In the works for over a year, Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse is finally approaching an opening date. The business’ Columbus debut pays homage to The Ohio State University and the Buckeyes, incorporating a local theme to set it apart from its other locations in Cincinnati, Louisville and Nashville.
Art deco murals, crystal chandeliers, Tasmanian onyx, velvet tufted walls, antique stained glass — nothing about Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse is ordinary. Founder and Owner Jeff Ruby is an avid collector of all things old and elegant and has collected the items found at the steakhouse for over 10 years, waiting for the perfect time and place to use them.
“I buy this stuff for the future, and the future is now,” Ruby said during a tour of the restaurant.
It all fills up the two-floor space the steakhouse occupies. Downstairs is “The” Wine Cellar (as in The Ohio State University), a large room with wood beams, brick and stone, where guests will be able to purchase wine lockers.
Upstairs is the main dining room, the private Buckeye Room, the bar, and the patio. Designers eliminated one patio, creating an indoor dining space instead. The front of the building, which faces the Convention Center, has a patio designed for outdoor drinking and cigar smoking. All in all, the restaurant has the capacity to fit up to 300 people.
Consistent with other Jeff Ruby locations, the Columbus restaurant offers a range of appetizers, steaks and entrees, ocean meats, sushi, and salads. It also offers a raw bar, where guests can build their own meal of shrimp, crab and oysters. Some variations may exist between this and other Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouses, Ruby said. Columbus’ menu received input from local chefs to make it specific to the area.
“We change our menus seasonally, so there will be some things here that aren’t on our other menus,” he said. “We keep adding new things and stay creative.”
Jeff Ruby’s break into the Columbus market was long-coming. Guests from the area have been visiting the restaurants’ other locations for a while, “so it’s time to get closer to home.” Ruby is planning further expansion in the Midwest, shooting for Lexington and Indianapolis next.
Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse is taking reservations now for their planned opening on December 1. It’s located at 89 E. Nationwide Blvd.
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for more information, visit jeffruby.com/columbus.