. Everything was just so cramped that I (a person who has had no past symptoms of claustrophobia) felt sick. The next thing that I noticed was that there was nobody at the front to take me to my table. If I'm gonna drop a few hundred bucks on a meal, I feel like I should have my own damned butler for the night, yet there I was standing like an idiot at the reception desk, which was painfully close to a few tables of diners.
When I finally got to my table the waiter asked me what I would like to drink; I said that I only wanted water, thanks. The next thing I know I'm given a bottle of still water that, unbenounced to me, is costing me more money than I would pay at a normal restaurant for a steak and lobster. It must have been from some secret ice shelf in the arctic circle...
On top of the overpriced water, I paid 50 bucks for a steak that, while pretty good, was drenched in butter and was something that I could find in any steak place in my woefully small city back home. I was also tricked by the waiter into buying a couple of sides. He did this without telling me that each side was enough to feed a family of six. So there I was, with a mountain of overpriced food in front of me and my friends, feeling like I was the target of a pretentious waiter that thought he could milk me for all I was worth.
At this point, while I was thinking that I was being played by the waiter, but trying to have a good evening out nonetheless, Ben, the waiter, tries to spark up conversation with us again and again. Usually these attempted invasions into our conversations had something to do with his gay lover, which is not something that I would find particularly offensive, except that I was a customer at a restaurant trying to have a meal, and this guy kept gabbing away at me and my friends about his love life. Keep it in your pants, bro, I just want to enjoy my drastically overpriced steak in peace!
At the end of the night I ended up with a wallet devoid of cash, a sense that my personal space had been invaded, and a sneaking suspicion that I was a contestant on MTV's 'Boiling Points.' However, while I never truly boiled over at the waiter, I was never given a hundred bucks for keeping my cool either.
Overall, I would say that the next time I will be going to Ruth's Chris is either never, or when Hell freezes over; whichever comes second.
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Delicious, perfectly cooked steak, tasty cocktails.
This place is an excellent place to take that someone special. My inlaws took me here for my brithday once a couple years back. I had the best steak of my life. Other than that there is nothing really special about the place. They do a great job of keeping it simple and do an excellent job of cooking. Very cool place for a late dinner.
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I had the rib eye with au poivre sauce, cooked rare. It was fabulous, and the six shrimp I had with it were great too--nice and Cajun-spicy. The gumbo was great, although the portion could have been a little bigger, but it was just an appetizer. The service was friendly and attentive, and even helpful (thanks Jennifer!). My wife and I went for dinner on the 30th anniversary of our first date, so dessert was on the house. She had chocolate sin cake (or something like that) that was great, and I had creme brulee, my favorite dessert. This was the best creme brulee I ever had. The top was perfectly caramelized, and it was accompanied with beautiful fresh strawberries, along with a couple of raspberries and blueberries. The cappuccino was also noteworthy. All in all, I would definitely eat there every night if I could afford it.
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Of the steak houses I love, this one is good, but not great. Good is good though, 4 stars... but I've had just a few meals where service wasn't spot-on, and the food, while great, was not exceptional, and the value-to-price ratio dipped just slightly.
I will give it a slight plus for it's location, right near the water, raised up over-looking the Star of India.
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Before entering Ruths Chris, I had heard all sorts of rave reviews about how great it was. All-in-all i wasnt too impressed. The food and the ambiance were both incredible, but I guess you get what you pay for. It was extremely pricey and the server was not as friendly as I would have hoped for spending what I did. Oh well, spending that much makes you look good on a third date, right?
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This is my favorite Ruth's Chris in San Diego, the bay view is really beautiful--so much better than the freeway view of the Del Mar location!
When I made reservations for two on Wednesday, I asked for a window table, and when I arrived at 8 pm Thursday night, my date and I were quickly seated at what looked like the BEST table in the restaurant--score! The hostesses were very nice, unlike some at higher end places (Poseidon-cough-) where they look down their noses at you.
Our server's name was Rob, and he made us laugh on several occasions. He was pretty attentive (especially considering the busy crowd that evening) he didn't rush us (biggest pet peeve) and he gave suggestions but didn't overly push anything on us. Yay Rob.
Since I wasn't drinking this week due to over-indulging at my sister's bachelorette party the previous Saturday, I skipped the wine menu and opted for iced tea. My date got a coke with no ice, and they were pretty good about bringing refills except for the first time when we had to wait about 10 minutes, which is still not too terrible.
We ordered two filets, sauteed mushrooms, shoestring fries, and after dinner we shared a creme brulee and I had a capuccino. Lets go down this list slowly, so I can remember the deliciousness of it all:
Filet: Mmmmmm....Perfectly cooked to medium rare perfection, it was a rather large steak and just melted in my mouth. My date had his cooked medium, and although he is not normally a big eater, polished the whole thing off. I had about a 1/3 of it to bring home, and was so happy I did when I ate it the next day. Yummy Part Two!
Sauteed Mushrooms: Yes, mushrooms are typically cheap and boring, but the RC shrooms are huge, buttery, and so amazingly yummy. A bite of shroom followed by a bite of steak is a party in my mouth.
Shoestring fries: I would rather have ordered their garlic mashed potatoes, but this meal was to thank my date for something, so it was his choice. The shoestring fries were pretty good, but to me a fry is a fry is a fry.
Creme brulee: Both my date and I consider ourselves connoisseurs when it comes to this custardy dessert, so we had to try it. Perfectly caramelized on top, it was slightly warm and the consistency was perfect.
Capuccino: Wow. Never seen so much foam in my life! The espresso underneath packed a punch, but it was delicious and the perfect way to end the evening.
From the time we sat down until the time we left, it was just over two hours. I love leisurely dinners, great conversation, great view....so this was truly a perfect evening. Our bill came to $120, and since I was so pleased about everything I slapped an extra $30 on it to make it a nice round number, kissed my date, and we waddled off to go check out the Star of India.
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Excellent, excellent, excellent! The view at this location is breathtaking. We sat outside under a heat lamp. Again, amazing food. 'Nuff said. By the way, I'm only giving this 4 stars because at the time I went there w/ my good for nothing, ugly, fat ex.
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Not a steak fan, but you'll love their Kolby Steak.
Parking: Be ready to valet.
Ambiance: The good of this place is the location which is right along the harbor. We ate dinner here so we didn't get to enjoy the view as much. The bad is that for the price you pay for your food you would think you would have more elbow room and the decor would be beautiful, but nothin' special here.
Food: I rarely eat red meat, but I tried our friend's Kolby Steak and I have to say that it was darn saliva drippin' good! 5 stars for that particular steak. My bf had the Cowboy Steak and it was good too, but I mean you can actually taste the difference between how their cooked. I ordered the lobster tail and it was juicy but average.
*If it's your first time, watch out! The waiters will trick you into buying extra stuff. What do I mean? They'll come to your table and ask if you want water (while they have bottled water in their hands) and if you say yes then you'll end up paying for the bottled water. So, if you don't want to pay for the bottled, then ask them for cold water (it's free).
REMEMBER: the dishes are mostly all "a la carte" meaning there are absolutely no sides that come with them. You have to order them separately. For a party of two, one or even two sides are enough.
Price: You pay top dollar for top dollar steak. The steak comes out sizzlin' on the platter so you know it's fresh. Pretty reasonabily priced for the quality of steak. I seriously haven't tried steak like that before.
Service: Waiter was nice and explained everything to us: how certain steaks have more marble (fat) and so on. Good experience overall.
*Would go there again on a special occasion.
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Having worked at a Ruth's Chris in college for approximately three years I know I can expect top quality everything. Service is always great, they really pay attention to detail and I've never had to wait on my water, plates being cleared, the timing of food...
Just dined here last night and I was not let down. The steak-petite filet, was as amazing and sizzling as ever. The creme brulee and chopped salad, my other two favorite dishes-also, just as good as always. Great wine by the glass, nice booths which overlook the bay and a great server-Keri.
I've also dined at the other steak houses in SD: Mortons, Flemings, etc., and I can honestly say, I'll pick Ruth's Chris over the others any day. The only other restaurant I'd be willing to spend $$$ on near downtown would be Mr. A's, but I digress.
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If you like steak, you'll love this place.
Before I was turned on to Ruth's Chris, I ate my steak (and my burgers) well done. Then, one fateful evening, I drove to LA for my buddy's birthday party. We went to the Beverly Hills Ruth's Chris and they convinced me to get my filet medium rare. I haven't been the same since.
Now I'm a steak snob and will only order steak at the best steak joints. It's terrible, I know, but when it's this good, what can you do?
The view at the San Diego RC is great, the parking is a bit tricky, but ample. A bay view and a cool layout make this RC amazing.
If you don't like family style eating, this may take a hit for you but the sides are just as phenomenal as the steak. My parents came in town and at first my mom said, "All I get is a steak? No potatoes or sides?" We had to explain that everything is family style a la carte, but once she cut her first piece of steak and it melted in her mouth, no more complaints!!
Not much to say about this place.
The View = Perfection
The Steak = Perfection
The Wine = Perfection
The Staff = Perfection
There it is in a nutshell.
I have been to this Ruth Chris's (and only this one) a couple of times and I have never been dissapointed. I love how they cook the steak in butter but I'm not a big fan of the sizzling and splattering food that is served to you. At least my server warned me so I was able to protect my clothing. The food is all a la carte which is another downfall because I love mashed potatoes but I do not need a whole plate full. It's good to go with a couple of people and each get a different side and share. Compared to other nice steakhouses, the price is average. Depending on where you are sitting, the view is nice and I like their booth tables. The restaurant is upstairs and the bathroom is downstairs so plan your trips to the restroom. Overall, this is my 2nd favorite steak house.
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Don't get me wrong - I love Ruth Chris, but I am just not particularly fond of this one on Harbor Drive. The tables are so cramp together. The service was ok, but not superb as one should expect with the price they charge.
Instead... I would recommend going to the one in Carmel Valley. I have been to many Ruth's Chris around the world - the Carmel Valley loaction remains as one of my favorite steak house.
San Diego Restaurant Week: Ruth's Chris Steak House. 3 courses - $40. A sweet DEAL if you ask me :)
Cliff notes at the bottom!
So we decided to go here on Monday night. I was running late so I called in before to let them know. Lauren said it was okay. When we arrived, we waited a few minutes before they seated us down to our table - a cramped corner. Coincidence? I'll let it slide because at least we were against the window, looking out into the ocean.
Lamarr came around and introduced himself and called me by my last name (AND he got it right - I love him already). Michael and Leo were also helping him with drinks and clearing our tables. The service here is impeccable, they were very down to earth, and knew when to clear the table and tried to not intrude on our conversation.
So we ordered our first course: I had the seared ahi tuna and my friend had the salad. The slices of tuna were so good, soft and cold, and when you squeeze the lemon on top, it made it better. The salad was just a regular salad with a choice of dressing.
For my second course, I got the ribeye and my friend got the filet. Lamarr told us that the steaks were cooked in salt, pepper and a little bit of butter. He asked me if that was okay.
Hey, I'm young, I can handle a heart attack or two. I'll worry when I'm hooked up onto a life support system. I was like, bring it on!!!
And he did. My ribeye was huuuuuge and sure enough, it came sizzling on a hot plate - a signature move by Ruth's Chris. The same went for my friend's filet. We both had our steaks cooked rare and our server wanted to know if it was cooked to our preference. It was.
The ribeye was so juicy! I only wished it wasnt so hot but I couldn't help myself :( I plunged knife first into my steak, and it was so fatty. What was even better was my friend's filet. It cut like butter and melted like butter!! I highly recommend the filet over the ribeye but both definitely had their strong points.
The side dishes that we chose, creamy spinach and mashed potatoes, were so mundane. The spinach didn't even taste like spinach, it just tasted like buttered something. And the mashed potatoes tasted just like regular ones, except these had melted butter on top.
Do you see a pattern? Butter is very popular here :) But, a man came to our table and asked us how everything was. We figured it was the manager. How sweet was that? So personal and it showed dedication since he made several rounds! I was very impressed.
Finally for our third and final course, I chose the chocolate, espresso cake and my friend had the bread pudding. Oh my dear goodness, these were so rich. SO SO SO rich. I mean imagine a thick espresso chocolate bar. Unwrap it and put it on a plate. That's how the chocolate "cake" was. It was super hard, super thick, super rich. Like round 2 heart attacks! And the bread pudding was even more rich! It was so creamy and it had this sauce that had some sort of alcohol in it.
Both were sinfully delightful but I had no room for either of them! Not after a dinner like that...
At the end, Michael, Leo and Lamarr cleared our tables and asked us if we needed anything else. They were all very professional and friendly. I LOVED the service here.
Although the food was good, the service was better. Maybe it'll be different when I try their regular menu and on a different night. But Ruth's Chris has been great, thus far.
THIS PLACE IS TOTALLY BETTER THAN DONOVAN'S!! And I'll definitely come back!
Cliff notes:
Environment: 4.5 stars. Talkative, chatty restaurant where you can talk freely with your guests. A bar with a tv. Cheerful and not at all pretentious.
Decor: 4.5 stars. The round booths look cozy. Considering their artwork is the ocean to your left (or right, depending on where you sit), how can you beat that? Unless you go at sunset...
Food: 4 stars. Steaks were great, ahi tuna was good. Everything else was whatever.
Service: 5 stars. Lamarr was a sweet, fun, non-pretentious guy. So were Michael and Leo. All very attentive and courteous. Plus the manager came around to ask everyone how we were doing - a big plus!
4.5 stars but heavily weighed on service and environment - not the food. Great steaks though :)
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The Pluses: the view from our table was really nice. our waiter was very friendly and provided top notch service. the appetizer, crab stuffed mushrooms, was VERY good.
The expected: with a reservation we had little wait for our table. wine list provided gave good pairing with our chosen cuts.
The negatives: the sides were VERY disappointing, the "potatoes Au gratin" was sliced potatoes with a little cheese, and the creamed spinach (a signature dish) was pretty bland and tasted like: Caned Spinach, Creamed 16oz. the steak ordered medium rare came out well done and handed to wrong patron. Price was right for a five star restaurant, but not a good value.
Suggestions: take the money you are planning to spend at a steak house; go get you a Weber grill, a pound of rib-eye, a nice $20 (BOTTLE NOT GLASS) Cabernet sauvignon (or a sixer of: Karl Strous' Downtown After Dark, Black Toad, or Lost Coast's Downtown brown) and grill that bad boy up, you want an ocean view, move your whole operation to pb (NO MORE BOOZE AT THE BEACHES :( )
for more beer paring suggestions check into beeradvocate.com
Outstanding food, and though it varies from server to server, I've never experienced anything that I thought was less-than-great. What I love most about Ruth's vs. other San Diego Steakhouses is the lack of pretense. I've dined here in black tie, and in a flannel and jeans. No jacket required.
Personal favorite Ruth's Chris story: I took my wife here on our first date. She was a Donovan's fan, and I was determined to convince her that this place was much more up our alley than the stuffiness of Donovan's.
Much to my amazement, I saw that Opus One was listed on their "by the glass" list, and I ordered two glasses to start us off. I went on to explain to her that this was one of the most amazing red wines of our lifetime, and that I was very excited/surprised to see it offered by the glass (generally, it's a couple hundred per bottle). Shortly after my soliloquy, our server returned to explain that the "special" had come and gone, and that they no longer had this amazing wine by the glass.
Not willing to be derailed, I ordered a split, and we proceeded to order dinner. To my surprise, the manager delivered the split, and informed me that he was sorry for the confusion, and that he was only going to charge us for the advertised price for two glasses, and not the $100+ of the split. Class act.
In my experience, this place is a lock. Great food, unique ambiance, and top quality service.
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Pros: the steaks! the sides! the view, it's not the Del Mar location, you never know who you're going to see there
Cons: pricey, reservations are mandatory, food sizzles onto your clothes (good luck on getting grease out), you may pass out from food coma on your way out the door, valet drivers may be taken from special ed
So what's the key to Ruth Chris? In a word...butter. And a zillion degree oven. The steaks literally come out sizzling with butter and are just fantastic to eat (put aside your fashion pride and wear a napkin baby-style in front of your shirt to protect yourself). The Ribeye gets special mention here...
The sides are also something to really look forward and are all old-school New Orleans-style stuff: Potatoes Au Gratin, Creamed spinach, Grilled Mushrooms....they're all great and incredibly unhealthy for you and are thus perfect.
$20 corking fee is also very reasonable since the wine list is similar to Donovan's in that it makes your wallet suddenly feel very light and insignificant.
Other points include a great view of the harbor, excellent service, close proximity to the Gaslamp (although you will NOT feel like dancing after pigging out like this) and a really interesting crowd - I actually saw what looked to be the entire defense line of the San Diego Chargers pigging out there one time and watching those huge guys with napkins tied around their necks and chowing down on steak was a solid "11" on the unintentional comedy scale.
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I think it'd be pretty difficult to mess up a filet covered in melted, hot butter. Artery clogging heaven. Love the creamed spinach, love the chopped salad, love the potatoes au gratin. Have visited a handful of times, and always order my steak medium. Sometimes it's medium, sometimes medium rare, other times...rare. That'd be my only complaint. Again.........butter. Yum.
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Steaks great ...like it was grilled in butter. Ive had better here in LA but overall pretty good. Good company makes it all better espicially if you have to wait thanks Ana great times!!
I love a good steak place and I think Ruth's is definitely one of them!
I had the Cowboy Ribeye (they might've renamed it, it's been a little while), which is basically a bone-in cut of ribeye. It was served piping hot with butter. What more could you ask for?
The 5 stars is for the steak sizzling on a hot plate in butter! Yuuuummmmyyyy! I know some people don't like this place because it's a la carte and granted, the atmosphere is not ideal, but I am a steak girl so bring it to me hot and sizzling on a plate with drawn butter and throw a side of garlic mashed potatoes in and I am money! Also, I really like their seared ahi app. So good! I usually roll down the stairs of this place and out the door because I eat an app, a salad, aforementioned steak and potatoes and then I follow it up with dessert, but that is mostly because I am rollin in gluttony by then. I also seem to manage to swig down a cocktail or two and then a few glasses of wine before the night is done. There will be no dancing for me after eating here, just straight to bed with my food coma.
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As pricey as this place was...it is one of the best Steakhouse's I've ever been too. All the steaks come in a hot plate..so its sizzling right in front of you and smells soooo good. I had the chicken which was oooh sooo good..it was stuffed with garlic herb cheese and roasted to perfection..side dishes I recommend are: Mashed Garlic Potatoes, Sauteed mushrooms and for dessert the Creme Brule ...EVERYTHING was DELISH!! Service was AMAZING- SUPER FRIENDLY...but parking can be a pain..so get there early..
* I would make reservations for this place.
I don't give one star unless there's something really wrong about this place, but yes it only deserves one.
My date and I got REALLY sick after dining here. I had the worst FOOD POISONING ever in my life, and my date was in better situation but still had pretty bad stomache discomfort. That meal left me lying in bed for 3 days. Consider I had some major exams coming up in the following week, it was hell. I don't think it was the steak - I ordered medium rare, and they gave me well done - but the dessert or salad. It could have been the lettuce or strawberries that went with the flourless chocolate cake. Either way, it was unacceptable! I would never ever under any circumstance go back to any Ruth Chris restaurants.
Now on the steak itself. It was covered with butter, and I really hate that when restaurants do that. If I want steak cooked with butter I could do that myself at home - they taste all the same with butter anyway. I'd rather have just salt and pepper, but that's personal preference. Then, as I mentioned, they brought me well-done steak when I ordered medium rare, and my date's medium filet mignon was cooked medium well. For a meal that costs over $50 per person and at a restaurant that claims to be a "steak house", they can't even get it right and overcook everything! Just this alone I would have given them a 2 star rating.
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A must visit for anybody who loves steak.
One of my favorite places for meat. Granted I eat red meat maybe twice a year. Every side dish is amazing. I'd pass on the chicken. I thought i'd go light and try poultry, but I quickly found out that its filled with cheese and other various artery clogging nastiness...Just say no. Cant go wrong with the beef. Do it. You wont regret it.
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