JEFF RUBY’S STEAKHOUSE Fine Dining Experience

In 1981, soon after opening his first restaurant, ‘The Precinct’, Jeff Ruby realized that guests didn’t patronize the place simply because they were hungry. Ruby explains, “They could’ve just gone to their refrigerators if they were hungry. They were coming to my place to celebrate life and I was going to give them a total culinary and entertainment experience unlike any other so they could do just that. More than four decades later, we strive to do the exact same thing every night.”

Now, after 4 successful years, Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse in downtown Lexington has established itself as a hometown icon and can’t-miss destination for visitors. Lexingtonians and travelers from around the world relish “The Jeff Ruby Experience” which Ruby describes as “a unique combination of elements like ambiance, culinary expertise, decor, music, hospitality, rhythm and flow, sense of arrival, service and so much more.” This experience has drawn national attention. According to their website, Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse has garnered awards such as OpenTable’s Top 100 Steakhouses in America; Travel + Leisure’s Top American Steakhouses; and USA Today’s Best American Steakhouses, among many others.

Ruby credits the origin of his success to his high school football coach and mentor, Jeep Bednarik, who took an interest in him after Ruby fled from a troubled home and became self-sufficient at the age of 15. Ruby says, “He taught me the value of striving to become a better person, hard work and more. I wanted to make him proud. As a result of his mentorship, I went from failing grades to straig A’s. From not winning a wrestling match my sophmore year to not losing one my senior year. From riding the bench to All-State football honors and a scholarship to Cornell University. He is one of the single greatest influences I’ve had in my life.”

Ruby has spent much of his adult life passing along what is now his own positive influence down through his employees to his guests. According to Ruby, “In the restaurant business, everything is important, but perhaps nothing more so than making our guets feel really important. The only way to make that happen is to make our employees our most important thing. If we offer them extraordinary opportunities, they make an emotional connection with the guests they serve. I would’ve never been successful if my employees didn’t want me to be.”

Ruby also gives back through The Jeff Ruby Foundation, which aims to alleviate childhood poverty by first addressing challenges faced by the most vulnerable population in our community - those without parents as well as those in the current foster care system.

859-554-7000 | jeffruby.com

101 W Vine St, Lexington KY