Time: Approximately 8PM
Dinner for two
Bill: $54.00 (+/- $1)
As with most restaurants in Springfield I had frequented them when I lived there and had planned on visiting them during my recent trip. I was used to the menu items and knew what I liked and didn't like at most of them. Ruby Tuesday was no exception.
My wife and I stayed in a hotel less than a block from this location during our stay in Springfield so it was the last place we ate dinner at before we left for our trip home. We both were looking forward to a casual, comfortable evening dinner but what we got was far from it.
I had previously ordered the Triple Prime Burger and absolutely fell in love with it each and every time I had it. Because there are no locations of this chain in the town we live in, we tried our best to make the same burger at home and eventually grew tired of it so that was the last thing I wanted to order on this particular night.
We were promptly seated by a courteous employee at a clean, well-lit table and told our server would be Beth. Beth arrived within a minute and took our drink order. My wife ordered a pomegranate lemonade and I requested Dr. Pepper, my drink of choice (we don't drink alcohol). Of course they only had Mr. Pibb which seems to be my drink of choice at some chains that choose to contract with Pepsi Co not to have Coke products...oh well. We ordered an appetizer of spring rolls. They arrived fairly quickly, with a different employee but I guess that's how they do that there. Our drinks, however, arrived a bit slower, probably in to the second spring roll by then. Beth then took our order, neither of us knowing what the other was going to get. My wife ordered the rib eye as did I. She wanted crab cakes as a side but Beth suggested ordering the steak and crab cake dinner which included a different steak but could change to the rib eye for about $4 more. That wasn't a problem so it was agreed to for her order. I ordered the rib eye but with a baked potato instead of mashed potatoes and broccoli since I don't like either. She said it would be okay.
She came back shortly and said that they were all out of rib eyes and would we like something else but of course didn't bring menus for us to go over again so she had to go find them. She had dropped my wife's straw on the floor and said she'd get a new one as she had left our drinks but didn't even bring that at that time. She got a straw from one area then had to go back to the front to get us menus. We got the menus, again as well as a new straw and she asked if we needed a minute (well omg duh!). She then asked if we minded if she took the drink order for a table of about 10 next to us. We told her to go ahead.
She came back shortly and got our replacement order. Again I wanted baked potato instead of mashed and broccoli and I made it clear to her, again. After we finished our appetizer she came by and removed our plates and said she'd return with drink refills (the glasses were empty by then). Shortly after we asked for the refills our dinner arrived, again by the hands of another. Mine had the steak I ordered plus mashed potatoes and broccoli as well as a side of chicken. Chicken? This employee then took all of my order back to fix it and left us with no drinks. My wife's order seemed right until I noticed no mashed potatoes which should have come with it. Beth said she'd get those shortly. Days passed.
Alright it wasn't really days but it seemed like it. My wife was about half way through her meal when mine arrived, correct this time. Still no drinks. The salt shaker wouldn't dispense any salt. Do not know why, only that it didn't. It was full as I could see the salt and the holes didn't appear blocked. No salt for me - I guess that's best.
My steak was done correctly but it's good I didn't want steak sauce or any condiments for that matter since nobody asked. Just set it down and leave is their current motto I suppose. By the way, another 10 minutes passed and still no drinks. Wife's getting mad now.
I finished my steak and my wife finished her meal, with the exception of her mashed potatoes that haven't arrived yet. Still no drinks. In fact no sign of Beth in at least 15 minutes. My wife finally decides to get up and find someone to at least bring some water. This guy, didn't get his name, goes to the back and about the time Beth pops out of the kitchen with a tray full of drinks (for me and the neighbors) he follows her to our table with a water. Dang that's quick. Wonder if the soda has to be pumped through a special dispenser that runs from the south side of Springfield to the north but the water is taken from a well right under the building. Either than or someone's not doing their job right. Maybe it was time for a smoke break.
So Beth brings me my refill and first drinks to the table next to us but nothing for my wife but says 'she's making that now' then walks away. A few minutes later her drink finally shows up. Of course we are about done by now and completely ready to scream. The same guy that brought a water shows up and takes our finished plates just about the time Beth decides to show back up to ask if we wanted desert. She had to be joking. She brings our ticket which seemed way too high to me but whatever I just wanted to leave.
After thinking about it now, she added a chicken side to the ticket to increase the price for getting the rib eye instead of the steak that came with the steak and crab meal but we didn't get rib eye we got top sirloin which as a meal is the same weight as the rib eye but I think $5.00 more. It also seemed they charged us tax twice. Whatever, she got no tip.
And we always tip, or did until that night.
If you're planning on visiting Ruby Tuesday do so some time when the employees have worked there longer than say a week and the management is older than say 18. Also you should ask if they are out of anything before you decide on anything on the menu or you'll have to find something else to order. Oh yeah, if you want something different than what's on the menu, expect them to get it wrong even if you mention it twice. Lastly, if the staff seems on edge, walk out the door and drive over to Steak-N-Shake or even McDonald's or you may be disappointed as we were.
I guess it's a good thing there are no Ruby Tuesday locations where we live. They'd get no business from us, just as the one in north Springfield will have from now on.
By the way, the place did look clean but since I didn't use the restroom or get a salad or see the kitchen I can't be certain.
Enter and eat at your own risk.
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