Rudy's BBQ New Mexico

My family are presently in Albuquerque New Mexico visiting some friends, and my buddy raved about Rudy's BBQ. This was the Carlisle location. We went and ordered the brisket and pulled pork with some sides. The brisket was tender but was somewhat tasteless. The pulled pork was average at best also. My wife had the smoked turkey and it was dry. I had an order of baked beans that were just plain awful. Black pepper was the only taste you could get out of the beans. I tried to make the beans and meat taste a little better by adding sauce to them, but the sauce wasnt very good either. I tried both the mild and spicier versions, but to no avail. At least the Bud Lite was good.

I think i'll wait to visit Memphis or Kansas City before I make another judgement on so called great BBQ.

I haven't been to Rudy's in a couple of years, but when I did go, I remember the best things being the barbequed ribs and the fruit coblers, not the brisket or pulled pork. On more recent visits to Albuquerque, I have pretty much stuck to Mexican and New Mexican food, of which there are plenty of great sources.

A little late in commenting, but I just saw this.

Rudy's is a Texas-based small chain/franchise company. We have 3 in the Austin area, and I've eaten at all of them a number of times. I know a number of people who really like them, and I even have a very close friend who's food opinion I greatly respect who says their BBQ is good.

People, it's NOT. As I stated above, I've given it MANY chances. Mrs. Bushie agrees with me on this, and she's not an aficionado. She just doesn't like it.

There is a Rudy's right on I-35 about a mile from my house. We NEVER go there. I do, however, often drive 15 miles to Taylor, TX, or 30 miles to Elgin, TX, to get some REAL BBQ.

That may tell everyone about my mental condition, or it may indicate my desire for great food. "We report, you decide."

I really didnt know it was a chain (never bothered to look), but my buddy said it was the best BBQ he ever had and there were two spots in New Mexico where a Rudy's could be found. I should have been tipped off from the two locations clue, but he did say it was the best so what do i know?

Thanks Bushie as your 100% correct.

There are two Rudy's in ABQ, the one on Carlisle and one on Coors Blvd. out northwest near Cottonwood Mall. The food at all Rudy's chain stores is average at best, BUT, the Coors store has a pitmaster that does real well with pork products: pork loin, pork ribs, pulled pork, and babybacks. Darn good.

The origional Rudy's in Leon Springs (San Antonio) is still exellent.

Dan Aleman
Austin, Tx

Dan,
Is that the place that has the sign "WORST BBQ IN TEXAS! ? It has been included in several Food channel Shows. The way it was described on TV was as a 'one location' business...."My mama taught me all of this stuff and I built this place around her recipes". Maybe there is more than one "Rudy's" organization??

quote:

Originally posted by xannie_01

ah Bushie, what the hubster wouldn't do for an elgin hot link!

xannie, next time you're in the area, stop at Crosstown. They're just off downtown, real near the original Southside location. Very similar recipe to Southside's, but I like the "hot guts" there better.

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BigboyDan knows his Q. I've read many of his posts on eGullet. (Dan, I'm tremor over there.) I'd be willing to try the Leon Springs location.

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Mr. Mayor, yes, it's the "Worst BBQ in Texas". They use that as a marketing slogan, but frankly, I think they're right!!

quote:

Originally posted by tkitna


Thanks Bushie as your 100% correct.

tkitna, in my opinion, I'm ALWAYS 100% correct!

I went to Rudy's when I was in Austin last September. I knew it was a chain as soon as I walked in, I thought it was just a Texas Chain, I had no idea they had expanded into New Mexico, anyway, if I recall, the only thing I liked was the sauce, nothing else impressed me.

Al,

"The Wurst Barbecue in Texas" is a play on the German word wurst which is a type of sausage. That slogan was introduced many years-ago by the origional 1929 Rudy's Store in Leon Springs (San Antonio) - that area was settled by Germans in the mid-1850s. I've eaten at the Leon Springs Rudy's since 1989 when they added BBQ to the menu, it's exellent (they still use a pit). The Leon Springs store is considered a stand alone place, with the chain stores owned by several, non-family, franchisees.

The chain stores started in the early 1990s, and those stores use a rotisserie (required now for polution control) with real wood, but the beef is not as good as if it came from a pit. As I said, though, they do a good job with pork.

Have never eaten at the original, but, Rudy's are kinda like the Micky D's of BBQ in Cen Tex

I've been to Rudy's (Carlisle) a few times. It's OK. I mean, in NM the Land of Chile (a chile has been suggested as the back of the state quarter - now how many states have a food item as the symbol?) BBQ of any sort is welcomed. Maybe it's not "great" BBQ but for central NM it may be (odd that NM is so near to Texas and is I"Q"-deficent!)

Although I agree that Rudy's BBQ is, at best, just OK (and I'm referring to the pork ribs, not the brisket, which I didn't particularly care for, nor the turkey, which I haven't tried), it's about the best I've found in Albuquerque. I tried two local places that I'd heard good things about, Powdrell's, which is reviewed on this site, and Robb's Ribs, and I wasn't impressed with either one. Which is why, as I mentioned above, I generally stick with Mexican and New Mexican food when I'm in the area.

Bushie and All: I am staying at the Springhill Suites by Marriott in Austin. Within walking distance of my hotel, there is a Rudy's. It was handy, looked busy, smelled good, they gave me a sample, it was good. I ordered pork ribs, cole slaw, jalapeno sausage and some pickles. Ribs tasted like they had been frozen and thawed, cole slaw pretty good, sausage was hotter than a firecracker and the pickles were OK and the sauce was above average and pretty hot.

Service and attitude was way above average.

This is a fresh report as it was only 30 minutes ago.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

I did Rudy's again today as its proximity to the hotel is within walking distance. Sometimes availability works. Hell, I have even done McD's before when it was handy.

Today I got their moist brisket. It was above average. I wish I had got it yesterday instead of the ribs.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN