Rudy’s Country Store and BBQ

This was my first time at this restaurant. The atmosphere was authentic and the smell when you walk in was wonderful. However, being from Texas myself, the bbq was not very flavorful or authentic to me. First of all, the baby back ribs were served dry (no sauce, and not seasoned well). Their sauces were both a vinegar base, which from my experience, was not authentic Texas BBQ. The corn on the cob and the beans were very tasty though. I gave it an average rating, because I don’t like vinegar based BBQ sauce and the ribs were not very moist or flavorful.

Rudy, you sexy, sexy barbecue man, wherever you are, you have changed me forever.
Yes world, I’ve been schooled on the art of debauchery at its finest by a man I’ve never met.
You see, my boo and I were in the area, and he suddenly announced he was hungry. Translation: he needs food IMMEDIATELY or his man world will come crumbling down in a tizzy of grumpiness and malcontent.
Rudy’s Country Store and BBQ was a stone’s throw away, so that’s where we went.
The atmosphere is super casual, in keeping with the BBQ motif. There are long picnic-​type tables for seating. Also, there’s paper towels on posts… make note of that, as you will most certainly need them. Condiments were arranged at a station with other accouterments, such as plastic knives and forks, etc… BBQ sauces adorn tables throughout. To order, visit the cash register station. Deciding on your order will likely be agonizing, but the kindly servers happily assist with that.
Further, they are open early with breakfast items, such as breakfast tacos.
I had the brisket and he had something of his own creation: a sausage and turkey sandwich. OMG. I dug in with wild abandon. I felt like I were cheating on my honey (I just enjoyed it so much!). But could something so good be wrong? My boo told me how much he loved the food too, and explained that he had never had anything like it. I let him know in short order that this is how BBQ is done!
With great sadness, we eventually left Rudy’s and all its delicious BBQ aromas. Within four hours, my boo and I were chatting, and I asked him what touristy things he might like to see in Albuquerque or what local stuff he would like to do. His response? «I just want to go back to Rudy’s.»

The ‘sause’ is strong with this one.
The XL brisket always hits the spot. Their sissy ‘sause’ is amazing, has a serious kick!

Amazing! Reminded me of Texas BBQ. Only regret, didn’t get the cobbler. We tried the Ribs and brisket, both were very good. Loved the sissy sauce. I will have to go by there again!

Got brisket smoked turkey and potato salad for my mother’s birthday party. The meat was incredible as usual and my family seem to like the potato salad a lot. Because I had such a big order they threw in a free loaf of bread which was very nice. I highly recommend Rudy’s specially their lean brisket.

Got the loaded baked potato with meat… HA! a tablespoons worth of meat for an extra couple of bucks? Wife got BBQ brisket sandwich with cole slaw. Quantity not worth the price. Had MUCH better at numerous places. They do a great business tho. We won’t be back.

An all American Fourth of July with BBQ spare ribs, beans, potato salad, cherry cobbler and of course, beer. Thank you Rudy, wherever you are.
And I wasn’t the only one with this traditional American idea – the place was packed. But the staff is so hard working, experienced and quick, the line moved swiftly. Everyone being in a jolly mindset made it quite pleasant to stand amongst the hungry.
My takeout order was wrapped up and I hurried home to stuff my face. The ribs were succulent and tender, but not quite falling-​off-​the-​bone, just enough pull to make it interesting. The smoke ring on these babies was pure beauty in motion – motion toward my watering mouth. Then BOOM, the flavor exploded just like the fireworks in the night sky.
I love Rudy’s, everything about it – the rustic atmosphere, the down-​home comfort and the people. They express their passion through the cooking of American traditional cuisine. Every bite of ribs and sides was exceptional and inspired me to get my beer on and ignite some explosives. What a 4^th!

Ha ha! You folks in ABQ haven’t quite caught on to the awesomeness that is Rudy’s breakfast burrito. Which is great because it was nice and quiet the couple times we went in for breakfast, and I’m all about having the place to myself. Now I grant you that Rudy’s calls them breakfast «TACOS» and that is all wrong, but if you can get past that, you are in for a very decent breakfast burrito. I also want to say that they could really stand to offer some red and green sauce with these. The Rudy’s near our house in Texas offers a surprisingly decent red and green sauce to go on their «Tacos.» You’d think the Rudy’s in ABQ would be all over it, but no. Maybe if you guys ask them nicely enough times…
Lunch and dinner offerings are really good and you folks in ABQ already know that, judging by how many of you there were there when we went in for dinner. The spicy chop is my favorite. I doubt many of you will find it overly spicy, but it is good! Sides are fresh and the portions are smallish, but tasty and filling.
The big outside seating area is a bonus in your fabulous, dry, not-​too-​hot weather (we’re from Texas remember).

«I didn’t claw my way up the food chain to eat vegetables» Rudy’s motto and so appropriate.
Love this place for pulled pork sandwich with sissy sauce and a side of beans. But then again the baby back ribs are so good it’s hard to share a rack with your buddy!
Beer also available.

First-​time here and we love good BBQ. This is Texas style and the smoke ring on the moist brisket, the flavor was delicious. Also had pulled pork and jalapeño link, beans and potato salad. All very good and would highly recommend. Oh, must get the peach cobbler. Oh yeah!

Rudy’s is Rudy’s and having been to a dozen locations in TX, OK and NM, one thing always remains true: you’ll get good, consist BBQ here and a fair value. Rudy’s exceeds expectations by delivering high quality BBQ all the time. This is a great place to come for a meal solo, with a group of buddies or the entire family. As long as you eat meat (and I don’t suspect too many vegetarians in NM) you’ll be in good hands here.
Hands down, the turkey is the best thing on the menu. It’s always packed with flavor, lean, flavorful and tastes even better with a dribble of Rudy’s sauce. I’m a fan of lean meat, which is why we go for the extra lean brisket (the regular is a bit fatty for me, but some people love it because there’s more flavor).
Normally, when you see sides in Styrofoam cups in a fridge they aren’t very good. Rudy’s bucks that trend. The baked beans, cole slaw and potato salad are good, but I think the green chili stew is the best side. The new potatoes are bland. There’s no seasoning on them, just the option of butter. Save room for dessert. Between the banana pudding, pecan pie, cobblers and chocolate pudding.
When in New Mexico this is your best bet for Texas quality BBQ. You’ll always get good service, friendly folks and a wide selection of meats. Our go-​to items are so good we haven’t tried the others, but you may want to.

I was nervous even going in because I had a couple of vegetarians in tow… The staff was amazingly accommodating and everyone had a great meal! The brisket sandwich (if you can call it that, there was 3x more meat than bread! Yay!) was so tasty, especially slathered in their signature sauce. Wish I’d had a little more room in my suitcase to bring some sauce home… I don’t usually hand out 5 stars but they were SO helpful with the non-​meat eaters I feel they deserve 6 stars

Oh Rudy’s why can’t I find reliable, Texas style BBQ like yours in the Bay Area? Your brisket is so tender, turkey so moist, and pulled pork soooo scrumptious. Even your beans are world class. You are a «must visit» (for takeout, the dining room is always hot or cold) every time I’m back in town!

This place is pretty solid.
I have tried a lot of it, as my work orders it for lunch pretty often.
Let’s start with sides:
Potato salad– It’s the standard. It’s yummy, but it’s the same you get anywhere.
Cole Slaw– Also standard.
Creamed Corn– It’s really good. It’s the standard, nothing fancy, but it’s tasty.
Green Chile Stew– Could have some more heat, but that is a personal preference.
Potatoes– They are good. They are a meal on their own.
Mains:
Brisket, Moist– Yes, just yet. It’s wonderful, cooked well and just amazing. The dry is okay, but the moist brisket is tasty!
Turkey Breast– Smokey and tender. If you don’t like the smokey flavor, this is not for you. It is nice and juice. Yum.
Pulled Pork– I could eat that everyday of my life and be happy.
Chicken– Ehhh. Not their best.
Bonus: They cater. It’s great for a party.
You can typically get in, get your food and get out quickly. The staff tends to be nice and it’s fun to watch them cut your order fresh.
I want to give them five stars, but I just don’t think they are creative enough to five. It’s great food, but it’s very basic. They bottle their own sauce, but it’s not the best.

This is the best BBQ we have ever had! In addition, the staff is awesome, friendly and very generous! We asked what happens to the burnt (char) parts of the meat and the staff brought some over to us even though they usually throw them out.

I would have never in a million years envision Albuquerque, New Mexico as a place to find some tasty barbeque, but I was so wrong. So very, very wrong!
My daughter and I recently visited friends in Albuquerque and we drove past this place with one of my friends. I asked him if the BBQ was decent there and he said yes. Now both of us are from Pittsburgh and we’ve both traveled a lot and know good food. So, I trusted his judgment and we stopped in. During that first visit (Yes, I said «first» visit because we went back again.) I ordered the smoked turkey. Not many places do smoked turkey all that well. It’s usually overly smoked and dry. This turkey was neither. It was juicy, well-​seasoned and had enough smokiness to let you know that it had been smoked, but not overly so. You could also see the smoke ring in the meat. Yum, yum, yummy!
Since that visit was just to test the waters, on our return visit, we had the ribs, jalapeño sausage, potato salad and peach cobbler. We also got the Rudy’s Hot Sause to go with, in case of emergency seasoning being needed. The sauce wasn’t needed at all. The smoke rings on the ribs were present and accounted for. I don’t like just anyone’s potato salad and this stuff was good! I had to sneak some cobbler, because my friend doesn’t share desserts too easily. And it was delicioso! The jalapeño sausage was also tasty. Who knew???
Apparently, this place is part of a chain and if you get the chance, please go. You won’t be disappointed!

I’m not a BBQ connoisseur, but I do like it. Rudy’s has some decent brisket, which is what I normally get. My wife always gets the baked potato, loaded, with the jalapeño sausage and loves it. Make sure to try it with the Rudy’s Hot Sauce (not hot, but flavorful). I just saw that they smoke whole hams for the holidays, so I guess I’ll have to try that next Thanksgiving or Christmas!

My husband is OBSESSED with Rudy’s and ended up dragging me there today. I’m pretty resistant to BBQ places since I can’t eat red meat, and if I happen to luck out with the place having chicken on the menu, it’s like hitting the jackpot.
The second we walked in, we were greeted with smiles and directed us to the area where you order. Ten minutes later, my husband has his brisket and me with my awesome chicken. My chicken was FANTASTIC, the meat practically fell off the bones and the seasoning was perfect. My husband was over the moon with his order; jut was juicy, had lots of flavor, and it was smoked perfectly.

I realize that with BBQ there are some really picky connoisseurs out there, and sometimes process alone will kill a joint such as using a dry rub, etc. Having said that, I have garnered wide praise for my own BBQ but I digress. I mention it, though, because unless you have personal experience and plenty of it, it’s difficult to express how difficult it is to accomplish basic goals, such as keeping the proteins moist without undercooking, balancing the smoky aroma without adding bitterness, or serving the very same item with the same outcome consistently.
I have been a customer for years, and nothing ever changes. No new menu items, the faces are mostly the same, and the food is consistently good! I had a ½ chicken which was juicy and flavorful throughout. The texture ran the fine line of tender yet juicy over flaking off the bone and dry. I also had corn on the cob which was a treat in the middle of the winter, and it alone had me daydreaming of warm summer days.

Order by weight at the counter. They cut the meat right in front of you, weigh it and you pay by weight. Order all your other items; drinks, bread and sides with can be found in the cooler next to the counter. They give you bread straight up out of a bag like you’d get at the grocery store. Very weird and a bit of a turn off, especially since they don’t give you butter or anything to put on the bread.
Ok, so i’m not reviewing the bread, but still. Saw one dude buy an entire loaf, which i’m sure he overpaid for.
Ordered ribs and brisket with a side of coleslaw, bread and a few drinks. The bbq sauce is at the table and there are 2 kinds; Sissy and Regular. It was not my favorite bbq sauce, but did the job and I enjoyed my meal. Still searching for a better bbq joint than Whole Hog and Rudy’s was not it.