Ruby Tuesday--Somerset (Clair)

Corey and I went to Ruby Tuesday in Somerset, PA this evening. If you are familiar with these chain restaurants, you know that it is a fancier version of Applebee's or TGIFriday's. They specialize in seafood and steaks and advertise their salad bar. They have a large variety of appetizers--everything from queso dip and chips to southwestern spring rolls to samplers. They also feature an array of desserts, from cupcakes to cookies and cakes. They have a large selection of cocktails and beers as well.

The restaurant is located in the middle of Somerset, surrounded by many other restaurants, including a Starbucks. I will say that the ambiance makes you feel like you are in a very fancy and elite restaurant, which is refreshing when surrounded by fast food and family restaurants. We arrived around 5:30 and were immediately seated in a small booth for two.

Corey and I have both been to this particular restaurant several times. On a previous visit, I was very displeased when almost everything I wanted to order was sold out! So I made sure to ask about my favorite item: the Italian Cream Cake. The waitress said she would check and when she came back with our drinks she told me that the manager said they were sold out yet again.

Due to that tidbit, we decided to order an appetizer instead. We ordered the queso dip and chips. The waitress also took our orders. Corey ordered the Chef Cut steak with french fries and brown rice pilaf. I ordered the Peppercorn Mushroom Sirloin with a baked potato (butter and sour cream) and broccoli. The waitress took our order back to the kitchen and then came back telling us that the kitchen confirmed that they did have the Italian Cream Cake! If I had known that, I wouldn't have ordered the appetizer!

Nonetheless, our appetizer was delivered. On first look, the dip looked very greasy on top. It looked to have spinach in it and we could not really identify what kind of cheese it was made of. The menu described it as a spicy dip, but it wasn't really very spicy. Some bites had a slight afterburn, but it did not really live up to the description. The chips were just ok. Some of them were chewy and almost stale but others were crunchy. We also were served two of their Garlic Cheese Biscuits. Although small, these were delicious. They have a sweet taste to them which complements the saltiness of the biscuit quite nicely.

When our meals arrived, I immediately noticed that there was a sticker in my mushrooms. Upon further investigation, I found that it was a sticker that is put on produce to label when it was prepped. The sticker said "Sat" on it, so I at least knew that my food was fresh! Thankfully these types of things don't bother me--in fact they happen all the time to me!

Corey's steak was unevenly cooked, ranging from well done to medium (he ordered it medium). It was tender though. There was a little bit of fat on the steak as well but not a lot. The fries were soggy and not cooked to a crisp like he prefers. The rice was undercooked and very crunchy. There was no seasoning either. He had to add A1 sauce just to get a flavor to the rice. Overall, he was very disastisfied with his meal. He said he has had better experiences there in the past and really likes their pasta dishes better.

After I got over my "sticker shock," I began eating my broccoli. It was very good and cooked perfectly but I did have to add salt for seasoning. The baked potato did not have enough sour cream and butter on it as it was a very large potato. I wish they would have served it on the side so I could have added it myself. The potato was cooked pretty well although some of the skin was a bit tough. I cut into my steak and noticed it was very unevenly cooked as well. It almost seemed rare or medium rare the way it was cooked. It was moist inside but difficult to cut and I got a big piece of fat. However, the mushroom sauce that was on top of the steak was to die for! It was so delicious and really went well with the meat. The sauce saved them, as I was a bit disappointed with the rest of the meal.

Our check came to $48 with tip. I was not given a discount for having a sticker in my meal, probably because I continued to eat it before I told them about it. However, it would have been nice if a manager or someone would have come to the table to apologize. We were not very impressed with Ruby Tuesday overall, especially as a franchise restaurant.

Rating:
Food: 1.5 stars (not as good as we expected)
Environment: 4 stars (very fancy and ritzy)
Overall: 2 stars (disappointing, especially for a franchise)