How to Choose the Best Cut of Meat for Your Steakhouse Experience

When you want a steak served sizzling in butter, you come to Ruth’s Chris Steak House, where we serve the finest beef on the market. You can’t go wrong with any of our USDA Prime steaks, but if you’re a novice steak eater, looking at all the options available may feel overwhelming.

But don’t worry! The experienced steak experts at Ruth’s Chris are here to guide you on how to choose the best cut of meat for your steakhouse experience.

The best cut of meat will entirely depend on your personal preferences, so we’ve explained the reasons you would choose each steak on our menu below. Next time you visit your local Ruth’s Chris restaurant, you’ll know exactly what to order. Read on or make a reservation at a Ruth’s Chris Steak House near you.

For Tenderness: Filet

A fine dining staple, the filet is taken from the tenderloin, resulting in the softest steak texture imaginable—you could cut it with a butter knife. While rich in mouthfeel, a filet doesn’t pack as much robust flavor as other cuts of steak due to its lower fat content. Plus, it’s the smallest cut on the menu, weighing in at 11 or even eight ounces if you order the Petite Filet.

If you value melty tenderness and want a lighter portion, then you should order the filet.

For Intense Flavor: Ribeye

As the name implies, the ribeye steak comes from the rib area, which is bursting with flavor. A more indulgent cut of meal, the well-marbled ribeye provides a beefy, juicy experience that meat eaters love.

If you want to treat yourself to some hearty flavors, you absolutely can’t pass up the ribeye.

For a Combination: New York Strip

The New York Strip comes from the little-worked longissimus muscle behind the ribs. As a result, this cut of meat boasts relative tenderness as well as signature marbling around the edges and throughout. No doubt, this combination makes the New York Strip a crowd-pleaser (and it was our founder Ruth Fertel’s absolute favorite for good reason).

If you can’t choose between tenderness and flavor, the New York Strip gives you the best of both worlds.

For a Bone-In Experience: T-Bone or Cowboy Ribeye

If you want the ultimate steak lover’s steak, we have two great options for you at Ruth’s Chris: the Cowboy Ribeye and the T-bone.

So what’s the difference? The Cowboy gives you those powerful ribeye flavors, while a T-bone combines the best of two worlds. In fact, the T-bone contains two different steaks on either side of the bone: a strip steak on one side and a tenderloin on the other, giving you a range of flavors and textures.

Either way, keeping the bone in the steak while cooking makes for a superb presentation and unmatched taste.

For a Large Portion: Porterhouse

There’s a reason we call ours the “Porterhouse for Two”: This steak is massive, essentially a New York Strip steak on one side of the bone and a delicate filet on the other for a total 40 ounces of juicy meat. If you’re sharing with your date or have an unmatched hunger, get the Porterhouse.

Savor Your Favorite Steak Cut at Ruth’s Chris Steak House

Did reading about these steak cuts leave your mouth watering? Visit your local Ruth’s Chris Steak House restaurant for dinner to try the cut of meat that will give you the best steakhouse experience possible.