Ruby Tuesday

FOOD

Ruby Tuesday’s pumpernickel croutons give the Garden Bar its unmistakable finishing touch: dark bread cubes beside the greens, vegetables, cheeses and dressings. The chain advertises more than 50 ingredients and allows return visits whether the bar is ordered as an entrée or a paid entrée add-on. The following expanded Garden Bar 2.0 selections depend on the restaurant’s current assortment; seasonal supply and local availability can also change what is on the bar.

Baby spinach brings a tender leafy base to the selection, while artichoke hearts give the vegetable section a welcome departure from raw salad crunch. Kalamata olives and sliced green olives offer two briny accents, particularly appealing beside the spinach and artichokes. They are small ingredients with a strong presence: the olives bring saltiness, the artichokes a softer texture, and the dark croutons a bread-based finish. Greek-style dressing is another named addition to this Mediterranean-leaning group.

Diced eggs, pepperoni and salami are substantial toppings within the self-service assortment. Eggs sit comfortably with the greens and cheeses; the two cured meats give the bar a little of the character of an Italian deli. These are worth distinguishing from the kitchen’s protein add-ons: the diced meats belong to the bar selection, while a portion of steak or salmon is an extra purchase. For a Garden Bar meal, those included toppings are part of the draw.

The prepared salads have identities of their own. Antipasti and Greek salads extend the deli-counter thread, while cucumber-and-onion salad keeps a cool, crisp vegetable pairing in the lineup. Roasted broccoli salad introduces a cooked vegetable to a spread strongly associated with fresh greens. This section is a substantial part of the expansion, giving the restaurant’s salad-bar regulars more to explore than a new topping or two. The named salads are already prepared and served from the bar.

Potato salad takes the prepared section toward the picnic table. Ramen mango salad brings noodles and fruit into the same assortment, a different direction from either the leafy bases or the olive-and-artichoke toppings. Ambrosia supplies an old-fashioned sweet salad, and fresh fruit also appears in the expanded program. That sweet corner belongs to the Garden Bar itself; cakes, cookie skillets and sundaes are separate dessert-menu orders. The appeal here includes prepared salads as well as the familiar greens-and-croutons combination.

Dressings deserve attention alongside those signature croutons. Greek-style is specifically named for the dining-room expansion. Ruby Tuesday also publishes a separate, finite Create Your Own Garden Bar catering package: its greens come with tomatoes, cucumbers, pepper strips, broccoli, carrots, crispy onions, bacon, cheddar and croutons, with ranch, buttermilk blue cheese, balsamic vinaigrette and honey mustard dressings. That package shows another version of the brand’s salad-bar tradition; its listed contents are not a promise of an identical dining-room inventory.

Grilled or crispy chicken, shrimp, salmon and steak can accompany the Garden Bar for an extra charge, as purchased portions rather than unlimited kitchen orders. A bowl of soup, loaded baked potato or burger also joins the bar in specified meals and daily combinations. Those additions can round out dinner, but the unlimited part remains the Garden Bar and its included ingredients and prepared salads.