You’re sitting there, the smell of sizzling butter and 1,800-degree ovens filling the air, and you have a choice. Do you go with the standard garlic mashed potatoes? Or do you drop the extra thirty bucks on the Ruth’s Chris lobster mac and cheese? Most people hesitate because it's a side dish that costs as much as an entree at a mid-tier restaurant. But then the bowl arrives, bubbling and golden, and suddenly the price tag feels a lot less offensive.
It is arguably the most indulgent thing on the menu. Honestly, it’s a calorie bomb—we’re talking 930 calories for a single side—but it’s built for sharing, and it’s built for impact.
What’s Actually Inside the Bowl?
While most high-end steakhouses try to get fancy with truffle oil (which usually just tastes like chemicals), Ruth’s Chris sticks to a profile that leans into southern comfort. The base is cavatappi. Those corkscrew-shaped noodles are essential because they have more surface area and a hollow center to trap the cheese sauce. Nobody wants a thin, runny sauce that pools at the bottom of the bowl.
The sauce itself is a heavy-duty white cheddar blend. Unlike the standard "three-cheese" mix they use for their au gratin potatoes—which usually involves Parmesan, Blue Cheese, and Romano—the lobster version is smoother and creamier.
What surprises most people is the kick. It isn't just salt and cheese; there’s a distinct inclusion of mild green chiles. It’s a New Orleans-inspired touch that cuts through the fat. Without those chiles, the dish would probably be too cloying after three bites. Instead, you get a tiny bit of brightness that keeps you reaching back in with your fork.
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The Lobster Factor
Let’s talk about the meat. You aren’t getting "lobster flavored" bits. Ruth’s Chris uses chunks of tender lobster tail and claw meat. In a good batch, the lobster is poached just enough to be opaque and snappy, then folded into the pasta right before it hits the broiler.
Sometimes, diners complain that the lobster feels "lost." That’s usually a kitchen timing error. If the lobster is overcooked, it turns into rubbery little erasers. But when it’s done right? The sweet, buttery seafood is the perfect foil to the sharp white cheddar.
The Reality of the $30 Side Dish
Let's be real: $28 to $34 for mac and cheese is a lot. You’ve probably seen the reviews. Some people call it the "worst value" on the menu because of the price-to-portion ratio. Others, like the food critics at Tasting Table, have literally said it’s a "hill they would die on."
The divide usually comes down to expectations.
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- The Price: It’s the most expensive side they offer.
- The Texture: It is "wet" mac and cheese. If you prefer the soul-food style that’s baked until it’s a solid block you can cut with a knife, this isn't that. It’s velvety and saucy.
- The Sizzle: Because it’s served on their signature 500-degree plates, the edges of the cheese often caramelize into a crust that you have to scrape off the side. That’s the best part.
Can You Actually Make This at Home?
Look, unless you have an infrared broiler that hits 1,800 degrees, it’s never going to be identical. But you can get close. The secret isn't just buying expensive cheese; it's the technique.
Most home cooks make the mistake of using pre-shredded cheese. Stop doing that. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in potato starch or cellulose to keep it from clumping in the bag. That starch prevents the cheese from melting into a perfectly smooth emulsion. You end up with a grainy sauce. Buy a block of sharp white cheddar and a block of Gruyère. Grate them yourself.
Also, don't boil your lobster in the sauce. Poach the lobster separately in butter (beurre monte) and fold it in at the very last second. If you bake the lobster in the oven for twenty minutes with the pasta, you're ruining expensive seafood.
Quick Specs for the Health Conscious (Or Not)
If you’re tracking macros, maybe just look away.
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- Calories: ~930
- Fat: 40g (including 26g of saturated fat)
- Sodium: A staggering 2,130mg
- Protein: 51g (thanks to the lobster and heavy cheese)
Basically, it's a day's worth of salt and half a day's worth of calories. But you don't go to a steakhouse to eat a salad, do you?
Common Pitfalls to Avoid at the Restaurant
If you're going to order the Ruth’s Chris lobster mac and cheese, timing is everything. It's a heavy dish. If you order it alongside a ribeye and a loaded baked potato, you're going to be in a food coma before the check arrives.
Pair it with a leaner cut, like the 11-ounce filet. The acidity in a high-tannin Cabernet Sauvignon also helps break down the richness of the cheddar.
One thing to watch out for: check the temperature. Because Ruth’s Chris relies on those hot plates, sometimes the sauce can "break" if it sits under a heat lamp too long. If you see oil separating from the cheese, send it back. At thirty bucks a pop, you deserve a perfect emulsion.
To get the most out of the experience next time you're dining in, ask the server if they can add a sprinkle of the "au gratin" crust to the top before it hits the broiler. It adds a salty, Romano-forward crunch that isn't always standard on the lobster version but makes the texture ten times better. Once it hits the table, give it a minute to sit; the sauce thickens slightly as it cools from "lava" to "edible," which is when the flavor of the lobster actually starts to come through.
Next Steps for the Home Chef:
- Source High-Quality Pasta: Find a high-protein cavatappi (like De Cecco or Colavita) that won't turn to mush when baked.
- The Secret Ingredient: Add a small can of diced, drained mild green chiles to your cheese sauce to replicate that specific Ruth's Chris tang.
- Lobster Prep: Use 2-3 small cold-water lobster tails. Blanch them for 3 minutes, shock them in ice water, then chop and fold into the mac just before browning the top.