Ruth's Chris Steak House — Restaurant in Newington

P.S. No response from Ruth Chris, as of more than month... sad.

I was recently invited to this Ruth Chris by a well-respected friend & colleague who offered us a treat. My wife, in a former business life, had been to RC before.

To say I was underwhelmed is unfortunate, but true. I would have given a 2-star review but because Jenna was awesome, along with the young lady (who had been working there 8 years and was about to become a full-time server) and the other support staff, I gave a 3... why? Because I base it on expectations, related to what should be an across-the-board, 5-star experience every time at a place like this with prices in the $50-dollar range for Prime beef. High prices = high expectations.

I waited to write this review to let my thoughts settle. Again, Jenna & staff were great!

We got an appetizer, the fried calamari. The breading was good and you could tell it was flash-fried (indicative of a high-end steak place), but the sweet 'n sour sauce was a new experience and overdone. The taste was good but too much sauce.

We ordered Justin Isosceles wine after a few beers. The wine was excellent.

On to the meal... most everyone got a Filet (3 people), a ribeye (3 people) and one a NY Strip. The cut of meat was excellent! The cooking was a bit off. My Med-rare was more rare and the mediums more mid-rare than Medium. The biggest complaint - but more just disappointment bc I really, really wanted to walk away from this meal super happy, ecstatic - was the SEASONING. Jenna proudly proclaimed, we "use salt, pepper & butter on our cuts and cook them in an 1,800-degree oven and serve them on 500-degree plates." To a person, everyone was grabbing the salt and killing it with salt to make it taste flavorful. Ruth was would be embarrassed. The butter-salt-pepper was lacking. I agree the beef should sing on its own without any fanfare but beef needs to be properly salted or it does NOT sing. It made us sad and disappointed that someone, who cares about us, probably spent between $800-1,000 for the meal. There company was excellent but that was the best part.

And the 6 add-on shrimp were no where near what I would have expected... a tiger prawn or U-12/U-10... it looked more like a shrimp add-on from Friday's/Chili's. Again, for the price, totally off the reservation.

The sides (which we shared)... the mash potatoes were alright, pretty straightforward; the "Ruth starred) Lobster Mac 'n Cheese was runny and lacked any flavor. Super thumbs down.

The dessert (flour-less, chocolate tart cake & lava cake) was good, along with the after-dinner drinks.

I have to say I try to give 5 stars where I can, but at a place like this, I expect a lot more for the cost of engagement, to use a phrase. I hope this makes you better.

It's unfortunate, as we don't have to ability to pay for us to come back on our dime and have it made right; but I would like to have the experience we hoped would be delivered, to be honest and candid. That's just the truth.

Thank you and please know these comments were made with care. Thank you,...

This place was always kind of a mystery to me. I mean, I've driven by it maybe 100+ times, and I kind of maybe remember some TV or radio commercials they used to run. But honestly, I never found myself feeling like I needed to go, and I was basically just waiting for a reason. When my brother recently decided to take his son there for a graduation dinner and asked my family to tag along, I said to myself "Hello reason". My brother had eaten here before and compared it to the former Carmen Anthony's in Waterbury, and that ended up being pretty spot on in my opinion.

Our reservations were for 6 people at 6pm on a Saturday night, and when we arrived the place was already hopping. We were seated right away, and right away I said to myself "Okay Kirk, you're out of your league here fancy-wise". I mean, it's just a swirl of people waiting on you, checking on you, cleaning up your crumbs, etc. Don't get me wrong, it's nice...but for me personally, it's a bit too much. Not a knock on them at all, they do what they do and they do it right.

The food was not surprisingly amazing, which was good considering the prices. Yes, the place is pricey, and everything is a la carte. But it's not overpriced considering the quality of the food. You're going to pay $30 or so bucks for an entree, but you won't be disappointed. We all ordered and tried different things, and it was all amazing.

The service as previously mentioned was good, almost too good. But I get it, they're shooting for high class. Trust me, you won't be left hanging here...they are all over you from start to finish.

If you're looking for a fancy night out and wanted to be waited on hand and food, this place won't disappoint. It's not something I'd do regularly, but special...

Recommendation: Grapefruit Hibiscus Margarita, Watermelon Mojito, Shrimp Cocktail, Calamari, Cowboy Ribeye (22 oz), Fresh Berries and Cream. . Detailed Review: It's another beautiful Thursday afternoon, great weather for going out for dinner. My reservation was at 6:45. We were 30 minutes early, but we got our seat pretty quick. My impression when I got inside is the vibe is very "New Orleans". They first served baguette with butter. The bread was moist and crispy. We liked it. Our waitress is Stephanie, she is very friendly and helpful. If you ask for her recommendation, she will give you a detailed description about the food she recommends. So, for appetizers, we ordered a Shrimp Cocktai and a Calamari (the Calamari is a soecial so you will not see it on the menu). We shared a Cowboy Ribeye (22 oz), it's a special (off menu). For the side, we ordered an Au Gratin. And we got the Fresh Berries and Cream for dessert.

Grapefruit Hibiscus Margarita: strong, sweet, good. Watermelon Mojito: fruity, not too strong, refreshing, and mint Calamari: really good, crispy, and great sauce. It's not on the menu, but we're glad that we ordered it. 5/5 Cowboy Ribeye: tender, juicy, good marbling, well seasoned, DELICIOUS. Stay hot until the very last pieces. Au Gratin: yummy! It's soft, rich, and smooth. Good three cheese. Fresh Berries and Cream: this is illegally delicious!!!! The combination of sweet cream and tart berries is heavenly satisfying after a big meal. . My bill total is $180.35 (excludes tips) . Conclusion: ✅Service: 5/5 ✅Food: 5/5 ✅Atmosphere: 5/5 I'd love to come...