The 12 Healthiest And Unhealthiest Foods At Ruth's Chris Steakhouse

Ruth's Chris Steak House is an upscale restaurant known for its fine cuisine. While Ruth's Chris offers a range of delicious appetizers, salads, entrées, and desserts, eating healthy in a steakhouse can be challenging. The Chicago Steak Company shares some helpful pointers for those looking to enjoy a meal without overindulging and consuming too many calories or unhealthy ingredients. They suggest opting for leaner cuts, watching meat portion sizes, and remembering that three ounces is the recommended serving size for steak, and steering clear of sauces.

Ruth's Chris Steak House's dinner menu lists calorie counts for each of their dishes. While this is one important factor to consider when deciding which meals are healthy or unhealthy, it isn't the only thing you should be looking at before placing an order. Continue reading to identify which foods on the menu truly are healthy and which ones to keep an eye out for. These indulgences might be more fitting when you're celebrating a very special occasion and are ready to splurge a bit. Either way, learn how to enjoy the culinary greatness that is Ruth's Chris while keeping your nutrition in mind.

According to Ruth's Chris Steak House, their cuts of filet mignon are among their most popular offerings. The lean filet comes from a cow's tenderloin muscle, and it doesn't have much fat or marbling, making it incredibly tender. When preparing their filets, Ruth's Chris ages the meat for four weeks to give it an exceptional flavor and give it that melty texture. While there are two filet offerings on the menu, choosing Ruth's Chris Steak House's 8-ounce petite cut would be the healthier option. Compared to the 11-ounce cut which has 500 calories, the 8-ounce portion contains just 340 calories.

In addition to its lower calorie count than other fattier cuts of steak, filet mignon offers some additional health benefits. Top Chef Meals notes that filet mignon is high in vitamin B, which can help lower the risk of developing colon cancer. It also offers higher levels of zinc, which can give your immune system a boost. Plus, getting enough zinc in your diet can also help reduce the occurrence of osteoporosis and promote bone health. Plus when you order filet mignon, you'll get healthy doses of other vitamins like potassium and magnesium, making it a well-rounded entree choice.

A tomahawk ribeye is an impressive cut of meat. Ruth's Chris Steak House shares that their tomahawk ribeye steak is cut so that a minimum of 5 inches of bone is still left attached to the meat. The process of cutting the bone on a tomahawk ribeye is much like that of trimming a rack of lamb. For both of these types of meat, the bone is Frenched. This leaves the bone of a tomahawk ribeye looking like a handle, which can be convenient when eating the steak. Because of this cutting method, tomahawk steaks look much like the ax used by Native Americans — which is how they were given their name.

However, despite its impressive appearance, ordering a tomahawk ribeye from Ruth's Chris wouldn't be the wisest choice if you're looking for a healthy meal. Its 40-ounce weight is significantly larger (10 or more times) than the recommended 3- to 4- ounce serving size for beef. Beyond just being massive, The Bearded Butcher explains that a tomahawk steak has a higher content of fat than some other cuts of beef. The calorie count listed for the tomahawk ribeye is a whopping 3,160 calories, well over the recommended daily count for most individuals.

If you're in search of a healthy appetizer to begin your dining experience at Ruth's Chris, consider ordering the shrimp cocktail. This appetizer comes with several chilled shrimp served with a New Orleans-inspired cocktail sauce. Beyond its lower calorie count (just 190 calories for the entire appetizer), there are other reasons to consider this dish if you're looking for healthy eating options.

Healthline explains that shrimp offers a variety of health benefits. Each 3-ounce portion of shrimp offers an impressive 20 grams of protein along with a good serving of phosphorus, iron, zinc, magnesium, and potassium. Each serving of shrimp also is high in iodine, which is important for a healthy brain and thyroid function. Moreover, the omega-3 fatty acids in shrimp can help contribute to an individual's overall heart health and well-being. 

The cocktail sauce served with the shrimp is tasty, but according to HealthifyMe, it is also a fat-free dip. A number of beneficial vitamins and minerals — including calcium, iron, vitamin A, and vitamin C — are also found in cocktail sauce. However, it does have a higher sodium content, so it is important to stick to the recommended serving size, which is about 60 grams.

While the plain, chilled shrimp that come with the shrimp cocktail are a healthy option, you may not want to order the barbecued shrimp if you're looking for a lighter appetizer. Ruth's Chris Steak House's menu describes this shrimp appetizer as being sautéed with garlic, butter, white wine, and BBQ spices. Compared to the cocktail sauce that accompanies shrimp cocktail appetizer, cooking shrimp in these ingredients — particularly the butter — makes them a less healthy option. Butter is high in saturated fat. According to the Heart Foundation, including too much saturated fat in your diet can increase your risk of heart disease.

If you want to order shrimp, but aren't in the mood for a basic shrimp cocktail, consider ordering the spicy shrimp from Ruth's Chris Steak House instead. This appetizer features a spicy cream sauce that tops the shrimp. It is also served with a cucumber salad. For just 350 calories,it isn't a bad option to order as an appetizer and share with your table.

The seared ahi tuna is another healthy appetizer option to try. As Ruth's Chris Steak House's dinner menu describes it, the seared tuna is served alongside English cucumbers and a mustard-beer sauce. The appetizer is just 130 calories, helping those watching their daily caloric intake to stay within their desired range.

However, the reasons this appetizer is healthy extend beyond its low-calorie count. Global Seafoods North America shares that tuna is a very healthy food and that incorporating it into one's diet can offer a wide array of benefits for the body. As a food that is high in potassium, it can help counteract an individual's sodium intake, which can help lower blood pressure. Moreover, tuna is considered an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to lower cholesterol and improve overall heart health. Some of the other benefits of incorporating tuna into your diet include lowering inflammation, improving your blood circulation, strengthening your bones and muscles, and even decreasing your chances of developing prostate or breast cancer.

You may want to think twice before you order a fully-loaded baked potato as your side at Ruth's Chris. Not only will this side dish add 800 calories to your meal, but some of the toppings come with some other health concerns. As shared above, butter is high in saturated fats and, if consumed in large quantities, can increase your risk of developing heart disease. Sour cream is another topping that typically comes with loaded baked potatoes. As Healthline explains, sour cream contains a lot of fat and calories — 59 calories and 5.8 grams of fat, 3 of which are saturated fat. If you don't indulge in sour cream regularly, having some on a baked potato shouldn't be the end of the world, but it would still be healthier to eat the potato plain.

According to Livestrong, plain potatoes can be integrated into a healthy diet. A large potato has 372 calories — less than half of the total calorie count for the fully-loaded one-pound baked potato at Ruth's Chris. So, if you're really craving some potato to go with your steak, consider asking for it to be served plain. Or, opt for the flavorful garlic mashed potatoes that will only add 440 calories to your plate.

If you're looking to spoil your taste buds without overdoing it and eating something you really shouldn't consider adding a lobster tail to one of the other healthy entrées or appetizers from Ruth's Chris Steak House. As delectable as they are, lobster tails will only add about 50 calories to your meal.

According to Healthline, lobster is high in protein and low in fat. Moreover, it is also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, which can help improve one's overall heart health and lower cholesterol. Selenium, which is found in lobster, can help lessen the chances of developing cancer and offer protection against some forms of degenerative disease. Lobster is also rich in copper, which helps the body produce DNA.

Like shrimp, lobster does have a higher cholesterol content. However, some studies are suggesting that consuming cholesterol from a food source doesn't impact one's risk of heart disease. Moreover, if you're only eating a small portion of lobster tail, it likely won't be too much of an issue. Just remember to hold off — or severely limit — how much butter you use. You don't want to cancel out the health benefits of lobster by eating too much butter that is high in saturated fat.

While a New York Strip steak is the go-to option for many individuals when at a fancy steakhouse, it isn't going to be your healthiest pick. As Ruth Chris Steak House explains, New York Strip steak is a very marbled cut of beef. It has a firmer texture, yet is also very tender.

Chicago Steak Company shares additional information about New York Strip steaks. They note that it is a leaner cut of beef with about 6 grams of fat per serving. It is also lower in calories than some other cuts of beef, offering about 155 calories in a 3-ounce serving. New York Strip steak is also high in protein and a good source of selenium to help reduce cell damage.

So, with all of these benefits, why did the New York Strip steak from Ruth's Chris Steak House make the unhealthy grouping? Well, for starters, it is a 16-ounce piece of meat, which is about four times the recommended serving size of 3 to 4 ounces. Eating too much red meat can increase LDL cholesterol levels (known as bad cholesterol). The entire entrée from Ruth's Chris Steak House has 1,390 calories, many more than you'd want to consume at one time, especially when you consider that you'll be enjoying your steak with some sides, beverages, and maybe even an appetizer. If you decide to order the New York Strip steak, try to cut it into smaller portions to bring home for a few additional meals.

While salmon may not be the first thing you think about when going to a steakhouse, it can be an excellent choice if you're looking to eat a healthy lunch or dinner. In fact, as SafeBeat notes, salmon is among the most nutritious fish options you can find. It is an excellent source of both omega-3 fatty acids and potassium. With these two key ingredients, adding salmon to a diet can help lead to decreased cholesterol levels, reduced inflammation in the arteries, and healthier blood pressure levels. A diet rich in salmon can also lead to improved thyroid functioning, a healthier brain, decreased inflammation around the joints, and healthier skin.

If you decide to try the king salmon filet from Ruth's Chris Steak House, you can choose to have your fish broiled or baked. Each of these cooking methods is healthy and doesn't require the addition of too many oils or sauces. Because of these lighter preparation methods and the lower calorie count for salmon, the king salmon filet dish only has 380 calories.

Ruth's Chris offers the option to add a side of hollandaise sauce to your order. Hollandaise sauce is made with egg yolks, butter, salt, and lemon juice. While this may sound like a tasty concoction, according to Cully's Kitchen, you should consider other sauces if you want something to dip your steak or vegetables in. Hollandaise sauce simply isn't the healthiest choice to add to your meal. The rich ingredients make it high in calories, cholesterol, and fat, including saturated fat.

When you consider that hollandaise sauce is made with butter and egg yolks, it should be pretty clear why it has so much saturated fat and cholesterol. The American Heart Association advises individuals against incorporating too much saturated fat in their diet because it has been connected with an increased risk of heart disease. Instead, skip the sauce and enjoy the restaurant's perfected seasoning process by letting the steak's flavor shine. 

No steak house meal is complete without a side. While several popular side options can have a lot of fat and calories, you can't go wrong with adding grilled asparagus to your order. E.Armata shares that in addition to their delicious taste, grilled vegetables can also add some health benefits to a meal. While many cooking methods can cause a vegetable's nutritional value to drop, grilling helps them retain all the beneficial nutrients they hold, delivering maximum health benefits to the person eating them. Moreover, grilling helps to bring out the flavor of a vegetable, so your grilled asparagus is certain to taste extra yummy. Because of this, you can easily enjoy grilled vegetables without needing any sauces or butter, helping to limit your consumption of unnecessary fats or cholesterol.

Asparagus offers its own set of health benefits. When you combine all of these with the benefits shared above for grilled vegetables, you may feel even more tempted to add that side of grilled asparagus to your next order. Health shares that asparagus is a very nutritious vegetable. It has iron, folate, calcium, potassium, and vitamins A, C, E, K, and B6. All of these nutrients help asparagus work to improve an individual's mood, decrease the chances of developing a urinary tract infection, and improve reproductive health.

Hash browns can be a tasty treat. However, as with many other scrumptious foods, they aren't the healthiest option. Ruth's Chirs Steak House's hash browns are, unfortunately, no exception. As with other hash brown recipes, this side dish is made using shredded potatoes. The restaurant has its own unique take on the traditional recipe and adds bacon, cheese, and sour cream to the dish.

The Cold Wire notes that hash browns have a lot of carbs, which means that they aren't the best choice for individuals with high cholesterol. Most hash brown recipes are fried in oil. While this helps the shredded potatoes get nice and crispy, it also adds a lot of grease and fat to the dish. When you account for the additional fat and calories that the bacon, cheese, and sour cream will add to this side dish, it is probably best to skip it and try something else instead.