Ruth's Chris Vs. Morton's: Which Is The Better Steakhouse?
Goat cheese? Whiskey? Baked corn soufflé? You might be shocked to learn what decides the battle between Ruth's Chris and Morton's The Steakhouse — because it isn't beef!
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00:00Goat cheese, whiskey, baked corn souffle?
00:03You might be shocked to learn what decides the battle between Ruth's Chris and Morton's
00:07The Steakhouse, because it isn't beef.
00:09Just because you walk into a restaurant knowing you're going to savor a deliciously rich entree
00:13doesn't mean you can't first enjoy some delectable starters.
00:16If you're headed to either Ruth's Chris Steakhouse or Morton's, you can rest easy knowing that
00:20both spots offer a great selection of tantalizing appetizers.
00:24However, Ruth's Chris does pull ahead in this category.
00:27Morton's offers up a selection of eight appetizers, which isn't too shabby, but you get to pick
00:31from ten different meal starters at Ruth's Chris, and every single one of them sounds
00:35incredibly appealing.
00:36If you're looking to get your dip game on, you can order the goat cheese and artichoke
00:40dip, while seafood enthusiasts can bask in a whole bunch of options like crab cakes,
00:44calamari, seared ahi tuna, and spicy shrimp.
00:47Yum.
00:48No entree is complete without a side or two to help elevate the flavors and give you a
00:52well-rounded meal.
00:53A filet of meat needs some delectable friends to mingle with on the plate, so rounding out
00:57the dish with a nice side is in your best interest.
00:59And if you find yourself sitting in the dining room at Morton's, you'll have a larger offering
01:03of sides to order.
01:04Diners have the opportunity to pick from ten different side dishes, each of them designed
01:07to complement whatever main course you choose.
01:10Order up some thick-cut onion rings and matchstick parmesan and truffle fries if you want a couple
01:14of sides that don't seem too bougie, but still pack an awesome wallop of flavor.
01:18If you're looking for something different, try the baked corn souffle, which is one of
01:21the restaurant's more unique items.
01:23And for a somewhat healthier meal, you can order the jumbo grilled asparagus or sautéed
01:27spinach and mushrooms.
01:28One Yelper wrote in their review of these items,
01:30"...the natural flavors of the al dente vegetables came through so well and were a perfect complement
01:34to my steak."
01:35A thick-cut steak does an absolutely perfect job of delivering a powerfully rich punch
01:40to your palate.
01:41However, once your hunk of beef is finally finished, there's nothing quite like a taste
01:45of something sweet to offset the intense savory flavors you've just experienced.
01:49And while both Ruth's, Chris' and Morton's offer a selection of desserts, Morton's comes
01:52out on top with more choices for their customers.
01:55Guests are offered nine different dessert options, each more delicious than the rest,
01:58so you really can't go wrong with whatever you end up settling on.
02:01Treat yourself to items like bread pudding, hazelnut chocolate mousse, and Morton's legendary
02:05hot chocolate cake.
02:07Your taste buds will thank you.
02:08At the end of a stressful day or work week, a tasty cocktail can be just what you need
02:14to unwind.
02:15Now, Ruth's, Chris' and Morton's both have fully stocked bars with many unique concoctions
02:19of liquors, but it is Morton's that leads the charge with a larger variety of drinks
02:23to pick from.
02:24There's a lovely selection of flavors to enjoy, which might make it harder for you to take
02:27your pick.
02:28If you're a fan of martinis, Morton's offers what they call the Mortini.
02:32Choose either vodka or gin, and then welcome a few blue cheese olives to the party.
02:36You can also order up their Blooming Hibiscus with tequila, hibiscus, strawberry, lime,
02:40and club soda, or maybe try their unique Ginger Rabbit.
02:43Those are only a few of the 15 or more cocktails available, and don't forget to keep an eye
02:47out for the seasonal options, too.
02:49Anyone who likes to indulge in alcohol certainly knows one thing, if you start tossing back
02:53a handful of beers or cocktails, you'd better have at least a little something in your stomach
02:57first.
02:58And compared to Ruth's, Chris', the Happy Hour menu at Morton's has more options to
03:01choose from.
03:02Take, for example, the Petit Filet Mignon sandwiches, which pack all the flavor of a
03:06full-sized steak into a handy snack size.
03:08Similarly, you can also order a pint-sized plate of delicious Petit Lamb Chops, which
03:12comes with arugula, sliced red onion, Grana Padano, and a balsamic glaze.
03:16You can even get a whole Juicy Burger at a discounted price during their Happy Hour.
03:21Looking to have your alcohol along with a full meal instead of just with a snack, Morton's
03:24offers their customers a whole array of drinks to accompany their meals.
03:28Some of the coolest options they have are flights of wine and whiskey, which allow patrons
03:32to get a little taste of a few different beverages.
03:34The whiskey flight is called the 1682 Whiskey Experience, and you get three snifters with
03:39one ounce of a different whiskey in each.
03:41The 1682 in the name refers to the number of miles in between the three distilleries
03:45that provide each liquor.
03:46As for wine, there are two different flight options.
03:49Whichever flight you choose will come with three glasses, each with a three-ounce pour.
03:52Choose between the Camp de Napa and Global Voyage, and enjoy some excellent beverages
03:56from great wineries.
03:58Chances are, if you've decided to head to a steakhouse for dinner, there's one main
04:02thing floating through your head, a cut of steak.
04:04However, even the most voracious beef-eater likes to occasionally mix it up by adding
04:08a little surf to their turf.
04:10This is especially true when the steakhouse you're going to has a great selection of seafood
04:14dishes.
04:15If you're looking for delicious items plucked right out of the ocean, you'll find that Morton's
04:19has a larger selection of seafood than Ruth's Chris.
04:21Whether it's fish you're looking for or a succulent crustacean, Morton's has you covered.
04:25On the fish side of things, you can order yourself the miso-marinated sea bass or Ora
04:29King salmon.
04:30Or travel the avenue of crustaceans and order up the shrimp scampi, jumbo lump crab cakes,
04:35or a cold-water lobster tail or two.
04:38Those who really love seafood likely get just as excited to see an array of raw ingredients
04:42as they do for cooked ingredients.
04:44This is where Morton's swoops in again like an undersea hero, as the steakhouse offers
04:48a fantastic raw bar chock-full of tasty oceanic treats to accompany your red meat.
04:52Are you the kind of person who loves shrimp cocktail?
04:54Well, not only can you snag a jumbo shrimp cocktail, but Morton's also offers lobster
04:59cocktail and colossal crab cocktail.
05:01Additionally, the restaurant serves up oysters on the half-shell, grilled oysters, an ahi
05:05tuna poke, and an ocean platter with everything from the raw bar on it.
05:09When the word steakhouse is in the name of a restaurant, you can bet your bottom dollar
05:13that they're filled to the brim with all sorts of cuts of meat to satiate the carnivore
05:16within.
05:17It's a 16-ounce T-bone and a 24-ounce porterhouse, also, whiskey and a cigar."
05:24As you can imagine, both Ruth's, Chris', and Morton's serve up a variety of steaks and
05:28chops, but which one should you head to if you're looking for a larger selection?
05:31Surprise!
05:32As it turns out, both places have about the same number of options.
05:35There is some overlap between the menus at both restaurants, which is absolutely to be
05:39expected.
05:40Both spots offer filet mignon and ribeye, as well as tomahawk ribeye and New York strip
05:44steak.
05:45Both spots also include lamb chops, but at Morton's, you can snack pork chops as well.
05:49Both places have a porterhouse for two available, which is a great option, while Ruth's, Chris'
05:53also carries T-bone steaks.
05:54But what Morton's does have that Ruth's, Chris' doesn't is the king of all steaks, the Wagyu
05:59Filet.
06:00It's incredibly hard to not only open a restaurant, but have it thrive to the point where you
06:04can operate multiple locations around the country.
06:06Many people have tried, and only a fraction of them have succeeded.
06:09The founders of both Ruth's, Chris' Steakhouse and Morton's The Steakhouse managed to figure
06:13out a winning recipe that helped them open location after location until they became
06:17the household names they are today.
06:19But when it comes to the number of total open restaurants, Ruth's, Chris' takes the lead.
06:23This means that depending on where you live, you're probably more likely to see a Ruth's,
06:27Chris' Steakhouse than a Morton's Steakhouse.
06:29Today, Ruth's, Chris' touts more than 150 locations all over the world.
06:33That's quite a jump from when it started in 1965 in New Orleans as a small 60-seat eatery.
06:38Morton's, on the other hand, has expanded to an impressive 65 locations since first
06:42opening its doors in 1978.
06:45As fun as going out to dinner with friends or family may be, it can definitely put some
06:49strain on the wallet.
06:50I'm not in the mood for steak.
06:52Oh, you're not in the mood for steak?
06:53Huh?
06:54You know how many times I have to drive that bus back and forth each day so this family
06:57can eat steak once a week?
06:59It's especially pricey if you're the kind of person who likes to enjoy fancy cocktails
07:03and upscale cuisine, so it's always nice to find a spot that doesn't break the bank.
07:06But between Ruth's, Chris' Steakhouse and Morton's The Steakhouse, which one will impact
07:10your funds less?
07:11As it turns out, both places are very similarly priced.
07:14Let's look at some of the menu items that both places have in common and compare costs.
07:18If you're starting your meal out with a salad and opt for the wedge option, the difference
07:21between both is currently less than a dollar.
07:23The difference between the pork chops is negligible, too.
07:26You can snag a ribeye at both places for roughly the same price, with Morton's running a couple
07:29dollars higher than Ruth's, Chris'.
07:31At Morton's, you can add an Oscar-style crab to any dish for slightly less than at Ruth's,
07:35Chris'.
07:36There will be some things at each restaurant that are more or less expensive than the other,
07:40but overall, your chuck will likely look very similar at the end of the meal.
07:44So what do you do if you are operating on a tight budget?
07:46Well, even at restaurants that tend to fall on the expensive side, if you can find yourself
07:50a solid prefix option, you can still indulge in a great meal without spending as much as
07:54you would ordering a bunch of dishes a la carte.
07:56If you're looking for an appetizer, entree, side, and dessert in a complete package for
08:00one set price, then Ruth's, Chris' is the spot for you.
08:03To kick things off, diners choose between the Steakhouse Salad, Caesar Salad, or Lobster
08:07Bisque.
08:08Then, they pick between two entrees, a six-ounce fillet with shrimp or the same fillet with
08:11a lobster tail.
08:12The entrees come with a side of either creamed spinach or garlic mashed potatoes.
08:16Finally, the dessert is a chef's seasonal selection, so it varies depending on when
08:20you visit.
08:21I know we're a steakhouse, but we like to offer a little bit of everything to everybody.
08:25So we have an array of things out.
08:28So is your money worth spending at Ruth's, Chris' Steakhouse?
08:31Or is it wise to head over to Morton's the Steakhouse for dinner instead?
08:33Well, there are certainly some people who swear by one or the other, and they'll likely
08:37stay lifelong fans.
08:38Sometimes you can't change anyone's mind regardless of the information you show them or what they
08:42read.
08:43However, if you're someone who has little experience with either of these restaurants,
08:46you should make your way over to Morton's, so long as there's one within a reasonable
08:49distance.
08:50There are several reasons Morton's takes top honors.
08:53For anyone who wants some really fresh raw seafood as a meal itself or to pair with a
08:57steak, nothing competes with a raw bar full of awesome ingredients.
09:00In terms of beverages, Morton's serves up unique flights of wine and whiskey, a larger
09:04selection of cocktails, and a more robust happy hour menu.
09:07It also offers a larger selection of desserts.
09:10At the end of the day, all of this adds up to a big win for Morton's the Steakhouse.