Before it became a high-end steakhouse, the elegant columns of Ruth’s Chris in Midlothian, Virginia, framed something far darker. Built in 1732, the farmhouse that became Bellgrade Plantation was once home to the prosperous Friend family. But its most infamous chapter began in 1840, when a French bachelor named Robiou purchased the estate and married a 14-year-old girl from nearby Old Gun Road.
The marriage didn’t last. Just weeks into their union, Robiou caught his young bride in an embrace with her former lover, a nineteen-year-old named Reid. Furious, he cast her out and demanded a divorce. Her father, the wealthy and well-connected Wormley, was humiliated. He conspired with Reid to ambush Robiou. One night, as Robiou climbed his porch steps, he was shot dead.
The murder trial shocked Virginia. The court released Reid, claiming that he was manipulated by Wormley. For his part, Wormley used whiskey to sway jurors into a mistrial. While this worked once, he was retried, found guilty, and hanged before a crowd of 6,000.
A mere two weeks later, tragedy returned. Robiou’s young widow, newly married to Reid and once again mistress of Bellgrade, tumbled down the grand staircase. Some say she fell onto a sewing basket, with a pair of scissors piercing her heart. Others claim her neck snapped on the way down. Either way, she died within feet of the place Robiou had bled.
Since then, the air at Bellgrade has never settled. Diners and staff alike whisper of figures wandering the gardens around the famous restaurant. One resembling a slip of a young woman, the other a tall and looming shadow of a man. It seems that Robiou and his doomed bride still linger. Tied by betrayal, blood, and tragedy.
So, if you visit Ruth’s Chris, take a look toward the garden after dark. You might get a glimpse of the dark past of this grand and historic estate.
As far as haunted steakhouses go, Ruth’s Chris of Midlothian, Virginia is far from alone. You can get a couple more such tales like this from our archived livestream podcasts linked below:
Li’l Abner’s Steakhouse in Tucson, Arizona – Featured in Haunted Arizona – Aired 6/5/2023
The Keg Steakhouse & Bar – Mansion in Toronto, Ontario, Canada – Featured in Haunted Canada – Tales from the Great White North – Aired 8/16/2021
