Posted on Thursday 27 October 2005
Rudy’s BBQ - http://www.rudys.com
2451 Capital of Texas Hwy, S. - Austin, TX 78746 - 512-329-5554
11570 Research Blvd. - Austin, TX 78759 - 512-418-9898
7709 FM 620 - Austin, TX 78726 - 512-250-8002
Now while we make it a general policy to refrain from writing up chain restaurants because we like to support local businesses, Rudy’s is too much of a staple for us to not write about. Rudy’s is based out of San Antonio and is generally found along with a Diamond Shamrock gas station. This combination isn’t very alarming once you realize that they’ve pretty much brought together some of the most notable signatures of Texas, barbeque and oil. The food speaks for itself. The different choices of brisket are geared to different types of people. Some weight conscious people might feel more comfortable ordering the "extra lean" cut while another prefers the succulent flavor of of the "extra moist." The meat is very tasty and worth the trip to Rudy’s, obviously if you can afford to make the drive out to Saltlick, you should definitely do it, but if you’re just thirsting for some Barbeque, Rudy’s is the single most consistent barbeque establishment in Austin. It’s a place where you will most definitely leave satisfied. Since the order process is controlled by the customer you can choose to order as much or as little as you want. If you’re in the mood for a small snack, I would recommend 1/4 of the chopped beef, not only is this really cheap (1-2 bucks) it is already mixed with the sauce and makes for a quick and simple snack. If you’re in the mood for a full meal you can order the meat of your choice and also order cole slaw, potato salad or creamed corn in sizes ranging from small to industrial size. Rudy’s also offers portions of banana pudding which is also very tasty and makes for a nice cleanup dish. All in all, Rudy’s is a place where you are guaranteed bang for your buck, it’s an affordable option for barbeque without having to sacrifice on quality.
Price: $
Technorati Tags: barbeque, bbq, austin, brisket
I’d nominate Rudy’s to lose a fork or two of rating over their idiotic business practices. It seems a BBQ online voting won Rudy’s #1 in several categories (not surprising since raw numbers were deciding factors) which is just fine, I liked their BBQ as much as any generically good Texas BBQ.
The trouble starts when Rudy’s decides to publish an advertisement showcasing their wins of the #1 spots in the hometown paper of the #2 winner Meyer’s BBQ in Elgin. Rudy’s doesn’t have any locations in Elgin, and the nearest one is over 25 miles away in north Austin.
It’s one thing to win an online vote using sheer numbers, as most people just don’t venture out and about to try BBQ (and food in general) as much as they should they’ll of course stick to what they know. But it is reprehensible that Rudy’s would take a shot at the #2 winner with an Ad in their local paper.
If you have the chance go out and try Meyer’s BBQ in Elgin, Black’s BBQ in Lockhart, Cooper’s BBQ in Llano, and Ben’s Place here in Austin proper. All great BBQ joints that haven’t taken on the corporate chain view of business.