Ruby Tuesday, Kihei

Forty years ago, Sandy Beall had an epiphany—he would open a casual restaurant that serves handcrafted dishes made with quality ingredients, such as vine-ripened tomatoes, and applewood-smoked bacon. Ruby Tuesday opened near the University of Tennessee in 1972, and it proved to be so popular, that it is now an iconic American institution with about 900 restaurants across the United States and the world. Local culinary kings Ted Davenport and Rick Nakashima oversee the Ruby Tuesday Hawaii locations, teaming up to bring flavor that has earned their eateries mentions from Hawaii Sports Memories and MidWeek.

At Ruby Tuesday Hawaii, customers select dishes from the menu, such as jumbo skewered shrimp, top sirloin steaks with roasted spaghetti squash. Cocktails from an ample bar menu compete with craft beer and frozen drinks.

Ruby Tuesday Hawaii’s staffers aren’t just concerned with making their customers happy—they also want to make Mother Nature happy and do so with a variety of green efforts and massages for trees. Recent programs include discussions on storm-water management and school rewards for students who perform well academically.