Ruby Tuesday, back when it was in Brainerd — yes, that tells my age — was a weekly dining destination. It was one of just a couple of fern-bar restaurants, a rage in the 1970s, so it was a favorite of many people in Chattanooga. Now, I go maybe once every six months and usually get the same thing: French onion soup, a burger or the salad bar. So I was happy to see a number of new options on Ruby’s menu and opted to venture outside my regular soup and salad options.
The menu
On this visit, I had flavors from around the globe.
The order (for two): Shrimp sampler ($10.99), salmon cakes ($12.99), 14-ounce Chef’s Cut sirloin ($14.99).
The shrimp appetizer is a trip around the world with the tasty crustacean served three ways: Asian Sesame with a peanut glaze, Thai Phoon with a sweet chile sauce, and Cajun shrimp with a spicy sriracha ranch. It was quite good and very filling, with at least 15 shrimp to dip into the three sauces. This appetizer is too much for two people, so plan on taking some home, sharing it with a larger table or having it as an entree.
The salmon cakes were quite good, too. There was absolutely nothing fancy about them. In fact, they were quite similar to the ones my mother used to make on weekends in her old cast-iron skillet. Just like Momma’s, the seasonings were perfectly balanced to boost the flavor of the salmon.
As with all dinner entrees, two sides accompanied this dish. I chose the new onion rings and blue cheese coleslaw. The onion rings were golden and crispy — perfect. The coleslaw, on the other hand, had a taste similar to dish soap. And though there were tiny blue cheese crumbles in it, I never picked up a blue cheese taste. If this is how it’s meant to taste, they may want to reconsider this new offering. There was no mayonnaise to make it creamy, either.
My husband’s steak was cooked to perfection — medium, just as requested. Our server asked if he wanted steak sauce, but it didn’t need anything. The flavor of the beef was excellent. His sides included a baked potato and the blue cheese coleslaw. The potato was as good as any, and I need say nothing more about the slaw.
Other new items on Ruby’s menu include trout amandine ($13.99); chicken and mushroom Alfredo ($12.49); shrimp carbonara ($12.99); and lobster mac and cheese ($10.99).
THE SERVICE
If you go* Where: Ruby Tuesday, 5595 Highway 153 and 5509 Old Alabama Highway, Ringgold, Ga.* Phone: 875-2480 (Hixson), 706-935-7829 (Ringgold).* Hours: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-midnight Friday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday (Hixson location); 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-midnight Friday-Saturday (Ringgold location).* Price range: $6.99-$20.99.* Note: Other regional locations in Athens, Crossville and Tullahoma, Tenn.; Calhoun and Ellijay, Ga.; Fort Payne and Scottsboro, Ala.
Servers have their duties down pat. This place is a well-run machine, with orders taken, turned in and delivered in good time. I’m guessing that since the restaurant was not busy on the night of our visit, this would be the reason why our server was a little overzealous in attending to our needs. She pushed the sangria on me, trying a couple of times to talk me into a glass after I’d told her no the first time. I appreciate any server’s effort at timing visits to the table. Sometimes it’s hard to judge when a table needs help. That comes with experience, and I think our server needed a little more.
THE SPACE
The look of the restaurant has not changed since it opened a couple years ago. Situated in Towne Center North in front of the Target on Highway 153, the eatery boasts a large salad bar at the entrance, with the bar to the left and the restaurant on the right. The flow is a little cramped around the salad bar when business is heavy. Other than that, there’s enough elbow room for comfort.
THE VERDICT
Ruby Tuesday set a standard for burgers and salads years ago. As years went by, its menu evolved, and it now reflects the cravings of the American palate, one that revolves around the flavors of the world. And they’re doing a pretty good job, though most plates I saw being delivered to the tables were still filled with standard favorites.