But words like "Prime" and "Choice" are far from mere ad copy; in fact, they're official grades provided by the USDA in order to mark the quality of beef. "Prime" is a higher grade than "Choice ...

Ruth’s uses only USDA Prime beef, wet-aged for up to 28 days for maximum tenderness. Steaks are cooked at 1,800°F, then served on 500-degree plates, sizzling in butter. Lexi R. / Yelp ...

When a beef carcass is presented to a USDA grader, ... Young carcasses can be graded as USDA Prime, Choice, Select, or Standard. Bulls do not qualify for USDA quality grades.

Participants receive official results from the USDA grader within 24 hours, allowing them to process and market their high-quality beef as USDA Prime, USDA Choice, or USDA Select.