For some, formal dining etiquette is taught at home or in etiquette classes. For others, it’s something learned through trial and error—or not at all.
That reality became the center of a heated debate on TikTok after a woman filmed herself enjoying dinner at Ruth’s Chris Steak House, a popular upscale American steakhouse chain known for its sizzling steaks served on 500-degree plates.
What started as a simple “soft life” moment turned into a viral discussion about table manners, social class, and whether friends should correct each other or shame each other online.
Woman Films Herself Eating At Ruth’s Chris
In a viral video with more than 1.4 million views, content creator Khadi (@khadi.khronicles) filmed herself taking the first bite of each dish she ordered at Ruth’s Chris.
The clip shows her starting with what many viewers assumed was steak but was actually lamb chops.
As she cut into the meat, she held her fork with a firm, overhand grip in one hand while using a knife in the other. The lamb chops didn’t cut easily, and her grip on the utensils appeared unconventional by formal dining standards.
She went on to taste mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, and greens throughout the video.
“Soft life taste like this,” Khadi wrote in the caption.
The video quickly went viral, but not for the reasons Khadi likely expected. Viewers zeroed in on her dining technique, sparking thousands of comments and reaction videos debating proper table etiquette.
“I just wanna say that I have been to Ruth Chris on several occasions. And I don’t follow societies norm and I just simply do what I want. I went for the lamb chops and they were so good! Also I just feel like everything is content, and my boyfriend was not bothered at all,” she told BroBible in a TikTok direct message.
@khadi.khronicles Soft life taste like this ✨💙 #datenight
Critics Call Out Dining Technique
Chris Martin (@cmartyfit) was among those who criticized Khadi’s approach to cutting her food. In a video that garnered 965,000 views, he didn’t hold back his opinion.
“Did y’all see the video of the girl at Ruth Chris Steakhouse holding the fork like she wanted a Flintstones? This was crazy,” Martin says in the clip. “Ladies, all y’all wanna do, go to the nice restaurant. Yeah. A ninja gotta take me here. He gotta take me to this restaurant. This and that. Whole time, a lot of y’all never really been to them places.”
He continued, “Whole time, y’all never took an etiquette class, and y’all parents never taught y’all how to eat properly. A grown woman cutting a steak like a like a caveman is insane. And this is why y’all getting invited on coffee days.”
Martin suggested men should “vet” women before taking them to upscale restaurants to avoid embarrassment.
“Listen. I’ll be damned if I take a chick out, and she go into Ruth Chris and embarrass me,” he says.
Others Defend Her And Call For Compassion
Not everyone agreed with the criticism. Several creators pushed back, arguing that the situation revealed deeper issues about how people treat each other online and who has access to learning formal etiquette.
In a video with 367,000 views, @mzuniquecutz called out those mocking Khadi instead of offering help.
She emphasized that not everyone has had the opportunity to learn formal dining etiquette.
“A real friend is gonna stop you and show you the correct way to do it because everybody hasn’t been fortunate to be in places and positions that you have learned the proper etiquette as to holding utensils and stuff like that,” she explains.
Rather than filming and posting for views, she argued, a true friend would take the time to teach.
“Why is that person making this video? Why are they not trying to show that person—show her the proper way to use the fork and knife instead of taking the time to videotape and to make a viral moment?” she asks.
“A real true friend or a real gentleman woulda took the time out to show her the proper way to use that fork and a knife in the roof crease or whatever.”
It’s important to note that Khadi was filming herself and was on a date with her boyfriend.
‘It’s A Skill Everyone Should Have’
Genny (@itsgennyp) weighed in with her own perspective in a video that received 217,000 views, noting that regardless of where someone is dining, knowing how to properly cut meat is a valuable skill.
“And if Ruth Chris isn’t fine dining, then whoop de freaking do y’all. I don’t care if you’re cutting a steak at Ruth Chris or at Texas Roadhouse. It’s a skill that everyone should have regardless,” she says in the clip.
She emphasized that proper technique isn’t about snobbery, it’s about practicality.
“I should not hear chainsaws on the other side of the restaurant because you’re trying to cut that well done steak and sawing back and forth,” Genny adds.
“Mind you, i never said it was fine dining,” she clarified in her caption.
The Rules Of Steakhouse Dining Etiquette
Proper steakhouse etiquette does exist, though not everyone has been taught the rules. According to Food Republic, one of the key rules when dining at a steakhouse is to cut meat one bite at a time rather than slicing it all at once.
The reasoning is twofold: Cutting all at once means spending too much time focused on the plate instead of engaging with dining companions. And it causes the steak to cool faster and lose its juices, resulting in an inferior meal.
When a steak arrives, diners should make one cut across the center to check if it’s cooked to their liking, then continue slicing one bite at a time throughout the meal. This approach keeps the meat at peak temperature and flavor while allowing for proper socializing, an essential part of the steakhouse experience, which is designed to be consumed leisurely.
BroBible reached out to Martin, @mzuniquecutz, and Genny for comment via TikTok direct message and comment. We’ll be sure to update this if they respond.