Ruth's Chris Steak House

The restaurant operates inside the casino resort, but the dining room sits far enough from the gaming floor that a quiet, focused meal is genuinely possible. Expect the full Ruth's Chris treatment: a room built around the food, formal table service, and the chain's signature plating style where steaks arrive on 500-degree plates, still sizzling with butter. It's theatrical in a deliberately old-school way, the kind of restaurant that hasn't felt pressure to update its presentation because the presentation works.

The address puts this particular Ruth's Chris in an unusual context. Many locations in the chain sit in downtown business corridors or upscale hotel lobbies. This one serves a mountain resort town with a large tourism economy, which produces a dining room that sees a wide mix: anniversary couples, casino resort guests who want a proper sit-down dinner, and visitors from Asheville or Knoxville who know the brand and want the consistency it delivers.

The menu centers on USDA prime beef, and Ruth's Chris has built its name almost entirely on one commitment: executing the same thing reliably, at every location, every night. The signature preparation is a high-heat sear followed by service on a plate heated to 500 degrees, so the butter keeps the steak actively cooking at the table. You choose your cut and temperature; the kitchen handles the rest. This isn't a place that experiments with preparations or tries to redefine what a steakhouse does. It does the steakhouse thing at a high level.

Exactly which cuts are available and at what prices on a given night is worth confirming before you go. At the $$$$ price tier, it's worth knowing what you're walking into. Call 828-497-8880 or pull up the current menu on the Ruth's Chris official site.

Fresh seafood sits alongside the steakhouse staples, and classic American appetizers round out the opening courses. The wine list is extensive in a way that means something here: multiple pages, organized by region, with options that span a real price range above what you'd find anywhere casual in the area. If you want to spend time with a serious wine list or a sommelier, this delivers that. Desserts follow the same approach as the rest of the menu: classic, executed well, without surprise.

If you're celebrating something specific, call ahead and ask about dessert options with advance notice; the kitchen can sometimes accommodate requests.

Special occasions are the most common reason people make a reservation here, and the room supports them. Anniversaries, milestone birthdays, business dinners. The atmosphere works for all of them; the price tier effectively demands a reason to spend at this level when there are good restaurants across the region at every other price point.

If you evaluate restaurants specifically by the beef, Ruth's Chris is a reliable benchmark. It's one of the few places in this corner of North Carolina where you can get USDA prime with consistent, high-level preparation. That reliability is the chain's main selling point, and the Cherokee location maintains it.

Visitors who simply want a solid dinner after a day in the park will probably find the formality and price a mismatch for the occasion. Save this one for when the evening deserves it.

Hours change, and this is important: as of late 2024, Ruth's Chris at Cherokee ran dinner service only, with certain weekdays closed entirely. Before committing to a visit, verify the current schedule on the Harrah's Cherokee website or the Ruth's Chris official site; both reflect 2025-2026 operating hours.

Reservations are strongly recommended. Walk-in availability on weekends, holidays, and summer evenings is not something to count on. Book in advance, especially for parties of four or more or if you're planning around a specific date or event.

The address is 777 Casino Dr, Cherokee, NC 28719. Parking at Harrah's Cherokee is plentiful and free, with multiple structures and surface lots adjacent to the resort. Once inside, follow the resort's interior signage to the restaurant.

Cherokee sits at the southern entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, on the North Carolina side. If you're building a trip that combines park time during the day with a serious dinner in the evening, the logistics work: the Oconaluftee Visitor Center is minutes from the casino, and you can be off the trail and cleaned up in time for an evening reservation without difficulty. The drive from Gatlinburg involves crossing the mountain via US-441 south through the park, which adds roughly 45 minutes to your total travel time compared to dining on the Tennessee side. Factor that in when you're planning.