<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0303</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2011-07-01</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000068270</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>RUBY TUESDAY INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>RT</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001349005</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>Becker Steven R</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>300 CRESCENT COURT</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>SUITE 1111</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>DALLAS</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>TX</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>75201</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle></officerTitle>
            <otherText></otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2011-07-01</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>X</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>200000</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>5.0000</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>883900</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>See Footnote</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <derivativeTable>
        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Call Option (right to buy)</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>5.000</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2011-07-01</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>X</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>2000</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <exerciseDate>
                <value>2011-05-09</value>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2011-10-22</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common Stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>200000</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>0</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>See Footnote</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeTransaction>
    </derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Represents shares of common stock (&quot;Common Stock&quot;), par value $0.01 per share, of Ruby Tuesday, Inc. (the &quot;Issuer&quot;) directly beneficially owned by Becker Drapkin partners (QP), L.P. (&quot;Becker Drapkin QP&quot;) (174,300 shares) and Becker Drapkin partners, L.P. (&quot;Becker Drapkin, L.P.&quot;) (25,700 shares).</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Represents shares of Common Stock directly beneficially owned by BD Partners III, L.P. (&quot;BD Partners III&quot;) (87,200 shares), Becker Drapkin QP (348,785 shares, including Becker Drapkin QP's shares described in footnote 1), Becker Drapkin, L.P. (56,015 shares, including Becker Drapkin, L.P.'s shares described in footnote 1), and a managed account (the &quot;Managed Account&quot;) (391,900 shares).</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Represents American-style call options to buy Common Stock that, until exercise, were directly beneficially owned by Becker Drapkin QP (1,743 options for 174,300 shares) and Becker Drapkin, L.P. (257 options for 25,700 shares).</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">Steven R. Becker (&quot;Mr. Becker&quot;) may be deemed to have beneficially owned these call options until exercise, and upon exercise of the call options to beneficially own these shares, as he is a co-managing member of BC Advisors, LLC which is the general partner of BD Management, L.P. (&quot;BD Management&quot;) (of which Mr. Becker is a limited partner), and BD Management is the general partner of, and investment manager for, each of BD Partners III, Becker Drapkin QP and Becker Drapkin, L.P. and provides investment advisory services for the Managed Account.  Mr. Becker disclaims beneficial ownership in such options and such shares of Common Stock except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Andrew S. McLelland, attorney-in-fact</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2011-07-06</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
