A beef over a bill at a Manhattan steakhouse turned into a bloody brawl in which a woman stabbed a man in the back, after one dissatisfied diner lashed out at her fellow patrons, sources said.
What should have been a nice night out at the Ruth’s Chris Steak House on West 51st ended up more like a nasty street fight, when a group of nine or 10 customers began complaining to the hostess about their check, one worker said.
“There was a misunderstanding about the bill. They were rowdy,” the source said.
The large group was so loud and disturbing, it caught the attention of other diners, including Joan Thompson, who was seated with a younger woman at a table for two nearby.
Trouble began when someone at Thompson’s table allegedly commented on the group’s antics, prompting heated words from one of the partiers, according to a source.
“She came to the table and said, ‘You look like sh-t, the way you dress,’ ” the source said, adding, “The girls started fighting.”
That’s when a man from the larger party jumped into the fray and allegedly began throwing punches, landing several on Thompson’s younger dining partner, the worker said.
“He punched the girl a few times,” the source said. “That’s why she reacted.”
Thompson, 41, who was described as a semi-regular customer of the steak house, then allegedly picked up a steak knife and plunged it into the man’s back, police and sources said.
“It was like a brawl and she knifed him in the back,” the source added. “He did the punching first.”
The shocking incident, which unfolded while folks dined on $68 ribeyes and $118 porterhouse meals, allegedly sent Thompson and her dinner partner fleeing on West 51st Street.
The Manhattanville woman — who, police said, also ditched her bill when she ran off — was arrested at 2 a.m. Saturday.
The man, 24, was taken to NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in stable condition and was expected to survive.
“Is this about the incident last night? I’m feeling great. I know you’re looking for a story, but I’m not going on air,” the man said when reached for comment Saturday.
Thompson was due in Manhattan Criminal Court later Saturday, on charges of assault and menacing.