Lauren M.
Google
I booked Ruthie’s one month in advance for my birthday dinner and had a very poor experience from management.
I worked directly with Barbara, Director of Sales, to reserve a private room for a party of 20 with a $1,200 minimum. At no point in emails, phone calls, or the contract was it stated that guests were required to tip 20% individually, or that I would be responsible for other people’s tips.
Our original date was rescheduled by Ruthie’s due to weather, and we rebooked for Dec. 11 at 5pm with 13 guests. We were placed in a tiny room, so small my decorator couldn’t complete the décor I paid $165 for.
Service and food were unacceptable:
• Long waits for drinks (over an hour)
• Multiple guests sent food back
• Steak ordered medium-rare came out well-done, then returned even worse
• One guest never got to eat and still tipped for what little he received
At the end of the night, we were told we exceeded the minimum and everything was fine. I paid my bill in full.
Two days later, Barbara called stating Ruthie’s was keeping my $200 deposit because my guests allegedly didn’t tip 20%. This was never disclosed. While on the phone, she tried to email me to claim it was in the contract, but the contract clearly states I was only responsible for my own bill, which she drafted. She could not justify the charge and hung up.
Multiple calls and emails from myself and my guests were ignored, forcing me to file a bank dispute.
There were also concerning racial undertones. Barbara asked me while booking if I had “ever been to fine dining,” which was offensive. Additionally, a Black woman arriving with her white colleagues was separated from her party and placed in our room, which was entirely Black guests.
I do not recommend Ruthie’s for celebrations, especially for people of color. This experience was deceptive, unprofessional, and left me feeling scammed.