06/29/09

Great Place

by amaihar

Went there on Monday night and was able to get a table without a reservation. The food was great. Got the fillet with mushrooms and potatoes al graten. The side portions are big. Fillet was perfect.

Cocktails were pricey at $12 per drink. Paid $145 for two with no apps, just salad, 3 drinks, dinner and 1 dessert.

• Pros: Excellent Food
• Cons: Price

02/14/09

For the Price - it could be better

by QDPie

During January 2009's Restaurant's Week, me and a group of friends decided to experience the cuisine at this restaurant. While the staff goes through the motions of performing their duties, i.e. parking your car; hanging your coat; seating you; and taking your order, they are not as friendly and warm as we expected or have experienced at other restaurants in Center City. Don't get me wrong, they were not rude, but there was something missing from the sincerity of their words.

The food was average. Two of our guests had Salmon and both complained of it being dry.

With Philadelphia having so many fine restaurants to choose from, this is not a restaurant I will be visiting again. I was disappointed.

• Cons: Tables situated too closely; Staff not very friendly, but not rude; food was dry

Sophisticated American chain serves up corn-fed USDA prime cuts and New Orleans-style appetizers and sides.

by Contributor

In Short
This offshoot of a popular New Orleans hangout for politicians features decor of dark woods and comfortable booths, with a separate bar scene. Choice cuts of custom-aged beef arrive in sizzling butter on 500-degree plates. The menu also offers chicken, pork and seafood entrees along with Creole appetizers like shrimp remoulade. Family-style sides include gargantuan onion rings, creamed spinach and various styles of potatoes. Traditional homemade desserts like cheesecake and bread pudding conclude the meal.

09/25/08

awful, awful, awful

by dagwood2001

as in food, service, and value. i have been there 10 times in the last 15 years and have had enough. TRUST ME PLEASE; even if you have to wait two hours for a table, walk across the street, head north on broad st a couple of blocks towards city hall, and go to capital grille. it will be a smart decision.

PS-i think citysearch needs to figure out how to total ratings. this dump should have a cumlative rating of two and a half or three stars, not four and a half. check it out.

• Pros: great location, totally wasted.

09/21/08

McCormick & Schmick's is SO much better!!

by Just4Shore

My friends and I have been hearing SO much about Ruth?s Chris Steakhouse that during restaurant week in Philadelphia (Sept. 15-19), we decided to give it a try.

This place should NOT be touted as a 5 star restaurant.

Our server was RUDE and any request we made was met with a heavy sigh and a roll of the eyes.

The salad was wilted and came with ONE cherry tomato cut INTO two.

The rolls were hard and lacked flavor.

The mashed potatoes were INSTANT, and watery.

Three of us ordered steaks, and if put together, it would?ve made one normal size steak. Add to that, they were tasteless.

We asked for sauteed onions, and was charged $6.50 EXTRA - something we found out when the bill CAME. (We didn?t ask in advance because no other restaurant ever charged for that).

I could ONLY understand the unbelievably small portions we were given, if the ENTIRE menu was open to restaurant week. However, they were only featuring ONE choice from (3) salads, (3) entrees, and (2) desserts, so the portions should have been a little more generous.

There was NOTHING about this place that would bring me back. The ambience, service, food, even the spacing of the seats seem as if they put tables and chairs where people should be walking (and i?m not a large person).

However, if you want a restaurant that has it ALL - great food, service, atmosphere ? AND will leave you satisfied and wanting more? Then you want McCormick & Schmick?s. THEY ARE THE BEST.

Ruth?s Chris? AWFUL.

• Pros: There is NOTHING good that can be said about this place.

05/22/08

Impressed

by dishwash42

I had low expectations for this restaurant after reading some of the reviews on this site, but was completely impressed! The food is just so good in comparison to other comparable restaurants in Center City. My steak was perfect - moist and smooth. I've never had a better steak even at other more expensive places (e.g. Morton's, Capital Grille, Barclay Prime, Smith and Wollensky, etc.)! Our appetizer was probably the biggest delight. Exactly as our waitress described it: a delicious seafood platter with shrimp cocktail, crab meat and ahi tuna, large enough for two people to share. Well...we got 5 enormous shrimps, 5 perfect pieces of tuna and a heaping mound of crab meat over crisp salad leaves. There was absolutely nothing to not love about this dish, especially the very spicy sauce accompanying it (both my domestic partner and I love spicy food). Upon getting our bill we discovered that this appetizer platter cost us $7. I don't recall ever paying so little for such a top-notch appetizer. In addition to the steaks we got a plate of Au Gratin potatoes (heaven!), and sauteed mushrooms (which were simply fabulous). You can go to Applebees or Red Lobster and get lousy American food or Ruth's Chris and get "sophisticated" American food. The service was outstanding, but who needs the service with the food of such hight quality??? If you've never been to any other place than your local food chain restaurant, you will be in for a treat; and if you often dine in Center City - hurry over to Ruth's Chris Steak House at all costs!

• Pros: Steak, appetizers, service
• Cons: food too good. never want to leave

03/31/08

Good Food / Average Atmosphere / Way Too Pricey

by beachgirl616

This restaurant is extremely expensive for the quantity of food you receive and the ambiance of the place is loud and not very romantic nor exclusive. It seemed like a chain restaurant with a slightly more upscale air about it, which is basically what it is. The food is delicious but is it worth the exorbitant prices? I don't really think so.

• Pros: Food, Service
• Cons: Ambience, Price, Parking

01/28/08

A Wonderful Dining Experience - Restaurant Week Fall '07

by bluyellowblu

This review is a bit late - but I have to say, that I was very pleasantly surprised by the food at Ruth's Chris. This was my first visit to the restaurant - and I was very impressed by the professional service and attentiveness during this busy time. The salad was phenomenal, the filet mignon was served perfectly and the dessert was scrumptious. I am VERY excited to visit tomorrow night for Philadelphia's Restaurant Week Winter '08!

• Pros: Service, Ambience, Location
• Cons: Price (I'd have to put a 2nd motgage on my home to eat on any regular night)

11/27/07

Absolutely Horrible!!!

by kilerbootsman

My family and I decided to have dinner after a concert next door. What a complete disappointment. We were greeted by a massively large maitre de (lay off the steak buddy) that made a big scene about us not having reservations even though the place was empty at 5:30. My caeser salad had a long black hair in it, which the manager apologized for, and my steak was well done on one side and rare on the other. For $35 for a piece of meat that comes with nothing else I would expect nothing less than perfection. My family was completely disgusted by the meal and the service, just a slab of fish with no presentation or a single veggie, what a rip off. It seemed our waiter would have better off at home watching football rather than snickering and making rude comments to his customers. I am warning anyone that is considering eating here: STAY AWAY!!!

• Pros: Location
• Cons: Everything else

04/25/07

Worst meal ever!

by iluvphilly

My husband and I ate at this Ruth's location (our first visit to a Ruth's) and were tremendously disappointed. To start with, we had a reservation and had to wait 45 minutes in the waiting area where we were blasted by cold winter air everytime the door opened! We figured we would try Ruth's because a family member highly recommended it. I had to wonder if they do not know what good food is or are they easily satisfied because this was by far the WORST meal I ever had. Even the baked potato was terrible. We both ordered medium and got a very rare piece of meat on a sizzling plate that spattered greese all over my clothing. I realize this is part of their "trademark experience" but I certainly don't want to have to tuck a napkin in my collar for my entire meal so that I don't ruin my clothing or other persoanl belongings like my handbag. I sent my filet back because it was practically still moving on my plate, but it was still almost unedible after I got it back. It had an awful taste and was not even tender (mind you it wasn't even tender when it was rare), plus the baked potatato tasted like it was rolled around in dirt before it was baked. We vow to NEVER, EVER return to a Ruth's nor recommend it. We knew it had to be bad when even my husband complained, as he rarely complains about any dining experience. He eats steak and filets often and this was the first time he ever said he will never return to a rastaurant. It was a very poor dining experience and a huge let down. Don't believe the hype on this place. It is not worth the time or money.

• Pros: Not a thing- although our waitress was nice
• Cons: Everything- poor food quality, very pricey. Reservations don't improve wait time.