Ruth's Chris Steak House

Intro
Ruth's Chris Steak House - Recommended
1000 Harbor Blvd, Weehawken, NJ
Phone: 201-863-5100

I am usually anti-steakhouse due to the happiness and quality per cost ratio (aka Craftsteak). I was actually anti-Ruth's Chris also after average experiences in the past, but our friends were going to Ruth's Chris as a last hurrah before moving to sunny San Diego. Surprisingly, the food was pretty decent and more importantly we all had a blast. Overall, I give the restaurant an 82/100.

My Menu
1) Louisiana Seafood Gumbo
2) Lettuce Wedge Salad *
3) Blackened Wild Salmon ---
4) Petite Filet **
5) Potato Au Gratin **
6) Creamed Spinach *
7) Warm Apple Crumb Tart *

Rating System
--- What the F - in a bad way * Good ** Great *** What the F – in a good way

Dish Comments
1) Never been to N'Olins (aka New Orleans), so I'm not sure what a great Gumbo should taste like. What we had here was a broth with average flavor, nice rice, and overcooked shrimp. Definitely a pass.
2) Simple, but satisfying. Basically large iceburg lettuce leaves with a healthy topping of flavorful blue cheese and a mayo dressing. Crispy, savory, and very satisfying. Perfect salad for a steak house.
3) I like salmon and I'm always suckered into getting wild salmon. Unfortunately, I definitely was the sucker that night for ordering the salmon. Thought the salmon was juicy and cooked relatively well, it was terribly sour. Not sure if it was a marinade or what, but we couldn't finish it.
4) After the terrible steaks at Craftsteak, this was such a great contrast. Perfect temperature, very juicy and tender, and decent flavor for filet mignon. Amateur hour though as the steak had a slice in the middle...i'm assuming this was done to check the temperature. If I paid more for the meal, I would've been pissed, but since it was such a cheap meal I didn't mind at all.
5) Creamy, tender, potatoes topped with gooey sharp cheddar. This was definitely a great side and done well.
6) Again, funny contrast to Craftsteak. These are perfectly seasoned, flavorful, and the right temperature.
7) Apple tart was nice (nice flavor and good sweetness), but a tad dry. With the vanilla bean ice cream, it was a good combo though.

Overall Restaurant Experience (82/100)

• Food 8.0/10 – Solid steak with very good sides. How steakhouses should be...take note Craftsteak. You don't need hardcore chefs at a steakhouse...just guys that know how to cook a steak properly and doing solid sides.
  
• Service 8.5/10 – Attentive waiter, that made good recommendations and was very knowledgeable about wine. Food came out very quickly...or the great conversation we had made it seem quick.
  
• Atmosphere 7.5/10 – Another stuffy steak joint, but not brimming with a-holes like Craftsteak. Standard fine dining restaurant white table clothes and dark room. Got there at 9pm on a Friday with no reservations and was seated in 20 minutes.
  
• Price 10.0/10 – Phenomenal deal that they're still keeping. $89 total - 3 course meal, including 2 sides for 2 people. Menu options are limited (petite filet is the only steak available), but it's still worth it. Can't beat that for a solid steak experience.
  

Closing Comments
Although I've had poor experiences in the past, it was due to the high cost which equal high expecations. Take away the high cost, the expectations go away and I had a great experience. However, having the same cost, this probably is at the bottom of the high end steak experiences. My best experience in NYC is still Peter Luger's...solid steak and great atmosphere.