Ruth’s Chris Steak House Credit: Photo By John Anderson

Ruth’s Chris Steak house

107 W. Sixth, 477-7884

Monday-Thursday, 5:30-10:30pm; Friday-Saturday, 5:30-11pm; Sunday, 5:30-10pm

As is the case with most steak houses, Ruth’s Chris is the place where unadventurous diners go for a fine dining experience. The atmosphere is expensive, although after a while the chain restaurant feeling creeps back in, inevitably. The place is a beacon of corporate dining. The menu features the basic steak house staples, but its New Orleans roots do come through in some of the items, especially the appetizers. The Shrimp Brochette ($11.95), four large, grilled shrimp wrapped in bacon and filled with jalapeño and Swiss cheese, served with a thick yellow tomato and basil sauce, were a good start. But the best thing about Ruth’s Chris is the meat. The Cowboy Ribeye ($33.95), a 22 oz. chunk of bone-in, melt-in-your-mouth aged prime beef and the T-Bone ($36.95), probably my favorite steak cut, were perfectly cooked to medium rare, extremely flavorful, seasoned only with a bit of salt. Both steaks came to the table sizzling in butter, with a deliciously crisp exterior. The side dishes were not as successful. While I found that the sweetness and tangy flavor of broiled tomatoes ($6.95) were the perfect foil for the rich meat, the Potatoes au Gratin ($6.95) were downright bland and unimaginative, plain cubes of potato covered with cheddar cheese. And for the outrageous prices, the portions could definitely be bigger. On the other hand, the Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake ($7.95) was light and tasty, but the slice was way too big. After that rich a meal, half the portion for half the price would be just right.

This article appears in January 14 • 2005.

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Mexico City native Claudia Alarcón has made Austin home since 1984. She worked her way through college in the local restaurant industry, graduating from the University of Texas in 1999. She has been a Chronicle contributor for 15 years and presents lectures and workshops on topics related to the foodways of Mexico, both locally and internationally.