Happy 20th Anniversary Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse – Cincinnati!! WOW, can you believe it has been 20 years since Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse – Cincinnati opened its doors?! Considering most restaurants do not survive their first year in business, this is an amazing accomplishment! Hats off to the Jeff Ruby Culinary Entertainment group for 20 years of awesome food and dining. Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse is upscale dining at its finest. Located in Downtown Cincinnati directly across from the Aronoff Center for the Arts and in the heart of the city’s Backstage Entertainment District, Ruby’s is the place to go for an elegant night out on the town. The restaurant is modeled after the 1940’s-era French Art Deco Steakhouses of New York City. The artwork, lighting and rich textures create a vibrancy that will make sure you feel as though you’ve been treated to not just dinner, but a show. Tiff Squared could not agree more. Mr. Ruby loves huge chandeliers, so you will see quite a few in the dining area. They are so vibrant and dramatic and lend a nice touch to the restaurant’s décor. We had an amazing experience! From the truffle butter and bread to the dessert and everything in between, we enjoyed one of the best dining experiences the city has to offer. This location is the first of five Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse concepts. The other locations are Louisville, Nashville, Columbus, and Lexington.
The concept of Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouses came many years ago during an era of entrepreneurs opening steakhouses. The thing about everyone else was they named their steakhouses after athletes or other famous people. Mr. Ruby liked the idea of opening a steakhouse but wanted to name it after himself. This is when Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse was born. Mr. Ruby opened the doors to a new restaurant, but he did not want just a plain jane steakhouse. He wanted one that delivers award-winning steaks, seafood and service. He also wanted to combine those three staples with live nightly entertainment with great attention to detail. With his dream and determination being the driving force and his team’s hard work delivering on execution, he did just that. Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse has become a favorite of celebrities, athletes, politicians, and Cincinnatians looking for a good time and a good meal. Also, we cannot forget to mention that Mr. Ruby is a big cigar guy. The outdoor area is called the “Cigar Patio” and he even has cigars made just for the restaurant with his name printed on them. Yes, if you are a cigar person you can purchase these cigars.
From then to now (1999-2019), Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse has been delivering phenomenal food, service and a great night out on the town. They live up to their mission and Tiff Squared could not have been more excited and prouder to be a part of this great accomplishment. When we were asked to come in and do a behind the scenes, we were super elated. Trust us, they did not have to ask twice! Haha 😊 From the moment we walked in, we were greeted by friendly, smiling staff. We were then given a glass of champagne to toast. We received a tour of the restaurant and even got to say hello to the executive chef and his staff. We ended with the best part – dinner and dessert. We can truly say, our dining experience was one for the books!
Tiff Squared
Their menu certainly helps as well! Anyone can open a steakhouse, but they must deliver on the food and most importantly the steak. Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse has an amazing culinary team. Even the pastry chef is the bomb.com! Although this is a steakhouse, they have something for everyone. What makes them unique compared to other steakhouses is they offer sushi, bar bites and fresh seafood.
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Executive Chef, Michael Kelly
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Now, let’s dive into the menu!
We started with some yummy bread and butter. I mean who doesn’t love carbs?! The kicker here is half of the butter was truffle butter. This butter was so good and was the perfect touch to the sourdough bread. Next, we had the Wagyu Meatball served with creamy polenta and tomato gravy. Talk about one big ball of beefy goodness! It was flavorful and tender. The polenta was the cherry on top. Truthfully, at this point Tiff Squared was tipping the scale of being stuffed. Hehe! However, we had not even laid our eyes on dinner. It was waaayyy to early for our little bellies to be halfway happy. C’mon, I mean it’s a steakhouse and of course we had to order steak. We could not come to a steakhouse and not order what they are known for. MY OH MY, dinner is now served! The waiter comes to our table with two plates of 12 oz. steak with Mac & Cheese and Creamed Spinach for sides. Tiff Squared now has the **eyes bucked** emoji face! We look at each other and wonder who is going to eat all this food. With our happy half full bellies and a smile, we dig in. I ordered the Steak Collinsworth and Tiff D. ordered the Barrel-Cut Filet. Both steaks were amazing, cooked well, seasoned well, and tender. The sides were amazing and the best I, Tiff B, have had from a steakhouse. That Mac & Cheese was DEEEELIICIOUS! The Creamed Spinach was creamy and flavorful. The chefs certainly deserve a hand clap for this meal! Needless to say we are now beyond stuffed, but guess what??? We now have dessert!
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Copper and Ginger
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Bread & Butter (Regular & Truffle Butter)
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Wagyu Meatball
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Pomegranate Martini
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Classic Creamed Spinach
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Barrel-Cut Filet Mignon
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Jeff Ruby’s Baked Macaroni & Cheese
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Steak Collinsworth
DESSERT?!
Just when we thought we couldn’t eat anymore; it was now time for dessert. Not one but THREE! I, Tiff B, was super excited because I am the sweets eater between myself and Tiff D. Tiff D. was super thankful for the desserts but looked at me like what have you done. Three wasn’t planned but I could not decide on one, so our awesome waiter, Patrick, brought us three. Yep, you read that correctly, UNO (1), DOS (2), TRES (3)! Sorry Tiff D., however, I’m sure her belly appreciated it 😊 We had the Banana Pudding Ice Cream Torte, the Warm Brown Butter Spice Cake, and the Chocolate Torte. All three were truly amazing and lent a different taste profile. Having a crazy sweet tooth, I truly appreciated this dessert tray! Also, if you get to the end of the meal and are hesitant on ordering dessert, do not be! The pastry chef is one heck of a chef and puts out amazing desserts!
Banana Pudding Ice Cream Torte, Chocolate Pie, Warm Brown Butter Spice Cake
WHEW!! I got full just typing all of this! Lol! All jokes aside, Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse truly offered us an amazing dining experience with delicious food. We are so thankful and appreciative to have been apart of them celebrating 20 years! Again, thank you Jeff Ruby’s and Cheers to 20 Years!
For those wondering about the weather, of course we are now in the heat of summer and it is HOT, but don’t let this deter you from visiting. There are plenty of shaded areas to choose from. We went when the temperature was 90 degrees, but were not overwhelmed with heat due to the shade. Once the sun went down, it was even better. Speaking of, when you go, pleaseee try to stay and watch the sun set. The colors in the sky are simply beautiful and will make you have a newfound appreciation of the city.
