Ruth’s Chris. 801 Chophouse. Fleming's. Which One Is Worth Your Top-Dollar Splurge?
Recently, I visited our city's three highest-end steakhouses—ordering the same items at each. Here, I tell you the pros and cons of all three and name my favorite—but with a caveat.
The Des Moines metro now has three high-end steakhouses to choose from. All are chains of a sort: 801 Chophouse, which opened its flagship restaurant in Des Moines in 1993, now has six other locations; Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse, which opened in West Des Moines in 2005, is skirting 65 U.S. locations; and Ruth’s Chris Steak House, which opened in West Des Moines last summer, has a whopping 147 locations worldwide.
So, which is best? For my money, it’s . . . well, you might be surprised.
In a Nutshell
If you look only at the meat, all three do terrific work. With dry-aged meat, Fleming’s steak is in a class of its own, but not everyone loves the flavor of dry-aged beef (more on this later). In the next tier, the lusty ribeye at Ruth’s Chris narrowly edged the one at 801 Chophouse (but only because I’m a marbling-hound, and Ruth’s was rife with it!)—801’s was exemplary, too. Service? Fleming’s and 801 offered the polish you’d expect. Service at Ruth’s…