Rochester’s Ruth’s Chris Name Has a Wild Backstory
Steak lovers may know exactly what to order at Ruth’s Chris Steak House here in Rochester, but there’s a good chance they don't necessarily know the story behind its oddly specific name.
Ruth's Chris Steak House has been called one of the best steakhouse restaurants in Minnesota and across the entire country. But why does it have such a strange name? Turns out, it involves a New Orleans restaurant, a fire, and one very quick decision that changed steakhouse history.
Why Is Ruth’s Chris Steak House Called Ruth’s Chris?
Would it surprise you to learn that, despite rising prices, Minnesotans still like a good steak? It shouldn't. That's because steak is still a popular meal not just here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes but across the country. According to a survey in this Fox News story, steak is America's favorite meal. Nearly 66 percent of Americans also say they'd choose steak as their LAST meal.
READ MORE: Here's How Much a 4-Course Meal Costs at Ruth's Chris Steak House in Minnesota
And here in the U.S., we eat a LOT of steak: Americans consumed 27.6 billion pounds of beef in 2020, according to the US Department of Agriculture. The story said the United States accounted for 21.2% of all the beef consumed worldwide.
So if you're looking for a good steak here in the Bold North, you can't go wrong if you head over to Ruth's Chris Steak House. That classic steakhouse chain was recently ranked as the 6th-best Steakhouse Chain in the U.S. according to this Tasting Table survey.
If you want to see for yourself, there are two Ruth's Chris Steak House locations here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes:
- The original location on 2nd Avenue South in downtown Minneapolis
- A second location that opened two years ago in the Kahler Grand Hotel, on 2nd Street Southwest in Rochester.
The Surprising Story Behind the Ruth’s Chris Name
But what's up with that strange name? I mean, 'Ruth's Chris Steak House' is a little odd, isn't it? Well, we now know just WHY it has such a unique moniker. According to the Ruth's Chris website, it can be traced back to the chain's founder, Ruth Fertel.
Back in 1965, the site says, Ruth bought a small but well-known steakhouse in New Orleans called Chris Steakhouse. She operated that restaurant in the Big Easy for over a decade before a fire forced her to move in 1976. And that's when the classic name came into being, the site said:
Ruth was forced to relocate her business, but the Chris Steak House name wasn’t allowed to come along. Short on time, Ruth improvised, adding her own name to the sign. That made it “Ruth’s Chris Steak House” and our legendary name was born.
How Ruth’s Chris Became a Famous Steakhouse Chain
Ruth would go on to run that now-legendary steakhouse for several decades. She expanded its reach by adding other franchise locations in 1976, expanding to Hawaii in 1989. Eventually, the site says, Ruth sold the upscale chain to a private firm in 1999.
Today, besides Minnesota's two locations, you can find Ruth's Chris Steak House locations in 20 different countries outside the U.S. (I once went to the Ruth's Chris Steak House location in the Marriott Resort and Stellaris Casino in Aruba!)
Steak is one of those truly American foods that is a favorite here in Minnesota and is also very popular in other parts of the world. But not every food we love here in the U.S. is also a favorite elsewhere. Keep scrolling to check out some familiar foods that raise eyebrows overseas!
LOOK: 20 American foods that raise eyebrows outside of the US
Gallery Credit: Charlotte Barnett
