Ruth’s Chris Menu With Prices: What a Real Dinner Actually Costs in 2026
Nobody walks into Ruth’s Chris expecting a bargain, but almost everyone underestimates the final number on the check anyway — and that’s usually because the steak price on the board doesn’t include a single side. That’s the detail most casual diners miss, and it’s exactly why so many people look up the Ruth’s Chris menu with prices before they book a table: this is one of the few major steakhouse chains where the entrée and everything around it are priced completely separately, so the $73 filet you see listed is genuinely just the filet.
Ruth’s Chris started in 1965, when Ruth Fertel — a single mother working as a lab technician — bought a small New Orleans steakhouse called Chris Steak House on a loan she reportedly had to get her father to co-sign. A kitchen fire forced her to rebuild under a new name a few years later, and “Ruth’s Chris” was born out of a legal quirk more than a branding decision. Sixty years later, it’s grown into one of the most recognized steakhouse names in the country, known for USDA Prime beef, a 1,800-degree broiler, and the sizzling 500-degree plates that make the whole dining room smell like butter the second a server walks by.
Below is the most complete, current breakdown of what you’ll actually pay — steaks, seafood, sides, appetizers, and dessert — along with the context that actually matters, like why the pricing is structured the way it is and how to avoid a surprise total. As always with a chain that adjusts pricing by market, treat these as solid national averages rather than a fixed number for every location.
Why the Ruth’s Chris Menu With Prices Looks So Different From a Casual Steakhouse
If you’re used to LongHorn or Outback, the biggest adjustment isn’t the total — it’s the structure. At most casual steak chains, ordering a sirloin gets you the steak plus one or two sides bundled into a single price. At Ruth’s Chris, the steak is sold entirely on its own, and every side — even something as simple as a baked potato — is ordered and priced separately, typically in the $14–$23 range per dish, meant to be shared across the table rather than plated individually.
This is deliberate, not a hidden fee. It’s built around a genuinely old-school steakhouse dining format: order your steak the way you like it, then build a shared spread of sides for the table the way you would at a proper chophouse rather than a fast-casual chain. Once you understand that structure, the Ruth’s Chris menu with prices stops looking inflated and starts looking exactly like what it is — an à la carte fine-dining format where a $75 steak plus two shared $16 sides for a table of two is a completely normal $107 before drinks, tax, and tip.
Ruth’s Chris Signature Steaks and Chops
Every steak arrives on a 500-degree plate, seared in a 1,800-degree broiler, and finished with Ruth’s Chris’s signature butter. Cuts and exact ounces can vary slightly by location, but the following reflects current national averages.
| Steak | Size | Price (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Petite Filet | 8 oz | $59.99 |
| Filet | 11 oz | $73.99 |
| Ribeye | 16 oz | $71.99 |
| Bone-In Ribeye | 19 oz | $79.99 |
| Cowboy Ribeye | 22 oz | $89.69 |
| New York Strip | 16 oz | $72.49 |
| T-Bone | 24 oz | $82.79 |
| Porterhouse for Two | 40 oz | $148.39 |
| Tomahawk Ribeye (for Two) | 40 oz | $160.00 |
The gap between the Petite Filet and the Cowboy Ribeye is nearly $30, and it comes down to the same logic as any steakhouse: leaner cuts like the filet are priced for tenderness, while heavily marbled cuts like the ribeye and Cowboy Ribeye are priced for the fat content that carries flavor through a hot sear.
Doneness, Cuts, and Getting the Most Out of What You’re Paying For
Because every steak here is seared at 1,800 degrees and finished on a 500-degree plate, the food keeps cooking slightly even after it reaches your table — which matters more at these prices than it does at a casual chain. Ordering medium-rare rather than medium on a filet or ribeye is the standard steakhouse recommendation, since the residual heat from the plate will push the steak a touch further before you’ve finished half of it. The bone-in cuts — Bone-In Ribeye, T-Bone, Porterhouse, and Tomahawk — hold their temperature longer thanks to the bone itself, which is part of why regulars gravitate toward them for a slower, more leisurely dinner rather than a quick weeknight meal.
If you’re deciding between the Filet and the Ribeye for the first time, the practical difference comes down to what you actually want: the Filet is the most tender cut on the menu by a wide margin but carries the mildest flavor, while the Ribeye and Cowboy Ribeye trade some of that tenderness for significantly more marbling and a bolder, beefier taste. Neither is objectively “better” — it’s a genuine preference question, and it’s the single most common thing servers get asked to help a first-time guest decide.
What to Expect Beyond the Menu: Dress Code and Reservations
Ruth’s Chris maintains a business-casual dress code, meaning tank tops, flip-flops, and gym wear generally aren’t appropriate, though most locations won’t turn away a guest for less formal attire — it’s more of a house standard than a strictly enforced policy. Reservations are strongly recommended, particularly on weekends and around holidays, since most locations run dinner-only service starting around 5:00 p.m., and popular time slots book out days in advance in bigger cities. Walk-ins are accepted where space allows, but if you’re planning a special-occasion dinner, calling ahead or booking online removes the risk of a long wait once you arrive.
Ruth’s Chris Specialty Cuts and Surf & Turf
Beyond the standard steak lineup, Ruth’s Chris runs a rotating set of specialty cuts and combination plates for guests who want variety beyond a single protein.
| Item | Price (approx.) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bone-In Filet | $79.69 | Extra flavor from the bone during the sear |
| Lamb Chops | $69.99 | New Zealand rack, herb-crusted |
| Veal Chop | $64.99 | Bone-in, pan-seared |
| Filet & Shrimp | $79.99 | Petite filet paired with seasoned shrimp |
| Filet & Lobster Tail | $99.99 | Classic surf and turf pairing |
| Filet Mignon Sliders (appetizer, 2 pc) | $23.99 | Barbecue butter, crispy onion straws |
The surf and turf combinations are priced close to what you’d pay ordering the filet and the seafood item separately, so the appeal here is really about not having to build the pairing yourself rather than any built-in discount.
Seafood and Chicken
Not every table at Ruth’s Chris is ordering beef, and the seafood side of the menu has quietly become just as strong a reason regulars come back.
| Entrée | Price (approx.) |
|---|---|
| Cold Water Lobster Tail (market price, typically) | $59.99+ |
| Garlic Crusted Sea Bass | $54.99 |
| Seared Ahi Tuna | $44.99 |
| Barbecue Shrimp | $38.99 |
| Stuffed Chicken Breast | $34.99 |
Lobster tail pricing genuinely fluctuates with the seafood market more than any other item on the menu, so it’s worth confirming the current price with your server before ordering rather than assuming last month’s number still holds.
Appetizers
Starters here run noticeably higher than a typical casual chain, mostly because portions lean toward premium seafood and hand-prepared items rather than fried bar food.
| Appetizer | Price (approx.) |
|---|---|
| Shrimp Cocktail | $24.99 |
| Stuffed Mushrooms (crabmeat) | $26.99 |
| Crab Cake | $28.99 |
| Ahi Tuna Stack | $22.99 |
| Calamari | $19.99 |
| Escargots | $21.99 |
| Barbecue Shrimp (starter portion) | $23.99 |
Two appetizers is usually plenty for a table of four here — portions are generous by fine-dining standards, and most of these are built to be passed around rather than eaten solo.
Salads and Soups
| Item | Price (approx.) |
|---|---|
| Caesar Salad | $14.99 |
| House Salad | $13.99 |
| Blue Cheese Wedge Salad | $15.99 |
| Lobster Bisque (cup) | $14.99 |
| French Onion Soup | $12.99 |
The wedge salad and Caesar are the two most commonly ordered starters for tables that want something lighter before a heavy steak, and both are sized to share between two diners without feeling skimpy.
Potatoes, Vegetables, and Signature Sides
This is the category where the Ruth’s Chris menu with prices genuinely surprises first-timers, since sides here aren’t the $4 add-on you’d expect from a casual chain — they’re built and priced like their own course.
| Side | Price (approx.) |
|---|---|
| Garlic Mashed Potatoes | $16.19 |
| Creamed Spinach | $16.19 |
| Sweet Potato Casserole | $15.99 |
| Au Gratin Potatoes | $16.19 |
| Lobster Mac & Cheese | $22.99 |
| Steamed Asparagus | $15.99 |
| Broccoli with Garlic Butter | $14.99 |
| Sautéed Mushrooms | $14.99 |
Creamed spinach and garlic mashed potatoes are consistently the two most-ordered sides in the entire restaurant, and both are portioned generously enough to split three or even four ways at the table.
Desserts
| Dessert | Price (approx.) |
|---|---|
| Classic Cheesecake | $14.99 |
| Chocolate Sin Cake | $15.99 |
| Bread Pudding | $13.99 |
| Fresh Berries with Cream | $12.99 |
Desserts here lean rich and dense rather than light, which makes sense once you’ve already worked through a steak, a side, and possibly an appetizer — nobody’s ordering the berries and cream expecting a small finish.
Drinks
| Drink | Price (approx.) |
|---|---|
| Fountain Soda | $4.95 |
| House Wine (glass) | $14.99 |
| Draft Beer | $8.99 |
| Signature Cocktail | $16.99 |
Wine and cocktail pricing varies more than food pricing here, since the wine list is genuinely extensive and skews toward the kind of bottles you’d expect at a serious steakhouse rather than a casual grill.
The Prix Fixe Menu: The One Predictable Number on the Whole Menu
Periodically, Ruth’s Chris runs a limited-time three-course prix fixe menu — typically priced around $60 to $79 per person depending on the season and location — that bundles a starter (Caesar salad, house salad, or soup du jour), an entrée selection from a rotating list, one personal side, and a mini dessert into a single fixed price. This is genuinely the easiest way to budget a Ruth’s Chris dinner in advance, since every other combination on the à la carte menu depends on which sides and how many you choose to add. If your goal is knowing the number before you sit down, ask whether the current prix fixe promotion is running before you default to ordering everything separately.
Ordering for Two: What a Realistic Dinner Actually Costs
Putting the whole Ruth’s Chris menu with prices together into a real scenario helps more than any single line item does. Two people ordering a Filet and a Ribeye, splitting the Garlic Mashed Potatoes and the Creamed Spinach, adding a shared Shrimp Cocktail to start, and finishing with one dessert to split typically lands around $220–$250 before drinks, tax, and tip. Add two glasses of wine and that number climbs closer to $280–$300. That’s the realistic range for a proper night out here — not the $40 minimum you’ll sometimes see quoted, which really only applies to a single Petite Filet ordered completely on its own with no sides, no starter, and no dessert.
Dietary Notes: Gluten, Vegetarian, and Lighter Options
Ruth’s Chris isn’t built around dietary restrictions, but there’s more flexibility here than the steak-and-butter reputation suggests. Several sides — steamed asparagus, broccoli with garlic butter, and sautéed mushrooms — are naturally gluten-free as prepared, and the kitchen can typically accommodate gluten-sensitive requests on steaks and salads since the core preparation relies on salt, pepper, and butter rather than flour-based marinades or breading. Vegetarian options are limited, as expected from a menu built almost entirely around beef and seafood, but a Caesar or wedge salad paired with two or three shared vegetable sides can build a satisfying vegetarian meal for a guest dining alongside steak-eaters at the same table.
If you’re watching calories rather than gluten, the Filet is the lightest steak option relative to its size, since it carries the least fat of any cut on the menu. Pairing it with steamed asparagus or broccoli instead of the mashed potatoes or lobster mac and cheese keeps a full dinner meaningfully lighter without asking the kitchen to do anything unusual — it’s simply a matter of which sides you choose to build around the protein.
Ordering for Larger Groups and Private Dining
Beyond a dinner for two, Ruth’s Chris handles larger parties reasonably well, and many locations offer private or semi-private dining rooms for groups celebrating a specific occasion — anniversaries, business dinners, and holiday parties are common bookings. For a table of six or eight, the smartest approach mirrors the two-person math above but scaled up: order two or three shared specialty cuts like the Porterhouse for Two or Cowboy Ribeye rather than one steak per guest, then build out four to five shared sides across the table instead of duplicating the same dish per person. This keeps the final bill closer to $90–$120 per person including a starter and dessert, rather than climbing past $150 per head from ordering everything individually.
For groups larger than eight, it’s worth calling ahead regardless of party size, since some locations require advance notice or a set menu for tables above a certain number — timing matters more here than at a casual chain where walk-in groups are the norm.
How Ruth’s Chris Compares to Other Steakhouse Chains
Context matters here more than almost anywhere else on this list. Compared to LongHorn or Outback, Ruth’s Chris runs roughly two to three times higher on a comparable steak, and that gap isn’t marketing — it’s USDA Prime grading versus USDA Choice, a genuinely different broiler technique, and an à la carte structure that adds real cost once you factor in sides. Compared to Morton’s or Capital Grille, the two chains most frequently mentioned in the same breath, Ruth’s Chris tends to land in a similar bracket, sometimes slightly below Capital Grille on a comparable filet, though the gap between all three high-end chains is narrow enough that location and market usually matter more than the brand name.
The honest takeaway: Ruth’s Chris isn’t the place to go looking for the cheapest steak in town, and it was never trying to be. It’s priced to compete with the handful of other national fine-dining steakhouse brands, not with the casual chains most people default to on a Tuesday night.
A Few Practical Tips Before You Go
- Order sides for the table, not per person. A single Garlic Mashed Potatoes or Creamed Spinach easily covers two to three diners, so resist the instinct to order one per plate — it’s the single fastest way to inflate a bill without adding anything to the actual meal.
- Ask about the prix fixe before building an à la carte order. If it’s running, it’s almost always the better value for a full three-course meal, since it bundles a starter, entrée, side, and dessert into one number you know before you order.
- Confirm lobster tail pricing before ordering. Since it’s tied to market rates, it’s the one item most likely to differ meaningfully from what you saw online, and servers are generally happy to quote the current price before you commit.
- Join Ruth’s Regulars before your visit. The loyalty program earns points on qualifying purchases that convert into rewards on future checks over $50, and signing up costs nothing — there’s no reason not to do it before your first visit.
- Split a specialty cut for two instead of ordering separate steaks. The Porterhouse for Two or Tomahawk Ribeye often works out close to the same total as two individual steaks, while giving you a genuinely bigger shared experience and a bit of theater when it hits the table.
- Book ahead for weekend dinners. Since most locations run dinner-only service, prime evening slots fill fast, and walking in without a reservation on a Friday or Saturday can mean a genuine wait even at a restaurant built for intimate, unhurried dining.
FAQ: Ruth’s Chris Menu With Prices
What’s the cheapest way to eat at Ruth’s Chris?
Ordering the Petite Filet on its own, without a side, appetizer, or dessert, is the lowest-cost path onto the menu — typically just under $60. Realistically, most guests add at least one shared side, which pushes a modest dinner closer to $75–$90 per person.
Does the steak price include a side dish?
No. This is the single most important thing to know about the Ruth’s Chris menu with prices — steaks are sold entirely à la carte, and every side is ordered and priced separately, usually meant to be shared across the table.
What’s the most expensive item on the menu?
The Tomahawk Ribeye, a 40-ounce bone-in cut meant for two people, tops out around $160 and is consistently the highest-priced single item on the regular menu.
Is there a cheaper lunch menu?
Some locations offer lunch service, generally between 11:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., with smaller portions and lower prices than the dinner menu, though not every Ruth’s Chris location offers lunch — it’s worth calling ahead to confirm for your specific restaurant.
How much should two people budget for a full dinner?
A realistic range for two people ordering steaks, two shared sides, an appetizer, and dessert is $220–$260 before drinks, tax, and tip. Adding wine or cocktails typically pushes that closer to $280–$320.
Does Ruth’s Chris have a loyalty or rewards program?
Yes — it’s called Ruth’s Regulars. Members earn points on qualifying purchases that can be redeemed for rewards on checks of $50 or more, excluding alcohol, tax, and gratuity.
Are there vegetarian or gluten-free options?
Yes, though the menu is built around beef and seafood. Several salads, sides, and appetizers work for vegetarian and gluten-free diners, and staff can advise on modifications for specific dietary needs when asked directly.
Do prices change seasonally, like around holidays?
Standard menu pricing stays fairly consistent year-round, but Ruth’s Chris does run seasonal promotions, including the limited-time prix fixe menu, which can shift both pricing and available entrées for a set window of weeks.
Do prices change seasonally, like around holidays?
Standard menu pricing stays fairly consistent year-round, but Ruth’s Chris does run seasonal promotions, including the limited-time prix fixe menu, which can shift both pricing and available entrées for a set window of weeks.
Can I bring a large group without a reservation?
It’s possible at some locations, but not recommended for parties above six or eight people. Many restaurants require advance notice for larger groups, and some offer private dining rooms that need to be booked ahead of time rather than assigned on arrival.
Is Ruth’s Chris more expensive than Morton’s or Capital Grille?
Pricing across all three sits in a similar upscale bracket on comparable cuts, with the exact gap depending more on city and specific location than on the brand itself. None of the three positions itself as the budget option among national steakhouse chains.
The Bottom Line
Once you’ve mapped out the full Ruth’s Chris menu with prices, the picture is straightforward: this is an à la carte fine-dining steakhouse where the steak price is genuinely just the steak, and the real total depends entirely on how many shared sides, starters, and drinks you build around it. Budget somewhere between $75 and $110 per person for a complete dinner with a side and dessert, and you’ll land close to what most tables actually spend — no surprises, no math you didn’t see coming when the check arrives.
