Ruth's Chris Steakhouse

Recently I've been reviewing a lot of the higher-end food establishments here in Honolulu. I promise I'll start getting back to the basics (especially in these slow economic times) after this post. But what can I say? It's Ruth's Chris Steakhouse! One of O'ahu's premier steakhouses. How can I not be excited?

Pulling up to Restaurant Row, I could hardly contain my excitement. I knew exactly what I was going to have -- the thick juicy cowboy ribeye, shoestring and potatoes lyonnaise and to top off the experience a Disorono amaretto freeze. I could hardly wait. Parking is usually easy to find as the parking complex at Restaurant Row is spacious, however, on Friday nights it can get a bit congested due to the dollar theatre and night club.

We had reservations (I was eating out with the family) as Ruth's Chris is a very popular choice at dinner times. As we entered Ruth's Chris the only thought going through my mind is, "Why is it so dark?". I understand the meaning of ambiance and have been to other high class steakhouses such as Hy's but the lack of lighting was slightly ridiculous. They say that the pupils of your eyes become dilated and it is some how attractive -- who cares! I can't read the menu without squinting. Our waitress was very professional and well mannered (a plus as I can be very picky about how waiters act).

I'll fast forward to the food as the bread wasn't worth writing home for. The steaks are said to be seared at an extreme temperature to seal in flavor as well as dry aged to perfection. What they didn't tell you is that they like to serve the steak without FLAVOR. Don't get me wrong, the steak was of amazing quality and was cooked to perfection but it lacked flavor. That's right folks...salt. I've recently conversed with other foodies and an industry burn-out about Ruth's Chris's steaks. We all agree -- the steaks need salt. There's no hiding the truth. The potatoes on the other hand were perfectly cooked and well seasoned. The Disarono amaretto freeze was (sadly) the highlight of my meal (I definitely will be making these at home). It is in essence a Disarono milkshake. Simple and delicious.

I'm not sure if I'm approaching the whole under-seasoned steak thing correctly as some may say that it doesn't need salt and that the natural flavor of the meat should be enjoyed without additives but I still stand with the notion that the steak needs salt.


Ruth's Chris Steakhouse
Rating System: 1-2.5-5 (poor-average-excellent)

Service: 5
Food Quality: 2.25*
Monetary Value: 4.5
Quality vs Quantity: Quality
Overall: 3.9

226 Lewers Street
Waikiki, Hawaii 96815
808-440-7910

Open Daily 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM


*I would have rated this a 4.5 but the steaks just need salt. period. I'll stop mentioning it now. I'm done. I'm over it.