Head-to-Head · Nashville
Jeff Ruby's vs Husk
A downtown prime steakhouse with live music against heirloom modern Southern. Book Jeff Ruby's for spectacle, Husk for the cooking.
The Verdict
Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse is the big-night room. Set in the old Regions Bank building at 300 4th Avenue North downtown, it cooks USDA Prime cuts, a seafood tower and a sushi bar to a soundtrack of live music every night, in a glossy supper-club setting. It scores 8.5 for food and 8.5 for the room, with dinner running roughly $90 to $160 a head once a steak and a drink are in.
Husk Nashville is the heirloom-Southern original. In a brick Victorian in Rutledge Hill, a few blocks south of Broadway, the kitchen has cooked ingredient-driven modern Southern food since 2013, rediscovering heirloom grains, peas and pork from across the region, with chef de cuisine Brian Baxter on the pass. It scores 8.5 for food and 9 for the room, with dinner nearer $60 to $95 à la carte.
Scores, Side by Side
| Score | Jeff Ruby's | Husk |
|---|---|---|
| Food | 8.5 / 10 | 8.5 / 10 |
| Atmosphere | 8.5 / 10 | 9 / 10 |
| Value | 7.5 / 10 | 7.5 / 10 |
Which One for Which Occasion
| Occasion | Editorial Pick |
|---|---|
| Steak night out | Jeff Ruby'sUSDA Prime cuts, a seafood tower and live music. |
| Taste of the region | HuskHeirloom Southern produce and grains, cooked with care. |
| Birthday with spectacle | Jeff Ruby'sThe supper-club room and nightly band carry the night. |
| Quiet food-led dinner | HuskThe Rutledge Hill room lets the cooking lead. |
| Closing a deal | Jeff Ruby'sA confident steakhouse that impresses a guest. |
Price Comparison
Both sit at the top of Nashville pricing, with the steakhouse the bigger bill. Jeff Ruby's runs roughly $90 to $160 a head once a prime steak, sides and a drink are counted, more with the tomahawk or the seafood tower. Husk lands nearer $60 to $95 for a starter, main and dessert à la carte. Weigh them against the best steakhouses worldwide and the best fine-dining restaurants worldwide.
How to Book
Both reserve on OpenTable and both tighten on weekends. Husk's smaller Rutledge Hill room is the harder Friday-or-Saturday table, so book two to three weeks out in peak season; Jeff Ruby's has more covers and a bar that absorbs walk-ins. For the wider field, see the hardest reservations in Nashville.
Start the wider map from the Nashville dining guide, and for occasion fit see the best restaurants for a birthday and for impressing clients. Browse more head-to-heads on the compare index.