By Jared Curtis
Ruby Tuesday
Stop in for the food, stay for the drinks
We try to feature a wide variety of bars in Belly Up, from sports bars to neighborhood bars, to dives and dance clubs, we cover the gamut. One of the places we felt we lacked coverage on was the bar areas in local restaurants. Sure, the customer’s main reason to visit these establishment is to eat, but Ruby Tuesday is stepping its bar game up, offering patrons not only a great meal but a great drink to go along with it.
“All of the managers of Ruby Tuesday came together to figure out ideas to improve our bar business,” said Dustin Skudlarek, general manager. “We took the liquors we considered top shelf and changed them to our well liquors. It gives people an opportunity to enjoy great cocktails.”
The bar has a classic look and commands one side of the establishment with plenty of bar stools and tall back booths. The other side is more geared toward the restaurant, but Ruby Tuesday has the only bar with an adjacent salad bar in town that we know of.
“We have strict rules for the bar and use a lot of great ingredients,” Skudlarek said. “After wine bottles are cracked, they are only used for three days, so you’ll never get a turned bottle.”
Happy Hour takes place daily from 4 to 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. to close. Patrons can enjoy $1 off beer and wine as well as $2 appetizers. If you stop in after 9 p.m. and order a cocktail, you get a free mini burger.
“We have a great Happy Hour deal and have some regular customers who stop in,” said bartender Logan Galanits. “I’ve bartended at other establishments, and this bar is a lot nicer than people would expect. The high quality alcohol we use for our wells is better than most bars in town.”
If you can’t make it to Happy Hour, Ruby Tuesday has you covered. They offer $5 Premium Cocktails every day. Customers can choose off a list of drinks or create their own for $5. The bar also offers six beers on tap and more than 15 in the bottle. They have a $3 Draft of Day and customers can upgrade their draft from 16 oz. to the big 23 oz. glass for less than a $1. They also offer more than 20 wines by the glass ($4.99 - $12.99) or the bottle ($15 - $39).
“We switch our tap beers throughout the year,” Skudlarek said. “In the colder months we’ll offer more lagers, and in the warmer months they’ll be in the lighter side.”
While there, try a house specialty — the Ruby Relaxer.
“It’s easily our biggest seller,” Galanits said. “It’s a sweeter drink, but it has quite a kick.”
Ruby Tuesday will hold a Superbowl Party on Feb. 7, with four TVs broadcasting the game, free appetizers and drink specials.
“We’re a great place to grab a drink and relax. We work hard to make sure our customers are taken care of,” Skudlarek said. “Just because we have a corporate logo on the sign, doesn’t mean we are corporate minded.” CV
Caption:
Bartender Logan Galanits serves a house specialty, the Ruby Relaxer, at Ruby Tuesday, 4900 86th St., Urbandale. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. 278-4476.
