The Case for Ruby Tuesday (Times Square)

[oakapple]

In a blog post today, Mister Cutlets makes two obvious observations:

1) Ruby Tuesday is opening a 10,000 sq. ft. outlet in Times Square in April 2007

2) Foodies will decry it as the End Of Civilization As We Know It.

Then, he surprises us with the observation that, if you order well, a few items on the Ruby Tuesday menu aren't all that bad. For the price, Cutlets likes the margarita, the burger, the breaded typhoon shrimp, and—shocking!—the blackened rib-eye steak.

He notes:

Sell this burger from a divey hole in the wall on Avenue D and the feinschmeckers would fall all over each other praising it.

[Fat Guy]

The main attraction of Ruby Tuesday, for my crew, is the salad bar. I'll be interested to see how the Manhattan outpost handles this. The all-you-can-eat salad bar has had a shaky history here.

On account of the appeal of the salad bar, I've probably eaten at Ruby Tuesday's 20-30 times in the past decade while on road trips, and I've sampled the entire menu through various iterations. I have to respectfully disagree with Mr. C (assuming he is the author -- there is no attribution I can find) on the burger -- it's way too compacted and industrial tasting. The "typhoon" (it's actually "Thai Phoon" on the menu) shrimp are okay, as is anything from the deep fryer: chicken fingers, whatever. The steak, again, I think it's not good, but I do like the baby back ribs. They're a little sweet, but good. The best thing to order, in my opinion, is the salad bar plus the "triple play" platter: half a rack of ribs, chicken tenders ("Tuesday tenders") and fried shrimp.

[CaliPoutine]

I live in a small town in SW Ontario. I make frequent trips to the border town of Port Huron, MI for grocery shopping, target runs, etc. I usually eat lunch there and the pickings are slim. Mostly chains or fast food outlets. While I'd never willingly chose( if I was in NYC) to eat at Ruby's, I agree with FG about the salad bar. All you can eat salad bar's are non-existent in this part on Ontario as well.

I also enjoy the turkery burgers( since I don't eat red meat). RT's recently removed the salad bar/stuffed potato combo from the menu, but you can still order it.

[Busboy]

Speaking as a tourist and not a New Yorker:

Times Square is already Hell on Earth; that place has been going downhill ever since the peep shows closed.

Ruby Tuesdays (which surprises me with its awfulness every time I end up there) will have no discernable effect on what is already a sanitized, coroporate theme park except, perhaps, luring a tourists from Bubba Gumps.

When they open a 10,000 square foot Ruby Tuesdays in Alphabet City -- that will be the end of civilization.

[tommy]

i had that "triple prime burger" and thought it was a decent enough diner burger. certainly nothing to get excited about. in fact not really worth the trip at all. filet mignon in a burger? Prime meat in a burger? surely they gest.

i'm not sure what a feinschmecker is, but i'm guessing they wouldn't get excited over this burger regardless of what Avenue they were selling it on. as far as those big drinks go, i have to say i didn't have the margarita, but i have to assume it's made with that "sweet and sour" mix, which shouldn't be consumed under any circumstance, regardless of the city you live in. and the martini was about 1/2 full, and not cheap.

edit: margarita, margherita. hey what's the difference.

Edited September 29, 2006 by tommy (log)

[Daniel]

I must say, I have been tempted lately by those slider commercials.. But I have also been suckered by Info-mercials,Olive Garden Commercials,and A Red Lobster Commercial in College.. All have been disappointing, but I want to like everything..

If the circumstance presents itself, I would like to try it..

[ludja]

...

i'm not sure what a feinschmecker is, ...

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A rhetorical question, I'm sure, but it's German for an epicure or gourmet. (schmecken is 'to taste')

[cakewalk]

Speaking as a tourist and not a New Yorker:

Times Square is already Hell on Earth;

←

Speaking as a New Yorker and not a tourist: what he said. (And Times Square is in my back yard.)

But the reason it is hell on earth is not due to the loss of the peep shows!!! It's because "they" (let's not start defining that right now) filled Times Square with one chain store after another, and most of them are restaurants. Basically, Times Square is now a strip mall, just like you'd find in the middle of, well, wherever you find strip malls. It is ghastly. Ruby Tuesday is not going to make a bit of difference one way or the other.

[tommy]

Ruby Tuesday is not going to make a bit of difference one way or the other.

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that's an interesting point. i'm not sure i would have even noticed that it opened.

[rich]

Ruby Tuesday is not going to make a bit of difference one way or the other.

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Maybe not, but the current NY Times critic will probably award it two stars.

[rich]

Times Square is already Hell on Earth; that place has been going downhill ever since the peep shows closed.  

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Actually it's not missing peep shows, it's the missing hookers. At least with the hookers you knew exactly what you were purchasing. Ever since TS has become "Disneyfied," nothing is safe from corporate scheming.

[oakapple]

...

i'm not sure what a feinschmecker is, ...

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A rhetorical question, I'm sure, but it's German for an epicure or gourmet. (schmecken is 'to taste')

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I would have translated it "Chowhound."

[oakapple]

Times Square is already Hell on Earth; that place has been going downhill ever since the peep shows closed.

Ruby Tuesdays (which surprises me with its awfulness every time I end up there) will have no discernable effect on what is already a sanitized, coroporate theme park except, perhaps, luring a tourists from Bubba Gumps. 

←

Hey, at least I can walk thru that neighborhood with my 11-year-old son at any hour of the evening. That's a huge step forward from what it was. Is it a dining destination? Of course not.

Having said that, there a few places on the side streets off of Times Square that are at least decent, e.g., Virgil's BBQ.

[tommy]

peoples issue with the "disneyfication" of times square always baffles me. i've only known times square since the late 80's. so it's alway been nothing but a bunch of crappy, run-down mostly abandoned buildings that stood as a momument to what must have been in better times. drugs, hookers, peep shows, and certainly not many tasty options in sight. i'm certainly happy to see it in its current state. there are plenty of places all over the city, and the world, to go if i want to get away from the chains. i can't imagine why 8 square blocks of clean, family fun annoys people to such an extent when they have the rest of the city to drink and eat in.

it's nice that tourists have some place safe and bright and fun to go, and it's nice to walk through now. even if it's not necessarily my cup of tea.

and yes, i'd think alphabet city isn't far behind. in fact, the hipsters hi-tailed it to brooklyn in the 90's, and they're already bitching about what has happened there.

Edited September 29, 2006 by tommy (log)

[cakewalk]

peoples issue with the "disneyfication" of times square always baffles me.  <snip>  i can't imagine why 8 square blocks of clean, family fun annoys people to such an extent when they have the rest of the city to drink and eat in. 

it's nice that tourists have some place safe and bright and fun to go, and it's nice to walk through now.  even if it's not necessarily my cup of tea.

←

I don't pine for the old Times Square, not for a minute. But that doesn't mean that the current incarnation of Times Square is "a good thing." The point is that it could have been a nice place for tourists while also being a nice place for locals as well. It could have had some independent stores in addition to chain stores, meaning restaurants and cafes as well as other shops -- book stores, clothing stores, craft stores; tourists would definitely have patronized them. Something that would have offered uniqueness of some sort, instead of turning NY into cardboard. I think that's why it annoys people to such an extent, it is such an example of lost potential -- except for the real estate developers, of course. And for the record, I love it that tourists are back in NY and that they are enjoying themselves here. I just wish they'd learn how to walk, dammit!

[Fat Guy]

I'd suggest taking another look at Times Square. To say it's the same as a suburban strip mall is to ignore a lot. Public art displays, events, Good Morning America, Design Times Square, Broadway on Broadway, hotels, New Year's Eve, all those brightly lit signs, new theaters and plenty of good places to eat from Virgil's to Havana Central to Blue Fin, not to mention the new offices of the New York Times, Conde Nast, et al. -- I think it's misguided nostalgia to pine for the bad old Times Square. Even the generic elements of Times Square often have special elements: for example, many of the chain stores are the flagships of their chains. While I can't say I actually like Olive Garden and its ilk, I still think it's great that the national chains all seem to see New York as the big achievement, the place to be. Let them come. The evidence is pretty overwhelming that they're good for the city's tourism economy, without which we'd be done for.

[cakewalk]

I'd suggest taking another look at Times Square. To say it's the same as a suburban strip mall is to ignore a lot. Public art displays, events, Good Morning America, Design Times Square, Broadway on Broadway, hotels, New Year's Eve, all those brightly lit signs, new theaters and plenty of good places to eat from Virgil's to Havana Central to Blue Fin, not to mention the new offices of the New York Times, Conde Nast, et al. -- I think it's misguided nostalgia to pine for the bad old Times Square. Even the generic elements of Times Square often have special elements: for example, many of the chain stores are the flagships of their chains. While I can't say I actually like Olive Garden and its ilk, I still think it's great that the national chains all seem to see New York as the big achievement, the place to be. Let them come. The evidence is pretty overwhelming that they're good for the city's tourism economy, without which we'd be done for.

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Ah, Good Morning America! Who could possibly ask for more!

Well it's good for you that you like it so much, 'cause it sure ain't going anywhere.

(And I'm sure that the construction that is going on at the moment directly across the street from my building -- at 11:00 pm -- will also be wonderful for the city.)

[robert40]

Times Square is already Hell on Earth; that place has been going downhill ever since the peep shows closed.

Ruby Tuesdays (which surprises me with its awfulness every time I end up there) will have no discernable effect on what is already a sanitized, coroporate theme park except, perhaps, luring a tourists from Bubba Gumps. 

←

Hey, at least I can walk thru that neighborhood with my 11-year-old son at any hour of the evening. That's a huge step forward from what it was. Is it a dining destination? Of course not.

Having said that, there a few places on the side streets off of Times Square that are at least decent, e.g., Virgil's BBQ.

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I could not agree more! In the 70's one would need a Mike Tyson escort and it would still be risky.

[weinoo]

In the 70's, driving a cab, I didn't know what was scarier - Times Square, alphabet city, Rivington St. - they were all pretty sketchy.

I think FG hit the nail on the head - I don' think this city has ever been more attractive to visitors...and that's not necessarily a bad thing!

And don't forget Jimmy's, just east of Virgil's - a great NY place for a quick drink before you might set foot in Virgil's.

[rich]

Everyone's getting way too serious about this.

It's Times Square - live, love, eat and relax. Where else can you see three Disney animations disguised as theater - and have people believing it is theater?

Times Square had to been cleaned up to protect tourists, but thankfully a few peep shows and porno shops still exist on 8th Avenue - just to remind eveyone of the good ole days.

Now if Disney can only figure out a way to incorporate a hooker or two into their shows.

[Miami Danny]

In the 70's, driving a cab, I didn't know what was scarier - Times Square, alphabet city, Rivington St. - they were all pretty sketchy.

I think FG hit the nail on the head - I don' think this city has ever been more attractive to visitors...and that's not necessarily a bad thing!

And don't forget Jimmy's, just east of Virgil's - a great NY place for a quick drink before you might set foot in Virgil's.

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Mitch-remember-YOU were pretty scary in the 70's, son!

Also, in the 70's, there were great and cheap joints all over Times Square for a good quick working-person's meal. Cheap cocktails? Abundant. Cheap prostitutes, moreso. I won't set foot in Ruby Tuesdays not because I despise the place-that would be silly. I'd just rather go hungry then have to sit in what is essentially a fast food place dolled up like a cheap prostitute. Ironic?

Edited September 29, 2006 by Miami Danny (log)

[herbacidal]

Times Square is already Hell on Earth; that place has been going downhill ever since the peep shows closed.  

When they open a 10,000 square foot Ruby Tuesdays in Alphabet City -- that will be the end of civilization.

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Double amen, brother!