Ruby Tuesday a popular Mililani newcomer
By Matthew Gray
Advertiser Restaurant Critic
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| Mainland-based Ruby Tuesday in Mililani Town Center is decorated with lots of knickknacks. The chain restaurant offers an extensive menu, from a salad bar to pasta, steaks and sandwiches.
Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser Ruby Tuesday 95-1249 Meheula Parkway Mililani Town Center 623-4949 10:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, until midnight Fridays and Saturdays, until 10 p.m. Sundays
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Someone recently described these three establishments as "food factories," an accurate observation, I thought, if you subscribe to the notion that corporate interests are overtaking the restaurant industry.
The décor is knickknack heavy, lots of tchotchkes and sports-related memorabilia, with old photographs of Hawai'i mixed in for good measure and authenticity.
As often happens when a Mainland chain opens here, the new entry in Mililani has been blessed from Day 1 with crowds and curiosity seekers from lunchtime until closing. A staffer informed me that breakfast hours are being considered for this location as well.
One of the big draws here for me is the salad bar ($8.99, or $3.49 with an entrée), a large selection of lettuces, vegetables such as tomato, broccoli, carrot, cabbage, peppers, cheese, olives, grapes, pineapple, seeds, breads, dressings and more. I wish more Hawai'i-based restaurants would offer salad bars.
The Ruby Tuesday operation is a smart one. They'd like you to believe they're promoting health consciousness by sprinkling low-carb choices throughout their menu.
It's more a public-relations move than anything else, in my opinion, to make you feel nurtured and looked out for despite of all the fried stuff, sour cream, cheese sauces and over-the-top (carb, calories and fat) choices.
Let's begin with appetizers. The chicken quesadilla ($7.99) arrived cold, the chicken dry and in tiny bits, and the overall dish lacked zing. The three-cheese spinach dip and chips ($6.99) was a little better — a creamy, gooey and cheesy experience.
Boneless Buffalo Wings ($7.99) here are an oddity; these are not really wings but "chicken tenders" (pre-processed and breaded chicken pieces) served with a spicy sauce.
I was hankering for the loaded cheese fries ($7.99), reverting momentarily back to my carefree adolescence, but opted not to, even though the fries are smothered in melted jack and cheddar cheeses, and topped with crumbled bacon, sour cream and ranch dressing.
The specialties part of the menu offered up a collection of pasta plates such as Shrimp Alfredo ($14.99) and Sonora Chicken Pasta (penne in cheese sauce, with chicken, black-bean salsa, $11.99).
I tried the Church Street Chicken ($11.99), a grilled chicken with bacon and Swiss cheese creation (OK, I admit, I was hell-bent on getting my bacon and cheese groove on, no matter what!), served with broccoli and rice pilaf topped with more cheese and tomatoes. This sounded better than it tasted: Once again, the chicken was dry and too salty.
Grilled chopped steak ($9.99), Cajun chicken ($9.99), and a broiled red snapper called Creole Catch ($12.49) are available for those strong souls who opt for healthier choices.
Barbecued baby back ribs ($18.99 for a full rack) come with your choice of sauce; a smoky, spicy honey, and dry-rubbed Tennessee style.
Fajitas ($12.99 for chicken, $13.99 steak) combine stir-fried meat with onions, peppers, rice and black beans. Served with flour tortillas, this dish fits in with the quasi-Southwestern food motif.
A bunch of steaks are available, primarily rib-eye ($16.99) and sirloin ($14.99 to $16.99 depending on preparation).
The rib-eyes come marinated in a pineapple-ginger sauce, simply grilled, or with spicy honey barbecue sauce.
The sirloin can be ordered with cracked peppercorns and sautéed mushrooms in Alfredo sauce, with crumbled blue cheese or grilled.
Burgers, sandwiches, salads and various wraps round out the menu, so the variety is quite substantial.
A busy bar churns out the libations. For some reason, it seems to me a bit out of place, perhaps because of its proximity to the salad bar.
Service was friendly but inefficient. I saw staffers chatting amongst themselves while the place was jam-packed with patrons in need. Perhaps these glitches will be ironed out soon.
Reach Matthew Gray at mgray@honoluluadvertiser.com.
