What to Order at Ruth's Chris in Chattanooga: Steaks, Sides, and Pricing
Ruth's Chris Steakhouse operates in Downtown Chattanooga at 310 Market Street, in the renovated Chattanooga neighborhood near the Tennessee Riverfront. This guide covers the menu structure, signature items, portion sizes relative to price, and how dining here compares to other upscale steakhouses in the Chattanooga area.
The Core Menu Structure
Ruth's Chris organizes its menu around a straightforward principle: prime beef cuts seared at 500 degrees in butter, then finished tableside with additional clarified butter. Unlike steakhouses that rely on dry-aging or house-specific dry-brining, the chain's approach centers consistency through technique rather than sourcing variation.
The menu divides into filet mignon, strip steaks, ribeyes, porterhouses, and bone-in cuts. Portions run large; a 12-ounce filet mignon represents the entry point for beef, while 20-ounce porterhouses anchor the upper end. Between those sit 16-ounce strip steaks and ribeyes, the latter known for intramuscular fat that survives the searing process without excessive charring.
Pricing reflects the portion-first strategy. As of late 2024, filet mignon at 12 ounces runs approximately $48 to $52, while a 20-ounce porterhouse approaches $75 to $80. These figures include the butter service and the table-side plating ritual, but not sides, which order separately.
How Sides Function (and Cost)
Ruth's Chris treats sides as distinct line items rather than plate components. A loaded baked potato, mac and cheese, or creamed spinach each run $14 to $18. Lobster tail, offered as an add-on rather than a standalone entrée, costs approximately $28 to $32 depending on market pricing. This structure means a diner ordering a filet mignon, one side, and lobster tail lands near $95 before tax, tip, and drinks.
The separation allows flexibility but also means the final bill accumulates quickly. A party of four ordering beef, mixed sides, and shared appetizers typically reaches $350 to $450 before alcohol.
Notable Signature Items
The bone-in ribeye distinguishes itself; the bone both concentrates heat during searing and provides structural integrity that larger steaks sometimes lack. Diners report cleaner slicing and less flare-up during tableside finishing than boneless cuts of similar weight.
The filet mignon remains the lowest-fat option and appeals to those seeking tenderness over marbling. It benefits from the butter service; a dry sear alone would expose its relatively lean profile, but the clarified butter rescue masks that shortcoming.
Lobster tail functions as the protein pivot point. Pairing it with beef (a half-lobster tail and a smaller steak) costs less and occupies less table real estate than two full entrées, making it a tested configuration for mixed preferences at one table.
Appetizers include shrimp, crab cakes, and oysters. The shrimp preparation follows the same high-heat methodology as the beef, finishing with butter rather than sauce, which maintains the house style rather than standing apart.
Beverage and Dessert Strategy
The wine list weights toward American reds and Bordeaux-style bottles in the $45 to $120 range, with several by-the-glass options under $15. This pricing sits standard for the steakhouse category in Chattanooga; comparable markup exists at Rib Room (also Downtown) and Morton's (in the Southside area near Hamilton Place). Cocktails run $12 to $14.
Desserts, including chocolate sin cake and bread pudding, arrive premade rather than composed to order; expect conventional steakhouse pastry execution rather than pastry-program innovation. The chief draw is the finish itself, not distinctive technique.
Chattanooga Context: How This Steakhouse Fits
Ruth's Chris operates as a national chain with the Downtown location representing its only Chattanooga footprint. The Riverfront area hosts other upscale dining: The Herb Box (across Market Street, farm-to-table leaning) and nearby gastropubs in North Shore offer different price-to-formality ratios. Ruth's Chris delivers a specific transaction: formal table service, ritual-driven presentation, portion certainty, and predictable flavor through technique.
For diners accustomed to regional or chef-driven steakhouses, the predictability reads as either reassuring (the same filet mignon tastes consistent whether you visit this location or another in the Ruth's Chris system) or limiting (the menu and execution do not shift with season or local sourcing).
Practical Ordering Notes
Party size matters more than you might expect. Four or more diners benefit from mixed side orders; two diners benefit from ordering a smaller filet and splitting a larger ribeye, letting both benefit from the butter service without doubling the order size. Three diners often face awkward portion math.
Timing at the bar. Arriving before 6 p.m. on a weeknight typically seats you at the bar or in the lounge without reservation; after 6 p.m. on Friday or Saturday, a reservation becomes necessary. The bar seats only about six, so reservations matter even for two people on weekend evenings.
Drink pairing burden falls on you. Staff can recommend wines, but Ruth's Chris does not employ a sommelier on-site; the selection leans toward known producers rather than staff curation. If wine pairing matters, plan your own selection or accept broad-strokes guidance.
Conclusion is obvious. Ruth's Chris delivers a predictable, portion-generous, formally presented steakhouse experience. Pricing justifies itself through butter-finished technique and side flexibility, not through sourcing or innovation. If you seek that specific transaction, the Downtown location executes it reliably; if you seek regional personality or seasonal menu shifts, you'll find that elsewhere in Chattanooga's dining landscape.
