What to Eat at Ruby Tuesday: Healthy Menu Choices and Nutrition Facts

Offering a laid-back, sit-down environment, Ruby Tuesday provides menu items typical of family-friendly restaurants, such as topping-heavy burgers, fries, and a number of steak entrees with a loaded baked potato on the side.

While Ruby Tuesday offers high-calorie drinks and large-portioned meals, it also has a make-it-yourself salad bar and a menu identifying “Fit & Trim” selections that contain 700 calories or fewer per serving.

Navigating the Menu

Ruby Tuesday offers standard fare for a relaxed, casual restaurant, such as salads, burgers, fried appetizers, and seafood. The menu displays an “FT” next to the Fit & Trim selections that contain 700 calories or fewer and a star next to the signature items that are among the most popular with patrons.

The restaurant also provides alternative suggestions directly on the menu for how to change the nutritional profile of an entrée.

Most Nutritious Option

The hickory bourbon chicken entrée, with mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli as sides, provides a balanced plate with lean protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Appetizers

The appetizer menu at Ruby Tuesday features favorites such as cheese fries, wings, mozzarella sticks, spinach artichoke dip, and more. Consider sharing these dishes with your table to get a taste of these flavors while keeping portion sizes lower.

✓ Chicken Wings

An appetizer order of chicken wings at Ruby Tuesday contains 830 calories, 69g fat, 14g saturated fat, 6g carbohydrates, 46g protein, and 3,130mg sodium. While not the lowest-calorie option on the menu (that would be the coconut shrimp), the chicken wings are lower in fat and higher in protein than other options. Consider skipping the included dipping sauce to further reduce calories and fat.

✗ Ruby's Signature Sampler

The Ruby's signature sampler comes with boneless wings, spinach artichoke dip, and mozzarella sticks, and has 1,340 calories, 67g fat, 21g saturated fat, 124g carbohydrates, 61g protein, and 3,100mg sodium.

With nearly a day's worth of recommended sodium and calories, this appetizer sampler is best shared with the table. Alternatively, consider ordering any of the sampled dishes separately to enjoy on their own.

Salads

The salad section of the Ruby Tuesday menu offers a few entrée salads, plus several smaller-portion options (half-cup size servings) and a few soups too.

✓ Ruby's Grilled Chicken Caesar

If you select grilled chicken (vs. crispy) on this entrée-sized dish, you'll consume 780
calories, 50g fat, 11g saturated fat, 37g carbohydrate, 49g protein, and 2,170mg sodium. Skip the Parmesan cheese and Caesar dressing to reduce calories to 450, fat to 27g, and sodium to 1,580mg.

Of the half-cup sides, the cucumber salad (cucumbers and onions with vinaigrette) is a low-calorie choice with 45 calories, 3.5g fat, 0.5g saturated fat, 3g carbohydrate, <1g protein, and 80mg sodium.

✗ Backyard BBQ Chicken Salad

With bacon, cheddar cheese, and both barbecue sauce and BBQ ranch dressing, this is the highest-calorie entrée salad. With grilled chicken, it provides 1,400 calories, 84g fat, 20g saturated fat, 85g carbohydrate, 71g protein, and 4,040mg sodium.

Chicken

The chicken dishes at Ruby Tuesday vary in cooking styles from grilled to double-dipped buttermilk battered. You can also order the garden salad bar with all the chicken dishes for an additional fee.

✓ Hickory Bourbon Chicken

The hickory bourbon chicken entrée is a grilled chicken breast topped with a hickory bourbon glaze. Without sides, it has 260 calories, 5g fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 18g carbohydrate, 31g protein, and 70mg sodium. It comes with two sides, and there are several veggie options, including steamed broccoli, grilled zucchini, roasted corn, and cauliflower au gratin.

If you prefer a creamy chicken dish, the asiago bacon chicken is a grilled chicken breast (you can also order a double, with two breasts) topped with mushrooms, bacon, Parmesan cream sauce, and Asiago cheese. A single has 450 calories, 26g fat, 8g saturated fat, 11g carbohydrate, 44g protein, and 2.010mg sodium (without sides).

✗ Chicken Parmesan

Ruby Tuesday's traditional chicken Parmesan dish, with a breaded chicken breast, pasta, marinara sauce, and both mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, has 1,730 calories, 90g fat, 22g saturated fat, 145g carbohydrate, 91g protein, and 6,490mg sodium (without sides).

Ribs & Combos

Ruby Tuesday ribs are slow cooked for hours. You can choose from a number of flavors from the traditional BBQ to Nashville hot. All are relatively low in calories, high in protein, and fairly low in sodium when compared to other protein dishes on the menu.

✓ Half-Rack Baby-Back Ribs - Classic Barbecue

A half-rack of the classic barbecue baby-back ribs, without sides, has 470 calories, 24g fat, 9g saturated fat, 21g carbohydrate, 44g protein, and 370mg sodium. Pair the half-rack with two veggie sides instead of focusing on protein with the full rack.

✗ Texas Dusted Baby-Back Ribs

Most of the ribs contain approximately the same amount of calories, making your selection a matter of taste preference. However, the highest-calorie option is a full rack of the Texas dusted baby-back ribs, which has 1,100 calories, 69g fat, 22g saturated fat, 30g carbohydrate, 88g protein, and 1,080mg sodium.

Seafood

There are just a few seafood dishes on the menu, but if you're looking for a low-calorie dish that offers protein and omega-3 fatty acids, you'll find it here with the grilled salmon option.

✓ Grilled Salmon

The grilled salmon has 330 calories, 22g fat, 6g saturated fat, 0g carbohydrate, 39g protein, and 470mg sodium. You can order this dish with two sides; the Fit & Trim menu suggests grilled zucchini and rice pilaf.

✗ Coconut Shrimp Platter

The coconut shrimp platter comes with fries and coleslaw, but even without those two sides, the dish has 740 calories, 58g fat, 17g saturated fat, 46g carbohydrate, 9g protein, and 1,130mg sodium.

If you'd like shrimp, consider the New Orleans seafood entrée. You'll get a tilapia filet and sautéed shrimp both with Cajun seasoning, and a Parmesan cream sauce, for 320 calories, 14g fat, 6g saturated fat, 6g carbohydrate, 40g protein, and 1,430mg sodium.

Pasta

All pasta dishes are served with a garlic breadstick, which you can exclude to reduce carbs. Pasta dishes don't come with any other side.

✓ Chicken Carbonara

The chicken carbonara has 1,060 calories, 47g fat, 20g saturated fat, 102g carbohydrate, 62g protein, and 3,050mg sodium. (These nutrition facts include the breadstick.)

✗ Chicken & Broccoli Pasta

Although chicken is a lean protein and broccoli a fiber-rich cruciferous veggie, the other ingredients in the chicken & broccoli pasta (such as Parmesan cream sauce and scampi butter) mean this dish contains 1,510 calories, 98g fat, 32g saturated fat, 103g carbohydrate, 56g protein, and 3,850mg sodium, not including the breadstick.

Steaks

Meat enthusiasts might prefer to order off the steak menu, which includes top cuts of rib eye and sirloin. You can also visit the salad bar for a nominal fee to add some fresh vegetables to your meal. Steaks come with two sides, so you can add veggies there too.

✓ Top Sirloin

A 6-ounce portion of top sirloin, without sides, provides 290 calories, 17g fat, 4.5g saturated fat, 2g carbohydrate, 32g protein, and 580mg sodium.

If you'd like a surf-and-turf meal, the 6-ounce top sirloin and grilled shrimp combo is a protein-packed choice with 330 calories, 18g fat, 4.5g saturated fat, 2g carbohydrate, 41g protein, and 1,070mg sodium.

✗ Rib Eye & Crispy Shrimp

One of the larger cuts of meat, the 12-ounce rib eye served with crispy breaded shrimp has 1,050 calories, 74g fat, 28g saturated fat, 27g carbohydrate, 69g protein, and 2,580mg sodium. Switch to grilled shrimp or skip the shrimp altogether to cut some calories, fat, carbohydrates, and sodium—you'll still get plenty of protein.

Burgers & Sandwiches

Burgers and sandwiches are the most popular menu items at Ruby Tuesday. You'll find ground beef burgers, chicken sandwiches, and even a plant-based patty option, and gluten-free buns are available too.

✓ Grilled Chicken Sandwich

Ruby Tuesday's grilled chicken sandwich on a brioche bun provides 540 calories, 22g fat, 4.5g saturated fat, 36g carbohydrate, 40g protein, and 1,510mg sodium.

Hold the mayo on this sandwich to reduce the fat content by about 6 grams total (3g saturated fat). If you still want a liquid condiment as a topping, ketchup and/or mustard have fewer calories and very little fat.

✗ Smokehouse Cheeseburger

The smokehouse cheeseburger is topped with bacon, barbecue sauce, and fried onion rings, and has 980 calories, 54g fat, 20g saturated fat, 63g carbohydrate, 50g protein, and 1,890mg sodium.

The basic cheeseburger is a lower-calorie and lower-fat option, since it omits the bacon and onion rings.

Sides

Ruby Tuesday offers a range of sides, from grilled zucchini, steamed broccoli, and rice pilaf to loaded baked potatoes and tater tots. Premium sides include soups of the day, roasted baby portobella mushrooms, and macaroni and cheese.

✓ Grilled Zucchini

The grilled zucchini side provides 20 calories, 0.5g fat, 0g saturated fat, 3g carbohydrate, 1g protein, and 260mg sodium. Other veggie options include broccoli, corn, coleslaw, and sweet potato fries.

✗ Mac ‘n Cheese

The mac 'n cheese side has 480 calories, 27g fat, 16g saturated fat, 43g carbohydrate, 20g protein, and 1,130mg sodium. If you want a carb-based side, the baked potato offers vitamin C and potassium for 200 calories, 0.5g fat, and 125mg sodium.

Dessert

Ruby Tuesday offers a few chocolate options, including its famous chocolate chip cookie skillet with vanilla ice cream. As you might expect, all desserts contain a high amount of fat, sugar, and calories.

✓ Chocolate Lava Cake

The chocolate lava cake, topped with vanilla ice cream, is the lowest-calorie pick, with 620 calories, 33g fat, 18g saturated fat, 77g carbohydrate, 9g protein, 52g sugar, and 430mg sodium.

If you aren’t a chocolate person, the carrot cake has a similar nutrition profile: 630 calories, 36g fat, 18g saturated fat, 69g carbohydrate, 8g protein, 50g sugar, and 470mg sodium.

✗ Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie

This chocolate chip skillet cookie dessert contains 1,350 calories, 71g fat, 39g saturated fat, 174g carbohydrate, 21g protein, 111g sugar, and 1,140mg sodium. You might consider splitting this dessert with your dining companions, or packing up half to have another day.

Kids Menu

The kids menu at Ruby Tuesday includes homestyle favorites, in smaller portions. From mac 'n cheese and marinara pasta to crispy shrimp and grilled chicken (plus more), you can satisfy plenty of cravings by ordering from this menu. It has eight entrée choices, six sides, and two desserts.

✓ Grilled Chicken

The kids' grilled chicken includes a smaller grilled chicken breast with your choice of side (broccoli, grapes, zucchini, French fries, tater tots, or mashed potatoes). On its own, the chicken provides 180 calories, 7g fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 0g carbohydrate, 31g protein, and 470mg sodium.

✗ Buttery Pasta

The kids' buttery pasta contains cooked penne pasta with margarine and provides 590 calories, 26g fat, 4.5g saturated fat, 78g carbohydrate, 11g protein, and 850mg sodium. If craving a pasta dish, consider the marinara pasta for 130 fewer calories and 19g less fat.

Diet-Specific Options

Ruby Tuesday doesn’t offer a lot of heart-healthy options, but its grilled chicken and fish dishes and veggie sides provide options for people following vegetarian, vegan, low-fat, low-sodium, and gluten-free diets. However, choices are quite limited for diners on low-carb, diabetes-friendly and low-FODMAP diets.

Gluten-Free

You can stick to a gluten-free diet at Ruby Tuesday (although the restaurant can't guarantee there won't be cross-contact). Use Ruby Tuesday's customizable allergen menu to identify gluten-friendly selections. This tool suggests the following (some may require modifications, so discuss your order with your server):

• Cheddar queso and chips
• Ambrosia, quinoa, cucumber, broccoli, and potato salads
• Chicken corn chowder
• Garden salad bar
• All salad dressings
• Honey-glazed salmon salad
• Ruby's grilled chicken Caesar salad
• Asiago bacon or hickory bourbon chicken
• Grilled or hickory bourbon salmon
• New Orleans seafood
• Baby-back ribs
• Ruby's, bacon, or smokehouse cheeseburger (with gluten-free bun)
• Grilled chicken sandwich (with gluten-free bun)
• Regular sides except French fries, tater tots
• Kids grilled chicken

For a balanced meal that's free of gluten ingredients, consider the hickory bourbon salmon with rice pilaf and steamed broccoli.

Low-Fat

Although Ruby Tuesday is known for barbecued ribs, burgers, and pasta—not exactly low-fat fare—you can order low-fat sides and grilled lean proteins to keep fat and sodium counts lower.

• Garden salad bar (avoid cheese, nuts, and creamy dressings)
• Backyard BBQ chicken salad (omit bacon and cheddar cheese)
• Grilled or hickory bourbon salmon
• New Orleans seafood
• Hickory bourbon chicken
• Philly cheesesteak hoagie (omit cheese)
• Grilled chicken sandwich (no mayo)
• Sides: broccoli, zucchini, corn, rice pilaf, baked potato
  
• Kids grilled chicken

Opt for the hickory bourbon chicken with grilled zucchini and rice pilaf for only 9g fat.

Low-Sodium

It can be a challenge to keep your sodium intake low when dining out. But there are some tasty lower-sodium options available at Ruby Tuesday, such as:

• Garden salad bar (avoid cheese and bacon)
• All salad dressings
• Coconut shrimp platter (no coleslaw)
• Grilled salmon
• Half-rack baby-back ribs, classic barbecue
• Sides: Broccoli, zucchini, corn, baked potato, roasted baby bellas
• Carrot cake
• Chocolate lava cake
• Kids grilled chicken

A grilled salmon entrée with steamed broccoli and a baked potato has 670mg sodium. Omit the baked potato to reduce sodium by 130mg.

Low-Carb

While many menu offerings at Ruby Tuesday are high in carbohydrates, you can limit your intake by focusing on proteins and skipping starchy sides and breads (like the brioche bun). Lower-carb choices include:

• Buffalo chicken wings
• Garden salad bar (skip croutons)
• Small side salads, such as cucumber and quinoa
• Honey-glazed salmon salad (omit honey garlic sauce, balsamic vinaigrette, dried cranberries, and roasted corn)
• Ruby's grilled chicken Caesar salad (omit croutons)
  

Try a grilled chicken Caesar salad for a complete meal with 14g carbohydrates (plus 3g fiber and 43g protein).

Vegetarian

You can follow a vegetarian diet at Ruby Tuesday. The restaurant has a plant-based "awesome patty” as a substitute for the red meat burgers, or you can choose a meat-free option such as:

• Spinach artichoke dip and chips
• Cucumber salad
• Potato salad
• Garden salad bar
• Salad dressings except Caesar and ranch (lite ranch is OK)
• Sides: Broccoli, zucchini, corn, baked potato, roasted baby bellas, mac and cheese, coleslaw
• Kids cheese pizza
• Carrot cake
• New York cheesecake

For a tasty vegan or vegetarian meal, order the Awesome burger and visit the salad bar to make yourself a salad just the way you like it.

Vegan

While those following a vegan diet have fewer options than vegetarians, there are some menu items at Ruby Tuesday that do not contain animal products.

• Cucumber salad
• Garden salad bar
• Awesome burger on brioche bun
• Salad dressings: Balsamic vinegar, balsamic vinaigrette, extra virgin olive oil, golden Italian
• Sides: Broccoli, zucchini, corn, baked potato, roasted baby bellas
• Kids marinara
• Kids buttery pasta (made with margarine)

Food Allergies and Safety

Patrons with food allergies can use the interactive online menu to zero in on selections that don't contain eight major allergens. However, the chefs cook in an environment in which cross-contamination is possible.

A Word From Verywell

While many Ruby Tuesday menu items are higher in calories, fat, and sodium, most healthy eating patterns allow for the occasional off-balance meal. And if you visit Ruby Tuesday regularly, you can select lean proteins and veggie sides for a nutrient-dense plate.