Awards and Recognitions

Zagat Survey - Texas Restaurants, 2006-2007

"Their porterhouse could kill you, but what a way to go" croon carnivores who favor this national steakhouse chain's "cut-with-a-fork tender" beef, "awesome sides" and "best-on-the-planet creme brulee"; and "extensive wine list" the "quiet professional atmosphere" amid "plush decor" and the "knowledgeable" staffers make for an "excellent all-round" evening.

Food - 25 out of 25
Decor - 21 out of 25
Service - 24 out of 25

Fearless Critic, August 2006 -

"National chains do not generally qualify for inclusion in The Fearless Critic, but this exception is due to the fact that (wince) this is the best place in town for steak. That's right: the best steak in the capital of the great cattle-roaming state of Texas is found at a Louisiana-based chain restaurant."

Austin Chronicle - 2006 - Winner of "Best Steak in Austin" in the 2006 Readers Poll.

Wine Enthusiasts Magazine, 2005 & 2006 - "Award of Distinction"

Austin Chronicle - May 20, 2005 - Winner of "Best Steak in Austin" in the 2005 Readers Poll.

Austin American-Statesman - March 24, 2005 -

"This is one time when fine dining is all about a single ingredient and a virtually unadorned presentation. The lone element is a steak. The vehicle is a plain white plate. It's that simple. And it doesn't get any better than this.....Service at Ruth's Chris Steak House, one of the few locally owned franchises in the chain, was top-notch, with a level of staffing found only in Austin's best restaurants. Every table in view received a significant amount of attention from a server.....The ambience of the restaurant, located in what once was the men's department of the old Scarbrough's Department Store, remains one of the classiest in the area. Although there is much wood (and wonderful art deco features throughout), the dining area is so well designed acoustically that on a night when every table was occupied we could still carry on a conversation without raising our voices....That setting and service are two excellent reasons to go to the steak house. They are, however, icing on the cake. The fabulous steak that Ruth's Chris delivers is more than enough justification to dine there."

-Dale Rice, Food Editor

Restaurants and Institutions Magazine - 2004 Consumers Choice Award for best Steak House in the United States, determined by national survey of restaurant customers.

Consumer Reports - winner of the 2003 best Steak House in the United States based on questionnaire of readers' experiences.

Austin American-Statesman, November 2003 - Architecture Award for excellence in restaurant design according to architecture critics.

Fortune Magazine, October 2003 -

"So against the advise of her banker and her attorney, (Ruth) mortgaged her house for the restaurant...They might have objected more strenuously if they'd known Chris Matulich had sold his steak house six times, repeatedly buying it back on the cheap when the latest owner failed or gave up."

-Paul Lukas

City Search - in 2002, Ruth's Chris Austin was voted "Best Steak in Austin" by local respondents.

One Heartbeat, 2001 -

"It was twilight at the house on Waters Edge, and the gentle breezes coming off the lake left only a muted memory of the sweltering sun that had begun the day. The juicy steaks catered by Ruth's Chris had given way to a healthy helping of bread pudding as the seniors of the Texas football team indulged themselves one final time before the start of fall practice."

-Mack Brown, head football coach of the University of Texas, from the opening paragraph of his book, One Heartbeat.

"A Cut Above" by Catherine Fredman, Hemisphere Magazine, July 2000

"But deciding to call it (Ruth's Chris) was the smartest mistake I ever made. The name forced us to take that extra step to give the best food and service; otherwise we risked being regarded as a joke."

-Ruth Fertel, quoted in article by Catherine Fredman, author of "Direct From Dell" about Michael Dell's oustanding career.

Neighborhood Longhorn Program, Benefit Dinner - Began in 2000 to raise funds for this program, devoted to improving the reading and overall academic performance of disadvantaged Austin students in grades 3-8 that would not otherwise have access to a college education. Students at the University of Texas act as mentors and the money raised from this dinner creates scholarship opportunities for these students. After only five dinners, over $156,000 has been raised and 1,566 student college scholarships have been awarded.

Associated Builders and Contractors - 1999 - Certificate of Excellence for contributions to the design and construction industry in Central Texas.

Austin American-Statesman, "Best Steak In Austin", May 1999 -

"Prime, which accounts for 2 percent of all beef production nationwide, is one of the reasons diners flock to Ruth's Chris. And it does make a difference. Ruth's Chris is serving the best meat in Austin."

- Dale Rice, Food Critic

Texas Monthly, March 1999 -

"For the best beef in town, this is the place - particularly in its posh new downtown digs. The prime New York strip, served sizzling unless you request otherwise, cannot be duplicated."

Austin American-Statesman, XLEnt, February 1999 -

"Leasing a portion of the ground floor of the old Scarbrough's Department Store at Sixth Street and Congress Avenue, Ruth's Chris transformed what was once the menswear section into one of the most elegant restaurants in the state."

West Austin News, January 1999 -

"...Ruth's Chris has been an Austin tradition for 14 years and will be serving the same great steak with the same great service, just sizzling someplace new."

People Magazine, October 1997 -

"(Ruth) Fertel in 1965 was a divorced mother making $4,800 a year as a lab assistant at the Tulane University School of Medicine and facing the dauting prospect of paying college tuition for two teenage sons. Scouring the classified one day, "I finally saw that little ad that said 'Steakhouse for Sale'", says Fertel. "I knew I could do that." She mortgaged her house for $22,000 and bought Chris's Steak House, a 60-seat eatery near the New Orleans Fairgrounds racetrack. Failure was not on her menu."

Robb Report, June 1997 - Named "Best Restaurant in the United States" by readers' poll.

Golf Digest, September 1996 -

"So you're not out with the guys? I've never done that. I have been to dinner with another player one time since I have been on this tour. I took Mike Hill and his wife, Sandy, and my wife to dinner at Ruth's Chris Steak House in Austin, when we were playing the Legends the first year. In the five years I have been on the senior tour, I have taken one couple out. One time. A hermit is what I am, and I like it that way."

-Lee Trevino, from his interview with Golf Digest

Austin Chronicle - 1996 Best Steak in Austin by readers in annual poll.

Rebel Without a Crew, 1995 -

"I got home at 9:00 a.m. I'm feeling sick, now. Liz came home and made me go to sleep. Later on I dropped by Tommy Nix's house to tell him the good news. I showed him my videotape, telling him I'll give him a copy later, but that I'm finally done. He told me I look like shit run over. My eyes are glazed over, my skin is pasty white, and I look like a crusty corpse. 'But I feel good!' I told him. I celebrated with a big, fat, juicy steak at the Ruth's Chris Steak House."

-Filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, from Rebel Without a Crew which details his creation of El Mariachi in journal form.

National Cattlemen's Beef Association - 1995 National Beef Backer Award to Ruth Fertel "recognizing the contributions that foodservice makes to strengthening beef sales."

Wine Spectator - The 1994 "Award of Excellence" marks the first time we received this prestigious award from the "wine bible" of restaurants. "In the 'Award of Excellence' (Wine Spectator) is looking to recognize a commitment to a fine wine list, with a selection of better producers along with a thematic match to the menu in both price and style...to win the award, most of the lists generally have at least 50 selections."

Keep Texas Beautiful, July 1993 - "is privileged to recognize distinguished community leadership, Ruth's Chris Steak House is hereby honored by the Keep Texas Beautiful Annual Convention in commendation of oustanding and creative leadership and initiative in achieving a clean and beautiful environment in Texas."

Keep Texas Beautiful, June 1993 - Ebby Halleday & Maurice Acers Business and Industry Citation Winner "in commemdation of outstanding and creative leadership and initiative in achieving a clean and beautiful environment in Texas."

Dallas Cowboys Football Club, June 1993 -

"Thank you for your continued commitment to the Dallas Cowboys Training Camp in Austin. Since the Dallas Cowboys relocated to Austin for training camp, the team's performance has steadily increased, culminating in this year's Super Bowl Championship. Thank you for everything you do for the Dallas Cowboys...we appreciate your support."

Texas Department of Agriculture, June 1993 - shot a "Wine Sales Training in Fine Dining Restaurants" educational video at our restaurant for distribution throughout the Texas Restaurant Association.

Keep Austin Beautiful, 1993 -

"Whereas Keep Austin Beautiful promotes a clean litter-free environment for Greater Austin, The Board of Directors is hereby privileged to recognized the distinguished community leadership of Ruth's Chris (with this) Citation for Outstanding Achievement. May the example set here by appreciated and followed by others now and in the future."

Keep Texas Beautiful, 1992 - Individual Leadership awards "recognizing leadership in support of Keep Texas Beautiful's mission of preserving the natural beauty and environment of Texas and conserving its natural resources through public awarness activities."

A Les Amis du Vin Guide (The friends of Wine), 1992 - America's Best Restaurants, Silver Award in Steak House category at the "Academy Awards of the restaurant industry" Gala Awards Ceremony in Beverly Hills, California. The Austin location was "selected from the field of 480 restaurants nationwide made by a selection committee of professional food, wine and restaurant writers and critics across the land. The list becomes a dependable guide for fine dining in America, to cherish and save." - Robert Balzer, Chairman of the Board.

City of Austin, 1991 - the National Civic League honored Austin as one out of only ten cities named an "All-American City." The prestigious award "recognizes communities for their success in bringing business, government and residents together at the local level to solve community problems." Austin's initial contest entry, prepared by the Parks & Recreation Department, highlighted the benefits of three community projects. One of these projects was the Ruth's Chris-sponsored Town Lake Clean-Up effort.

Texas Restaurant Association, July 1991 - Voted "Best Restaurant where members ate their favorite beef meal in Texas." Over 20,000 members attending the Texas Restaurant Association annual convention voted Ruth's Chris into first place out of 216 different restaurants mentioned.

State of Texas Senate, 1991 - Senate resolution honors Ruth's Chris. "The sponsors and volunteers who commit their time and energy to this valuable project (Town Lake Clean-Up), truly deserve recognition for their enthusiasm, hard work, and persistence and...for their concern for the Austin environment and their superior efforts to preserve the beauty of this natural asset for the benefit of all Texans."

City of Austin, 1991

"Be it known by these presents that I, Bruce Todd, Mayor of the City of Austin, Texas, do hereby proclaim October 1, 1991 as "Bill Andrews and Gary Porfirio Ruth's Chris Steak House Day of Appreciation" in Austin, and call on all citizens to join me in recognizing the considerable contributions made by Bill Andrews and Gary Porfirio of Ruth's Christ Steak House to the water quality of Town Lake, to the environmental beauty of our city, and to the community spirit garnered through (the Ruth's Chris) Town Lake Cleanups, initiated originally by Bill and Gary in 1987."

-Bruce Todd, former Mayor of Austin.

Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, 1990 - Austin Area Environmental Achievement Award "Certificate of Merit" for environmental initiatives in Environmental Beautification.

City of Austin, 1990 - Certificate of Apperciation "to certify that Ruth's Chris Steak House has rendered valuable and distinguished service to the citizens of Austin, Texas" by the Mayor and City Council.

City of Austin, 1988 - "City Proclamation" from the Mayor and City Council naming Thursday August 25th as Ruth's Chris Steak House Appreciation Day for community involvement in the Town Lake Clean-Up.

Texas Monthly, July 1985 - First Review of our restaurant.

"It was only a matter of time before Ruth's Chris got around to opening a restaurant here. Now Austinites can indulge in the large prime steaks that are the featured entrée, just like folks in Dallas and Houston do. Both a sirloin strip and ribeye sampled were thick, excellent beef expertly cooked."

Ruth's Chris Steak House - Austin, TX - Opened April 1985.