Ruth's Chris Steak House — Restaurant in Park City

There's a reason why this place has 4 dollar symbols next to it. Is it worth the cost? I'd say it definitely wasn't, but I guess I don't have refined taste buds like some of the rich folks that frequent this place. We celebrated our anniversary and this was our first time there. Our table was already prepared for us upon arrival which was about 20 minutes before our reservation time so they at least checked that box. I appreciated that a nice table with rose petals was reserved for us near the fireplace, but why wasn't it turned on? I understand it's the middle of summer, but the whole point of having one is to add to the ambiance. After observing the scenery outside, I was a bit jealous of the parties out there.

The staff was friendly, but the waitresses seemed like they were in a constant hurry. We were first greeted by the "assistant" that asked us what we would like to drink. When responding with what drink options there were since their menu didn't mention anything about beverage options, he said that he could only bring us water if we were interested. If he was only going to bring water, why ask what we would like to drink? The steak is really good, but certainly not worth the extra cost. One thing I will say is that they cook it in a lot of what seems to be butter, and it was enough to make my wife not feel very well after eating just half of her filet. Also, the lobster was not the expected texture or taste when comparing it to seafood restaurants I have been to in the past. I don't know if it was just cooked too fast or what, but it wasn't great.

I've had equally as good cuts of meat from other steakhouses and the presentation is nothing spectacular for its price. I'm holding pretty high expectations of course, but so it should be when going to what many consider to be among the best restaurants in Utah.

Our first waitress went over the menu in record speed, then ran off to frantically attend other tables. About 20 minutes later and well after deciding, another waitress (Carla) came by to see if we had our orders taken yet. She seemed to be a bit more personable and we can say that she was definitely a bright spot for our visit. Don't worry, I still tipped well as I understood the circumstances and they managed to keep my water glass full between the two waitresses and the assistants.

They offered us a free dessert for our special day which was appreciated. The lady we assume to have been the manager dropped by for maybe 5 seconds to see if we liked our food and ran off. Perhaps she could try to make a bit more of a connection? I know most people don't like to be bothered while eating, but at least a "My name is Jane Doe and I'm the manager here. Please let me know if there's anything I can do for you. Thanks for choosing to celebrate with us today."

I don't know what to say in the end about this place. It was fine, but I didn't feel like it was worth it to return. If The Roof in SLC were open during the pandemic, that's where we would have went and the place we use to set the standard for fine dining. We're certainly nowhere near a high socioeconomic status so our opportunities to enjoy this kind of dining experience are few and far in between.

If someone managed to read my epistle, I feel pretty content about my rating given the expectations. My review is a little all over the place, but it's around midnight and I suppose I'm no longer able to organize my...

Before reserving our table I'd read some reviews even though we'd dined there but not for the past two years. One review spoke of the service at the Park City location writing that it was as if they weren't there, sitting at their table. After our experience last night I echoed this opinion. The food quality was excellence - our filet, the sides, salads, a dessert to go - more about this later in the review. That said the cost of using their "Early Bird Prime Dinner menu" before 6:30 was still steep at $78 for my husband's filet and $88 for mine, a filet "Oscar", that called for a crab cake, two asparagus strips and covered with Bernaise sauce sitting on top of the tall filet. I specified to Zac, our "waiter" for Bernaise on the side, not on the Oscar dressing. I should mention that our reservations were shortly after the restaurant opening with only two other tables in our room occupied at 5:30. Zac was occupied entirely with one of them and after 15 minutes he wandered to ours, another server having taken pitty on us, bringing bread and a missing bread plate so that we could both have someplace to put the bread. The food arrived promptly, my Oscar covered with white Bernaise sauce! When I mentioned to the young man bringing the food that I'd requested the sauce on the side he summoned Zac who offered to remove it and bring another steak. Since my husband had already begun eating his entree I said, "NO" and I scraped most of the sauce onto the crab cake that I put on my husband's bread plate that he enjoyed eating. The sauce, not my favorite taste, had not been over the filet and so all was well. Dinner was fine as the room quickly filled up with tables full of many guests who'd ordered bottles of wine, lobster tails, and other extremely expensive items that we noticed Zac bringing to their nearby tables while chatting with the occupants. Expensive dinners bring a hefty tip. Dinner over we waited - and waited - as our plates were taken away for someone to come by with a dessert menu since that was part of our dinner price. I finally caught the eye of an assistant server and asked him to find Zac, talking with diners at another full table in the room, to bring us the menu. We saw the server hovering around the talkative Zac and eventually, several more minutes later, Zac arrived, literally tossed one hard cover menu down on the table and immediately left! Possibly miffed at being summoned to bring us TWO, but only one came?? I ordered something not creamy or with a liquid sauce to go at this late hour, since with all of the waiting we'd had we had to return home since it's an hour's drive from Park City to Sandy and we'd been at the restaurant for an hour and a half, actually eating in less than half of that time, waiting for food taking up the rest of the time. The bill arrived, I checked it after my husband couldn't account for something on it, and we'd been overcharged $14 for my "Oscar" added to my filet on the "Early bird Prime" dinner. I pointed this out to Zac and it was immediately corrected. As a former mathematics teacher in my working years I always check ALL bills - a habit - that has paid off, so to speak, more often than you'd believe! Part2 in second part of...

This Isn’t a Steakhouse… It’s a Portal to Your Better Life

Let’s be clear: I came for the filet, but I left talking about Gracie, Ben, and a woman with a guitar who somehow made me feel like I was in a Nicholas Sparks movie without the tragic ending.

First: the vibe. You walk in, and everything feels intentional… warm lighting, low hum of conversation, the smell of seared perfection floating in the air like a promise. And then there’s Gracie. She didn’t just serve us.. she adopted us for the evening. Equal parts menu ninja and mind reader, she anticipated what we wanted before we knew we wanted it. If she ever runs for office, I’m voting Gracie.

Now, Ben, the GM, wasn’t one of those “how’s everything over here?” drive-by types. No, he went the extra mile with us, talked through the menu, suggested the Painkiller (which hit like a warm tropical vacation in a glass), and then… wait for it… personally brought me an espresso martini for dessert. That’s not customer service. That’s main-character energy.

The bone-in filet? Perfect. Like, “do I need to re-evaluate every other steak I’ve ever eaten?” perfect. Cooked to a flawless medium-rare, with that subtle, buttery resistance that makes your eyes close involuntarily. I didn’t try the other steaks, but based on how people around us were reacting, there may have been spiritual awakenings at other tables.

The lobster mac? Offensive. In the best way. Creamy, rich, loaded with actual chunks of lobster, not just “lobster flavoring” like you get at sadder places. It didn’t play backup to the filet. It staged a coup.

Now, imagine all of this while sitting just steps from a perfectly manicured golf course as the sun sets behind it, and a woman with a voice like velvet strums her guitar and somehow covers Fleetwood Mac better than Fleetwood Mac. It felt less like dinner and more like I was living in an effortlessly cool commercial I never wanted to end.

This wasn’t a meal. It was a moment. If you’re reading this wondering whether to go, stop. Go. Order the bone-in filet. Say yes to the Painkiller. Tell Gracie she’s a legend. And when Ben brings you that espresso martini? Just know you’re in the...