Del Frisco's vs Ruth's Chris- an epic showdown

I'm not a fancy person, so the fact that I ate at Del Frisco's and Ruth's Chris in the same week is mind blowing. So instead of writing two separate reviews about how amazing each of these restaurants are, I thought I would make things interesting and see... which of these fancypants places is the top dog?

First- Ruth's Chris

In my typical beast mode self, I have been craving a fat and juicy steak for the past month. When it came time to pick a nice place for our anniversary dinner, I researched the best steakhouses in Boston. Abe &Louie's, Grill 23, Morton's and Ruth's all popped up as great choices. Instead of reading reviews and stressing over which was the very best, I just randomly picked one and made an online reservation. I mean you can't really go wrong...

Ruth's Chris is located on 45 School Street in downtown Boston, inside the old City Hall building. When we arrived inside, the host immediately walked us through the restaurant to our table. He walked us through several hallways, and by the old vault, which is now a private dining area! We were seated in one of the many side rooms with 10 tables of 2-4 peeps.
 

 

We each selected our meats and a few sides to split. I went with the 16oz Filet, while Jake chose the Cowboy Rib eye. For sides we went with the lobster mac and cheese and the creamed spinach. Our plates came out sizzling about 15 minutes later. My filet was cooked perfectly, tender on the inside with a bit of a crispy skin which gave it great flavor.

 

 

I am actually not a big fan of lobster mac and cheese in general. Mostly because I LOVE seafood and think adding cheese to it is the weirdest thing ever. I like my lobster dripping in butter, not soaking in a bowl full of cheese and noodles. But I have to say, this lobster mac and cheese was fantastic. The pasta was rich in flavor without being too cheesy, and most of the lobster was on top, so it still kept its fresh, organic flavor.

 

 

The creamed spinach was good, nothing out of this world. But I have to say, because the lobster mac was so good, I mostly focused my attention on that.

 

 

I know I wanted to get dessert, but before I even got a chance to look at the menu.. they brought out a free dessert for us! How precious! Bonus points!!

 

Next- Del Frisco's

 



 

I got the opportunity to go to Del Frisco's for a work dinner last night! I was so excited because I had never been there before, and had heard great things from family and friends. The restaurant had a completely different feel to it than Ruth's with big open spaces and a ton of light. It was surrounded in windows looking out on the seaport, which made me feel a lot more hip and cool. The hostess walked us to our private room with one long table for 15. The room was a good size for mingling, and really classly looking with its big chandeliers.

 

When we sat down for dinner we had a set menu to chose from with some great options! I chose the Del's salad and the 12 oz Filet (with my blog in mind so I could compare it to Ruth's), and the cheesecake. OOO boy what a great night of eating I had ahead of me! First they brought out some family style apps to share, which were all amazing!!! I especially liked the calamari!

 

Cheesesteak eggrolls-Sweet Chili & Mustard Sauce

 

Shanghai-Style Fried Calamari-Sweet Chili Glaze, Bean Sprouts, Cherry Peppers, Crushed Peanuts & Scallions

Shrimp Cocktail in 3 sauces-Remoulade · Italian Marinade · Cocktail


Next came the Del's salad, which might be the best salad I have ever said. Mostly because it had 2 strips of crispy bacon on top and the most yummy avocado ranch dressing ever.

This is the point where I started getting full, and I hadn't even gotten my steak yet...but that never stopped me before. Along came my filet topped with a seaport style sauce. This was served with family style potatoes and spinach.

 

 

 

And just when I thought I was ready to keel over and die, dessert came out. This cheesecake was so different than any I have had before. It was almost like a mousse, really light and airy, compared to the sometimes heavy and dense cheesecake. I could only take a few bites, but was utterly impressed!

 

 

I have done a lot of overeating in my lifetime, but I have to say this might have been the fullest I have ever been. Which is saying so much more than you will ever know.

 

Now- after braindumping all of this on you, I guess I have to decide which is better. This is much harder than I thought it would be because each restaurant has a completely different atmosphere. Ruth's is darker more romantic, and good for a date night out, while Del Friscos is a more modern place perfect for a fun night out with a small or large group.

 

I think the fairest way to determine the winner is is to break this down by a few comparable categories.

 

Best service: Del Friscos- they were overly attentive, always refilling my water and asking me to cut into my steak right when they put down the plate.

 

Best Filet: Ruth's- I really liked the taste of the steak better, with its slightly crispy crust. A bit more flavorful as well.

 

Best sides dishes/apps: Del Friscos- this is also not fair, because I got to try 5 side dishes (including apps), but I can't ignore how delish those apps were

 

Best dessert- Del Frisco's Cheesecake- so perfect and delicious

 

Favorite dish of both dinners: Ruth's Lobster Mac and cheese- I don't know why I just can't stop thinking about it

 

 

Ahh I can't think of any more categories!! I guess that means the winner is...

 

DEL FRISCO'S

 

I think this week is the best its ever going to get for me and I am more than okay with that. Back to the burgers and beer baby!