Ruby Tuesday, Marley Station Mall, 7900 Governor Ritchie Highway, Glen Burnie MD

Located just inside the rear entrance of Marley Station Mall, Ruby Tuesday is one of our favorite eateries because, over the years that we've been dining there, we have always enjoyed consistently good food and service. Their atmosphere is relaxing with an uncluttered decor, comfortable, spacious  seating, and pleasant music. It's usually relatively quiet although, like any restaurant, it can get pretty chatter-heavy when they're packed out with customers.
There are a lot of things we like about Ruby Tuesday, but a couple are especially significant, one being that they frequently update their menu. They have some standard goodies that stick around, but they're not afraid to add something new to their repertoire, and we appreciate the variety. On this visit we tried two of their four new Mini Combinations and we're SO glad we did, because they were fantastic! All of RT's Mini Combos are served with "endless" fries and come with your choice of fresh-made soup or endless fresh garden bar. We both chose the garden bar.

Speaking of the Fresh Garden Bar, it's the other significant thing we like about Ruby Tuesday. They're one of the very few full-service restaurants with a complete salad bar. I can't give you an exhaustive list of their offerings, but be assured that their selection is excellent and they keep it well stocked with fresh items. One of my personal favorites is edamame -- a truly good-tasting and good-for-you veggie that, unfortunately, I rarely find at other salad bars, not even the all-you-can-eat buffets.

RT has a great balance of choices, with plenty of fresh, crisp "standard" garden-salad ingredients (starting with four types of greens), several tasty kinds of pasta salad, a selection of fruits, including Waldorf salad, plus plenty of dressings and toppings. 

Hunny, salmon lover that he is, had the new Salmon Cake Minis. These babies are scrumptious -- grilled golden brown and served with fresh lettuce, tomato and sweet-spicy chili sauce. We were both impressed with the size of these "mini" masterpieces -- as you can see from the photo, they were hanging over the sides of their little buns. He really liked these!


That's not to imply that he was any happier with his choice than I was with mine. I picked the new Pimento Cheese Minis. 


I happen to adore pimento cheese, but I've found that the quality difference between brands ranges dramatically. Let me tell you, this was the second-best pimento cheese I have ever eaten. The only one who's done it better was my late Aunt Lilly, who made it from scratch. This was so near to the quality of hers, though, that I felt compelled to ask the manager, Melissa, if it was made on premises. Surprisingly, she said they get it ready-made from a supplier. In retrospect, I should have asked the name of the supplier -- it's that good! The Pimento Cheese Minis are served with fresh lettuce, tomato, a pickle and Ruby's mayonnaise, but it's so creamy, the mayonnaise really isn't necessary.

If you've read my previous posts, you know that I'm a big fan of fruit-flavored iced tea. Well, no place does that better than Ruby Tuesday. On this visit, I ordered my "usual," the Ruby Red made with pomegranate juice, one of those superfoods that is so good for you, you should drink some every day. That said, I admit that I've tried other flavors once or twice. Served in elegant, tall glasses similar to pilsners, RT uses real fruit and fruit juice -- the peach and mango are infused with luscious bits of fruit that make them delicious and beautiful.

Oh, the manager I mentioned earlier, Melissa -- yeah, she stopped by our table a few times to make sure everything was to our liking. Happily, our server, Jackie, was taking excellent care of us, but we really appreciate it when management is fully engaged with the customers and aware of what's happening, and Melissa makes it her business to do that. She's also a great seller -- despite the fact that we had already decided against dessert, Melissa's description of another new addition to the menu, the Italian Cream Cake, convinced us to share a slice. It was the first time either of us had ever tried this type of cake, but even without other versions to compare it to, we both found it delectable. I love carrot cake, and the Italian Cream Cake, to me, seemed like carrot cake made with coconut instead of carrots, with a very similar texture and cream cheese frosting, but a lighter, less "spiced" flavor. It was so good, in fact, that I completely forgot to take a photo! Oh, well, I guess that means I'll just have to have it again soon. I mean, my readers do need to know what it looks like. At least, that's as good an excuse as I need! After a relaxing and thoroughly enjoyable couple of hours, terrific food and service, and a tab of just $32 and change, we left feeling happy and satisfied.