City: Indianapolis, IN

Category: Restaurants

Description: Sure, it’s a chain steak house. But it’s such a high-quality one that diners often look for Ruth’s Chris Steak House wherever they travel. Started by a single woman, Ruth Fertel, almost 50 years ago, Ruth’s Chris Steak House can be relied on for a prime steak cooked just the way you like. If you’ve ever wondered about that awkward name, it came about because Ruth Ertel bought the Chris Steak House in New Orleans in 1965. Eleven years later, a fire destroyed the thriving restaurant. Building a few blocks away, Ruth was faced with a dilemma. Under a contractual agreement with the previous owner, she couldn’t name the new restaurant the Chris Steak House. Not wanting to lose the years of great name recognition that she had built up, Ruth just added her own name to it—Ruth’s Chris Steak House. Now they seem to be everywhere, which says something about the place. If it ain’t good, it ain’t gonna last. Ruth died at age 75 in 2002, but her restaurants are still thriving.