Eatery dishes out home cooked—style food

Growing up in a small town, Denay Hill said many of her fondest memories came from eating with her family at her grandmother's house.

Food was always on the table at grandmother Ruby's house, and enjoying a good meal together was central to Ruby's belief system, Hill said.

"She loved to cook, and we loved going over there," Hill said.

With Ruby K's Cafe and Bakery, the restaurant Hill opened with Kevin Hale, in 2012, Hill said she is trying to preserve her grandmother's memory through home cooked–style meals, freshly baked sweets and friendly service.

"Growing up, good times were always had around the kitchen table, enjoying each other, being a family and sharing," she said. "I want it to be like that here."

Ruby K's serves breakfast and lunch Monday through Saturday and dinner Thursday through Saturday. Dishes are prepared from scratch and made to order.

While omelets, pancakes, French toast, and biscuits and gravy help make up the breakfast menu, lunch and dinner options include salads, wraps, burgers, sandwiches and entrees such as chicken fettuccine and smothered chopped steak.

Ruby K's kitchen does not have a deep fryer, meaning dishes such as the chicken-fried steak are grilled by hand. Most of the dishes cost less than $10 and come in large enough portions that sometimes require to-go boxes, Hale said.

"There is something about having a big, home-cooked meal that is hard to beat," Hale said

Hale and Hill met in 2012 while trying to help someone else open a different restaurant. The pair instantly had a great bond and the same vision to open up their own restaurant, Hale said.

Ruby K's has been especially popular with residents of the Sun City community, he said.

"The food brings back a lot of memories," Hale said. "We cook the way mom or grandma did."

Bakery

Ruby K's Cafe and Bakery offers a wide variety of baked goods.

Chocolate brownies, seven-layer bars, cupcakes and muffins are among the treats in the bakery display case, while chocolate cream cake and chocolate-drizzled cheesecake are in the fridge.

Serving large entrees that usually require to-go boxes does not discourage many customers from enjoying dessert, co-owner Kevin Hale said.

"It's something that tops off the experience for them," he said.

Ruby K's also offers custom-designed cakes.

Popular dishes:

Chicken-fried steak: Fresh-cut steak is hand-dipped into seasoned breading and then grilled and pan-fried by hand. $9.99 for full order, $7.99 for half order

Cordon Bleu Dinner: Plump chicken breast is hand-dipped and breaded in Italian bread crumbs, stuffed with ham and Swiss cheese and glazed with a Vidaila onion. $9.99

Smothered chop steak: Hamburger steak is smothered in grilled onions, mushrooms and brown gravy. $8.99

Chicken parmigiana: Thinly sliced chicken breast is hand-battered in an Italian seasoning and served over a blanket of angel hair pasta and house-made marinara. $8.49

Side dishes

While entrees are popular at Ruby K's Cafe and Bakery, customers are especially fond of the side dishes, co-owner Kevin Hale said.

Ruby K's rotates many of its sides on a daily basis, though the fried cabbage and house-made cream corn are so popular they stay on the menu, Hale said.

Other rotating sides include sweet baby carrots and macaroni and cheese. Many entrees come with a choice of one or two side dishes.

1505 Park Lane, 512-591-7869, www.rubykscafe.com

• Mon.–Sat. 7 a.m.–3 p.m.
• Thu.–Sat. 4:30–8 p.m.