Downtown Grand Rapids on a Saturday night always has an amazing night life, no matter the event. Whether it is a conference or concert, there are always people everywhere.

Ruth’s Chris Steak House, a small start-up in New Orleans, is now a very popular steak house all across America and especially downtown GR. For the last fifty years, Ruth’s Chris has been serving up delicious meals from seafood to steak, all with plates that are five-hundred degrees when they come to your table.

Walking into Ruth’s Chris, there are two options; either previously made reservations are seen to, or there is the choice to sit on the bistro and bar side of the restaurant. When my father and I went, we chose to sit on the bar and bistro side, which is a bit of a noisy atmosphere.

On the way to our seats, there were pictures and decorations of red, white, and black everywhere, a staple of Ruth’s Chris. Looking around the bistro, there are plenty of tables, chairs, and TVs to make me feel right at home.

Immediately after we were seated, our drink orders were taken. We got those back right away, along with a complimentary plate of delicious, freshly-baked bread and butter whipped right in the restaurant. A menu was handed to us with an overwhelming number of dishes. After a few minutes of pondering what my next course would be, I finally settled on the Prime Burger, plain, and a side of fries.

While we were waiting, our server saw our drinks were only halfway full and immediately refilled them. The service we were provided with was impeccable; I have never had service like that in my life.

Moments later, our food arrived. This huge, ten-ounce burger arrived with almost no room on the plate for anything else. I put the bun on my burger and instantly cut it open. Perfectly cooked, I took a bite. Juice rolled down the sides of my hand, and the amazing seasoning choice took over my palette. I picked up a few fries, dunked them in my ketchup, and took one bite after the other. The rosemary on the fries was delicious, a combination of potato and seasoning I had never had before.

Soon after receiving our food, our server- yet again- came to check on us and offered to get us something. We politely declined and thanked him. We enjoyed our food for a few more minutes, and our server asked us if we were interested in any desserts. We declined. We graciously thanked him, and he handed us the bill and told us to take our time.

We each ate, with drinks, for under $20 including a tip in both of our meals.

If you are looking for a fun, noisy, Saturday night atmosphere, I would absolutely recommend Ruth’s Chris Steak House, whether it be the bistro or sit-down side.