Ruth’s Chris Steak House Cary

Ruth’s Chris Steak House in Cary sits at Renaissance Park Place and does what the chain is known for: USDA Prime steaks that arrive still sizzling. It is fine dining, with the prices and the sense of occasion that implies.

The story behind it starts in 1965, when Ruth Fertel mortgaged her home to buy a small steak house she found in a classified ad in New Orleans. She was 38, a single mother, and at the time most women could not apply for a bank card without a husband’s signature.

What to know

• In 1967 Ruth found that a 500-degree plate with butter kept a steak hot.
• A fire destroyed the New Orleans restaurant in 1976.
• The Chris Steak House name was not allowed to come along after the move.
• The first franchise opened in 1976 and started the chain’s growth.
• By 1997 the company led the upscale steakhouse business worldwide.