Ruby River Steakhouse

She said:

Ruby River screams country all the way. Wooden beams on the ceilings, paintings of horses, guitars and mandolins hanging on the walls, a buffalo trophy head looking down on everyone, cowboy boots on display, and boisterous country tunes playing overhead.

Everything was dark and cozy. Wooden tables, burgundy-colored leather booth seats, burgundy painted walls, low lighting. The atmosphere is very relaxed and casual. I felt very comfortable.

Our waiter was friendly and attentive. He promptly brought us our diet Pepsis and a loaf of warm bread with whipped butter. Shortly thereafter, he brought out our entrees. I ordered an 8 oz. New York Strip, prepared medium rare, along with a fully loaded jacketed baked potato and asparagus. The steak was broiled just right; the asparagus was perfectly crisp (not overcooked), and the potato was pretty wonderful with the butter, sour cream, bacon bits, and cheese all heaped up on top of it. The center was soft and fluffy, exactly the way a baked potato should be. I’ll let Brian explain what a jacketed potato is for the uninitiated.

Anyway, I really enjoyed my meal, the service, and the ambiance. It’s nice being able to eat at a leisurely pace in a casual, relaxed atmosphere.

He said:

As Kathy mentioned, Ruby River had a lot of country décor. Not just country, but cowboy. Saddles, reins, lassos, and other tack hung abundantly from the walls. They also exhibited a minor preoccupation with cowboy boots, with a large painting of a pair just inside the entryway, a neon boot overhead, and a row of colorful boots atop the partition between sections of the dining room. They looked clean, I guess, but I’m not sure I care for footwear at my table.

Still, the décor got the job done. We felt like we were dining at a local hangout in Southwest Montana. Or it could have been a cantina far, far away. For some reason, Star Wars played soundlessly on the television, with subtitles. We couldn’t see it from our table, so I didn’t get to see who shot first.

The menu offered the typical country-Western ranch fare, with a few seafood choices thrown in. I considered ordering a rack of ribs, but instead I went with the Top Sirloin + Baby Back Ribs. For my two side dishes, I took a Caesar Salad and a Jacketed Baked Potato.

The Caesar salad did what it needed to do, but little more. Chopped Romaine lettuce, shredded Parmesan cheese, croutons, and dressing. The croutons were plain, a bit sweet maybe, but lacking seasoning. But hey, it was just a side dish.

The Jacketed Potato, however, really shone. It was large and fluffy, with a crispy skin. I asked the waiter about this. Apparently, they bake the potatoes like normal, but afterwards, they roll the baked potatoes in a tempura batter. Then they deep fry them for several minutes. The result is amazing.

My baby back ribs were unfortunately over-slathered in barbecue sauce. That’s something I would expect to cover poor quality or overcooked ribs, but these ribs were tender and juicy, easily slipping off the bone. The barbecue sauce overpowered the ribs’ natural flavor. I would have enjoyed them much more without the sauce.

Of course, this made me glad that I went with the combo instead of the full rack of ribs. My steak was cooked as I liked it, red in the middle. So many restaurants seem afraid to leave any red in the steak.

Conclusion:

Ruby River captures the essence of country-Western steakhouse dining. They provide the expected ranch fare in a casual, country setting.